JeniJohnson
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2008
- Messages
- 661
The last 2 days of my life have been turned upside down with one phone call. My only "big" brother had a stroke and when they treated him with a "clot buster" he had a massive brain bleed. He was paralyzed on his left side, could no longer speak or breath on his own. He was put on a ventilator. That is not even the worst of it. This all happened 20 days ago...yes almost 3 weeks ago he had a stroke and was taken to a hospital 3 hours from my home. When he went down he had a social security card in his pocket and no other ID on him. He had no phone with him. For 20 days the hospital has been looking for his "family".
It breaks my heart that for 20 days he was awake enough to know we were not there for him. Proably wondering why we were not there. By the grace of GOD someone in a church mentioned something about my brother having a stroke and they could not find his family and they happened to know how to reach his son who called me.
My brother stands no chance of recovering and I have had to make a heart wrenching decision to stop all agressive life support including taking him off the ventilator. NO ONE should ever stand in my shoes.
We removed him from the ventilator this morning and he is still breathing on his own but he is now under hospice care and still terminal. He will be with us for only a few more days.
Why am I telling you my personal story.....so that all my friends will think about what they would want done in the event something horrible happened to you. I did not know my brothers wishes but I knew what kind of life he lived and being paralyzed on a vent was not what he would want. All day yesterday and until we removed the vent I second guessed myself....I am doing ok tonight knowing I made the best decision that I could. Also please carry something on your person so in the event your friends and family are not around they can be reached. I suffer more grief knowing my brother was alone for almost three weeks than removing the vent. How many races do we all go to and your fellow racers don't know who to call in the event of a emergency? Why can't we add a spot on the entry forms for a emergency contact number? Just a suggestion.
Please keep my family in your prayers through this time. Thanks jj
It breaks my heart that for 20 days he was awake enough to know we were not there for him. Proably wondering why we were not there. By the grace of GOD someone in a church mentioned something about my brother having a stroke and they could not find his family and they happened to know how to reach his son who called me.
My brother stands no chance of recovering and I have had to make a heart wrenching decision to stop all agressive life support including taking him off the ventilator. NO ONE should ever stand in my shoes.
We removed him from the ventilator this morning and he is still breathing on his own but he is now under hospice care and still terminal. He will be with us for only a few more days.
Why am I telling you my personal story.....so that all my friends will think about what they would want done in the event something horrible happened to you. I did not know my brothers wishes but I knew what kind of life he lived and being paralyzed on a vent was not what he would want. All day yesterday and until we removed the vent I second guessed myself....I am doing ok tonight knowing I made the best decision that I could. Also please carry something on your person so in the event your friends and family are not around they can be reached. I suffer more grief knowing my brother was alone for almost three weeks than removing the vent. How many races do we all go to and your fellow racers don't know who to call in the event of a emergency? Why can't we add a spot on the entry forms for a emergency contact number? Just a suggestion.
Please keep my family in your prayers through this time. Thanks jj
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