From the hospital

As I sit here at 10:30 pm, in room 313 at Delnor Hospital in Geneva, IL; I reflect on how many families I have visited with over the past 40 years as they gathered around the bedside of a loved one.  I have sat with hundreds of families, and held the hand of more people than I could count as they took their last breath, yet this is so different. This is not just a parishioner that I have learned to love --- this is my dad, my mentor, my hero.!

I am thankful that Lindsey and Casey were able to come running to be there for Mom as she was faced with the horrible decision to put one’s husband of almost 66 years into hospice care.  To admit that indeed the end is near. 

Nancy and I drove up from Indianpois this afternoon, arriving a little before 6pm.  We are grateful that Scott and Joette made their house available, so that Nancy and Zeke have someplace to sleep tonight.

Dad is very agitated.  He seemed to recognize when I got here and wanted to know where Scott is (he is in Florida, but preparing to drive home).  None of us expected this to turn so quickly.  We were anticipating the long slow goodbye that happens in a memory care unit, instead we are watching the horrible ravages as a body begins the process of dying.

He finally settled down a little after nine, only to be stirred up by the nurse who finally came in at 945 or so (first one in the room since we arrived).  After she left, I was able to get him to relax and now he seems to be sleeping comfortably.  I pray that he will continue to sleep, and maybe better yet drift off to that place that awaits us all.

Now that he is sleeping, I think I will take a chance and try to get a few winks.  The clock may say only 11pm, but my body says it is midnight.

Tomorrow around 9 am the plan is to move him to the “Season’s Hospice” in Naperville.  I am concerned at how well he will manage the relocation, but it will be good to move away from a hospital setting and into a hospice one.  I have already had one “discussion” with the nurse about giving him morphine.  She did not want to do it, we settled on something else with the decision that by midnight if he needed more we would give it to him then.