Today is Thanksgiving and we will be taking the kids to visit with Gogo later this morning.
Don and I saw her on Tuesday and she was looking quite washed out. We got to chat briefly with the director of nursing, she went to see Vernell on Monday, but Vernell was asleep. She said that it will be a little while before we can really get a true assessment of a prognosis.... it will depend on Vernell's atttiude and willingness to work hard at her therapy. In a couple weeks, we should be able to gauge how she is progressing.
For now, we are sad in our hearts that she needs to be in the rehab center on Thanksgiving. She has no strength and still cannot even sit up without feeling nauseous and almost passing out. We wish we could have her out for this day to be with us, but she just is not up for it.
Five years ago today Pop was in "treatment" at a rehab facility in Tucson after having been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Don talked with him on Thanksgiving day presenting his "options" and Pop chose hospice care. They shared a conversation about salvation and making Jesus the Lord of your life. Right then and there, he was ready and Don was blessed with the honor of baptizing him into God's family. What an honor it was to to be his caregivers in his final days, especially knowing that he would soon be in his forever home. On December 19th, at hospice care in our home, we stood with Pop as he took a final breath and went to be with Jesus - and it all began on Thanksgiving. Thank you for the precious memories, Pop.
When we go visit Vernell today, we are going to celebrate Pop by enjoying one of his favorite treats - vanilla ice cream with Hershey's syrup. This was the ONLY thing he ate for the last couple weeks of his life. I remember sitting in his room in the wee hours of the morning in the glow of the Christmas lights, feeding him bite after bite of deliciousness. Toward the very end, I knew something was changing for him when he stopped eating the ice cream I would fix for him.
So today, we celebrate Pop and Gogo. We hope to keep her spark lit and pray that she will keep pushing forward to regain strength.
We are hoping in a few weeks, we will be able to talk with her and give her some vaild options regarding her own future. For now, we wait and she how she progresses over the next weeks and find out what the doctor, nurses,and therapists see for her and what quality of life she can get back to. I cannot even stand the thought of her being in the facility over the Christmas holiday (sigh).
From our home to yours... we send warm wishes for a wonderful day of thanksgiving. We are thankful for you - who care so much about our family. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We love you all!
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