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Picture Credits: Karen Stack, Betty's Adopted "Sis"
Rushing around the kitchen, moments after walking in the door after a late night at the office, the melee of activity was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. "Hello?" I inquired. "Hey, you off work yet?" I heard my brother's soft and low voice on the other end. "I got off late tonight, but yeah." There was a short pause. "How far are you from work?" Well, I was already home and I see by my answer that what I said could have been misleading. I must work on this, as my husband will wholeheartedly agree!
"I've actually just gotten home." I was getting nervous. Ever since my mother had a thoracic aneurism, she's been in a vigilant coma. My brother Bill was given power of attorney by my mother just before slipping out of consciousness. Whenever he calls now, my heart stops and although I'm usually optimistic... I wait for the worst in an attempt to prepare myself for all that could be coming my way in the upcoming phone conversation. "Can you come up to see mom in the hospital?" he asked. "Yes, I'm there. I'm leaving right now," I replied. "Come alone," he instructed. "Come alone," the words kept echoing in my mind as I grabbed the keys and did an about face towards the door I had just entered moments before.
I announced I was leaving, that there must be some emergency at the hospital, and that I had to go NOW. "Come alone." Why? What's happening that my family can't be there for? My children... well, I wouldn't want them to see everyone crying if my mother had taken a turn for the worse, or worse yet... if she had passed away already. "Yeah, sure. I'm coming now. I'm coming alone," I confirmed. "OK," was his reply and he hung up. OK? That's it?
Bill never was much of a conversationalist. Maybe he was just keeping excess words to a minimum as he had a habit of doing. "Come alone." The words echoed again as I turned the ignition key and my eldest son raced out to the van with worry painted all over his face. "Mom! I want to come!" he half pleaded, half demanded. "DJ," I began, "I can't bring you with right now. Uncle Bill said I had to come alone." He got frantic. "Mom! What's wrong?" I wanted to hug him and I wanted to peel out all at the same time. "I don't know, hun. I'm going to the hospital to find out and I'll let you know as SOON as I know anything. OK? Don't' worry. Stay here with Dad and I'll call you in a minute."
He looked helplessly back towards the house as if he was seeking backup from Dad, but Don only motioned for him to come back into the house. It had been raining and I was never so grateful for the veil of drops on my windshield as it hid the tears that were now instantly burning my cheeks. I waved to my children and smiled through the water streaked glass in hopes they wouldn't worry so much. Yeah, right! My children as smart as a whip! They don't buy the facade, I'm sure of it. I blinked to remove the blurriness from my sight and realize that I've driven a block without the windshield wipers on. I took a deep breath, turned on the wipers, and concentrated on driving... or at least I tried to. What good would it do anyone if I got in an accident? Maybe that's why he didn't elaborate, because he wanted me to drive safely despite... despite what? What?!?
I entered the highway, making sure that I didn't miss anything between the teardrops and raindrops. I must make sure to travel safely. Travel? What about my mother's sister, my Aunt BJ? She had notified me just two days earlier that she planned to visit next week. What if? What if her travel plans had to be changed from visiting my mother at the hospital, to visiting my mother at the funeral home? That's a "SO CLOSE" situation. So close... almost... but not quite. Like when my grandfather passed away. I had planned on visiting Illinois that week anyway. Every year on my anniversary, my husband and I visited my mother's father in Illinois. It was a tradition by then... three years running. That year, however, our visit did not take place in his humble home but at the funeral home.
The phone rang and I tried to answer it so quickly that I nearly dropped it. It was my husband, my comfort zone, my haven from the storm. All my defenses and walls crumbled in an instant and I started sobbing uncontrollably. I thought maybe I'd lose my mother any day, every day since the aneurism and resulting emergency surgery, but now that it could quite possibly be happening... I couldn't contain myself. Don tried his best to comfort me, calm me, and curtail any hysteria. I know he was extremely concerned that I wasn't paying full attention to the road and on slick pavement in the dark, that's not a good thing.
I was getting off the expressway in no time since the hospital was only two exits away from my home and I never remember the red light taking so long before. I watched the white "Walk" signal change to the orange "Do Not Walk" signal and impatiently rapped my fingernails on the steering while it flashed it's warning that my light was about to turn green. I remember playing a game with my mother and see who could guess when the light would turn green more accurately. She had figured out that most of the lights in Grand Rapids blinked the "Do Not Walk" ten times before changing. I counted the blinks... eight, nine, ten... Green. She was right. She was very often right.
A block later I found myself pulling into a parking space and skipping steps as I ran up them to her room. I had forgotten that I had a sprained ankle; I had forgotten to smile at security as I rushed in, and I had forgotten to turn off my cell phone. Of course, it chose now to ring. I got a few dirty looks from those around who knew as well as I that our cell phones had to be off in a hospital. I wanted to defend myself by saying that it was an emergency and my mother was very ill...but really... didn't they all have emergencies? Why else would they be here?
