Gram came home + hospice update

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First off,  I am glad you guys liked the Christmas plaid bedding post! -ha. I received many emails from a lot of you thanking me for the resources. Happy shopping and yes, I am excited for Christmas too! My gram came home this past weekend for my mom’s birthday party (Happy Birthday Momma!) and it was a relief she was able to get in the car. Her pain level is at an all time high and she is now on liquid morphine to keep it manageable. If you saw our post last week, you know we started her on Hospice Care. 

We used our wooden ramp that my dad made for our door way (to get in our house) and literally had her take a couple steps, pivot around and then drop into the car. It’s not ideal in fact, the nursing staff was a little hesitant of the method but it’s how she has always gotten into the car since not being able to step up (on a small step) into the car. The car is low to the ground but she is so short, she can’t get her butt up on the seat and now that her left leg (where the cancer is) doesn’t move, it’s really difficult for her to get into the car. That simple little thing like getting in a car, we take for granite that’s for sure. 

The alternative was to rent a wheelchair van (which we had scheduled for the party) but she was worried about cost and wanted to try the car, so we did. Was it worth the risk in her mind? Absolutely. The risk is that her leg gives out, she falls and then we have another issue of broken bones.  Like she said though, at this stage of the game it doesn’t matter and I have to agree with her. Her time here on earth is limited so she might as well eat all the sugary treats she wants and get in the car to head home for visits. Right? 

She has put on a lot of weight since being in the nursing home but that’s because she sits and doesn’t move all day. Unfortunately, she has a huge open sore on her butt which makes things even more painful for her. We had the hospice nurse consult with a wound care nurse and they are starting a new medication to hopefully help it heal. It’s probably never going to heal but we are tying to keep her comfortable. 

She had a great time at the party and my mom said, “I can’t believe I am 68 years old!” 

My extended family along with my brother and family were able to come celebrate as well and it was good for my gram to see everyone. She hasn’t been home since we rushed her to the Emergency room a couple months ago for a choking episode so I know it was good for her, to get home. She was bummed out though because the cat was scared of her wheel chair and refused to go see her :(. Hopefully we can get her home once or twice a month depending on what she can handle for more visits. Do you follow us on facebook? It’s where I share lots of realtime stuff so click “like” on Facebook and  Click here to see Gram Video on Facebook.