Search Results for: blog murphy meets the paramedics

Murphy on My Mom’s Mind

Murphy’s been on my mom’s mind a bunch for some reason. It started right before her stroke on Tuesday morning when she kept saying she followed him, he led her to the wrong room, and she was never following him again. (She’d never left her room, and Murph had been with me until I went in to see my mom that morning.) Or when she asked him why he took her down that gravel path. Or how she didn’t know what was wrong with her (like when the paramedics arrived or later when the ER staff was assessing her), but … Continue reading →

Marriage Blogger Desperately Seeking Solace

Over in Pets I wrote about how Murphy met the paramedics yesterday when my mom suffered a stroke during breakfast and I had to call 911. I spent all morning in the ER until they admitted my mom to the hospital, and then I stuck around until they got her situated in a room. Except for when I left for two hours from 4:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to finally get some food (I hadn’t eaten all day) and to feed the fur kids and walk Murph, I was in the hospital from nine to nine. Wayne didn’t have time … Continue reading →

Murphy Meets the Paramedics

Yesterday my mom’s health took a scary turn. She was extremely confused when she woke up. She was holding the clothes she’d been wearing the day before but saying she’d lost her clothes. Explaining she was holding her clothes only made her contemplate the bundle with confusion. As he almost always is, Murph was at my side to help with the Grandma Dorothy wakeup routine. When my mom kept saying she didn’t have her clothes but needed them because she was “going home today,” I opened her closet door and showed her all her clothes hanging there. Murph even snatched … Continue reading →

Missing Grandma Dorothy

When my mom first came to live with us, I don’t think Murphy, Mr. Meow or Tabby knew what to make of it all. They knew who Grandma Dorothy was, but she lived somewhere else. That meant she’d come and stay a little while and then leave. But this time she came with two big suitcases, unpacked, and stayed. She left for a few days when the ambulance came after her first mini-stroke. But then she came back again…though not entirely herself. Still, Grandma Dorothy was like another stray I’d brought home. Murph and the cats accepted her, loved her, … Continue reading →

A Significant Gift?

Because I suspect Tabby’s behavior was a harbinger of my mom’s stroke, I’ve been watching her more carefully these days. If she’s more cuddly with my mom than usual, or more vocal, I monitor my mom’s every move like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve experienced too many times now when one or the other of my pets is trying to tell me something. I try to pay attention now! That’s why I didn’t know what to make of Tabby’s latest gesture. Still don’t actually. Wayne thinks I’m reading too much into it, but I think it’s significant. Gifting You know how … Continue reading →

Dealing with Doggie Diarrhea

Since seven o’clock Friday morning Murph’s had diarrhea. (Or what I like to call “ookie belly.”) Thankfully he’s extremely awesome about telling us he needs to go out and he needs to go out now. Yesterday morning it was every hour or two he’d need to make an emergency visit to the backyard. (Thankfully he’s also very good about going back there and coming right back in since we don’t have a fence.) Murph’s a muncher and every so often finds who knows what on our walks when either Wayne or I isn’t paying attention. He has a little diarrhea … Continue reading →

Going “Home” – Who Will Be Waiting for Me?

Ever since her stroke last Tuesday, my mom has been talking about “going home.” How her people are waiting for her. Aunt LaLa (her mom’s sister), Pearl (her sister), her mom, and her dad…all of whom have passed away. Yesterday she was particularly adamant that she had to get up and get going home because her people were there waiting for her. “Your people are here, Dorothy,” Wayne said. “Courtney, me, Murphy and the cats. You’re not going home just yet. No one’s there.” “That’s true. I do have to go by myself. But I don’t want to. I don’t … Continue reading →

Was Tabby’s Behavior a Harbinger of the Stroke?

My mom had her stroke on Tuesday, but reflecting on it now I’m wondering if Tabby knew something was up on Monday. Ever since my mom moved here, Tabby’s been her girl. She’s on her lap whenever possible, guards her room at night, watches the sun rise with her in the mornings, and in general keeps tabs on her wherever she goes. Basically, they’ve become best buddies. But on Monday, Tabby was even more of a shadow than usual. Right from the time my mom woke up she kept talking about the cat. “Come see what this cat is doing,” … Continue reading →

Cats and Fire Don’t Mix

Between the car accident and my mom’s stroke, I’m ready for things to get back to some level of normalcy. It won’t be today. I had just gotten into the shower when I heard the doorbell ring. Since I was naked and wet, as well as running behind schedule, I figured whoever was ringing would come back. Or call and say they’d tried to stop by. But a few minutes later I heard sirens. A few seconds after that I knew they had turned into our neighborhood, and it didn’t take me even a nanosecond more to realize they’d turned … Continue reading →