A Long Day

The day began with a meeting at my Mama and Dad's house, with two reps from Agape Hospice, at 8:00 am.

Before the two ladies arrived, my brother (B2) and I witnessed our Dad have a seizure for the first time. It was his 32nd seizure since November 2008. We both cried, which made Ed cry. We couldn't help it though. B2 sat right in front of him and held his face and I stood behind his chair and held his shoulders and Mama held his head. It only lasted a minute or two and was not a violent shaking and jerking. He did not lose consciousness. His head made small back and forth jerking motions. I cannot begin to imagine what this feels like. I think he is humiliated for anyone to witness his seizures. His body was wracked with sobs and I became nauseated with my concern and sadness for him.

After his seizure and tears subsided, we all finished our breakfast. You can only try to go back to some normalcy.

The meeting went as well as I guess it could. We all cried a little bit, and Ed had to leave the room once to regain his composure.

The reps from hospice explained their purpose...to help a person live the rest of their life in peace, comfort and without pain. They said they will help him stay at home as long as he possibly can, quite possible until he dies.

But first he must decide if he is ready to stop all treatments regarding his brain cancer. Before hospice comes in, you have to have reached the decision that you don't want to try any other 'extreme' measures to extend your life.

How sad to sit in the room with your sick parent and discuss altering the home to accommodate wheel chairs and hospital beds, discuss what the service will assist with (such as bathing, toiletry, dressing), and then to discuss how that person's final days will be handled.

The worst was the part when they said 'if the patients family cannot take it anymore, he can go to a facility'. They were as kind as they could be, and only answering questions, but how difficult to discuss the last days and pain management.

Later in the day, B2 took Ed to Athens Hospital to have an ultra sound on his leg. It was confirmed that he had a blood clot. At first, they were going to admit him. But an hour later my brother text me and said to stay home, that they were letting him go home.

The next couple of days we will take him to Outpatient Services to get injections in his leg (clot dissolving agents?) and have it rechecked on Monday. At 9:20pm, B2 and Ed were headed home.

I thank God I have a brother who shares in taking care of our parents. My other brother and his wife help also. Everyone helps in their own way. I hope I am helping enough.