AN UPDATE - UPDATED TODAY

So, the disagreement over how to treat Jurate between me and her older sister has been resolved.

The doctors at Northridge Hospital were able to determine that the “crash” on Friday was an undiagnosed stroke. So they were able to explain to Big Sis that there is no “recovery” possible. The neurologist was able to explain the loss of mental ability due to the Parkinson’s and now exacerbated by the effects of the stroke.

All the tubes and such were removed. She will be fed by the staff at the hospice she is returning to as they can until she refuses food - which will inevtiably happen from the Parkinson’s.

Most important, the DNR is back in force now.

They’ll increase the pain medicine as she needs it. We don’t have to worry about turning her into a junkie who’s going out to rob gas stations to support the habit. So the journey is going to be as pain free as possible.

The prognosis is 1-4 weeks. I have to say that when I saw “that look” on my father’s face - eyes closed, completely slack-jawed, it was about 4 days from the end. Jurate’s sister commented that was about as long as it was when she saw the same look on their mother’s face.

So we are finally letting her sail west into the sunset on her own time.

And I have finally learned how to cry.

February 1:

I was just there this morning and her sister and I are now on the same page. I think she just had to do what she did over the weekend so she could say from now on, "I did all I could." We're both in agreement now on what to do and how to carry things out. Jurate is now unable to swallow, so she cannot take food or her Parkinson's meds. The Hospice is going to start administering morphine via a nasal spray. Having gone through this part with my father, I would say things are about 10 days away, max.

She seemed alert. Her eyes were open and she focused on me, and I read all the cards to her and she looked at each one. So I am certain your kind messages all got through to her.