Speaking of Yahrzeit...

[Spiky Bugger]

…two weeks from today is the one year anniversary of Charris ‘s death.

Here she was about this time three years ago. Take note of her left hand. All that shiny, purple and white artwork…? Her nails! I think she and Dolly Parton were sisters from different mothers…and fathers.

 

[southernlady]

I miss her.

 

[Larra]

I miss her too. Such a beautiful soul.

 

[hilary1617]

I miss her also. Thank you for bringing her to top of mind. What an amazing person.

 

[MsVee]

She is surely missed. It’s hard to accept that she is gone.

 

[JackieOnLine]

gone too soon.

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

I wonder how her daughter and family are doing. Must have been really hard on them, as it seemed she really was the “glue”.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I wonder how her daughter and family are doing. Must have been really hard on them, as it seemed she really was the “glue”.

Clarissa was the strength of the family. Her daughter caused her little frustrations, as in “You have a child to take care of! Wear your seat belt, girl!” Her son found following rules a bit too challenging. I met him once. Well, we were introduced and he ALMOST acknowledged my presence and immediately put his earbuds back in.

She and I were VERY different people…different generations, different races, different life styles. But we both worked in areas adjacent to law enforcement and both tried to raise our kids to be decent human beings. I worried about her, though, because I felt she lacked meaningful support from her family; they were younger, not all that well-informed about DS challenges and how to advocate for her needs. So I was forever butting in to her health care, including terrorizing staff at one SNF and explaining that their standard diet would kill her. (But that got her better food.)

And there are others here who were more helpful than I was...sending DS-appropriate foods and supplements and gift cards to get those items delivered to her SNF.

I think that c. diff was a major contributor to her death. But I know that family was unaware of alternate treatments, some of which you have to fight for. I know it wasn’t my job and I wasn’t invited to participate…but my Catholic school guilt kicks in wishing I had known how bad things were and that I had at least tried to get her better care.

 

[JackieOnLine]

wishing I had known how bad things were and that I had at least tried to get her better care.

please don't beat yourself up - you did what you could with what you knew.

terrorizing staff at one SNF and explaining that their standard diet would kill her. (But that got her better food.)