I was able to get Grandpa to eat and then helped him back into bed. After I had him positioned with pillows and such I started adding the layers of sheet and blankets. I noticed his hands were warm, but his fingertips were cold. So I sat beside him and lightly massaged his hands to get the circulation going in his fingers. He closed his eyes and relaxed with a peaceful smile. It was one of those times when I was grateful to be of use and provide a bit of comfort.
Maiken, Marshall's granddaughter
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Dad's Week, Sept. 22nd-28th
Dad's had a week where he's gotten up more, looked at the paper, watched some TV, sat outside on the porch, and had some enjoyable visits and letters--and gained weight again!
Martha got Dad out on the porch again this last week for a little fresh air, sunshine, and a chance to look at the outside world.
Dad's enjoyed visits this week from his nephew Laurie (Skip) Craig and his wife Pam, and from his home teaching companion, Les Flake. (Les now comes and visits Dad at least once a month now that Dad can't accompany him on his monthly visits other members of our ward--our LDS congregation.)
Dad received a "letter" this week from his great-granddaughter Ella, age 2 and 10 months. (She's Lucy's daughter Britta Schroeder's girl, for those of you who know the family.) Ella wrote the letters by herself, Britta reports, writing "Papa Daddy i love you Ella," and she drew a picture of a dog and a cat. Dad was tickled by the letter, chuckling as he read it.
Here's some of Dad's humor for the week--he finds himself counting: "forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven, forty-eight," but he never knows what he's counting. He catching himself doing it and laughs.
All of this may sound like Dad's improving; however, there are other things that show he's still slipping away. He's used gestures rather than speaking this week at times. He seems to "zone out" more than before. His feet (and hands too) are cold almost all the time--and this with his feet inside wool socks and down booties! (I saw Henry V at the Utah Shakespeare Festival this year, and Dad's cold feet remind me of Sir John Falstaff's cold feet as he's dying.)
Dad seemed to have some kind of seizure yesterday as I was helping him back to bed from being in the livingroom--he would have fallen if I hadn't held him up, and he was unresponsive to me as I tried to get him to sit down on the seat of his walker. Then he seemed to "wake up" and was able to walk into his bedroom without further problems--this same thing has happened once or twice before. When he was back on his bed, he couldn't suck through a straw (a new wrinkle)--not even when I tried to explain to him how to do it. But later in the evening, he was able to drink with a straw again.
Several people have commented on a picture we have displayed in the livingroom of Dad in his WWII Navy uniform. Bill Majeska, a member of our ward who is also a WWII veteran, had to keep after me for a year at least, but I finally got him information about Dad's service to be included in a WWII database with a picture to go with it. Here's the URL showing Dad's information and his handsome picture: ttp://www.wwiimemorial.com/registry/search/pframe.asp?HonoreeID=2227097&popcount=1&tcount=1. (There's an "it" in the description without a clear antecedent, but I haven't found time to get that changed!)
That's all for this week. I hope this blog helps you feel connected with what's going on with Marshall. Please feel free to ask questions, make comments, etc.
Martha got Dad out on the porch again this last week for a little fresh air, sunshine, and a chance to look at the outside world.
Dad's enjoyed visits this week from his nephew Laurie (Skip) Craig and his wife Pam, and from his home teaching companion, Les Flake. (Les now comes and visits Dad at least once a month now that Dad can't accompany him on his monthly visits other members of our ward--our LDS congregation.)
Dad received a "letter" this week from his great-granddaughter Ella, age 2 and 10 months. (She's Lucy's daughter Britta Schroeder's girl, for those of you who know the family.) Ella wrote the letters by herself, Britta reports, writing "Papa Daddy i love you Ella," and she drew a picture of a dog and a cat. Dad was tickled by the letter, chuckling as he read it.
Here's some of Dad's humor for the week--he finds himself counting: "forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven, forty-eight," but he never knows what he's counting. He catching himself doing it and laughs.
