Emmy earned her angel wings

Our sweet Emmy took her last breath and earned her angel wings at 7:45 PM on December 8, 2012 with her mommy and daddy at her bedside. She was a true warrior and battled very hard for over 41 weeks, longer than the doctor’s expected, rarely making a fuss about her condition. We miss her terribly but have found comfort in knowing that she is no longer suffering and is now resting peacefully in heaven.

Emmy’s Memorial Video:

The Vigil

Jennifer King
In the quiet of the bitterly cold night, 15 people or maybe more, stood right outside where Emmy was laying. We all braved through it. Some people had brought paper bags and candles for the vigil and lined part of the driveway with their lit candles. The wind blew some candles out while others stayed lit. There were pretty icicle lights on the house that looked like they were dripping.
My daughter Emily had brought a sock monkey to give to Emmy. I knew Emmy probably would never get to see it but I let my daughter Emily give it to her anyways. It meant so much to my child to give and care for another. Before we started praying, my daughter gave Emmy the monkey.
As we prayed, allot of us felt as if Emmy was our child as well. We were fighting back tears while knowing that Emmy would be leaving soon and so so young. Not understanding God’s reasons but loving and caring about her anyways. We prayed for the family because the grieving process is going to take awhile. The anger that they may feel at some point. The ability we have to lift them up in our prayers and supporting them as we can.
Jessie and Jp were by Emmy’s bedside. Seeing Jessie through the window wanting to share his cheese balls with all of us put a smile on all of our faces. People had talked about how Jp and Jessie would understand all of this and how Denny and Tammy would have to maybe keep telling Jp where Emmy was and that would cause them pain to have to say that again and again.
I hold the sights of Emmy’s parents by Emmy’s bedside last night in my heart for the rest of my days. I think I knew something was happening while we were praying. We could see through the window in Denny’s face the expressions of nervousness and wanting to hurry to Emmy’s side. Denny rushed over to her with a wet red towel. He may have been wiping Emmy’s face to help with the fever a bit.

Everyone there last night prayed for healing for the family. Many talked about what if it was your child. None of us could imagine what Denny and Tammy have gone through. I can’t. We sang silent night and Jesus Loves Me. It felt very fitting.
There was a man that came to pray with us from Helping Hands. I think he was a pastor. He had trouble holding back the tears as well. A couple went into the house just after we had finished singing. They went to Emmy’s bedside, held her hand, and kissed her goodbye.
The vigil ended at 7:30 PM. Denny came out to thank all of us for our support through out all of this. Tammy at the end said thank you out the door but was sad and quiet.

