YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE DOING

you are so focused on the minutes right ahead of you that you can't even think about tomorrow. so when they tell you she can come home tomorrow your joy is quickly followed by panic. she can't use the stairs easily. where will she sleep? how will she bathe? how do you go about getting Oxygen tanks? it's overwhelming, uncharted territory.

ask for help.

we passed a social worker's office in one of the hospital hallways near the radiation wing. my sisters and i all went in there armed with questions. we learned that the hospital that cared for mom had a nurse on mom's floor who specialized in "home health" or "home care" and made many of the arrangements for us. there are a great deal of resources for "home care" and the range of services is incredibly broad.

fortunately, most of the care and equipment we needed for mom was covered by insurance.