Illness
Thanksgiving 2017
So its been busy here, Jery (JoAnn’s sister, Shaun’s Aunt) has been in the ICU with pneumonia for the last 4 days (3 days on a ventilator), Grandma JoAnn has been sick with the flu since Christmas. Shaun and I have been running around filling multiple prescriptions, visiting the ICU daily, feeding Jery’s cats and gathering important documents (living wills), grocery shopping for 2 households, and driving to Dr’s appointments. JoAnn has developed severe spinal stenosis, which is getting worse the last 3 months. She is homebound and in so much pain when walking. I knew one big reason for moving here was to help Shaun’s mom, what I didn’t know is that we would end up taking care of three moms all at the same time. I’m so grateful we had the premonitions to buy this home. Jery is widowed, as all of our moms are, she has two step sons, but no blood relatives besides JoAnn.
It’s been an eye opening experience for all of us to get our Living Wills and Last Will and Testament updated and filed in a place where loved ones are able to find these things. I am personally under the belief that I do not want extraordinary measures taken if I were to become incapacitated to make my own decisions. I do not fear death, but I do not want to be in pain. So make me comfortable, and let nature take it’s course. Aunt Jery opted for the whole spectrum of medicine available to keep her living. If she is lucky they will extubate her tomorrow and she will spontaneously breath on her own, and walk out of the hospital this weekend. Unfortunately I have the experience of witnessing the opposite, and my worry is she will end up with a tracheostomy and many months, if not years, bed bound in a rehab facility, with no quality of life, until she dies a painful death due to a infected bedsore. I may just be cynical because of what I witness being a registered nurse, to the worst of the worst. I hope and pray I am wrong.
Adventures in Mitchell 