Sunday, Oct 6 - Lloyd has been pretty sick for a few days, but felt well enough to get out of the house and go for a ride. He told Mom this sickness was something different and knew he was going to die. Mom took Lloyd to ER in Centralia that night. He was diagnosed with pneumonia in his left lower lobe and admitted to the hospital.
Tuesday, Oct 9 - Lloyd is still in the hospital being treated for pneumonia and Mom went to work. She got a call from the oncologist while at work telling her they found leukemia and were going to start treatment that same day. He scheduled a meeting for 5 that afternoon and Brandon, Peggy, Mom, and I all met in Lloyd's room at the hospital to hear what the doctor had to say. He had called up to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle to get Lloyd in on a protocol study. The appointment was set for Tuesday the 16th. We were told without treatment, Lloyd would have 30 to 60 days.
Brandon gave Lloyd a blessing while we were there, and he told me later that as soon as he laid his hands on Lloyd's head, Brandon knew Lloyd was going to die. But he still felt impressed to give Lloyd a blessing of hope and faith.
President Harry Hillstrom followed the promptings of the Spirit on this day also, and stopped at the hospital for a visit. Lloyd asked him to preside at the funeral.
Wednesday, Oct 10 - Lloyd is released home.
Thursday, Oct 11 - We go to visit Grandpa. It is the last time my boys will see him. They spent their time with him snuggling on the couch watching a movie.
Friday, Oct 12 - Mom takes Lloyd to the oncologist's office in Olympia where he gets an IV and morphine.
Saturday, Oct 13 - Mom takes Lloyd back to the ER, this time to Capital Medical Center, and he is admitted again. I spend some time at the hospital with him.
Sunday, Oct 14 - Another day at the hospital. We are waiting for him to get in to Seattle. I spend the afternoon after church.
(The rest are all emails. Any additional thoughts are in parentheses.)
Oct 15 - Thank you everyone for your fasting and prayers. He is and we are so grateful. He spent the day at Capital Medical waiting for a call from UW to transfer there. While he was waiting, the staff was busily getting him ready for the move. Around noon they took him to get a central line put in so he could start getting treatments for his leukemia as soon as they decide which treatment is the best course. While they had him for that procedure, they were also giving him platelets because he needed a blood transfusion. He reacted to the transfusions by spiking a 107 degree temp. He spent the rest of his time waiting in the ICU this afternoon.
I was shocked when I saw him this morning. He had really taken a downturn overnight. His leukemia was considered pre-acute last Tuesday and he is now at full acute level. It is moving fast, and his pneumonia is not getting better, in spite of the full range of antibiotics they have given him. Even with all this, his oncologist here still felt that the UW/Fred Hutch/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance clinical trial is his best bet. But, as of 3:00 this afternoon, Seattle wasn't sure they would have a bed for him until the morning, and with as quickly as he is going downhill, we were/are concerned he may not make it that long.
The good news in all this is that Mom called me just before 5 tonight to say he was on his way. Also, Lloyd's daughter-in-law works for a leading oncologist in the midwest and said that she has seen people at the same stage Lloyd is at, and within a few days they are improving. We're praying that that is true.
Many have asked what they can do, and right now what we need help with is watching my kids so I can spend some time with Mom in the hospital. Peggy and I have been trading off, and I called in for reinforcements today. It is going to be a long week, and having people to share the time with since I can't stay up in Seattle with mom (as much as I'd like to) will be very helpful. I know we're all praying for Lloyd, but please remember Mom, too. No one has been getting much sleep.
Someone also told me yesterday that you can donate blood and have it put aside for someone specific. Lloyd will be needing lots of transfusions, so if you are O pos, please donate for Lloyd.
We really appreciate you all. I know that many of you are far away, and we appreciate you and what you are doing very much.
Love,
Sarah
Oct 16 - Today was a long day. Mom went up to Seattle first thing this morning because Lloyd's nurse called and he wanted Mom with him. He had had a very tough night. Mom, Peggy, and I all were awake at 3:00 this morning and we all felt sure we were going to be getting the call. Fortunately it never came, but Lloyd told us today that around 3:00 he had a really bad episode and was ready to go. We are trusting in the Lord that this was his turning point.
He is in University of Washington Medical Center ICU. The doctors there are amazing. He has a team working to get him on the mend. What we had been told was the leukemia progressing is, in fact, his pneumonia progressing. That is not necessarily good news, but it is wonderful that these doctors are now focused solely on getting his pneumonia under control. The pneumonia is now fully in both lungs. His breathing has been very labored and his heart rate has been very high (avg. 150 bpm for you nurses). Today his heart rate shot to 260. The monitor said he was in vtach but the strips read differently, so we're not sure what his heart rhythm was, but they called a code blue and he is now on a ventilator. While that is not the best news, at least he doesn't have to put all his energy into breathing and stress his heart so much. Also, he is resting, which he hasn't been able to do for over a week!!!
The docs have run many, many tests to find out try to figure out what the infection is, but nothing has come back conclusively. The pulmonologist did a bronchoscopy and took washings to run some more tests. Sorry, I know I just went into medical mode. They looked at his lungs with a scope down his throat and took some samples for testing. In the meantime, they have him on every antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal drug they can think of.
