There have been a number of threads recently where the caregivers of men growing increasingly frail wonder which activities are still possible: An air flight to visit family -- too taxing? A long springtime drive in the country -- too much? These are difficult decisions to make and such questions always remind me of a posting five years ago by a caregiver whose husband had a bucket list and was fairly determined to check off a few more items. He wanted a hot air balloon ride and she made it happen. The result was a stunning success where everything went wrong. The story tells us how much is possible...
exactly how much is possible. Here's
a link to the page it's on but since it is on page 8 of an old locked thread* I'll simply quote it here in its entirety. It's a classic. Here is Jitters99 on the balloon ride:
On the 20th of June, 2013, Jitters99 said...
Okay friends..balloon ride happened yesterday. Let me first say, everyone is okay without much injury. I will make this as short as possible. Set up and lift off was just wonderful. Getting Jim in the basket wasn't easy but he made it. Myself, brother in law and 3 chasers in van. Jim our daughter and the pilot plus two other ladies he managed to squeeze in, when this was suppose to be a private ride. Oh well. Not much communication and no visible sight while driving. I call daughter on about 35 minutes in and daughter says cant talk getting ready to land in field. Finally we hear piglet say in field off Maple st, we head that way. Daughter text and says very very hard landing, hurry we all fell on top of Dad and the basket was drug about 80 feet, just get here.....you can only imagine my nerves. We see them out in the middle of a newly planted pumpkin field and we need permission from land owners to get out there to them, we think we talked to owner,shows us way out but it's ALL mud, we head out in van and get buried in mud. Daughter runs to me asking for pain meds for Jim he is sitting in chair..I give her his meds and water she runs back put, field owner comes starts yelling about ruining his field, she yells back and takes a drink of water along WITH HER DADS PAIN MEDS finally reaches her dad and realizes what she just did and runs back to me frantic about meds she took and her dads okay just really shake up no blood but hurting. Mean time we have to explain to field owner Jim is terminal we need to get him out ASAP need help with a tractor, he can't walk...on and on,man cools off and gets tractor to pull van out,but Jim has to walk 100 feet in ankle deep mud with walker and his brother helping, can't carry him he hurts to bad. Daughter is trying to make herself puke the pills up while I call poison center to see what to do. She is now getting high from meds and Jim is finally sitting in van and has no idea what is happening. Hospice nurse meets us at home in one hour. Over all physically I am probably in worse mental shape than all us us. Daughter is high, Jim is delirious ,literally ...he tried to open car door driving down freeway thinking he was in his recliner, and thought our 14 yr old grandson was driving. Home, nurse says physically he is okay, very bruised..you know blood under the thin skin..not broken skin he had gloves on. Our daughter and her kids had flown in while we were gone, he had no idea who they were, I am still a basket case. He is trying to watch TV and asks who nurse is and wants his milk dud candy...yes candy. We give him morphing and lorazepam and put him in bed and I get up every 3 hours to make sure he responds. Son inlaw had to do same with daughter who sleeps like a baby.
This morning...he remembers nothing after the landing and is shocked to see daughter and grandkids here...3 hours later takes more pain meds and sleeps 5 hours, up 2 and back asleep.
Me...I am taking a Xanax and going to bed for a good night sleep.
He wants to go fishing with his grandson Sunday...not sure I can mentally take it..
Hospice says that his will is keeping him going and all the family love and energy, that when everyone leaves..watch out he most likely will crash, in bed maybe 2 days and be ready to leave...not sure I can mentally handle that either. BUT these last weeks have been just amazing for him, surrounded by love and family...me I am looking for a mental ward to check into.. Thanks for listening..
*Thread was locked because it was growing too big and a continuation thread was started.