Sending Healthy Wishes to Karen/Button!

[danilynn]

Karen,

You will be sorely missed and fondly remembered. I wish you peace in your journey.

Danica

[ot dave]

Godspeed Karen.

David

[Jimbob]

Karen;

You have been a constant voice of encouragement to so many of us here on the board. In a lot of ways you have made moderating easier and more enjoyable.

I will miss you greatly. God Bless you and comfort you always as you have comforted so many others.

Jimbob

[Nann-55]

Dearest Karen/Button, just decided to go onto this site and seeing the info of your hospital and at home recovery. I’m praying for you that Gods healing hands are upon you at all times.
You are very special to me and you’ve always helped and responded to all of us Ostmates
In many matters. Your knowledge is priceless.
Hang in there one day at a time and know you are loved.

[Diane C]

Sending peaceful wishes to Karen this week-end in case she's reading. Miss you so much these days. Always will. Hoping your days and nights are pain-free and mind and spirit at ease.

Namaste,

Diane C.

[cdogtom]

much respect for you,sending prayers for a better tomorrow

[To Dream a Dream]

Just wish to keep this thread on the board & let Karen know she is in my thoughts & prayers. Although I realize she can sense all of our efforts on her behalf in her heart. May God keep her close.

[Diane C]

Echoing your thoughts, To Dream. Thoughts of and for Karen are in my and so many others' hearts and minds. Sending peaceful energy her way.

Diane C.

[agichk]

Karen/Button and family:
I just read the latest and so sad I was not on here when you wrote your last note. You have been a great reference in my 3 months on here and wish you the best quality of life for as long as possible. I will miss your very good posts full of information and guidance. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Please know that this forum is here for you if ever needed.

[nickolas]

This is an update on Karen. I belong to another chat forum, Colon Talk, where Karen was also active. We started a thread for her there a while back. I have not communicated with her directly, but BS did. Karen had to go back into the hospital recently for an IV antibiotic therapy. So guess she not quite into hospice yet.

Let's all have a collective prayer for Karen that she can somehow pull out of this. I will update if I learn anything more.

Nickolas/Lee

[agichk]

thank you Nickolas/Lee for the update. will keep her in my prayers to pull thru like she has so many things.

[carl4grace]

Nickolas/Lee,
Thanks for update on Karen/Button. I'm new to the forum. I'm 69 yr old male with 4/4/19 RC from Interstitial Cystitis. This forum is a wealth of information (and support). Karen's posts are succinct & encouraging. I'm praying for Karen, her family, & caregivers.

Carl

[smashms]

Karen i am so sad to hear this you have been my rock for so long. i wish you peace and as pain free transition as possible. you will be missed but i do understand your reasoning. i too have been going thru some tough stuff these past months. mainly a bowel obstruction that just won't give. i have several very large hernias and they won't operate here in my hometown as they are above their expertise. i have found a center that has taken me on as a patient however i need to lose about 40 pounds first. just really hoping to remain as pain free as i can till then. hoping end of july beginning of august for surgery

[Diane C]

More thanks to Lee and more peaceful, supportive thoughts for Karen. Another visit back to the hospital is generally not what I'd wish Karen. I wish her whatever she's hoping for now. Missing her posts and sending her calming waves of soothing energy.

Diane C.

[Button]

What a special group of people is this forum.

The outpouring of collective prayer and goodwill expressed by members here on my behalf has not gone unnoticed nor unappreciated. I could instinctively feel the growing love, care, and hope expressed for my betterment.

I made a slight course correction since my last post, which was intended to be my final post. I opted for continued short term care-and- comfort Palliative Care as opposed to end-of-life care Hospice Care for two reasons:

A. To allow time for my mother to emotionally process my likely passing/demise with 1:1 counseling and partnering with the psychological services offered through Palliative Care. My heart aches as I have witnessed the weighty burdens borne on my mother as my health has declined deeper into the abyss. The well-being of my mother trumps my own needs.

B. To allow sufficient time to see if full-court, multi-modal medical supportive care could provide a turn-around and guide me to a place where my body could sustain a meaningful life.

The last 4-5 months has been a long and taxing slog. Thankfully, my brain has buffered most of specific memories associated with the hospitalizations. I live in a sort of cognitive fog.

Attempts to wean me from the cocktail of strong IV antibiotics has failed. My immune system is not able to garner any sort of internal defenses. The secondary infection occupying my GI tract has prevailed and has the upper hand. My intestinal lining has become “leaky” and the infection has, within the last 24 hours, found way to migrate into my abdominal cavity. I have a fever and drenching sweats.

I am on a large dosing of narcotic, enough to sedate a herd of adult elephants. But the narcotic dosing has only a tiny effect on the strangling abdominal pain.

The referral to hospice has been made.

My accompanies Addison’s disease will make my passing easier. The exogenous corticosteroids that I take each day as treatment for the Addison’s will be withdrawn and it is presumed that I will go into a coma within 2-3 days.

I am saddened that this is my time to transition to Heaven more because I felt as I still had more living to do. Family is precious to me. It saddens me to leave my mother, brother, and step father behind.

I am not afraid of death and dying. The memories of my near-death experience when my intestine initially perforated in early 2012 are in the forefront of my thoughts and let me know that I will be A-OK.

I am adding this post simply because I want to express my gratitude to one and all who have been sending prayer and well-wishes. I have felt the love and comfort. Acts of kindness are never wasted.

Nameste,
Karen