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Lillian Sanden Glass

Ever since I was directed to Emmy’s Facebook page, I have been in love with Emmy Mott. I started following Emmy’s Journey in March. NEVER has a story about anything or anyone that I personally did not know affected me the way Emmy and her mom Tammy have. I know that God drew me to this page and then to Tammy. God wanted me to know Emmy and all throughout this I still had never met them, I didn’t want to intrude, didn’t want to break down in front of Emmy, I just didn’t know what to do.
When I read the post about Emmy, God again spoke to me to go to her. I decided to not bother Tammy at this time so I looked at her friends on her page and God led me to Kim Morrow. I sent her a friend request and a message that I felt the need to hold a prayer vigil for Emmy. She wrote back that she also felt the same need, she called someone else, and that person had the same thought. God brought us together.
It was amazing to the point that I was crying and shaking at the same time that God led me to just the person I needed with one try. In a few minutes time Kim had set a prayer service up for 6:30pm. We got busy calling and spreading the word to be at the Mott home. I am so thankful for how quickly we were able to pull this together. It was through God that this happened; he was leading all of us. I don’t know how many were there in the dark, between 15 and 20 I would say. A pastor from the Baptist church was there. I was so emotional I don’t remember his name.
It was a chilly night and it had been raining off and on all day. However, when we all got to the Mott’s house, there was no more rain and luminaries were lit. I met people that I have commented with on Emmy and Tammy’s pages, people I met for the first time last night. We could see the family inside with Emmy. Denny Mott came out and thanked us for being there and how much they appreciated it. Jesse opened the door to come out for a few seconds and then he watched us through the window. This must be so confusing for Jesse, he is just turning three and Emmy is not just a big sister, she is his best friend. My heart hurts for him and what he is losing.
The pastor spoke about Emmy and her journey to heaven and we recited the 23rd Psalm. He then prayed and then some of us prayed and spoke of memories with Emmy. We then sang “Silent Night.” I hope it helped those that were there, it was so hard to accept and admit that this was maybe Emmy’s last time here.
Tammy graciously offered that anyone that wanted to go in to see Emmy could go in. So for the first time I was meeting this precious child and her parents. I have felt like I knew them from all of Tammy’s posts and pictures throughout this journey but it doesn’t prepare you. Emmy looked beautiful but so tiny and frail in her bed. I was able to hold her hand and tell her that I loved her. I was able to say in person to her parents how much I loved their daughter and what a profound effect she has been in my life. It was a very emotional time for me. I thank The Lord for pushing me, leading me, and speaking to me.
I left at 7:30pm. Emmy went to The Lord and her Heavenly Home at 7:45pm. I still can’t get over that. God led us there!!!! God was in that room with us, we were in the presence of Our Father and this Precious Child who was receiving her Wings. Fly Precious Emmy, Fly High, sing and laugh with the Angels. Feel the Love and Peace as The Lord holds you in His Arms. We Love You Baby Girl
*********************************************************
Diania Kjar Janoski

Saturday night I had the honor of attending a prayer vigil for Emmy Mott. I didn’t know what to expect but I just knew I had to be there. I hadn’t yet met Emmy or her family, but I was one of the many many people that prayed heavily for her.
I can’t explain my drawness to this child. I can’t explain my feelings for her that have become so overpowering for me. Maybe it’s because I have four daughters of my own, maybe its because she is a child, maybe because my own soul needed something. I don’t know but for whatever reason I am forever grateful.
I am also forever grateful for Tammy and Denny allowing me to come into their home and allowing me to meet Emmy. I gave her a kiss, told her I loved her and I held her tiny warm hand.
It was very cold out and the wind had picked up. Some of us couldn’t feel our hands as we held our candles and flashlights. But it didn’t matter. We had to give our pleas to God the Father one more time.
As we were listening to the Pastor, I watched Tammy thru the window tending to Emmys needs. I saw Denny walking around, nervous. I saw little Jesse looking at us thru the window, wanting to offer cheese puffs. He looks like Emmy. I kept wondering what was going thru his little mind.
I couldn’t stop crying. I looked at the cool lights Tammy had on the house. Christmas lights that mimicked icicles. My eyes were so full of water that they looked huge to me.
I am grateful for the new friends I have made thru Emmy. Unbelievable.
If I have learned anything from God THRU Emmy, it’s that my heart has not become cold from cancer and death. I have lost so many of my family to cancer and I had found myself becoming hard. Emmy taught me I still have a heart and I still care, very much.
Thank you Angel Emmy and thank you Motts for allowing me and so many others to be a part of this journey. And as much as it hurts and as much as myself and others have wept and cried out to God, I am thankful for Emmy. Her life and death were not in vain. Thank you Emmy Girl. I pray you knew and know how very very special you are and what you did to so many of us. I love you.

Something feels different

December 8, 2012

Emmy awoke with another fever yesterday. Between fevers and vomiting, she is exhausted. Last night, she looked a little different to me. I told Denny I didn’t know what it was exactly, but something felt different. She wanted to rock with me in the rocking chair. We rocked for a while and I sang her favorite lullabies to her. After about an hour, she wanted to go back to her bed.
She grew warmer and warmer through the evening. By 3am, I was giving her medications again to reduce her fever. Her oxygen levels and heart rate were good, but she indicated she wanted her oxygen. She remained on her oxygen through the night.
This morning she did not wake. She is currently unresponsive and resting peacefully. I fear she has moved into a comatose state. Her fever is at 105 degrees, but her beautiful little feet are like ice cubes. She has labored breathing. She is not responding to our voices or touch, but I know she hears me. I have been administering additional medications to keep her comfortable. She looks like a peaceful sleeping angel.
I will be praying this part of the journey is peaceful and comfortable for Emmy. I pray she is not afraid. I pray she knows it is ok to go. I pray she knows we will all be ok. I pray she knows it won’t be long until we are all together again. I pray she knows how much we all love her. I pray I told her it enough to get her through until we see each other again. I pray she knows it isn’t good-bye; it is “I love you and I’ll miss you, but I will see you later.”
Thank you to everyone for your continued thoughts and prayers. Please pray that if this is Emmy’s “when” her transition will be free from pain or fear.

