|
|
This
time I heard them while holding my mother’s hand in the sterile, cold
exam room. Doctor shuffled his feet, looking away, mom looked
shell-shocked and my fingers dug into my palms.
We asked if he’d The
days that followed blurred. The
doctor reluctantly made the referral, wanting to do more treatment.
Mom was tired and knew it would only prolong her life, not cure
her. She had strong faith,
but pain and illness shake your faith--making you question, confusing you,
making you angry at God. Hospice
care can be given in the home, a nursing home, or a hospital.
Available to you are specialized doctors, nurses, nursing
assistants, social workers, chaplains (trained in all faiths) and
volunteers. There’s lots of choice; the “patient is always right”.
KNOWING
about hospice only gave me information.
EXPERIENCING it was entirely different.
The help received made a great impact on the last days of
mother’s life and on each of the lives of those who cared for her.
The “death sentence” was said in January of 1999.
She died in June surrounded by her family.
We chose to experience her death “up close and personal”.
It was all about choices, as so much of this life is.
This was the right choice for our family.
We had time to work on issues—things needing said (and left
unsaid) and affairs needing attention.
We had time to laugh and cry.
When asked how long our grief would last, the chaplain said softly,
“One year and forever.”
For information on hospice care in your area, look in the Yellow
Pages under Hospice or go to http://www.nho.org
, the web site for the National Hospice Association.
|
|
Site Design Provided By |
|
make
a referral to hospice.