May 13th - Monday & May 14th - Tuesday

Effective today, May 15th, I've officially closed the door on visiting Joe...unless you're family. 

Although we've loved the visitors, it is now the time for us to spend Joe's remaining days with him as a family.  We are now back on hospice continuous care.  I'd like to take the opportunity to thank all of you who so graciously volunteered your time to help Joe with his care, and be his "day shifters".  I'd also like to especially thank Pat B. for volunteering to be our lone "night shifter" and sleep next to Joe on our couch to be there when he awakened at night.  I know this was difficult for her physically to sleep on our couch.  She went above and beyond the call.....she said she'd do anything for Joe because he's like her son.

Monday:
Our day shifter today was Becca!  The day time was fairly quiet...no visitors.  And then, early evening Greg S. (brother of Joe's friend Don) stopped by with a dinner.  Joe's sister Jane, and her daughter Stephanie stopped by to visit Joe.  Jane's husband, Jeff, cut our grass again.  It looks great, Jeff, thank you!  Sisters and our friends, Kathy H. and Karen K., stopped by and each gave me a piece of strawberry cheesecake.  They brought 2 concrete molds to make a cast of Joe's handprint.  Karen also brought several magazines to browse through.  My sister, Jenny, and her son, Erik, also stopped by to see Joe.

Tuesday:
Our day shifter today was Tom F. (Elder Class of '79).  Today was a very busy day.  Father Mark and Sister Helen Julia stopped by to see Joe and give him anointing of the sick.  Dave B. (Elder Class of '79) stopped by to visit and brought us some Yoplait yogurts.  Our friend, Sandy F. from Naples, FL (member of the Florida vacation "fam-damily") wanted to help with a dinner, so we picked our favorite Chinese restaurant (Wok of China) and she called in our order, paid for it, and we picked it up.  It was delish! 

Donna B., wife of Joe's friend Tim B. (Elder Class of '79) stopped by to visit Joe and brought us a dinner.  Our friend, Kay (from Taco Bell group), also brought a dinner.  Our friend, Kathy H. mixed and set up the concrete mold/stepping stone and we placed Joe's right hand print in it.  I decorated it, and then placed lettering on it.  It will be a wonderful keepsake.  More friends came by to visit.....Mike C. and Steve C. (Elder Class of '76 and '78), Don S. (Elder Class of '76) and his wife, Janet.  Joe's former customer and good friend, Jack M. drove down from Dayton to see Joe one last time.  And, Joe's sister, Jane came by to see her brother.

Now that we have hospice help back, we know that the end is nearing.  This is such a horrible disease, but I know that when Joe leaves us, he will no longer be in pain and gasping for his next breath.  I'm very sad now knowing that our time together is short, but I also look forward to Joe taking his next step and joining his parents in heaven.  He misses them terribly and was very close to both of them.  I told Joe not too long ago that if dying is like it was portrayed on one of my show favs, Ghost Whisperer, that he should not go into the light right away so he could stay awhile and let us know he was OK.  Then, it was fine for him to cross over into the light.

Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.  I will miss my husband and best friend very much, and the thought of him leaving us very soon is hard to accept.  Thanks for your understanding as we spend these last days with our immediate family.  Your support is so greatly appreciated.