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If someone had told me that my life would include 15 years as a caregiver to my aging Mother, a tailspin after her passing into anxiety attacks and severe depression and coming out the other side only to be right on the doorstep of becoming homeless, I would have said they were absolutely crazy.
I was fostered out and then adopted by a family in New York State. I was only 2 years old when being brought to St. Dominick’s Convent in Blauvelt, NY. My biological parents put me up for adoption. I also had two biological sisters. But the convent separated us. I have no idea what happened to my sisters. Teresa and Ann. So, when I say my Mother, I am referring to my Mother who adopted me. My adoptive Father, whom I loved dearly, passed away in his late 50’s from complications of alcoholism – cirrhosis of the liver. He had served honorably in the Navy during WWII aboard several battleships. The war and the loss of his brother who died aboard a battleship and was buried at sea I believe contributed to his internal demons.
My Mom was always a ball of energy and super independent. She did not want or need help from anyone and that is the way she rolled. So it was a shock to me when in her 70’s she began having little setbacks. Bills were not getting paid on time, her normal healthy diet was now becoming junk food, and her cognitive abilities were declining. It was at that time that I moved in with her in a senior housing community (I was in my 50’s at the time) and made it my priority to see she had everything she needed and to look after her medical issues. I also worked as a consultant many times remotely which she loved.
She was born in June so when her 90th birthday came around we celebrated in grand style and went to the Hilton in Ocean City, MD. She loved Ocean City, MD being a Maryland farm girl at heart. I could see she was having trouble walking so she spent much of the time on the balcony overlooking the beautiful ocean that we both loved. We drank champagne and ate chocolate covered strawberries as we sat on the balcony and enjoyed each other’s company.
Two weeks after that beautiful awesome day, my Mother was out of breath and struggling to get around the apartment. It got worse throughout the morning so I made an urgent appointment that day for her to see her Primary Care doctor. His office was right on the hospital campus. What he told me next floored me. Her blood oxygen on ambient air was 70% (should be minimum 90%). He heard crackles in her lungs. I rushed her over to the ER with a note from her doctor. She had pneumonia in her lungs. One lung was completely devastated.
I was reeling from all of this information but I thought I caught it in time and all would be well. Long story shortened, she passed 21 days later.
I have included a link to the guestbook which describes how I accompanied her on her journey back Home to the Lord.
Since then I have had funeral and burial expenses and have had to be treated for severe depression and anxiety attacks which forced me to not leave my apartment as I could not function in society. I am facing homelessness if I do not land either a contract or perm position by the end of October. I am a career professional therefore I know I will be employed gainfully again it is just a matter of when this will be. I continue to pursue opportunities and leads every day and have had some interviews.
If you have been blessed in life and are able to help me overcome this not so significant bump in my journey (I have been through the worst – the loss of my Mother) I would consider myself blessed and I would be most appreciative. I am now 63 and even though I am healthy and will continue to work for many years going forward as I need to be productive in my life, the world to me still seems daunting.
With your donation I will avert homelessness and continue to interview for positions throughout the US as I am no longer tied down to any one state. I will also upon getting through this dark time share my blessings down the road because I now know what it is like to there.
God Bless and may you be rewarded for your kindness.
Kaethe