Mom is a crud magnet. Whenever we go for a doctors’ check up, she manages to come back with something and spends a couple of days sick. This last time has been the worse as she actually was feverish on Sunday. This may not sound bad, but I never recall my mother ever having a fever since I known her. It was not much, just breaking over 100, but she was tripping something scary. A couple of Tylenols took care of that and she went back to “normal”. she is still suffering the effects whatever crud she caught, but being 87 means it takes a lot of time to cure.
She has finally relented and accepted the fact she needs to walk with a cane or risk falling down and she is not happy about it. I had been trying to scare her with the prospect of having to endure a broken hip and surgery, but she ignored me royally. However it seems that almost falling out of fed and to her face, brought a smidgen of reason into her.
And overall, I have come to the realization she is not as healthy as she was a year ago, nor she will get better. And yes, the missus and I are preparing ourselves for the inevitable.
No one gets out of here alive, so they say.
Miguel, at every place I have ever worked where they cared about employees, the statement was always “Family First”. If your family needs you, take the day and take care of them.
Thank you for taking care of yours. It is a moral stance that we can all look up to.
Be well and I hope your Mother feels better soon.
As far as the cane thing goes, I resisted it too. I was only in my mid-40s and did NOT want one. Then my wife bought me a Cold Steel HD sword cane. I absolutely love it, and even though I no longer need a cane (physical therapy was a b!£¢h) I keep it handy.
Cold Steel makes other, lighter versions that are still effective as both canes, and secret ninja master weapons.
Glad she accepted the cane.
My grandmother wouldn’t use one until she fell down, broke her spine and had a heart attack at the same time to put her in a very nice home where she doesn’t get much of a choice but to skip right to the walker.
Grandfather was similar. Finally took to the cane and now walker after some loss of coordination of his last stroke.
I’m no gerontologist but the pattern I’ve noticed is the legs weaken and it gets harder and harder to move; especially once it gets just hard enough that being a couch potato is easier than getting up. Keep her moving to help keep her legs strong.