This is not a story of life I'm afraid but one of death.
6 years ago today my mother died. A lady I didn't always see eye to eye with most of the time but my mother never the less.
My mother was an extremely heavy drinker more so after my father's death 6 years previously.
In March 2004 I received a phone call from my brother to say that she'd been behaving oddly talking on the phone about a little boy she was caring for. As I was the nearest to her we popped over to her house. We found her there with a badly broken arm and severe DT's as she hadn't been able to open her wine bottle the previous evening. She was talking to a little boy that was nowhere to be seen about his adoption. I rang the paramedics and we rushed her into hospital. The arm was so badly broken it had to be operated on for several hours and she needed after needed powerful drugs to de-tox her.
Something had changed not only was she an alcoholic she had now slipped into alcoholic dementia. With the help of carers, me and my brother and other family members she was able to stay in her own home.
Her daily routine continued. Off to the supermarket she trotted each morning to pick up her 2/3 bottles of wine and something to eat for lunch. The call of alcohol overrode every other thought.
So now we come to the day of her death. Her carer could get no answer and rang me. Off we went again. This time my keys wouldn't work in the lock. No windows were open so we couldn't get access to the house. The police were called and a very young and sweet cop broke down the door.
There was my mother dead at the bottom of the stairs. The policeman covered her but as her she had to be officially pronounced dead by a doctor we could not move her. I had to step over my own mother's body to gain access to the living room.
And so the day went on and on. A sudden death requires police interviews..........waiting for a doctor to pronounce death.........waiting for the funeral directors......contacting the coroner...........contacting relatives.
The worst phone call of all was telling my Grandmother, her mother. How do you tell a sprightly 91 year old woman her eldest daughter is dead.
My mother was an intelligent woman, a mother of 2, Grandmother of 3, Auntie to many nieces and nephews and yet she died a sad alcohol induced death.
So just for today do me one tiny favour. Say a wee prayer for her and just for today don't take a drink.
6 years ago today my mother died. A lady I didn't always see eye to eye with most of the time but my mother never the less.
My mother was an extremely heavy drinker more so after my father's death 6 years previously.
In March 2004 I received a phone call from my brother to say that she'd been behaving oddly talking on the phone about a little boy she was caring for. As I was the nearest to her we popped over to her house. We found her there with a badly broken arm and severe DT's as she hadn't been able to open her wine bottle the previous evening. She was talking to a little boy that was nowhere to be seen about his adoption. I rang the paramedics and we rushed her into hospital. The arm was so badly broken it had to be operated on for several hours and she needed after needed powerful drugs to de-tox her.
Something had changed not only was she an alcoholic she had now slipped into alcoholic dementia. With the help of carers, me and my brother and other family members she was able to stay in her own home.
Her daily routine continued. Off to the supermarket she trotted each morning to pick up her 2/3 bottles of wine and something to eat for lunch. The call of alcohol overrode every other thought.
So now we come to the day of her death. Her carer could get no answer and rang me. Off we went again. This time my keys wouldn't work in the lock. No windows were open so we couldn't get access to the house. The police were called and a very young and sweet cop broke down the door.
There was my mother dead at the bottom of the stairs. The policeman covered her but as her she had to be officially pronounced dead by a doctor we could not move her. I had to step over my own mother's body to gain access to the living room.
And so the day went on and on. A sudden death requires police interviews..........waiting for a doctor to pronounce death.........waiting for the funeral directors......contacting the coroner...........contacting relatives.
The worst phone call of all was telling my Grandmother, her mother. How do you tell a sprightly 91 year old woman her eldest daughter is dead.
My mother was an intelligent woman, a mother of 2, Grandmother of 3, Auntie to many nieces and nephews and yet she died a sad alcohol induced death.
So just for today do me one tiny favour. Say a wee prayer for her and just for today don't take a drink.
I will no longer give the BEAST any power over me - he can go straight to hell.
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