My mother's earthly journey has ended. She died this morning surrounded by her children. We know that heaven has a new soul and that she will be welcomed by my father and many friends and family. Thank you and God bless you!

Visits and Updates

My mom has had several visitors the last few days and we have so many lovely flower arrangements to brighten the room. Thank you for all your kindness.

The nurse and doctor visited on Thursday and unfortunately both reported that there was some fluid in the lower left lung. They are unable to determine the cause of the fluid but it could be several things including a respiratory infection, a virus, or her cancer. None of that is good news. Since we don't know the cause, we don't know how to treat it and since we don't know the cause, my mom has elected not to try any antibiotics since they upset her system. Her cough is constant and difficult for us to hear. We want to ease her pain and discomfort but she reports that she is fine. She is one tough lady.

Last night was a rough night and my mom is unable to keep anything down. Right now she is resting but today is definitely not a good day for visits or phone calls. She is very tired and worn out. The nurse comes again later this morning so hopefully we can manage her symptoms and make her rest more comfortably. I'll let you know.

It Takes a Community!

We are beginning to settle into a routine. We have an agency that comes to stay with my mom every night to help ensure that she is never alone. The other hours of the day one of us spend with her. We are working together to keep her at home as long as possible. If you are coming to visit, you are welcome to come for a short while. Please call first as she sometimes has someone from the home health care agency stopping by to check on her as well.

Medically, the blood clot in her left leg appears to be completely dissolved and the fluid in her abdomen remains stable. She has developed a cough that bothers us more than it bothers her. The nurse visits tomorrow so look for another update soon. Take care!

Getting Settled

While all the pieces aren't in place yet, we are getting a few things settled in regards to my mom's care. Her left leg (the one with the clot) looks much better and the swelling is 90% gone. The right hip which had the surgery appears to be healing well and not causing her too much pain. So things are going well in that area. We all think that she looks so much better than she has in the past weeks and yet we've come to realize that sometimes some of you haven't seen her for a while and don't realize how sick she truly is. This post is going to be honest so that if you visit, you are prepared and so that you know where we are. If you do come to visit or call, we would like to request that focus on the positives in your life and not focus on her sickness. You can read the rest of this blog or not, depending on your comfort level.

My mom is able to move herself from her bed to her wheelchair. She now spends the majority of her day in her hospital bed in the living room of the house. This is primarily where she stays. She will sit up for short periods of time but gets tired really easily. She needs assistance with lots of things she didn't before she fell. While that is normal after a hip fracture, we all have to remember that she also suffers from cancer. We haven't any lab test to tell us but it is obvious that cancer has returned. Her cancer causes fluid build up in her lungs and abdomen. While her lungs appear to be OK, her abdomen is distended. She looks like she is about 6-7 months pregnant. She is very self conscious of her stomach so please don't mention it. We face a quandary because the fluid causes some discomfort and continues to grow but to drain the fluid presents a big risk due to her anticoagulant medicine. Anyway, she will let us know when she wants to do something about the fluid. She is also back on oxygen full time. We now have two agencies assisting us with her care. We take turns covering the rest of the care so that she can remain at home as long as possible. It takes some coordination but it is worth it.

She is very excited to be home and she appears much more relaxed. I keep promising a calendar but every time I have one about ready to go, the plans change. So I'm not making any promises tonight, just call if you want to visit. Oh and bring a sweater because she likes the air conditioning down in the freezing range.

Home Again

We moved my mother home today and are working to get all the care pieces in place. While a little nervous about all the details, my mom is glad to be at home and for that we are thankful. Anything that brightens her days is a good thing. Look for an update with more information tomorrow.

Homeward Bound

Today has been difficult. My mom is being discharged from rehab in the next day or so. So if you were planning a visit, it would be good to call first. We don't feel like she is completely ready but the powers that be have determined otherwise. They feel she has reached a plateau in her recovery and she would be better served elsewhere. She has decided that she would like to return home. That will require a significant change in all of our lives as my mother also doesn't want to be alone. We are still working out the details and I will update you with more details once I know them. It is hard to be optimistic today but it is amazing how someone or something always comes along to brighten up my mom's or our days.

Rehab

There isn't much new to report other than my mom is settling into her new routine. The doctor came by yesterday and felt that while we had achieved a delicate balance, we would need to continue to tweak medications and therapies while also monitoring overall health. What does this mean? Well, my mom continues to retain some fluid in her left leg and her abdomen. They are going to more aggressively treat this symptom so that she might be able to make faster progress in physical therapy. My mom isn't happy with the slow pace of her recovery and it is her left leg that is hindering her progress at this point. She isn't allowed to bear any weight on her right leg due to the healing hip fracture. We really need to get that left leg to do its part. Unfortunately, it is a delicate balance. We start treating the fluid retention and we may upset some of the other bodily systems and functions. Hopefully, this plan will work and we can get her moving a little more. She is able to do a little bit more on her own each day. Slow and steady wins the race.

If you want to visit her, please feel free to stop by for a few minutes. See previous post for information. One thing I left off that post was that my mom really prefers that you talk to her about what is happening in your life rather than focusing on her illness. Expect to carry the conversation as she likes to listen more than talk. She sometimes will fall asleep and that is normal because her body is working so hard on recovery. 10-30 minutes are about her tolerance for visits. If you would like to call her, email me and I will give you the direct phone number for her room or you can try her cell phone number. I am putting together a little schedule so you can see when might be a good time to visit or call since sometimes she has appointments with different areas throughout the day. I'll get that posted soon.

Thank you so much for your prayers and hugs! Our family and friends are the best things that we have! Love to you all and have a great weekend!