Just a week before the stroke, Millie was eating her own food, dressing herself, working jigsaw puzzles & crossword puzzles, and reading her favorite novels. Three days before the stroke, we had the conversation about heaven (see previous post, dated Feb 6).
But in just one second, everything changed. Millie was sitting at her puzzle table putting together a Peanuts jigsaw puzzle. From the next room, I heard a puzzle piece hit the floor (that happens often; her sleeve catches them), then I heard a big thud, and I knew she had fallen.
Hubby and I both ran to her. She was on her right side on the floor. As we turned her toward us, I saw her face, distorted, and heard her say "...just...want...sleep..."
Talking to her was not helpful. We knew it was stroke, so we did the 911/medic/ambulance/KaiserER route that we had done with Millie before. But this time it was not just a TIA like she had on Day 8, this was a real midbrain ischemic stroke, and a bad one.
It's now Day 691
The stroke was 11 days ago. She went from Kaiser to ManorCare, a skilled nursing facility that has not served Millie well at all, but I won't go into it this time.
We have seen her every day, and we know that she is in extremely bad shape, and getting worse. Not so much physically, but mentally she is really gone. Now we really know that her condition will never allow her to come back to live with us.
Last December, Millie was praying for her Lord to come and take her. She said she was ready. So when I went on my hiking field trip to SF on Dec 18th, I threw a penny into a fountain, and wished for her to "go peacefully in the next two months." I'm not going to get my wish.
We are hoping for Millie to escape from this messy and undignified end. But she has to do it by herself.
But in just one second, everything changed. Millie was sitting at her puzzle table putting together a Peanuts jigsaw puzzle. From the next room, I heard a puzzle piece hit the floor (that happens often; her sleeve catches them), then I heard a big thud, and I knew she had fallen.
Hubby and I both ran to her. She was on her right side on the floor. As we turned her toward us, I saw her face, distorted, and heard her say "...just...want...sleep..."
Talking to her was not helpful. We knew it was stroke, so we did the 911/medic/ambulance/KaiserER route that we had done with Millie before. But this time it was not just a TIA like she had on Day 8, this was a real midbrain ischemic stroke, and a bad one.
It's now Day 691
The stroke was 11 days ago. She went from Kaiser to ManorCare, a skilled nursing facility that has not served Millie well at all, but I won't go into it this time.
We have seen her every day, and we know that she is in extremely bad shape, and getting worse. Not so much physically, but mentally she is really gone. Now we really know that her condition will never allow her to come back to live with us.
Last December, Millie was praying for her Lord to come and take her. She said she was ready. So when I went on my hiking field trip to SF on Dec 18th, I threw a penny into a fountain, and wished for her to "go peacefully in the next two months." I'm not going to get my wish.
We are hoping for Millie to escape from this messy and undignified end. But she has to do it by herself.
Oh, Kat. I know I can't feel your pain, but this post brought tears to my eyes.
ReplyDelete