Tuesday, October 13, 2020

If this is ever my story

If my life ever gets to this, please order me a chilled bottle of Veuve Cliquot, a Clint cigar, and call Mary...you know...Dr. Mary Harris,  (Caroline Dhavernas) from "Mary Kills People"
I do not want to live like this...even for a little while.

This is a note from an old friend, about an old colleague and their current health situation. As I read each line, my heart sunk, deeper and deeper into a sad state of "Dear God, make it stop".

Hi Everyone

Thought I would send a quick update.

Mom (Olivia) has been at home for almost two weeks and I just managed to join her after the same number of weeks in quarantine. Sara and Dad have been visiting daily and managing the daily progression of caregivers and assessors marching through the house to help create a little hospital service / room and to forge a path for comfort as cancer takes its nasty course. Personal support workers have been visiting daily but we are trying to reduce them from three times a day down to two. The Occupational Health Therapist has prescribed some special support bars, a walker and special mattresses and pillows for the bed and wheelchair to help Mom achieve some mobility in the house. To date, Mom still can’t stand or sit for more than a few minutes at a time as she finds it painful and tiring. We are working on ways to improve comfort time in bed but also make it easier to get out of it as she has been bed ridden for almost two months.

Mom will undergo another form of somewhat experimental chemo-therapy in the coming weeks to attempt to slow the growth of Cancer in her body. She is feeling a little better now and is able to rest a little more during the day’s and evenings.

As the weeks progress we’ll try to increase her mobility and reestablish a routine in the house to be able to rejoin Bruce on the couch and for dinner again.

Please keep your well wishes coming and excuse the lack of personal responses. Mom is getting the best of care and is spending any time between visits resting as best as she can after suffering many restless nights at the hospital.

We will attempt a few a few zoom calls later this week.

Emma

Names have been changed for privacy reasons.