Thank you all for your messages, emails, and for all of the love you sent to us last week after we shared that Mary was having a rough week. Mary had her first visit with her hospice nurse last Monday and everything seemed to be going well and she was in good spirits. But shortly after the nurse left, Mary’s pain and symptoms began escalating – and from there, things got really bad, quickly. Mary was in terrible pain, dry heaving, throwing up, and was unable to keep any liquids or food down. We were frantically working with hospice to figure out a way to manage Mary’s pain and symptoms – and to bring her back from the depths of pain and suffering that she was experiencing.

Finally after 24 hours of trying anything and everything, we finally figured out a plan that seemed to work. We changed Mary’s daily regiment, making sure that she was taking her vitamins/meds and eating/drinking something in the morning (right after she wakes up); changing her pain medication and the usage; and implementing a daily routine (daily habits – eating, sleeping, drinking fluids, pain meds, etc.).

We also introduced a few alternative methods on our search pain relief and comfort. For the past few years, Mary has been using castor oil packs as a form of detox; not always regularly, but it’s always helped. Since she came home from the hospital, Mary has been using castor oil packs daily to help ‘flush’ out the toxins which has brought her some comfort. She also became very familiar with the art of the ‘coffee enema’; which is exactly what it sounds like. Delia stepped up (like a champ) to assist our mom with evening ‘therapy’ sessions. Delia makes it extra special with soft lighting, curated playlists and essential oils. Most us have also learned the art of a coffee enema, but few of us have had the opportunity to perform one.

Our sweet cousin Liam works for a local dispensary that specializes in products for cancer patients. He put together a special dosage for our mom. Mary was never one to ‘try’ drugs, despite being the right age for experimentation during the 60’s, but she was open to trying a tincture if it would help her with any side effects. When the goods finally arrived, Delia gave her an unintentional mega-dose…right after she had her first dose of morphine. Very few of us got to experience the aftermath first hand, but it’s become one of our more treasured stories. A bit of humor in a sea of sadness.

We were disappointed we had to cancel the visits and Mary was particularly distraught because she was so looking forward to seeing you, but the best thing we could have done is cancel all visits – so we could focus on getting Mary’s condition and pain under control. Thank you all for understanding and hopefully we can reschedule your visits soon.

If you want to get in touch with Mary, you can mail cards to: 1024 State St, Brighton, Michigan 48116

And if you are interested in visiting Mary or want to set up a time to call her, send us an email at: thebryanfamily82@gmail.com and we can help set that up, as Mary is able.