My Nights

I lay in bed next to Mike and I am so thankul and blessed that he is here at home with us. I wonder what it's like for people in nursing homes.

I check on Mike often before I go to sleep. After I go to bed, it's very much the same. I am often up "monitoring" him. If Mike gets cold, I put on more blankets....If Mike is hot, I take the blankets off....If he's on his back, I turn him on his side and vice versa..... If he is dirty, I change him....if he is coughing, I rub his back...If he is shaking, I rub his arm to let him know it's OK.... If I find him staring into space, I rub his cheek...If his oxygen comes off, I put it back on.

When I am doing this, I often think about friends and family who are lying peacefully asleep and wish, oh how I wish that was me. Then something snaps, and I think about all those people who are in nursing homes that don't have the one on one care, and I am thankful that Mike has us. Missing a few hours of sleep a night is a small price to pay.