My Relationship with My Mother

I always lived within 20 miles of my parents, until 1992.  My Mother came to my house, every Saturday morning, and I would do her hair for her.  She done her shopping on Saturdays.  When ever she wanted to go shopping in the city, she would ask me to drive her, as she would not drive in the city.   I took her to Doctor appointments.  Whenever she wanted to decorate in the house,  I would paint for her, helping her to make color choices as she didn't have the confidence to do this on her own.  She depended on me for a number of things.

Mother became very ill,  June 1994.  She was diagnosed with Kidney failure. Since Dad was busy farming, my sister and I were the ones who were there, at the Hospital,  for Mother, on a daily basis.  When she was released from the Hospital, she had to go 3 times a week, for Kidney Dialysis treatments.

May 1998, Mother was admitted to the Hospital, as she was having reactions, when she came off  the Dialysis Machine.  She was getting very weak as this had been going on for some time,  where she would chill and not feel good for several hours, after her treatments.  I would go and drive her to Dialysis, to try and figure out what was causing these reactions.  I took her to ER at the Red Oak Hospital, so her GP doctor could look at her.  He done a blood test and conferred with the Dialysis dept. in Shenandoah, and really felt that it was the iron shot that they were giving her, after each Dialysis treatment.  But the nurses would not heed Dr. Hayes order and stop the iron shots.  A month later,  she was admitted to the Omaha Hospital, and  they took several tests, not letting her eat before some of the tests, and she was getting even weaker.  After 10 days, she was dismissed and they decided it was the iron shot, so it was discontinued.  Again, it was my sister and I that were there,  at the Hospital with her, daily.  Our Dad was busy farming,  as our brother was not self-motivated, to get things done and it was planting season.

Mother was on Dialysis, until she passed away, June 2004.  Unfortunately, Mother was not able to enjoy her daughters, and grandchildren, after her husband passed away.  So the last 3 years of her life was taken away from her, while her health declined.   There has been no closure for me or my sister, since we were not able to be with her, those last years.