It certainly has been a crazy start for the year 2008. Between the news from Léia, my grandfather passing away, and starting a new school, things have been hectic.
I have my first official student at my school, and we started classes on Wednesday, the 16th. There has been lots of other interest from mother's that saw me there teaching. Today I might very well have several more students sign-up. I'll also be going through the process of making some calls, and handing out fliers, and other misc. advertisement plans.
The mission trip scheduled for the end of May has been moved up, and I am actually able to go on it. It will be during Spring Break, March 15th to the 23rd to Thailand and Laos. I'm excited, and it should be a great trip.
I have to go to work, but I'll try and do a better update later, maybe those pictures that I've been promising. It's raining outside... that should be fun.
TUMEO.
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