May/June 2000 – My dad underwent a very serious heart operation, during which he suffered a complication. When he woke up from the anaesthesia he went into a panic saying he was blind and my mum, who was sitting by his side, was devastated. She phoned me immediately crying and saying that dad had gone blind. She was in total shock and stunned…so was I of course. My brothers, both living away, were telephoned. Within a few hours Dad realised he could see but not completely and things settled down a little after the doctors came to check on him. He had actually lost partial eye sight of one eye after suffering a stroke during the operation.
When Dad was discharged from hospital, mum and dad came over to stay with my family and I for his rehabilitation. I lived in Naxxar at the time and he could walk daily without going up and down hills. All worked well and there were no problems. By July they were back home and summer came and went. Life was good – it was normal and normal is good. Until one day in September.
Mum would call me on a daily basis and we would chat about everything over the phone. However, something was off on this particular day. She said something to me and then repeated it a few times. I didn’t really dwell on it …not that day.
However, this sudden repetition began to happen more and more often until one time I spoke to dad about it. He knew what I was talking about but had not mentioned anything about it to anyone – he had just pushed it aside. All this remained on my mind until a few days later.
I remember it clearly. Mum was sitting at the dining room and at one point she went into some kind of trance. This lasted for about 10 minutes and when she came to she burst into tears, turning to my dad ‘Joe, what is happening to me..what??’ She was so scared and we were shocked.
The fear and the look on her face is still very clear in my mind, even today.
My heart sank.
Today I speak to so many people who go through the same situation and I want them to know that they are not alone. The ‘not knowing’ brings with it so much anxiety. We, at MDS, are ready to take your call. We will go through this journey with you.
Anne