Off and on during the day, Dad has us take him into Mom's room and he sits in his wheelchair beside her and holds her hand. He bows his head and cries. It is heart-wrenching. The human love that we are witnessing is beyond compare.
It's been a very long week for Mom. As of Monday, she has been in her hospital bed. She simply got too weak to use her legs any longer. Each day we have witnessed her already frail body wither to nothing but skin and bones. Despite her frailty, she is still so beautiful! Her responsiveness has been less each day and today she spoke very little and only opened her eyes a few times. I called our cousin Ron Lawson, who is the oncologist in the family, and he assured us that we were doing everything right and that keeping her as pain-free and comfortable as possible are the most important things we can do for her, other than pray for her, I might add!
Jean, Glenda, Danny and I are rotating shifts to be with Mom and Dad 24/7. THe caretakers are also there so that someone is with Mom in her room and with Dad wherever he is. Glenda is there tonight, so I came home about 10 p.m. I find it difficult to be away from there even when it is not my turn to spend the night. I am so incredibly blessed to have such a self-sufficient and understanding husband who puts absolutely no pressure on me to be anywhere other than with Mom and Dad. Thank you Lord God for Ollie!
Dad is very depressed and is sleeping probably 18-20 hours out of 24. He is also very thin and won't eat much at all. I don't kow what we'd do if he wouldn't drink Boost, which has all the nutrition of a full meal, we are told. A friend of mine told me that her Dad lived for 2 years on absolutely nothing more that Boost. Jean or I can usually talk him into letting us cook him something, even if it's just a grilled cheese sandwich, or, like tonight, a fried egg sandwich. It makes us feel better to see him eat something...must be the Mildred in us!! Praise God! Amen!!
During the week, when Mom has been unsettled, I have been playing a CD that a dear friend brought her a month or so ago. In fact, Mom told me she wants us to play it before her service! It is by Jim Reeves and he is singing good old gospel songs. Many of the songs seem so relevant, especially one entitled Take My Hand Precious Lord...
Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on,
Let me stand
I'm tired, I am weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home.
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Since Monday, Mom has asked a few times why she is still here and said that she is ready to go home. All we know to tell her is that God hasn't made the decision to take her to Heaven just yet, but we are grateful for our time with her, but she should go when God calls her. She says that she is ready to go, and I do believe that her time is very near. Thank you to each one of you for your prayers and please continue to pray that our Lord will be merciful on Mom and Dad. My faith assures me that God will send a very special angel to guide Momma from her earthly home, through the light and to her glorious home in Heaven. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
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