Wednesday, July 21, 2010

#3 ending life journey with mom

Mother sleeps a great amount of time.  To manage her pain she is on very high dosages of opiate medication.  It is difficult to tell if it is the opiates or cancer that effects her mind. When she awakes she talks sense and nonsense.
My sister and I told mom the story about looking at cherries in the store. We both had an experience about eating a whole bag of cherries. Stomach cramps and the runs to a toilet. We decided not to buy them. We did not want to share one toilet in mom's home, not worth the mess and smell.  Mom said you nutty girls.  She fell into sleep. Sometimes she wakes up agitated over hearing a noise or your voice is too loud.
My mother talked about how her life may displease her maker. I told her "we are all wretches" and "god's abundance of grace is more than we can fathom." She fell into sleep.
Mother slept the afternoon, my sister and I watched the movie the grey mansion. One thing the movie registered with me- Honor your mother.
Since my sister moved to Texas from Washington 6 year ago she has not had any raspberries.  Now her mouth and fingers are red from eating so many. We are going to make raspberry crisp tonight.
My mother has many physical signs of dying. It is hard for my brother, Phil. My mom had a spell of dizziness, increase weakness, stomach upset and fainting.  My brother told mom, I am calling the hospice nurse. My mother said no. My brother kept insisting, and finally my frail mother gave into him.   He called hospice.  My mother awakes and ask when the hospice nurse will be here. I told her Hospice said to monitor her, and encourage water. I told her a nurse was not coming out. My mother had a look of relief. To me the more sleep the better and let mom do what she wants with her body.  I think that will be my encouragement to my siblings, let her go through her natural process of death.
Mom after chemotherapy
Mom receiving chemo-No hair.
Mom with her cute hat on

1 comment:

Danna Crawford said...

Vicky my love and prayers are with you and your family! I could totally relate as I went through this same journey with my father 5 years ago.

Hospice is one of my very favorite charities to give to. See if your local hospice is in the eBay system and if they are not, encourage them to get registered with MissionFish.org. Then you can continue on as the years past to share a bit of the love and profit with them! It works for me as I continue to set-up auctions now and then in my father's memory to hospice!

Your mother is so beautiful! Thank you for sharing your journey with us! Love and blessings, Danna