17 – Never Ending Trials

Albert was in Nashville taking care of his mom who had stage four lung cancer when he had the stroke. His mom was in the bed most of the time and was very sick. She was able to eat, sit up, and go to the restroom on her own, but she was getting weaker every day.

Albert had been in Austin for about a week when we got the call that his mom had passed away. It was another trial for our family. My mother-in-law was our rock. She loved us and would do anything for us.  She was a wonderful mother-in-law.  She loved God, modeled her faith in her daily walk, and modeled how to be a loving mother-in-law. She would be greatly missed.

Of course, I planned to go to Mom’s funeral and would take Jordan with me. I knew that my older sons, Albert and Taylor would go to the funeral because they grew up with her.  They loved their Grandma.  She taught them how to fish and took them fishing. She stayed with them when Albert and I went on adult vacations, took them shopping, and to worship. They loved their Grandma. I now had to decide if I should take Albert to his mom’s funeral.  

I spoke with the doctor at the rehab hospital and he told me not to tell Albert that his mom’s death because Albert might go into a more depressive state than he already was. I talked to the minister at the church where I worship and he said, Sis. Carol, what will you do if Albert has another stroke in Nashville? Who will take care of him?  Your brothers-in-law will not be in Nashville and you live and work in Austin.  Who will help you in Nashville?  I thought about what he said and knew that he spoke the truth.  I would be on my own if something happened to Albert in Nashville.

The decision was made that Albert would stay in Austin, but I had to find someone to visit and comfort him. That person was my sister Charlene.  She and her husband said that they would visit and encourage Albert while we were gone and they did. 

When we returned from the funeral, Charlene said that Albert knew we were gone and he knew that something was wrong, but didn’t know what it was.  Charlene said that he had no emotional reaction to his family not visiting him. Stroke does that.  It takes away the victim’s emotions, love, kindness, caring, etc. Stroke also takes away the victim’s memory and this is hard on everyone.

When I walked into the room, Albert said Hi just like any other day, and we resumed our new “normal’ life with stroke.