Got a bad wakeup call this morning...

Erik, very sorry to hear....stay strong.

 

Albofaz, same to you buddy...damn.

Erik, very sorry to hear....stay strong.

 

Albofaz, same to you buddy...damn.

Very sorry to hear guys

Thoughts are with you Erik!

Good god. Now she has MRSA. Dnr in. Pulling the plug tomorrow.

 

I'm so sorry Erik I'm not sure what to say. That has to be difficult to do. Thoughts and prayers to your family. I'm so sorry.

 

 

Terribly sorry to hear Erik, I was just told a few minutes ago that one of my closest friends, mentor and business partner only has hours to live. WTF.

 

I was sad to read this as well. That can't be easy.

RomanDad, I'm certain any decisions you are making are the right ones.

Sorry to hear that.

 

But your aunt is very lucky to have you!

 

where's her children when she needs them the most? (if she has)

Sorry to hear that.

 

But your aunt is very lucky to have you!

 

where's her children when she needs them the most? (if she has)

 

She never had any... Ive always been like a child to her.

 

Early start. Tough day ahead.

Very sorry to hear the news Erik. It is shocking to me how much damage can be done from a seeminly short fall. My best friend's grandmother fell a couple months back which resulted in fractured hips, broken ribs and numerous other injuries. Hoping next year is better for you!

She never had any... Ive always been like a child to her.

 

Early start. Tough day ahead.

 

our thoughts are with you and your family..

 

 

My thoughts are with you and your family....it is never easy!

 

My thoughts are with you. Sincerely Vic

Thoughts and Prayers sent.

very sorry to hear. Thoughts and prayers are with you.

Not easy, I'm driving like a maniac to St Augustine to hopefully be able to say goodbye to my friend before he passes. WTF!!!???

Erik, very sorry to hear....stay strong.

 

Albofaz, same to you buddy...damn.

 

 

Always tough when it's around the holidays but it always seems to happen this time of year.

 

 

Sorry to hear this Erik & Mike..sending my thoughts your way.

She never had any... Ive always been like a child to her.

 

Early start. Tough day ahead.

 

 

Very sorry to hear this Eric. The sudden loss of a loved one is always terribly difficult to deal with. Loosing them at this time of the year makes it so much harder.

Best wishes to you and your family.

 

 

 

Not easy, I'm driving like a maniac to St Augustine to hopefully be able to say goodbye to my friend before he passes. WTF!!!???

 

Mike, I hope you make it! I'm sorry to hear about your friend.

I lost my best friend 2 years ago to cancer. The thing that haunts me the most is I didn't get to see him for a whole week before he passed.

 

 

My heart goes out to you both. May you find some light in this darkness.

Its over.... Been an incredibly long... Stressful and chaotic day....

 

The story I have to tell is unbelievable... But Im way too tired to tell it tonight

My condolences but at the same time im sure it's a massive weight off your shoulders and she's at peace.

 

Get some rest, you deserve it.

condolences go out to you and your family

My condolences RD. She's at peace now and, thankfully, she did not suffered too long. You should look after yourself too; take a good rest.

RomanDad....

The pain of the loss of a close loved one is almost unbearable. My condolenses to you & family.

Very sorry to hear RD. May she rest in peace.

I have a long history with this particular hospital. My great Aunt died there when I was 8. My Grandpa died there when I was 12. My dad, mom, grandma, and Aunt have all been hospitalized there for mutli-day stays many times.... I fcuking HATE THIS HOSPITAL.... It has been a harbinger of grimness to me for 35 years that I can remember. Over the years, I have seen it run up close, and I have a pretty LOW opinion of the place, BUT, my aunt always INSISTED she be taken THERE, for EVERYTHING.

 

 

So I had prepared myself to make the difficult choice to remove life support yesterday morning. The entire day before, the hospital had been gently encouraging me to do so. But when I would ask for concrete answers on her brain condition, it obviously hadnt improved much if at all, but they were telling me they would know more when the Neurologist had read the EEG they had done... SO I kinda wanted to wait on that.... In the meantime, shes been hooked up to machines for three days that she didnt want to be hooked up to in the first place.

