First off, I already know what an amazing family I have, but this trip to Hawaii just reinforced it. We had a group of 13 in the house we rented…obviously myself and my hubby and Kristine and her hubby…our 33 yr old daughter with her husband, 18 yr old stepson, and our 1 yr old grand baby; 25 yr old daughter with fiancé; 20 yr old son with girlfriend; and my sister. When Kristine was feeling her worst on Friday night, my husband and I were upstairs having a private conversation with her husband about her care once they returned to AL while everyone else was downstairs watching a movie. Kristine began to vomit. She told me later that she warned everyone and that her three siblings immediately ran to her side to help her. They never even ran upstairs to tell us, they just handled it. I was not surprised, but it obviously spoke volumes to her.
After increasing dex to 8mg/day on Saturday, Kristine was feeling much better. She was able to attend a luau on Saturday night and spent Sunday with us at the beach (under a large shade tree). We rented a beach wheelchair in case she wanted to go down to the sand or in the water, but she wasn't up to that.
On Monday night, she asked if she and her husband could talk to us. They had decided to take us up on our offer for them to move back home to California. We were thrilled! We know this won't be easy, but we are committed to making life as easy as possible for her and our son-in-law. They are giving up a life and a home they've spent 8 years building to move in with Mom & Dad and two siblings…it will understandably be a big adjustment.
We had a family meeting right after and announced that she was coming home. Everyone was moved to tears and agreed to work together to make sure she was always cared for. We are talking about renovating the downstairs bathroom, turning the formal living & dining room into 'their' space, and my youngest daughter is moving from her room downstairs to the guest room upstairs. The biggest obstacle for us will be the addition of their pets. We already have 5 dogs and 2 cats. They have 2 cats and 2 dogs. We'll work it out tho.
I know this doesn't change that we are still dealing with this hideous disease, but having my baby girl home is just what this momma's heart needed!
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