Yesterday started out like any other day, aside from the
fact that my car wasn’t working again, for the second day in a row. It was my
own fault, as I was too stubborn to buy a new battery when I was told it needed
one three weeks ago when I had the starter replaced.
Last night my mom came over with jumper cables and my
roommate and I jumped it and it started right up. We were about to go battery
shopping when my mother and I got simultaneous messages telling us that my
grandma was in the hospital. The message simply stated, “At regions with mom (grandma to me). She is confused and complaining of a severe headache. They just took
her in for a scan”. That was the only prompt we needed to drop what we were
doing and get to the hospital.
When we arrived we were told that each patient was allowed
only two visitors, and my aunt was already back there, so we would need to
rotate in and out and change the rotation if more family arrived. I went back
first.
When I found my way through the maze of a hospital, my aunt
was sitting alone and she said that Nina (that’s what I call her) was being
escorted to the bathroom. I took the opportunity to run a few tests on myself
because I rarely have access to medical equipment. You know what, I’m sick of
people in hospitals always telling me that I’m not allowed to use the equipment
and, I’m not a doctor, and please leave. But I digress.
She came back to the room, arm-in-arm with a nurse. I was in
the doorway, and there was a moment of hesitation before she recognized me.
There was a glaze over her eyes, and a morose undertone in her voice. She wandered
over to the small but medically high-tech bed and fumbled her way on top. She
appeared to be having difficulties with basic motor skills, which brought into
question some very light discussion of the possibility of a stroke on the
car-ride over; it’s not a stroke. Please
don’t let it be a stroke.
Laying down she listened to my aunt and I talk about her in
the third person, as the third person. I guess that makes sense. She exhibited
some signs of confusion earlier in the day when she was trying to get a ride
from Uber. It was attributed to her general confusion with technology but the
muddling continued throughout the day and was luckily picked up by my aunt who
drove her in. Nina has been hospitalized before for low blood-sodium, a
condition which can show stroke-like symptoms, and she is prone to migraines,
although they are infrequent.
I looked down at her in her bed. My grandmother has always
appeared to me as a strong, beautiful woman. For the first time I saw her age,
and the woman in that bed appeared frail and vulnerable. And as uncomfortable
as that made me, and as much as I didn’t want to see her like that, I knew I
needed to stay in that room for her. I bent over and gave her a hug and kissed
her on her forehead, as I’m sure she did to me countless times as a child. I
will remember this, but this is not how I will remember her. This was just a
glitch in a long life of good health.
It was not a stroke. All of the symptoms were the result of
a migraine headache, although her blood –sodium was also low. They did keep her
overnight to watch over her, and complete an M.R.I. for safety. I think we are
now more acutely aware that we need to watch out for the danger signs
associated with growing older and passing on those instructions to her husband
so he can report any sudden changes or concerns, not just to the family, but to
Doctors if necessary. It is unlikely that this was preventable, but had it been
a stroke, time would have been of the essence, and things could have been
different.
But they aren’t. She will be just fine after some rest and
relaxation, and she will be back to being confused about regular things like
Uber in no time.
I love you, Nina.
