Resting Comfortably

Nancy remains in the hospital, and she is comfortable. She’s been comfortable throughout her time here. Her doctors and the hospital staff have continuously made adjustments to maintain her comfort. Nancy is in the oncology unit, and the nurses almost exclusively care for cancer patients who are undergoing treatment. Nancy has less complex needs than the other patients here, but that does not diminish at all the level of attention and care they are providing. She is not awake very much, but I think her interactions with care staff has won them over. They see her sweetness and selflessness, and I see them care for her with great love.

With each day, Nancy rests more and more. We don’t have as many chances to talk, but she consistently hears how much she is cherished by me and by our friends and family. She knows it, but I like to remind her and she seems touched by it every time. We are expecting Nancy to stay in the hospital for the duration, and I know for certain that she is most comfortable with that plan. We’ve always considered our home to be our sanctuary and the place we love most in the world. But when we came back to the hospital last week, I noticed the sense of relief she had knowing that her oncologist, Dr. Rinn, was right around the corner and the care team was always present. That relief allowed her to be more comfortable, and it has allowed us to spend some precious time together. I’m spending the nights back at home, but I’ve been leaving her phone on the table beside her in case she needs to talk. I didn’t expect her to be able to call me, so it was an incredible surprise to get her call at ~4am Sunday morning. She was hoping I could come in to give her some reassurance from the confusion and dreams she was having. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. I think she is beyond the ability to call me now, but I plan on leaving her phone anyhow.

During one of her infrequent periods of attentiveness over the weekend, Nancy started talking about the love she felt from our community of friends and family. She talked about being lifted up and carried by that love. I truly believe that feeling remains with her during her dreams.