Terminal Anxiety

When I got home from the flood there was a big truck in my driveway. It looked familiar, and I'd even pegged it as my chiropractor's truck, but it seemed really strange that she would be over in the middle of a Saturday night. (My chiropractor is more than my chiropractor, she is also my mom's and Gma's chiropractor, and a family friend - she and my mom have been good friends since high school.)

When I made it inside, I learned why Nancy was there. Gma was experiencing terminal anxiety - she was afraid that if she went to sleep she wouldn't wake up. My mom and aunts would sit with her and convince her to lie down, but then she would immediately try to get back up, but she had become very weak.

Mom and The Aunts were doing everything they could to make her comfortable, talk to her, soothe her - but Mom was finally at a loss and called Nancy.

Gma has scoliosis, and has been seeing Nancy a couple times a week for years. They had become very close over the years, and Gma would have said that Nancy was one of her best friends.

Nancy was truly a calming force for everyone. She continued to just try making Gma as comfortable as possible, and acted as relief for Mom and The Aunts. When I got there, I sat up with everyone for a little while, but I realized there was nothing I could do to help, and guessed that someone would need to get some sleep so they were coherant in the morning. I told Mom that I trusted that she would wake me if she needed me for anything, and went to bed.

Finally, very late this morning, Gma was sitting up and just passed out with her head resting on Nancy's chest. She slept like that for about an hour, and after that they were able to get her to lie down and go to sleep.

This morning I woke up and tried to make sure everyone had soemthing to eat. It was a full house again, with all The Aunts and Uncles doing what they could.