essays on life...by me

Fading

December 9, 2001

Here I am, sitting in my mom’s room in a nursing home. Dinner has been served, even to me – on a tray. I help to feed my mom but she doesn’t eat much. I’m reminded of the days when I fed my son when he was still a baby. The food is all in small pieces – chopped up turkey (whole pieces for me), stuffing, gravy. All her liquids are thickened because they are worried about her ability to swallow liquids. I also get some ick “onion soup” and spinich. We both get lemon merange pie. She has dozed off and is sleeping and peaceful. The TV is on, turned to the Food Channel. I am sitting at her desk trying to type this out on my mini computer’s tiny keyboard.

Earlier, just before dinner my mother was often getting very upset. All afternoon she has been asking me to “get her out of here”. When I ask her where does she want to go, she can’t find the words to tell me. She doesn’t know. All she knows is that she doesn’t want to be where she is – lying in bed with her feet up. Finally she starts crying, almost on the verge of hysteria. I go to stand next to her bed. While I hold her hand, my other hand gently scratches her head through her hair, like one does with a dog, while saying schoosch, schoosch, its OK. She gets calmer, settles down.

I had a meeting today with her doctor. He seems like a nice man. I guess you have to be to specialize in geriatrics. Dealing with the relatives of dying patients must be a very common part of his practice. He is unable to give me any time reference for how long she has. Days or weeks, probably not many months. Her kidneys are failing. We have decided not to do anything to correct problems. We will let nature take its course. And in the meantime try to keep her comfortable. Now its up to Nature to decide how long it takes to fade. I can only watch and wait and be here.

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4 Comments

  1. Marti

    Waiting. Being. Not knowing. So difficult in our fast-paced, control freaked world. This time is so precious. Find peace in knowing that you are where you need to be, and doing what needs to be done, right now.

  2. Hey just going to say you might want to add a Google+ button on here also, great article. Got something new here, so that’s pretty effective. You just may be able to get visitors to click that thing. it will push you up in page rank i think, so more people will get to come here.

    lmao, i just filled out this huge comment on here but then i accidently pressed the wrong button i think and poof it just vanished X(…oh well i ain’t gonna spend all that time rewritting it. It was just a round about way of saying great content you have got here, i like your writing style.

  3. What Marti says. I have nothing to add. Peace be with you.

  4. eric

    nice blog you got here, just sayin

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