Jonathan (ジョナサン)

Grandpa Potter

Hello Everyone,

Most of you are aware of the declining health of my Grandfather Potter. Between Parkinson's and heart issues, he has had a tough battle; and even moreso these last several months. He was able to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas with his family.

About a week ago he was moved to 'Hospice', which basically means the last step of his journey (Hospice Concept). Yesterday, the Hospice Doctor came by our house. The Doctor said that he was to be taken off of all his various medications, and put only on morphine or a seditive. The asperations he was having in his lungs had gotten to be quite bad (they were filled with fluids). Basically he was drowning, and having that sensation of drowning; and the Doctor told my family that he had hours to a day left to live. The morphine was to take away the pain, and the feeling of drowning that he would be experiencing. The optimal thing that would happen would be he would fall into a coma and then slip away peacefully, without pain.

The morphine was to be given every hour in his mouth, eventually every 30 minutes if he got more uncomfortable. We also had a seditive that we could give him to help him sleep. I was called at work and told this, so I left right away. I was able to talk to Grandpa a little, though he was barely able to talk. To give him the medicine through the night, Jennifer, Emily and myself setup 3 hour shifts each. Emily was first, then me, and then Jennifer.

When my shift started, at 2:30am, his breathing was already getting more and more labored. I gave him the medicine every 30 minutes, but at this point he wasn't even very responsive, so I would just kiss his head and tell him that I loved him each time. When I went in at 4:00am, his breathing had gotten very very labored, shallow, and difficult. I started to check on him every 2~5 minutes. AT 4:15, I stayed in the room with him for awhile, and his breathes started to be longer and longer, so I went upstairs and woke both Jen and Em, and then downstairs and woke Dad, telling them his breathing was getting very labored, and I didn't think he had much longer. When we got into his room, he had just stopped.

My Grandfather Potter passed away this morning, Jan. 4th, 2008, around 4:20am. I am thankful that God was merciful, and took him quickly so he wasn't in pain. I know I will miss him, but I know that he is in a far far better place, where he is no longer in pain, where he is no longer struggling and unable to control his body.

Please keep my family in your prayers as we prepare things.

-Jonathan

Posted by JP at January 4, 2008 10:29 AM