Settled into a Routine

This is Mom three years ago on her 80th birthday with Hazel (left) and Jean (right).

The doc has worked with us to find the right timing for Mom's medication, so now she is not nearly so restless. As a result we have settled into some semblance of routine over the past couple of days. She spends time up each day in her wheelchair and then rests for a few hours and then back up. Nights are much better too, usually only 1 trip up around 2 a.m.

Karen has settled into one of our once-empty bedrooms, and she and I swap nights with super-hubby Paul! Mom is eating almost nothing except for a few sips of Ensure when we can get her to swallow. Ice chips and sporadic sips of water are her mainstay. A once-robust woman, you can see her shrinking down in size. She still seems to recognize us, but her words are often garbled and few and far between...she mostly has her eyes closed. She has occasionally called out the names of her sisters who have already passed, and I will admit that worries me! I guess mostly it is a sign of things to come.

We are having a little family celebration for Mom tonight, though her birthday is not until July 25. I don't know what the next week will bring and at least for today she seems calm.

I will be home with her for the next two weeks, so now I can just focus on making her as comfortable as possible. Her sister Joyce is coming for a visit tomorrow and I hope that will be a comfort to her too.

More to come later this week...thanks for all of your support!
Sharon