Patty has gone home

I am posting this Thursday night.
Pretty crazy day.  Nothing went as planned.  When I arrived at the hospital this morning, it was like they were having a party in Patty's room.  Nurses and techs busily buzzing around her.  Her blood pressure had tanked again and her heart rate had spiked.  I asked if she was bleeding again, they said they didn't think so. The ventilator was set way high compared to where it had been.  They let me read her scriptures and asked me to come back after the shift change to talk to the doctor.  I did.  He related that they had detected 2 more pneumonia bacterias.  They knew the types because they are common to people who have been on a ventilator for so long.  They had also detected bleeding in her gastro intestines.  They would give her 2 more units of blood.  He told me there was no way they could administer the cytoxan it would conflict with the pneumonia treatment.  He said virtually anything they would treat would conflict with other things they were trying to address.  The doctors wanted to start the pneumonia treatment and meet again at noon after they had performed multiple tests.  They would meet with me at 1:00pm and let me know what they had decided.  He said he was very pessimistic.

I picked up Sherry at noon.  I talked with Matthew about what I thought was going to happen.  He and Sherry had a good cry.  We went to the hospital and met with the doctors.  They said they were sorry, there was nothing else they could do for Patty.  They said it would be best to let her go comfortably.  I gave them permission to turn off the dialysis and remove the ventilator tube.  Sherry and I then went in and talked to her.  We left for a short time, called our family and went back in when she had passed.  It helped to see that she really was not here anymore.

When we came home Matthew was waiting in the driveway.  We told him what had transpired.  He told us he knew she was gone.  I asked him how.  He said while we were gone he had started to take a drink out of the faucet in the kitchen sink (something he has done many times) and as he was drinking he heard her say clearly "Use a cup."  (Something she has done many times.)

We will use this blog a couple more times to let you know of the funeral and grave dedication arrangements.

There is no way I can communicate to you how grateful we have been for your prayers and concern.  Your prayers and ours have been answered.  Thank you so much for your love.

We love you.
Steve