No Cooking Today - Spending Time With My Mommy!

My Mommie and I

Today was a very bittersweet day for me. I got to spend time with my mom because she had a doctor's appointment.

My mother Martha, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease when she was about 65 years old and currently lives in a beautiful nursing home in Pasadena, CA. So when my mother needs to go to the doctor, the nursing home makes arrangements for medical transportation and I meet her there so that I can be her patient advocate.

My M

I no longer drive because of Parkinson's, I went on a public transportation adventure in order to meet my mom at the doctors.  My mother's appointment was at 11:15 a.m., and the doctors office is approximately 25 miles from my home, I left at 8:30 a.m. to catch the first leg of my journey, an LA metro bus.  Line 244 picked me up three blocks away from my house and deposited me 2 miles away at the De Soto Orange line station. 45 minutes later, I boarded the LA Rapid Transit Red Line (yes, Los Angeles has a Metro System!) at the NoHo station (that's what we call North Hollywood) going towards Union Station.   12 minutes later I was emerging from the subway @ Vermont and Sunset right where the Dr.'s office is.

I arrived early, I went ahead, checked in my mother  and after 20 minutes my mother arrived. With the assistant's help, mom in her wheelchair, was taken to the waiting room while I walked behind them with my walker.  This is the part that for me is bittersweet because I would love to be able to run and drive and do all the things that I used to do, and I wish my mom was the strong, feisty lady that she used to be before Parkinson's. Our reality is that mom is wheelchair bound @ 88 and I need a walker for equilibrium.

Mom and I Holding Hands

Mom's doctor was running late and I was excited because it meant I could spend more time with my mommy.  I never thought I would get excited that Dr. Klapman was running late so that I could spend more time with mom. Mom's doctor visit went well and we said our goodbyes when her transportation arrived.

I decided to get a bite to eat at the "Rejuvenate Cafe" before going home. The last leg of my public transportation journey went without a hitch.  I was very proud of myself because part of my journey included walking approximately 1.5 miles at the beginning and the end.

Did I tell you?  Using public transportation is FREE for me due to PD! I KNEW there had to be an upside to my medical situation! LOL

The lesson today was that regardless of PD,  I did what I had to do in order to spend time with my mother. Instead of feeling sorry for myself because I no longer drive, feeling sorry for my mom because she is not the vibrant, self-described "Little Old Lady from Matanzas, Cuba" that she used to be, I made an adventure of the day and LIVED it with my mom to the FULLEST within the limitations of the disease we share.