Coconuts

It has been a month filled with beautiful roses, Jeopardy, the Young and the Restless, thoughtful cards, tasty cookies and of course ice cream. Mom continues to rest in her hospital bed in her room. She likes it when the window is open and she can feel the breeze. She has moments during which she is incredibly lucid but more and more she has a tough time finding her words. We've agreed that when she can't remember a word she should just say 'coconuts'. It puts a smile on her face and helps us all move on to the next topic. Mom's blood sugar continues to go up and down. We continue to be up and down. Thanks to the wonderful Blanca (mom's PSW), some of mom's dearest friends and relatives we're doing our best at managing through this challenging time for all of us. We appreciate your warm thoughts and your support.

Continuing the journey

Hello friends,

There is not much new to report these days. Mom is gradually getting weaker. She has lost a lot of strength, and there are of course a myriad of complications from the growth of the tumour, the side effects of medicines, and the long amount of time she has been bedridden. She still loves her ice cream, and that is great since she is having some problems with swallowing, and the doctor has recommended a very soft and liquid diet. Christie has been here this week, and she and Blanca (the PSW) have been puree-ing up various options...but ice cream still hits the spot the best. We are continuing to do our best to understand and respect her needs and requests as we strive to keep spirits up and love abounding around her. She hasn't been up to having many visitors, but we feel like we have had Will and Kate visiting these past few days. They have provided a calm but engaging background to mom's days as she dozes and then perks up to watch the next 'meet and greet' along with Kate's outfit and Will's speech. Mom loves to have us nearby her, and she rallied for a little visit from the Murphy girls yesterday. Maeve declared that she wanted to 'snuggle in with Grammie'. She is so sweet and gentle with Grammie, and Mom has said how special it is to see Maeve growing into her own person. Age 3 1/2 is pretty darn cute! Grace entertained with stories of having seen Will and Kate on a special trip to Ottawa with her dad. Over the weekend, we managed to have someone with Mom at 69 Airdrie at all times while we each also had a chance to sneak up to the cottage for a little taste of summer.

Thanks for all the support. The cards especially mean a lot to Dad. We all really appreciate all the well wishes and thoughtfulness.