All of this may sound like Dad's improving; however, there are other things that show he's still slipping away. He's used gestures rather than speaking this week at times. He seems to "zone out" more than before. His feet (and hands too) are cold almost all the time--and this with his feet inside wool socks and down booties! (I saw Henry V at the Utah Shakespeare Festival this year, and Dad's cold feet remind me of Sir John Falstaff's cold feet as he's dying.)
Dad seemed to have some kind of seizure yesterday as I was helping him back to bed from being in the livingroom--he would have fallen if I hadn't held him up, and he was unresponsive to me as I tried to get him to sit down on the seat of his walker. Then he seemed to "wake up" and was able to walk into his bedroom without further problems--this same thing has happened once or twice before. When he was back on his bed, he couldn't suck through a straw (a new wrinkle)--not even when I tried to explain to him how to do it. But later in the evening, he was able to drink with a straw again.
Several people have commented on a picture we have displayed in the livingroom of Dad in his WWII Navy uniform. Bill Majeska, a member of our ward who is also a WWII veteran, had to keep after me for a year at least, but I finally got him information about Dad's service to be included in a WWII database with a picture to go with it. Here's the URL showing Dad's information and his handsome picture: ttp://www.wwiimemorial.com/registry/search/pframe.asp?HonoreeID=2227097&popcount=1&tcount=1. (There's an "it" in the description without a clear antecedent, but I haven't found time to get that changed!)
That's all for this week. I hope this blog helps you feel connected with what's going on with Marshall. Please feel free to ask questions, make comments, etc.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Update as of Sept. 20, 2009
Well, it's been a week without too many ups and downs.
Dad's weight actually went up a bit this week. Was he retaining water? Maybe, but his lungs were clear. Did he eat more this week? Perhaps. Was it the fluctuations of the moon? It seems entirely possible to me!
On Monday, Martha, Marshall's oldest daughter, got him out on the porch for a few minutes. He seemed to enjoy the lovely fall day, but when Martha asked me the next day if he'd suffered any ill effects, I said apparently not--Monday evening when I asked Dad if he'd gone outside, he told me no.
I've mentioned that Dad still jokes about things. He has very dry skin and despite all our efforts often feels itchy. One day this week, I said to him, "Dad, stop scratching that leg!" He replied, "But it's the only one that's itching," and laughed.
Dad's days and nights have gotten reversed, so he sleeps more in the day. We're working hard to get the problem turned around, giving him a sleeping pill--that so far seems to make him sleepy in the morning--and for the last couple of days (at the nurse's recommendation) we've been getting Dad up and into the livingroom for an hour or so. It's nice to see him up again, and I'll need to get the Perry Mason DVDs in order, so they're on hand and ready to slip in at a moment's notice.
One thing I failed to mention in my last post: we hope that if you pray for Dad, you'll pray (as we are praying) that he can pass away gently and easily here at home.
Thanks for your interest in Marshall, we'll look forward to reading your comments.
Alison
Dad's weight actually went up a bit this week. Was he retaining water? Maybe, but his lungs were clear. Did he eat more this week? Perhaps. Was it the fluctuations of the moon? It seems entirely possible to me!
On Monday, Martha, Marshall's oldest daughter, got him out on the porch for a few minutes. He seemed to enjoy the lovely fall day, but when Martha asked me the next day if he'd suffered any ill effects, I said apparently not--Monday evening when I asked Dad if he'd gone outside, he told me no.
I've mentioned that Dad still jokes about things. He has very dry skin and despite all our efforts often feels itchy. One day this week, I said to him, "Dad, stop scratching that leg!" He replied, "But it's the only one that's itching," and laughed.
Dad's days and nights have gotten reversed, so he sleeps more in the day. We're working hard to get the problem turned around, giving him a sleeping pill--that so far seems to make him sleepy in the morning--and for the last couple of days (at the nurse's recommendation) we've been getting Dad up and into the livingroom for an hour or so. It's nice to see him up again, and I'll need to get the Perry Mason DVDs in order, so they're on hand and ready to slip in at a moment's notice.
