I'm Back Home After Mom Passing Away

[Pigzzilla]

I came home Friday after being gone 2 weeks. Old Guy and the dogs were real happy to see me. Wow, that was a real eye-opener at my Dads. And thank you so much to all who supported me and understood about my post the day my Mom passed away.

 

A little history.....I'm the oldest of 3 girls. Kay is 2 years younger, Lyn 13 years younger. Mom married Pete when I was 6.They were married for 56 years! Never met the biological til I was 17. Only had very limited contact after that. He died about 6 years ago. So Pete is my Dad. Great guy. He is 87 and in excellent condition. How many men do you know that go on 7 day white water rafting trips AFTER turning 82 or 85? Or everyday do 50 pushups and 30 minutes on a treadmill among other exercises?

Anyway, Mom passed away Dec 29. She had been in the hospital 3 days then transferred to a rehab- convalesent center. Kay had flown in from Texas the 29th and was there with Dad when Mom had a seizure then passed about 30 minutes later. Lots of calls back and forth.

I got a call from Kay about 4 a.m. the next morning. She said Dad was freezing, had the heater up to 80* , was wrapped in a blanket, his chest hurt and didn't feel well. I told her that he had been telling me he had a "slight cold" for about a week but since taking care of Mom he wasn't taking care of himself most likely. She asked what to do for him and I told her to put him in the jeep and haul him to the hospital. Don't take NO from him-- just do it. NOW. Told her I'm 3 hours north of the Sacramento airport and was leaving in just a minute and would deal with ticket problems there. Already had a ticket and boarding pass for a flight at 11. Call me on the cell phone from the hospital.

At the E.R. he was checked over and told he was very dehydrated and had pneumonia. So they parked him in Intensive care for 5 days. He had been neglecting his health. The Doctors said if he had not been brought in when he was, and alone at home, he probably would have died, he was that sick. That really scared him. He asked the three of us to make the arrangements for Mom.

 

They had already decided on cremation and a place in the wall at the Riverside National Cemetery. Dad is a U.S. Navy Veteran. So sisters & I picked out an urn for Mom and then had to find Dads Navy papers. He wasn't sure where Mom put them. Maybe in the closet in a box, or maybe in a different box. So we went on a "scavenger hunt" looking. Found several possible boxes. We each took a box and started looking. Lyn found certificates from a diesel mechanic program the Navy sent him to, Kay found his H.S. diploma and a letter from the Secretary of the Navy. I found his Discharge papers. Finally, in a folder with some old newspaper recipes from the 70's.

A suggestion here...........Please for the sanity of your kids........PLEASE put important papers together in a safe place. A paper bag in a cardboard shoebox is NOT a safe place. Especially when you already have a small safe that is fire resistant and EMPTY. And let someone know where.

 

Anyway, Dad came home. We sorted thru some of Moms stuff. She was a pack-rat, I swear. She saved some odd stuff. Like those little wallet sized calendars- she had 1 or 2 for every single year since 1950! I told Dad to be glad she didn't save buttons or paper clips, WRONG. She had 2 shoeboxes under the bed full of paperclips and several more full of buttons. Weird. But I guess it's not that uncommon for folks that were around during the Depression. (But I guess a lot of us canners could be accused of pack-ratting jars and rings and such--Guilty)

 

I will maybe continue this at a later time. I need to get a lot of stuff done around here.

 

Pigzzilla

 

 

[carr]

Glad you are home and safe Pigzzilla!! I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank God you and your sisters were there for your Dad. Prayers are with you!!

[pinkroses]

I am so sorry for you lost '((((hugs)) to you and prayers . hugs sheila

[Deerslayer]

prayers for you and your family

[Cat]

Glad you're home safely, and that your Dad is ok. That would have been a double tragedy if you had lost both, even though things were hard with your Mom.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jasminegirl]

hugs to you, sorry for you loss.

[SueC]

[Christy]

Big hugs and warm thoughts across the ocean your way.

[Daylily]

I'm glad you're back home safely and I can empathize. I lost my Dad May 2008. There are just so many things to take care of and decisions to make that it boggles the mind. Blessings to you.

[Annarchy]

Glad you are home safely.

 

[Becca_Anne]

I'm so sorry for your loss! Very grateful you had the inight to have your sis take your dad to the hospital though!