One Year Later, Remembering Mom
What I’ve learned about the grief surrounding the death of a parent
Today is the first anniversary of my mom’s death. Last year, she passed away late in the afternoon on July 31st after a short acute illness.
But, two years prior, in 2021, she spent over 50 days in the hospital, including 8 days in ICU on a ventilator. Once off the ventilator, she spent time in step-down care and then a transitional unit before going to a nursing home for several weeks.
My dad visited her every day. We visited with him every day, as we drove in from Wisconsin as soon as we heard she had been hospitalized and put in the ICU. Our presence helped to provide support to my Dad, as well as my mom. It was one of the hardest times in the life of our family.
Earlier, she had been diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a neurodegenerative disease. She also had been suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, although she knew us all until the end of her life.
None of those diseases took her life, it was something acute and common — a small bowel obstruction. Last year, within 24 hours of admission, she passed away.
I came in to be with my Dad and my sister. I stayed two weeks while we met with the funeral home and had her body cremated. I cleaned and cooked…
