Sad update

Fellow crafters, blog friends and followers. As you may know, I spent the last weeks of July with my parents in the wake of my mom's downward health spiral. The past year has been especially tough as mom had become more and more in the throes of dementia. We have some pretty funny stories, some poignant, some so very sad. Mom and dad have been together since childhood; ages 5 and 7, to be exact, and married 72 years. 

Dad has never been alone, so please keep him in your prayers as he navigates a whole new life at 92 years of age. 

On Wednesday, July 15, dad woke up to find mom on the floor and unresponsive. She was transported to the hospital by ambulance, and long story short, had an extreme heart episode sometime during the night that is typically fatal. Thank God it was not, in her case. Mom came home on Friday and hospice was set up for daily care. We hit the road on Sunday and headed over (200 miles) to be with mom and dad. That same day, my sister and niece flew up from SoCal, as well. My brother, who lives close, has been over every day to help dad with chores and be there for support. We can't thank him enough for being the rock he has been for our dad, and for the rest of us too.  

When we arrived, mom woke up enough to know I was there. She held my hand and smiled so big it melted my heart. By this time, she had not eaten in at least a week and by now was non-verbal. We knew it wouldn't be long, but were so happy to spend the time with her. 

On Monday, July 20, we met the hospice care team and learned how to care for mom, administer medication, etc. during times they were not there. They could not have been more wonderful, and we fell in love with them immediately. They were so gentle and caring when taking care of mom and we are beyond grateful for them all. The next few days were difficult, but we kept mom as comfortable as we could, talking with her, holding her hand, and letting her know we were all there for her. Thursday  was the hardest day for me, personally, and I melted down more than once. I don't think my heart has ever felt so crushed. Even so, we had prepared ourselves as much as one can for when the last day would come, as we knew it would be soon.

Friday, July 24 - my sister's birthday. I gave mom a kiss and told her good morning, and I noticed her breathing was different than it had been...slower, shallower, no real strength behind it. A short time later, as we were ready to administer medication, we realized she didn't seem to be breathing. We checked for pulse, listened for breath, checked pulse again, but nothing. Mom had held on long enough for my sister's birthday. 💙Sure do love you and miss you, mom.