Journal entry by Jennifer Lynn —
First, an apology for not keeping this page up-to-date.
As you are all very aware, it has been an overwhelmingly busy month starting with Mom's death on February 1st and Dad's on February 20th.
I speak for John, Colleen and myself when I say we cannot possibly thank everyone for your friendship, concern and outpouring of generosity.
We were all amazed at Dad's strength during Mom's calling hours and funeral and so happy he had the opportunity to visit with so many. I truly believe that is what he needed to finally be at peace.
Dad loved his home on the lake. Very early on we decided it was our goal to get him home as quickly as possible for whatever time he had. It granted him the best quality of life. We could not have done this without his amazing group of caregivers; Eymotion, Shelly, Temu, Christine and Shandell. They have become part of our family and if any of you ever need this type of homecare, they all have glowing references from us!
We will never know exactly what went wrong with Dad's health. Kirk summed it up at his funeral, "this sucks".
I will now speak for just me - every facet of the medical field (as many other fields) is struggling right now. Manpower is the biggest issue. While I would love answers to put my mind at peace, we will never get them. What I will pass on to you is this: If you have a loved one needing in-patient or long term medical care, BE THIER ADVOCATE. Be present at the hospital, ask for clarification and explanation, ask for what you need (clean sheets, fresh water, help with feeding, ANYTHING), and keep notes. Also, thank the nurses and techs. Often, they got the brunt of our frustrations and they were just following the orders handed down to them. They were also the ones that put a hand on our shoulders and said "I understand".
John, Colleen and I will start getting back to our routine tomorrow. There will be a huge hole in our hearts and on our daily calendars. We truly hope you will all keep in touch with us. The last several months took a village and we couldn't be more thankful to all of you.
-Jennifer
As you are all very aware, it has been an overwhelmingly busy month starting with Mom's death on February 1st and Dad's on February 20th.
I speak for John, Colleen and myself when I say we cannot possibly thank everyone for your friendship, concern and outpouring of generosity.
We were all amazed at Dad's strength during Mom's calling hours and funeral and so happy he had the opportunity to visit with so many. I truly believe that is what he needed to finally be at peace.
Dad loved his home on the lake. Very early on we decided it was our goal to get him home as quickly as possible for whatever time he had. It granted him the best quality of life. We could not have done this without his amazing group of caregivers; Eymotion, Shelly, Temu, Christine and Shandell. They have become part of our family and if any of you ever need this type of homecare, they all have glowing references from us!
We will never know exactly what went wrong with Dad's health. Kirk summed it up at his funeral, "this sucks".
I will now speak for just me - every facet of the medical field (as many other fields) is struggling right now. Manpower is the biggest issue. While I would love answers to put my mind at peace, we will never get them. What I will pass on to you is this: If you have a loved one needing in-patient or long term medical care, BE THIER ADVOCATE. Be present at the hospital, ask for clarification and explanation, ask for what you need (clean sheets, fresh water, help with feeding, ANYTHING), and keep notes. Also, thank the nurses and techs. Often, they got the brunt of our frustrations and they were just following the orders handed down to them. They were also the ones that put a hand on our shoulders and said "I understand".
John, Colleen and I will start getting back to our routine tomorrow. There will be a huge hole in our hearts and on our daily calendars. We truly hope you will all keep in touch with us. The last several months took a village and we couldn't be more thankful to all of you.
-Jennifer
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