"How's Your Mom?"

        I often get asked, “How is your Mum?”  People ask because they care, because I’ve asked for prayer for her and my sister many tim

Mom on a good day, 23 March 2012

es. 

        I can honestly say, “It is well with her soul.”  That is because since she committed her life to Christ when she was 17 years old, she has done her best to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and live for him. 

        On the physical side, the answer to how she is presents a different story.  On 31^st May, Mom will be 87 years old.  Seeing as I have her genetics, my life expectancy is good. 

Frankly, Mom’s body is worn out.  Over eleven years ago, tiny bleeds in the back of Mom’s eyes began stealing her sight.  The doctors called this Macular Degeneration.  As a way to treat the bleeds and hopefully stop further loss of sight, the doctors prescribed injections into the eye.  So anxious about these injections, Mom’s blood pressure would rise to unhealthy levels.  Sissy finally told Mom that she didn’t have to take the shots—especially since it didn’t improve Mom’s vision. 

To begin with Mom could use a magnifying glass to see a page and perhaps read large print.  Her vision faded, until she could see forms, occasionally colours and shadows.  She was declared legally blind about seven years ago.  So, basically, she sees very little these days.

Ears are a blessing when they work properly.  Mom’s ears have given her trouble most of her life.  Narrow ear canals caused Mom a lot of discomfort over the years, as she had lots of drainage from her ears.  Often it couldn’t drain properly.  When in her late thirties, she had tubes put into her ears.  By then, the damage had already started—her hearing was impaired.  In the 1980’s, she was fitted with a hearing aid.  It wasn’t until the late 1990’s that she was fitted for hearing aids in both ears. 

Most hearing aids last, at the most, about 10 years.  With insurance to replace the hearing aids unavailable, Mom’s tiny equipment was getting fragile.  She’d had them cleaned and maintenance provided by hearing aid centres.  In truth, they needed replacing.  In 2011, whilst she was in a rehabilitation centre, one of the Certified Nursing Assistants forgot to take Mom hearing aids out, so they got wet.  That was the finish of them.  So, now Mom is deaf. 

In November 2011, Mom fell ill with pneumonia and a urinary tract infection.  This caused havoc with her blood sugar; it dropped so low that she became unresponsive.  My sister was frightened, as she thought Mom was on the point of death.  Taken to the hospital by ambulance, Mom’s fighting spirit brought her back.  But when Mom woke up, she wasn’t the same.  A form of onset dementia had developed.  Her sweet-natured, compliant personality became unpredictable; some days she was cooperative, happy, other days argumentative and mean.  Dementia robs an individual of memory and personality.  Family members have to adjust and accept this new person—and it is an emotional, physical, and spiritual battle. 

Now days, Mom is stable, with the usual aches and pains of arthritis.  She might eat well one day, but not the next.  She usually takes her medicine without a fuss.  But if Mom isn’t in the mood to take it, Sissy leaves it off.  One day doesn’t seem to make much difference at this point. 

No longer able to follow a story line, Mom isn’t interested in listening to books on tape or what is on television.  She is content to be close to my sister and naps off-and-on. 

Marginally sighted, deaf, and physically fragile, the overall story is that she is stable these days.  I miss the Mom I knew before dementia changed her; the chats over the phone, those secret little jokes, talking about sewing, cooking and God.  Yet, I sense that she does pray when her mind is clear enough.  Above all else, God holds Mom in His hands, and whether this side of heaven or in His Presence, she is in a good place.

Serving Jesus, Author of our faith,

“Lady Helene.”