[nagdu] Later Oct. update, Ed died

Mon Oct 26 10:21:23 UTC 2009

Toni,
    I read with sadness the news of Ed's transition! He is a person who made 
a significant impact in the lives of all service animal users and will be 
missed deeply!
    I believe I know how difficult it must have been to write the message 
you sent to us concerning his illness and your hopes for his recovery! Many 
of us were holding Ed in our thoughts and prayers, believing his fighting 
spirit would pull him through. I believe he is now completely healed and is 
at peace! Though his physical form is no longer with us, his spirit will 
live forever in his accomplishments and the difference he has made in our 
lives. It is an honor to have known Ed and I am grateful for the 
contribution he has made to our Movement! I will remember him forever and 
promise to continue his advocacy through mine!

Peace & Blessings for both Ed & you!
Marion Gwizdala

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ed and Toni Eames" <eeames at csufresno.edu>
To: <Recipient list suppressed:>
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 12:05 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Later Oct. update, Ed died

>
>>Oct. 25 2009 update
>>
>>Hi all,
>>
>>Ed did not go to rehab as planned on Oct. 16.  The doctors could not 
>>control his fluctuating high white count, so he stayed at St. Agnes until 
>>he could build strength and endurance.  The first stroke hit on Oct. 9, 
>>and Ed made slow progress during the next few days.  On Tuesday, the 13, 
>>he had a sleepy day, and I was scared.  But on Wednesday, he rallied and 
>>grew stronger and stronger.
>>
>>The first step in physical therapy was getting Ed to sit up in a stretcher 
>>chair.   This is a great device where the patient is rolled from bed onto 
>>a stretcher, strapped in for safety, then gradually raised into a sitting 
>>position.  The lift  Ambulation Team is made up of very muscular men to 
>>help with transfers from bed to chair, and they were extremely nurturent 
>>guys.  Once in the stretcher chair, Ed could be fed his thickened diet. 
>>He never complained about the food and continually practiced the 
>>swallowing techniques recommended by the speech therapist.  Actually, this 
>>swallowing technique is good for those of us who eat too fast.  Each time 
>>you swallow a bite of food, take time to do another swallow with an empty 
>>mouth.  Here's another exercise:  hold the tip of your tongue between your 
>>teeth, keep your chin down and swallow.  If you tackle that, put your 
>>tongue further out between your teeth and swallow.  These exercises were 
>>to enable Ed to eat regular food.  As a food lover, Ed obsessed about 
>>making progress until he could eat a hamburger and drink water and a beer!
>>
>>When Ed was diagnosed with diabetes several years ago, we had many battles 
>>about his not walking around the house barefooted.  When he received a 
>>pair of fleece-lined slippers from Eve Hoopes for the holidays in 2006, he 
>>diligently wore them.  During his hospital stay, he obsessed about having 
>>the slippers handy.  In his mind, they signified walking again.  When the 
>>LAT guys helped him sit in the stretcher chair and later a regular chair, 
>>he insisted on wearing his slippers rather than the hospital socks.
>>
>>Ed became a favorite among staff.  He always treated them with courtesy, 
>>letting them know how much he appreciated their assistance.  As his speech 
>>improved, he chatted with everyone who came into his room.  He appreciated 
>>the many visitors and I needed the distraction of phone calls and friends.
>>
>>On the 18th puppy raiser Mary Flynn took Keebler and Latrell to her home 
>>for a run in her yard.  Then Mary and her daughter Brenna took the Goldens 
>>for a long walk.  It was a wonderful break from the dogs being cooped up 
>>in the hospital room.  Earlier in the week, former puppy raisers Anita and 
>>son Eric took the fur kids on a similar outing.
>>
>>In some ways, Ed was charmingly child-like during this first week.  He 
>>greeted everyone with joy, and practiced leg lifts as prescribed by the 
>>physical therapist, arm stretches advised by the occupational therapist 
>>and swallowing.  His motivation to get well and come home was over the 
>>chart.  We both took joy and encouragement with every success, no matter 
>>how small.
>>My friend Richard Stone suggested I write down my fears, and the list got 
>>pretty long.  Would Ed have significant disabilities requiring us to move 
>>from our two storey town house?  With a left side weakness, would he be 
>>able to work Latrell, or would Latrell need to be trained on the right? 
>>With my spinal stenosis, would I have the physical strength to assist Ed? 
>>The list is a lot longer, but I didn't allow myself to prepare for the 
>>worst!
>>
>>When I arrived with my two precious guides on Saturday, the 17th, Ed was 
>>sitting in a regular chair chatting with the nurse' aid.  After regaling 
>>his morning visitors, he got tired and was put back in bed.  He hadn't 
>>eaten much of his lunch and had already been given an insulin shot.  His 
>>sleep was restless and it turned out he had a hypoglycemic episode.  After 
>>being given sugar by the nurse, he came out of his fog with a almost manic 
>>demeanor.  Dr. Heller, the hospitalist, told Ed rehab was scheduled for 
>>Monday.  Ed was ecstatic and chatted nonstop to the doctor, praising St. 
>>Agnes' open acceptance of our guide dogs, puppy raisers and therapy dogs. 
>>He captured the doctor's interest with reminiscences of hospital access 
>>denials satisfactorily solved through the intervention of IAADP.  Ed's 
>>speech was clear and his cognition perfect.  He was so wound up, he didn't 
>>leave room for anyone else to speak.  When friend and reader Stephanie 
>>Stanley tried to read e-mails to Ed, he kept interrupting with stories and 
>>comments.  When I left him, I finally let myself get truly hopeful that 
>>things would work out!
>>
>>Sunday morning, the phone rang and I thought it was Ed calling with the 
