Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Mum Part 25

Four weeks and three days after mum was taken by ambulance to the Mater Hospital for her fractured hip, she returned home. My sister was there to greet her. My brother was there to meet her.

Both Butcher birds sat fatly on the back verandah, the afternoon breeze ruffling their feathers.

Mum walked around the house, gently guided by the Occupational Therapist. Rugs are moved. Fingers point to areas of conflict; and things are quietly taken up, put aside, rolled away. The foot stool has been banished to the laundry. The bathroom and toilet areas are inspected for safety.

Can she slip on this? Will she catch her foot on that?

***

The house looks different to mum. You don’t need to leave home for long to see the familiar in a new light. She looks around, trying to reconnect. Grandchildren smile from their photo frames.


Although she will still need to attend the gym daily, and heal a little more, she will be home soon.

Soon.

Welcome home mum.

***

Thankyou for following the progress of mum's hip, I hope it gave you some insight.  If you would like to comment, feel free, it's appreciated.  Many thanks.


Patty

5 comments:

Trish said...

I am so glad she is doing well, Patty. I hope she continues to do better and will be safe and happy in home where she loves to be. God bless.
XO Trish

Anonymous said...

Hi Patty.
My Mum will be 92 in August and we live in fear of her falling and breaking a hip or something. She is starting to get quite frail and a bit rickety on her feet. I tell her to stop drinking and she'll be fine. ;-) But she uses a walking stick that has been in the family for over a hundred years and she feels confident with that. It is lovely old oak and feels good in her hand.

She still lives by herself in her home at Cleveland. She cooks good, healthy meals for herself and is as good looking as she was when she was a girl. She has some home help to do a bit of cleaning once a fortnight.

She is adamant that she doesn't want to go into a nursing home. One of my sisters wants her too as she sees Mum's forgetfulness as a sign of alzheimers. I tell her that my memory is just as bad and is a sign of too many wines! But I will be doing everything I can not to let her go into a nursing home. Unless she needs 24 hr care, I can't see the need when she has 4 children living nearby.

I hope your mother heals quickly and can return to a reasonably normal life.

Best wishes, Noela.

Pattycam said...

Thanks Noela, our mothers are precious to us, and a constant worry. I love that your mum is using a beloved 100 year-old walking stick, lovely image. :)

Take care, and tell your mum to use her stick, everywhere! x

Wanderlust said...

Hi Patty, I was just reading back through some of your older entries about your mom. You write beautifully. I'm glad your mom is doing well enough to go home. I hope she continues to heal. Glad to have found your corner of the web.

Pattycam said...

Thank you Kristin. I am so glad you have found me too, and I have found you. Your writing is amazing, rembereing small childhood snippets of glory and horror; and yet, and yet... thankyou for sharing your part of the world, and your life. It's an honour to read you.