Where Am I?

Conversation with MIL last night...

Hubster:  Do you know where you are?

MIL:  Of course.  The same place I was last night.

Hubster:  And where is that?

MIL (exasperated):  Well, HERE, of course!

ba-dum dum.

Rubber Ball

Do you remember being a child and playing with rubber balls?  No matter what the size, you could throw them and watch them bounce...and bounce...and bounce.  The only thing about the bounce is that it eventually comes to an end.  The ball doesn't bounce forever on its own.

That's the situation we're dealing with now, but in a different vein.

Mother-in-law gave us quite a scare this past Saturday.  Normal pulse rates are from 60 - 100.  Hers was running in the 30 - 40 range.  The Hospice nurse told us that when her pulse rate stayed that low consistently, it was likely her pacemaker had given out, and we needed to call.

So we called.

Fairly certain it was soon time for her to meet her Lord, we also called in the family.  We had relatives coming out of the woodwork for the entire day Saturday.  They visited, read scripture, prayed, and sang hymns while they were there.  MIL joined in the singing, requesting hymn after hymn.

She had a blast!

Sister-in-law spent the night to keep an eye on MIL.  We went to bed, sure we'd be awakened in the middle of the night.

Instead, MIL decided to bounce back.

Oh, she is decidedly weaker, and she now sleeps 95% of the time, but she also sits on the side of the bed or in the recliner.  She listens to books, visits with us, and eats.  If all goes as planned, she will be transferred to SIL's home on Thursday for the next two weeks of her journey here on earth.

On Sunday she told us that she'd been hearing a Voice.  The Voice told her that she would not have very much longer on earth, and that she would meet her Lord soon.  She said the Voice was very comforting, and she is not afraid of what is to come.

She knows where her ball will stop bouncing.  She just doesn't know exactly when.

Fading

I love my mother-in-law.

I know there are those of you out there that have problems with the in-laws, and for that I am truly sorry. But around these parts, we're doing fine.

MIL is 99 years old.  That's astounding in any book.  Not only that she's lived so long, but that she has survived heart disease, a pacemaker, and cancer.  She's still walking around, and she's still coherent.  Even though she is almost blind and can only hear certain tones without her hearing aid, nothing gets past her! She's staying with us for a couple of weeks or so because it's our turn in the rotation.  Three of her four children live in this area, but only two host her.

When she was 75 years young, the entire family went on a float trip together.  She stayed behind with her husband at the campground, but it looked to be so much fun she had to join in.  One of the grandchildren ferried her across the river in a canoe to a natural spring, and then ferried her back. She had so much fun that when we went the next year, she had one of the grandchildren take her down the river with the rest of us. Thankfully, no one rocked the boat, and she managed to get all the way down the river without tipping!

At the tender age of 96, she decided to model her new swimming suit for everyone...

What's more, she actually got in the pool!

She loves to eat good food, and she loves to tell stories about the past.  Both of those things are lessening now that she seems to be fading.  Even though we teased her about telling the same stories over and over again, it's something we miss now.  She barely eats enough to keep going, and the stories are rare.

Hubster is beginning to deal with the fact that she will not last forever.  He is 69, and having a rough time of it.  He makes sure to kiss her and give her hugs every chance he gets.

She has changed from the way she was at 96.  Last year, at our Thanksgiving dinner, she sat at the head of the table...

And at Christmas...

She is now on 6 liters of oxygen.  Her pacemaker is kicking in more and more as her blood pressure lowers. Her days are spent listening to recorded books, sitting in a chair, eating and sleeping.  The sleeping takes up the greater part of her time, more and more. She see images of people and things that aren't there; children playing, a kitty-cat she tries to pet.  She needs assistance to get to the table and the bathroom.

We know our time with her is short, now.  We do everything we can to make her comfortable.

But most of all, we let her know she is loved.