>>assistance of the nurse' aid.  He had done that for the past few days. 
>>Having left on such a high, I was not prepared for the news Ed was now in 
>>a coma.  The staff found him in this condition when they were scheduled to 
>>turn him.  My life, my hopes, my dreams and my partnership were destroyed 
>>in a flash.
>>
>>Extensive tests, CT scans and EEGs showed significant swelling of the 
>>brain and a second, more extensive stroke was suspected.  When I was told, 
>>Ed would be nonfunctioning if he came out of the coma, I made the awful 
>>decision to discontinue all treatments.  If he survived, he would have no 
>>recognition his left side existed, making walking impossible.  He would 
>>have no speech and be fed through a feeding tube.  He would live the rest 
>>of his life in a nursing home.  Ed and I had health directives, and this 
>>was not a life Ed would have wanted.
>>
>>For four days, phenomenal friends kept vigil with me hoping circumstances 
>>would change.  I always thought comas were quiet, but Ed thrashed and 
>>moaned and the hours I spent with him were torture.  I talked to him, 
>>touched him and cried with each nonresponsive moment.  Latrell put paws on 
>>the bed, frantically licked Ed's hand and wagged his Golden joy in seeing 
>>his partner again.  No miracles happened and Ed was transported by 
>>ambulance to the Nancy Hinds Hospice home on Thursday, the 22nd.
>>
>>Ed was so respected and like by the St. Agnes staff that many nurses and 
>>aids cried with me when they realized his goal of rehab and home were not 
>>to be.  He was always so engaging and gave thanks for each bath, feeding, 
>>transfer, antibiotic infusion, taking of vital signs, cleaning him up, and 
>>whatever other intervention was needed.  One aid said she looked forward 
>>to coming to work knowing her day would be filled with assisting Ed and 
>>being welcomed by his big smile.
>>It was torture bringing home the suitcase I packed in readiness for 
>>transfer to the rehab center.  Bringing those slippers home knowing Ed 
>>would never wear them again was the hardest thing.  How do I reconstruct 
>>my life without Ed?  How do I become half of a  team?
>>
>>At first I thought about bringing Ed home with home-based hospice care, 
>>but since he would not know he was home and managing a crew of strangers 
>>in my house with the dogs and cats, seemed illogical.  The Nancy Hinds 
>>Home takes six patients at a time in a home-like residence.  Registered 
>>nurses are working around the clock and pain management is overseen by 
>>doctors.
>>
>>When Linda Haymond drove me to the home, I noted there were no sidewalks, 
>>and commented Ed would not be happy, if only he knew.  The installation of 
>>sidewalks in new developments and throughout Fresno was a big advocacy 
>>goal for Ed  He is being given large doses of morphine and adavan to quiet 
>>his bodily agitation.  The home is pet friendly, so Latrell and Keebler 
>>are most welcome.  I was invited to let the dogs romp in the huge fenced 
>>yard.  Little angelic-looking Keebler took advantage of the opportunity to 
>>dive into a small fountain and spread mud all over her coat!  A good 
>>toweling off made her presentable for lunch in an Indian restaurant.
>>
>>As a young anthropologist, Ed spent three years doing research in India, 
>>fortunately long before I met him.  He loves Indian food and has taught me 
>>to love it, too.  It was the beginning of many experiences and meals I 
>>will no longer be sharing with him.
>>
>>Linda Haymond, Janet Moore, Beth Shea  and Paul Kwiatkowski have held me 
>>up throughout this ordeal with their almost every day visits and vigils. 
>>Dozens of other friends and relatives have visited, phoned, sent cards and 
>>e-mailed.  Debbie Prieto has spent several nights with me and comes in the 
>>morning after her walk to share breakfast with me.  One positive of this 
>>tragedy is that I have lost my appetite and have lost 10 pounds.
>>
>>Thankfully, the hospice has been able to calm Ed's agitation and it is 
>>just a matter of waiting for his body to give up and end the journey.  The 
>>crazy thing is that his heart is strong, but his brain is gone!  Some 
>>people believe coma patients can hear, so we all talk to him and tell him 
>>he can let go.
>>
>>My beloved husband and partner slipped into a quiet death on the morning 
>>of Oct. 25.  To continue his giving back to society, his body was donated 
>>to Western University Medical School in Pomona, CA.
>>
>>I plan to keep Latrell.  He is my connection to Ed.  When Ed's dog Echo 
>>retired, Eleanor Marugo made a lovely vest reading retired guide dog.  We 
>>took Echo to meetings and restaurants.  When I travel again, my friend 
>>Sheila Cary has offered to take Latrell and bring him to work, so he isn't 
>>alone during the day.  Keebler is very attached to Latrell and would be 
>>very lonely without him.  He is eight and too old to retrain with another 
>>handler.  I love this goofy canine and don't anticipate a problem keeping 
>>him.
>>
>>I hope you will honor Ed's life and works by supporting the organizations 
>>he most loved.  Donations to IAADP can be made at www.iaadp.org or phoning 
>>Newsreel for a credit card donation at 614-469-0700.  Checks to these 
>>organizations can also be sent to me at 3376 North Wishon, Fresno, CA 
>>93704.
>>
>>A memorial service will be held in early December.  I will feature the 
>>many plaques honoring his achievements.  I also want to assemble a book of 
>>e-mail remembrances.  Please write your special thoughts, fun stories and 
>>comments about what Ed has personally meant to you and to the greater 
>>community.  Please put memories of Ed in the subject line and send it to 
>>me at eeames at csufresno.edu.
>>
>>I cannot emphasize enough how important you all were in supporting me 
>>through this tragedy.  It kept me going and I'll need much more in the 
>>months to come.  Thanks for your love, your prayers and your many hours of 
>>hand-holding and hugs in the hospital and hospice home.
>>
>>Toni and Furries
>>
>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/swampfox1833%40verizon.net 