Worrying

Sunday morning, 5:45 a.m.

Last night I called Mom to say goodnight. She was already in bed. She said she'd had a bad time with her blood pressure in the afternoon, but had taken an extra blood pressure pill and felt better. Later, Lee called and said that the person on duty at the desk at mom's retirement apartment complex had called Lee to tell her about the high blood pressure. Lee had a headache and so I called the desk back. The woman told me that Mom's blood pressure had been 223/114 at one point. I just feel so helpless. So, now I'm awake and worrying and I'll call Mom at maybe 7:45 to make sure she's OK.But what can we do, since she will continue to smoke, even though she has trouble breathing and blood pressure trouble.

It occurred to me that maybe my eating cookies and not going to the Y lately is just as selfish and short-sighted as Mom's refusal to stop smoking.