My mother had a stroke Saturday morning. She is hospitalized but has improved slightly. If you're inclined, my family and I would greatly appreciate prayers and positive thoughts for her healing and strength.

Thanks everybody.

I just said a prayer.

Hi Sooly,

I don't think I've posted to you before but I've appreciated your posts, especially the threads you started on EN's (that unfortunately got swallowed up in the great forum purge of 2009).

Prayer works wonders and I'll pray for your mother and your entire family.

Blessings and peace,

Ace

Thanks very much. I really do appreciate it. She called me to complain about still being on a liquid diet this afternoon, so the incentive is there, at least, to do the exercises involving her mouth and throat. I'm not sure if that will just be speech therapy or OT as well.

This woman has had issues with her heart since she was my age, with open heart surgery when I was 23 years old and surgeries afterwards for pacemakers, not to mention numerous electronic shocks to put her artificial valve back in rhythm. She has never let it stop her. On chronic Coumadin all that time, the drug has now weakened the blood vessels in her eyes, and she now has retinal issues and diabetes as well. She's incredibly active in church and community, and everyone loves her. She puts me to shame with her often simultaneous volunteer projects and concern for others.

Ace - thanks for the kind words. Ideally, when the LB book is read through as a group, I would really like to start another on HNHN, but I'm going to lay low for now until my life settles down a bit - get the LB book read and then think about it.

If the book is broken down similarly to the LB book, we'd be going over one EN at a time, and I suspect the discussion that would follow would be at least as interesting as the LB discussions if not even more. I hope if we read it as a group, that you will have time to join us.

Prayers for your mom and you. Sounds like she is doing well. all considered. Hope she continues on that path.

Hi Sooly,

Sounds like your Mom is a real inspiration. I'll keep praying for her.

I totally understand about your needing for your life to settle down before you start another discussion thread. I'd love to join in but my work/home life is pretty nuts now, too, (plus I can never seldom lurk/post during daytime work hours).

In the meantime, you're welcome to hop on over to my lone thread on the Recovery Forum about "Healthy Habits" (of all kinds) and how they help in marital recovery.

It started out dealing with health-related PA (Physical Attractiveness) but has swerved to FS (Financial Security) and even an EN not mentioned in the MB top ten (but one of my top): SL (Spiritual Leadership). When you have a moment, please weigh in on the discussion over there, (often me just rambling to myself. LOL) Your insights would be much appreciated.

Again, best wishes as you help your mom recover.

Ace

P.S. Hey Believer...long time no chat. Hope all's well. Glad to see you back as you were highly missed.

I am sorry about your mom. I hope she recovers well.

Soolee, how is your mother progressing?
How old is she?

Thank you for asking, Retread. She is a young 76. In 1986 she underwent open heart to have her mitral valve replaced with a prosthesis. Since then, she has had to take Coumadin to keep her blood thinned enough to hopefully ward off the risk of a stroke. (When she was about 12, she came down with rheumatic fever, and the original valve became scarred. Then in her early 50s she started to realize that even simple tasks exhausted her, and the rest is history.)

Since then, she's had some very small TIAs that left no effects, had 2 pacemakers put in, and numerous sedated 'jolts' to get her heart rate back in proper rhythm when it got off sync. Then this incident that really began Friday night into Saturday morning, which has left her with some paralysis/muscle weakness.

Now with the chronic Coumadin, the walls of the blood vessels in her eyes are weakening and causing macular problems, and she has developed diabetes. And what some people don't realize is that every time a person on blood thinners needs surgery, they have to be weaned off the Coumadin before and back on it again afterwards. Getting the levels where they should be is necessary before that person can go home.

That all sounds quite sad and even morbid, but to tell you the truth, she's an inspiration to everyone around her - more active, probably, than all her siblings and friends. She's been volunteering for years at a town library and second-hand clothing shop, and also serves at dinners and committees at her church. (shrug) It's what makes her happy. We have often joked (my sisters and I) how we nearly have to make an appointment to see her.

OT came to the house today, and she is insisting on seeing her great grandchildren over the holiday, so they are coming to visit but will wait on her properly.

It will take time to optimize her recovery, and the likelihood, we're told, of this happening again within the year is high. I've come to the conclusion that there is really no way to be prepared for these sorts of things. We just have to let her live her life, let her be happy doing what gives her fulfillment, and pull together as a family/team the best that we can if something happens.

Thank you so much for your concern, all.