Hi everyone, I had hoped to come to you with better news, but I can't. Brenda is back in the hospital and this time it doesn't appear that she'll ever walk back out. This time she's in intensive care. She had a stress-related heart attack last night that did significant damage to that muscle. This is on top of a broken neck for the second time. Brenda's stomach is now swollen to a 9-month pregnancy with triplets (this from her daughter-in-law who is at Brenda's bedside). This is the ascites I told you all about in earlier messages. This infection has now gone into her bloodstream. Brenda is on fluids to keep her blood pressure up however, those same fluids have no where to go out of her body. Though she is on a catheter, it isn't enough. The fluids are going to cause another breakdown in her body system, they just don't know where yet. But when that next whatever happens, Brenda will be pulled off the fluids and nature will be allowed to take its course while keeping her comfortable. She has signed a DNR (Do Not Resusitate) order. I talked to her just a little bit ago. Her breathing is labored, very raspy. Her family has been called in and met this morning with the doctor and Brenda, herself. The doctor says her condition is extreme. She has days to weeks left to live, the doctor unable to give a better idea of the length of time left. All he can say is he "can't speak for God." Brenda has been my closest friend since we were stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma 18 years ago, yet we've never met. To say this is a hard message to write is an understatement. I've been looking into flights to head for Michigan, where she lives to finally meet her and to say good-bye at the same time. :`( Whether I'll go or not, I still don't know. I want to remember Brenda on the other side of my phone and my monitor, not lying in a hospital bed. So I'm caught. I don't know what else to say. It really hurts, though. Be with the Creator, Bren. I love you, my friend. Colleen

Wow. You are both in my prayers. Jen On Sat, Oct 15, 2011 at 4:45 PM, Colleen <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi everyone, > > I had hoped to come to you with better news, but I can't. Brenda is > back in the hospital and this time it doesn't appear that she'll ever > walk back out. This time she's in intensive care. > > She had a stress-related heart attack last night that did significant > damage to that muscle. This is on top of a broken neck for the second > time. > > Brenda's stomach is now swollen to a 9-month pregnancy with triplets > (this from her daughter-in-law who is at Brenda's bedside). This is the > ascites I told you all about in earlier messages. This infection has > now gone into her bloodstream. > > Brenda is on fluids to keep her blood pressure up however, those same > fluids have no where to go out of her body. Though she is on a > catheter, it isn't enough. The fluids are going to cause another > breakdown in her body system, they just don't know where yet. But when > that next whatever happens, Brenda will be pulled off the fluids and > nature will be allowed to take its course while keeping her > comfortable. She has signed a DNR (Do Not Resusitate) order. > > I talked to her just a little bit ago. Her breathing is labored, very > raspy. > > Her family has been called in and met this morning with the doctor and > Brenda, herself. The doctor says her condition is extreme. She has > days to weeks left to live, the doctor unable to give a better idea of > the length of time left. All he can say is he "can't speak for God." > > Brenda has been my closest friend since we were stationed at Fort Sill, > Oklahoma 18 years ago, yet we've never met. To say this is a hard > message to write is an understatement. I've been looking into flights > to head for Michigan, where she lives to finally meet her and to say > good-bye at the same time. :`( Whether I'll go or not, I still don't > know. I want to remember Brenda on the other side of my phone and my > monitor, not lying in a hospital bed. So I'm caught. > > I don't know what else to say. It really hurts, though. > > Be with the Creator, Bren. I love you, my friend. > Colleen > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > -- ~ Jen *Will you help me fight to end breast cancer forever? Ask me how to make a donation to any of the major, national organizations raising money to find a cure. Support me as I walk, snowshoe, snowboard, and anything else I can do to end this. I want my daughter to read about it in a history book - not in her medical chart. *

I am in shock. Knowing the end is coming in the future doesn't seem as close as realizing that it is here. I have had her on the prayer list at church. I pray for her to have peace. Maybe I am wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but I think that is what she needs most. And I pray for her family. Jeanne/jmh --- On Sat, 10/15/11, Colleen <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Colleen <[email protected]> > Subject: [TTTP] BRENDA'S CONDITION > To: [email protected], "jan cortez" <[email protected]> > Date: Saturday, October 15, 2011, 6:45 PM > Hi everyone, > > I had hoped to come to you with better news, but I > can't.  Brenda is > back in the hospital and this time it doesn't appear that > she'll ever > walk back out.   This time she's in > intensive care. > > She had a stress-related heart attack last night that did > significant > damage to that muscle.  This is on top of a broken > neck for the second time. > > Brenda's stomach is now swollen to a 9-month pregnancy with > triplets > (this from her daughter-in-law who is at Brenda's > bedside).  This is the > ascites I told you all about in earlier messages.  > This infection has > now gone into her bloodstream. > > Brenda is on fluids to keep her blood pressure up however, > those same > fluids have no where to go out of her body.  Though > she is on a > catheter, it isn't enough.  The fluids are going to > cause another > breakdown in her body system, they just don't know where > yet.  But when > that next whatever happens, Brenda will be pulled off the > fluids and > nature will be allowed to take its course while keeping her > > comfortable.  She has signed a DNR (Do Not Resusitate) > order. > > I talked to her just a little bit ago.  Her breathing > is labored, very > raspy. > > Her family has been called in and met this morning with the > doctor and > Brenda, herself.  The doctor says her condition is > extreme.  She has > days to weeks left to live, the doctor unable to give a > better idea of > the length of time left.  All he can say is he "can't > speak for God." > > Brenda has been my closest friend since we were stationed > at Fort Sill, > Oklahoma 18 years ago, yet we've never met.  To say > this is a hard > message to write is an understatement.  I've been > looking into flights > to head for Michigan, where she lives to finally meet her > and to say > good-bye at the same time.  :`(    Whether > I'll go or not, I still don't > know.  I want to remember Brenda on the other side of > my phone and my > monitor, not lying in a hospital bed.  So I'm caught. > > I don't know what else to say.  It really hurts, > though. > > Be with the Creator, Bren.  I love you, my friend. > Colleen > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the > subject and the body of the message >