A Journey To Heaven

Chapter Two

The Adoption of Emmy

 

Tammy Brodowski Mott

            On a summer day at the end of June 2008, the phone rang.  It was Ellen Miller from Catholic Charities.  She called to tell us about a baby girl that needed a home.  The home she was currently in was for temporary foster placement.

“Would you be interested in taking her in as a pre-adoptive foster placement child?” She asked.  The family she is staying with needs someone to take her for a weekend in July while they go away.  Could you do respite (temporary) care for them?” 

I was so excited.  It had been eighteen months since our first pre-adoptive foster child returned to his birth parents.  I had prayed very hard for another child.

“I will have to talk with Denny, but I am pretty sure he will say yes.”  I replied.

I couldn’t wait to meet what could possibly turn out to be our new baby girl.  I contemplated how I could love someone so much since I haven’t even met her.  Mom and I took the minivan to pick her up.  I was anxious and nervous as we drove down the street looking for the house.  We pulled up in front of the house to the curb.  They opened the front door and brought out this baby girl to us. 

“Oh mom, look at her, she’s so beautiful’ I excitedly exclaimed.

She looked like an angel all dressed in white.  She had the most beautiful sun kissed golden color to her skin.  Her dark brown hair was short and straight.  Her eyes were the biggest eyes I had ever seen.  With their distinctive black rims around the iris’s and vivid reddish orange around the pupils that made them look dark brown.  They slanted slightly but were so full of expression.  She was plump and round.  She had huge rosy red chubby cheeks.  Her most distinguishing feature was her beautiful smile.  I took one look at her and couldn’t help but smile back.  I knew I wanted her to be mine forever.  I settled her into a car seat, smiled at my mom and said, “I’m keeping her, she’s perfect”

We all fell in love with her.  It was hard to take her back after that weekend.  We counted the minutes until the day we could bring her back home with us again.  Days went by that turned into weeks.  Weeks went by.  We waited with anxious anticipation.  Then, that day came on July 25, 2008.  It was 29 days, 20 hours, and 30 minutes.  Or maybe it was 32 minutes, from the time she had been with us.  We were so excited.  However, the worrying would just begin.  We had been through this before and in this position.  We knew of the lengthy adoption process.  We knew that there was a possibility her birth parents could receive custody.  This whole emotional roller coaster process was something we were willing to ride again.

The legal proceedings progressed according to the courts schedule.  In November 2008, the court changed the legal goal to adoption.  This meant that the birth parents visits would discontinue.  We knew now that things were moving in the right direction.  In June of 2009, a hearing occurred for termination of parental rights.  The judge granted thirty days for a fact-finding hearing before he would make his decision.  This whole process caused a lot of anxiety for us all.  It had already been eleven months!  We knew nothing was permanent until the adoption was final.

Denny and I discussed possible girl’s names prior to the adoption.  It took a long time to come up with a name.  One on which we could both agree.  We chose Emily after Denny’s great-grandmother and Katherine after my great-grandmother.  Her nickname would be Emmy Kate. 

The waiting was excruciating.  Finally, after thirteen long drawn out months, in the middle of August 2009 we received the important phone call.  The judge had terminated parental rights.  Now we could move forward with the adoption.  Two weeks later, September 2, 2009, was one of the best days of our lives.  It took only 15 minutes and twenty seconds, or was that 30, for the adoption to be final.  The attorney asked, “What name are you choosing for this child?”  We replied, “Emily Katherine Mott.”  The name “Kate” never seemed to stick and she simply became our beautiful Emmy.

