Last Wednesday, while on my day off, I received a call from a friend that his mother was hospitalized and was going to have to be placed on a respirator because of her pneumonia. This is often common in patients so that the lungs have a better chance of healing.
However, it is a bigger risk when the patient is 92.
His mother was intubated and, the next day, began to look better. She had more color to her face and her fever subsided. She looked to be more comfortable. However, that was the “system’s last rally”. Her body was doing all that it could to repair itself but, after a couple of days, began to lose the fight.
This morning, the family was told by the lung specialist that there was no hope. Her lungs had become too compromised, her fever was beginning to rise again, and her kidneys were beginning the process of shutting down. Within the next day or two, she will pass away.
I couldn’t help but think of my own parents and their deaths. Mom had Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and Dad had cancer. We knew both their deaths were imminent yet, when they came, they were still a shock. We thought we were ready. But one can never truly be.
Kindly pray for all those who are preparing to lose a loved one. Pray that their loved one has a peaceful death and that the family and friends receive the consolation they need.
