Someday was Tuesday

My Facebook status from Tuesday February 21st, 2012:

"That day is finally here, the call came that Grandpa Bob made his final journey home this morning. Scott and I are grateful for the time we got with him, and that his suffering is no more. The last thing he said to me was 'Thanks, Babe!' and I hope he knows how thankful we all were to have known him."


Ironic how I just posted on Monday, thinking the whirlwind was over and that Grandpa was 'settled' for a while. No doubt God has a sense of humor, since now Bob is at such peace. It happened so fast (again I acknowledge the irony of that statement given his illness), and just like that he was gone. With one phone call to us, that part of our journey was over.

I'm sad. Not upset, not angry, not confused, just plain sad. I'm sad that his last days were in a nursing home, not because they didn't take good care of him. It was a great place, he was very well taken care of. I'm sad because there wasn't a better way to help him. The comments I could make about Medicare and Medicaid and http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifthe hoops you have to jump through just to get the RIGHT care - let's just say they are best kept to myself right now. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

I met some great people along the way. Amy at the 4th Frog kept me hopeful with her forwards about Aging Care. Lorraine at Horizon Hospice - who we never got to use - talked me off the ledge and told me more about the health care system than any doctor or nurse did over the last four months. The ladies at the Cancer Center in Avon, who are the most caring and loving group of people you could ever wish to be a part of your grandpa's life. The nurses at Hendricks Regional Health, the doctors at IU West Hospital, and the doctors/staff at Westview Hospital did the right things at the right time to help us along our way.

Services are today, we're heading out in a few hours. I'm most proud of the flowers we picked out for him, I think he'd really like him. He was very generous man - sending Scott and I to Hawaii for a wedding gift so his flowers are built around a tropical theme. We're taking Connor - it's hard to explain it all to a two and a half year old.

God Bless you Bob - three bells for you dear sailor.