Family and Friends who have lost someone to ARD

Deborah Lueth dlueth@verizon.net
Marcus was born with Spina Bifida, had seizures, DDD, and was wheelchair bound. He was the funniest, most loving guy I'd ever known. I was his caregiver for four years. He passed away from ARDS yesterday, December 27, 2008. I will remember him for his positive attitude, strong will, smile and good nature.

posted 12/28/2008

Susan courtneys1nana@alltel.net
My husband Tom had a bone marrow transplant on August 20th 2008 and really seemed to be doing very well. On Nov 12th, 2008 that all changed. I had to call 911 and have him taken to the ER. It really took about a week for the doctors to come to the conclusion that it was ARDS that was causing my husband's problems, probably from the chemo he had prior to the transplant. He was on live support for 4 and a half weeks. He died on December 15, 2008 and I feel like a part of myself died with him. We had only been married 7 years, but I will miss him so very much and will always love him. He is my hero.

posted 12/26/2008

Jeremiah Williams jeremiahw75@hotmail.com
My father was admitted to the ER for emergency surgery on a ruptured ulcer. Surgery went well according to the doctor with no complications. For three days father was in ICU on Oxygen trying to recover. On the fourth day father was placed on a ventilator due to trouble breathing. He spent the next three weeks with the ventilator inserted in his month and on the fourth week, a trach was placed in his neck. Father lived two more weeks and passed away on December 12, 2008 at 2:40pm from his long battle with ARDS. Please contact for detailed information.

posted 12/16/2008

Teri Pittman teri.pittman@gmail.com
I wanted to update and let people know that my husband Jeffrey died on October 13th, 2008. He developed a leak in his lung and they felt he would not survive surgery. I hope that others have a different outcome.

posted 12/10/2008

Cindy ctie529062@yahoo.com
Mom got sick on July 4, 2008. She was rushed to the emergency room by ambulance because she could not breathe. Her oxygen levels were at 40%. Once at the hospital, she was admitted to the intensive care unit and put on life support. She was diagnosed with ARDS. She was heavily sedated in the hopes she would relax and let her lungs heal. The doctors were running every test they could think of to try to find the underlying cause of the sickness. A blood transfusion was given to bring up her hemoglobin. Mom was getting better a little bit every day. They brought her out of sedation and she was able to communicate with us by writing on paper. At first it wasn't legible but day by day her handwriting became clear. Each day her lung x-rays showed improvement. After about three weeks the life support was removed and she was breathing on her own! Mom was transferred to rehabilitation for ten days. She was doing great, walking with a walker, talking, eating and loving her family. The day she was going home we noticed she was easily getting out of breath, but she said she felt fine. She was sent home with oxygen to use when needed. The following night, she was rushed back to the hospital because she was unable to breathe and spiked a fever. At that time, she was put back on life support and ten days later a tracheotomy and feeding tube were put in. The doctor said her lungs were worse then the first time she was admitted and she had full blown ARDS. They were still trying to find the underlying infection. They tried to paralyze her so her body would let the machines take over but each time they tried, she would start to go into cardiac arrest, so they stopped the paralysis medication. She was kept under deep sedation. They did a bronch scope where they went down the tracheotomy tube to withdraw mucus. When they did this procedure she again started to fail. It took an hour to get her sats under control. She was brought out of sedation and was getting a little better every day. A blood clot was found in her left leg. We convinced her to have a filter put in her groin to stop the blood clot from moving to her heart and lungs. Mom was transferred to another rehab facility but only for twelve hours until she was rushed back to the emergency room because of difficulty breathing. They told us she would probably never come off of life support because her lungs were so damaged. A couple of weeks later, she was transferred to a long term acute care facility. She was doing well, off of the ventilator for short times and started rehabilitation, sitting in a chair and able to dangle her feet. She was beginning to drink water. At one point they put a valve on her tracheotomy and she was talking with her own voice! Two days later (ten days after being at this facility) she became unstable, could not breathe and was again rushed by ambulance back to the hospital. This time, Mom's doctors told us that it did not look good. Mom was back on full life support and was still struggling to breathe. Tests indicated she was taking air in but her lungs were so damaged that she was not able to release carbon dioxide. We were told by five doctors that her lungs were 85% permanently damaged and she would never come off of life support. The doctors and nurses were all talking to us about her quality of life and suggesting we remove the life support. We said she was just talking to us, how can we remove the life support?!!? She had been diagnosed with ARDS, COPD, VRE, sepsis and bacterial pneumonia. Her heart was enlarged and the doctors said that she had Pseudomonas and the antibiotics they were trying were not working. She was very swollen and her hands and fingers were turning blue. They still could not find the underlying cause. That night, my sister and daughter stayed with her. They watched Mom suffer all night. For three days, we asked her what we should do. Mom just looked at us with tears in her eyes. We asked her something at one point and she shook her head yes. One time she mouthed "what". But each time we asked her if we should remove the machines so she would stop suffering and she could go and be with God and grandma she just shed tears. She would not respond at any time when asked about removing the life support. Mom was a nurse for thirty years, I honestly believe she knew she was dying but was too worried about us kids to tell us. We could not let mom suffer any longer. Twenty minutes after removing her life support, with all of us surrounding her telling her we love her, she went home to be with God. On September 28, 2008, Mom died at the young age of 70.

