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Auburn Annie · 10-17-2006, 08:50 PM

Thank you all. Rich's surgery went well, very little pain, good movement (so far) in the affected finger. We unwrap the bandages the day after tomorrow. My uncle's stroke was, like Gord's, a TIA. He was sent home this morning.

My mom is holding her own but will not recover. She is DNR, receiving comfort care only. We have, in effect, been holding an extended wake as all of the siblings, various aunts, uncles, cousins, grandchildren and friends gather around her hospital bed, telling stories and collecting "momisms" (my brother brought his laptop along to record the memories.) Once in a while she opens her eyes for a few minutes and gazes at us but it never lasts more than a moment or two. But we cry a little and laugh a lot and share a mountain of food brought in.

The nursing staff have been wonderful to us as we've scrounged extra pillows and chairs from - ahem - other rooms, and put up with as many of 20 people at a time in the room. Fortunately most of the rooms around us (at the end of the hall) are empty and we try to keep it down to a dull roar so as not to disturb other patients. Their kindness is especially noteworthy as they themselves are under tremendous pressure due to a major reorganization and there is sky-high anxiety as to job security (or, more accurately, lack of.) By the end of the year I doubt there will be more than a handful of folks remaining who were there four years ago when I left.

We are for the most part at peace with Mom leaving us when she's ready. We have been blessed with time to say what we need to say and are leaving it up to her to "let go and let God" as the saying goes.

Thanks for all the kind thoughts and prayers.

10-17-2006, 08:50 PM	#10
Auburn Annie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 3,101	Thank you all. Rich's surgery went well, very little pain, good movement (so far) in the affected finger. We unwrap the bandages the day after tomorrow. My uncle's stroke was, like Gord's, a TIA. He was sent home this morning. My mom is holding her own but will not recover. She is DNR, receiving comfort care only. We have, in effect, been holding an extended wake as all of the siblings, various aunts, uncles, cousins, grandchildren and friends gather around her hospital bed, telling stories and collecting "momisms" (my brother brought his laptop along to record the memories.) Once in a while she opens her eyes for a few minutes and gazes at us but it never lasts more than a moment or two. But we cry a little and laugh a lot and share a mountain of food brought in. The nursing staff have been wonderful to us as we've scrounged extra pillows and chairs from - ahem - other rooms, and put up with as many of 20 people at a time in the room. Fortunately most of the rooms around us (at the end of the hall) are empty and we try to keep it down to a dull roar so as not to disturb other patients. Their kindness is especially noteworthy as they themselves are under tremendous pressure due to a major reorganization and there is sky-high anxiety as to job security (or, more accurately, lack of.) By the end of the year I doubt there will be more than a handful of folks remaining who were there four years ago when I left. We are for the most part at peace with Mom leaving us when she's ready. We have been blessed with time to say what we need to say and are leaving it up to her to "let go and let God" as the saying goes. Thanks for all the kind thoughts and prayers.