Mom is coming home!

Mom/Emma is coming home today! The nurses, doctors and staff at Kaiser Morse Ave have been amazing in taking wonderful care of Mom, explaining so many things to all of us (Mom and her family), and making it possible to have Mom come home as quickly as possible. We are so very grateful to them!

I'm not sure exactly how all this will happen today - we don't usually get to practice this kind of stuff in our lives - but we expect that the medical equipment will be delivered this morning and that Mom will arrive at home sometime this afternoon. I expect that she will be tired from the travel and not sure how ready she'll be for visitors. We're playing a lot of this by ear...

We are bringing Mom home so she can enjoy as much time with family and friends as possible. We WANT and encourage her friends to visit. However, I know you will also understand if you call or come by and we tell you that it isn't a great time...we will appreciate your patience, love and prayers!

We really can't have the phones ringing off the hook - we need to spend our time caring for Mom and taking care of so many things that need attention. We have set up a couple of ways for you to contact us:

Reaka - my youngest sister - will receive phone calls on her cell phone at: 408-710-1036. She may not answer every call immediately, but she will respond via return call or text. She will be in town Fri morning (Oct 2) and we would appreciate it if you contact her between Fri-Sun to see if it will be a good time to visit. Mom's family will be in town during that time and we will appreciate being able to have as much of that time available for our family as possible...Mom's grandchildren will only have this last short time to be with her.

Thurs afternoon and evening, Fri morning (Oct 1 & 2) - before all the famly arrives - we will encourage friends to drop by. On Thur, you can call Mom's home directly - again we may not answer immediately but if you leave a message, we will get back to you. Or - if you would like to just drop by, you are welcome to do that but please understand that Mom may be sleeping - she drifts in and out all the time.

Visits do need to be brief - please. And - if you have even a little touch of 'something' and are under the weather (or just plain sick!) - please send Mom an email, card or ....something - but we need you to keep your germs home, please...;)! We don't want to complicate Mom's situation with anything else and our own family needs to stay healthy while we're taking care of her.

Mom IS very weak - but we are bringing her home so family and friends CAN come. She loves her friends so much and we don't want to discourage you coming by...please do!

If you can't come by but would like to share a message for Mom, a story or memory of an experience you've had with Mom and/or a photo - you're welcome - and encouraged! - to send an email to me at: shenna@bmealey.com or directly to the blog (my first choice since it will save me some time!). We will share those with Mom, and Dad and our family will appreciate having your thoughts to read and enjoy in the future. I will post all comments and messages I receive concerning Mom also on the blog - if you send me an email and would prefer that it be kept private - please let me know and I'll respect that wish.

I don't want to sound alarming - but there really isn't much time....if you want to be in touch with Mom - I really encourage you to not procrastinate a long time....I will try to post on the blog each day - so you can know what is currently going on. I will also try to get a blog posted in the next day or two that will explain more about how this all began and what Mom has been going through. We also want to share some of the amazing and humorous things that Mom is sharing with us during this time. Thank you for your patience, love and support!

Our family is so blessed and strengthened by our faith in our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and our knowledge that we can be together again with those we love after we die...also by our love for each other, by the example Mom is for us and by the many wonderful friendships we all enjoy...thank you for being part of that.