posted 10/29/2008

Donna G. Long dglong@comcast.net
My sister developed ARDS after a routine surgery to remove her spleen due to ITP. She left her home on March 16, 2006, for what was to be a routine surgery and 3-4 day stay in the hospital. She never returned home. She developed ARDS around day 4, was sent to the ICU and put on life support. A couple weeks later, EEG tests revealed severe brain damage. We removed my sister from life support on April 4, 2006. Our friends, family, and the community were stunned. My sister was a local police officer known and loved by many.

posted 8/11/2008

Brandi Ward brandi80@netzero.com
My mom was recovering from stomach surgery due to an ulcer. After that, she was sent home, and three days later, back in the hospital with 2 collapsed lungs. She then had a stroke due to high blood pressure, and developed sepsis. She lost her battle with ARDS on October 19, 1995. She was only 36. I miss her so much!!

posted 7/29/2008

Kimberley Wrenn standupkwrenn@aol.com
My mother went to the VA hospital because she thought she had the flu. She was in the hospital for only two nights, and on Christmas Eve the hospital called and let me know they was releasing her. My Dad had just had a stroke, and was in the nursing home for rehabilitation. I went to the hospital to pick my Mother up, and was alarmed that they was releasing her. She looked so sick, and I could tell she was having trouble breathing. I asked the nurse if I had to take her and the answer was yes. I prepared the Christmas dinner and had sent my brother to pick my Dad up just for the night so we could all be together. The whole night my Mother kept dosing off. I finally put her in her bed, and I woke up every 15 minutes to check on her. The last time I woke up, I found her sitting at the kitchen table, and she asked me to take her back to the hospital. This time the doctors told me she now had pneumonia. They put her in the ICU and from there on it would be a long road for all of us. It has been over two years now since she has passed, and I continue to think of her, and feel I could have done more for her. She appeared to get better, but then she would get worse. Eventually her kidneys failed. They put her on dialysis and then she began to have respiratory problems. They provided her with a trach. After that she went into a coma. After being in a coma for three days the doctor pulled us into a private room and told us it would be best to let her go. It had only been three days, and I could not bear the thought. She was everything to me. My Mother, my best friend, the only person I could talk to about anything. I was angry at the thought. I went back to her bedside and cried. I felt her squeeze my hand and she woke up. I just remember crying and hugging her. I am afraid I allowed my hopes to arise a little to soon. She soon fell more ill and from there they decided to transfer her to Good Sam. They nursed her there and she eventually was sent to a nursing home for recovery. She would only last a couple weeks at the nursing home.

posted 7/10/2008

Leisa Jo Simmons leisajo@yahoo.com
Lacey was a healthy energetic 14 year old. She was never sick, and had just finished basketball and was starting track. She played softball year round. I took her to the hospital on Wednesday because she was throwing up and dizzy. They did an x-ray the next morning and sent us to Tulsa. She was on three antibiotics for three days and was getting worse. By the next Thursday, she was on a ventilator because she had burst her air sacs; by that night she was on ECMO. She was on ECMO for 16 days, we had to take her off because she was bleeding. Lacey would get better and then get worse. They tried turning her on her belly, they gave her surfactant. Lacey went home to be with the LORD after a six week battle. She fought so hard. The doctors told us twice she would not last through the day but she did. I don't understand how she got so sick so fast and I am sure I never will. Lacey was the light of my life, my best friend and my running buddy. I miss her so much and find it harder each day. I know she is having the time of her life; she has run her race and finished first. I am so proud of my Lacey Jo. She touched thousands of people and is still touching lives.

