From My Mother's Fall to Her Passing (2)

peaking of which, in "From My Mother's Fall to Her Passing (1)", I wrote that I didn't remember if the visiting nurse came after my mother fell. However, as I was writing the article, I remembered what happened.

When I saw my mother lying on the bed unconscious with foam coming out of her mouth, I called the visiting nurse station. The visiting nurse was the first to arrive.

After seeing my mother's condition, she said, "I'll contact the doctor," and then the doctor came.

It's not a very important story, but I decided to write it anyway.

The Most Trusted Helper Came to Our Aid

【Friday, November 25, 2023, Morning】

The care manager was originally supposed to be off on Saturday, but she always responds to emergencies, so I contacted her immediately.

Originally, the helper was supposed to come on Saturday from 1:30 PM, but she suddenly agreed to come three times: in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

The helper who came that day was the one my mother and I trusted the most. As soon as she understood the situation, she quickly started making various preparations.

At that time, I followed the helper's instructions and helped her by bringing out the necessary items and fetching them from other rooms.

Then, the helper helped my mother change into a clean pajama that had been washed.

My Mothe Started Snoring

When I changed my mother's position, she started snoring loudly.

I remembered hearing that you should not move someone who is snoring due to a stroke or other condition. The attending physician had explained that my mother's current condition was caused by something happening in her brain. So, I was worried and decided not to move her at all and called the visiting nurse station.

However, while I was talking to the nurse who answered the phone, the helper was moving my mother's body and doing various things. Before the nurse could give any specific instructions, the snoring stopped for the time being, so I hung up the phone for now.

The visiting nurse station is available 24 hours a day, but the nurses are on standby at home at night. During the day, they visit patients regardless of the day of the week, including weekends and holidays.

Therefore, it seems that they were receiving a call while responding to another patient at that time.

My Mother Vomited

【November 25, 2023 - AM/PM Unknown】

In the hospital, I had heard from a nurse that they would change the position of bedridden patients every two hours or so to prevent pressure sores. So, when I tried to change my mother's position with the helper, she suddenly started vomiting.

My mother was lying on her back, and I knew that she would suffocate if we left her like that.

What's more, she was vomiting a dark green, unidentified, viscous substance with her tongue hanging out of her mouth.

At this point, it was clear to even a layman that she was not breathing.

It was clear to even an amateur that the situation was critical.

I was terrified, and seeing my mother in such pain made me feel so sorry for her. I desperately wanted to help her, so I hurriedly called the nurse again.

With the nurse's guidance, we tried changing her position and adjusting the height of her pillow. Finally, the vomiting stopped, and her breathing returned to its normal "puu, puu" sound.

However, even though the helper had just changed her into a clean pajama, the collar was stained with my mother's vomit from earlier. Even after the helper kindly wiped it off, the pajama remained wet and stained dark green.

My mother only has two pajamas that she wears during this season.

Until now, one extra set was enough for laundry, but this situation was unexpected.

The spare pajamas were just washed, so it will take a while for them to dry.

Even so, the helper took great care and time to clean the pajamas my mother was wearing. She carefully wiped away the vomit stains and made sure the pajamas were as clean as possible.

The helper then kindly told my mother, "It might be a little uncomfortable, but please bear with it until the pajamas dry." She reassured my mother and showed her compassion.

I also apologized to my mother, saying, "I'm so sorry..."

Incidentally, the identity of the mysterious dark green vomit was never determined. After my mother passed away, a nurse from the visiting nurse station came to offer incense. When I showed her the color of the vomit, which had not come off even after washing, she said, "It's bile."

To Be Continued

In the next installment, we will rewind time by several months to better understand the topic of "bile" in this story.

The timeline will change for a while, but I will do my best to write in a clear and easy to understand manner so that everyone can follow the story.

＜Click here for the 1st episode＞

＜Click here for the 3rd episode＞