We received a call yesterday evening from Sheri's Dad... he hadn't been planning to go back to the hospital after work last night, but he called the hospital to talk with Mom. She had been moved from her bed of the past several days and he had some trouble tracking her down. When he did, he understood that her condition had worsened and that she wanted him to come to her.
On his way, he called us and asked that we contact the other kids. We called the family and contacted a number of our prayer supporters and were exhorted by our Pastor to go to Dad rather than wait for him to call us again.
We left for Kingston just after 8:00.
Dad was arriving at about the same time.
Friends had visited several hours earlier and have told us that Mom was quiet and tired but in good, peaceful spirits and not in any significant pain.
By the time Dad arrived, the doctor on call had administered morphine in response to significant pain in one of her legs. Dad could sense that she was uncomfortable and restless and, deep within, he sensed that the end was near. She knew he was with her but he could see in her eyes that her awareness was fading as the minutes passed by. A nurse came to attach a pulse monitor and couldn't find one in any of her fingers. She moved to Mom's earlobe and Dad says that it was just about then that Mom left. The time was approximately 9:00 pm.
Sheri and I arrived at the hospital shortly after 10:00... The security guards seemed to expect us and we were admitted without hesitation, but we didn't suspect anything more than that Mom was critical. We made our way to the wing where she was and they took us to a private room where we found Dad and our world was changed...
Some time later, after Dad had finished making a number of phone calls, we talked with the doctor on call for the night. He said that he had had no involvement with Mom's case prior to last evening when he was called about the pain in her leg. He said that having seem her then, not much more that 4 hours previous, he was extremely shocked that she had deteriorated and passed on so quickly. He was the one who had administered the morphine for her discomfort. At the time, he had suggested to her that the blood clot(s) in her leg was(were) most likely the problem and had suggested use of a clot-busting drug. Mom had been offered the same repeatedly before and continued to refuse because of concern that attacking the clots might cause a rupture of the tumor in her brain.
The doctor said he had no way of knowing what lead to her death exactly but that he was going to put on her certificate a diagnosis that the tumor in her brain had ruptured or caused blood vessels in the vicinity to rupture. He admitted, though, that although they had placed a filter in her bloodstream to catch any clots that might break free and travel to her heart, it was possible that one of significant size had reached the filter and blocked it entirely.
Medically speaking, that's all we know...
Spiritually, we know that Mom is home.
Emotionally, we're devastated... we miss Mom!
Visitation/Funeral Arrangements
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Visitations:
2:00 - 4:00 PM
&
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Friday, October 27th
Steele Funeral Home
30 Moira Street West,
Belleville, Ontario
K8P 1S2
Funeral:
11:00 AM Saturday, October 28th
Maranatha Christian Reformed Church,
72 Orchard Drive,
Belleville, Ontario
Family Address in Belleville:
368 White's Road,
Trenton, Ontario
K8V 5P5
