Over the last week...

On Friday, the 17th, mom was lucid enough to try and get out of the bed. She climbed up, and in a flash had fallen out of the bed, hitting her head, shoulder, and hip. Michele had stepped out of the room long enough to go to the mailbox, and came back in to quite a fright...an empty bed. An ambulance was called, and the scans at the hospital showed some bleeding to the brain. This could improve or not over the next while, but the signs for trouble there are the same as the conditions we are already seeing.

This morning, the hospice nurse told us that we are near the end, and that the breathing patterns (slowed, apnea) combined with the swallowing signs (aspiration) and heart rate (increased) show that Mom doesn't have much longer with us. We have been mourning for some time now, but this is what the Father has been preparing her (and us) for. Mom still recognizes us, and will react when we come in the room, but is losing weight and coherence daily. Your notes and letters have been such an encouragement, as has the food and company.

We have returned time and time again to Psalm 103, a favorite of Mom's. She will still begin to speak along with scripture reading, which is a great encouragement. Those words from the Father are etched too deeply to be erased by such as delirium or disease.

The next few days will be the climax of a great work. God has redeemed our Mother, and is bringing her life to a close. The final notes are sweet, and we are straining to hear each one of them. What a wonderful life to have watched. What a wonderful song to have listened to. There have been bitter and scary sections, terrible to behold, but there has been resolution and peace in more measure than (she would say) she deserved. We are full of thanks, crying and singing.

Pray with us for Michele, as she is at home with Mom, and for the rest of us as we rotate in and out in the night watches.

We love you, as does Mom.

But mostly, the Father loves you.

-n

The Home Stretch

I apologize for not posting sooner. A great deal has happened since our last post. Directly after our last post, I came down with pneumonia, and was then laid off from my job.

In the last week and a half, Mom has taken a serious turn for the worse. It has been like the flip of a switch, as her liver has begun the final stages of failure. On Wednesday, a week and a half ago, she suddenly began dry heaving and crying out. It has been a struggle since then. We are now employing hospice care, and she is requiring around the clock care from us. There are stages where she is lucid, but largely, her time is spent resting. We have structured some time for us to exchange care, but Michele is taking the brunt of the time.

They have given us a time frame for the home stretch for Mom. The doctors and hospice nurses are telling us two months is the maximum time to expect her to live. We feel that this is an overgenerous estimate, and that it will be much sooner than that.

Emily is setting up a rotation through a website for the bringing of food, because the mean time doesn't allow her visitors. I will put a link up later today. Mom still loves getting notes and messages, and we shoot for her most lucid times to share them.

Feel free to email me with anything, or questions. My email is householdbirds@gmail.com.

We love you all. Thanks again for following, irregular though it may be. The posts will be closer together, as time is quickly passing.