"I'm Here to get High Till the Day I Die"

Those exact words came out of Mom's mouth. I kid you not.

You'd think they'd be giving her medicinal marijuana the way she's embracing this change, but no, what brought her the most relief yesterday was some good 'ole Mylanta. All the medications in the world couldn't get rid of the heartburn, till she put the chalky goodness to her lips.

Mom arrived to McLean mid afternoon yesterday with Gwennie riding shotgun in the ambulance (and yes, she got to run the siren). The second she walked through the door, her spiritual counselor Lynn T. was waiting with a smiling face. How wonderful it was for her to see someone familiar! She's been working with Lynn T. just a bit independently, but will continue to do so on a regular basis at McLean.

She is on a regular long-term nursing unit, mixed in with all sorts of other patients. Most of them elderly, a good number of them slightly confused, a few trying to make a break for it: all very amusing really. Her care is completely overseen by the hospice team. We met with the hospice clinical coordinator (Karen), and Mom's go-to case manager (Jill), her social worker (Gretta), the head of hospice volunteer services (Lori), the head of the hospice program (Deb), and that's only the beginning. You thought swiping the cancer card was effective? The hospice card gets you platinum access to all things wonderful.

Right off the bat, everyone has completely taken us in and made sure our every wish, concern, need, fear, hope, and question has been addressed. Mom's bedside nurse Carol (this woman has probably worked at McLean since it opened 100 years ago, and will work there till she's ready to be a resident) was giving her some pain medicine before physical therapy, and Mom said, "are you sure you're not slipping me some uppers? Because I am feeling way too good."

All this is really, is quality of life. She's getting it back and then some. Her appetite is improved, today she was in the lobby by the fire with a cup of tea, tomorrow she's getting a manicure. We even ditched the little TV they provided us with for a 26" flat screen with a DVD player that maintenance is helping us mount Monday. Life is good.

The philosophy in how the hospice team manages her care is very family-centered. We've got magic numbers to call any time, day or night, no matter what we need for our Mom or ourselves. Despite how much we grappled with whether to send her to McLean or not, to see her now I know we made the right decision.

I'll post some before and after pictures of her extreme-hospice-room-makeover, but at the moment I have to get back to packing. This is me returning the favor for all those years of moving me in and out of boarding school and college.

If you want to write, her address is:

Elisabeth G. Talbot

c/o McLean

Unit 4

75 Great Pond Road

Simsbury, CT 06070

Calling her cell phone is best (as opposed to the room phone), and visitors are more than welcome unless you have or have been exposed to someone sick. She also has her computer, so email away. As she gets a bit more energy, she enjoys keeping in touch with the outside world.