Hello

Yesterday I got a phone call from mom telling me not to get scared but she had fallen off a ladder in the garage.  She was tinkering around and lost balance and fell to ground, hitting the back of her head.  She got a big bump plus a cut that required her to go to emergency room and get four staples.  She was taken by ambulance since she was bleeding heavily and I followed to the hospital.  Thankfully, she checked out fine and only required the staples.  I don't know what is happening but since my mom retired, she's had some unfortunate things and scares happened to her.  For one, the very next day of her retirement, she had a car accident that left her car with terrible damage.  While this happened, she had a severe bladder infection going on that landed her in emergency room with a high fever, dehydration, high blood pressure and elevated blood glucose.   Again, fortunately, with some strong antibiotics, she recuperated.  Then with follow up doctor visit, it was found that she could be insulin resistant and that one kidney was not functioning well.  Or, as doctor put it in medical term: renal failure stage 3.  Renal failure!  Hearing this really scared and worried me for days.  My mom kept going back for tests and each time, kidney function improved.  Thank God.  But then something else, her liver.  Tests showed liver problems. She went for ultrasound and results were good.  Her liver looked normal. What a relief.  Still,  I could not believe the host of problems suddenly hitting my mom.  She had always been healthy and suddenly all this was happening.  It really scared me.  I came to the realization that I was now becoming my mom's caretaker.  I knew that this would happen, I just didn't expect it to happen so soon.  I guess I always viewed my mom as independent and still capable of leading a good life.  But one never knows what will be of our lives.  I still hope that what has been happening to her is not a sign of a downhill race.  Afterall, she is only 66.  Still young.