One thing I failed to mention in my last post: we hope that if you pray for Dad, you'll pray (as we are praying) that he can pass away gently and easily here at home.
Thanks for your interest in Marshall, we'll look forward to reading your comments.
Alison
Monday, September 14, 2009
Report on How Marshall's doing as of Sept. 14, 2009
I've wanted to start a blog for a long time, and I've finally done it--well, my nephew Jeff showed me how to do it!
Here's a report on how Marshall's doing:
Marshall was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in June, and he's been on hospice since mid-June. Since then, he's had a chance to see all his children and many of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
We're no longer forcing him to eat, so he's losing weight and muscle mass. (He now weighs 142.8 pounds.) He's usually lucid, though he seems to be kind of disconnecting from everyone. Sometimes now when I say something to him, he doesn't register it at all. More often he needs me to repeat what I said more slowly and simply so he can understand.
Jeff said that tonight when he talked to Grandpa, he just winked at him and crossed his fingers--to express how he's doing, something my friend Barbara, Dad's nurse, has explained is a common part of the dying process. The person becomes less verbal.
He's seldom in pain, is very glad he's at home, is unfailingly cheerful and grateful for what we do for him. He laughs at himself when he can't do things, and he still jokes about what's going on.
He spends practically all his time in bed these days, though occasionally he surprises us--last Friday when I suggested he get up, he agreed, got up, looked through the paper, and watched an episode of Perry Mason before going back to bed!
On another day, he seems to be on the verge of death, sleeping very deeply and not interested in eating.
He hallucinates sometimes, and Janie, a woman who does overnight care for him several times a week, says last week he told her he was talking to his wife. That's something new, and I'm assuming it means he's getting closer to dying.
Today he listened to a little of Pride and Prejudice on tape which he enjoys.
He enjoyed a visit last week from Anne Campbell Hagberg, who we consider a member of our family.
Although Marshall is gradually declining, every day is different, with unpredictable ups and downs.
We appreciate your love and concern for him, and hope this blog will help you feel connected to what's happening.
Thanks for reading!
Alison (Marshall's daughter)
Here's a report on how Marshall's doing:
Marshall was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in June, and he's been on hospice since mid-June. Since then, he's had a chance to see all his children and many of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
We're no longer forcing him to eat, so he's losing weight and muscle mass. (He now weighs 142.8 pounds.) He's usually lucid, though he seems to be kind of disconnecting from everyone. Sometimes now when I say something to him, he doesn't register it at all. More often he needs me to repeat what I said more slowly and simply so he can understand.
Jeff said that tonight when he talked to Grandpa, he just winked at him and crossed his fingers--to express how he's doing, something my friend Barbara, Dad's nurse, has explained is a common part of the dying process. The person becomes less verbal.
He's seldom in pain, is very glad he's at home, is unfailingly cheerful and grateful for what we do for him. He laughs at himself when he can't do things, and he still jokes about what's going on.
He spends practically all his time in bed these days, though occasionally he surprises us--last Friday when I suggested he get up, he agreed, got up, looked through the paper, and watched an episode of Perry Mason before going back to bed!
On another day, he seems to be on the verge of death, sleeping very deeply and not interested in eating.
He hallucinates sometimes, and Janie, a woman who does overnight care for him several times a week, says last week he told her he was talking to his wife. That's something new, and I'm assuming it means he's getting closer to dying.
Today he listened to a little of Pride and Prejudice on tape which he enjoys.
He enjoyed a visit last week from Anne Campbell Hagberg, who we consider a member of our family.
Although Marshall is gradually declining, every day is different, with unpredictable ups and downs.
We appreciate your love and concern for him, and hope this blog will help you feel connected to what's happening.
Thanks for reading!
Alison (Marshall's daughter)
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