After her really, really bad day yesterday, my mom was amazingly well and alert today. She started off slow this morning. She needed the wheelchair to go from her bed to the sofa and from the sofa to the bathroom. But after a while, she seemed to perk up. She was up and moving around the house a good bit today--at least half a dozen times over a 13 or 14 hour period.
Angie had a rough day. She woke up at 4 this morning with the stomach bug we have passed around between Kyle and Donna and apparently our fellowship group, too. Once my sister got over all the nasty stuff, she slept a lot. It was not bad, though, because Mom was so lucid today. Obviously, Angie didn't sleep much last night, and neither did I. She was running back and forth to the bathroom, and I was worrying about her and my mom.
Tonight, we are both here at my house. We needed the break desperately, so we hired a CNA to come in and stay overnight with my mom. This woman was recommended to us by our home hospice nurse, and she seems very kind. It's hard to leave your sick mother in the hands of a stranger, but we had to do it. Angie could still be contagious, and I had to get home because Emily has school in the morning and Kyle has to work--he leaves at 5:30 in the morning.
This is much harder than I ever imagined. I always thought we would have more help. My mom's family came to see her today, and I had hoped they would tell Angie and me to go take a shower, take a break, go get some lunch or just get out of the house, but they didn't. I told Kyle that it would be nice to have that, but it's just not possible unless we hire help, which is very expensive. The CNA came at 7:00 tonight and will leave at 7:00 in the morning, and her pay will be $156. The days are very long and very tiring for us.
Eventually, we will have to hire help for overnight at least or possibly 24 hours a day. We are trying to hold off on sending her to inpatient hospice. As long as she still has days where she is coherent, we just can't send her there. But I can't stay with her overnight, and she can't be alone. She is smoking like crazy--chain smoking when she is awake, and sometimes she dozes off while smoking. She has to be watched all the time.
My minister, Pastor Jeff came to see my mom today. I am so thankful he did. He talked a lot to her about salvation and about God and how what matters is what is in our hearts and not what we have or have not done in our lives. It was comforting to her, I think, to talk to him.
Okay, that's about it for now. I am tired and need to be in the bed!
Thank you all for your concern and support.
Angie had a rough day. She woke up at 4 this morning with the stomach bug we have passed around between Kyle and Donna and apparently our fellowship group, too. Once my sister got over all the nasty stuff, she slept a lot. It was not bad, though, because Mom was so lucid today. Obviously, Angie didn't sleep much last night, and neither did I. She was running back and forth to the bathroom, and I was worrying about her and my mom.
Tonight, we are both here at my house. We needed the break desperately, so we hired a CNA to come in and stay overnight with my mom. This woman was recommended to us by our home hospice nurse, and she seems very kind. It's hard to leave your sick mother in the hands of a stranger, but we had to do it. Angie could still be contagious, and I had to get home because Emily has school in the morning and Kyle has to work--he leaves at 5:30 in the morning.
This is much harder than I ever imagined. I always thought we would have more help. My mom's family came to see her today, and I had hoped they would tell Angie and me to go take a shower, take a break, go get some lunch or just get out of the house, but they didn't. I told Kyle that it would be nice to have that, but it's just not possible unless we hire help, which is very expensive. The CNA came at 7:00 tonight and will leave at 7:00 in the morning, and her pay will be $156. The days are very long and very tiring for us.
Eventually, we will have to hire help for overnight at least or possibly 24 hours a day. We are trying to hold off on sending her to inpatient hospice. As long as she still has days where she is coherent, we just can't send her there. But I can't stay with her overnight, and she can't be alone. She is smoking like crazy--chain smoking when she is awake, and sometimes she dozes off while smoking. She has to be watched all the time.
My minister, Pastor Jeff came to see my mom today. I am so thankful he did. He talked a lot to her about salvation and about God and how what matters is what is in our hearts and not what we have or have not done in our lives. It was comforting to her, I think, to talk to him.
Okay, that's about it for now. I am tired and need to be in the bed!
Thank you all for your concern and support.
