Mom’s oxygen level was at 82 when my sister got to her house. Put her on the tank for the first time and it went back up to 98. I think I’ll pack a go bag just in case. 
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Going back to my mom’s in the morning. Not sounding good. I want to be there when the nurse arrives. Hope I’m not on the insomniacs thread tonight!
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Wow—82% is pretty low. Glad your mom’s O2 level went right back up when she wore her O2.
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Snowball, the ring running large…several of mine are a little too big. I had them sized in a hot climate & I live in a cool place. My local jewelry store has plastic/stretchy pieces, like a miniature old fashioned phone cord. I have one wrapped around the band of several rings and it makes it tighter & more comfortable. That might help her not potential have it slip off or feel the need to take it off.
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Wedding ring story.
I have my mom’s wedding ring. No intention of wearing it and I have thought about having each diamond in it made into something else for her granddaughters.
My daughter got married last weekend. Several weeks ago she told me the song she was going to walk down the aisle to - in it, it mentions “my grandmother’s ring”. I knew then that I had to act on getting her piece of “grandma’s ring” into a piece to wear on her wedding day - a very simple bracelet.
We moved into our current home in late October. I remember clearly not packing some important things for the movers - like a metal firebox we have with important papers, our bank stuff and my mom’s jewelry box. I had been keeping her ring in our firebox or her jewelry box. I was going to move these items personally in my car - not with movers - and I did! Well, guess what. When I went to look for it to take to the jeweler, it was no where to be found. I looked high and low for WEEKS to no avail. I questioned my husband in case he moved it. I looked over and over and OVER in every drawer, closet, etc. I had to accept somehow I might have lost it.
My D2 and DIL were with me one day and I told them about it and how upset I was. We decided to look one more time in what we call the “attic closet” - a place where mom’s photo albums and random papers are. In a random small box, with some other not so important personal items of my mom’s, THERE WAS THE RING! I about tackled when my D2 said “FOUND IT!”.
I remember so clearly knowing and thinking that I had to put that ring in a very safe place. But in the midst of the chaos of moving and trying to remember so many things, apparently I forgot my own “safe place”! I cannot tell you the relief.
And D1 walked down the aisle last weekend with a bracelet with “my grandmother’s ring”. <3
So memory and moments get the best of all of us at some time. And YES, even more for items that mean so much to us. We panic and can’t always thing straight!
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My friend always said to never move things to a new “safe” place. They’ll be lost forever.
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Another lighthearted story tangent, for anybody that needs a smile. My lost engagement ring story took 2 people. We were painting, in prep to sell our first house. Asked husband to put ring “in a safe place”, assuming he’d put on ring holder. After the open house, no ring… we assumed it had been stolen. I was heartbroken but moved on. Then when eating in the dining room a few weeks later, he saw a glint at the chandelier and said “AH!”. He had put my ring on the tip of one of the little flame lightbulbs and forgotten.
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My mom “hid” an expensive watch ahead of vacation and lost it for at least 7 years. My dad went ballistic at the time. I recovered it stuffed in the back of a lingerie drawer when I was packing up her stuff for her move to the AL.
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Mom had a long week – electrical storm scared her a lot (when she was little, a thunderstorm collapsed a tree onto their house) and blew out most of her electronics. (phone, internet, tv, garage door, blew the old antenna array clean off the roof, etc) She and PF/LS spent all week arranging fixes, negotiating bills, waiting for people, she still has no landline and struggles to feel safe with just a cell phone she really isn’t great at using (but I give her credit, she’s trying).
She told PF yesterday to please arrange for her and PF’s wife to tour the eldercare facility that is right near PF/SiL, she is thinking the house is clearly too much for her!! We have no expectation that she will pull the trigger on moving right away, but he asked LS and I what we thought and we all agreed make the appointment, take the tour, there’s nothing to be lost. It’s a very nice place and they’ll tour it Monday.
Even though I know it is best, somehow it still made me sad. Feeling more positive today as I field calls from her doctors (who can’t reach her, still no phone, verizon is the devil’s playground)
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It’s hard to close a chapter of a life. However, you’ll probably feel better about not being there if she is in a place where she has assistance when/if necessary.
My MIL decided that she was going to move to an AL facility closer to my SIL (2+ hours away). She told everyone at her then-current AL that she would be leaving on a specific date that was SOON. SIL scrambled to find AL facilities near her, and she found a nice one … but MIL would need to wait two months to move into it. MIL pitched a fit & insisted on moving when she said she would. So she is in a facility that is okay as opposed to really nice, and she is a half hour from SIL. Argh! But there was no negotiating with her, apparently.
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So the past few days my father has called me a dozen times to tell me he has no razor blades. He has been in this nursing home for over a year and I have never bought him a single razor blade. Today I get a call that he has a UTI. The nurse tells me that he doesn’t need razor blades, they take care of shaving him. She is sure he was just confused because of the infection. He gets UTIs frequently and is always mentally off when he does.
There was an incident about 6 months ago, where my father was calling his sister and saying that he wasn’t being treated well at this facility. She sent her son to the place. He caused a huge scene saying what are you doing to my uncle. He was barred from the place. I don’t talk to these relatives (haven’t in over 35 years). I learned all of this from the lawyer, who was contacted by the facility. Today, both the lawyer and I were called by a state health department investigator asking about the incident. Neither of us have much information, but the lawyer suspects that my aunt and cousin filed some kind of complaint.
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Hang in there! My mother got the Health Dept to look into her Assisted living place after filing a complaint. They are used to getting these, but we are not! They will see that his care is good.
I decided to stay at my mom’s based on logistics and timing. The hospice nurse said that she thought one to two weeks. My sister is taking next week off starting Tuesday so the plan is for me to stay through Monday midday. I said that I would spend tonight with her so everyone could leave.
We broke into the comfort care meds and started two last night about 8. The directions say every two hours, but she was sleeping peacefully so I didn’t wake her until 4:45 for meds this morning. She doesn’t look good. I left the lights down low so never saw her open her eyes, but she raised a hand toward me so she knew that I was there. She didn’t speak like she did yesterday. I don’t think she will have more than a couple of days more, based on how my dad looked at the end.
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Sending hugs. 
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and more hugs to you all. Huddle together these last days and save some strength for the road ahead
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Thinking of you @Youdon_tsay.
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I’m glad you are there for her and that she’s aware you are by her side.
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Well, mom woke up today and ate and talked and was engaged and talked to ds1 on the phone. She slept the rest of the day, but it was so nice to briefly see her happy and engaged.
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I’m glad you were able to have a good day with your mom. Each one is so precious at this point. It’s so difficult to see the changes as they near the end.
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That is great that your mom was happy and engaged. For some hospice patients, the comfort meds (necessary to help them) can mean less ability to be alert and connecting with family.