The final two days were peaceful, and seemingly without pain. Thursday morning I began to feed her breakfast. She opened her mouth just barely enough to convince me that she would take something. I gave her a small bite, but I'm not sure she swallowed much of it...then she went to sleep. That turned out to be her last waking moment.Whether this was a deep sleep or a coma, I don't know. It doesn't matter, does it? During the next 44 hours, she was changed and moved multiple times, with little recognition of anything.
The experts tell us that hearing is the last system to shut down. With that assurance, she "heard" the whole family express their gratitude for what she has meant to them over the years. I'm the lucky one...I got to have two nights with her in this state. So she heard a lot from me. When it was time, (3:43 am Saturday, January 2nd) she gave a deep sigh, and finished her challenge.
