We got sad news a couple of days ago that our Mom has officially entered into the final stages of Alzheimer's, and Hospice is recommended. We definitely didn't see that coming right now. We don't know how long she has before she goes to Heaven... could be months... could be a year... God only knows. Mom is one tough woman so I wouldn't bet against her. Thankfully she still remembers all of us and is so sweet & precious to be with. Unfortunately one of the many downsides of late stage Alzheimer's is that she losses her appetite and stops eating the types & amounts of food her body needs. This causes malnourishment, and that causes her body to start slowly shutting down. Mom has lost a lot of weight over the last 4 months. She isn't getting the proteins and nutrients needed for her body to help heal small cuts & scrapes which exposes her to infections. Small wounds that her body would easily heal when she is well nourished become openings to potential life threatening infections. Hospice screened her on Saturday and began wound treatment and other treatments today. Mom is still fully alive, enjoying her days, and staying active in a wheelchair at Seasons in Belleair (a WONDERFUL longterm memory care facility) so nothing is imminent, but she does have an infected wound on her ankle that other wound care specialists have been working on for nearly a month. Now Hospice is taking over her treatment and wound care. It's possible that Mom responds well to their wound treatment approach, but Alzheimer's attacks from many different angles so each week can bring new battles. For the past few years we have treated every holiday like it could be Mom's last. We are especially feeling that now. This may be our last Thanksgiving with Mom so we are doing everything we can to make it extra special. A couple of years ago my Sister and I had one goal: Help Mom live to her 90th birthday! Now we are shooting for her 92nd birthday in March. Mom has been blessed with a long life, and we have been blessed beyond measure to have her in our lives for many many years. I can't imagine life without her, but I can picture her completely whole and healed and joyfully dancing with Jesus in Heaven! That's a beautiful picture indeed. But, until then, we will especially cherish the moments we have with her in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Thank you all for your love and prayers! They have helped us all persevere through this journey! We are forever grateful!!
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