The Fun Bus at Summit View

Yesterday I took my mother to the doctor. Jerry is the driver of the transportation and yesterday he took the big bus because there was someone that had to be transported only in a wheelchair. I take my mother in a wheelchair but she is able to walk onto the bus, but it’s just easier for me to push her everywhere.

My mother gets very uncomfortable when she leaves her familiar surroundings and yesterday was just beyond belief. We had two ladies who had appointments in Hixson and we took them first and at each stop my mother wanted to get off. The whole time she kept saying she was going to throw up. I tried to calm her. We finally got to our stop and I wheeled her into the office and parked her chair. I went to the reception area and I heard my mother say in a loud voice that she needed to lay down. I got back to her and told her there was no where to lie down. She said in a very loud voice again that she would just lie down in the floor. Of course, everyone was looking at us and I have gotten used to this. Well sort of used to it. The office girls found us a room and I got my mother up on the table and she said she needed a pillow. Then she was cold. So Eric brought her a red blanket and called my mother Sweetie. My mother thought that was wonderful and I told her he called her that because she’s special.

During the consultation with the doctor my mother didn’t know what year it is or what month it is but she did know where we were at. She didn’t know who our president is but she did know that he is black. She couldn’t remember the president before him and I told her that she didn’t like him and his name was George W. Bush. She said, oh yeah I didn’t like him. I asked her about Condeeza Rice and she said oh I didn’t like her either and she and George Bush were having an affair.

Well, it was time to go and so I called Jerry to come get us. He was so busy picking people up and taking them to appointments and going back to get them that we had to wait about an hour. My mother drove me nuts during that time. She was cold, she was hot, the sun was in her eyes, I don’t want to hold this Sprite, and I could go on and on. Finally, here was Jerry. He was still picking up people and with each stop my mother would unfasten her seatbelt and was ready to get off. I kept having to get her seated and buckled up again. And of course she started with the I’m going to throw up again and wiping her drippy nose on the sleeve of her shirt. I looked at her one time and I knew she was about to throw up. Jerry had a half finished coke and I asked if I could have the cup. He asked for what and I said she’s about to puke! He said take it! Well, I thought I needed one too because I could never stand to see anyone throwing up. My mother just kept throwing up and the nose just running into the cup.

Finally I got her nose and mouth cleaned up and we arrived back at Summit View. I was never so glad to see a place in my entire life! I felt like dropping to the ground and kissing it.

My mother would have been motified if she knew what happened yesterday had she been the way she used to be.

I just hope and pray that I don’t become that way myself.

But for now, this is how it is riding the Fun Bus at Summit View. Thank you Jerry, I don’t know how you do it!

DR
7/8/09