Tuesday, October 14, 2008

I don't know what to say

On Sunday night Gary and I recieved a phone call stating that Gary's mom, DeAnn, had been rushed to the hospital after falling in the house shortly after returning from a trip to California. We were told that she was unable to move and unable to speak. We waited for more news and ended up going to the hospital at 1am to see her. The outlook, we were told, was grim as she had suffered a stroke due to an occluded artery in the base of the brain. CT and MRI scans showed that her right hemisphere was mostly dead due to the lack of oxygen. She was also found to be a diabetic and heart tests showed a weakened cardiovascular system. Surgery was not an option as her combination of health problems precluded any intervention at the time. She was responsive to us on Sunday night, however, on Monday afternoon she was much less aware of things. Her eyes are closed and she is on oxygen. She will squeeze your hand if you tell her to, but cannot respond in any other way. The prognosis at this point is poor and it looks like we all just have to wait and see what happens. In the event that she comes out of this, she will be paralyzed on the left side and much less cognizant than she was. She probably wont be able to talk and possibly wont be able to open her eyes. Gary's family, friends, and anyone who has ever had the pleasure of knowing DeAnn is devastated by this unfortunate turn of events. I really don't know what to say at this point in time. It is so hard to see everyone so very upset and heartbroken that we may lose one of the most giving, caring and wonderful people I have ever had the pleasure to know. DeAnn has always been so loving and unconditional to me, it already feels like a huge loss. Losing a parent is the hardest thing I have ever had to go through in my life. The pain and emptyness that you feel in their absence is inexplainable. Please keep DeAnn and her family in your prayers,
Jackie.

2 comments:

St. Jeor Family said...

I am so sorry Jackie and Gary. You guys are in our thoughts and prayers. Let me know if there is anything that we can do.

Amy said...

So sorry to hear about this. We will be thinking of you guys.