Aging

My mother had a transient ischemic attack a week ago. Let me add that she is back to her same self now. She went to the hospital after a visit to the nurse practitioner after I told her I wasn't comfortable with her just "keeping an eye on things" after her foot and leg were numb... and her arm being a little numb later, but probably just "asleep", and she had been unusually tired recently,  oh, and had had some pain in her neck.  All of this came out, one symptom at a time over 24 hours. See how the day went?

Over night stay turned into two more days of tests in the hospital, the day they were going to release her, she really felt worse, so a quick look at her heart, blood pressure and that cholesterol that was too high. Mom has a great way of explaining things away. She was on a floor where almost all of the patients had monitors on the bed and ALL were connected to heart monitors.

Friday, she had a revelation, something that was truly new to her........
She was "old"! She was on the "old person" floor in the hospital and was herself.... old! She really hadn't realized it.

I'm really glad that she has viewed herself these almost 82 years as "young". And truly, she has been by most means of measuring. She lives in her own home, cuts her grass, goes to the gym twice a week, drives to Florida if she chooses and leads an active social life.

I'm hoping that the new medications, and a few tweaks to her lifestyle won't change her attitude and that she won't view herself as "old", but perhaps treat herself with kindness and permission to just "be" every now and again.

Appreciating the good health my mother has had all of these years, and mindful of the truth that you really are only as old as you feel. Most days she has rarely felt a day over 60. Isn't that great?