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Care
Partner of the Month
January / February Kathy Batchie Elmsford, NY It takes a mighty strong constitution to overcome the challenges and effects of watching your child transition from total independence to disability. Kathy's positive confidence continues to give her strength day by day. Kathy says: "My husband and I both worked. I worked part-time as a waitress. My son Larry was old enough to be on his own and had his own job but he lived at home in the basement apartment. He's the oldest -- he has a younger brother and sister. My brother was 24 when he died from a stroke although the cause wasn't the same as with Larry. He had a virus that attacked his heart and he passed away before they actually knew what to do. Larry had problems before the stroke with his blood platelets. He had his spleen removed and we had gone to the doctors for a while, but everything seemed to be fine so I was totally unprepared for anything like that to happen. We were right
outside of his apartment downstairs on the patio on the 4th of July
having a family barbecue. Early that day I was upstairs alone and
he was downstairs alone. He stayed in a lot that day, which was
unusual. I asked him several times to bring an extra table downstairs
and he finally did, but other than that he pretty much stayed inside.
He was watching TV and said he felt tired. About two days before,
he had started to get some "black and blues" which was
a sign that his platelet count was down, so he had made an appointment
with the doctor for two days after the stroke happened but he didn't
feel bad. Everyone arrived and we started eating. He finished and
went inside but his girlfriend stayed outside, so we were talking
and putting the food away and I said, "You know, you can tell
your boyfriend to get out here and help!" So she went in to
see him and then she came and got my husband and said he wasn't
feeling good. I went in and saw that he was feeling very weak. He
kept trying to light a cigarette, but he couldn't keep it in his
mouth. It kept falling on the ground. Then he tried to stand up
because my husband was going to try to drive him right away, but
he could hardly walk, so I insisted we call an ambulance and they
came. Just about the time they arrived, he started vomiting red
and I thought it was tomato sauce and wine, but it was blood.
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