Remembering Galen

We had talked about a funeral – Galen said he really didn’t care what we did. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do anything. At the time it seemed like a decision I wouldn’t have to make right away. Since then, friends have suggested that it is important to them to have a chance to [...]

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The Mennonite Nursing Home here in Rosthern does a couple of things to make the passing of a loved one a little easier for the family members. When we arrived back to “Galen’s room” on Wednesday morning, the bed had a white covering over it with a white rose and a card for us. Then [...]

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Galen died at about 6:30 yesterday evening. His breathing was becoming more shallow and his body was showing the signs of dying. I decided that I didn’t want to remove his wedding ring from a cold body, so I asked him permission to take it and wear it. I thanked him for the years we [...]

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When we drove here to the nursing home one week ago, a bald eagle landed in the tree just ahead of us. I was wondering about the symbolism of that, so I googled it: “When an eagle appears, you are on notice to be courageous and stretch your limits. Do not accept the status quo, [...]

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What’s on the menu? A few weeks ago, when Galen could still talk, he would fantasize on what he wanted to eat. A big steak, a baked potato with lots of sour cream, a perfect corn on the cob. Now he can barely whisper so I can’t quite figure out what he might want. And [...]

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Galen has been going downhill so fast I’m not sure what to post. About a week ago he began to have trouble lifting his right arm. For the last couple of days, he has had trouble speaking. Too weak to get the words out. He is still nauseated, in spite of getting a new nausea [...]

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We’ve had an angel with us the last couple of days. He came Tuesday evening and left Friday afternoon. We didn’t realize he was an angel when he used to come spend time with us in the summer at Wood Hill when he was a child. Or when he lived with us one year in [...]

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Last week the song running through my head was “One Day at a Time.” The last few days it has switched to “Waiting for a Miracle” (see lyrics below). Since last Thursday, Galen has become weaker and weaker. I blame it on his out-of-balance sodium levels. Which is probably true, but then there is also [...]

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Who would have thought one could write two blog posts on rearranging the furniture? Today some friends dropped in for a visit and I took advantage of the extra help to do a little tweaking of the furniture arrangement. Now, as I finished sorting through all the magazines that had been stacked on a lower [...]

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This is Galen’s fifth night at home! We have been going back to the hospital morning and night to get set up with the drugs for the day and to see the doctor, but today they gave me the drugs for a 24-hour period, so we don’t have to go back in until tomorrow morning [...]

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