On August 11th, Sue was taken to Taylorville Memorial Hospital after collapsing at work. She had been acting funny all day. She was off balance, speaking differently, and seemed off all day. The emergency room physician diagnosed her with diabetes and high blood pressure. When I arrived at the hospital, my mother had been released, standing outside the emergency room entrance. She appeared to have a hard time keeping her balance. I kept thinking to myself, “Something isn't right. She shouldn't be going home.” It took both my father, and myself to get her up the stairs into the house. Her speech was slurred, balance was off, and she had a slight facial droop. Her symptoms seemed a little excessive compared to the diagnosis she was given. Multiple people were concerned she had a stroke, including myself. We concluded that surely the physician would have been able to identify the stroke symptoms, and keep her overnight for observation. The next day, we were all still deeply worried about Mom. Most of the day had passed, after many calls and texts, no reply. Finally, I got a hold of my father. He stated she was still really tired, and her speech was a little bouncy. Despite our concerns, we accepted the diagnosis as accurate. A few hours later, I received a phone call. The type of phone call that makes your stomach drop, and tears well up in your eyes. “Your mother had a stroke. I was in the kitchen cooking, and heard a boom. She was on the floor, and her facial droop was worse. They are transferring her to Springfield Memorial Hospital.” She was at Springfield Memorial for over a month. Due to her diabetes, her pancreas stopped producing insulin. Which was not acknowledged at her first trip to Taylorville Memorial Hospital. During the following weeks, my mother worked diligently to regain some of the deficits she lost from her stroke. I will not list her actual deficits, but she did suffer major losses. She was released from the hospital mid-September. Her recovery period is estimated to be 6-12 months. While at home, Sue required 24 hour supervision after her release from the hospital. Currently, she is working on becoming more independent, and requires less supervision. She attends weekly out-patient therapy sessions, and continues to make progress. We are all hoping for a full recovery. All proceeds collected will go towards my mother's home care. Travel, medical, and daily expenses are included. Any donations will alleviate some of the financial stress, during my mother's recovery period. We have a long road ahead of us. Please, leave an encouraging message for Sue, if you choose to contribute. Let's show my mother how vast and strong her support system is.Please, remember that access to heath-care does not mean the care is of reasonable quality. If you feel that a diagnosis is not accurate, seek a second opinion. Sue and daughter, Carrie.Our family at my sister's wedding.Thank you.
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