I speak with the Hospice doctor and ask him what type of care of comfort they can provide my Dad. He explains how they can help him. We really have no idea what to expect. We know my Dad isn’t taking in much food or water now. He’s very uncomfortable and we want to help him.
Hospice provides palliative care for individuals with a terminal illness. They will help give my Dad relief from the symptoms – primarily pain – that plague him now. There is not a short window of time condition as I assumed when Hospice care was first suggested by the head nurse at my parent’s Assisted Living facility.
My Dad can stay in his apartment with my Mom as Hospice comes in to assist in his care.
My brother and I realize we made this call without really talking with our other brother and sister first. As my brother is flying from town to return home, I call my other brother and sister. Thankfully, I get their voice mail because I’m a sobbing mess on the phone as I tell them what’s transpired over the last 24 hours.
My sister calls me back before she listens to the message and I’m still crying. I tell her she will have to read my email summary — I’m unable to get out any more complete words. I write-up and send my siblings a summary of the last 2-days of medical appointments and invite all my sibling to call in to listen and ask questions when I meet with hospice tomorrow.
While I believe it’s the right choice, it’s really our only choice now and is not an easy one to make. Crushed.
** My apologies as I get my blog up to speed with the events that have happened in the last week and a half.
You are in my thoughts and prayers. Always remember you made the best decisions possible with the information you had in those moments, and that no one else could have made them any better than you. I love you.
Thank you. Still sad — and a little surprised at how quickly this all happened.