23 replies to this topic

[Mermaid Lady]

For those of you inclined to prayer. please say a few for my longtime friend Douglas.

He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and acute kidney failure. At first they seemed to have it under control. He had decided to go back to New Hampshire and be with his family and undergo treatment. But shortly after arriving, he became very ill again and went back into the hospital. He became more put out with treatment to the point that he pulled the dialysis port out of his chest, and refused further treatment. The other day he was moved to hospice. Without treatment he will die within the week. He is already barely lucid and will become less so up to the end.

It's a matter of days for him now. He is only 58.

Edited by Mermaid Lady, 27 October 2007 - 08:53 AM.

[WreckWench]

Oh Teresa...that is very sad news. I certainly have him in my prayers and you as well. It is sometimes harder on those who survive than those who go.

Let us know if we can do anything to help....kamala

[DiverBabs]

For those of you inclined to prayer. please say a few for my longtime friend Douglas.

He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and acute kidney failure. At first they seemed to have it under control. He had decided to go back to New Hampshire and be with his family and undergo treatment. But shortly after arriving, he became very ill again and went back into the hospital. He became more put out with treatment to the point that he pulled the dialysis port out of his chest, and refused further treatment. The other day he was moved to hospice. Without treatment he will die within the week. He is already barely lucid and will become less so up to the end.

It's a matter of days for him now. He is only 58.

So sorry to hear that Teresa. I will keep you, Douglas and his family in my prayers. So sad to lose someone so young.

[dive1dennis]

For those of you inclined to prayer. please say a few for my longtime friend Douglas.

The chill is still running down my back.
I will pray for Douglas, and for those who know him. I'm sure a better place awaits him.

[Basslet]

I am so sorry to hear this and pray that he goes quickly, painlessly and with dignity. I recently lost a friend to pancreatic cancer and she was only 56.

[finGrabber]

Teresa,

this is such sad news - I'll pray for you, Douglas and his family

[scubagoddess]

I am so sorry Teresa. I will certainly pray that Douglas dies peacefully with those he love surrounding him. My prayers are also with you and his family and friends that he leaves behind.

[ScubaPunk]

Teresa, I am so sorry to hear the sad news about your friend Douglas. You both will be in my prayers.

Edited by ScubaPunk, 27 October 2007 - 10:07 AM.

[ScubaDrew]

I'm sorry.

[1Scubadiver]

Teresa,
I am so sorry to hear about your friend. I pray that his passing is peaceful & without pain.
He's in my prayers.
Barb 1 scubadiver

[Starfish Sandy]

so very sorry - you and he are in our thoughts!

[divzac]

My thoughts and prayers are with you

[madlobster]

My thoughts and prayers...............

[Mermaid Lady]

Oh Teresa...that is very sad news. I certainly have him in my prayers and you as well. It is sometimes harder on those who survive than those who go.

Let us know if we can do anything to help....kamala

Thank you Kamala and everyone else who has replied. The hard part is that his body is slowly shutting down now that he is not receiving treatment. The good part is that he is no longer in any pain.

It's the idea of his brain and mind shutting down gradually over the process that is hardest to bear. I spoke with him 2 weeks ago before he left and he seemed his usual self. Now I can't really talk to him anymore. Glad that I told him I loved him while I could.

Edited by Mermaid Lady, 27 October 2007 - 02:16 PM.

[DandyDon]

You certainly have my best wishes in dealing with this horrible time. It happens, and it's awful. Here's a missive I just recently shared with email and myspace friends. It was a special one for me, hope you may find some help in it maybe...?

I knew this young lady...

I do not talk about women I've known really, but I want to share some about Willow. I enjoy sharing smiles and possible items of interest, and while I may get ruffled when people post hoaxes they didn't check out online, it's fun. I first saw Willow doing this on a message board I joined to obtain funny vids to share with friends, as she was a pretty redheaded lady, and she did that there - she enjoyed sharing smiles.

I got to know Willow a little over the next couple of years, chatting some more recently about scuba diving after I posted some pics there. She'd been to Cozumel once herself on a cruise but also had to leave early with a hurricane coming and never got in the water. I explained that I am only Rescue certified, but I'd love to be the Safety diver sometime if she could go below with a specially qualified Instructor to see a little of what I enjoy shooting with my cam and sharing with friends. I knew that she'd been in a wheelchair for 20 years since a drunk driver hit their car, killing her dad, but she enjoyed sharing smiles.

I came to know more about her fight with cancer - and winning, and then her heart attack - that she survived. I often wonder when I hear of old classmates and even younger ones from my old school dying - why am I so lucky, so much more than deserved? But Willow never gave into all that, because she liked to spread joy - so she couldn't allow it.

She even managed to send nice notes with her cousin from her death bed, dying early this month a few days after having the respirator removed on her 28th birthday. I know she was smiling every chance she could up to the end, tho - as she like to share smiles and could not let self concerns prevent that.

I may never measure up to anything like Willow, but as I clean up a forwarded email junky with old addresses, download FLV vids and convert to WMV so anyone I send them to can play, collect my naughty cartoons, I'll think of her warmly and try...

thanks for letting me share...