Now for the sad part, Powell 2009

If you'll read my 2 earlier posts, you'll see that we did actually have some fun at Lake Powell this year.


But the sad part is, Mike's mother passed away while she was with us at Lake Powell this year. She has always loved family vacations, she's always planned one every year. So it was sort of fitting that she died doing what she loved, with her family. It was a blessing for all of us that she died the very last day of our vacation, so that we were able to have fun and spend time together all week. She's been in pain for 10 years or more with neoropathy, which is severe nerve damage in your hands and feet, so I am happy that she's finally out of her pain. However, she didn't die from that. We still don't know how she died and I don't know if we ever really will.


Last Friday, I brought her lunch and she seemed completely fine. Then about 10pm Mike came and told me that she wasn't taking her pain medication, which she can't go without. She felt like she had a fever and was kind of acting dilerious. Early the next morning, I was woke up about 7am with them trying to get her to take her medicine, but she still wouldn't. She couldn't walk or talk and she had a high fever. Anyway to make a super long story short, we (Mike, Dad, Colton and I )took her by speedboat 45 minutes to the marina, while everyone else packed up the houseboat. When we got to the hospital, they said she had a temp of 108, and her white blood cell count was 20,000, which is way high. Anyway, after 4 hours at the hospital she passed away. They wouldn't release her body to us, because of the high fever she had and they sent her body on the Flagstaff for an autopsy. It is so difficult to lose someone, but having them die out of state is a bundle of red-tape. I would hate to see what it would be like out of the country. I think, I'll think twice about that before going out of the country.


We just got word today that they are not going to do an autopsy after all that, so she went down to Flagstaff for nothing. They are going to just sign-off that she had a heart attack, which she also did. But I still think they should have found out the cause of the high white blood cells and sudden fever of 108. I just want to know in case, its a sickness that she died from. Anyway, the Layton Mortuary is going to go down and get her body tomorrow (Wed) and we'll be having her funeral on Saturday. This has been such a hard experience, to be in the room and to see someone die in such pain. Someone that we all loved. Mike especially is having a really hard time. Surprisingly the kids are doing really well. I'm just so glad that she didn't die on the houseboat in front of the kids.


Anyway, thanks everyone for all the love you've shown to us.


We really appreciate all of your love and concern.