I was asleep by 12:30AM and rose at 7:00AM. My day did not go at all as planned. I did put Alex on the bus on time, but after that things tended toward the unexpected.
I made an early phone call and could not reach the party I needed to talk to. I logged onto the computer and discovered why this was so. Unfortunately, I should have logged on before calling…
Mom and James decided that they would go to Lowe’s to shop for a dishwasher and I could meet them there to pick Mom up. Mom wanted me to go into town ahead and go by the library while I was there. I did this and hurried so I would meet them at 11:00AM as they specified. I was at Lowe’s at 10:50, but no Mom or James were there. I had them paged at 11:00, then at 11:05 I decided that maybe Mom became confused and they had gone to Home Depot. So hoping to keep my brother from getting angry with me I drove to Home Depot and looked for his vehicle. Not there, so I went back to Lowe’s now beginning to get frantic. I was thinking they had had an accident or James had had a heart attack (along with lung cancer he has a bad heart) or Mom had had a stroke (she has had several small ones). I had them paged again at Lowe’s at about 11:15 but they still did not show up. The young woman at the desk called Home Depot and had them paged there. Not there… I walked back to appliances and checked with the employees to see if they had seen the pair, but no. I walked outside and checked for the Explorer and it was not there. By now it was 11:30 and these people who always show up on time or early were not where they were supposed to be. I had them paged again and called home and my brother’s house to see if something had kept them at home. No one answered. So at 11:40 I walked outside to get in the truck and contemplate what I should do. Mom called before I got to the truck. They were sitting in the Explorer waiting on me to come out of the store. I could not believe what they put me through. They had shown up a few minutes before. The thing was that Mom told me what James said wrong. He said he would come to pick her up at 11:00 instead of at 10:15 like she told me and then they would come to Lowe’s and I could meet them. This is where Mom’s getting things confused causes me lots of stress. I had forty minutes to think the worst… and they never came in the store. I was near the entrance waiting for those two. Mom laughed at me, and that felt really bad because I was genuinely upset.
I took Mom to Hobby Lobby and we shopped, then we went to her appointment. I informed the doctor of the symptoms she forgot, like saying non-sense words out of the blue and confused speech. He wrote this down along with her inability to swallow at times and her soreness in her neck and left arm. He ordered another MRI for this week, so I have to take her miles away again. I was hoping for one day this week at home. He thinks she is having more mini-strokes. I hope he is wrong. I hope she does not get any worse. I am very worried about her.
We came home and soon after Alex arrived. He had a good day at school. He went to use his computer and then took a nap.
I cooked steaks and rice for supper and cleaned out the dishwasher with bleach. James decided it was dirty and so did not work right. The dishwasher is over twenty years old and worn out… but I had to clean it out. Makes no sense to me. Now we have to clean all the dishes out before we use the dishwasher. Sometimes my family is so difficult.
Supper was delicious and for once Alex ate at the table with me instead of going to his room. We talked some it was very nice. We talk everyday, but not over a meal.
I took a shower and spent some time with Mom. Now I am here… busy, challenging day.
I think I will read a little before going to bed. I hope tomorrow is not so stressful. I don’t like being so scared.
Always,
Jo Ann 
Chronicles 
Jo Ann,I hope that all goes well with your mother\’s tests. Thoughts and prayers,Darlene
Thanks Darlene,I think that they will probably find she has had more mini-strokes. I know that she appears to have more than a little damage. I just hope that if the MRI shows more problems that they can do something about it. She is already on some of the best preventative medicine there is, but I am praying there is more that her doctor can do. She was so worried that Medicare would not pay for the test, but they finally scheduled it, so the payment is taken care of. She is in so much pain in her neck and down her left arm I wish we could get her some pain killers. Advil just is not hacking it now.I particularly appreciate the prayers… prayer can work miracles. I am a living example of that.Thanks again,Jo Ann