Saturday, October 2, 2010 7:51 PM, MDT

The lumbar test has shown what looks like a brain infection of some sort. They are using a wide variety of drugs to treat it. Bill slept all day and remains in ICU.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010 5:06 PM, MDT

The latest on Bill is that he did suffer a stroke in his brain stem, it was apparently only partial. He is unable to move his right side. The current diagnosis is Vasculitis, a swelling of the blood vessels in his brain. He is being treated with lots of steroids.
Today he has been much more awake and aware than yesterday. He even attempted to brush his teeth.
Don't know what the long term damage will be for sometime.

Saturday, October 9, 2010 3:07 AM, MDT

One of the hardest things
to do is to physically let go
of someone you love so dearly,
but the everlasting love fills your soul
connecting you spiritually forever

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 12:15 AM, MDT

 Bill passed away quietly and surrounded by love, October 11, 2010.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 7:04 PM, MDT

memorial service 2 pm Friday Timberline Church south entrance

So as I read this there is a glimmer of hope. But I was sure that Bill would not be able to survive nor would he have wanted to. No one that I know would want to live the way that he would have had to. Bill was a man of action, he wouldn't have wanted to live in a bed, in a nursing home.

The day the doctor told me what they had finally found was so sad. I burst into tears. The nurse took me in his arms and just let me cry. Jalyn was with me when we got the news and she was devastated as well. Thank goodness for the nurses that held us and comforted us.

 Arrangements were made for Kayla to come home immediately. I called my good friends and they were at my side right away. Maybe that is one reason why Bill didn't die in Montana, he brought me home so I would have my friends and family near.

On Friday we had a meeting with all the family and the doctors and nursing staff. We met at the hospital. Dr. McIntosh had Bill's MRIs on computer screens in front of us. The doctor started at the beginning, which turns out to be in April. Bill had complained of headaches earlier in the year. He actually went to the doctor. His doctor ordered a CT scan. Bill told me that it came back normal. It did, sort of. Apparently there was some swelling in his blood vessels, but not much. Enough, however, to have a MRI ordered. Bill  did not tell me about this. I was very surprised to hear this. In April of 2010 Bill had what appeared to be a normal MRI. By October he had an extremely abnormal one. the last one that he had showed that Bill had had 7 strokes in two days. He had been having little tiny strokes all over his brain for some time. He also had had a major stroke in his brain stem and his memory was completely damaged. There was absolutely nothing that anyone could do for him. Even if they had found the Vasculitis early on there would have been little if any thing that they could have done to save him.

I had to tell the doctors that I didn't want any more life saving efforts to be made for Bill. Bill's family supported me as well as my own family. Thank goodness for that.

I was first told that Bill would have to be moved from the hospital to another facility to end his time on this earth. I was very upset about that. I did not want to move him again. I was ready to stand at the door to prevent that from happening. Then the doctor came to me and told me that Bill would be staying in PVH for as long as it would take. He said that another facility would not be able to care for Bill's special neurological needs and nor could they care for my emotional ones. I was so thankful for that news. Bill was moved from ICU to a room on the neuro floor. He was well cared for by the staff. They were wonderful in caring for me and my family as well.

Those ten days were kind of like a wake. Bill had many visitors. His family came to say goodbye as well as many of his friends. I had lots of support for me too. The nursing staff was so supportive. Also many of the people that Bill had help him in rehab stopped by to see me. It was all very touching and overwhelming.  I can't thank the people at the Hospital enough, without their support I don't know how I would have gotten through those days.

The day that Bill died was a long one. My kids had decided that they had said goodbye and didn't want to be at the hospital any more. I told them that that was OK. So I was at the hospital with my sister-in-law. She was so good to stay and provide comfort for Bill. I was emotionally unable to spend too much time with him that day. Also, I was busy in the waiting area talking to visitors. That evening when everyone had gone except me, Tom, and Kathy, Bill died quietly and peacefully with us at his side. Goodbye my love. I will miss you!