July 30

My good friends, I begin this post with news no man should ever have to report. My mother passed on the morning of July 30 in the ICU at Lancaster General Hospital, I was with her when it happened. I was awake around 6:00 to use the bathroom, I noticed the message light flashing on the telephone. When I saw it was the hospital I instantly knew something was wrong, they wouldn't have called before 5:00 if it was good news. I called them back and they told me her condition had nosedived overnight, it would be good for me to get in there ASAP. I arrived about 6:15 or so, they said they could continue the medications but realistically it would be useless. The infection she contracted had done its damage and given her physical state she was simply unable to fight it any longer. We were in her room having this conversation and I asked if she could hear us, when they said she probably could I told them what she would say: if it's my time so be it, let me go peacefully. I know she was aware I was there because she opened her eyes occasionally but she said little, once they disconnected everything it was just a matter of time. The official end came at 8:20 when two nurses came in, listened to her heart for close to a minute and said "I'm sorry". It goes without saying that it is painful but in a way I'm glad I was there because nobody should die alone. The hospital chaplain came in and we talked for a few minutes, he asked if he could say a prayer over her. I told him I'm not a religious man and it meant little to me but it was something she would have appreciated so I allowed it. Under the circumstances I was in no particular hurry to leave, I stayed for about an hour and got the word out to friends via social media. I'm a big believer in going about your regular routine as best you can during troubled times, I had previous plans for the day and I saw them through. Jenny was in town for a orthopedic appointment at 9:45, we were going to have lunch and we did. I went to her appointment from the hospital, she and her mother both took the news very hard. After lunch I went to the care center to tell them what happened and to pick up what few personal items she had there, they were all very sorry to hear the news. I donated her walker to them as a thank-you for what they tried to do and for what they may have been able to do had she been there longer (if you want to count minutes she was there for less than four full days). In the evening Don and I got together and firmed up the summer dek hockey season as planned. Don had heard the news, he said we didn't have to if I wasn't up to it but I told him how I feel about the "regular routine". I told his wife Brenda about how the last thing I said to my mother was "just rest and relax and don't worry about me, I'll be OK", she said maybe that was all my mother needed to hear. All I can say is she indeed went peacefully, it happened quietly and without any apparent pain. After all she went through over the last few months she deserved that much. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 28-29

First stop on Sunday morning was the hospital, my mother was in and out of it most of the time I was there. I guess it's not entirely surprising given all she's been through over the last little while. By noon I was with Jenny at her place, she and Helen were invited to a birthday party. One of Jenny's friends has two small daughters, the older recently turned five and the younger was two years old in June. In 2018 their mother ran a combined party for both of them, such was the case this time around. The party was outdoors in a small county park just south of the city, the same place as before although in a different area of the park. It was close to ninety degrees, even though we had shade from the tall trees it was still uncomfortable. They were talking about having the party indoors in the future simply because it's summertime and it was just too hot. When I got them home Helen thanked me for taking them, I didn't mind at all because given everything else going on it was good for me as well (that plus the fact that I've known both of the girls practically since birth). On Monday I was at the hospital in the morning, as I was coming in the ear/nose/throat doctor was leaving my mother's room. He said she was doing better, maybe a few more days in ICU and they'll see what happens from there. Had lunch at the mall, in the evening I was at the ballpark for the opening night of the annual youth baseball tournament. The local print media company has sponsored it since 1946, for the last several years the Midget Division has played its bracket at the ballpark. The Lancaster Jr. Tornado qualified for the eight-team tournament, on this night the won their quarterfinal matchup over Cocalico 4-3. They play in the semifinals on Wednesday with a possible championship game appearance on Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 26-27

When I visited with my mother on Thursday I noticed some swelling on the left side of her face, the staff said it hadn't been there earlier but they would examine it. On Friday I was there in the morning, the swelling was more pronounced and she had a cold washcloth on her forehead because she was running a fever. She spent most of my visit in and out of sleep but she knew I was there. Shortly after 5:00 I got a call from the care center, they were taking her into the ER at the hospital. Her fever was up, her pulse rate was sluggish and she was having trouble breathing (this despite the fact that she's been on oxygen since she went in originally on July 10). I had planned to going to the ballpark but needless to say that didn't happen, I left immediately for the hospital and actually arrived before she did. They eventually got her established in the Intensive Care Unit, once that was accomplished I came home because the one thing she needed at that point was REST. I woke up earlier than usual on Saturday morning, had some breakfast and decided to go over to the hospital since there was no really good reason to wait around. They told me she was in isolation but I was still able to enter, they said she had a glandular infection and it would be treated aggressively (I guess they call it ICU for a reason). Had lunch with Jenny and her mother, in the evening I was at the ballpark by myself since they elected again to stay home because of the heat. When this month is over I'm expecting to read a newspaper story about it being the hottest July on record, if it isn't it should be because most of it has been an oven. The Barnstormers had lost the series opener on Friday, on this night they won 5-4. Destin Hood hit a solo home run in the second inning, in the fourth Darian Sandford had a two-run single, K.C. Hobson had an RBI hit and Zach Shank picked up a ribbie on a groundout. Jared Lakind started and got the win, Cody Eppley earned the save. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 24-25