OMG - this is so upsetting, I don't know what to say. Jan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Colleen" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]>; "jan cortez" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, October 15, 2011 6:45 PM Subject: BRENDA'S CONDITION > Hi everyone, > > I had hoped to come to you with better news, but I can't. Brenda is back > in the hospital and this time it doesn't appear that she'll ever walk back > out. This time she's in intensive care. > > She had a stress-related heart attack last night that did significant > damage to that muscle. This is on top of a broken neck for the second > time. > > Brenda's stomach is now swollen to a 9-month pregnancy with triplets (this > from her daughter-in-law who is at Brenda's bedside). This is the ascites > I told you all about in earlier messages. This infection has now gone > into her bloodstream. > > Brenda is on fluids to keep her blood pressure up however, those same > fluids have no where to go out of her body. Though she is on a catheter, > it isn't enough. The fluids are going to cause another breakdown in her > body system, they just don't know where yet. But when that next whatever > happens, Brenda will be pulled off the fluids and nature will be allowed > to take its course while keeping her comfortable. She has signed a DNR > (Do Not Resusitate) order. > > I talked to her just a little bit ago. Her breathing is labored, very > raspy. > > Her family has been called in and met this morning with the doctor and > Brenda, herself. The doctor says her condition is extreme. She has days > to weeks left to live, the doctor unable to give a better idea of the > length of time left. All he can say is he "can't speak for God." > > Brenda has been my closest friend since we were stationed at Fort Sill, > Oklahoma 18 years ago, yet we've never met. To say this is a hard message > to write is an understatement. I've been looking into flights to head for > Michigan, where she lives to finally meet her and to say good-bye at the > same time. :`( Whether I'll go or not, I still don't know. I want to > remember Brenda on the other side of my phone and my monitor, not lying in > a hospital bed. So I'm caught. > > I don't know what else to say. It really hurts, though. > > Be with the Creator, Bren. I love you, my friend. > Colleen > >

So sorry to hear this, will be praying for her, and you . . . Gerry -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Colleen Sent: Saturday, October 15, 2011 3:45 PM To: [email protected]; jan cortez Subject: [TTTP] BRENDA'S CONDITION Hi everyone, I had hoped to come to you with better news, but I can't. Brenda is back in the hospital and this time it doesn't appear that she'll ever walk back out. This time she's in intensive care. She had a stress-related heart attack last night that did significant damage to that muscle. This is on top of a broken neck for the second time. Brenda's stomach is now swollen to a 9-month pregnancy with triplets (this from her daughter-in-law who is at Brenda's bedside). This is the ascites I told you all about in earlier messages. This infection has now gone into her bloodstream. Brenda is on fluids to keep her blood pressure up however, those same fluids have no where to go out of her body. Though she is on a catheter, it isn't enough. The fluids are going to cause another breakdown in her body system, they just don't know where yet. But when that next whatever happens, Brenda will be pulled off the fluids and nature will be allowed to take its course while keeping her comfortable. She has signed a DNR (Do Not Resusitate) order. I talked to her just a little bit ago. Her breathing is labored, very raspy. Her family has been called in and met this morning with the doctor and Brenda, herself. The doctor says her condition is extreme. She has days to weeks left to live, the doctor unable to give a better idea of the length of time left. All he can say is he "can't speak for God." Brenda has been my closest friend since we were stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma 18 years ago, yet we've never met. To say this is a hard message to write is an understatement. I've been looking into flights to head for Michigan, where she lives to finally meet her and to say good-bye at the same time. :`( Whether I'll go or not, I still don't know. I want to remember Brenda on the other side of my phone and my monitor, not lying in a hospital bed. So I'm caught. I don't know what else to say. It really hurts, though. Be with the Creator, Bren. I love you, my friend. Colleen ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message