Fighting Back

I haven’t a clue what happened in the world today.

I picked up a copy of the Irish Times to check the jobs listings in just case there was anything interesting going, but apart from Doonesbury, I didn’t read a word of it.

Today was too important a day to worry about news. My mother is home for the weekend.

Three months ago, she was admitted to hospital. For a while she’d suffered from forgetfulness and fatigue. Old age, we though, happens to us all. But when she collapsed, she was taken to NowDOC, from there to the regional hospital in Letterkenny, and from there to Beaumont.

Within days, she was operated on. A tumour -thankfully benign – was pressing against her brain, causing the problem. Since then, it’s been a slow road back to full health, with regular physiotherapy.

At times, the medical opinion was she’d never get out of bed again, but she refused to give up. She is still weak, still training her brain and muscles to work in new ways. She needs a wheelchair to get around on her own a lot of the time, But when she has to, she can walk.

We’re a stubbon breed.