Thank you to my dear friend A for sending this Phillip Phillips song for a pain free moment with mom.
Tag Archives: cancer
Be Repeating
We have our time. Hospice tomorrow at 9:00am. Not what we are hoping for, but mom needs to transition to new medication before they move her.
Dad and I are not leaving her side until she is through the hospice doors and in her ‘new home’.
Now we repeat with every painful moment:
Mama, we are here.
Mama, we love you.
Mama, today is Thursday. Michelle comes on Saturday.
Mama, we love you.
Mama, today is Thursday. Wendy and Peter will be here soon. Rea and Gail are coming tomorrow. Michelle is here on Saturday.
Mama, we are here.
Be Stealing Chairs
Social workers rule! If you know one, hug them.
C-Warrior, our social worker just stole us a chair from another floor.
It looks like mom will be going to hospice tomorrow. We are staying with her til she transitions to hospice.
Here’s C-Warrior after stealing the chair:
I have purposely backlit her to protect her identity. What a light she is!
Here’s dad pre-chair stealing:
Be fighting for life then death
Dearest family, friends and blog followers,
I don’t say this lightly nor without the awareness that the words I write can bring emotions, triggers and thoughts.
Yesterday, the surgeon informed as that the surgery was a success but that the cancer had spread throughout mom’s abdomen. It was a mess in there.
Yesterday, we moved from fighting for mom’s life to fighting for mom’s death. Mom does not want to die in the hospital. We do not want her to die in the hospital.
Yesterday, dad and Sexy Neck took a tour of Hospice House. They were overwhelmed with the love, support and homey feeling. They both emphatically expressed that this was the place for mom. They even have a playroom.
Yesterday, we met with the Palliative Care Coordinator we got connected with in the summer through my sister’s diligent connection making.
Here is MM explaining things to mom:
What a lovely, hardworking, caring and strong human being in a nurse uniform. (Reminds us of our midwife!)
Today, we move mom to Hospice House.
Today, we celebrate mom leaving the hospital forever.
Today, we shift our fight for life to relaxing and enjoying time with mom.
Be Looking Up While Going Sideways
My new profile pic reflects my feelings/thoughts/actions right now.
Looking up to God.
Life is sometimes on its side.
Be Chasing Pain (again)
This morning, we are working hard at getting the pain under control. Mom is on a post surgery pump where every 5 minutes she has to push a pump to get the meds. We are praying for some breakthrough.
The surgery went well, they were able to bypass the current bowel obstruction. The cancer mass is quite large.
I will try to write more later as I process the information from the surgeon. I didn’t want to leave you hanging. You are holding us up in prayer. You are helping us walk, stay focused on mom/dad/ and keeping me upright.
“Though we walk through the valley, we have no fear!”. My summary of Psalm 23.
Mom has been so thirsty the last few days. She is not able to drink water yet, but she is enjoying some ice chips.
Mom and dad hanging together.
My sister has sent a Christmas present each day til Christmas. These are the highlights of mom’s day.
Here is today’s gift (Mom even got up the energy to say cheese for the photo!):
She is such a strong, thoughtful, determined woman! Love you Mama!
Be Holding Hands
Mama and I
Dad and Mama
Hand holds an intertwined piece of wool created by a grandson with love and care for his Nana.
Mom has such beautiful hands and finger nails.
Be Waiting for Surgery
Waiting, waiting, waiting. It is a waiting game.
We wait for the doctor, we wait to hear about the surgery time, we wait to know about mom’s prognosis.
In our waiting, we sit in sadness, thinking, pondering, wondering. What will be next?
We hear the fan overhead, mom’s IV drip, mom’s deep breathing, the lady coughing next door, the slap of shoes walking down the hall, the click of a door.
I see beautiful Australia photos on the wall, dad rubbing mom’s sore hips, , mom’s lemon lip soothers, my beautiful lunch brought by a friend.
I feel held up through prayer, thoughts and love.
I soak up mom’s beautiful smiles and dad’s many tears.
Surgery scheduled for 4:00. They are trying to move mom to make room for someone else. Really? Going fight!! NOW they tell me they are trying to move her for mom’s benefit so they can get to know her before surgery. Then the charge nurse told me this is a maternity, children’s floor. I corrected her and told her it was for women and children. Oh she was reaching for straws. We are in interesting times.
Mama resting in the afternoon sun!
"Be" ENOUGH 