June 14

Dear Family,
As we indicated in a very short message sent out by Scott W. yesterday, we have brought Mom/Grandma home. Mom has had a rash all over her body the whole time she was in the hospital. It looked like a really bad case of chicken pox. At first the doctors thought it was a reaction to one of the antibiotics, then that it was related to the yeast fungus in her blood, but it didn't really seem to improve. The doctors finally decided to do a biopsy of one of the sores and we have been waiting for the results for about a week. Yesterday we finally got the results of the culture and it was not good news. The findings were that the rash is caused from the leukemia itself and that the leukemia is running rampant throughout her body and has invaded the tissues as well as the blood. The rash is very rare and is called (by some) leukemia cutis, which means infiltration of the skin. Yesterday we informed you that mom had no chance of recovery and because of that we all knew that Mom would
want to be in her own home for these last few days, Dad wants to be by her side, holding her hand, through all of this.
Mom was transported home in an ambulance at around 8:00 p.m. and is situated in a hospital bed in the family room. We met with the hospice nurse around the dining room table and discussed what we would need to do to care for mom and some of the things to expect. He mentioned that in his past experience, most patients with the same breathing pattern as mom's current breathing pattern, usually passed away within 48 hours. FYI, mom didn't lose any of the hair she grew back after the first chemo and so she has short, grey hair. She isn't wearing a hat or wig. The rash (red dots and splotches) is still manifest over her entire body. She has had quite a bit of edema in her body. Mom is not able to talk or eat or get out of the bed. Periodi
cally, she opens her eyes and seems aware of people and her surroundings. Yesterday, she even managed a few smiles. Her breathing is often labored and erratic. Thank you for your love and support for grandma and grandpa.

With love,
Kathie and Valerie