So long ....

No more pain, no more illness was what I immediatly thought with my Mother's passing yesterday. Her face became so peaceful, so relaxed, she just looked to be sleeping so innocently.

Mom has been in poor health since I was a child, I have posted about this before. She has cheated death on several occasions. She was a fighter, and she always had a reason to fight to survive. This time however she did not. She was tired, she knew it was her time. We talked about it in her final days. If you had told me twenty years ago that my Mother would live to be 82 I never would have believed you, I never thought she'd live to see seventy. If you'd have told me a week ago that I'd be planning her funeral in a week, I wouldn't have believed you. 

She was taken from her room at the Meadows to the ER at the adjoining hospital a week ago today. She was confused and her speech was slurring. I imediately thought maybe a stroke, but stress will do this to her at times. They instead discovered she was dehydrated and her kidneys were failing. All her meds were building up in her system. She was admittied to the hopspital and IV treatments were started and her fluid levels monitored. She started to improve. By Wednesday she had improved enough that there was hope she'd return to her room at the Meadows in a week. But by Wednesday evening I was beginning to have my doubts, I felt that she would not go home this time.

Wednesday evening was hard, her speech had worsened and she was feeling ill and was extremely uncomfortable in bed. She kept getting herself flustered which put a lot of strain on her heart. It took hours to get her to calm down enough to sleep. Once she did I headed home making sure the hospital staff notified me at any change.

No overnight or early morning calls so I headed on to work. No calls all day. Was she holding her own? After work I picked up Fantu and we headed on up to the hospital. As soon as I walked into  her room my heart sank. She looked bad, I could tell she was suddenly near the end. I sat with her, she was awake but did nothing more that mumbled a few noises. She was no longer able to swallow and her breathing was fast and shallow. Nurses were in and out constantly. I called my sister out of state and told her that Mom only had a few days left at most.

Fantu hadn't eaten and at the time I felt Mom still had some time left. So we went to eat and headed home. Just a short time later the hospital called and she had taken a downturn. Fantu and I went back straight away, Abate and Elmer soon joined us. I made a few calls so family could try to get to town. The four of us stayed through the night. My mom soon slept, she never woke up. Her breathing changed through the night but still she fought on. I watched her closely, she never opened her eyes, she had little respone left to any stimulus. By morning family began to arrive, I headed home to sleep. She seemed stable and I felt she'd make it throught the day. 

I only briefly slept and soon decided to head back. Andre and Carrie were on their was and would be at the hospital shortly. As I was getting out of the car my phone rang, I was unable to catch it, I recognized the number, I hurried in. Mom had just passed, her sister- my amazing Aunt June was with her. She said she just slowly drew those final breaths and she was gone.  So quick these final days, so long her pain and illness.

So long Mom - Valeta Lucille McCorkle Barron 1929 - 2012.