I hope you get an elizabeth as regular hospice nurse. And by an elizabeth, I mean one like my friend & neighbor, a home hospice nurse who has a rep of fighting ANYONE for her patients & families.

Much love to you.

David, this is so hard, and you are being such an amazing partner and father.

As Matt noted, it's not that hard when you love them. I mean...I'm fucking tired. And fried. But I would sprint a couple miles to stop Jacqueline from being in pain and hurting and I know all of you would do the same for your beloveds.

I remember interviewing a guy who worked on a video shoot for a Tom Waits video and the way he described it underscored the long, difficult tedium of any one-day shoot.

And I asked him if it was hard and he said, "It was hard but it was a good hard." Like...some things are worth it.

When Mom was in hospice, they were tossing out morphine and Xanax like candy. I can only assume it was the mechanization of her amazing hospice team. Because Dad wasn’t equipped to fight that kind of red tape.

That’s some insane bullshit.

When Mom was in hospice, they were tossing out morphine and Xanax like candy.

More people in San Francisco died from opiate overdoses than Covid over the same time period. It's a huge problem here. There are just a thousand hoops to jump through and all the pharmacists are pistol whipped and flinchy because it lands on them if any box is unchecked.

I'm glad you could run like a superhero! Breakthrough pain is no minor problem, it baffles me how cavalier even nurses can be about getting people their pain meds.

When I was in the hospital the last time, they were five hours late with the drugs and I finally started crying and my tiny redheaded sister charged down the hall yelling in full Karen mode until a nurse finally got them to me. We told the doctor about it and he was (calm but) visibly angry. The whole crew that night were awful.

ION, did you ever yawn and sneeze at the same time? The decompression almost blew my eyeballs out

David, I wish that you did not have to learn as much about the medical system as you have had to learn.

Also yay to bureaucracy smashing people. They are very much the best.

We're receiving the suction machine from hospice today for her G-Tube. I'm going to need some insider tips, kat!

We never suctioned Grace's g-tube because she didn't have any intestinal blockage issues etc. But in general, suctioning any stoma can be extremely scary and extremely straightforward at the same time. Just ask whoever trains you how deep the suction catheter should go and look for the markings on the catheter itself and hold that spot with your fingers so you never go deeper than that. I'm not sure what size cath you'd use on a gtube, but if you happen to need 8 Fr, I have so many that it's stupid.

So happy for you, smonster!

David, you're amazing. Now I'm picturing you in slo-mo running while Chariots of Fire plays in the background. Heroic film shot. Nope, not quite ready for levity. In any case, I'm glad you got there in time.

Oh man, Hec. I hope hospice gets their shit together so you don’t have to pull crazy hero shit when you should just be spending time with her.

Seems I have to meara more often lately!

The lesbian thing explains the moving-in thing. :-)

Bwah! Okay, that made me laugh. So happy for you smonster.

I found some good books for ltc today. Who inexplicably is going to be 8 tomorrow!

Happy birthday, ltc!

We just got back from the cocktail bar, because now that she can legally drink hard liquor (here), of course she should.

Awesome! It was 18 in NY when I was that age, but I had already had plenty of experience, as one does.

it was Emmett who carried her up the long steps in his arms into the house.

Yes, all the feels. I know she was safe in his loving arms.

Good to hear that Tim is progressing with the healing. Is he a patient patient?

I came home today to find the downstairs toilet spewing water.

I hope there wasn't water damage.

Let me tell y'all about two more people who deserve Fucking Champ recognition

You and Jacqueline deserve to have so many Fucking Champs in your camp after all you have done for so many over the years.

Oh gosh. I missed y'all.

And we have missed you and all the Buffistas who have been absent. We miss your fonts!

I finally have a work area set up with my computer here in the construction zone. Still going to my sister's when the workers are here being noisy.

Excellent meara, Laura! Are you able to, like, sleep and/or cook and/or shower there yet? Or, I guess... live there yet?

I did actual yard work yesterday. WHAT.

I am vibing that all the home care arrangements settle to regular, Hec.