My mother has always had problems with her breathing - for several years she has been suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) which severely reduces the effectiveness of her lungs. She has been on 24-hour oxygen, a Nebuliser unit, and been taking a mixture of pills of all shapes and sizes. She has good days and bad days, sometimes able to move around the kitchen in her wheelchair, sometimes totally bedridden, or taken to hospital for a couple of days for more intensive treatment, especially when it gets hot and stuffy outside, or if she picks up a cold. She has had to have nurses visit 3 times a day to help her change, bathe, and move her from her bed to her chair, and back again at night. Sometimes she would be admitted to hospital if she felt really bad, and when visiting her, sometimes me and my dad would walk away from there thinking that may be the last time we see her, but she always came through fighting, and would be home that same week, ready to do some baking, or some light gardening.

This Monday she was admitted again - I had picked up a cold from somewhere, my dad had caught it from me, and it had passed on to my mum. She was at the Leicester Royal Infirmary all this week, but visiting hours were during the day and I was unable to see her due to work - though the amount of times she had been in and out of hospital for short stints of extra care meant we were so used to it and that she would be back home before we knew it, stronger than ever. She was transferred to the Glenfields hospital late Thursday night, and I was awoken at 3am this morning to hear that she had passed away peacefully in her sleep - on top of everything else an attack of Pneumonia had proven too much for her. The last time I saw her alive was last Sunday when I took her dinner plate away, and she told me I'd just cooked the best Sunday dinner she'd ever tasted.

 

I want to thank you for spending the time to read this, and I also wish to thank all the staff at the Glenfield hospital for their super-human capabilities at showing so much care to people that really need it, while under so much pressure. My mum spent her last few hours on her favourate ward, with nurses she knew and patients like her that she could chat to. Please give someone you love a hug, as so often it's too late to show someone special how much they mean to you.

 

God bless.

 

Dave.

Thanks to all of you from the bottom of my heart. Messages like this, no matter how small or simple, really can help. Even though we're finding it tough, we're starting to clear mum's things out - its something that's got to be done and so we're soldiering on with it. All the best.

Sorry for your loss Dave. I know that life is only a short trip on the whole but its never easy to see your loved ones pass on no matter how much suffering they have had to bear. She sounds like a proper mum to me from what you have said and that alone is something that I am sure will give you something to smile about for the rest of you days.

 

My thoughts are with you and the rest of your family mate.

 

All the best

 

Vince

Mate it always seems that you are doing it tough yet you always seem to be smileing.

 

I know that if thats how you are all the time your mom would be proud

 

If you can mate, keep smileing;)

thanks Vince, and thanks Scrawni. cheers guys. :)