Memorial Service Plans

Tom and I met with the funeral director this morning and we agreed to have a memorial service on Thursday evening. We'll plan to gather at 6:00 PM with a service to be held at 7:00 PM at Grandstrand Funeral Home in Lindstrom. After the service everyone is invited to gather at our home in Center City. We'll have some food and an opportunity to visit further.

Sunday, January 28, 2008

Mother passed on last night about 9:00 PM. For the last two days she had been sleeping almost constantly. On Friday if you spoke to her, her eyes would open and there seemed to be recognition. On Saturday, not so much. We had family with her almost constantly. Tom and Sandy were with her when she passed. They said her breathing became more shallow and then it just stopped. She didn't seem to have been uncomfortable at any time in the last couple of days. She didn't have much pain medication on Saturday at all. It seemed to be a peaceful time. We spoke to her and expected that at some level she knew we were there. We held her hand and tried to assure she wasn't alone.

Arrangements have not been made, of course, but we expect to have a memorial service at Grandstrand Funeral Home in Lindstrom later this week. We'll be posting the details as soon as we've met with the funeral director. We're expecting a small gathering with a short service followed by a gathering at our home.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers!

Thursday 24th 10:30pm

This is Tom from Alaska Sandy & I got to Minnesota about 2 pm this afternoon and got to Parmely where Mom is about 4:30. They had just medicated her and I am not sure she knew who I was. Before too long she complained quite clearly that her feet hurt and her socks were cutting off her circulation to her feet. They tried to get her to eat a few bites of ice cream which she did and took a few sips of water at around 6pm. We left for a little while to move our stuff to Butch's house and then went back out and stayed till about 10pm. The nurse felt Mom was NOT comfortable around 9 pm, I agreed and she called the Hospice and got permission to increase her pain medication to the next level and to give her something for anxiety if it becomes needed. Her legs look good and her pulse was around 55 and body temp was normal. Blood oxygen levels were a little low but not too bad. When she sleeps she takes about 12 breathes a minute which seems slow and can be a little unerving when you watch her close. She hears everything and I presume understands most of what she hears. She has trouble verbalizing very much which is aggravated by mostly breathing through her mouth. She has fought a valient battle to live independently and can still sense her fight to keep going. Won't be weeks......... Days at best. More tomorrow. TOM

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Mother had a sleepy day today. I was there from 6:00 to 7:30 hoping to see her wake up but she was tucked all snug in her bed and she slept straight through. They might have gotten her up and dressed her to go in to breakfast but I asked them to let her rest. Matt stopped out not long after I left and she slept through his visit, too.

At 1:00 PM I had an appointment with Fairview Hospice to get mother signed into Hospice. I’m not sure how much difference this will make but Hospice costs are all paid under Part A of Medicare which is better than payment under Medicare Part D. She’ll have an extra hospice nurse visiting her twice a week. After taking care of the paper work I stopped over to see how mom was doing. She had been up for lunch but by 1:30 she was sound asleep. I spoke to her and she woke up but clearly she wanted to get back to sleep. After work I stopped out again and found her in her wheelchair sitting in the dining room with a glass of milk in front of her. Her aid told me she had said she’d like a bratwurst and they were cooking one for her. I didn’t wait around to see how that went as I had to get home for supper. After supper Sue and I went out and by 7:00 they had her in pajamas and tucked in. She opened her eyes when I spoke to her and she recognized me right away. I asked her if she was thirsty and she drank a third of a cup of water or so. She seemed to go back to sleep the minute she closed her eyes so we sat on the couch opposite her bed and watched her sleep for about an hour.

Mother’s voice seemed shaky but she responded appropriately. It will be interesting to see if she’s more awake tomorrow, particularly because we expect Tom and Sandy to come in tomorrow afternoon.

Tueday, January 23, 2008

Last night after bedtime we got a call that Mom had tried to get out of bed on her own. She fell and they decided to move her to a recliner near the nurses station to sleep. I went out this morning at 6 AM and found her sleeping in a recliner in the day room next to the main nurse's station. She seemed very comfortable and soundly asleep. About a quarter to 7 there were a lot of folks in wheelchairs coming from their rooms and to the day room and watching TV. She woke up fairly alert. Gracie Carlson, an old acquaintance of mom and mine, came over in her wheelchair and they actually had a little conversation. I met her aid for the morning and they moved her to her wheel chair and went back to her room to get cleaned up and dressed for the day.

I stopped back about 1:00 pm and Mom was back in her bed sleeping soundly. They had a mattress on the floor beside her bed so that if she fell out she wouldn't hurt herself. We talked a little bit and she told me about the two guys from Milltown and their motorcycle. I suggested she might want to go back to sleep and see if she'd get a ride on that motorcycle.

The social worker at Parmly was supposed to call me when they were ready to sit down and get her signed into Hospice. The placed the call to my home phone so we got the message after they went home for the day. I'll call them first thing tomorrow.

Sue stopped out after work a little before 5 PM. She found mom's aid getting her ready to get in her wheel chair and go out to have supper in the dining room. Sue felt mother was very positive and mother actually commented that she thought this might work out. She also learned that mother had beem moved to a room right next to the nurses station so it will be easier for them to keep an eye on her.

I had a meeting tonight at church so Sue went back to be with Mom after supper. I was able to give Chrissie back to the folks who originally sold her to Tom as a gift for mother. before I left mom's house I turned down the heat and shut off the lights.

Sue came home after 9 having spent some time with Grandma and the Chaplain who had spent some time with her today. She was experiencing some back pain and had a pain pill before she went to bed. She said she was really tired and looking forward to sleep.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Mother had a pretty rocky night and morning. Angie and Jessie stayed over night and said she was awake off and on all night and started to get out of bed several times. When I got there, it wasn't long before she complained of an upset stomache. We had those symptoms through most of the morning. About 11 AM we got word from the hospital social worker that Parmly had a single room available for her and they would transport her there about 1:30PM.

She got moved without any hitches and she is now in Room 146 at the Parmly complex in Chisago City. I'll get more particulars and put it in my next blog.

I had hardly been in the office at all last week. Susan was off with MLK Day so she is sitting with Grandma and I'm at the office catching up on messages and Email. Mother seemed very tired and was sleeping when I left. We hope she'll adjust to the change well.

Sunday, January 20th, 2008

Mother had a good day today. Jessica and Angie stayed with her overnight and I went out at 6:00 AM to relieve them. I guess she pretty much slept through the night but she woke up about 3 AM for 45 minutes or so and was very lucid. When I got there she was awake and when breakfast came she had about three bites of french toast and a third of a cup of coffee. She had some discomfort with her stomach again this morning but the nurses gave her a hot pad to put on her stomach and that did the trick. She rested comfortably the rest of the morning. She slept through lunch but woke up about 1:00 PM.

We heard that Brent and Lydia planned to come and visit so she had the nurses get her up into her chair. She spent the rest of the afternoon in her chair. There was plenty of company. Besides Lydia and Brent, Erik, Angie and Jessie, Susan came and Cyndi Weston stopped by. It was a lot for her and I know she’ll sleep well tonight.

With the MLK holiday tomorrow Angie and Jessie decided to spend the night with Grandma again. Erik has a class all week in Roseville so he caught a ride with Brent to the Hotel where the course is being held. Susan stayed with grandma while Jessie and Angie went out for some supper and I came home after a long day. Now I’ll watch the Packer Giants on my TV.

Tomorrow, we’ll find out when we’ll be transferring Mom and where she’ll be going.

Tom let us know that he’ll be flying down to get here the afternoon of Thursday the 24th.