On the morning of Feb 12, 2011, my brother and sister-in-law came to help me get the house ready to turn the living room into a hospital room. Andy move the TV upstairs from the family room and hooked it up. The homecare company hospice used came with a bed, air mattress, IV pole, portable toilet, a walker and a wheelchair. The only thing missing was Mel.
The day before, when the hospital was making arrangements for him to come home in an ambulance, Mel was pretty disappointed they wouldn't bring him in a helicopter because he knew Daniel and Nicole would get a kick out of that.
When the ambulance got about 30 minutes from Pueblo, they called me so I could call hospice so the nurse could be there when Mel got there to change his pain pump and make sure it was full. When the ambulance got there, the got Mel off the stretcher and into a chair with handles that they carried him up the stairs in and into the house to bed. Oh it was so good to have him home. The kids were so excited. Nicole told him she would be his nurse and to just call if he needed anything. She wanted him to have a bell, but I put the skids to that. I told her it might make him too demanding :) Mel was so glad to get home. You could just see it in his face and his smile, and he was less confused than he had been the prior day.
When hospice got there, he was sleeping peacefully, exhausted from the trip. I remember the hospice nurse going over paperwork with me and when he asked me if Mel would want CPR performed on him, it was so hard to answer and say "no". The hardest question I had answered to this point, but I knew that if God healed him CPR wouldn't be necessary.
When Mel woke up, he sat up in a chair for quite a while and visited with us. I was glad Andy was there, because we had to build a platform for the chair to go on so it would be easier to get Mel in and out of it. When he got restless or agitated he wanted up and down a lot just trying to get comfortable. I started a log book to keep track of his medicine (he was on two antibiotics for his abdomen abscess), and how much urine he was making and how much was draining from the abscess. I wanted to be sure to remember everything. By this time of a week and a half in the hospital my brain was fried.
Mel was insistent that he was going to go to church the next day. He kept telling Andy that he had to get there and give his testimony. I prayed that the flesh would be able. By the evening time came though, I didn't think he would be able to go. See I had forgotten about the 10 stairs leading to our front door. If there hadn't been steps, I could have put him in the wheelchair easy enough and taken him to church with all his gear, but I knew I would never get him down the steps.
I was so tired, just so mentally exhausted. I was so happy to be home in my bed and in my space. Daniel slept upstairs with me. Nicole made up her mind that she was going sleep on the couch next to her daddy. She loved him so much, and he adored her. They used to tease each other until I wanted to scream sometimes, but they sure shared a special kind of love with each other.
Deanna had decided to stay nights with me. She would stay home and have dinner and help her husband, Butch, get their kids to bed. They had a 10-month-old baby, an 18-month-old baby and a 9-year-old. I will never forget the kindness and care I got from Butch and Deanna. Butch would stay with the kids at night and Deanna would get up early and go do their paper route. Butch's mom and dad live right next door to them, and his mom, Mae, also came and helped out. In addition to staying with me at night, Deanna brought us food every evening. God has so blessed with good friends and family. They made it possible for me to sleep and spend every minute of the day with Mel. It had been so long since we had just been at home and shared each other's company. I had tried to talk Deanna out of staying with me that first night, but I am so glad she insisted. Mel was very restless at night and was up and down so many times I lost count. Once we got Mel situated I would go upstairs and sleep for as long as Mel was happy where he was at, and then Deanna would come get me. She was able to catch a few winks of sleep in the recliner.
When I started writing about this week of Mel being home, I asked Deanna for her memories. There is so much I have forgotten about that week and for several weeks after Mel passed away.
{Deanna's memories:
...I remember how happy Mel was to be home. He looked pretty good that first night, sat in the recliner for quite a while.
I remember how bad he wanted to go to church that Sunday, and how you were hoping he would feel up to it.}
Mark 9:24 Lord I believe, help my unbelief.
Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must BELIEVE that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
I needed strength so much and belief in the healing power of God. I had to be diligent.
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