My wife Joan loved to sew quilts. Seems like a quilt always
sat on the sewing machine, or on her lap— where she stitched in the final
touches.
Her sewing machine sat on the kitchen table, a place where
she worked for hours piecing quilts together—square by square. She loved that spot because the sunlight beamed
into the window.
Joan’s quilting crew from church worked tirelessly and
donated quilts all over the world. My
wife took pride in giving back to a world in need of more kindness.
Joan loved being a mother to our two daughters—and a
grandmother and great grandmother.
These are just a few happy memories I share…
Joan was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2014. Sadly, I lost my beautiful wife of 55 years
in May 2015. I miss her more than I can
say.
After her diagnosis, I settled into a caregiving
routine. I walked her to and from the
bathroom. I cleaned her up. Then I walked her back to the bed and helped her
crawl back in.
Eventually she needed a wheelchair. So I wheeled her into
the bathroom.
When she couldn’t get out of the bed—I provided bedside
care—from feeding and bathing Joan to brushing her hair.
When I bathed Joan at her bedside, I started with soap and
water. But eventually a visiting nurse suggested I switch to Sage brand
Deodorant Comfort Bath® disposable cloths.
I’m glad I switched because using the disposable cloths are more
convenient.
I also used Sage’s Microclimate Body Pads. The absorbent
pads protected the mattress if she woke up wet—so it saved me from constantly
washing bed linens. Plus, it helped Joan stay more comfortable.
Eventually Joan lost her appetite. At times she refused
breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That worried me.
We both liked frozen TV dinners. But she’d lose interest—so
I tried many brands. When Joan refused
to eat them, I decided to split mine with he, that did the trick—it’s how I
finally got her to start eating again.
When you’ve spent an entire lifetime with someone, you want
the best for them. And you’ll do just
about anything for them. Being a
caregiver just becomes part of who you are; it’s a natural course of life and
it becomes cherished time spent together. Especially when you realize time’s
running out—like an hourglass losing grains of sand.
I know I gave my wife the best care I could have given—and I
know she appreciated it. The kids and I all miss Joan so very much.