Mom had a rough day today. I don't know what was going on, but I wanted to make sure to check on her before leaving for Raleigh. It was around 3:00, and my first task was to find her. She wasn't upstairs in her room...the nurses pointed me to the activity rooms downstairs, but I must have passed them in the elevator, because they weren't down there either.
When I got back upstairs, she was sitting at a table in the main room looking through her purse. "Hi, Mom. I've been looking all over for you. How are you?'
She had that angry look, and then got teary-eyed. "I have been looking for your phone number. I was trying to call you."
'Really? What for?'
"So that you could come and pick me up and take me back home." Uh-oh..been here.
'You are home Mom.'
"Yes, I know, but I mean to my other home." She started ranting about a bus leaving her or not taking her where she wanted to go, and how she was worried because she couldn't call me. She didn't have her phone, or any money, and went on and on about not having enough money to make a phone call.
One of the nurses, Gwen, I believe, came over and said "You can use our phone any time you want. If you need to call Kim, just let us know." Mom raised her eyebrows "I can? but then your work will tell them..."
'No Mom, they would call me on this phone.' holding up my cell.
"Do I have that number? I better write it down"
'They have it, Mom.' Then the nurse said..."You know I need to tell you something about your mother the other night. She tried beating me with that cane. She was going to take me out"
'Whoa! No way?'
The nurse said she didn't mean to, but that when she went in to give mom her medice "She thought I was some other woman...apparently the woman her husband cheated on her with? She started hollering at me 'I've already had 2 husbands, and you aren't going to come in here and steal another one. I know all about you."
Wow. Must be some kind of interesting story behind that one, but I don't know it. I stayed until she calmed down and went home to pack. Just as I was getting ready to leave for Raleigh..around 7, I got a call from her nurse. "Your mother wants to talk to you."
I think she was just testing. She went into this dramatic tirade about them trying to move another woman into her room, and that there was no way she was going to leave her coat or her afghan in there for the other woman to keep. At one point it was because she had worked so hard to make the afghan, at another point it was that she had saved for weeks to buy it for $35 because she didn't make a lot of money like everyone else. The reality is she got that afghan from my grandmother.
'It's ok, Mom. No one else is moving into your room. What would you like me to do? I need to leave for work.'
"Oh, oh...ok you go to work. I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll handle this my own way."
I had to flip parent on her. 'Yes, you need to handle it by going back to your room and going to bed. And you need to stay there until its time for breakfast.'
"Oh, ok. I will. I will. I'm sorry. Its just that these people..... (insert rant)".
'You need to stop cursing, and go to your room Mom. Trish will be by to see you tomorrow.'
She was just so stressed. I took some video, which I'll try to post later. I hope tomorrow is better for her.
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