They won't even think about verifying and treating his leukemia until the pneumonia is on the mend. He's just too weak to even have another bone marrow biopsy, and they won't know what course of treatment to start until they know which type of leukemia he has.
My aunt from Gig Harbor went to spend this evening with Mom at the hospital, and another of my aunt's is coming from Utah tomorrow so Mom will have someone with her. I was so glad we were there today when they called the code and put him on the ventilator. I'm not sure how she could have handled it without someone there to support her. And we were all there for each other.
The good news of today is that, before they put a tube in his mouth, he was asking for soda and chocolate. He kept saying he "wanted a treat." All of you who know Lloyd know that that is a good sign. He was much more alert than yesterday, and I was very relieved to see that he looked the same instead of worse.
We're so grateful for all your prayers. I don't think he would have pulled through last night without them. And thank you for your prayers for us. I know that they are helping give us strength and comfort so we can be there for Lloyd.
Love,
Sarah
Oct 17 - Hey all.
Lloyd is about the same today. His pneumonia is possibly a little worse. He is still on the ventilator. No news is good news, right?
Thank you so much for your continued prayers. He's definitely not out of the woods yet.
Love,
Sarah
(This is the day he went into kidney failure.)
Oct 19 - Peg and I got stuck in traffic on our way home last night, so I was too tired to try to think coherently enough to put some thoughts together. He is doing better. When they put him on the ventilator they had to sedate him and the sedation drugs dropped his blood pressure considerably, so they had to give him medication to keep his blood pressure up. He's also on a vaso constrictor because one of the bp meds made his blood vessels dilate. I love how it's a snowball effect. But anyway, they are weaning him from those. He had about 2 hours yesterday where he didn't have any sedation with they ventilator and he did well. They are probably going to drop the settings on the ventilator today and see how he does breathing on his own with the tube. The pulmonologist said that he'd like to see the bp meds at a lot lower levels before he'll feel comfortable removing the tube. My optimism says that he'll be ready tomorrow. But I don't know if the docs agree with me.
When I was there, I was talking to him and he really seemed like he wanted to be part of the conversation. He's aware of what is happening, even though his eyes are closed. Every time I told him he had to show them he didn't need that tube anymore, he would take really deep breaths and over-breathe the ventilator. He also only spiked a fever once last night and has been without a fever since. Things are really looking up.
Mom is very tired. She is getting discouraged sitting there day after day. I'm going to take her some clothes so she can go to the temple and get some spiritual perspective instead of being surrounded by the medical perspective. Please remember to pray for her as well.
Thank you so, so much for your prayers. I know they are making a difference.
Love,
Sarah
(He went into shock when he was intubated.)
PS - Bob Riggin came to visit yesterday and there was no problem with him being there, so if you'd like to visit, just send me an email and I'll give you directions.
(Oct 19 - He started to show signs of liver failure.)
Oct 20 - Hello All,
We are so grateful for your prayers, love, support, and concern. Lloyd passed away today peacefully. His kidneys and liver had failed and add that to already being on a ventilator, his body was just done. We can't tell you all enough how much we love you. Funeral information will follow shortly.
Love,
Margaret, Sarah, and Peggy
(We had a conference this morning with the team of doctors treating Lloyd. I wasn't ready to give up, even though Mom knew the time was up. I asked the doctors many, many questions about what could be done, what needed to be done, what the chances were to get over his pneumonia and then treat the leukemia, and after I finally got all the information, I knew, also, that Lloyd's time here was over. Mom made the very difficult decision to turn off the ventilator, and after two very shallow breaths, he was gone. I didn't see him before the conference, but after, when I went to spend a few minutes with him, I knew was already gone. Only his body was keeping him here.)
3 comments:
This made me kind of sad to read all this again. I hope you're doing alright...I know it's hard especially around the holidays. How's your mom? Love you.
I wanted to get it all down so I would be able to look back when I start to forget. I have some thoughts I want to put down, too, but that would require some time to think and cry without interruption. ;) I need to do it soon, though. Love you, too.
Wow - it's amazing how fast that happened. The whole thing was about 2 weeks, right? That's how it was when my Grandpa got liver cancer 10 years ago. He was diagnosed, and about 2-3 weeks later, he was gone. It was so crazy, and when it happens like that, I feel like you are just still in shock, because you barely have time to adjust to the idea that they are dying, and then suddenly, they are gone.
What a difficult choice you Mom had to make, but I'm sure it was the right one. I was so sad to hear about this loss to your family. A man who was the love in your mother's life (and the SECOND husband she has had to mourn, and at such young ages), your father figure, your children's grandparents, and the countless other connections that he had to others that are no temporarily suspended. It really is hard. We know that they are with our Father, but that doesn't mean that we don't miss them so much!!
I hope that you and your family are holding it together as well as possible this holiday season. I feel like the "1st" everything (1st Thanksgiving, 1st Christmas, 1st birthday, etc.) without the loved one are the hardest. Hopefully you can all lean on each other for strength and remember together all the wonderful things about Lloyd and focus on how much you love him and are excited to see him again. I know that you will still have a sadness in your hearts as there is an empty chair at these events, but sometimes even just changing our focus (thinking about how wonderful he was/sharing memories vs. focusing on the fact that he is not with you right now) can help us feel more positive. Gosh, I sound preachy - sorry. I love you, my friend.
Post a Comment