Humarock--Thank you so much for sharing your story. As you can see, I am a newbie here, this is my first post and I have been lurking for about a month now. I can so relate to your story and have a similar one. Like you, my mother and I were very close--I have two older brothers--and she and I talked on the phone almost daily and sometimes several times a day. My mom, a 92 1/2 year old active, healthy Southern Lady, was misdiagnosed with a mild stroke on Dec. 9. I was bringing her to our home (in another state) for the holidays and was able to arrange for her to see a neurologist at the university hospital here (one of the top facilities in the country for neuro). After many tests and lots of downhill slides, she was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a horrible, insidious disease which is worsened in someone her age, no matter how healthy. She passed into eternity one day shy of a month of diagnosis. That stupid disease was just too much for her and I am thankful every single day, especially after reading the MG threads, that she did not have to try to live with that disease any longer than that. In her final days, we, like you, were able to sing to her in the Palliative Care unit of the hospital. The music therapist was great and we sang old songs from the 30's and 40's and her favorite hymns. She enjoyed it so much...this was the day before she was extubated. We did not know what that would entail and were prepared for the worst. After she was extubated, we were given a true gift of TIME with her where she shared, in writing, her love for all of us, her thoughts, music, and one very special vision or dream. She wrote: "Angels came and bathed me. My Lee (my dad who died 16 1/2 years ago) was there and said I would be okay." We were amazed...comforted, astounded, hopeful. By her sharing that with us, we were all able to face whatever happenened, with the assurance and knowledge that she, indeed, would be okay. We had another day with her ---she was surrounded by her loving grandchildren (all 11 came from all over the country) and 2 of her 11 great grandchildren--before she passed with just her children present. Life is certainly a journey and, as a believer, I know that our time on this earth is short and our actual goal in this journey is heaven, where we will be in the presence of the Holy One. What a comfort to know that she is with my dad and they are complete, whole, no more suffering, no more MG. I am in my 50's and know that there is more to life than what we have and see right here. Our time in eternity is just that...it is forever and will be so much more than we can ever imagine. I love my life but I do look forward to that day when I will be reunited with my precious mom and my loving dad. For me, it may be a while, but to them---on their side of the picture---it will only be a blink. I believe that she and my dad are smiling down on me and all of their family...and, like you, I look for them, for those little signs. I can hear their voices, speaking words of encouragement and love.
Thank you for letting me vent. Grief is such a personal thing, but sometimes when we share with perfect strangers, there is healing and maybe...just maybe...it brings encouragement to others. That is my hope.