posted 7/9/2008

Judy Earp judy.earp@med.navy.mil
My wonderful daughter died of pneumonia and ARDS on February 29, 2008. She was 17 weeks pregnant. She was my best friend and my miracle baby. She was diagnosed on February 11th and never survived all the treatment options. The hospital had problems getting medical requests filled; I feel that this has something to do with her passing. Couldn't get NO, refused ECMO, refused a special ventilator by the hospital. I miss her so much, but such a wonderful journey I traveled with her in 21 short years. She leaves behind a little boy who is 10 months old. Thank you Stephanie for teaching me so much.

posted 6/6/2008

Nancy Karyn Fecske summer0463@yahoo.com
Watching my father look as though he was suffering and helpless on life support was the most horrifying experience I've ever had. When my father Charles was alive, he acquired a cold thinking it would run its course. Just getting over pneumonia myself, I noticed his cold go to his chest on Tuesday April 22, 2008 and he began to talk funny. He refused to go to the doctor. Finally after sleeping day in and day out, on Friday April 26th, I told him I was calling the paramedics. He still said no. Then at 4:00 in the afternoon he told my mother he needed to go to the hospital. She had to change his underwear and fully dress him because he was so weak. When he got to the emergency room his pulse was 200 and was put immediately on life support. He had congestive heart failure. I immediately went to the hospital after work and he was heavily sedated and being intubated. He came out of sedation for 5 minutes and I held his right hand. He knew it was me and he squeezed it so hard as to tell me "take care of yourself Nancy and I love you but I will be going." I was scared for him and being his youngest daughter out of two, I didn't want to lose him. He was put in ICU still on maximum life support in a drug induced coma and the rollercoaster ride began. My father had double pneumonia greatly scarred filled with fluid and couldn't breathe on his own. When his oxygenation level was up to 100% it looked good, like he was improving but then he had renal failure. The doctor's told us right off the bat that he had ARDS and his chances of surviving were slim. We kept him on life support but he needed dialysis since he was only urinating 4 cc a day. He became worse after each dialysis treatment. His oxygenation went down to 30% and he blood pressure became low. I visited him in the hospital everyday a nervous wreck hoping he'll survive and pouring my entire heart out to him full of my love and devotion to my daddy. Even though I know he wasn't suffering, he looked as though he was and he never came out of it.

posted 5/22/2008

Cindy Polk cpolkrn1999@yahoo.com
My father passed away on December 18,2007 after a two week battle with ARDS. He was admitted to the hospital the day after Thanksgiving with pneumonia. We were told that his bloodwork did not look good and the work up for leukemia began and was confirmed the following Tuesday. He was then transferred to another hospital and given oral chemo for two days and other chemo as a continuous drip began. Six days after treatment began he was place on the vent, never to come off. This has been the worse experience I have ever experienced. It was the longest three week roller coaster ride ever. I am a registered nurse (med-surg) but being on the other side of the fence sure is different. My entire family has been traumatized by this experience.

posted 12/26/2007

Sylvia B. sbazteca@aol.com
On 8/20/07, after recovering from stomach surgery, my mother called me from the hospital and said she would be discharged the next day. I was going to pick her up. Her breathing was awful and had been for several days. I did not understand why she was being discharged, but her doctor told her she was fine. The next morning, the hospital staff called and said she went into respiratory distress and was in the ICU. She passed away on 9/27/07 from ARDS.

posted 11/14/2007

Kenneth Bretzer kbretz@comcast.net
On October 12, 2007, my wife was having trouble breathing. I took her to the ER and by that afternoon, she was on ventilator. She passed on October 18, 2007, and never showed any signs of getting better.

posted 11/5/2007

Leslie laporter99@yahoo.com
Michael lost his battle with ARDS on 10/2/2001. He had just turned 21 years old. He broke his femur in an accident and seemed perfectly fine and ready to come home from the hospital and the surgery 2 days later. The night before his hospital release, ARDS set in and you know how the story ends. He was in the hospital in an induced coma for almost 8 weeks with 10 chest tubes at one time. He was my son, my best friend and my confidante and now he's gone. I miss him so much but I do know that life has to go on and that I hold him dearly in my heart. Our memories I shall have forever.

