Visitation and Funeral Information

This is Laura writing.  We met with the funeral home today to make all of the arrangements for my mom.  It was a very tough meeting but I believe we made the same choices that she would have made.

Sunday, April 3, 2011
Visitation: 2:00-4:00
Service: 4:00

Dowling Funeral Home
7509 New West (at King Road between Central and Sylvania)
Toledo, OH 43617
419-841-8111

If you wish, in lieu of flowers, donations in my mom's name can be made to:
St. Joseph's Church
5411 Main St.
Sylvania, OH 43560

Thank you all so much for your prayers, phone calls and emails.  As you can imagine, this is an extremely painful and difficult time and your support is very comforting.

Worse day of our Lives!

As Tuesday rolled on, Linda's condition continued to worsen and the brain swelling on the entire right side lobe worsened.  The 11AM CAT scan clearly showed the swelling, even impinging on the left side of the brain.  A craniotomy would have saved her life but not improved her physical condition.  She had several severe physical issues such as blindness, inability to swallow easily (feeding tube req'd?) and paralysis of the left arm and leg, and weakness on the right side.  Linda would never have wanted to live like that long term.  Laura and Sean were here at the Univ of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor with their spouses and we all decided to have her assisted breathing tube removed and she passed away peacefully at 6:36 PM today.  This is the worse day of my life.  I have lost my best pal,  friend, boss, and companion of over 40 years!  The one thing that makes me feel even a tiny bit better is that I know she is with her parents, Uncle Zack and Aunt Mamie, other great relatives and old pets Spuddie, Smokey, Julie and Fiona!!

We feel fortune that we were each able to spend time talking to her throughout the night and we believe she was able to hear us.  Up until early this morning, she would squeeze our hand and rub our fingers as if to reassure us.

I will add the info on the funeral arrangements on future blogs.

I want to thank you all for your very kind thoughts, prayers and comments of encouragement to Linda and myself.  It has meant a lot to us both over the last five weeks and will in the future.

Love,
Evan

OMG, OMG!!!

Things go from good to bad. This morning at 7 AM the Flower Hospital called and said that Linda looked like she had another stroke and had been moved to the regular Flower Hosp[ital. After much discussion, she was transferred to the University Hospital (Ann Arbor, MI) to the NeuroICU. She had another ischemic stroke (Clot-type), this time in the right frontal  and pariatal? There was also small amounts of bleeding in two areas. Anyway, she is in worse shape than ever. Since it was in the right side brain, her left arm and leg have no feeling and she can't move them. She looks to the right constantly and I don't think she sees much at this time on the left, again right side stroke. She is very sleepy and can't talk and they think she may have swallowing issues (maybe a short feeding tube through the nose sometime?)

The bad thing is that she may get WORSE in the next 1-3 days, if her brain swelling continues. She does not need a partial skull removal to relieve the pressure yet, but that also has its risks and benefits. They want the family to start to think about alternatives that I never wanted to think about, ever.

Laura and Bill are returning immediately back from Iowa and should arrive at 9 PM tonight. She wants to spend the night here with her Mom. So far she is stable and very sleepy.  This is so very, very, sad.

Keep your finger crossed and say a prayer for Linda! Thanks.

Back to the "Old Home"

Well, Linda was transported to the Flower Rehab Center on Thursday afternoon and settled in.  She was in Room 106 but due to the crowd visiting her roommate was moved to Room 115 at 7 PM tonight.  She is doing well, I think.  She has the same routine of two sessions of ST, OT, and PT each day except the weekends.  She may be here 7-10 days, hopefully less than two weeks as before.

Her new phone number is 419-824-4015.  She is strong enough for visitors, but pretty busy before 3 PM.  Maybe, call first if you are coming to see when she'll be around.

Linda wants everyone to know she appreciates every one's concern and said to say she "Loves you all".

Last Day at Toledo Hospital

Today should be the last day at Toledo Hospital.  Linda had some PT today to evaluate how she is doing.  Her right arm hurts and her walking is not as good as before the second stroke.  Her vision has somewhat deteriorated also.

At any event, she will not be coming home tomorrow, but be going back to the Flower Rehab Center for more in-patient therapies again.  Hopefully, she will not be there for two weeks!  We would then go back to the thrice a week OUT-patient therapy.  Yea!

In a couple of days, I'll write about how the therapy is going.

Well, I was wrong..... no wait, just mistaken.

Linda spent another day in Toledo Hospital.  Her condition is slightly worse with regard to her sight and a numbness under her right eye.  Her walking is slightly not as good as before the second stroke, either.The neurologist said this was not unusual and will get better.... eventually.  He wants her to go to PT training here for an evaluation.  I told him I prefer Total Rehab for eventual rehab vs Toledo Hospital since it is much closer (and Linda likes it better).  As of now, it looks like she may be here till Thursday.  Her BP is holding in the 120-130  over 70-80 quite nicely today. Yea!!  The days are long.  She did have a session of PT/OT this morning, however, and walked OK with the walker all the way back to her room.

Anyway, remember the eICU, the electronic ICU?  It remotely monitors her Blood Press, pulse, O2 content, etc, etc and has two wall-mounted cameras and a microphone.  The Toledo Hospital is very proud of this system and has written a small brochure about it.  I got to thinking, however.  What if the remote central monitoring station was not down the hall at the nurses station but in Bombay, India.

Raji: (Read Raji in a high pitched voice while smiling) How are you doing tonight, Miss Linda.
Linda: I'm fine.
Raji: Very Good, please squeeze your own fingers with your other hand.  Good.   Please repeat with your other hands.Were they strong?
Linda: Yes
Raji: That is very good! Now... please feel your own pulse and count the beats in 15 seconds and multiply them by four.  What is it?
Linda: 78
Raji: Very,very good.  Now raise your arms so I can see them on the camera.
Linda: OK
Raji: For the love of Buddha, Miss Linda, please make sure your robe is closed!
Linda: Too bad you are so far away, Raji.  I've been in the hospital a long time.
Raji: Most excellent!! uh, oh.  Someone in I O UH  has pushed the call button to have their bedpan changed.  I must go now.  Please be very much healthy!!

You know this could be.  The Hospitals are desperate to save money.  It works for Dell.  I must remove my unmentionables from the dryer and iron some shirts (at least one for tomorrow!) and so must go.

No new news yet?

We have heard nothing from the doctors yet.  By this evening, Linda had lost her dizzyness and the pain in her neck.  She even thinks the big bruise on her thigh is improving.  Yea!!  Her BP also seemed to be under control all day and was 95/55 this evening.  That's good news.  I think if "Physical Therapy" can get her up and she can walk without getting dizzy or stumbling, we'll be going home tomorrow?  Could be wrong, however.

She is not wild about the Toledo Hospital and hates the food compared to Flower..... she must be geting better?

I'm too tired to discuss the Toledo eICU today, but think of the TV show, "Outsource".