this isn't an allergic reaction

ah, Ladyfingers did well through the airport security - she was with me.

However, she didn't fare too well today. Luckily, she was with me...ok, four of us were together: Jason, Dad, Mom and I went to lunch, on our way to The Home Depot to order a counter top. Near the end of our meal, Mom noticed that her left upper lip was numb, and she asked us if it looked funny.

Well, it wasn't her lip that looked funny, it was her speech that sounded funny. Her words were not clear, and she appeared to be confused. This alerted our group diagnosis to the possibility of a stroke, NOT an allergic reaction (which mom suffers from).

Recognizing this possibility, we quickly drove to the nearest hospital. With Jason behind the wheel, Dad gave directions from the backseat, and Mom sat quietly...which is quite strange. We decided that Dad and I would take Mom into the hospital, and Jason would return to the condo to retrieve Mom's purse. Yes, we were aware that we had left without her purse: I.D., Health Card, Epipen...

Anyhow, after being triaged, I followed Mom into her room, and Dad went outside to wait for Jason's return.

It was difficult to be with my mom in that situation. What do you say to someone when the doctor is performing neurological tests on her, and she has visible deficits? Mom believed that she was fine, and was asking me to confirm her beliefs...I just told her to do what the doctor asked of her, and not to worry about anything. I later found out, when relaying the story to Jason, that he was in my position last June when the same neurological tests were performed on me.

Ah Jason, I almost forgot his role...he got lost on his mission to retrieve mom's purse from the condo. Yup - the condo is not even five minutes from the hospital, and it's a straight run...no turns. Jason drove to Waterloo, and had to use the car compass to guide him back. He eventually returned to the hospital, with the purse...and a better sense of location. We all just assumed that he knew!

Anyway, the hospital released Ladyfingers - unable to determine if she had a mini stroke or a TIA, as neither of these are reflected in your blood or on a CT scan. She will now be tested by a stroke clinic. She has had a dramatic improvement since this afternoon...hopefully tomorrow the sparkle will be back in her eyes, and her smile will be straight.

Tired,

Emily