Goodbye sweet Chaylce

While I was helping out after the birth of Matthew I got word that another patient at the dialysis clinic had died. Not unexpected, but never-the-less a difficult one to hear about! Chaylce was only 49 on Jan. 28th when she let go of her life. Sandra, our house-helper, told me yesterday that many church members had donated funds to Chaylce's daughters school fund.

I arrived back home on Tuesday night, the 7th, at 8pm to find Stacy's coloring way too green and mom more confused than when I left on the 28th. Stacy's BP is now way too low! It's time that we seek some answers to mom's confusion and building anger.

Yesterday I ran errands to re-stock the refrigerator and cupboards and today I'm trying to organize things so that I can start on some projects and gear myself up for dialysis duty tomorrow. Mom thought that it was Sat. and not Thur. so she got up early and took her laundry to the laundry room in her apartment building only to discover that she was two days early! She rarely tells me that she needs time off from going to the clinic but in this case it's a relief that she knows that she's not up to. We talked about making an appointment to see our
internist, but will she do it? She's terrified of finding out what may be wrong with her memory and confused state, but it's time to find out.

Baby News!

Matthew Owen arrived today before I was able to make my planned trip and his mother's scheduled c-section for next Wed! Huge sighs of relief were heard throughout our family as we welcome this new baby into the world! After the loss two years ago none of us were calm during what seemed like a very long pregnancy! Thank you!

Life is fragile

Last night I woke up and had a "knowing flash" so sent prayers to Jean that her passing would be an easy one. Today Mom called from the dialysis clinic to say that Jean had passed yesterday afternoon, 8 days after stopping treatment! She was at home with her family just like she wanted.

Stacy has been having a lot of melt-downs since last Thursday when she felt so crummy that she thought she was either going to die or faint, I didn't care of any of the options! So, today's news about Jean has hit me hard! It's one thing knowing that dialysis is a form of life-support, but knowing how fast one can die without treatment is almost more than I can deal with.

Jean Update

We heard yesterday that Jean entered hospice in the morning . . .

Goodbye Jean

Salinas Valley - from a moving car.
I will forever think of the Salinas Valley when I think about Jean who has shared the same dialysis days, MWF, as Stacy has for the last 5 years. Jean made a decision last week to stop treatment because she's too ill and has been going downhill fast for the last few months. Jean wanted one more Christmas with her family and to be able to say goodbye to friends and family. Mom took Stacy to the clinic on Monday and Jean told Mom about her plans and Mom and I shed some tears when I got back from a drive to Salinas. Today, Wed., Jean wasn't at the clinic so it appears that her husband is honoring her wishes. I'm positive that it wasn't an easy decision but once she discovered last week that she now has bladder cancer she decided not to pursue any further treatment. The quality of her life hasn't been good and that is what her husband finally understood and shared with me last week.

We're watching another courageous woman try to stay alive for her daughter who is 14. Chaylce wants desperately to see her precious daughter graduate from High School, but Chaylce has been in ICU too many times during the last few months and is there once again . . .