Change of plan...

This is not a question, just to let ya’ll know what’s happening.

As a lot of you know, my mother is 96 years old and has stage 6 Alzheimer’s. She lives in a memory facility in Tijuana, Mexico. Hubs and I just moved to the Puerto Vallarta, Mexico area and we were excited for her to join us. We were waiting for her bronchitis to clear up and then would accompany her on the plane to her beautiful new tropical home (another memory care). She has had bronchitis twice before within the last 12 months and bounced back well.

Change of plan.

We’ve been checking up on her daily and, this time, she’s not responding to antibiotics, other meds and nebulizer treatments. They took her for a chest X Ray yesterday and it revealed a “huge tumor” (Spanish for cancer) in her left lung, “fluid” in the lung (Spanish for pneumonia) and ganglions attached to her chest wall (growths). She has also stopped eating and drinking and has a fever. I found this out at 5 pm last night. I have a flight up there at 6:30 pm tonight. 

If she survives that long, I will call the Mexican Red Cross (they do all ambulance transports in Mexico) to take her to the border, then call 911 (U.S.) to meet us at the border. (I know it sounds complicated but I’ve researched it and this is how it goes.) She’ll go to ER and probably be admitted. Of course I’ll stay there too. I’ll talk with the social worker about transferring her to a SNF with hospice (if we get that far). 

I feel like I’ve been slapped real hard and my brain flew out of my head. Things are spinning and I’m trying to keep up. Out of “daughter mode” and into “nurse mode”.

Hubs lined up my BIL to pick me up at the airport and take me to my mom. They’ve offered to have me stay overnight.

I have all mom’s important papers (birth certificate, social security card, passport, border crossing card, health insurance card, etc.) together and will be bringing her meds and a printed history and physical from the facility that she’s in in TJ.

I won’t be sending her back to Tijuana to die. They’ve done a good job taking care of her but it’s too hard for border crossing. We’ll work it out for the San Diego, California area.

40 years as a nurse tells me my “patient” (mother) is dying and I need to make this a smooth transition. As her daughter, I need to realize that this is it and hold up until it’s over.

Those of you who pray, I ask for prayers to do the right things and the ability to stay the course. The Good Lord has His plan and I’ve asked to be able to follow what He would want done.

I’ll really need you guys in the coming days. Wow, this is tough. I thought we’d all live in paradise down here. 😢

Change of plan.