MOM IS HOME AT LAST!!!!!!!!
Claudia and I began the day with mom early this morning. As soon as I woke this morning, I prayed and prayed that for God's Divine Will for mom and prayed against all obstacles in her path. Then, a song I love came to me and I sang it all morning long...singing it at the top of my lungs in my car on the way to mom...singing it the whole way up the elevator and through the halls to her room...dancing and singing it with mom and Claudia all morning:
"Look what the Lord has done
Look what the Lord has done
He healed my body, He touched my mind
He saved me just in time
I'm gonna praise His name
Each day is just the same
Come on and praise Him
Look what the Lord has done
It's a peppy, happy, lively song!! Some of the CNAs knew it too and sang with me on the way to mom's room. Indeed...LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE!!
Hallelujah!!!! PTL.
I knew one way or the other that today would be a blessed day, whether mom came home today or not. We were determined to make lemonade out of lemons...and we did so every step of the way today.
We didn't get the final word until 11:30 or so. Laura and Billy, our cousins (mom's niece and nephew), came to be with us today!! Mom was sooooo surprised to see them both. She shook with joy when she saw them!! I couldn't help but remember the last time Billy came to be with us and mom----mom was still in the hospital at the time, in summer of 2010, and I had received that call from Claudia to get there fast because mom had taken a turn for the worse....what a looooonnnngggg way she has come.
Mom had a shower and got dressed. Then, Mom, of course, asked me to put her make up on!! Anthony had joined us as well just before the shower. We were down in the lounge when mom's nurse (who we love) came to tell us...."Dotty, guess what? YOU ARE GOING HOME TODAY!!!" The nurse told mom then dropped hands to each side with fingers spread and screamed!!! Then we all screamed too!!! Mom couldn't believe it!! She was so happy!!!
We began to make the rounds in the building next so mom could tell everyone her great news and say good-bye (though the whole building knew already!!). We went to the vent unit first, of course. Mom announced her happy news to each person, smiling broadly and speaking loudly, "I'm going home today!" We all hugged and cried and reminisced with all the CNAs and nurses there. One of the nurses asked mom what would be the first thing she'd do when she got home. Mom replied, "Grab my husband!!!" They all laughed and mom's reply was, "Well I'm not dead!!" The love mom and dad have for each other after 54 years is amazing and awesome indeed. Mom thanked each person individually and commented on how wonderful each one was to her. She kissed and hugged each person and each one cried and asked us to stay in touch.
When we left the vent wing, we visited the Therapists to say good-bye. They all blessed mom, wished her well and asked her to come back to visit them too.
Jo Ann, Angelo, Madeline and Nancy came to be with us too. We all laughed and talked. Angelo and Madeline brought mom mini-American flags, a huge, gorgeous bouquet of flowers, and Jo Ann bought mom a Coach leather key ring (the leather was a piggy!!!) and had a house key put on the ring.... Dad, Terry, Lenny, Jean, Ava, and Aunt Carol all joined us too.
Some of us went upstairs to pack mom's room up...we made many trips using a luggage cart. When the room was finally empty, Lenny, Jean and I did the once over one last time, and then the 3 of us joined hands and prayed in praise and thanks to God. Lenny and Jean prayed so beautifully...each one thanking God for returning our "Nonny" to us and thanking God for the family we have and the strength He gave us to all persevere through it all.
We said good-bye to the building administrator next. The building administrator showed Claudia and I a framed picture that was made of the "thank you" letters I wrote to the vent wing staff and told us that it was going to be hung in that wing as an inspiration to the staff and all the families there forever. What an honor. The administrator thanked us for teaching them all so much about love and dedication and how to take care of someone in mom's condition...and thanked us for challenging them all to stretch to the limits of their professionalism in ways they didn't know were possible. How awesome. What happened to mom touched so many lives.
We made one last round on the new floor mom was on and said our good-byes there...and then...we went downstairs to leave to go home!!!
Our huge group of family, friends and staff paraded through the halls singing to the tune of "New York New York" a song that Angelo made up for mom, "Start spreading the news. Our girl Dotty is leaving today!!!...." We actually sang and everybody clapped as we left...people who worked in the offices on the first floor by the entrance to the building were looking out their windows all around watching mom get in the car and waving too. It was a day made in heaven.
Mom got in the car with the help of Anthony, dad and Lenny... Lenny played a song loudly from the car called, "Coming Home" by a group called "Ditty" and we all laughed and cried. Finally, Mom gave us the thumbs up...and away we went....
Some place during the whole thing, I became numb...it was surreal....I couldn't process what was happening (Claudia said she felt the same way). Mom drove in the car with Anthony, Dad, and Ava. Ava said that mom remembered her street and how to get home once they were near.
They pulled into the driveway and mom couldn't believe it!! She was home. She made it back home!!! Eighteen months later....home at last. We all surrounded her and wheeled her into the house and she squealed, "Oh my God. I'm in my house!!!" she only cried briefly. She remembered the house. We took her on a tour of the house...every room. She loved that she was home. As we rolled her past a cabinet in the dining room, she lifted the table scarf on it and ran her finger along the table to CHECK FOR DUST!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is too much!!!
We all gathered in the living room and talked and laughed some more. Anthony Michael came to see mom and so did Rie and Gina. At one point, in the middle of all the noise and confusion and running around that was going on around mom, mom turned to Madeline and said, "Well, I guess my vacation is over." Vacation?!!!
Jean told us that mom's nurse told him that having mom and our family around reminded them all of the importance of their jobs as health care providers and that the love our family shows to each other is an inspiration to them all and a reminder to love their families in the same way.
It was a challenge with the bathroom, but we'll get the hang of it soon, I'm sure. It took 4 of us to help her. Using the skills she has learned in the facility now in her house is a new task. There is little generalization of skills. She didn't remember how to stand holding the bar dad put on the wall for her, or how to pivot her feet.... It was all new to her. She'll get there again though...we'll see to that.
After we all ate and had fun, Claudia, dad, Lenny, Ava, John and I helped get mom ready for bed. She was exhausted...but oh, so happy. We tucked her into her own bed tonight...snug as a bug. We were all spent (it was only 6:00!!!).
Lenny and I stopped at the facility to pick up his car tonight and it was so weird to be there and know that mom was no longer there....thank God.
Thank you all SO MUCH for your faithfulness in praying for mom and for us throughout this trial..this journey...without all of your support and prayers, we could not have done this. We love you all greatly. Peace and Be Well.
"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3
PS...just so you know...soon...I don't know when exactly...we will be cutting back on the daily e-mail/blog entries....we will be writing on maybe a weekly basis...and then maybe once a month or so....but we will keep you all posted.
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