Taking a breath of gratitude
Panic, fear and worry were only a few of the emotions I felt on a Tuesday afternoon in mid-September when my mother had a second stroke. For the past two years, she has been oh-so-well-cared-for in the skilled nursing area of Still Hopes Retirement Community following a previous stroke and the death of my dad. When I walked into her room that Tuesday afternoon for a quick visit, I knew immediately something was wrong. The team sprung into action to quickly get the medical attention she needed. Over the subsequent month, I’ve tried to keep a running list of all my lessons learned and kindnesses received during this scary experience. Hopefully, these may help others who find themselves managing this type of emergency. Appreciate that the medical professionals are people first - caring, dedicated people. To a person, the medical professionals we encountered from the ambulance to the ER and the ICU to the regular hospital room at Lexington Medical Center were committed, kind, smart,