Sunday, Feb. 02, 2003 - 11:52 p.m.
It's been a nice slow day. I wrote the kids, did some laundry, and even had time for a snooze, which I haven't had for a long, long time. Except for keeping an eye on CNN and the updates on the shuttle tragedy, it was a pretty ordinary day.
It was made much better by a phone call from Vickie and Mike this afternoon. They are all so happy. Friday was pretty rough recuperating from the long trip. Yesterday they called in Hospice, and the nurse's name was … SHEILA !
She was so helpful, so different from Dad's Nurse Gloom, just a different attitude, they will take care of all of his meds, and they expect that he will go on with his treatments! She will come once a week just to check to see if he needs anything, but says, not to jump in bed when he sees her coming. They want him to go out and enjoy his time, get out and do something!
She sent out a bed last night, not a hospital bed, but one of those luxury beds that you see on TV where the knees raise up too, and it's NEW, they said, that's a good thing. Stef and Mantha had fun playing with it, and Mike was enjoying watching them. And he had the first good night's sleep that he's had in months. He slept all night long.
Vickie said that they were sitting on the porch this morning when her mom, Maria, drove up. She said she was just staying for one cup of coffee, but after two cups, she was still there. Vickie said it was so wonderful, she felt blessed to be able to witness it, she kept trying to call the other girls and couldn't reach them, so thought she'd just have to keep it in memory. Maria said some very pleasant things and also that it was not all his fault, that it had been her responsibility too that they had been apart for so long. He was quite touched.
They had gone out for supper to a Greek restaurant, and met the owner, and he wants to get together with Mike, so they'll have a lot to talk about. I believe that Lela works there.
AND the biggest, best news of all for Vickie and for Mike too, is that Ronnie has said that he is going to build on an extra room for him. He said when he saw the bed come in last night, he realized that it wasn't a temporary thing.
She said, I just stood my ground, Aunt Sheila, he knew I wasn't backing down. He saw how happy it made me to have my dad again, and if it makes me happy, he knows that he'll be happy too!
They had talked of an apartment in a new area close by, or the cottage close by Vickie's, and Lela would stay at night with him. But I guess after they got there, they realized, that it wouldn't be the best thing to do. And I'm sure that the visit with the Hospice nurse pointed out even more things to them.
Mike had admitted that he had been scared to be by himself. We've been with him constantly for the last two weeks, and quite a bit of the time since Nov. And Vickie said, he does need help. He realizes that now. So this is all a blessing.
Who knows, with the nice weather, the sun, the water, the family and the grandkids, the love all around him, I hope that he'll be able to enjoy it for a good long time. For however long he has, for now…he's home. And that's the best medicine of all.
Norm is on call for jury duty this month, but called in and doesn't have to report tomorrow. Tuesday he might get to go to a retirement party about an hour away for an old friend, that is, if he doesn't have to report in. He can ride up with another old buddy.
Thursday, I'll go with Brenda to Paris, (IL) so she can start her classes for certification for the Home. I'll look it up and see what's there to pass the time. I know there's a nice quilt shop, and there has to be a library and a coffee shop. She doesn't want to chance her car and she could take mine, but not too keen on driving by herself, so it will be a day away. Then Friday she has a dr. appt. with Dr. A. for her feet, and now her back and knee! So, it's not shaping up to be too busy a week, but I'd better not say THAT out loud.
Didn't get to read last night, and shouldn't tonight either. Must start getting to bed before I fall asleep here.
