7/16/17

Gathering Graces 7/13/2017

*I was up early so I could go visit Mom at Kindred.  A lot had happened with Mom while I was on my trip, so I was a little apprehensive to go see her.  Zoe was going to go with me in the morning, but didn’t get up, so Paul asked me if he should go over with me.  I broke down crying and I said, YES, I want someone to come with me.  So he went with me, and it actually went very well.  Mom was up, dressed, and getting ready for her day.  She had a doctor’s appointment this morning uptown with Dr. McDonald, so she was getting ready for that.  We had a good visit while she got ready for her day.
*Bill and Christy accompanied Mom to her doctor’s appointment.  After the appointment they asked me to meet them at Mom’s room at 1 p.m.
*Mom was eating lunch when I arrived, and Bill left shortly after I arrived.  Christy and I visited with Mom for a while, then Mom was ready to get back into bed for a nap, so we left and picked up Bill and went to Best Shots to visit about Mom’s appointment.
*I found out from my siblings that Dr. McDonald suggested we pursue having Hospice come and start giving Mom care at Kindred.  This is how my brother Bill described it in his Three Beautiful Things: This question opened to way for Dr. McDonald to level with all of us that Mom's condition continues to deteriorate and that our main focus should be on doing what makes Mom happy and comfortable. She recommended that Mom be evaluated soon by a hospice nurse. This means that most of our attention will be not on treating Mom but comforting her, helping make her remaining days as agreeable as possible. I should add that the doctor did not say Mom has only so many days or weeks or months to live, only that Mom is showing end-of-life signs and symptoms -- the increased sleep, loss of appetite and diminishing power of taste, cold hands and feet, and confusion, among other things. 
*Later in the afternoon, Zoe asked what color she should paint the cinder blocks in front.  She gave us a few options, and we went with green with yellow flowers.  It really brightens up the front of the house.  This was one of the projects that Paul completed while I was gone, because all the bricks in the front were collapsing.
*After dinner, Zoe and I went to spend some more time with Mom.  When we arrived we were shushed by Mom to be quiet, so the other residents could sleep.  We stayed around 45 minutes or so, then went by Christy’s house to visit for a bit, then headed home.  I was ready for bed.

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