Yesterday Was a Little Scary...

I had made lunch for my mom and me. While we were eating, my phone rang and I went into my bedroom to talk. I finished my call and returned to the table and my plate. I looked over at my mom to say something and noticed she had dropped off, not an uncommon occurance.

I said, "Ma, wake up and go to sleep!" which is a running joke between us as we both can fall asleep sitting up and have to be awoken so that we can go to bed. Then I noticed: Her right hand was resting on the plate in the leftover sauce. "Ma! Get your hand out of the plate!" She raised her left hand slightly, looked at it and head and hand both dropped.

Now I'm alarmed. "Ma? Are you all right?!?" Very odd, unresponsive response. Grabbing the phone, I said, "I'm calling 911." When THAT got no answer, I called for help.

Long story short, she was dehydrated and passed out. Temps just reached the 80s in the Valley last week and she had been out with her helper shopping and hadn't drunk enough water. New solution proffered by her doctors: Take water with you and sip even if you don't feel thirsty.

Her next door neighbor is my age and dealing with a mom older than mine. We've both learned that for some reason, some people as they age just don't feel thirsty. With warm weather approaching (snow be damned) check on your elders to see that they are taking in enough liquids.