Ma stayed at home for a few years and the medications she was taking started her hearing loss. She became bored and wanted to work again, in spite of being told not to by her doctor. She started cleaning houses for people and I often wondered what they would do if they came home and found her dead at the bottom of their stairs. She cleaned houses from about her 55th birthday until she was 77 when we insisted strongly that she stop. She is a strong, simple woman and her work ethic endeared her to her customers. She was treated like family by many of her customers and they still drop in occasionally to see how she is doing.
In 1994 I moved out West and lost the pulse of the everyday Ma saga, but stayed in touch by phone weekly. It was real apparent that Ma's hearing was all but gone when talking to her by phone. What she didn't hear she made up. This led to some very interesting assumptions made by Ma that had to be corrected by a visit by my brother who made certain she understood clearly what was told to her. I called one time and she asked if I was dating anyone, I told her I was and she asked what she did for a living. I told her that my friend was a widow and did not have to work. Ma quietly said "well I guess that is an ok way to make a living, are you ok with that?" I called my brother and asked him to try and straighten out her misunderstanding and he told me she thought I said she was a stripper, quite a difference between the words widow and stripper.
In 2000 I was working in Denver and went home for the holidays. Ma made dinner for all and just didn't look good. She became flush and I took her to the hospital the next day. She had experienced congestive heart failure and remained in the hospital my entire stay. After that her health degenerated progressively and her hearing was all but gone despite hearing aids.
She refused to stop working and driving a car. I moved back to WNY in October of 2004 and became primary caregiver for my mother a job I have yet been able to relinquish that role.
