Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Shortly after Christmas, my uncle Jim was hospitalized. He's suffered from a number of health problems for many years, mostly related to obesity and diabetes, and an unexpected fall was the last straw. Since he's in Wisconsin and I'm in Virginia, my mother and I have had to rely on relatives closer to the scene (mainly my aunt) for reports on his condition. It's been up and down-- there have been several times when it appeared he was close to being released, and then some new problem would materialize and he'd either be transferred to a different unit or to a different hospital entirely. A couple weeks ago, we found out he'd had surgery because of a build-up of air in his intestines; and the last we'd heard, he was in the cardiac intensive care unit at St. Luke's Hospital, and was too weak to be able to speak to anyone.

We still held out some hope for an improvement in his condition, but that's gone now. My aunt called about fifteen minutes ago and told me they're going to take him off all drugs and life support machinery. I hadn't actually been aware until today that he was even on life support-- I suppose my aunt and cousins didn't want my mother and I to worry too much, so they refrained from telling us the situation was that dire until there was no other option. He'll continue on his current treatment for 24 hours, and then they'll take him off of everything. After that, he'll probably be gone within another day.

Even though it's been many years since I last saw my uncle, when he and my aunt took a trip to Williamsburg and stayed at our house, I've always felt closer to him than to any of my other relatives. I'm feeling extremely sad now that I realize I never will see him again... and I'm also worried about how his death will affect my mother. The only time I've heard her as distraught as she was this afternoon was when my father died; and then, she was in far better health and in better shape as far as her mental faculties. I know this is going to be incredibly difficult for her.