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Getting Reacquainted
I was diagnosed on 4/4/03 and became familiar with this board shortly thereafter...I would post once in a blue moon, but mostly read the posts. I will shortly have more time to get involved. After a lengthy illness, my husband passed away on April 9, 2006.
My husband wanted to be at home, and we had hospice for 11 days. Gut-wrenching and beautiful. My daughter was incredible and I could not have done it without her. In addition, I'm one of 10 siblings and my siblings all shared in the last few intense weeks. When I talked to them about my thanks, one sister sobbed and said please don't thank me. It was a privilege and an honor to help take care of Cliff. My other sister and brother-in-law came home from Melbourne, Australia, three days before he passed. My family always treated my husband like a brother. They did no less for him than they would for me and I am so grateful. Exactly one week before he died he called me over to the edge of the bed where he was sitting and gave me a big kiss and a big hug. He said he's never met a family to do so much for one person as my family. This was not new to him, he was just restating it for the one millionth time. They loved him dearly. My siblings put together a video of my husband's life from his birth pictures through the end of his life. It was beautiful. He was a beautiful baby, pictures with his siblings, his parents, our wedding (we would have been married 32 years 5/18th), our two kids, and two grandkids. My son picked the song Hero by Foo Fighters for Cliff's early years through his two tours of duty through Vietnam. So fitting. I picked Over the Rainbow by Israel K. and Bring Him Home from Les Mis for my selections. My daugher picked I Will Remember You and In the Arms of the Angels. All of us thougt we couldn't have picked music more personal for the accompanying pictures. It was fabulous.
While we are so sad, we are so proud and grateful that we had the resources and support to let him die at home. It was a gift, because that's what he wanted. No one will ever love me like my husband did for 34 years. I willl miss his hugs...when he hugged you, you knew you were hugged!
Thanks for listening. Vi
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