A Journey To Heaven

The Doctors gave her eight weeks to live. God had other plans. Her story touched hearts of thousands of people. People turned to Christ in faith. This is the story of my Granddaughter Emmy’s journey. A Journey To Heaven

Chapter One

 

The Diagnosis

Tammy Brodowski Mott

I noticed Emmy’s left eye had turned inward.  She was unable to use her muscle to move her eye in any direction except inward.  Her walking seemed to be different.  Her balance seemed to be off and she was falling a lot.  She also seemed to be slightly drooling.  Emmy was posturing her left hand as if it were arthritic.  I had her squeeze my fingers.  There was significant weakness on the left side compared to the right side of her body.  She was like a person that had a stroke. I took her to our pediatrician.  They consulted with the neurological department at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.  They agreed she needed an MRI.  Due to the scheduling wait time, they suggested we bring her to Pittsburgh though the emergency room.

We arrived at the emergency room at 5 PM.  I had packed an overnight bag just in case.  I described to them the different signs and symptoms I had seen that day.  The staff seemed to exhibit a sense of urgency, an urgency I hadn’t felt until that moment.  The ER was extremely busy.  The frowns on their faces with their wrinkled up foreheads indicated we needed to get Emmy to the ER right away.  ER intake staff rushed to the phones to make emergency calls.  Then they rushed Emmy to an examining room while others returned to the waiting area.  Doctors and nurses immediately began their examination. I hadn’t processed until now that something could be seriously wrong.  We waited anxiously while another emergency took priority each time Emmy was next. 

The doctors decided to conduct a CT scan instead while they waited for the MRI to become available.  Emmy was so scared.  I kept telling her that the CT scan was just like all the pictures that I take of her, but with a big camera.  She just had to sit very, very still for a minute or two and then it would be over.

 She loved the undersea adventure decorations of the CT room.  There were fish and aquatic life everywhere, even on the big camera.  Emmy was a trooper, so brave.  Her eyes were wide as they expressed how terrified she felt.  However, she smiled and giggled while saying, “Me ok Mommy.”  I held her hand and sang her favorite nursery rhyme “Baby Mine” from Dumbo until the CT was over. We anxiously waited for the CT scan results.  I could tell by the doctor’s face, as she came toward me, that something was wrong.  She said, “Mrs. Mott THERE IS A MASS IN EMMY’S HEAD.”  We need an MRI for more information.  She kept talking, but all I could hear was her repeating THERE IS A MASS IN EMMY’S HEAD.  She kept mentioning that a team of physicians would review the MRI results as soon as it is completed.  Part of the team would be Neurological Oncology.  Wait a minute, I thought, Neurological Oncology.  Do they think this mass is cancerous?  How could this be?  We came here to have an MRI rule out any serious issues.  I asked the question I was afraid to ask, “Are you thinking this mass is cancerous?”  “Yes, I am so sorry.” was her reply.

I immediately called my husband Dennis.  I couldn’t give him any information other than THERE IS A MASS IN EMMY’S HEAD that the doctors think might be cancerous.  She needed to have an MRI.  Denny was in shock.  He fought to hold back the tears.  He had so many questions for which I did not yet have answers.  It was so hard for him to be at home while we were at the hospital.  My mom came with me to the hospital so Denny could stay home and take care of our boys.  Never did we think this was what the doctors would tell us.

The first year of our marriage Denny had a mass on his right hip.  He went in for a biopsy.  He then was asked to come into the office with me so that we “could talk” which was code for we have bad news.  They told us that Denny had a rare, very aggressive cancer, a peripheral nerve sheath tumor.  Immediate removal was necessary.  After a course of radiation, Denny remained cancer free.

Ok, as hard as this may be, I accept this.  What do we do now to treat Emmy?  The MRI was the next crucial step to determine exactly what we were dealing with.  It was 11:30 pm and too late for an MRI.  They admitted Emmy to a room for the night.  The nurse asked me, “Is there anything else you need?”  What a loaded question, I thought.  Did she really want to know what I needed?  I needed for all of this to be over.  I needed my little girl to be fine.  I needed us to be home in our beds sleeping.  I needed some answers to what was happening. 

“Try to get some rest,” she said.  They have scheduled the MRI for 1pm tomorrow.” Emmy would not be able to eat or drink anything until it was completed.  I knew she was going to be miserable waiting.  How could I sleep?  I stayed up most of the night watching her sleep amongst the beeps and noises from all the attached machines.  Every time I heard her little voice say “Mommy, come sleep with me,” I would move from my bed on the floor to her hospital bed.

Nurses rushing to get Emmy awoke us in the morning.  There had been a cancellation.  Emmy could go at 7 am.  Thank you God, we are finally moving forward towards answers, I thought.

A young doctor came into the room.  He looked exhausted.  He had been on call for neurology all night.  He seemed so young.  He had brushed back his sandy blonde hair.  I remember he was wearing cowboy boots.  They were brown leather and worn like a favorite pair of comfortable trusty reliables.  I thought that wearing cowboy boots to work was unusual for a doctor.  He asked me if I knew what was happening.  Did I have any questions?  I asked question after question.  Was this cancerous?  What kind of cancer?  What were our treatment options?  Did she need chemo?  What were the survival rates?  He said he just wasn’t sure until he sees the completed MRI.  He walked us down the hall towards imaging and said, “I will talk with you when you get back.”

Emmy was so scared.  She came out of anesthesia disoriented.  She did not like the blood pressure cuff or oxygen indicator.  “Mommy, me want to go home.”  “Mommy, me want to go home.”  “I know baby, I said.  I want to go home too.  You have been so brave.  We can’t go home until we talk with the doctors.  We will go back to your room soon and you can watch TV and rest.”  We waited for what seemed like forever.  We watched a Winnie the Pooh movie and ordered sandwiches, broccoli and fruit.  Emmy ate all her food.  Mom and I didn’t feel like eating.  Finally, a team of physicians, nurse practitioners, and social workers came into the room.  They asked me all the same questions I had answered the day before.  Again I told them our story. 

The head doctor was Dr. Jakacki.  “Is your husband Denny on his way,” She asked.  “No, I replied, he is home with our boys.  Does he need to be here?” 

“Let’s all go to a conference room and get Denny on a conference call.  That way he will be available as well so that I can answer any questions he may have.”

Dr. Jakacki asked, “Why did your mother come with you instead of Denny?”  Her questioning made me feel uneasy. 

“We left for Pittsburgh prior to him being able to get out of work,” I said.  “We felt it was best for Denny to stay at home with the boys since we weren’t sure how long we would need to be in Pittsburgh.”

“Our family is already under stress,” I said.  Denny has undergone a follow up at the RegionalCancerCenter a couple weeks ago.  “His lymph nodes appeared abnormally enlarged.  A  PETSCAN indicated some concern with the area around his lungs.  The biopsy is four days from now on Monday.  Our twelve year old is Autistic.  We have a very active two year old as well.  We already have so much on our plate.”

“Tell me about your children,” Dr, Jakacki said.  “They are all adopted, I replied.  My oldest boy is from Ukraine.  We brought him home when he was twenty-two months old.  The other two are biological siblings.  They are pre-adoptive foster-care placements through Catholic Charities children’s services.  I had three previous children placed with us as pre-adoptive placements.  All of them returned to biological family.  As hard as it was to experience losing them, I truly feel that everything happens for a reason.  If things had worked out differently with them, we wouldn’t have the family we have today.  We feel blessed given the opportunity to love such amazing children.  We feel our family is finally complete.”

