Hospice

(Pictures of Susan will be protected during her most recent decline, to respect her privacy.)



Hospice was called in on Monday.
Here is what happened:

After returning home from the hospital on Tuesday, August ninth, Susan continued on a visible decline. Day after day she was weak and her appetite was slim to none, although she still suffered with extreme diarrhea. On Monday morning, I (again) found her lying in the bed with messy pants and sheets. I managed to assist her to the toilet and shower, where we cleaned her up.

Back in the bedroom she could hardly hold herself up long enough for me to change the linen. We redressed her and put her back to bed. She was weaker than usual and just wanted to rest. Other than her daily round of medication, I couldn’t get her to eat or drink anything.

The concern that Jeff and I had felt over the weekend prior, had seemed to resolve itself somewhat on Sunday. Maybe she wasn’t dying (as we had whispered among ourselves.) In fact, she was so perky on Sunday that I had encouraged Jeff to continue with his plans to go out of town on business for the week. I don’t mind being alone; I was a military wife for twenty years.

I was looking forward to seeing my friend, Martha, that Monday morning and spending some time with Kiara later in the day -not to mention, and getting a few overdue projects worked on. Who could have known? Martha was still there when our favorite nurse, Lawanda, came to check on Susan. Upon entering her bedroom, we discovered that Susan had slipped into a deep sleep that we could not wake her out of. Her blood pressure was more than dangerously low and other vital signs were somewhat disconcerting. Susan would not respond to anything, not even the needle prick from her B-12 shot! Nothing- just listless Susan sinking deeper into her peaceful sleep.

To sum up the week, my week alone turned into a shared experience with three of Susan's children who traveled from every coast to be with their mother. An entourage of nurses, aids, medical suppliers, delivery people, chaplains and even a priest, have become the norm. Susan likely has suffered several small strokes again, topped by the dreaded hospital transferred C-Diff. By weeks end, she is still breathing and perhaps even thriving! She is not walking or able to really converse, but with a woman as strong and determined as my mother-in-law, tomorrow is anyones guess! As I end this blog entry, the words to a Bill Gaither hymn are running through my mind. If you know it, sing it with me.

“God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives."