Comments for A Radical Sabbatical

Comment on Death and Dying by sydney

sydney — Mon, 25 May 2009 02:54:41 +0000

I loved this post. It was so interesting. I will come back for sure. Im gonna bookmark it. thanks

Comment on Death and Dying by akljp

akljp — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:11:33 +0000

Wow! I am happy I found this page. My mother has suffered from Congestive Heart Failure for years and suffered a really bad stroke 3 months ago that left her with very little speech and swallowing. She refused the feeding tube over 10 times after my siblings and I begged her to get it. Now, she continues to dehydrate and deteriorate with bed sores and loosing over 50 pounds which have kept my family taking her back in forth to the hospital. It’s just heartbreaking for all of us, but especially myself. My mother is on Morphine now and Hospice has taken over.
My husband is a Marine and we have always been stationed 17 hours or more from my home town. Finally, we get stationed 12 hours from home and so happy about our kids getting to see and spend more time with their grandparents. Now, this happens and it’s just so hard. I find myself crying all the time and feeling so guilty because I can’t be there around the clock to help my sisters and brothers care for her. They get into arguments with one another about who is not doing their part to help, but then they apologized and work together for a while. I think it’s just a combination of hurt and anger toward what’s happening to our mother. It’s one of the hardest things I have gone through since loosing my grandmother two years ago and felt the same way about not being there to spend more time with her. Sometimes I feel as if I won’t live long because of so much heartache and stress. I have anxiety attacks and acid reflux. I have gone through three deployments to Iraq with my husband and it’s just too much sometimes, but I keep my faith in God for the most. I really have no one to talk to, so this has really helped me to get this off of my heart. I pray for all of you that you find peace and hopefully I will also.

Comment on Death and Dying by Penquin

Penquin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:49:13 +0000

Dear Sad, my mom has been sick for many years but she lived with my dad in an apartment near my brother and I. They had two live in helpers for the past two years but prior to that, only my mom needed help and that was for the past seven years. My mother suffered with diabetes retinopathy (she was blind), could not ambulate and was always quiet due to the meds she was taken. Over the past seven years, she had been in and out of the hospital several times for pneumonia. When she had the stroke in January, she lasted ten days and then passed on.
You can’t help but feel scared, overwhelmed and sometimes, even guilty of wanting out of it. My father became my mothers caregiver for several years before he finally agreed to get help.
It’s not easy but I feel I did the best I could and made them as comfortable as possible. I have no regrets.

Comment on Death and Dying by Sad

Sad — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:35:52 +0000

It sure was a difficult ordeal you had to deal with the gradual deterioration of your mom and with the loss of your parents in a short time. I am now dealing with my own father who is on the decline so we are dealing with it day by day so it is a struggle for my mom to be a caregiver and to deal with daily matters. I find myself dealing with mortality. Scary… May I ask a question about your mom? How long did you have to deal with it? Thanks.

Comment on Death and Dying by Robyn

Robyn — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:03:05 +0000

What a harrowing year you’ve had. I can’t even imagine what this was like. But your last line says it all - you have a wonderful positive outlook in life, despite everything you’ve been through.

When you’re ready to travel - there’s a place to stay in NZ for you

Cheers
Robyn

Comment on Radically great! by Tim Reynolds

Tim Reynolds — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:41:39 +0000

Nice post. Thank you for the info. Keep it up.

Comment on The Angel in her….. by im bad

im bad — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:01:31 +0000

hey ))
its very interesting point of view.
Good post.
realy gj

thx

Comment on To close caption or not to close caption, who will rule? by Linda M Giard

Linda M Giard — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:26:03 +0000

HI I WATCH TV FOR JERRY LEWIS NINE PM SUNDAY DURING START I CLICK INFORMATION SAY CC SO I WATCH JERRY LEWIS NO CLOSE CAPTION I AM MAD OF JERRY NO CLOSE CAPTION I WATCH OTHER MOVIE THANK YOU MUCH

Comment on Taking it to the next level by kim

kim — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:46:23 +0000

You’re gonna be awesome. I get sick of all the stupid comments too. Because of that, I’ve tried to be more sensitive to others with medical problems– realizing the media sensationalizes causes and cures and that most of us are victims of misinformation. I know I don’t know everything, so it’s better not to assume and just be a friend by listening. Funny what deafness has taught me.

Comment on A Year in Review - What I learned, didn’t learn, enjoyed and didn’t by Leigh

Leigh — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:51:40 +0000

My friend… I too feel so blessed by the women friends that are such a big part of my life.
Though I don’t know what half of them sound like, they’re friends true blue, in my heart and my life.
What I would do without them is a place I’d rather not visit….

Being alone, noticing clouds, letting your hair grow…. drinking wine, alone, and being OK with it…. seemingly mundane events….. but when you’re IN THOSE MOMENTS, and you’re TRULY ALIVE in those moments…. they have deeper significance!!

Well said P. I’m there with ya. Not in the last legs of any sabbatical, but in the growth that comes when you’re aware.

mwah. That was a big wet one from a wetbulldog to you.