Tears overflowed and started flowing freely as got off on her floor. I saw grey blurred images before me and knew they must be the patients in wheel chairs that frequented the nurse’s station. I darted past them and noticed that I didn't see any nurses scurrying around trying to save a life. Maybe I was too late? All of a sudden I couldn't breathe. As I approached her room I expected to find many things; a bed with my dying mother in it, an empty bed, or even worse... no bed at all. Instead I saw my mother laying there, eyes open and focused as they have been for the last couple weeks, and ... and well, she looked ok!
I turned to my brother and half asked, half demanded, "She's ok?" He looked perplexed and said she was. I looked back and she looked worried. She actually had an expression on her face... certainly NOT something ordinary for someone in a vigilant coma. "She's ok!" I exclaimed and I didn't know whether to hit him or hug him. So, I started doing both. He hugged me back and I'm sure it was to keep me from hitting him again. I started sobbing and couldn't stop. I cried all my tension, fear, and anxiety out all at once. He apologized over and again through that grin of his that appeared every time he was uncomfortable or didn't know what to do. I'm sure he found some amusement in my being so "emotional" - you'd think I was a woman or something!
"Is she ok?" I heard someone ask behind me. I stopped and turned around. Nobody was there... except my mother! Am I ok? My mother just asked me if I was ok! No, I most certainly was NOT ok! I thought she was dying or was dead and here she's talking!!! I hit Bill again, hugged him again, and then turned to my mother again. Kneeling down to her, "Yes, I'm OK! I'm crying because I'm so happy Mom. You woke up! We've all been praying for so long and for two months we've been waiting to see what would happen. And now... you're talking!"
I hugged her and kissed her and told her I loved her. She smiled back at me and whispered something else. "What was that?" I asked and leaned in closer still holding her hand to my lips so I could keep kissing it. "What's for dinner?" she repeated. What's for dinner?! Heh! Only my mother would be thinking of FOOD at a time like this! "What did she say?" my brother Bill and Mom's friend Bob asked. "She asked what's for dinner!" I informed them and raised my eyebrows as if to ask Bill what he was going to do about it. He grinned and holding back a laugh told Mom, "Anything you wan, Mom. Anything you want." I looked back at her and asked, "Well, what do you want? Bill's buying."
She grinned a knowing smile, looked at Bob, then looked at me... "Charlie's Crab," came her response. "Charlie's Crab it is!" I stated looking at Bill and watching to see if he'd squirm now that he's agreed to foot the bill at one of the most expensive places in town. He held back his laugh and told her he'd have to wait in line for a loan, but that he'd take her out to Charlie's Crab no problem! I turned to Mom and asked, "Does this mean I still have to buy you that box of Godiva chocolates I promised when we didn't think you'd ever wake up?" She grinned and her eyes opened very wide, and slowly her head shook an emphatic yes. I turned to Bill and told him I'd be next to him in line for a loan, but I'd get her those chocolates by golly!
We all laughed and she whispered softly, "I'm so bad." Then she got more and more tired the more she tried to talk. My sister and her two children showed up shortly after I did, as did my husband and my two children. We all got to hear her speaking and see her responding to us. I know it must have taken a great deal out of her since she's been in a coma for two months. It must have been exhausting both mentally and physically. She cried at times when she couldn't remember something she wanted to say, or when she wanted to say more than she could figure out how to say at one time. For every word she has to think of an answer, then think how to verbalize it, and then do it. It takes awhile for each answer, and sometimes the answers never come. Sometimes she loses her thought, and sometimes she stays lost for a bit. But the great thing is, she's back! She's awake! She's talking, and joking, and remembers us. She has her sense of humor, and ... well, she's Betty!
I fully believe that God heard our bombardment of prayers. I know that he had everything to do with her recovery thus far. And I have faith that he's not done with our miracle quite yet. I think she has much more to go and that she'll continue to progress as time wears on. I just wanted to share the good news with you and apologize it did not come sooner. This all happened Monday evening around 6:30 PM. We had discussed calling someone, possibly her mother, and letting her surprise them by speaking to them. She seemed agreeable to the idea but we lost her for a bit when discussing who it would be that got to hear her first over the phone. On Tuesday she was still extremely tired and only said a handful of words. When the idea of speaking to someone on the phone was presented again, it was apparent that she was too exhausted to do it that day.
We didn't want to wait another day to surprise someone, so Bill called Grandma last night and I'm writing you all today. As always, I'll write more as more happens...and more will, believe me!
Take care,
BrytEyz
(Mary)
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