Denny was on the phone for the conference call.  Dr. Jakacki said, “This is what the MRI indicated.  Emmy has a mass in her brain.  It is a Pontine Glioma or Brain Stem Glioma.  It is located in the pons part of the brain.  This is the area that controls connections from the brain to the spinal cord as well as eye movements, face muscle control, swallowing and breathing.  The tumor is diffusely infiltrating (a tumor that spreads within the area). Surgical removal is impossible.  Doing a biopsy or surgically trying to remove the tumor would essentially kill her.  This type of tumor most often affects children between five and ten years old.  A daily regiment of radiation treatment for six weeks along with a steroid could possibly take Emmy back to baseline, where she was prior to symptoms.  The steroid would cause weight gain, a veracious appetite, and severe behavioral issues.  She would need to be under anesthesia daily for the radiation treatment to occur.  There is a possibility that the radiation could make things worse.  If the radiation is effective, it is only temporary.  The tumor will come back usually within three to six months and at that time, no course of treatment will be effective.  It will be extremely aggressive.  The average life expectancy with radiation is nine months to one year and without is only six to eight weeks.  Her weaknesses will grow stronger.  Her eyes may get worse.  She will eventually no longer be able to walk.  Her facial muscles will change.  She will no longer be able to smile.  Chewing will become more difficult.  She will no longer be able to swallow.  She will grow more and more tired.  The little girl you now know will eventually disappear into a coma.  She may develop hydrocephalus.  After a week or so in a coma’ she will die.  As awful as this seems, the death process will be very peaceful for her.  Knowing all of this, what step do you want to take next?  There is no right or wrong decision.  You need to make the decision that is best for your family and we will support you and Emmy the best that we can.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  I had already made up my mind that we would fight this.  We would get through this just as we had done before with Denny.  I could never have imagined that there would be no treatment.  No matter what we decided to do, there was only one outcome, death.  I was in a daze.  I couldn’t concentrate on the doctor remarks.  I kept hoping I was in some sort of horrible nightmare and I would wake up any minute.  It was hard to breathe.  The room seemed smaller and smaller, closing in on me.  My chest hurt, my heart hurt with stabbing pains.  I could hardly swallow.  There was a basketball size lump in my throat.  I tried holding back the tears, wiping the corners of my eyes to keep them from running down my face. 

As I looked around the room, everyone was staring down at the table.  They too were trying to hold back their emotions.  I could tell from the crackle in Denny’s voice on the phone that he was as upset and in as much disbelief as I.  “Thank you for being so honest with us.  We appreciate all of the facts.  Tammy and I have a lot to talk about before we can give you our decision,” he responded.

The conference call concluded with Denny.  I told the team of hospital staff that I was sure I knew what Denny’s decision was going to be.  He would not want Emmy to undergo lengthy treatments that would make her miserable when the outcome would still be DEATH.  I still needed to talk to him.  I returned to Emmy’s room to find her asleep.  Mom was knitting.  She asked, “Well, what did they have to say?”  I replied, “It isn’t good Mom.”  I informed her of everything that Dr. Jakacki had told us.  Mom, Emmy’s life expectancy without treatment is only six to eight weeks.“  Her jaw dropped in disbelief.  “Mom, I just don’t know what to do.”  Her face was an expression of confusion.  Her first reaction was we must pursue treatment.  I felt that she wanted us to do whatever necessary to have Emmy with us for as long as possible.  She too fought back the tears.  She was hurting, but wanted to be strong for Emmy and me.

As hard as it was, it was time to make some phone calls.  I needed to notify family and people at work.  I needed to call Dad and his wife Ellen.  I needed to get all the paperwork started so I could be on family medical leave.  I needed to get home so that Denny and I could make one of the hardest decisions we would ever have to make in our lives.  I needed to be with Denny.

 I also needed some alone time.  I decided to take a shower.  I couldn’t hold it back in anymore.  It was so unbearable, so overwhelming.  I sobbed uncontrollably, gasping for air as my limp body slumped against the shower wall.  The tears kept coming and coming like waterfalls from a mountain of sorrows.  “God haven’t we been through enough already?  Why is this happening to my family?”  I screamed out.  “You gave her to us as a precious gift.  She is just a little girl.  She is only three-years-old.  My God, my God, why, why, why is this happening?”  My body was shaking.  “How can I be strong for her?  Am I making the right decision?  Will I question my decision later?  Will I regret the choices I have made?  Lord, give me the strength and wisdom to make the right decision.  The decision that is best for my family.  What are we going to do now?”

