This thread started to alert mudcat members of the critical state of Catspaw49's health. Pat Patterson died on June 20, 2014. KT shared the sad news in post 173 of this thread. So many have already expressed condolences here that it seems suitable to keep it as the obit thread also. Please, if you're of a mind, take a moment to step into the Mudcat Tavern to raise a glass (and no doubt some ruckus) in 'Spaw's name. --mudelf
Pat "Catspaw" Patterson
Died 20 June 2014
Photo by Bill Day
Not everyone opens birthday threads or Jane's Rainbow, so I'm starting this. Our Spawser is back in the hospital. Don't have any details other than he is in ICU and on a vent. He posted the following a few weeks ago, and I spoke with him not long afterwards. He has been on a real roller coaster ride.
Subject: RE: Jane's Rainbow: for all needing support & comfort
From: catspaw49 - PM
Date: 24 May 14 - 09:46 AM
So...............Whatever you can cross, keep crossed.
This is the end of another chemo week and that has always been my lowest point. Made changes in daily meds and diet to better work the balance between the CHF, Intestinal thickening, COD, and the MDS. Today (and this week) I feel better than I have in a couple of years.....and even before the MDS. I look better, have a lot more energy, less O2 demand..went out and ran around yesterday PM and didn't even pack any along....Hard to tell what happens next.
We'll see what the numbers do over the next couple of weeks and know more then. Balancing this crap is a hell of a juggling act and about half of it I know as much about what to do as the Docs. We upped the Lasix but with the water being the best source for stool softeners and the thickening of the intestinal walls, the added Lasix took that water away as well. So I modified my diet. Then I modified the Lasix dosage (okayed by the my cardio guy) to some alternate day dosage levels and things are moving, so to speak.LOL Better yet, there seems to be no fluid at all around my heart....This is serious progress.
Then add that the current chemo has a strong fatigue factor and so is then accompanied by a steroid has obviously helped. I really wanna' see the numbers now....Keep 'em all crossed Folks.
I know, and you should too so there's no confusion, MDS is not curable but I going to buy all the time with Karen I can. While this past year has been great together, there has been far too many 10 day periods of chemo misery and many days spent low in numbers before I can get blood. Nobody my age beats this. Not Nora Ephrom, not Carl Sagan, and not me. But June the 8th is my birthday and my wish is for one more year and especially one where I feel like I do now. Next year I'll repeat that and see how long we can do it!
Sorry, I'm still pissed over the 'Cat but that's just because I do really miss what it once was. Time passes, things change, and as Tom Wolfe wrote, you can't go home again. I'll get over it.......
Hugs once again for the crew here and follow Nigel's good advice: Set the sails...splice the mainbrace...plot a course for the sun.
Spaw
Here's hoping fervently that good thoughts and intentions, prayers, mojo, loud farts in his honor, anything we can offer do help him buy that more time with Karen.
Karen, wrapping you up in the same mojo.
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sj