We spent a lot of time designing my 2 spots when I had the stage IV cancer thing.

An easy chair I could get out of, changed all the bedroom, bought those wireless phones. (I always said if you are too FREAKIN lazy to get up and walk to the phone I'm SORRY!) Old cranks can change their mind, but I tried that once and they took the phones to their bedrooms and we needed the Search and Rescue people to find them...

It's hard to predict things. We had to take up some rugs. I needed a pair of tables and a powerbar for my computer(s) by my chair and bed, I had a laptop both places, reading glasses, lamps. You don't think of that but I was alone except for the home nurse, and on a feeding tube and IV for a while. At one point the Nurses and home care people were dropping in, we gave them keys.

I had my touchstone items too.

I have 4 bird feeders outside my window. I'm sure my son was tired of me calling him to fill them, but it made him visit me!

I think the hardest part was going from a healthy 59 yr old outdoorsman to a 60 year old deaf guy who walks with a cane.

I know we have two different health care systems. Here they start with the homecare nurses and people quick, they want the hospital bed back if possible. No one is making a profit if you are there, at least directly. (Dr.s and nurses always get another patient)

I still kid people I had a full blown dispensary, after all was done I had 2 huge boxes of supplies I donated to one of the hospices. (Over 500 4" square pieces of gauze individually wrapped. Fancy tape.

I care for my parents now. A nursing aide baths my Mom and Monday and Thursday. That's 'free'. They assess her every 4 weeks, and my Mom wants them to STOP asking those stupid questions.

I hope you can figure out ways to make things easier for everyone. It's a very difficult thing when you see the mirror at the end, your life starts going by in slowmotion over your shoulder and you don't want to get so close so as to break the mirror. Because although no one admits it, the other side is just over there. And on most days one would rather stay. I had a lot of other days.

John Conley
Musica est vita