![Sandwich Generation](https://www.firstlighthomecare.com/care-library-OLD/firstblog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/sandwich.jpg)
Child care, even though there was a lot to do, was the best part of the week. The very next day, my cousin called and my beloved aunt, who was 89, had fallen suddenly ill. They had taken her to the doctor, returned home only to have to call the ambulance when she had so much pain that she started vomiting. The hospital did admit her, thank God, and began to run tests. Her pain was excruciating. She began picking at her IV, pulling it out and becoming increasingly agitated. Blood test after blood test showed her white blood cells (WBC’s) were elevating and her red blood cells (RBC’s) which carry oxygen to her body, continued to decrease. My aunt had developed acute leukemia. We knew immediately it was fatal. “How long does she have?” we all asked the doctor. He told us several weeks but we looked at each other knowing it would only be days. We took her home, where she wanted to be, and were able to get hospice to be present 24 hours every day. This was such a relief to my cousins who had exhausted themselves by taking turns staying with her. She was made comfortable with pain medication but it was still very difficult to watch. On the day before she died, I bent down and gave her a kiss on her forehead and told her I loved her. Unbelievably, she opened her eyes, looked at me and said I love you. I very, very nearly began to sob but controlled myself as to not upset her. This was a terribly sad time for all of us.
Helping to care for both the younger generations and older generations of my family simultaneously makes me the pastrami in the middle of the generational sandwich. I love caring for people and helping them is who I am and what I believe in. Making a person’s life full of purpose and having them feel good about themselves gives me the most wonderful of feelings. Of course, I have known for a long time that I am part of what is commonly being coined the “Sandwich Generation” which makes me laugh. The humor I see in this is that we are certainly not the first generation with these circumstances and won’t be the last. I vow and so should you to keep your sense of humor, make someone smile everyday and know that when you are helping someone else you are giving yourself a gift.