Category Archives: Sandwich Generation

The end of the end

Posted on April 21, 2011 by

On Tuesday morning, my sister and I put the girls on the school bus, then packed her suitcase and headed to Mom’s. It was time to say goodbye. She was headed to Florida for a business meeting. Duty calls, you … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Sandwich Generation, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

I love you, Chiquita.

Posted on April 20, 2011 by

RIP Constance C. Bruzek, aka “Chiquita” 1938-2011 You are truly loved and missed.

Posted in Family, Sandwich Generation | 3 Comments

Assisted living and hospice

Posted on April 15, 2011 by

What a difference a month makes. So, as of my last post,  Mom was diagnosed with a blood clot (we found out several weeks later that it was actually TWO clots). She stayed in the hospital for another ten days. … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Sandwich Generation, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Awww, sugar, sugar!

Posted on March 3, 2011 by

Continued from yesterday: I was visiting Mom at the nursing home on a Thursday afternoon. She seemed okay, but a bit fatigued. She told me she’d gotten dizzy at rehab that morning, and she was lying on her bed when … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Sandwich Generation, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Six weeks away

Posted on March 2, 2011 by

Not long after my last post, Chiquita wound up in the hospital. Her feet had been swollen, so I took her to the doc to get them checked out. Turns out her oral diuretics weren’t enough to control the swelling; … Continue reading →

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Prognosis

Posted on October 24, 2010 by

Wednesday morning, we met with a hospice nurse from the home healthcare company. On Friday, I took Mom to see her friendly neighborhood oncologist. We had a lot of questions. What were her treatment options? And what the hell was … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Sandwich Generation | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

The Truth Will Set You Free

Posted on October 20, 2010 by

When I was at the bus stop yesterday morning, I was chatting it up with the neighbors. Eventually all but one drifted away to start their days. We chatted for a moment more, then drifted off ourselves. “You know,” he … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Sandwich Generation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Big C-4: Dropping the Bomb

Posted on October 19, 2010 by

This isn’t how it was supposed to happen. Today, my sister spoke to my mom from 500 miles away, and dropped the bomb: Stage 4 Cancer. Mom hadn’t heard that yet. I only knew because of a hastily whispered conversation … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Sandwich Generation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Breathing easy

Posted on October 18, 2010 by

Mom was released from the nursing home last Wednesday, October 13. I attended the care conference on Tuesday morning, and after listening to the head therapy person tell me that Mom surely had 3 or 4 more weeks of therapy … Continue reading →

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Happy about hospice?

Posted on October 7, 2010 by

Mom’s still in the nursing home; she just started week two. The next step is to get her OUT. My sister in Chicago got on the phone and handled a mess of things, but was unable to contact Mom’s primary … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Sandwich Generation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments