Dear friends and family,

Thank you for all of your love and support – and thank you to everyone who has been keeping up on this blog. We’re trying to keep the blog updated, but depending on how Mary is doing – we’re often having to “backdate” updates. So thank you for your patience. But we try to post updates on social media whenever we post updates, so you can read through and keep up with everything going on. But we are really striving to post up-to-date updates, so you can all stay connected and up-to-date on what’s going on with Mary and our family.

Today was a really rough and painful day for Mary. We thought we had managed her pain (finally), but she was in a lot of pain all morning and after hours of pain and discomfort, she was really upset and frustrated. She is also becoming more confused, so confused about why she’s in pain and where things are and what’s happening. She is simultaneously “with it” and remembers all kinds of stories and facts and things about different family members/people – so she truly is an “enigma.” But we are embracing all of it with her and just trying to walk with her through this chapter, even if it’s a funny mix of specifics and confusion (smile).

Mary was really frustrated at her pain and suffering today and we weren’t sure how to help her. The nurse came and upped her pain meds and changed a few things around, which seemed to help. But Mary felt like this was “the end” and asked us to call the priest – through tears. So we called St. Patrick’s and Fr. Miguel (Mary’s favorite priest – sorry to everyone else!) answered the call and came immediately. Fr. Miguel administered last rites and an Apostolic blessing.

Some family members “freaked out” worried that they needed to come immediately, but the reality is – we never know when our day will come… and Mary felt more at peace that she had a visit from Fr. Miguel and was given last rites and an Apostolic blessing.

Mary is still hanging in there, but she is more at peace after receiving last rites. And we again, finally to have seemed to have managed her pain. Praise God!