I left home on June 1st and flew to Phoenix. The lines at the security check were really long and I would have missed my connecting flight if a security person that was going through the lines hadn't seen my passport. Seeing that I was Canadian she sent me to a different line which was much shorter. I have no idea why she did that as there were no signs saying that I should be in a different line; but at that point I didn't care and gladly went into the shorter one. After then going through an Agriculture check point I took off almost running to get to my boarding area for the next flight. Almost there and guess what another security check point. This one took almost another hour but I made it to my boarding area with about 20 minutes to spare.
Got on the flight to Edmonton, Alberta and arrived there about 12:30 AM, going through security took almost an hour and then I was free to roam. I couldn't get a flght to Regina, Saskatchewan until the next morning so I hung out at the airport until the ticket offices opened around 5 AM. As I wasn't sure until I got to Edmonton that I would need a flight to Regina I hadn't bought a ticket ahead of time, as it turned out I had to fly, so of course the airlines took advantage of that and soaked me good for that ticket. What are you going to do when you have to get there in a hurry?
My sister picked me up at the airport in Regina and we headed straight to the hospital in Yorkton where my mom was still in the ICU. We hadn't told her that I was coming so she was surprised to say the least when I walked in the room. She was unable to talk but vocalised sounds so loudly that the nurses all came running.
I spent the next few weeks at the hospital with her from about 8 AM until 8 PM and then drove the 1/2 hr. or so to the next town where her house is, which is where I was staying. Needless to say there was not much time or energy left at the end of the day for blogging.
On the 22nd of June I drove mom to Regina to have an ultrasound done of her carotid arteries and then took her to the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre where she was to recieve some therapy for the stroke.
She was lucky as she never lost her ability to walk after the stroke, her right arm/hand were weak and she was unable to talk, which was devastating for her. She was able to write a bit so we tried to communicate like that. At first she was on a feeding tube and then progressed to pureed foods and later on to regular foods.
While mom was in Wascana I stayed with moms husbands son and daughter in law who live in Regina and again spent many hours with her at the rehab. centre.
I left Regina on the 5 th of July and headed for Lloydminster, Sask./Alberta where my oldest son was to be married on the 11th. I spent some time with him and his fiance and also with my sister and her family who live there. It was nice to relax and enjoy family.
The wedding went off without a hitch and was great.
I took the bus to Regina again on the 16th of July and spent a few more hours with mom before flying from Regina to Edmonton on the 18 th.. My youngest son picked me up and we came to his place in Spruce Grove, Alberta which is just outside of Edmonton. I have been here for the last few days and will then fly out for home early tomorrow morning.
When I took the bus from Lloydminster to Regina I had to switch from Greyhound in Saskatoon to STC (Saskatchewan Transportation Company). The bus had internet connection so I spent that part of the trip chatting with my sister and Roy and surfing the net, sure made the trip go faster.
I will upload some photos of the wedding and other things later on today or after I get settled in a home.
In many ways it has been a good trip. I got to see lots of cousins, aunts, uncles, friends that I have not seen in many years. It was good to be able to spend lots of time with my mom while she was good enough to visit and know that I was there. Who knows what the future holds and this has been a time that I will always be able to remember.
