I just want to start out saying I am writing this for my mother. Her story needs to be heard. My mom was diagnosed with RSD, or complex regional pain syndrome. She was 21 years old when she found out. She is 54 years old today. About 6 years ago, my mom found out she had breast cancer. Like all the other stories of breast cancer, it was devastating to us all. Luckily, it wasn’t a bad breast cancer. It was in her ducts, but didn’t break out of its shell. She went through radiation for 2 years and was on cancer medication for like 5 years. Even though this news shook the ground we all walked on, what happened next was something no one would ever expected; not even her.
She was at work one day close to Christmas time. There was snow and ice and it was below zero outside. She was a career bus driver. She was doing her morning check when she blacked out. Next thing she knew, she was strapped down on a bed with bright lights shining down on her. People were telling her ‘It’s okay’ while the hospital staff was calling me. I was on my way. When I got that phone call, everything stopped in my life right then and there. They said my mother fell and she was unconscious, no one knew what happened, and no one knew how long she had been out. This happened in her 4th year of being cancer free. She was still having pain in her breast from the surgery. Poor thing been through so much, and now this. I gathered myself and my daughter and we went to the hospital. They saw nothing and the doctors just said she had a concussion and she would be fine. I brought her home and I took care of her. Then her blood pressure dropped to levels that indicated she was having a stroke. After months of this, the doctors finally got things up and going for her. We went to doctors and they would tell us she was fine and she will recover; that my mother would have he memory back. Sadly its been 2 years, and her memory has never came back. It turns out my ma was out cold for almost an hour. No one saw her slip and fall. The only reason why her company went out looking for her was because the parents were complaining that their children weren’t getting picked up.
A new doctor finally told us she has brain damage and will never get back to normal. One doctor would say she would, but it would take 7+ years. My ma cannot go out in the sun cannot listen to music or tv. She has high blood pressure and issues with her liver. She cannot exercise. She cannot remember one day to another. I am proud to call her my mom because she keeps pushing on. She doesn’t stop. Some days are better than others and we cherish those days with her when she’s my ma again. But there are not many days when she’s like her old self. And even though she’s been through so much, no matter what, she keeps busy; whether it is trying to sweep the floor or work the computer. She’s the strongest woman I know and I am proud to be her daughter.
Jessica
Illinois
Submitted 9-1-2012
The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
This story is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
