Final Message for Michael Valladares April 12, 2011

In the early morning hours of April 12, at 2:55 am Dad passed away peacefully at Scottsdale Heritage Court, according to my aunt, Shanti who was with him during his last moments. Although it is hard to accept this sudden loss, after two months of progress and hope that Dad would recover, we know that he would want us to move on.

His death reminds us of this quote from Kahlil Gibran,

“For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?”

A memorial service will be held on April 16, 2011 at 2:00 pm at Saint Maria Goretti’s Catholic Church. The address is 6261 North Granite Reef Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250. A reception will be held in the church hall, following the service.

Thank you all very much for joining us in this blog which my father loved to read again and again. It gave him pleasure and hope. He was open and loving these past two months and wrote in the last few days before the final stroke …“Why not, You pass this way only once.”

Update

Dear All,

This is Dad's last attempt on Friday, April 8, trying to mobilize his left hand using a Mirror Box that my brother, Mark constructed. He had been doing really well -- he was able to bend his left knee, wiggle his toes, and even take a few steps on the parallel bars. The wonderful rehab therapists were very enthusiastic about his progress.

Unfortunately, on April 9, Shanti (in the background of the photograph) our aunt and resident angel, found him at 7:20 in the morning, unconscious. He was rushed back to Emergency at the hospital. Following a CAT scan, it was discovered that he suffered a massive stroke to his left hemisphere. He lost all cognitive functions, memory etc.

The doctor informed us that nothing more could be done for Dad and that we contact hospice. We are honoring Dad's wishes not to keep him on life support. So right now he is under the aegis of hospice.

What is hardest to accept is the silence, after Dads witty and emotional conversations with us for the past two months. He was funny, loving and sweeter than usual. Everyone at the nursing care facility enjoyed their conversations with him. And on Friday he soundly beat my mother in a card game of three pairs, and declared that he deserved the good luck!

Presently, Mark and I are here with Mum and Shanti. We want you to know that Dad is comfortable and peaceful. We have all spent quality time with him. We want to thank you for your good wishes, prayers and comments on this blog. He loved reading them and its been a source of comfort for us.

Love

Michelle

March 11, 2011

I’m sitting beside Dad in Room 101 at Scottsdale Heritage Court where the temperature outside is in the eighties. Dad was on the rehab floor for 12 days at the hospital. Unfortunately, the therapy was tiring him out so we were advised that he would need to be moved to a skilled nursing care facility. He was transferred to Scottsdale Heritage Court on March 8. It is conveniently located near the hospital. Dad has been here for three days and doing very well with the therapists. He is positive about his ability to walk again and is trying to take it “one day at a time.” Dad, with his inimitable charm, has many of the staff here rooting for his progress. And he is high fiving his thanks. Today I’m happy to report he was able to sit on his own for a few minutes and balance on the edge of the bed. Our family wants to thank you again for your prayers, wishes and comments on this blog.

Love,

Michelle

ps. A message from the man himself, Dad was surprised that he has so many friends he likes. He said, “I want you to know I miss all of you. I look forward to seeing you again.”

Update on Mike

On Feb. 28, Dad had another CAT Scan. The doctors informed us that the results were worrisome. He said that Dad had another stroke on the left side of the brain with slight hemorrhaging and the bleeding continues on the right side. Despite all these challenges, his movement on the right side has not been diminished and his mental acuity remains sharp. He is aware of what is happening and was slightly discouraged. But we are hopeful that all be well. Thanks for your prayers, well wishes and comments on this blog.

Feb 23, 2011 Update on Mike

Dad’s condition is stable. After another CAT scan, the doctors informed us that the bleeding in the brain had stopped. He is much more alert and is responding well to physical and occupational therapy. The doctors have approved his transfer to room 434 in the rehab ward of the hospital.

Many thanks for your prayers, good wishes and messages on this blog. Michael reads them all. For those of you who cannot post messages and would like to, please send them to me and I will post them.

First update, Feb 20, 2011, Scottsdale, Arizona

My mother and I have created this blog to keep family and friends updated on Dad's progress. For those who may not know, on Wed, February 9, Michael was not feeling well and around midnight he fainted at the kitchen table. Fortunately Madge was there and she called 911. Michael was taken to Scottsdale Healthcare Hospital at Osborn. He recovered swiftly and felt great. He talked to my brother, Mark and me the next day and was due to return home on Saturday, Feb. 12. In the early morning of Feb 12, my aunt Shanti who also lives in Scottsdale, went to visit early in the morning and informed us that dad had suffered a major stroke to the right parietal lobe of the brain. He was placed in ICU and stayed there for the next four days as the doctors tried to stabilize his condition and find the cause of his stroke. Mark, his wife Penny and I flew to Arizona on the weekend. After 4 days in ICU, Michael was moved to room 622 to the neurological ward and is being closely monitored by the doctors.

After many tests, they discovered that his stroke was due to atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat. They also discovered that he had a clot in the right atrium of the heart and a slow bleed in the brain around the area of the stroke. His left side is paralyzed though he has slight movement in his left toes. Unfortunately, he did not pass the swallow test, which means he cannot drink or eat anything, so a stomach feeding tube has been inserted. His right side is strong and though his speech is slurred he can speak a few words. His mind is very clear and his wit is intact! Because he is right handed and he can write, he is able to communicate. Thus far, most of his requests have been for hot tea, water, for Hanna, his favorite nurse, to bring him a hot dinner and for Madge to break the rules and bring him a bowl of ice-cream. He also wanted to leave the hospital by Monday! Of course Madge told him that he will be in recovery for some time. The good news is that the hospital has started rehab several times a day. This morning Michael's condition was stable and his heart beat is regular.

We thank you all for your prayers, blessings and for keeping Michael in your thoughts. You are welcome to post comments which we will pass on to him.

Michelle