still choices

A dear friend passed recently with Hep C.  He had been in and out of the hospital for some time, and then hospice. Although the same funny, wonderful, intelligent Mark he'd always been, he was slipping.  We stayed with him and talked and laughed and prayed and told all the stories.  He chose not to be placed on the list for a liver transplant.  We administered care where we could.  I massaged him, my gourmet cook sister who cooks with love, fed him, my musical friends played and sang with him. We decorated his room and no one seemed to mind us.
Mark needed ice packs off and on rotating certain parts of his body including his scrotum - that was my part as massage therapist.  No one was modest and as nurses we won't be.
Mark passed and we took his ashes and a picnic to St. Marks at sunset and had our beautiful ceremony ~ apro pos      

nursgal