By: Surjit Flora
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to play havoc with families who have loved ones in hospitals.
My mother is currently sick in the hospital, of conditions unrelated to COVID. Because of the ongoing uncertainty, and because she’s sick in a hospital, I can’t go to see her, be with her or support her.
I remember former American President Abraham Lincoln’s quote, “No man is poor who has a Godly mother.” I agree with him 100 per cent.
Earlier this week, my sister texted me, saying our mother was not doing will. She called the ambulance, and they took her to the hospital. Due to COVID-19, they did not let anyone go with her, regardless of whether she understood the paramedics or not. How will she explain at the hospital what’s the real problem? She does not speak or understand any English.
While she arrived at the hospital, we didn’t know what the problem was. We later learned that she fell in the washroom at home and fell unconscious. She has had a severe accident, and she was in critical condition.
She is the only person who supported me in every situation. She took care of me after my father died in 1986. I was 15, now 50.
Sometimes, I feel surprised that she loves me more than herself. The interesting fact is that she understands me more than myself. She knows about what I like and dislike, my attitude, my favourite dishes and so on.
In those days, there were times when I felt helpless. I knew that if I didn’t eat or look after myself, no one would care about me – except for one person. That is my mother. She encouraged me to keep my balance.
While she’s in the hospital, my eyes have been glued to the phone, waiting for a call from the hospital to get an update about her condition.
From morning until night, I get panicked and stressed. I started calling around to some of my contacts in the area, asking them how this could happen in our local healthcare system, and if this was a standard policy.
I thought – how about those people who have no contacts, like I do in my profession? How do they survive without any update about their loved ones? What would they do if their mother or father was in the hospital, and they couldn’t see them?
As we are all going through a pandemic, no one is allowed to stay with the patient or visit them. It’s so ridiculous and hurtful when the person you really love so much is fading, and you can’t even see them one last time, have a few words and tell them how much you love them and care about them.
While she’s in the hospital, I try to sleep, but I cannot; that was the longest nights of my life. I missed her so much in those moments. It seems to me that she has no passion, interest and desire in her life. Her family and children surround her world.
I can’t wait to see her back home. The doctors told me they are going to keep her at the hospital for some more tests and monitor her how she’s doing; in the meantime, my worries, impatience and irritation are getting worse.
At the moment, the situation is out of my hands. This is life – a life dealing with COVID-19. I am just praying for her health and speedy recovery.
