That's the end of this blog.  I have a new blog here.


To those who don't know the history, this is not the story of Liam's life - just the last year of her life. The rest of her mostly joyful [but not always] life and her extra-special personality is not yet documented - except for what's in our hearts. 

Liam

Our Liam

3-11-1995  -  9-4-2010

Tears

 

 

No more visits, please

Dear friends,


We wish for no more visits at this time.  We appreciate all the support and love everybody poured on us.  We need some time to be alone.


("Alone?" asked Toad, "why does Frog want to be alone?  He has me for a friend.")

Types

My Spin For Kids campaign. Thank you.


Please respect visiting hours. Thanks.


Types of tears

• Decision making tears.
  
• Signing papers tears.
• Announcement tears.
• Reading email tears.
• Hugging tears.  (No really, stop hugging me!!!)
• Thoughts about others' tears.
• Thoughts about Meitav tears.
• Memory tears.
• Nurses (that we love and will never forget) tears (shouldn't they be  strong, immune to that kind of stuff)?
• Unexplained and uninvited tears - especially when you're driving or in the middle of a work meeting.

The most difficult thing is...

• Not death itself, but deciding on it for somebody else - somebody you love. someone who's part of your own self.
• Not death itself, but waiting for it.
• To look into Liam's open, wondering, curious, beautiful eyes - after the decision was made - asking what's going on.
• To feel her little hand squeeze my finger. 
• To know, yes know, that she doesn't want to go, but she doesn't have the strength to stay.  That's also another type of tears.
  

What's easy?

• To crawl into Liam's bed, to hug her, to feel her warm skin.

What's hard?

• To crawl into Liam's bed, to hug her, to feel her warm skin.  (No, that's not a typo.)

Liam Visiting Hours

My Spin For Kids campaign. Thank you.

Dear all,
We have farmed out visiting hours for people to say goodbye to Liam.   Please help us through this tough period by adhering to the rules:

• Visiting hours are 4-6 PM.
• It's strongly advised to still call BEFORE you come.  Call Rudra, 404 957 7402.
• Please come in to say goodbye for 5-10 minutes only.  You're all welcome to sit outside on the porch longer than that, of course.

As this is an extremely stressful and sensitive period, please be aware that we may ask you to leave at any time - due to our own family needs.  Please understand it and don't take offense.

If you can delay your visit until after Liam's transition, that may help us.

Thanks.

The family.

The Final Road

Dear Friends,

Liam's condition worsened seriously over the past weekend.  On Monday, 8/30/2010, we decided against  any further treatment.  She's entering hospice care at home.  The only treatment given will be to keep her comfortable.

 Liam touched the life of so many of us.  I'm sure many people want to come say goodbye.  Please allow us time to settle down with Liam at home and refrain from visiting and calling (including Rachel's cell phone).  We know you care and love and cry with us.   We will post visiting hours - when we're ready.  Please respect the family's requests.  

Many tears.

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Watching football together again

My Spin For Kids campaign. Thank you.



It's Friday night.  The Falcons are playing a pre-season game.  I turned the TV on.   Back before all this mess started, Liam used to be my sports buddy.  Liam, who was asleep all day (and most of the last several days), heard the TV and opened her eyes.  She gave two most unconvincing OOOWWWies, then just laid there with her eyes wide open.  We read a few stories (one eye kept on the game), then she went back to sleep, leaving me to suffer the Falcons alone.

Here's where things stand:
It looks like the fungus is on its way out - if not completely out already.  Earlier this week the culture came back negative and we were very hopeful that it was gone.  But that was only after 8 and 16 and 24 hours.  These results all came back negative.  But then the 36-hours culture of 8/24 came back positive.  Bummer.  However, it was explained to us that the more it takes the fungus to show up in the lab, the weaker it gets.  And indeed, the culture from 8/25 is negative.  We're hopeful that it will continue like that.  (OOOF, these Falcons are just terrible.)  Where were we?  

Earlier this week Liam had also problems breathing.  They had to put the oxygen mask on her.  Meanwhile things got better.  She is with her usual nose-thingy fro breathing.

Since they removed the vas-cath out on Tuesday, Liam didn't have any dialysis this week.  So far so good.  The target, as far as I know, is to restore a new vas-cath on Monday.  That of course is depended on the infection.

Ok Liam, I know you love football, but this game is just awful.