Sunday, October 2, 2022 9:01 PM

Hello, welcome to this 2nd day of October!

  The nurse that was taking care of Larry, got him all cozy with the warm blanket out of the oven. When Larry saw this photo, he smiled & agreed that he looked like Charlton Heston as Moses in the film "The 10 Commandments". Something that comes along, to give Larry a little joy is quite rare and most certainly welcome & appreciated.

  Part of today was so very rough for Larry. Each day something is being changed or adjusted. The nurses had finished with the morning hygiene routine & sat him in a wheelchair to start his noon feed. Because of the issues with his kidneys, the doctor told the nurse to increase (significantly) the fluid going through his feed tube, before & after each feeding, which is 3 X a day. It wasn't very long before Larry threw up (significantly) for what seemed like a very long time. I yelled for someone to press the call button, as I could not leave Larry. He was so sick; it was very distressing for him & anyone to witness. The nurse immediately stopped the feed. When he settled down, he was transferred back to bed & nodded off. Then, before long a stretcher arrived to take him to Xray for his stomach. Again, the doctors don't 'wonder' about something, they actively investigate. The Dr. had come by&d said that Larry's stomach is adjusting to a new schedule & amount of food through the tube, at each feeding. The nurse was keeping a close eye & certainly advising the next shift's nurse to do the same. The 2 men across from Larry are also ready to push the call button if they hear or see Larry struggle. 

  A therapist came by as Larry had just finished being sick. She told him that she wanted to do a lot for him but would not bother him today. She asked me a few questions, to become familiar with what Larry's gone & is going through. To say he's had a rash, or he has bed sores are one thing to imagine, but each time I've shown a photo of these things, the response is always the same… shock, concern & compassion. She was so sweet, telling us she would do her best, starting with making it comfortable with a special seat for Larry's wheelchair to maximize his time in it with exercise & maybe a change of scenery. She wrote a lot down. We look forward to seeing her tomorrow.

  Larry's room has a spirit of community, which includes patients & their visiting loved ones. Here's the 'heart massage' story of the day. Larry's neighbour is Italian. His name is very Italian & his wife's name quite Bavarian. She told me that her Italian father was a P.O.W. & a little girl would bring him bits of food through the fence. He told her that if he ever had a daughter, he would name her after her. Such a beautiful story. I haven't had a chance to share that with Larry, but I can already see the look on his face when I do. A smile is sure to come to his face when I show him a photo or tell a story about children.

 While I ate breakfast this morning, I read a reflection on today's scripture readings. It very much echoed what I had shared with Larry yesterday. As I read it to him, he nodded. "Try to shift your focus from waiting for something to happen in the future, to opening your eyes to what God is doing in the present moment. How is he loving you, encouraging you, and blessing you, or the people you are praying for? Fight the temptation to doubt or despair." "I kept faith, even when I said 'I am greatly afflicted!" Neither Larry or I underestimate the gift of grace through the world 'village' of people who are loving, encouraging & blessing us!

 Visiting was very interrupted throughout the day, with Larry being sick, as well as being taken away to Xray, not to mention him being so exhausted & sleeping deeply, comfortably tucked in his bed. He had a couple of winks for Shane & Courtney. Abbey wanted to come & see Uncle Larry after church, so mom & gramma made it happen. Uncle Larry acknowledged Abbey, with a smile as he spoke her name. That was a 2-minute visit. I know she misses us, as the 3 of us often went on dates, which I've posted pics of over the last 2 years. A super bonus today is that Linda has a roho seat cushion that she's happy to give Larry to use.

   Visits can often mean watching Larry sleep, or maybe a peek & quick hello. He is happy to see folks & sometimes that peek is just enough. When asked "Would you like us to leave now?" he often says "Yes!", except for me. He usually asks if I can stay longer. Many times, as it was with today, the interaction between us is that we are united in spirit by just quietly 'being' together, his hand in mine.

  At 3:00 I told Larry that I wanted to go to Mass at 4:00, unless he wanted me to stay. He said "Stay!" Then again at 4:00 to go to Mass at 5:00. As we kissed good-bye he said, "Pray for me!" I always tell him that I take him with me!

  God bless you & give you peace, especially concerning those things that 'concern' you & try to take away your peace.

xoxoxo