We did not know when the stroke happened to Mom.  I let our greyhound out to run around the backyard and then fed him like any other day.  I headed over to Mom's part of the house to feed the cats and clean the litter boxes like any other day.  I opened the door and looked in at Mom in her bed and like some other days I saw that her legs were hanging out of bed.  I detoured into her room, turned on the light and saw that her legs were not only out from under the covers, but straight out.  I ran to them, saying something like......"oh Mom!  You almost fell out of bed!  I swung her legs back onto the mattress and she said something and then something else and my heart skipped a beat or five.  It was garbled speech.  I asked her to raise her arms over her head.  Her right went right up.  Her left lay lifeless.  I didn't need any more proof........I ran to the phone and called 911.
     The first hospital trama room was filled with people.  They kept asking the same question.  When did this happen?  What time do you think it occurred?  Over and over......every person that we came in contact with asked.  It was heartbreaking for us.  We did not know.  We now know that they were trying to decide if they could administer the clot-busting drug that would have greatly improved her recovery, time and quality-wise.
     The second, big city hospital started the whole process over again.  Cat scan.....other tests, I honestly don't remember how many or which ones.  The neurologists, and there were a few, all felt the need to paint the bleakest picture for the future.....you know.....if she survived the next few hours and then days, since the chance of a second stroke was high in the days ahead, because it was massive, blah, blah, blah........If that wasn't enough, they wanted to know about resusitation a living will.  What was her religion?