Sunday, February 11, 2018

Difficult, but the Important Family Discussions...

Your Living Will...
Your Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care...
Have you had these important discussions with your loved ones?

Thank you for all your kind words in regards 
to my mother's death five years ago.
All of these memories have been showing up in my
Facebook Memories Newsfeed.

This one is a strong reminder of the importance 
of having your healthcare wishes in writing...

Caring for Mom ~More about Compassionate Choices.
The day after surgery to repair mom's hip, she suffered a stroke.
We were there in Grand Forks, sitting by her side.

She could visit some, but our conversations were very confusing.
As the weekend progressed, she became more and more non-responsive.


The hospital staff was so caring. One of the nurses gave me a booklet,
"Gone From My Sight, The Dying Experience".
When someone is dying, they actually have one foot in each world.
They are separating and distancing themselves from the people and events here on earth,
and are seeing a glimpse of their new life in their new 'home'.

So...it was time...
Time to make a very important decision.
Time to change mom's level of care to "comfort care".

She was not going to get any better.
And, as a patient in the hospital, 
the staff were trying to wake her
to take blood, and her blood pressure...
for physical and occupational therapy...
and to eat three meals a day.

So, the obvious decision had to be made.
We needed to change the level of her care to 'Comfort Care'.

There I was...standing there...56 years old...
thinking, this is my mommy,
shouldn't she be making decisions for me?

And she did, she had...

It was in her Living Will.
I needed to sign those papers.
I needed to let her go.

As an only child, I so wished I had a sibling to help make these choices.
I am so glad that my hubby was with me and was so supportive.
We said our goodbyes and returned home, 
to prepare for mom's move to a nursing home.

Take care,
~Natalie
p.s. these photos were taken during a much happier time 
when Emily, Hubby and I visted Amy in Rochester.  
There are some fabulous antique stores in that area.

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