Sad News - Part 2

I am sad to say that my dad passed today around 4:20 p.m. while residing at Cardinal Hill. I really just can't go into all of the details as I am sure you are not that interested.

But, I will share with you that Walter passed quickly and without pain. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I know that he is happy now to be free from all of the equipment and tubes and monitors and the list goes on.

I was blessed to have these last few months with him. God is always in control.

Earlier today Mike took Muddear back to Brookwood for a weekend respite stay so that we could spend time together for his birthday. I was able to sit at the hospital with Walter and simply and quietly accept his death. This weekend Mike and I will spend quality time together as I prepare to gently break the news to Muddear on Sunday.

Please pray for her strength and ability to bear with the loss of a child.

Sad News

On Sunday, I spent some time with Walter. As described by the nurses, he is very alert and attempts to communicate as best as possible (with at trachea in his throat).

While at Cardinal Hill, Walter asked that I request for the doctors to remove the trachea from his throat and thus remove him from the ventilator. He is in pain and he is tired. This was very difficult for me...I tried to dissuade him from this decision, however Walter continues to stand firm. After speaking with the nurses, his condition does not seem to be improving and I do not want him to continue to suffer.

My dad's treating physician was out of town - to return on Tuesday. Knowing what is ahead, I took Muddear for what I believe will be her last visit today. (Although she is unaware.) I am very afraid of what the consequences will mean to her...Muddear has already lost two of her four children. My heart breaks for Muddear, YET I am at peace.

My dad and I have made amends and he is ready to be freed from this earthly and deteriorated body. I will keep you posted as this situation progresses.

A Little More About Cardinal Hill

For information junkies like myself, I thought you might find this snippet of information about Cardinal Hill that I pulled from their website interesting...


Cardinal Hill Specialty Hospital is part of the Cardinal Hill Health Care System through the Kentucky Easter Seals Society and is a hospital within St. Luke Hospital East. The Cardinal Hill Healthcare System specializes in acute physical rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation, adult day care centers, a specialized camp for adults and children with disabilities as well as this Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH).

Accepted Medical Conditions (all conditions are not listed)

• Amputation
• Brain Injury
• Cardiovascular Conditions
• General Neurological Disorders
• Infections/Infectious Disease
• Oncology
• Post Surgical
• Pulmonary/Respiratory Conditions
• Stroke
• Trauma
• Wound Care

To find out more about the Cardinal Hill Specialty Hospital, follow the link below: http://www.cardinalhill.org/Home/tabid/316/Default.aspx. In addition, you can contact Cardinal Hill at 859.572.3880.

More Walter Updates

For those of you that have been praying for us, I wanted to give you an update on Walter...

Last week he was transitioned to Cardinal Hill, a rehabilitation center that specializes in the care of seriously ill individuals who require a ventilator to assist with breathing. Initially we were going to move my dad to the West Chester Rehabilitation Center, unfortunately they could not accept him as long as he still required ventilator usage.

So for the time being, I have been communicating with the nurses at Cardinal Hill regarding his care and current status. To date, they have had little success with weaning dad from the ventilator. He continues to respond to commands and appears to be oriented to place and people. My plan is to visit this weekend - now that my car is out of the shop. Thank God it is fixed! For weeks I have been held hostage by my car and its only a 4 cylinder! I digress...I do not plan to take Muddear as she has completely forgotten that Walter is sick. The thought of making her relive the reality that her baby is sick is not pleasant.

Once Walter is weaned from the ventilator (including the removal of his chest tube) he will transition to the West Chester Rehabilitation Center. Thanks again for your prayers. I'll keep you posted...