My mother, who I think was probably gifted, told me that she had a really, really bad feeling about going in for a minor surgery six years ago. She didn't even tell my Dad. It was not the first time she had ever had surgery and she had never worried about having surgery this much before. I told her she should talk to her doctor if she was worried about it, but I was sure she would be fine. She wasn't. Doctors couldn't tell us for sure what happened. Maybe mini-strokes, maybe a lack of oxygen, they didn't know, but many years worth of memories were wiped out forever and her short term memory was gone forever. She would never again be able to learn another thing, when reading and learning had been her favorite things to do in life and she would also be unable to take care of herself for the rest of her life.
I so feel for you and know how awful this has to be. My DG had been having mini strokes for a few months and then had a larger one that took her from us. She was very much like your mother: A huge reader and I truly believe that with the loss of her eye sight (She was legally blind during the last 2 yrs. of her life) it really heighthen her demise. The night before she had the big stroke she talked to my mom, giving her instructions showing she clearly sensed her time was near. We really believe she would have died sooner if it were not for my DD who she saw twice a week. It lifted her spirits and gave her something to look forward to as well as drove the rest of the family nuts b/c DD was the complete topic of conversation.
On another note that fits into gut feelings:
My uncle and aunt were coming back at night from a trip down the same highway they always take. He stopped right before this bridge and had to get out to see what was in the way. Of course there was nothing there so he went home. The next day he headed off to work during a foggy morning and slowed down right before the bridge b/c of the night before. In the middle of his lane was a huge barrel of hay (the round type) that had dropped off some farmers truck. If he had not slowed down he would have surely hit it, probably totalling his car and even more possibly death.
