June 15

Dear Family,
Mom had a really good day on Saturday. She slept soundly and fairly still (not too much leg moving) through the night. Her breathing was even with no obstruction. She had a steady stream of company all day and did really well with it. She was calm and relaxed. Pretty much all of the family in the area came by and she seemed very happy to have them here. Occasionally she was able to open her eyes and respond with a smile or a bllink even though she was unable to talk. Her grandkids and great grandkids circled her bed and sang some Primary songs to her. Later in the afternoon we were unable to get her to open her eyes. She has been less and less responsive but she seems comfortable and her breathing is even. She continues to lose excess fluid in her legs and feet and I know that that makes her feel better. Two different hospice workers came during the day--one in the morning who bathed her and the other one who is a nurse took some vitals and talked with us about medical things and what we might expect mom to do over the next couple of days.
Saturday was a very sweet day with loved ones about and all expressing their love and tender feelings for Mom. At bedtime, Mom was sleeping very soundly. Mom had a very restful sleep all through the night. Her breathing now is shallow and she is very still--only an occasional twitch of the feet. We are treating her with tylenol and she seems to have had no fever. This morning (Sunday) she couldn't open her eyes when we tried to wake her up, but she did seem to squeeze her eyes tight a few times when we tried to get her to respond. It seems that she still can wake up enough for a few moments to be aware of what is going on or who is here even though her only response can be the slight squeezing of the eyes. Dad is spending much of the time sitting in the recliner next to Mom and holding her hand. He is very happy to be able to do that. Everybody is glad to be home.
Happy Fathers Day to all you dads.
We will keep you updated.
Kathie