hey all

The incredible comments and emails and calls and food and housecleaning and drinks, etc. have meant SO much to me.  I can’t thank you all enough.  ever.

Ernie and I went to the emergency room with my father on Thursday after he fell in the nursing home.  His head was fine but we found that he was in kidney failure.  We knew this was coming but the quickness of it all was a shock.  They told us it was a matter of days.  He went back to the nursing home and was put into hospice care.

In hindsight I am glad we had that warning as otherwise it would have been even more of a shock.  I took my mother over that afternoon.  He wasn’t really responsive but he did reach out and hold her hand.  Ernie brought the boys over to say good bye to him. I called the church and a priest visited him for last rites.

We couldn’t decide whether or not to go ahead with Ernie’s surgery but in the end we did.  So Friday morning I took Ernie to surgery.  My dear friend Gisela sat with me during the surgery and the recovery.  I am so glad she was there.  My parents’ homecare worker (who has been wonderful) took my mother over to the nursing home.  My mother told my father she loved him, told him good bye and told him it was o.k. to go.  They left and two hours later my father died.

I got a call when I was in post-op with Ernie. My cell phone cut out and I frantically tried to call back.  I called my mother’s number and it was busy.  I finally got through to the nursing home and they told me he had gone.  Gisela held me.

I left and went to my mother’s.  Bob came and picked up Ernie and brought him home, picked up the boys and stayed until I got there.

I can’t really mourn the man who was in the nursing home.  He would never have found peace or happiness there.  I mourn the father of my past though. 

My sister Debbie will get here this morning.  My sister Judi will probably not make it—-she is still too weak.  She’s struggling because she wants to be here but she is here in spirit as always.

We weren’t well-prepared for this.  Should have been….but we weren’t.  Ernie and I will go to the cemetery later today and pick out the plot.  Mom decided to use the cemetery that Ernie’s parents are in.  That way Ernie and the boys and I can go out there and have all our parents there.  It’s out in the country.  I think my father would like it.

I’m waiting for someone from the church to call back.  Once we get things set with that I’ll feel better.  Looks like things will probably be Wednesday or Thursday.

I’m working on his obituary.  I’ll post it here when I’m done.

oh, and Ernie is doing well.  He still has some pain of course and I can’t wait until I can give him a true hug but he’s doing well.  He’s up and around and easing off the pain pills—-trying to keep the cats and the boys away from his stomach…..  I don’t know what I’d do without him at the best of times much less times like these.