And by signing her hospice papers, you are allowing nature to take its course. She will die with or without hospice, but with it, her passing will hopefully be easier for her.

Be gentle with yourself.

Thank you for that.

I know it's hard...my mom was 95...hard. Hospice care is a blessing. Makes the transition easier.

Take care of yourself.

but wow - 97?

You're not signing her death certificate. She's going to go when it's her time. What you are offering is an ability to spend the remaining time in a familiar or comfortable enivronment, not just hooked up to breathing tubes in a hospital. She is lucky to have you.

Post or PM anytime.

Mom continues on the downward trend. Staff said that what is likely to happen will be a "cascade" of organ failure. She is now getting morphine by mouth. That is probably the beginning of the end but it is not the same as the morphine "drip" which will end her life in a matter of days.


Peggy posted what I needed to read. I have been feeling down for the past three years after I lost Joyce to cancer. I have friends but I would feel badly bringing up my sorrows with them and bringing a raincloud over their heads. It is not fun being with someone who is always down so I avoid talking to people about my sad feelings.

D.U. is close enough but yet far enough that I can post my problems and feelings here and know that nobody is going to take "go down" with negative feelings because of what I post.

Thanks, guys.


H

And to reiterate, you're not changing when your mother will die, just under what circumstances it'll happen, and I'd much rather go the hospice way (and am) than the traditional big-bills / sterile-environment / no-quality-of-life alternative. My quality of life isn't what it used to be, but it's a far cry from spending the next year in the hospital. I suspect that at the end you'll recognize it was the best choice.