Update on my mom after her stroke

It's been almost three months since my mom had a stroke. She is still in the hospital, waiting to go into a nursing home. She still cannot walk, talk (except for some mumbling sounds) nor eat. She recognizes me and other family members. Judging by the expressions on her face, she seem to understand when I tell her certain things. When I call her she would look at me, which means she understands me.

I've heard of people who have had strokes similar to the one my mom had and they were able to talk, eat and walk again. I was told by the doctor that my mom gets physical therapy twice a week, and they've tried to give her speech therapy but she is unable to follow direction.

It's a good thing that I live only five minutes away from the hospital. Because of that I've been visiting her every evening since she's been there.

Life is very unpredictable.

In Hours Of Discouragement God Is Our Encouragement

I came across this beautiful poem that will bring comfort to a sad and lonely heart:

Sometimes we feel uncertain, and unsure of everything,
Afraid to make decisions, dreading what the day will bring.
We keep wishing it were possible to dispel all fear and doubt,
and to understand more readily just what life is all about.
God has given us the answers, which too often go unheeded,
But if we search His promises, we'll find everything that's needed.
To lift our faltering spirits and renew our courage, too.
For there's absolutely nothing too much for God to do.
For the Lord is our salvation, and our strength in every fight.
Our redeemer and protector, our eternal guiding light.
He has promised to sustain us, he's our refuge from all harms.
And underneath this refuge, are the everlasting arms.
So cast your burden on Him, Seek His counsel when distressed.
And go to Him for comfort, when you're lonely and oppressed.
For God is our encouragement in trouble and in trials.
And in suffering and in sorrow, he will turn our tears to smiles.

Helen Steiner Rice

But they that wait upon the Lord....

Smoking infront of a Hospital??

The following is taken from the back of the SDA Hymnal:

My dear friend, I hope everything is going happily with you and that you are as well physically as you are spiritually.

Your body, you know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you since you received him from God. You are not your own property; you have been bought and paid for. That is why you should use your body for the glory of God.

Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God.

There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise.

__________________________________

We sometimes forget that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Each of us has the breath of Christ in us. Remember when Christ created Adam he breathed in him the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Because of that, there's a part of Christ living in everyone of us, regardless of our status. There's a part of Christ living in even those who hate him. He died for us all. That makes us special.

When I see people abusing their bodies by smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs and eating the wrong foods it upsets me a lot.

One thing in particular that really bothers me is to see people standing infront of a hospital, infront of 'Smoking Prohibited' signs smoking their cigarettes. These people have no regard for others. A lot of people that are in the hospitals are there because of some kind of smoking related sickness.

I visit my mom every day at the Rouge Valley Health Care Hospital in Ajax, and every time I reach the front of the hospital, I get upset because of the smell of smoke. I can only comment on this particular hospital because I don't know if there are others like it.

For the life of me, I don't know why hospitals like this one cannot enforce their rules. These people have no respect for the hospitals and their rules. Some of them would end up with cancer. When they do, that same hospital would be taking care of them. It's a shame.

Prevention is better than cure.

I miss my mom

Since my mom had a stroke four weeks ago I have not been doing much on my blog. There's so much going on in my life right now. As they say, when it rains it pours. Two of my sisters are here from NY and WV to be with her and for my moral support.

She has improved a little. She recognizes me and my sisters. She is still unable to talk, walk and swallow. She has a feeding tube in her stomach, which she tried to pull out once before. Because of that her hand has to be tied. It's hard to see my mom in that condition. I feel helpless. I managed to get her to smile a few times by fooling around with a little stuffed toy. She has become like a child again. 'Once a man, twice a child' is so true.

I hope and trust that with each passing day she will continue to improve. Although we've been told by the doctors that she will never return to what she was before.

We're trying to find a good nursing home to put her. That is something she's always been against. I grieve for her.