Saturday, December 10, 2022
Interesting Weather
We had some snow. Some meaning five to six inches thereof. That happened Thursday night into Friday morning. It was really heavy wet snow, the kind which makes getting around a little less than easy.
¶ I had a scan with radiation oncology at 8:15 Friday morning. Foolishly thinking that I would make the appointment with the medics on Friday morning I didn’t worry too much. My trust snow plower would have the job done when I was ready to leave. Well, the job was not done, but I needed to leave. Is was not pleasant getting out of the drive and was probably worse out in the cul de sac. The car informed me that it was overheating. It’s lovely having all that information. I finally achieved my goal only a few minutes late.
¶ I had related some of my problems the day before. Enough to bring concern to those involved. It was determined that I should have labs before I left. It sounded like my sodium might be off again. It turned out that my liver enzymes were in need of adjustment.
¶ Now I’ll need to see the the oncologist on Monday to find out what this new problem is and what to do about it. 
¶ A friend usually accompanies me to each scan. She was with me on Friday.
The problem on Friday was what to do about the parking. I could not make it back to the garage. I had thought there was no school but that was a wrong thought. We tried the local schools although what we would do in the school parking lot was a mystery lookin for a clue.
¶. After discussion we opted for a shopping center parking lot about three blocks from my house. From thence we would leave our cars and walk south for a bit. The problem was we did not take into account the distance, only three blocks, but part of it was uphill.
¶ About two blocks from home I went down and could not get up again. I knew that my snow people had gone by, so I sent my mobile friend to fetch the men and plead for help. No one struck me as I lay in the street, for which I was grateful.
¶ It only took two men and a woman and a truck to get me back home. I am truly grateful for the help provided.
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Hi Warren, so glad you didn't get hurt when you fell. Whew! Now more snow tonight & tomorrow. Lets hope 2 weeks fly by and you can get back to "normal".
ReplyDeleteI wish for you a nauseous free Christmas & New Year Warren. Prayers for a restful rest of the week. Take care!! Dick & Marilyn
Belated entry/conclusion:
ReplyDeletePilgrimage Ends
On December 20, 2022, Pilgrim Warren reached the end of his earthly journey and arrived home at last. His last days were relatively pain-free, and at the moment of his passing his entire face relaxed in perfect peace. Thanks be to God.
His last few weeks were spent dealing with increasing fatigue and physical weakness – and sometimes decreasing mental clarity. The whole brain radiation therapy sapped his reserves more each of the ten day course. He had the last treatment on Tuesday, December 13 – a week later he was dead. He went to ER on Saturday noon (12/17/2022), having consulted with an online nurse at the Cancer Center. Together they agreed that he should go to the hospital. On Sunday he had two visits from Benedictines and then spent a long time alone with the hospitalist-oncologist. I expect he told Warren, in detail, what a liver specialist told me later that afternoon: the lesions that had recently re-appeared on his liver had massed into a large tumor. “I’m sorry,” the specialist told me while Warren slept deeply, “there is nothing more we can do for him.” I thanked the doctor, and that was that. Warren spent most of Sunday afternoon and evening sleeping heavily, waking only to ask for water. (I went home on Saturday night, thinking he might rest better alone. But the next two nights, I stayed with him.) Monday was more of the same, heavy sleep and sips of water. By noon he was managing water only from a sponge on his tongue and lips. He was visited by The Dean and two Benedictines during the afternoon, and that evening a group of about half a dozen local clergy and friends visited him. Typical Warren, he rose to the occasion, becoming quite lucid and almost talkative as each friend shared a brief memory and he would add his own comments to their story. After about half an hour, everyone moved into the hall for more conversation, and Warren essentially lapsed into a coma. The night nurse, changing shift at 7 a.m. said he thought it would not be long. I texted The Dean around 7:30am. He arrived and began morning prayer. Two Benedictines arrived a bit later. During prayers and conversation, Warren’s regular and labored breathing continued until it simply stopped. His face suddenly relaxed into an expression of complete peace. I am forever grateful that I was with him at that moment. He was gone, and he was safe.
Warren and I had often shared a few lines from T.S. Eliot’s “Little Gidding” that seem to sum up a life’s journey: “And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.”
He would ask that you keep him in your prayers. I know he will always pray for you.
Lois