Thursday, August 12, 2010

No, no, not again

I haven't had time to write about the latest caregiving adventure.

Here is the short version

Two weeks ago, my boyfriend receives call his Mother is in the hospital, about 5 hours from where we live. She was on a bus trip, couldn't breath, taken to hospital.

Over the next 10 days, (many miles on our car), she recovers from pneumonia,UTI, has heart cath, stent, and diagnosis of bad aortic heart valve.

Released from hospital, we drive 12 hours (making stops) to get her home. We stay for 2 days. She is weak, but walking with walker. We arrange for a "companion" for a few hours the first evening, and for someone to accompany her to the Dr. following day.

One the way home, we get a phone call she was found dead by one of her friends, about 4 hours after we left.

Tomorrow we are headed back for her memorial service and to clean out the apartment.

As difficult as this is, we know it's exactly how she wanted to go. Traveling to the very end, back in her home, and dying before she was required to live in a nursing home, which was more frightening to her than dying.

We cling to this.

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