Friday, May 15, 2009

Hospice Done Well is a Beautiful Experience

The title of this post is a quote from a good friend. When my mom was first diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, there were many emotional decisions to be made. I called my friend who used to work for a large national hospice provider. Without hesitation, he recommended we choose hospice and told me that it could be a beautiful experience.

My mom, aged 87, did not want to pursue treatment for her cancer and was very much at peace with the decision to have hospice care. She told me she wanted to come back to our home (her home for the past 5 years) if my wife and I could take care of her. We brought her back home with us on January 5, 2008

With the support of a wonderful hospice company, Alpha Omega Hospice, we were able to keep Mother at home with us where she passed peacefully on April 5th. I can truly say, as strange as it may sound, "It was a beautiful experience."

Over the next several weeks, I hope to make posts about my personal experiences during those 3 months. I hope they will be helpful for others facing similar situations or who have lived through them. I know they will be cathartic for me.

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