By Friday afternoon we knew.
We knew the radiation wasn’t going to help.
We knew we were running out of time.
We knew we had to treasure our moments now.
Acceptance of what we knew in our hearts was yet to come, but we definitely felt a sense of urgency with each passing day.
Friday night I had a very vivid dream. My mom and I were walking around my daughter’s college campus and it was a festive event. There were hundreds of rooms and each was decorated in a different theme. My mom and I wandered around, enjoying the party atmosphere when I slowly drifted out of my slumber and opened my eyes to a new morning.
I knew. Right then I knew.
This would be the last weekend we would have my mom and I had literally dreamed of her final party on earth.
It was getting more and more difficult for my mom to swallow. She had no appetite and didn’t want to eat. While this was frustrating for her and us, at some point we had to just let it go.
Friday night she had asked for an Orange Crush. This was the first food or drink she had requested since the Lobster Roll on Wednesday and I would have moved heaven and earth to get it for her. Before I could even grab my car keys, our favorite nurse, Jessica, suggested we mix ginger ale with orange sherbert to make our own drink using what we had available on the oncology floor.
It was amazing! She drank three cups!
On Saturday I brought a decorative wine glass from home and we made orange sherbert smoothies in her bed. She had to drink from a straw, and it took a long time for her to get it down, but she was happy and content with her “fancy drink.”
Check back soon for more stories of my mom’s last week here on earth. We have so many memories to share!
