Meet and Greet

The last few days have been filled with meeting new caregivers for my mom, filling out paperwork, and just kicking things off with Comfort Care Hospice. First came Don Hayes. He will be mom's nurse from here on out. He will report to Dr. Penland weekly, but HE will be the one taking care of her. He explained alot of things to us. He told us that the word "Hospice" kind of has a bad rep.....But actually, it's not "the end", and he is not the "deliverer or strong meds" to just knock mom out for her remaining time. He insisted that this is just a more convenient and comfortable way for mom to be treated ( in her OWN home). He said that he and mom may have a VERY long road ahead of them. He was super nice and down to earth. He seemed like he was tough too. That is a trait that is very important for anyone who will be dealing with my mom very much. We will no longer report to any clinics or hospitals, nor will we deal with any dr.'s directly. They told us we could, if we just wanted to, but we probably wouldn't need to. We will no longer have to go to the pharmacy to get mom's meds. They take care of all of that. He talked to mom about her medication and eating habits, and I think he realized right away when he heard "I didn't have breakfast today. ........Or lunch" THEN, "I don't like the appetite stimulant, it tastes nasty", THEN "I don't like ensure OR boost", that he was going to really have his hands full. I am sure when he got back to his office they rock/paper/scissor'ed to see who would be mom's caregiver. Just kidding, he said it would be HIM that cared for mom, unless something unforeseen should happen. We just met, but I think he's the right guy for the job.

Michael found a way to finally take a little time off and do his favorite thing---go hunting. He ended up staying at the deer camp for a couple nights, so me and the girls went and stayed with mom. This is something I have done since Michael and I got married. It is just a break from the routine and a chance for me to spend some quality time with my mom. It was alot of fun. We ordered pizza and hung out. We didn't sleep that well, but it was still fun. While we were there, Neva fell and hit her eye on a non-cushioned part of mama's couch.

Nori did fine, except she rolled out of the bed once. No bruises though.

Today, the aunts came to visit. At the same time, we were expecting a social worker from SCRMC, and Br. Drew Blanton, the SCRMC chaplain. This is standard procedure for a person on Hospice.

The social worker's name was Ms. Maxine. I didn't catch her last name. She is a cancer survivor and along with an inspiring life story, she also gave us alot of useful information regarding the road we are on. This is all new to us, and she was very sensitive to this fact. She spoke with mom  about "living will" type information. She wanted to make sure that my mom had all of her affairs in order. My mom assured her that, though nothing is formal, she has spoken with all 3 of her children regarding her wishes. She does not wish to be on any machines. If there isn't a chance of her waking up better, she doesn't want to be kept alive with a machine. She is very adamant about this. Ms. Maxine informed us that she would visit biweekly, unless mom needed her more often. She was a total sweetheart.

Last but not least, Br. Drew came over to visit. The moment we were told a chaplain would be coming, mom started bragging about Br. Robby Johnson. Br. Drew assured mom that he was not trying to take Br. Robby's place, by any means. But he really would love to keep in touch with her. After talking and getting to know him a bit, mom loved the idea of him coming back to visit. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture.

The last few days have been quite eventful. I am proud to say that mom's spirit is great. Her energy is.....ok.... And she has taken her appetite stimulant THREE days in a row! Her weight has been dwindling. She got up this morning and ate cornbread and milk. Then she ate a few cheetohs. And As I was leaving earlier, she was getting ready to TRY to eat a bowl of chili. I am hoping I can keep her on this stimulant and she will gain a few lbs. It's not easy seeing her so bony.

There have been alot of changes, and they just keep coming. It is nice that some of the changes are being ushered in by a compassionate and loving group of people.