Almost Heaven

Last night, though completely exhausted and sick with a nasty head cold, the kiddos and I snuggled in the family room, Shenzy laying on my chest, watching Flushed Away. While the movie is just okay, the kids find it amusing and there was such a sense of peace that I felt like it was almost heaven.

Heaven was way on my mind as during the previous night, while my family slept, I had been at my great-grandma's bedside first at the nursing home and then at the hospital. Had the paperwork been right, she would likely have passed away within a day at the nursing home while receiving comfort care. But, her POA, my grandma (her daughter), had never changed her living will to state that she would only receive palliative care - therefore, the nursing staff would have been forced to perform CPR and call 911 should she have passed away. None of us wanted that, the force of CPR would have broken every rib she had, and so as her breathing became more labored and she was not responsive, we had her transferred to the hospital. When I left to go home, I had said my goodbyes and felt at peace. I was SHOCKED to get a call that she was actually doing much better and was now awake and response. They are planning to keep her in the hospital for a couple of days, then transfer her back to the nursing home. The DNR order has now been changed and hopefully she will be allowed to die peacefully without all the drama. I felt that she experienced, almost heaven for real.

2007 - it has been an odd year so far, not all good at all.

I will brighten my posts soon, I promise!