In some ways it's a surreal time for me right now.
My mother died three weeks ago today. My two sisters and I had been dividing up each week since last Thanksgiving weekend to provide the required 24 hour care. On thanksgiving day last year the hospice nurse said that she would not last the weekend. She lasted nearly nine months, an 89 year tough old member of the greatest generation. In the last three weeks, she could only stare blankly, could not speak, stopped eating. The slightest bit of water would gag her. The only sound she made was to moan in protest when we had to turn her every two hours because of the horrendous bed sores she had. In the last few days my sisters and I decided that it was not worth it to torture her old body any more by turning her. She did not even soil her diaper for the last 21 days.
So suddenly after years of caring for Kim and then my mother, I am at loose ends. Kathy is showing no signs of retiring, was saying this would be her last year of teaching but is now waffling on that. Someone has been depending directly on me for so long that I feels strange to be in total charge of my own schedule.
So, I just loaded up the truck with several guns and .44 Special, .45 ACP, .38 Special, .40 S&W, 9mm, 6.5x55, .270 Win.and .22 LR ammo. Going back to the old home place and spending two days just shooting. Then hopping 25 miles from there over to Auburn to tailgate with the grandkids and kick off the college football season. Got to pull out of this funk.
Last week a 91 year old man in our church came home from the hospital with much the same prognosis as my mother had, except he was still alert and "all there." At our church Elder's meeting last Thursday night I prayed that he would not have to endue the degradation, deterioration and pain that my mother went through, and that his daughter would not have to witness all that.
He died peacefully in his sleep early Saturday morning. It was a blessing.
My mother died three weeks ago today. My two sisters and I had been dividing up each week since last Thanksgiving weekend to provide the required 24 hour care. On thanksgiving day last year the hospice nurse said that she would not last the weekend. She lasted nearly nine months, an 89 year tough old member of the greatest generation. In the last three weeks, she could only stare blankly, could not speak, stopped eating. The slightest bit of water would gag her. The only sound she made was to moan in protest when we had to turn her every two hours because of the horrendous bed sores she had. In the last few days my sisters and I decided that it was not worth it to torture her old body any more by turning her. She did not even soil her diaper for the last 21 days.
So suddenly after years of caring for Kim and then my mother, I am at loose ends. Kathy is showing no signs of retiring, was saying this would be her last year of teaching but is now waffling on that. Someone has been depending directly on me for so long that I feels strange to be in total charge of my own schedule.
So, I just loaded up the truck with several guns and .44 Special, .45 ACP, .38 Special, .40 S&W, 9mm, 6.5x55, .270 Win.and .22 LR ammo. Going back to the old home place and spending two days just shooting. Then hopping 25 miles from there over to Auburn to tailgate with the grandkids and kick off the college football season. Got to pull out of this funk.
Last week a 91 year old man in our church came home from the hospital with much the same prognosis as my mother had, except he was still alert and "all there." At our church Elder's meeting last Thursday night I prayed that he would not have to endue the degradation, deterioration and pain that my mother went through, and that his daughter would not have to witness all that.
He died peacefully in his sleep early Saturday morning. It was a blessing.
, But like you mentioned about the gentleman from your church, it IS a blessing that your Mom is not suffering anymore. You and Kim & Kathy will be in our prayers in the Sumner household. I pray that the Lord give you all Strength, Encouragement, Patience (with each other and other family members), and an Abundant measure of Grace for the weeks ahead.
