Last minutes with Mom

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Live Strong
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I often think from time to time of the last hour of my mother’s life. She was dehydrated, vomiting and restless. Her mental status continued to change from good to bad. Mom was an incredibly strong person when it came to dealing with medical problems as she had several severe ones. My family has assumed this was her "normal" problems and she would go to the hospital and be out in a few days.

At around 9:30 am Easton EMS in 852 showed up along with 2 officers who I know very well. They couldn't have been nicer to me and my grandparents. Unfortunately they were treating for dehydration and high glucose levels. Though it was an ALS call and a paramedic met them in route at GE, they missed (though I can’t blame them) a key problem. My mother was in fact suffering from a stroke and though mom displayed the symptoms given her past history of heart problems was almost non-existent the EMS and ER both ruled it out.

Once my mother got to the ER she was put on a cot and had a little room to herself. My grandfather was with her at the time. She wanted to have the nurse come in and see her for what reason, I’m unsure. Mom never saw it coming but next thing we know she went code "blue" and that was the beginning of the end. She flat lined for 30 minutes and eventually came back. Thinking the worst all my family was paged and called. Dropping everything we all came swarming to St.V's. My mother, the fighter she was hung to life for 5 or 6 days and finally passed on November 5th 2002. She had no brain activity and was likely never to regain it even if she came back.

Its not often I think of this as this is the most upsetting to me. Its just today in EMT class we were working with AED's and I just began to think all class of my mother. I just wish there was more I could have done. Regret is something I refuse to live with though. I am strong and continue to carry on with my life.

I miss you mom, but I know you still are with me.