[Lindsey]

Thanks so much for your post Judy. I know it's tough but I really can't just sit back and say nothing to her. And I really feel that since our talk, we have gotten closer and I feel like she's being more honest with me now that I've been totally honest with her.
My mom also had rheumatic fever when she was a teenager. She was on bedrest for months and she has told me she basically had to re-learn how to walk when she got better. Your post just reminded me of that and I googled it. It looks like there's a 50% chance of it returning after any untreated infection... yet my mom has always refused to go to doctors!
In a way, her stroke has been a blessing in disguise. She recovered fully, but she knows she needs to see doctors regularly now. Before her stroke, her last doctor visit was to have a tumor removed from her abdomen 24 years ago. I think with so many major sicknesses she's had, she just feels that if she doesn't go to the doctor and doesn't KNOW about what could be wrong, then it won't bother her.