Time for Hospice

We had a long day at the hospital with lots of meetings and decisions to be made. After getting all of our questions answered by the doctor who is in charge of the MSICU, the family agreed that hospice care is the best route to take right now. The great thing about hospice care is that they take care of pretty much everything for you and if by some miracle there is improvement from the Gamma Knife procedure, we still have the option of taking Bill to his follow-up appointment in September.

We know that our time with Bill is likely to be short (weeks), but it is important to keep him comfortable so that we can all enjoy this time. Hospice of the Piedmont will help transition Bill back home tomorrow. They will take care of getting all of the equipment, supplies, and medications to the house and will have a nurse that will explain everything and teach us what needs to be done. He will then have an RN visit several times a week at first, and then maybe only once or twice a week after he is settled and stable. The nurse's assistant will come over more frequently and stay for longer periods of time to help out with self-care and give Carol a break. There are lots of other options for support, which will likely be used as well.

I feel much better after being part of these meetings and being able to get all of our questions answered. Bill looked much better today and all of his vital signs were stable. He was actually sleeping and resting peacefully which is a change from the restlessness that we've seen in the past couple of days. I was tired of sitting all day, so I stood once I got into his room to visit. He said I looked like an angel standing at the end of his bed...I think it might have something to do with the lovely oversize yellow robe that they make us wear;) I'm sure that he will be ecstatic to go home tomorrow and see Boots and Norman!