Sleeping Long Hours

(This post was written weeks ago in January but I just had a chance to finish it and post it today )
Just a short Update today.  For the last week, mom has been sleeping about 22 hours a day.  I know, it sounds amazing.  When she is up, she eats and eats like she is storing up for the winter. When she first wakes up, she is very disorientated but once she is up and around she is rather clear-minded and happy.

Her body temp is very low and she has trouble getting warm.  I have a portable heater in her room and keep her hot water bottle warm.  I have the blinds to bring in light during the day.  She very rarely uses the bathroom. Her color is not very good. 

Sylvia came at lunch last Tuesday as mom was asking for her all day on Monday and on Tuesday morning.  When she arrived she just stroked moms face and talked with her but there really was little response.  I gave Sylvia some lunch.  As we talked and reviewed some information Hospice gave us when we first got mom enrolled in the program, it appears mom is in the dying process.  Her metabolism is slowing way down.
As Sylvia was leaving she went in to see mom and got her slightly awake and mom said: "Heaven is a wonderful place...I want to go there".  Sylvia sang her the little tune that goes with the words and mom cracked a small smile but had her eyes closed.  She went back to sleep.  After Sylvia left, I checked on mom and she was just whispering....heaven, heaven, heaven.   So it's safe to say, she knows where she is going, and she is ready.  I called Hospice to come check on her because she was having quite a bit of the shakes and her breathing was irregular.  Then as I was waiting for them to come, mom got up and dressed and she was fine.

I am learning that nothing is routine or predictable.  I am not scared or in a state of panic. I am very peaceful.
The greatest gift is knowing where my mom is headed and she is at peace.

We found out that all the sleeping was due to a new medication mom was taking and once to changed the med she soon got back to 'her' normal.  It took some time to get out of her system.