Monday, December 31, 2007

Prayers Please!

My Dad was just taken to the ER with heart problems. My Mother is in the hospital in another town with blood clots in her feet. My whole immediate family is down and out with cold/flu symptoms so I can't go and help our till we get better. Please pray for my brother as he is dealing with both my parents being hospitalized in two different towns (about 15 miles apart) Thanks!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Christmas 2007





May your Season be filled with Love, Laughter and the Knowledge of the Love of Our Lord! May God bless us everyone!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Back with Mom and Dad

Hello, I am here with Mom and Dad for a few days. Mom is about the same although she is eating better this week. It is good for me to be here to give Dad a little break, it is like having a child in the house again for him. That is difficult when you are 76 years old, but it is sweet to see how gentle he is with Mom. We have found she eats more if we feed her (I guess it is because she does not have to expend the energy to lift the fork or spoon) but he is really sweet with her, encouraging each bite and calling her "my sweetheart". It's one of those breaks your heart but warms it at the same time. Mom seems a little more lucid than she was the last time but you really have to engage her and keep her on track and focused to get a good response from her. Today we are waiting for the home health aid to come and give Mom a bath, they are supposed to come 3 days a week but so far have only come once in a weeks' time. They need to do better than that.


Tomorrow Mom goes back to the doctor and possibly will have a chemo treatment. We will see how that goes. I am hoping to return home on Weds or Thursday so I can be at my daughters' class party on Friday. I am one of the room mom's so it would be good if I could make it. I just wanted to give you an update on what is going on, I will update as needed.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Back Home (for a little while at least)

I was really conflicted on Friday whether or not to leave my parents and come home. My brother had been out of town all week and was due back at noon but I just was nervous about leaving. I was praying that God would send me a sign so I would know what to do. I texted my husband to talk to him about it and he told me that he was at home that our daughter's school had called and she was sick. So the decision was made, so I said a little "Thank You Lord" and came home. She was very ready to see her Mama and I was very ready to see my family!

I am still very conflicted but know I need to be here for a little while longer. I sent daughter to school today as she did not get sick yesterday at all, but she had a bout of diarrhea so they sent her home again. She has not had anymore so I think it was just a one time thing. Hopefully she will be well enough to go to school tomorrow as I really need to get some shopping done this week.

Mom has taken a downward turn and is not doing good. She is wandering around the house at night and unable to take care of her basic needs. Dad was taking her to the doctor this morning, so we will see what the doctor recommends but I feel at the very least they need to get a visiting nurse out to the house. Not much I can do from 300 miles away but I know that my brother is helping Dad out so it will be okay.

I am trying to decide whether to take my daughter with me next time I go. I am not sure Mom would even know she was there. I need to weigh the benefits to my parents with the harm it might do to my daughter. I was talking with our Children's Minister and she told me that her son was 9 when his grandmother died and he told her years later that he wished he had not seen her when she was so sick but just had the memories of her being healthy. I know I can't shield her from death but am wondering what good it would do to bring her into the grim situation.

I continue to seek your prayers for my whole family as we deal with this sad time.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

With My Parents Now

Hello Friends, wanted to let you know that I am with my parents now and have been here since Sunday. I was shocked by how much my Mom's condition had changed since Thanksgiving. She has lost 10 lbs since then and all she does is sleep. We took her to the oncologist who prescribed several medicines and started her on chemo on Tuesday. She tolerated the chemo pretty well but it is a long shot that it will help but we try to think positively. Yesterday was long, as we had to be at chemo center early and Mom was very weak but we made it through the day. Today has been a little better with Mom eating more than she had been. I stay on her case always handing her something to eat or drink. She eats better when I am here with her, so I fear if I go home she will stop eating again. Please continue to pray for us as this is a very hard time for the whole family.