The election seems far less important after visiting my mom
Posted By RichC on November 5, 2012
Politics and the recovery from Superstorm Sandy in the northeast have moved down a notch on my radar this past weekend as my mom is 
having difficulty breathing (let alone eating or drinking). She is struggling to overcome heavy congestion and fluids which are building up in her lungs. Yes, the fear of pneumonia is in the back of my mind.
The doctor has boosted her antibiotics and the nurses at Dorothy Love have added oxygen to her care which eases breathing (don’t get me started with those bills!). Since she can’t sit up or move on her own, it is difficult to watch her laying on her back or side … the gurgling and choking is frightening. My dad has been amazing in how he has stepped up to care for mom’s “comfort needs” while I just do my best to talk about happier things with her. She does seem to like that, but is now focusing on herself and trying to breathe.
There is nothing like a family health issue to distract one from what otherwise seems important in our daily lives. I can now vouch for it being miserable faces end of life issues knowing modern medicine has the ability to keep a person alive, even when they offer little hope quality of life. As a Christian, I have always been comfortable with “death,” but am realizing that I’m not so comfortable with the process of “dying” or facing the caretaking decisions.
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