Week 28

  

Today ends week 28. By all the recent posts, you can see that Emmy is doing great. She has really enjoyed getting out and about these past few weeks. She has had the opportunity to enjoy some awesome activites with great family and friends. She has had a wonderful summer. We are so thankful that God has allowed her to enjoy so many summer activities. She loved camping over Labor Day. She does have another UTI and her antibiotic makes her sick to her tummy daily, but this hasn’t slowed her down. She was out tonight in her car racing Jesse on his tractor. Jesse had the advantage. He weighs less, so his tractor went faster than her car. We have decorated our house with lovely Fall decorations. Emmy is excited for Fall and Halloween. Then she can focus on Santa. Nothing like rushing winter. I pray that she continues to do well so that she can enjoy her upcoming favorite Holidays. With the help of a lot of people, during this past year we have tried to provide Emmy opportunites to celebrate her favorite Holidays. It would be so awesome for her to be able to celebrate on the actual Holiday. We are so blessed. Thank you again to everyone for your continued prayers. Every day is another miracle.

August 5, 2012

 

Emmy slept on and off throughout the day today. When she was awake, she seemed much more alert. Her speech was more understandable and her eyes were wide open and bright. Her coloring is better too. She did not complain of any aches or pains today. She did get sick after taking her antibiotic tonight. She really doesn’t like the taste and it causes a gag reflex even after chasing it with a drink. Her eating is minimal, but she is drinking lots of fluids. She seems to be feeling much better. Thank you for all your prayers.

 

August 4, 2012

Emmy seems to be doing better today. She is not nearly as uncomfortable. She slept from yesterday around 4:30 pm until 5:00 am this morning. She fell back asleep at 10:00 am and slept until 2 pm. She has been up since then so she should sleep good tonight. She is really groggy and mumbles a lot when she talks which makes it difficult to understand her. She gets so frustrated with us when we don’t know what she is saying. The antibiotic must be helping. She asked to go outside this evening. We took her for a walk around the yard in her wheelchair and then she was ready to go back in. It was brief, but at least she got out of bed and outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. She enjoyed feeding the fish in the water garden. When we went back inside, she wanted to sit on the couch. This is the first time she has been out her of bed (except for baths) since last Friday. Now we just need to get her eating a little more so she can get some strength back. She is so tired and weak. Good thing she has a nice reserve to last her until she is ready to eat. She has lost weight, but she still has some chub to get her through. Thank you again for continued prayers.

August 3, 2012

Emmy finally fell asleep at 4:30 this afternoon and is sleeping comfortably. Hospice was here for a visit today. They flushed her port and did a straight catheter to get a urine sample. The lab results indicated Emmy has a UTI. Bless her little heart. It is no wonder she has been so uncomfortable and unable to sleep. She is now on antibiotics so hopefully that will make her more comfortable.

 She has been itching and scratching non stop the past couple of days so we have also given her Benadryl. Between the Benadryl, the rest of her medications, lack of sleep and her recent discomfort, I am guessing that Emmy will sleep until tomorrow morning. Tonight should be a good night for all of us to get some rest. Hopefully she will wake feeling a little better. Thank you again to everyone for continued prayers.

August 2, 2012

It has been a pretty rough day today. Emmy woke at 4:30 am very restless, and complaining of headaches and tummy aches. By 7:15 am she was back asleep to rest. She woke back up at 11:45. Her entire day has been extremely restless. She just can’t seem to get comfortable. She is very fidgety, constantly moving, itching all over, reaching for something, asking for one thing to change her mind to another. Nothing seems to make her content. She is fighting sleep tonight. She can’t seem to settle. She says she doesn’t want to fall asleep. I rocked her in the rocking chair for an hour and a half before she finally settled to sleep. I put her back in her bed and she is starting to become restless again. She has been awake since 11:45 am. I am guessing that once she finally falls asleep, she will sleep for awhile. It looks like it could be a long night. Thank you for continued prayers. I am praying that she finds peace and comfort so that she can get some rest.