 

ALL MORNING they said the neurologist was coming to talk to me.... By 11 am I hadnt seen him yet. I had to leave at 1PM and needed to make a decision by then. Around that time I walked around to the side of her bed and just thinking out loud said "You dont want to be like this do you?" Her eyes were slightly opened and unfocused, but the minute I said it they went from left to right and back again.... TWICE... In a Shaking your head "NO" motion. That was good enough for me.... I walked into the Head Social workers office and told her to immediately cease life support and transition to comfort care only. Two residents come in and confirm my order and tell me without a doubt, Im making the right decision... Shes SEVERELY Brain damaged and there are VERY LITTLE HOPES of her having any type of life after this. I was relieved....

 

At noon, I FINALLY met with the Neurologist (who came off as an absolute ASSHOLE). He STILL had no reading of the EEG, he wanted to do ANOTHER Catscan, and the best he could tell me was that she was STILL in a COMA, and certainly had SOME BRAIN damage, and that she would eventually need to be put on a trach tube long term. I said that was against her wishes, and Id already made the decision.

 

At 1 they still hadnt removed the Vent. Her doctor walked in and I asked him if he knew where I was at... He said he did, and he looked at me kind of funny like he disagreed with me. "Shes doing much better today.." "What? Ive been here all day... She opens her eyes every once in a while and move them back and forth but she doesnt move, or show any other signs of consciousness. He does a bunch of motor tests and tells me shes responding and doing great!

 

Now Im torn... I get very emotional, and he talks me into rescinding the previous order...

 

Then ANOTHER of one of her Doctors (she had lots wrong with her, and lots of doctors) walks in does the same tests and basically tells me hes out of his fcuking mind. Shes NOT responding, the reflexes she has ARE ABNORMAL, AND INDICATIVE OF BRAIN DAMAGE, Not NORMAL and improving like he told me... Now the two of them are ARGUING... IN FRONT OF ME... I AM LOSING MY fcuking MIND. I tell them of the eyeball thing earlier. Now... This puts everybody in a strange conundrum... If 4 of the doctors Ive talked to are correct, the eyeballs moving back and forth are just some sort of primitive neural response to a familiar voice, and mean nothing, and shes a vegetable, which she was clear she DIDNT WANT TO BE. If the other Dr. is correct, shes AWARE of her surrounding (which may even be WORSE FOR HER), has some higher brain function (Although, after 35+ minutes with NO PULSE, and NO air, nobody can explain how that could be) BUT, shes telling me TO DO WHAT HES TELLING ME NOT TO DO...

 

I HAVE TO LEAVE TO PICK UP MY BOY. On the way out I tell the social worker what happened, and she is apoplectic and apologetic.

 

I get in the car, start to drive, and it sinks in what a clusterfuck Ive just been through... I also realize I was picked for this job because my aunt knew I would make the RIGHT decision... NOT just based on my emotion, but on HER WISHES, and I had a sober moment were I realized, they were being contradicted. My moment of weakness failed her. I had to remedy that IMMEDIATELY. I call the hospital back and begin screaming at people.... Her Doctor is FIRED, The HEAD of the ICU takes over her case, and calls me. I met him Tuesday morning during rounds, when he asked WHY the resident didnt PRONOUNCE HER after prolonged Asystole. He assures me, he has checked in on her DAILY, he has spoken to her NURSES, and everybody agrees, there are NO SIGNS of any meaningful brain response. He agrees that my first decision was the RIGHT DECISION, not just MEDICALLY, but ETHICALLY, SINCE ITS HER WISHES THAT I'M GOING BY. He thinks that her Doctor just has a difference of opinion on issues like these.

 

They finally removed the ventilator at 5:45 PM.

 

My Cousin (who almost became a Catholic Priest, He is the "religious center" of the family and goto guy in times like these), stopped by the hospital at 6:30 or so. He brought with him some holy oil he grabbed out of the church. He walked in... Put some of the oil on her head, told her it was OK, and she passed away right at that moment.

 

I got the call at 6:45, and was sad, but truthfully VERY relieved.

 

I went back to the hospital... Went to her room... Said my goodbyes... Made some arrangements, and finally left at about 9:30... Knowing I will NEVER WALK BACK INTO THAT BUILDING.

Condolenses to you & family.