Circumstances of his death:
Doing well until surgery to remove tumor in esophagus.
Released from hospital very depleated and discouraged
G Tube for feeding needed constant care.
Incision took a long time to heal
Blizzard made it difficult for him to get to the doctor or hospital for checkups
Symptoms became more worrysome.
Medications were too numerous
Doctor's visit-- no more efforts to cure, only to be comfortable.
Hospice was introduced
Signed papers on Tuesday evening
Friday nurse pays first visit
Medications and Equipment show up
Week of decline.
Sunday blood appears in stool.
Sunday night bleeding from tube opening, continual trips to bathroom, "trouble breathing"
Monday Jim is very restless. Mom stays with him.
Monday nurse comes to remove G-tube...but it falls out on it's own. Jim is very weakened
Monday night Jennie & I, Jim is getting liquid morphine & medication to calm him down.
Tuesday he is more restless
Tuesday Night Millie and I wrestle with him all night
Wednesday he walks from frontroom to bathroom
Wednesday night he is moved to hospital bed and medicated
Wednesday night he tries to get out of bed at foot end
Thursday more medication to quiet him
Friday he is restless and moans
Saturday he is quiet but restless, recognizes Rick "Oh hi!"
Sunday we made a tape from Chris' CD and play it in his room. Natalie & Jennie come to visit
Jim begins to sing, eyes partly open, to Amazing Grace with Natalie
He continues to sing in high-pitched tones for over 3 hours. All of us gather around and say our goodbyes and wish him well.
He quiets down again and is more weakened.
We take our usual shifts for the night. At 1:30 Jim stops breathing.