http://1042andersons.com/becky (aka I still don't have a title that fits me...) Mon, 26 May 2008 06:08:50 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en On Friday night, Mom had a rough night.  The pain stepped up a notch, after her (assisted) shower.  She also threw up after her shower -- the exertion, the drugs, or just the advancing of the disease, who knows the cause?  There is no certainty in cancer. Saturday morning, the docs ... http://1042andersons.com/becky/?p=48 From http://www.amitabhahospice.org/hospice/signs_of_dying.php :  Closer to death, the breathing involves the whole rib cage and is fast (up to 30-50 breaths per minute) mostly through the mouth and then may pause for even 10-15 seconds before the next in-breath. This period of no breathing is called "apnoea". This pattern (called Cheyne-Stokes breathing) of ... http://1042andersons.com/becky/?p=44 I had to run an errand to Mom's house, waiting for the pickup guy to take away the unused medical bed from the house (now that Mom's in hospital to stay).  While I was there, surrounded by her things, I got such a sense of the bits of her life ... http://1042andersons.com/becky/?p=47 Today, Mom was a little social butterfly.  When I arrived, she was already on her second visitor of the day.  And then she got a phone call, and then the OROC ladies visited.  She was laughing with the OROC ladies, asked after all their families, and then joking about forgetting ... http://1042andersons.com/becky/?p=46 (now that I've found out that the hospice wing has wireless, I'm retro-posting some of this...) My letter to friends on Thursday, 5/8/2008: You may know that my Mom, Kay, was diagnosed with cancer 5 years ago.  She has been fighting it well, pushing it into remission multiple times.  However, she has been ... http://1042andersons.com/becky/?p=45 So, everyone has a fav movie, right?  Blade Runner is mine. Why?  Maybe because I was an impressionable 10-years-old when I first saw it.  Maybe because I already loved flying cars and science fiction.  Maybe because I'd just read Neuromancer, and the opening 10 seconds perfectly visualize the dystopian ruined-industrial vision of ... http://1042andersons.com/becky/?p=43 Art wall projects are now complete. With hanging-hooks from Dad (since my house doesn't have picture rails), a little wire, and some fishing line (to secure the quilt to the mounting-block), the quilt now is positioned nicely in the stairwell wall. And I finally bought/found frames for more of my travel pics, ... http://1042andersons.com/becky/?p=42 Movie reivew: "State of the Union", starring Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn.  An industrialist (Tracy) starts a run for the presidency.  He begins with fire and ideas, but twists to follow the professional politicos who promise to get him elected.  (transcribed from the DVD, all credit goes to the real writers) The politicos talking about ... http://1042andersons.com/becky/?p=40 This morning, I looked up a handful of autism links.  I was trying to remember the title/author of a book I'd read back in 1992 or so.  My step-mom Judy, who taught special-ed in the public schools, recommended the book, an autobiography written by an autistic lady.  (No, not Temple Grandin.  ... http://1042andersons.com/becky/?p=39 I had a lovely little traipse on the web today.  In the commentary on Toy Story, John Lassiter mentions a Nissan ad that was directed by Ridley Scott.  So I had to look it up.  Blade Runner is my fav movie,  (and Alien ranks pretty well too), but I didn't ... http://1042andersons.com/becky/?p=38