Today I will be heading back home to Wisconsin. This had been an unplanned trip to Arkansas. My Mom's waning health had warranted a couple trips from the senior home where she resides on an Alzheimer's floor to the hospital and as I mentioned last week Tuesday night returned to the Home with hospice care.
What I didn't mention was that my brother Marc's sweet mother-in-law, Leaine, was placed on hospice the previous Friday. That's two Moms (and I might mention his family dachshund) who are all on hospice. I could hear it in his voice, he needed some relief.
I got busy finding a flight south and figuring out where I would stay. Did you know when you buy last minute tickets it's cheaper to buy one way rather than a round trip? I didn't. Anyhow,
Wednesday, my Mom's first day of Hospice, I was back in the Rock and thanks to friends, housed. The week has been full of visits to be with my Mom but more importantly to be some company for my Dad. We have visited all of his favorite eateries and I have been able to help do some house tasks that needed attention while giving my brother Marc a bit of a break, at least from our family demands.
My youngest sibling, Keith, also came in from Texas for a couple of days so we decided to celebrate my Mom's birthday a couple weeks early. The home provided a private dining area for us to have lunch. We all sang Happy Birthday including Mom. She even ate some, unusual as she really doesn't have an appetite anymore.
Sitting in her special wheel chair we all shared a dinner table as a family of five as we had for so many years. I don't know how many more times this will be possible because as you know some things are just out of our hands...
Today the letter "H" is not about the holiday Halloween although it is this weekend. "H" is for Hildegard, my Mom. That same letter "H" of her name has morphed into the word 'Hospice' for our family. Today is my Mom's first day in hospice.
Early last night the hospital ambulance returned my Mom to her room at the senior home but the difference was she was tucked into bed by a hospice worker.
Within a year her home of over 55 years changed from Grant Street to a senior home on an Alzheimer's floor and today, a new way of living, hospice.
My brothers and I knew my Dad would come to the same difficult conclusion we had a couple months ago that our Mom's, his wife of over 60 years, health was in a downward spiral with the loss of appetite and weight, both her physical and cognitive abilities were waning. The disease was taking its course and no medicine was going to fix it. Her doctors and my Dad concurred yesterday.
Now with the decision made comes relief. 'Comfort' will be the operative word with a respectful care only hospice can offer. We are thankful "H" can be for hospice.
