Skip’s death (Friday January 18, 2019) was sudden & quick in its way.

He had been suffering for over the last 3 months with the persistent cough that differed from the regular smoker’s cough.  He was a little stubborn but a real trooper handling the activities of daily living while getting slowly weaker.

We may have had more time to love and communicate and live life a bit more if the cancer had been recognized earlier, in time to treat with chemo torture.  He had small cell lung cancer, (plus pneumonia), which can metastasize quickly, but is treatable if found early.  However, small cell tends to return within months, to organs such as the brain leading to an undesirable death.

In the ER before admission while struggling for breath he told me “I do not want to be a vegetable” (which incidentally he detested all veggies except green beans).

The back story:

October, November, December 2018 Skip developed a persistent cough different from the regular smoker’s cough (in hind sight an ominous cough).  Towards the last few weeks he was having shortness of breath.  He was regularly seeing various doctors:  Family Practice, endocrinologist for thyroid and diabetes management, vascular surgeon follow-ups for leg stents. In December Skip saw the Ear Nose Throat doctor that performed a laryngoscopy procedure and the biopsy specimen showed no cancer.

Undeterred, the next step was the pulmonologist (lung doc) with delays of cancelled appointments, the bronchoscopy was scheduled for January 17th.  He went to Urgent care clinics and received nebulizer treatments, then Monday January 7th went to the ER at 2am.  Had another breathing treatment and was sent home at 4am.  He kind of rallied for a day or two, but was getting weaker.  [with the cough came headaches, neck and back aches, and inability to sleep-major torture].  He dutifully followed all the medical regimen of pills (prednisone, antibiotics, inhalers, and daily pills) with no improvement.  Friday January 11th he was having lower extremity swelling, the same day he visited the VA doc who mentioned it to Skip, who then showed me Saturday.  He went to Urgent care clinic Sunday January 13th.  The Nurse Practitioner sent him to the ER.  In major respiratory distress he was admitted to ICU for treatment and monitoring.  Monday January 14th, he required intubation (insertion of a breathing tube).  Placed on a Propofol drip for sedation, and suctioning of the lung congestion (Pneumonia had developed), he was surviving.  By Wednesday January 16th he had the bronchoscopy that brought the diagnosis of small cell cancer.  After the bronch procedure he required maximum ventilatory support.  Thursday January 17th the propofol drip was suspended but he was not waking up or responding.  His kidneys were failing, so dialysis was scheduled for Friday morning January 18th.  He did not improve during the night, and lost the gag reflex.  Friday morning he was too weak for the dialysis and I was urgently called in at 10am. 

The Last Day:

Skip was not breathing on his own, not peeing, not responding, no gag reflex, blood pressure was dropping.  At 11am in the hospital room with my sister in law, Charlene, doctor and nurse Angie all was reviewed and discussed.  Chaplain Daniel Hicks came in consoled us and said a very nice blessing for a good man.  At 11:30 am Skip’s sister Lucy was able to talk in his ear via cell phone for love and good byes.  At 11:39 am a bolus of Morphine was given.  Then the breathing tube was removed completely by 11:50am.  Skip stopped breathing before 12noon, and was in asystole (heart straight-line) quickly.  Many tears and hugs.

So that is pulling a “Skippy”, 6 days in ICU, then off to heaven, free of his tortured body.

He was able to donate his corneas to the TN organ donor organization.

To be cremated.  We’ll all meet in May or June to take his ashes to Arlington Cemetery Columbarium in Wash DC.  

Written by Jo Ann Koons