Update on Rocky
I have not blogged in order to focus on Rocky and his hospice program. It is very much a 24/7 operation as one would assume, but even with hospice teams, 24-hour phone help line, and 2 caregivers providing 4 hours a day for six days each week, the 20-hour day remains with the family caregiver. In this case, that is me. At 80 this is no easy task. One would think the patient would sleep through the night and provide the family with the same hours for their sleep. That would be wrong. In Rocky’s case, he insists on bathroom visits every 1 hour or so, sometimes every 45 minutes. You can imagine how those wear on the family caregiver. No REM sleep. Too few hours of concentrated sleep. Naps do not make up for the difference. As this process continues, the patient continues on his hospice journey. Remember Rocky’s term is 3 to 5 months. We are nearing the end of 3 months, only another week to go. The journey follows its own medical health line. It is a downward spiral, sometimes qui...