This morning at 4am my mother woke up suddenly. She thought "I need to check on dad" and was starting to get up before she remembered that her husband, my father had died the previous night. She remembered "Dads not here."
I am very proud of my mother, she worked extremely hard to keep dad going. She is the person most responsible for my father living a whole year after being diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. Mom did everything, encouraging him to eat, giving him all kinds of medicines, washing and cleaning after him. Helping dad off the floor when he fell and lifting and moving him from his bed to the wheelchair and back everyday. Arranging for outside home care help, and in the end helping dad in the most personal ways after he could not walk or stand and was confined only to his hospital bed. My mom at 79 years old kept this pace up for an entire year. Without her dad would have died much earlier with strangers in a sterile hospital. Instead he was allowed to die with love and dignity, in his own home, surrounded by those that loved him. Dad wanted to die at home and because of my mothers love he was allowed that final wish.
Even a day after my fathers death mom is still waking up to help him. I am so proud of her.
I am very proud of my mother, she worked extremely hard to keep dad going. She is the person most responsible for my father living a whole year after being diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. Mom did everything, encouraging him to eat, giving him all kinds of medicines, washing and cleaning after him. Helping dad off the floor when he fell and lifting and moving him from his bed to the wheelchair and back everyday. Arranging for outside home care help, and in the end helping dad in the most personal ways after he could not walk or stand and was confined only to his hospital bed. My mom at 79 years old kept this pace up for an entire year. Without her dad would have died much earlier with strangers in a sterile hospital. Instead he was allowed to die with love and dignity, in his own home, surrounded by those that loved him. Dad wanted to die at home and because of my mothers love he was allowed that final wish.
Even a day after my fathers death mom is still waking up to help him. I am so proud of her.
