I just thought I would let you all know that my beloved mother, who was 92 years old, died of respiratory failure on Tuesday, July 17th. She was very ill with a really bad case of pneumonia and had the use of only 25% of her lungs, due to fluid build-up around the lungs. After getting the fluid drained a couple of times, it was determined to be a futile exercise, so we decided to make her comfortable at the end without more poking, prodding, and tubes that would cause more pain and suffering. Essentially, her body was shutting down. She also had septic shock, low blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, renal failure, and her lung cancer may have returned after a 2-1/2 year absence. She had been complaining to me about periodic bouts of shortness of breath and a "noise in her chest" (she was deaf) for about 2 or 3 weeks before she went into the hospital. She had been in the hospital (mostly in ICU) for 11 days.
She was a very sweet and special woman who was liked and loved by many. She had a smile that would light up the room. She was a happy and positive woman with lots of love to give who always looked at the bright side of things. My mother and I had lots of fun playing cards and dominoes once or twice a week. She used to win numerous times when she played bingo and pokeno at the nursing home where she lived, to the chagrin of the other people who lived there. I love her and miss her very much.
----- Sally -----
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