The Nonogenarian Other Shoe Drop

The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things. That's my favorite Lewis Carroll line. In my mother's case, the time has come for the final phase of her life...

Around 3 am Saturday, she fell in her condo, and smacked her head. She started bleeding. We know this, because of the stains on the carpet in her room. She didn't want to bother anyone at that hour, not even the dispatcher on her "I've fallen and can't get up" button service, so she dragged herself to the bathroom, washed up, and started a laundry load with her bloody clothes.

Around 7, she called my sister and brother in law, who came over. They took her to an urgent care center and she got 4 stitches on the top of her head. She was then taken home.

I called after our brunch company left, and she asked me sheepishly if she ought to go to the hospital, since she couldn't walk. I'm guessing the fall sprained her hip, and left her nearly immobile.

I drove up to her condo, and found her in bed. She hasn't wanted to come visit me for months, but I gave her no choice this time. I took her home.

She was fine in the car -- she IS fine, as long as she isn't required to move anywhere. I had left a credit card at a Fountainbleu restaurant Thursday night, and decided to fetch it on the way home. I learned that you can't acess the Tuttle Causeway from the I-95 southbound express lanes, so I had to take the MacArthur to the Beach.

Sunny loved it. I drove her to the SeaCrest, the hotel where we stayed Christmas and Easter vacations for many years. She marvelled at the change in South Beach --how all the young people replaced the old.

We drove past the Edward Hotel, where HER mother wintered for many years. It's been renovated, and the parking lot has Mercedes and Porsches, instead of the handicapped folks' vans she recalled.

I parked at the hotel and learned that obtaining a credit card from lost and found is no easy task. IT took them 30 minutes to get it to me. I was annoyed; Mom "enjoyed the wait" in the air conditioned car.

I got her home, and began another epic journey: from my car to the inside of my house. It took a solid 30 minutes, and we only made it as far as the front porch. She sat, I put on a fan, and brought her some tea and a bagel.

D1 and D2 sat with her, and she got the dog love treatment from the aging Lab and the spoiled spaniel puppy.

D2's boyfriend Michael met her. After he left, she got a look of horror on her face. She realized she wasn't wearing her bra! Somehow, I don't think Michael noticed...

We got her to bed. This am, I came to her room, and found her on the floor, on a blanket. She got up to pee during the night, and couldn't climb back into bed.

She started on all of her dismissive "We'll see" and "maybe someday" statements about moving to an assisted living facility. I stopped her. She's going.

I toured the Miami Jewish Home for the Aged last year, and met with Leslie, the administrator. Her mom moved there from Kings Point, too.

This am I called and left a message. I plan to go tomorrow and make the arrangements. My only concern is this coming week, as we leave for Gainesville, and I don't think Mom can make it alone at all anymore...

I'm hoping I can arrange for an "overnight visit," as Leslie mentioned.

Then I can return from UF, get D1 moved to her new place, and then focus on the Mom.

As I emailed my friend Eric, who's her doctor, if you live long enough, you get to go to Little Haiti (the less than fine 'hood where the ALF is located). The truth is, the campus is beautiful and safe, although it's surrounded by an area you wouldn't want to walk, day or night.

So, the shoe and head, dropped.

I figure making it to 90 on one's own is pretty amazing. Here comes the phase of dependency...