help my mother regain her speech.

Mother has gone back to work! She retired from a factory a few years ago. She was not happy being at home and went to work at Life Skills. Now she works with adults with disabilities. She teaches them to do daily tasks etc..anyway she has gone back to work at Life Skills!! I am so proud of her!!

Mom had a second stroke. She is back in the hospital at the Medical Center in Bowling Green. She is scheduled to have a brain scan this morning. I stayed with her yesterday. She slept most of the day.

I took mother out to eat at Lone Star on Friday. She ordered from the menu by herself. It takes great effort for her to get the words out, but she did it. On Sunday we went to eat at Ruby Tuesday. Once again she ordered by herself. Afterwards we went to Walmart to buy a few things. She saw a young man that she knew from Desa. He asked her how she was doing. She just smiled and shook her head. I realized that she was not comfortable talking to him, so I introduced myself and my daughter and made small talk. It really hurt me inside for her that she could not talk to him. I know that it will take time. I think the more she is out and about the better off she will be.

Yesterday I took mother to luch at Judy’s Castle in Bowling Green. Then we went shopping and back to my house for a bit. She is improving. I am so proud of her. She has been through so much in her life. She is a very strong, proud woman. I think she will be fine in time.

Since my mother had a stroke last week she has not been able to speak clearly. She is going to start therapy tomorrow. I am uncomfortable at the thought of trying to help her. I have taken graduate courses in linguistics…I could help her with articulation. I teach English as a Second Language. Sometimes I have to teach students to make sounds that are not in their native language. This is totally different, but at least I have a little prior knowledge. I know I need to just make a schedule and practice with her. She is the backbone of our family. It is hard for me to see her like this.