Noted recently that this blog had exceeded 20,000 page views, I don't know who reads the pablum I write here but whoever you are I thank you. Had lunch with Jenny on Wednesday and checked in at the care center on the way back into town, on Thursday my visit with my mother was the first thing on the calendar. When I visit her she never wants me to leave and I can certainly understand, if I were in her place I'd feel the same way. I can't begin to imagine what the last several months have been like for her even though I've basically lived it right along with her. On Wednesday night the Barnstormers continued the series with Somerset and made it two straight  with a 5-3 win. The Patriots took a 2-0 lead in the fourth, K.C. Hobson's solo home run in the fifth cut the lead in half. A four-run uprising in the sixth put the Stormers up for good, RBI hits by Joe Terdoslavich and Anderson De La Rosa were sandwiched around a two-run double by former Washington Nationals property Destin Hood (who spent the first half of the season on the DL). Somerset added a meaningless run in the ninth off closer Cody Eppley who saved the win for Jonathan Albaladejo. On Thursday the Stormers completed the sweep with a no-doubt-about-it 10-0 verdict. Andrew Aplin's two-run single in the first broke the ice, a two-run double by Greg Golson later in the inning made it 4-0. In the fourth Caleb Gindl picked up a ribbie on a fielders choice, Joey T followed with a three-run bomb to extend the lead to eight. Single runs in the seventh on a Golson base hit and in the eighth on a RBI double by Hood ended the scoring but the offensive fireworks were only half the story. Buddy Baumann started on the mound and went all the way on a four-hit shutout, he K'd five and walked only one. The Barnstormers had a subpar first half and started the second half poorly but a sweep over Somerset (traditionally one of the league's strongest franchises) could be a sign that things are turning around. The ballclub stays home over the weekend to host Southern Maryland. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 22-23

Went to the care center on Monday morning to get my mother officially enrolled and admitted, later in the afternoon I was informed that she would be discharged from the hospital to the center at 5:30. The center is on the west side of town, I went over a little after 6:00. They were getting her situated in bed as I arrived so she could have only been there a few minutes before I was. On Tuesday I met with our broker to sign off on the check for the first month, it's a costly proposition but it simply is necessary because there is no way she can be at home under the current circumstances. She needs to be where she can receive proper rehab, therapy and nutrition from trained professionals. Over the years she saved and invested wisely, she's not a millionaire but she isn't a pauper either. She's at a point now where the money is needed and it's for a good purpose. I guess you could make a case that we're spending my inheritance but I don't care about that right now, it's not my money until she's gone and the idea is to postpone that as long as we can. On Tuesday night I was at the ballpark, the Barnstormers hosted the Somerset Patriots. In a way it felt good to be there in a effort to get my mind on other things, it didn't really work but I had to try. The Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the first, K.C. Hobson's two-run home run in the bottom of the second put the the home team up 2-1. Somerset tied it in the fourth and went ahead 4-2 in the fifth, in the bottom of the ninth Andrew Aplin's two-run single pulled the Stormers even. In the tenth each team batted with a runner on second to start the inning (one of several new rules the league has been experimenting with), Somerset was unable to cash in but the Barnstormers did. Devon Torrence was the baserunner with nobody out, he advanced to third on a hit by Hobson. On the return throw to the infield the Patriots tried to catch Torrence off base, the throw sailed down the left field line as Torrence raced home with the wining run. Nate Reed (ex-Stormer recently resigned as a free agent) started on the hill, Scott Shuman (the last of six relievers used) was the winning pitcher. The series continues with single games on Wednesday and Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 15-21

