My heart is overflowing tonight!  This afternoon I visited with Momma, and she was awake and able to acknowledge and talk to us!!  She looked pretty good!  She tried to talk but we could only understand a few things.  She was very hungry, because it was right before dinner.  She smiled so big when she saw Melody!  She kept saying I Love You over and over.  I told her the Cowboys had their draft, and then she started saying Cowboys over and over, and said she was ready for the game a few times.  This is the first time in over a month that I have been able to see her when we was awake and alert.  Praise God!  

Today we made the decision to apply hospice care to Mom’s regular care at the nursing home.  Maybe you’re like me and the thought of “hospice” has always meant that you are “giving up” on them. Well, it is not that way any more.  Hospice care simply means 1) the main goal now is to keep Momma comfortable and meet her needs as much as possible, and 2) there is now an extra layer of care added to the regular nurses and doctor that normally tend to her.  I have been impressed with the nurse that we have met with, named Ann New, from Hospice Advantage.  She is genuinely concerned for my mother and wants to help her as much as possible.  They work closely with the nurses and attendants.  The same doctor that has seen her for the past few months since she has been in the nursing home is in charge of hospice in this facility.  Therapists can still see and work with Momma.  She will stay in the same room for now, although she could move to a room shortly where she would not have a different roommate periodically.  David, Carol, Angie and I all feel that this is the necessary step that needs to be taken at this time.  If we see do not like hospice, all it would take is to sign one form and it is revoked.  If they see that she can “graduate” from needing this type care, they will consult with us about taking her out of it.  Thank you for your continued prayers!

As regularly as possible, I will be using this blog to update my mother’s health, so that you can go here at any time and get the latest news.  Below is a version of a letter that I sent out to several people who I wasn’t sure that knew how Momma was doing.  It will get you caught up until now.  

This is to update you about my Mom.  You may or may not know – she has developed severe dementia over the past 12  – 15 months.  Then in January, she suffered a stroke.  At that time, we were forced to move her from our home to Brandon Nursing Home and Rehab Center, which is only about 5 miles from our house. 

Up until around April 1, she was doing ok and enjoying the friendships there at the home, as well as participating in groups activities.  Of course, she was not able to remember or to tell us about any of them when we would visit her in the evenings.  She also was doing pretty well at her physical therapy sessions each day.  She was able to eat very well with some assistance. 

About a month ago, she became very agitated, to the point of being unruly and violent to those around her.  She was taken across the street to the Senior Care Unit of River Oaks/Crossgates Hospital, where she has been since then.  Visitation is only allowed there one hour a day, and it is the middle of the day when it is hard for us to get there.  At this facility, they are trying to regulate different medicines to see if they can comfort her.  So, she is usually either hurting and yelling and hitting something or someone, or is so sedated that she is asleep.  The problem is compounded because she cannot communicate with the doctors or nurses to tell them what is wrong or what is hurting.  The doctor thinks this is because the dementia has gotten progressively worse.  So, we are preparing ourselves for the idea that she may not come out of this phase, to get any better. 

For that reason, the doctor has advised us to consider hospice.  This facility, located inside of Brandon Nursing Home, is designed to simply keep her as comfortable as possible for whatever time she has remaining here on earth.  The doctor doesn’t know for sure that she needs this at this time, because Momma can’t tell her what is going on; however, she is just asking us to consider this as an option.  Of course, this would mean that there is no rehab; just a time to try to keep her comfortable.  The goal is still to get her back to a regular schedule at the nursing home.  But that grows dimmer as time passes.  So, as you can see, this is a huge decision – one that there is no coming back from.  So we are asking God for guidance and wisdom as we seek to make these decisions. 

David and Carol have been great.  We have talked through everything as we go and they come down from Tupelo whenever they can get away.  They have been so supportive and helpful. 

We know that Momma loves the Lord, and that there is a better Place prepared for her once this life is over.  She has told me several times that she is ready to go, and that she wondered why God still has her here.  We don’t want to lose her.  But our prayer is that she would continue to have a quality of life, or that God would carry her safely home. 

Of course, we do not know what each day holds, so things could change at any time. I would love to keep you informed.  If you have an email address, please send it to me at prawls0622@bellsouth.net.  If you ever go to Facebook, I try to update there regularly.  I will also begin to update everyone here at my blog.  Know that we love you, and that Momma would tell you that too if she could talk to or see you.  If you have any questions, I would love to answer them for you.  God bless, and we hope to talk with or see you soon!