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<TITLE>Pat Update - Monday Evening</TITLE>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">It has been a long and hard day. First, the endotrachial tube was not removed today</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">. Instead the pulmonologist decided that he wants to do a tracheotomy on Wednesday afternoon. The brain scan also was not done.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri"> Then, this afternoon Pat</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">’</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">s vent tube got plugged with mu</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">cus and they had to remove it, coded her and bagged her, and then inserted a new tube. I was beside myself because there is</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri"> no way that she would have wanted that. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">Needless to say, they got a healthy dose of</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">what it is like to deal with an alpha bitch. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">At this point, Pat is fully sedated and back on the ventilator. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">She is stable, although her heart rate is high after this afternoon</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">’</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">s events (mine is still pretty speedy too</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Wingdings" SIZE=3>J</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">) and her color is</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">not as good as it has been. She looks okay on paper but the machines are managing everything. She could not sustain her breathing and oxygenation on her own.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">Now the legal department has met and decided that I should be officially granted Power of</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">Attorney status and officially be her advocate</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">…</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri"> like they could stop me from making her wishes known</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Wingdings" SIZE=3>J</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri"> I have spoken to Pat</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">’</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">s PCP (who is also my PCP and knows us both well) and he</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">concurs that Pat does not want to</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">“</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">live</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">”</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri"> on a ventilator indefinitely. I am meeting with the Pulmonologist</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">tomorrow morning to make my opinion and Pat</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">’</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">s wishes crystal clear. I am also speaking with our lawyer (which both Pat and I go to) about</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">being appointed as her guardian/POA/whatever by the courts.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">ARDS is very nasty and has a very poor prognosis</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Calibri">…</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri"> with a mortality rate of 40% that increases dramatically with</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri"> age and immobility. I am afraid that we may be in for a very long road of disability and long-term nursing care. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">Please continue with prayers for Pat and strength for me. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><U> <FONT COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Calibri">Also PLEASE make sure that you have a living will,</FONT></U></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><U> <FONT COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Calibri">Durable Power of Attorney and your will in order and up to date! Make sure your wishes are written down</FONT></U></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><U><FONT COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Calibri"> VERY SPECIFICALLY</FONT></U></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><U><FONT COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Calibri">, witnessed and notarized and all of your family and/or sign</FONT></U></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><U><FONT COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Calibri">ificant others are well informed and have copies.</FONT></U></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri"> This is a nightmare.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Calibri">Sandi</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
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