The Barnstormers returned home on Tuesday for a three-day series with the High Point Rockers (the ALPB's newest franchise), they played a doubleheader on Tuesday followed by a pair of single games. The visitors from North Carolina took the first three games before the Stormers salvaged a win on Thursday night. I was there on Tuesday and Wednesday but not Thursday because there were other things happening that were simply more important. My mother was discharged from the hospital on Thursday morning, she was brought home because she had no other place to go. We had discussed sending her to a rehab/therapy facility which the hospital had already set up, when her insurance denied coverage she refused to go because it would have required paying out-of-pocket. I was present when the wheelchair van crew brought her home, it was obvious immediately that it was a horrible mistake. To call it an unmitigated disaster would be kind. They carried her into her bedroom on a stretcher and placed her on her bed, she was virtually immobile and could not get up either by herself or with help. The hospital had arranged for visiting health care, the nurse arrived about an hour later. Within a half hour she exercised her professional prerogative (the words she used) and called an ambulance to have my mother returned to the hospital. She said she could not in good conscience leave our house having witnessed the situation without doing something about it. After the ambulance left she told me in confidence that the minute she arrived and saw my mother the first thought she had was "why is this person not in the hospital". In the ER they said my mother was discharged because they had done all that could be done from a "medical" standpoint but the fact is she is in no physical shape to be at home with me as her lone caregiver. On Friday afternoon the case manager and I had the same discussion we'd had before, when the rehab facility was mentioned my mother shook her head "no" but I asked her what other legitimate choice there is. Right now she can be in one of three places: (1) the hospital but she can't be there forever, (2) at home but Thursday proved conclusively and in spades that she simply CANNOT BE at home right now or (3) a care facility where she can get proper therapy, rehab and nutrition. I should mention that the hospital asked me to come in on Wednesday to get some training on the tube feeding. I told them I'd seen it done and watched closely, they said that puts me ahead of the curve but they still wanted me to do one personally. It all went well, I did another one at home on Thursday before she went back out. When she's able to return home it shouldn't be an issue, it's relatively easy once you get used to it. On Sunday evening she was still in the hospital with the move to the rehab facility imminent. Through it all I still managed to have two lunch dates with Jenny, we did Friday morning instead of Wednesday (when I was in the hospital doing the tube training) and Sunday instead of Saturday (because we didn't want to go back-to-back). Take care, thanks for reading.

July 8-14

With the Atlantic League (in addition to most of pro baseball) in its All-Star break and the Barnstormers not home again until the 16th of the month the new week figured to be rather uneventful but it was anything but. Jenny and I had lunch on Tuesday (a day earlier than usual) because my mother had a ear doctor appointment on Wednesday....or at least that was the plan but it didn't happen quite that way. Ever since my mother came home from The Hotel we've made the best of an imperfect situation, there have been some minor pitfalls here and there but it hasn't been a total disaster. When she had the endoscopy in May the doctor told her that a feeding tube remained an option if things didn't improve. She has continued to struggle with swallowing even though just about all of her intake is in liquid form, recently she stopped drinking the nutritional shakes because she claimed they were too thick and hard to swallow. Ever since then she has become noticeably leaner and weaker simply because she isn't getting the proper nutrition she needs, I called the gastric doctor and left a message about reconsidering the feeding tube. On Wednesday she was leaving the house for the ear doctor appointment, she got as far as the front porch and simply could not go any further. She sat down and laid back from utter exhaustion and I immediately called an ambulance. It was only a matter of time before she ended up in the hospital, the only question was what would finally be the last straw and this was it. When she arrived in the ER her gastric doctor happened to be present and he immediately became involved, the feeding tube was inserted on Thursday morning. On a side note I asked him if he had received my message and he said he'd been at the hospital all week and had not gotten any messages from his office. I was planning to call him again because a week had passed and my mother was getting worse, this incident rendered that unnecessary. As the week progressed she remained in the hospital, there was talk of her being discharged at the start of the new week but that seems overly optimistic. I guess we'll find out when we find out. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 1-7

The second half of 2019 began (rather appropriately) on a Monday, in the afternoon the garage called to tell me my car was ready for pickup. It passed through inspection with no issues and no problems detected which is always a good thing. The middle part of the week was quiet (which was just fine given how hot it was), on Friday the Barnstormers returned home for a weekend visit from the York Revolution. On this night the Stormers took an early 2-0 lead in the first on back-to-back home runs from Caleb Gindl and Michael Martinez. In the fourth the Revs tied it on a Wellington Dotel two-run shot, in the bottom half an RBI triple by Martinez gave the home team a 3-2 advantage. The Revs forged ahead in the fifth on a Henry Castillo RBI groundout and Telvin Nash's two-run homer, in the Stormers' half newcomer Andrew Aplin (late of the Arizona Diamondbacks system) went yard to cut the deficit to 5-4. In the ninth the Revolution added an insurance run on an Angelys Nina sac fly, the final score was 6-4. Peter Tago was the winner for the Revs in relief of starter Mitch Atkins, Jared Lakind took the loss for the Barnstormers. On Saturday Jenny and her mother again elected not to come into town, with the combination of the heat and thunderstorms in the forecast it turned out to be the right decision. I went to the ballpark (since it's only a mile away), the skies were very dark to the west and just before game time the winds started whipping in from that direction. The Stormers scored three times in the first, the Revs replied with a single in the second but it was all for nought. The field was covered after the Revs' at-bat in anticipation of the storm, within ten minutes the skies opened and ended the evening. The clubs played a doubleheader on Sunday to make up the rainout, it also drew the Atlantic League's first-half to a close. I was of course not there, day games in ninety-degree heat simply don't agree with me and I'm not sure they ever did. Sugar Land and Long Island finished as the respective first-half division champions, the second half starts after the All-Star break on Friday the 12th. Take care, thanks for reading.