Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation, SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, Dr. Larry Joe Russell, Mike Deloach, Christopher Sprenger, and NCDHHS.
I have been writing about nursing homes and things that happen to their residents. The stories I am writing are real, and things need to change. These people are using the disguise of caregivers to get rich. They are using the elderly like they are not humans. Well now I'm going to switch this up for today . These people need to know who they are killing. Today, I am going to tell you about my Mom.
Mom was born in New York, her father was a photographer, and her mom was a housewife. Mom had an older sister, Jane. With my grandfather being in the news business, they travelled quite a bit. Mostly between New York and Miami, but her fathers' work took him all over the world.
My parents met at a camp near Black Mountain NC. Mom was a counselor at the camp and pop worked with the horses. I remember my dad taking us there when we were young, to see where they met.
Mom had five children, my brother is the oldest, I'm second followed by three sisters. We are all married and have children. Some of our children have children, making Mom a great grandmother. All five of us spoke to Mom at least once a week, and some daily. Any decision we made was run by her first. She knew the best and worst things any of us had done. She loved us all the same, and would defend any one of us against, anyone, including each other.
Mom loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. We were the center of her world, and she was the center of ours. Family gatherings always included lots of food, and lots of friends. The family even included the ex spouses of those who had them. Once you joined the family, you never got out!
I know if we were not all up here, Mom would have gone back to Florida. She loved Miami, and had worked for the Miami News when she was younger. She loved Cuban coffee, café con leche, the food vendors on the streets, the beach, and the variety of foods available. She would take the bus from their apartment on the beach, to downtown to work. The last job she had before moving to NC, was in a law office downtown. She was tough, especially on the bus. People would shove and push, but Mom held her own, she knew how to throw a mean shoulder.
My dad passed away in 2008, Mom stayed in the house, with my middle sister, her husband and three children. She would help with the care of the youngest, who was two at the time. She had her own car and went when and where she wanted. Sundays, you would find her at St. Lawrence Basilica, she was Catholic, and brought us all up Catholic.
Mom loved Christmas, and made sure she had the perfect gift for all. There were always extra gifts for people who showed up unexpectedly. You never knew who was going to be at family functions, but you knew it eas not just going to be family
She would have an occasional drink. It was not unusual for her to drop the f bomb, in certain circumstances. If you cut her off on the road, you got the middle finger. Her life had taken her from the social circles of New York and Miami, to the ghetto of North Carolina, and anywhere in between.
Then in 2010, on a routine visit to the doctor, they saw something unusual, around the optic nerve.The doctors decided to watch it, but it was getting worse There was a chance that if ignored, she would go blind. Mom did not want any of her children to know exactly what was going on. She didn't want anyone to worry about her. But most of all she did not have any intention of losing her eyesight. Due to the political climate, and the fear of losing Medicare, arrangements were made for the surgery.
My wife and I picked Mom up at 5:00 am on September 7, 2011. She had gotten up and showered with the special soap given to her by the surgeon. She made her bed, so no one else would have to do it when she came home. I don't know for a fact but I'd be willing to bet that she kissed each sleeping grandchild on the cheek, before she left.
After we arrived at Mission, they checked her in and took her to be prepared for the surgery. As my wife and I waited, my brother arrived. We each had a few minutes to visit, before they took her back. I asked if she was afraid, she said she was a little nervous, but everything would be fine.
The surgery took longer than expected, my wife, brother and I sat and waited. Making calls and getting calls from the other siblings, to update what was happening. Then, they called us over to a desk, where we met Dr. Harold Picus. He explained what he had done, and said Mom had come through it well. Dr. Picus expected a full recovery! That's where it really began to sink in, that the surgery was a little more serious than we were led to believe.
That was the beginning of this journey.
An amazing woman! My mother-in-law was the kind you could only hope you had!
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