posted 10/17/2007

Tracy tracey.garner@parkview.com
My mom went in to the hospital on July 22, 2007 and died on August 1, 2007. She started out just going to the ER with abdominal pain, then found out she had a mass in her colon. The doctors did a colonoscopy where she aspirated and got put on the ventilator. They took her to another hospital where they performed a surgery to take out her mass, which ended up being colon cancer. She then developed pneumonia from the fluid that was in her lungs when she aspirated. From there she seemed to be doing OK, then on Saturday July 28 she started taking a turn for the worse and they almost had to do CPR on her. She wrote us a note that said "Let Me Go" when I was there. She then agreed she was going to fight and try to win her battle with ARDS. On Sunday they put my mom in a drug induced coma and told us she would be off the ventilator in 3-5 days. On Monday night going into Tuesday her body couldn't take it any more and started to shut down. We were called back late Tuesday night after we had left because of her condition and they had to do CPR but she could not be saved. She died Wednesday August 1, 2007 around 6 am at the age of 47. My mom was my best friend and was getting ready to be a first time grandma for my first child. My daughter was born on August 24, 2007. There are many questions my family still has because there were mistakes made when she was in the hospital. It is a tragic loss to our family and we will never be the same without her.

posted 10/11/2007

Paula Surridge paulasurridge@yahoo.com
My mother fought a short but gallant battle with ARDS. She entered the hospital on July 26, 2007 diagnosed with pneumonia, congestive heart failure and an infection in her lungs. That night she took a turn for the worse and was placed on a forced air oxygen. She refused to be placed on a respirator. The next 4 days were a downhill battle; she got weaker and weaker was not able to eat or talk. Everyday she asked me when was it time to go to heaven. On Monday, July 30, 2007, her kidneys had failed and her system would soon be shutting down. I called the family together along with our pastor and we had the nurses take off the oxygen mask. We were all there with momma when she passed.

posted 8/7/2007

Andrea Evans fatpack68@msn.com
It has been almost 2 years, but I still have such a void in my life. My younger and only sister passed away on 9-29-05 at the tender young age of 32, four days after her birthday. I still today don't really understand how she got ARDS. She was at work and was taken to the emergency room for problems with her breathing; she has been treated in the past for asthma and bronchitis. Upon reaching the emergency room she was being treated as an asthmatic patient, and they were giving her breathing treatments. They decided to keep her overnight for observation, but they transferred her the next morning to the ICU department. I was living in Hawaii at the time, so my mother called me from Michigan (where my sister also resided) to let me know they had put her in an induced coma. She said that was standard procedure so she could be placed on a breathing machine so her lungs wouldn't have to work so hard. I immediately wanted to come home but was told everything is going to be OK, and that she wouldn't be able to see me or talk so to just make arrangements to see her when she gets out the hospital. She had two kids: a daughter age 11 at the time and a son age 8. Things went from bad to horrible in a matter of a couple days. She entered the hospital on 9-27-05 and passed away on 9-29-05. She went into cardiac arrest the morning of the 29th and was revived. My mom called me from the hospital and said I needed to fly home ASAP. Her second phone call was that she had passed and I didn't make it in time. Two years have passed and I still have unanswered questions. My family lost a wonderful person, a great beautiful sister, friend, and an outstanding mother and daughter. She was so full of life, and so suddenly taken from us. Please continue to keep my family and me in your prayers.

posted 7/25/2007

Diane Mulford streamerspartyshop@hotmail.co.uk
My 19 year-old daughter Emma died from ARDS on July 24, 2003. She had glandular fever; this in turn ruptured her spleen. She had a major operation to remove this, but was put on life support. Two weeks later, we had to turn off the machine and Emma died two weeks after that.

posted 7/20/2007

Deborah Bazer bbarbie55@yahoo.com
Bobbi passed away from ARDS on April 24, 2007. She had Hodgkin's and was in visual remission when she developed pneumonia. She ended up in the hospital on a vent for six weeks and she got pneumonia again and two blood infections. The doctors said her immune system by then was almost gone so the vent was turned off. She went quickly and peacefully. She died on April 24th, two months before she was to be twenty-six. She has a five year-old boy and a husband she left behind. It's hard to think she is gone. She always told me (Mom) the cancer wouldn't take her, but an infection would. She also made plans for her death ahead of time. I wish I would have found this website sooner, than I would have responded earlier than I did. Pray for me and my family? I have had a piece of me die with her. I would like to hear from other parents in this situation and learn how to cope and get through this pain.

