Gathering Graces 8/16/2017

First photograph of Mom and I
 

*Today started out like any other day.  I got up, Nikki and I walked, I came home had some coffee, two eggs and toast, and had Paul drop me off at Kindred to spend time with Mom.

*Bill, Christy and I were able to spend a good part of the day together in Mom’s room.  Cosette and Paul came in around 9 a.m. so Cosette could say goodbye to Mom as Paul was driving her back to  Moscow.  Liz, the Hospice CNA, came and saw Mom and was concerned about a few things regarding her pain management. 

*Throughout the morning, Bill, Christy and I traded places at Mom’s bedside, where we would hold her hand or stroke her hair.  Kindred brought in some coffee, water and snacks for us, since they knew we would be in there most of the day.  We knew Mom’s time with us was becoming shorter.

*Andrea, the nurse from Hospice, was at Kindred later in the morning, and she stayed with us and observed Mom for a while and visited with us, asking us questions about Mom.  It was a nice time.

*I went home for a couple hours in the afternoon.  Molly drove over from Post Falls and went and saw her Grandma Mary so she could have some time with her and say goodbye.  Paul arrived back home from Moscow, and we headed back over to be with Mom.

*Bill and Christy both went home to rest a bit before we all gathered for dinner.  As Paul and I were in the room I brought up the list of songs that we had made that we want to have played or sung at Mom’s funeral service.  So I sang to her the whole list of songs.  If I didn’t know the words to a song, I just pulled the lyrics up on my phone and sang as I read the words from my phone.

*At around 7, we headed over to have dinner.  Debbie made dinner, and we all enjoyed talking together on the deck at Mom’s house.

*Bill headed back over to Kindred and spent some time with Mom.  Paul and I arrived back at Kindred, and Bill left so I could have some alone time with Mom.  For the next couple of hours I sat by Mom’s bedside and held her hand.  At one point some of the aides came in to check on her, and one of them finally got her dentures removed (people had been trying to get them out all day!)  The nurse administered more medication to keep Mom comfortable.

*Around 10 p.m., I leaned over and kissed Mom on the forehead, told her I loved her, and said I would be back in the morning.  Paul and I went home and received a call from Bill about a half hour later saying Mom had passed away.  She passed shortly after Paul and I left the room.  Nurse Kay said it is not uncommon for people to wait until their loved ones leave to pass, because they do not want to die in front of them. 

*Bill, Christy, Debbie, Paul and I all gathered back in Mom’s room at Kindred.  I stroked her beautiful, peaceful face and we cried together, and realized what an incredible thing we had experienced over these past few months as we cared for and spent time with Mom in the final days, weeks and months of her life.  It truly was a gift.  Thank you all for your kinds words, prayers, encouragements and love sent to me and my family.  It was overwhelming.

*Throughout the evening, Paul was in communication with Cosette regarding her health.  Since returning to Moscow this afternoon, she has had another setback.  Please pray for her that this cycle of throwing up with cease.