Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Sigh.

Yesterday was one of those days - you know the kind where everything you touch turns bad!  I could have phrased that differently, but I don't do that here.'

Everything I touched - I dropped or it found another way to escape.  I went upstairs with a great idea for ruffing ribbon.  Well, it was wonderful to me.  To cut to the chase, I dropped the main part of the foot of the machine that everything else attaches to, so I ended up moving furniture in half of the room to find it.

I really don't understand why when a small item is dropped onto carpet, it will bounce three feet and usually end up under something.  And the something that is hardest to access.  That was what happened to that foot.

So since I was already under there, and a good cleaning had not happened since before the Christmas rush, I decided it was time.  Which brings about another question - how do threads travel so far?  And why do they end up on the floor even though I try to be so careful to put them into the little bucket meant for those threads?

So the craft room - a room of unanswered questions.

Needless to say, I didn't get much done with all the furniture moving and vacuuming.  And the ribbon - that is a lost cause.  The big machine didn't like doing that task.  It does have a mind of its own, you know.

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Sadder events transpired since we last met.  My good friends from church lost their mother (grandmother) yesterday.  Grace was admitted to the hospital last Wednesday.  She was unresponsive for a long time.  She has been having little strokes for quite a while which turned into what appeared seizures.  These are called TIA's.  Little blood clots going through the brain.

She became a little responsive on  Friday, and they were able to remove her from the ventilator.  But things turned bad for the family when it was suggested Grace go into hospice.  Somehow the family got the idea that Grace would, in effect, be smothered and starved to death because hospice wouldn't allow a feeding tube and oxygen.

This bothered me a lot.  I had hospice for my step- mother and dad.  G had them for his father.  Our experience was very good.  With my step-mom, it was a little rougher than normal because she was released from the hospital just before Christmas.  Even hospice works on a smaller staff, and the places that provide equipment are a bit slower.  But all in all, they worked immediately to make sure she was comfortable.

I don't know why they thought Grace would not be allowed oxygen.  She certainly would have.  I wonder if they were thinking of the ventilator.  Feeding tube - perhaps that wouldn't have been allowed.

These things are the reason I have  been very vocal about my wishes when/if I am in this kind of shape.  I have the written directives some place around here, but they haven't been notarized.  (Note to self, do that today)  Grace could have saved her family so much grief if she had done that.  I think like a lot of us, she felt she would live forever - or at least long enough to realize she was deteriorating.  That doesn't happen.  In my experience, when things begin going - they go pretty fast.

My heart is breaking for this family.  One of the daughters (granddaughters) is having a really bad time with this.  I don't think she has lost a close loved one before - and to see her grandmother suffer to the degree Grace did has really hit her hard.

Now they are facing funeral arrangements.  That alone is horrible!  That is why we are already pre-paid for cremation - all set, and all wishes are recorded in a book that came along with our boxes.  I want to remove as much as I can from my kids especially.  I have faced the end once, and it may still fool me and sneak up again.  But I want them to know exactly what my wishes are so they don't have to guess.

4 comments:

JuJu said...

I'm so sorry for the loss of Grace. It's so hard to face all that needs facing during a death and its aftermath.

Good for you for taking care of it so your kids didn't have to. That's truly a blessing you gave them.

Judy said...

I agree with you. I have all my directives and instructions and life insurance. All in a box marked "funeral"--even what I want on my memorial card and little boxes with gifts for the grand kids. I want to make it as easy on my kids as possible because--I know what a mess it can be when nothing has been prepared!!! I'm sorry for Grace's funeral.

Marti said...

I have everything written down somewhere, but I was thinking last night that I need to put everything where Hubby can find it, and instructions on bill paying and where the money is. Yes, I was that sick last night.

About your bouncing sewing machine foot, I've often wondered why things bounce on carpet the way they do. I hate dropping earring backs. Have to get at eye level with the carpet to find them.

Hot Cup Lutheran said...

i've often thought about leaving my wishes... i mean if something were to happen to me... who would make those decisions? there's nobody but me... and so it is.

what a wonderful gift really to provide your children... prayers for all of Grace's family.