Chapter 6, Therapy Continued

The next morning, Monday the 18th, the discomfort had returned, and Lorna had her left lung drained again. The previous two times, after the procedure, she felt immediate relief. Not this time.

On Wednesday the 20th I took her to Salt Lake City for one of her therapies. When we arrived home afterwards she said there was no way she could walk into the house. We went to the emergency room at the Utah Valley Medical Center.

Her left leg was swollen, so doctors did an MRI on her leg. The MRI revealed a blood clot. She was checked into the hospital. She was then given a complete MRI.

The results indicated a need for surgery to insert a greenfield filter, a basket-type device designed to catch blood clots from entering the heart and lungs. At 1:00 a.m. Thursday morning, the 21st, the surgery was performed.

She was at the hospital until Friday evening the 22nd. Before we left, I asked The doctor to tell me what the science was telling him. He replied, “The tumor is growing. Extensive blood clots in both lungs. She won’t see 2015.”

On Saturday morning the 23rd, Lorna woke up in a panic. She was having a difficult time breathing. We hurried to the American Fork Hospital emergency room.

The doctor put her on oxygen and a morphine drip. It calmed her down immediately. Up until the last few days, four Ibuprofen twice a day had taken care of any discomfort.

She continued to deteriorate throughout the day. Late that evening she was transferred from the ER and checked into the hospital. Four of our children who lived close came to the hospital to spend time with their mother. We called Katie (our daughter in Kentucky) and told her that she should get on the next flight to Utah to come say her goodbyes.