Change, routine and an adventure

Honestly, there is not much to mention, but I'll enter an update anyway.

My mother's hospice nurse died quite suddenly.  She had a fall, then didn't improve and after a body scan of some type, they found cancer "everywhere".  She died within a week or so.  Shocking.  A realization of how quickly one's death can come.  We liked Margaret a lot - she was a little rough in her voice and manner but really funny and likable.

My mother's health itself remains mostly static, though the new nurse told me that her congestive heart failure (CHF) is advancing.  There is some way of scoring it based on the size of the heart - it used to be in the 170s and now is in the 280s (or, it used to be in the 200s and now is in the 300s?).  Anyway, a decline. She seems the same mostly, just more tired.  The new nurse Connie said that in cases like this, she could go on for a time, or, could just not wake up one morning.  She's not feeling a need for oxygen, though, so it may not be too awfully bad.  Connie said that when her appetite decreases, it may be that the body's need for oxygen may prioritize the heart and brain and reduce available resources for digestion, hence a lack of appetite.  But, so far Mom is eating well so we'll just watch for that.

And my brother visited last weekend.  His granddaughter had a soccer game, and Bob invited Mom to go.  She said no, she didn't feel like it.  I got on the phone and shamed her into it - how much her great-granddaughter would like to see both her and her own grandfather watch her play.  That if she didn't go, Bob wasn't going to go, thus a double-loss. Finally she relented - and had a wonderful time.  She brought stacks of covers to keep her warm, and Bob had to help her in the bathroom, but she made it - and loved it!  She was glowing.

Other than that, routine prevails.  Almost-daily visits.  Change the toilet paper roll, buy orange juice.  Look for this or that.  Clip fingernails. Asking about her neighbors there. Clean the sink.  Just spend some time together, gazing and holding hands.