I had the pleasure of helping Mom for the past two weeks, sleeping next to her at nights, helping her to the bathroom, making food for her, changing bandages on her legs, etc. It was a neat experience for me to spend so much quality time with my Mudda (and Dad, too!).
Mom has been suffering from severe back pain for years. She ended up in the hospital a few weeks ago where a massive blister formed due to swelling in her legs and feet.
Helping change bandages with Jay, Mom's hospice nurse.
Mom received flowers and other gifts for her birthday. She turned 76 on July 23rd.
Some people say brushing towards the heart helps move the liquid away from the swollen areas of the body.
Mom in her hospital bed, which she received from hospice.
Aunt Judy (right) brought "nice cream" (a somewhat healthier version of ice cream from a restaurant called Aubergine) to celebrate our birthdays. I turned 46 on July 24th.
This is the tri-fold pad I used to sleep next to Mom's bed during my two-week stay.
Sam brought Douglas, Penny, and Diana to visit their Granny.
Diana brushing Mom's leg, with Penny and Gideon looking on.
Penny doing the brushing.
Penny and Diana helped me wrap a bandage.
I juiced celery for Mom, which supposedly helps reduce the swelling, but Mom didn't like the celery juice.
Jude (top) and Gideon (bottom) helped clean the windows with Dad (Grandpa).
Dad had eye surgery while I was at their home.
Aunt Judy, Aunt Kathy, and Aunt Mona (Mom's sisters) visited and helped us celebrate Dad's birthday by making pie and soup. Dad turned 78 on July 30th.
Mom, Judy, Mona, Kathy
Mom's wound wasn't healing as fast as we wanted it to. Sam's aunt, Michelle, who is a wound care specialist in Idaho, provided us with some unusual advice. She told us to apply a tobacco poultice over the wound. The tobacco, she said, would extract much of the pus.
Aunt Kathy and Aunt Mona went out to buy the shredded tobacco.
I FaceTimed with Michelle and she walked us through the steps to apply the poultice over the wound.
The tobacco poultice helped!
Re-applying the poultice.
Mom didn't walk at all during my first week at their home. So, I was thrilled when I returned from a short visit to my home (to see Sam and the kids) to find Mom back on her feet.
Charlene, Mom's hospice aide, taking care of Mom's nails.
Dad needed one drop in his eye four times each day during my second week in their home.
It's good to laugh during difficult situations.
Oskar, Karsten, Daniel, Mom
Lizzie and four of her boys came to town to help Mom for a while, because I had to go back to work. Here we are playing Rook with Mom.
Every night before bed I accompanied Mom to the kitchen for our pre-bedtime snack (cereal).
What a wonderful experience to spend so much quality time with my parents. I love my kind, righteous, funny, constantly-experimenting, intellectual, devoted Mother. I love my righteous, devoted, extremely-hard-working Father. We, their children, are blessed because of them!
