Slowly the secretions are filling her mouth as her pulse slightly fades
A tear trickles jaggedly down septuagenarian face crevices.
First a drop, then a drop, then the faintest stream.
Breath inconsistently consistent for days
Position, disposition, unchanged 31 hours
Sub-Acute Stroke, a tiny smudge on an MRI, destroyed my mom
Unable to conjugate CO2, brain under attack
Thinking, thinking, no thinking, no, don’t know
No food, no water, no meds, no movement, 72 hours
Breathing, just breath
And a heart that won’t stop beating.
Unstoppable heart.
beeps, buzzing, motorized transports, chatter, laughing, rubber souled shoes on shiny vinyl tile
A needle
Pain management, comfort care pathway
A doctor shrugging shoulders
Her smile and knowing look relegated to memory
And memories…flood
Her energy and brilliance, dimmed…but only in the physical sense, because her star continues to shine in the thousands of souls she has touched, and improved (BTW)
The sun sets, a soul rises, music is playing somewhere, and it’s better because she was here.
2 replies on “Watching your mom die”
The world is definitely better because your Mom was in it.
I remember your mom, wonderful woman. I lost my mom recently, similar thing. It’s tough. It’s been forever since our prom, but I remember your mom and you. Take care.