It has been over a week since Kathy passed away. I marked the actual time by having a glass of her wine out on our deck with Marty, my basset sitting on my feet. Don’t worry it was a small glass of wine. Marty and I had just finished mowing the leaves. Again. The leaves seem to keep falling whether… Read more →
Tag: Pat
The final decline
CAREGIVING: This is really a post about the week or so before Kathy passed away. I’m writing so I can remember. I need to go a few steps backward. Then maybe I can move forward. The indications were all there. Kathy was starting to have digestion issues again. Besides having diarrhea, she was regurgitating food. She wasn’t vomiting but when… Read more →
Second thoughts; and third ones too
CAREGIVING: This week was another wild ride emotionally. The big debate was whether Kathy should be taken to the hospital. I was having second thoughts and third thoughts and more. I mean, it isn’t like it is life or death… Oh, wait it is. These are tough decisions, and probably some of the toughest ones you and I have to… Read more →
Declining? (Part 2)
CAREGIVING: When we last checked in I was told Kathy was “declining.” That episode was probably related to medication issues – Atropine, in particular. By the next nursing visit, her vitals were pretty good. Unfortunately, caregiving is a rollercoaster. What goes up doesn’t keep going up. Each up is lower than the last up. You are lucky if you level out for a day. Or… Read more →
Dodging a bullet
CAREGIVING: Sometimes it is hard to tell how things are going. I tend to write when things have levelled off rather than when there is a crisis. Things that would be a problem for someone else are things that I am used to in the ebb and flow of caregiving. The last few nights I was able to sleep in my bed… Read more →
Turning the other cheek-
CAREGIVING: Kathy has had some setbacks lately. Separated by a few days of normal. Followed by a false alarm. I guess I forgot to knock on wood. Keeping it Down: Last weekend it was a stomach issue. She kept regurgitating her feeding formula; or her meds and water; or both. That is dangerous because it can go back down into the lungs… Read more →