Like A Timex.....She Keeps On Ticking

Yesterdays visit with mom was brief. She shared how well she was doing in therapy, how amazed the staff was that she was progressing and doing so well. Ken, a neighbor of Sheila Renders, came by for a visit, arriving the same time I did. After he left we continued our conversation about assisted living, having someone at the house for her and in general what was next. She is adamant about going home. She feels that having someone in the house with her, either part time or full time, would cost the same as being in assisted living and doesn't understand why we (her kids) want her out of her house. Val had purchased some edible gifts for the nursing and PT/OT staff for mom to distribute (mom actually paid for them). She decided she didn't want to give them out so I had the pleasure of passing them out with our thanks and several of the staff came by to thank her for the gifts. I stayed for a while longer then left for a quiet evening on Meadowlark.

When I arrived today, her PT said she was doing the stairs requiring only 25% assistance. The look of shock/amazement and worry on my face prompted her to say mom isn't capable of returning home without assistance. I was relieve with that news and look forward to talking with mom about her progress when she returns from the Christmas Party on the second floor.

I've always admired moms determination and drive to do whatever she thinks is right, for her.
The fear of change that motivates her to NOT want to go to assisted living and stay in her house is giving her the opportunity to work hard at regaining her strength and proving everyone wrong. That alone gives her a tremendous amount of satisfaction and the right to thumb her nose (figuratively) at us all without actually saying I told you so.

Having gone from an initial assessment of she needs to go to assisted living to MAYBE she can return home with assistance is scary. But, she's pretty headstrong, has always maintined her independence and finds some kind of pleasure in proving everyone wrong. Who knows?

I think I'll go looking for her upstairs and see how she's doing.

Keeps those prayers and thoughts coming.