September 21, 2009

I woke Mom up about 8:30 to get ready for Joyce's visit.  She seems a tiny bit mixed up, but otherwise alert.  I notice that her urine output has decreased.  When Joyce came with communion, she brought Mom a beautiful yellow rose from her garden.  That is Mom's favorite color of rose!

Last night I told her something that we were not to find out about until November.  This morning she said she thought I told her that because she wouldn't be here in November.  I said, "No....I just thought I'd let you in on a scoop!"  She smiled.

Jayme, the nurse from Hospice just left.  Mom's BP 118/64 - good.  Lungs sound good.  Because I'm worried about getting Krista here in time, I asked her if she had any idea of what we should expect.  She said unless something unforeseen comes up, Mom should be okay for a few days.  She said she will begin to be disoriented, and sleep more.  She said people can often live quite long with no food.  She gave us the book,  Gone From My Sight, to read in hopes it might answer some of our questions.  Jayme came back a little later with a different bedside potty and a bedpan.  They are all so helpful, kind and caring at Hospice.  I've always heard that about Hospice, but now that we are experiencing it, I am completely in awe of them.

Kathy sat alone with Mom while I did the laundry and she said Mom said she wished God would give her a sign as to when she will be going.  Kathy told her that He would and not to worry about that right now.

The only food that sounds good right now to her is cold food.  She thinks it's because of all the sores in her mouth.  Hospice is going to bring her a rinse for her mouth to help with the sores.  It's something that Scarbrough Pharmacy in Findlay makes.   For lunch she had a tiny chocolate ice cream cone and ate it all!  She is sleeping a little more during the day, and I am grateful for that.  Less time to think.

At 3:30 she felt like she wanted to go to the bathroom.  Matt & I got her into her w/c and she was able to get on the toilet with just a little help.  She sat for quite awhile, until she just couldn't sit any longer, but without success.  We got her back in bed and she rested.

Two of Mom's dearest friends called her today.  I asked if she was able to talk to them and she wanted to.  Velma has been Mom's very best life-long friend and she loves her dearly.  I believe their friendship goes back to grade school.  Penny and Mom have shared many fun times together over the years...lots of craft shows and shopping, and she loves her, too.

Bobbie came and visited with us for a nice long time again.  She is always so much fun to have around and Mom loves her!  Mike, David and Max came and they had fun giving Bobbie a hard time, but believe me, she can hold her own and dish it back!  Mom was getting a kick out of all of it!

As soon as Bobbie left, Toni, Mom's neighbor, came over and was another ray of sunshine for Mom.  Toni said she had thought of working with Hospice and she would be wonderful!  She has such a fun and friendly personality.  Mom loved visiting with her.

It's bedtime now.  I gave Mom two little eclairs to eat before she took her pills.  She ate them both.  Now she's going to sleep again.

I know I keep saying how Mom loves her friends and family, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.  She values each and everyone of them and I think, because of the enjoyment and love she gets from talking with, or being with them, it makes it hard for her to think of leaving them.

Although she did pretty good assisting us in getting her up for the bathroom, I feel she seems weaker today.  Her voice seems weaker, she hasn't talked as much, and she slept a lot more.  As I look at her laying in her bed now as I'm working on this I see how frail she is and think of how precious she is.