A number of years ago I befriended an old man at the YMCA. We became close. He's like a surrogate father to me now. At one point, his wife said that I am now a friend of the family.
At 85 yo, she has suffered from dementia, incontinence and cannot walk and can barely stand. Looming large in my friends life was the prospect of putting her in a nursing home, which she did not want to go.
I called on the way home from work yesterday to confirm our weekly walk. Instead, my friend was in a state of shock, his mind unable to process the days events. The one thing that stood out is that they gave his wife morphine, which is inconsistent with her medical needs that I know of. He asked me to come over later.
I was expecting an ambulance to be there to take her to the hospital or nursing home or even hospice. It was too late. She was resting comfortably but not interactive. We took turns waiting with her, saying good bye.
My friend's daughter-in-law came over just at the peak of my friend's grieving. Her calm, soothing, reassuring tone of voice and words helped calm him down. She said, "I know she is one with Christ and he will meet her when she crosses over. She will be better off there than here. I believe that. Don't you?" she asked him.
62 years. They've been married for 62 years. Please pray for the family and especially my 85 yo friend, Jerry.
At 85 yo, she has suffered from dementia, incontinence and cannot walk and can barely stand. Looming large in my friends life was the prospect of putting her in a nursing home, which she did not want to go.
I called on the way home from work yesterday to confirm our weekly walk. Instead, my friend was in a state of shock, his mind unable to process the days events. The one thing that stood out is that they gave his wife morphine, which is inconsistent with her medical needs that I know of. He asked me to come over later.
I was expecting an ambulance to be there to take her to the hospital or nursing home or even hospice. It was too late. She was resting comfortably but not interactive. We took turns waiting with her, saying good bye.
My friend's daughter-in-law came over just at the peak of my friend's grieving. Her calm, soothing, reassuring tone of voice and words helped calm him down. She said, "I know she is one with Christ and he will meet her when she crosses over. She will be better off there than here. I believe that. Don't you?" she asked him.
62 years. They've been married for 62 years. Please pray for the family and especially my 85 yo friend, Jerry.