Flying with angels

It’s been noted I’ve been MIA for a few weeks – sorry to any who’ve called or emailed and not answered.

Tigger’s sister Kimmyberlee had been sick with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.  She was diagnosed in September (07), and spent the last few months in and out of the hospital.  On Good Friday, she was rushed to Yale hospital with what they suspected was an infection from one of the tubes she had in her, and it went from bad to worse there.  Kimmyberlee fought with her heart and soul, but in the end was too tired, and too sick to keep fighting.  Last Friday she was to have open heart surgery to try to make her heart stronger so she could get to Pittsburg to have a double lung and heart transplant.  Sadly, the doctors couldn’t keep her blood pressure up without the use of high levels of medicines, so she was unable to be transported.  Friday morning they put her in a drug induced paralyzed state, meaning she was knocked out, kind of like a coma.

It was a scary weekend, with several ‘crashes’ where her numbers plumetted and Kimmy and the hospital staff had to fight to get them back up.  Finally Sunday afternoon, her family went in and talked to her and told her that if she wanted to, and had the strength to keep fighting, they’d fight with her and for her.  But if she was too tired, and she was ready to let go, that was okay too, she just needed to give them some kind of sign…let the doctors know that she couldn’t do it anymore.  With in hours, her kidneys and liver started to fail.  Her family decided to let everyone have a chance to say good bye to her, and take her off the meds and respirator.

Kimmyberlee showed the kind of courage throughout her battle that just staggers me, and she’s going to be missed by so many people.  I know…we all know…that she’s in a better place, and she’s not in pain anymore…that she’s flying with angels (which she’d never do while alive, she was terrified of planes!) and watching us.  Kimmyberlee was 22.  She’s one of the sisters that I’ve adopted over the years, and it breaks my heart that she’s gone.

So if you’ve called and I haven’t answered, if you’ve emailed, and I haven’t responded, if we had plans and I had to break them…that’s why.  So leave me alone already.

~Luthie