Her departure came after a week in the hospital and four
days at home on hospice. She ran a low-grade fever at home for three days, but said
she felt fine and refused to go to the doctor. On the fourth day, when her
fever shot up over 100, we went to the hospital. While staying overnight for
observation due to a diagnosis of bronchitis, everything went downhill very suddenly. Final
diagnosis was a massive MRSA infection in her heart, along with all kinds of
other things wrong with the heart. Her only treatment option was open-heart
surgery to repair a hole and several broken valves, put in some stents, and more --and no one thought that
was really an option since she was so frail and her lungs were so weak.
I’m going to keep writing here, even though I’m just one
Lucy now. There are some stories I’d like to tell about Lucy#1’s days in the
hospital, because she definitely did not lose her sense of humor while she was
ill! I’d also like to tell some stories about Lucy#1’s life before she joined
me in Oklahoma, and maybe some stories about all of us who loved her.
Lucy#1 was my favorite Lucy. She is gone from me now. I
miss her. That’s a bummer!
On the other hand, I was blessed with her as my mom for
many years and my housemate for several months, and I have many, many happy,
sad, beautiful, annoying, wonderful, and hilarious memories of her. Those
memories will ensure she will always be with me until we meet again in Heaven. That’s
a blessing!
One last thing: I’m not a preachy person, and I don’t usually go around
telling people what to do. But I am going to say this anyway. I’m saying it
in all caps because I feel that strongly about it.
DO NOT SMOKE.
IF YOU ALREADY SMOKE, STOP. STOP RIGHT NOW!!
IF YOU HAVE NEVER SMOKED, DON’T START! EVER!
IF SOMEONE YOU KNOW SMOKES, ENCOURAGE THAT PERSON TO STOP
RIGHT NOW!!
Lucy#1 started smoking when she was 19 or 20, and even
while she was in the hospital with an oxygen saturation of only 90% (even with
an oxygen mask, only 90%), she told the doctors and nurses that the first thing she would
do when she got home was smoke a cigarette. (There’s a story about that, but
I’ll tell you later.) Her lungs were so damaged that 90% oxygen saturation is
the very best she could ever have, and while 90% sounds like a pretty decent
percentage, trust me that it is not.
(If you don’t trust me, ask a doctor or nurse.) Lucy#1 struggled to breathe in
the best of times. For several years, she would gasp for breath after walking across a room. She had to have morphine at the end of her life, just to help her body relax
enough to breathe. Her lungs were so damaged that her body was panicked because of lack of air. Yes, even while she was asleep, her body struggled to take in enough air. And yes, she had oxygen blowing into her nose to give her air, but her body still struggled. (And the oxygen machine was set on 4. Ask a doctor or nurse what that means. It is not good.)
I am not exaggerating when I say Lucy#1 would probably
have lived many more years had she not smoked. Her heart was damaged, her aorta
was damaged, her lungs were destroyed – all by smoking!
So, live life, enjoy life, love those around
you – and love yourself as well. Don’t smoke!!!