posted 5/1/2007

Trina tbehlow@yahoo.com
My Mom's name was Grace Troia. She was smart, spunky and full of life. She had her share of health problems, but nothing kept her from doing what she wanted to do. She was the little engine that could. She died on May 5th 2006. I took her to the hospital for high blood pressure. She had a heart catheter 3 or 4 days later. They found no blockage. Two days after that, she suddenly ended up in the ICU and died 2 weeks later. The doctors tried to tell my sisters and I that she had fibroids, but she never had lung problems at all. Everything happened so fast. It's almost 1 year since my best friend died and I feel it's like yesterday. Life has gone on since then, but I still miss her every day.

posted 4/3/2007

Sheri sdailey@itctel.com
My mom passed from a long battle with this. We actually thought she was better after spending over 3 months on a ventilator and chest tubes. Once off that, we learned her kidneys had quit. Trying to get a stint to work without clotting included surgeries and an angiogram (I think). After that last surgery, she died 2 days later in her sleep. We assumed it was from all the complications from ARDS, I believe she may have been suffering from it again. She was first hospitalized at the end of May, out of August, out of hospital in October, home and died on February 19, 1995. There are still so many questions no one ever answered.

posted 2/27/2007

Bridget bridgetwham@hotmail.com
My mother had ARDS and was on the vent for 28 days. It was a horrible experience. She had never really been a sick person. I hope and pray for a cure. My mother had the flu and then things went downhill from there.

posted 1/18/2007

Natasha Singer natashasinger@gmail.com
After reading Michele's note (from 11/30/06), I was touched and it inspired me to write this note. I also lost my mom, my best friend on the planet, to ARDS on October 20, 2005. Up until then, she was extremely healthy. When she came down with ARDS, she was traveling in China with my dad (on vacation). She got pneumonia, and had to be hospitalized. My dad only told me that she was ill after she had been there for 2 weeks - he didn't want to worry me. I immediately flew to China to be by her bedside, and 5 days later, her heart and her blood pressure were not strong enough for her to live. We had to take her off the vent, and as she passed, there was a peaceful smile on her face. She was finally pain-free. I will never forget the image of her in the hospital - she was getting kidney dialysis every day, and she was so ill. It has been difficult, and I know that I will never get over it. I remember looking at this site when I first found out she was ill, and I emailed some folks who ended up giving me great words of wisdom. I know that it is VERY scary to read about how others have lost a loved one when your loved one is still living and coping with ARDS. The entire experience is very confusing. If you read the survivor emails though, you can see that there is hope! There is always hope that someone with ARDS will pull through. I am open to communication from others.

P.S. Michele, I recently got a puppy and we named her MOOMOO, because that was my Mom's nickname. It's nice to say the name while thinking of her.

posted 12/19/2006

Melanie srsar@aol.com
My dad was in the hospital on November 2nd with pneumonia. He was discharged 4 days later, and back in the hospital that Wednesday with congestive heart failure. He was discharged the very next day. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, we had to call 911 because he wouldn't wake up. He just passed on December 5th. I really need someone to talk to...I miss him soooooooo much. HELP ME!!!

posted 12/11/2006

Michele Hamilton mhamil4765@bellsouth.net
I lost my mom on November 4, 2006. She had been in the hospital for 3 weeks. She went in with pneumonia and was admitted for precautionary reasons. After 3 days, she developed ARDS and was put on the vent and when she was supposed to be waking up from the sedation, she didn't. They did some tests and found she had no brain activity on one side and would never wake up. We had to take her of the vent. She lasted for 30 minutes and passed away. She had never been sick, and after 3 short weeks is gone. She was best friend and my roommate. I wanted her to live with me, and when my boyfriend and I got married, she would be with us. She was an awesome Mom, and as I got older she was my best friend. I miss her so much, it seems so unreal. She is with GOD and I know I will see her again! Her nickname was MOMO...that is what her grandchildren call her. She was and will always be my hero!! I love you MOMO!

posted 11/30/2006

Terri anncrahan@sbcglobal.net
My brother Larry died from ARDS about a year ago. I am still wondering and grieving.

posted 10/24/2006

Mary Savage hay4myhorses@earthlink.com
My mom passed away of ARDS/Pulmonary Fibrosis after 51 days in the hospital, and 48 days on a ventilator. She was a fighter all the way but just gave out. She is now at peace, no machines, no IVs. It was a tough struggle, but stay with your loved one, talk to them, tell them you love them and what they mean to you, very important. My mom acknowledged our presence many times, she is sorely missed. Her soul is with Jesus now. Mama, I love you. Your daughter, Mary Vanessa

posted 10/17/2006

Ann Lorenzi galel@adelphia.net
My 26 year-old niece, Amanda, lost her battle to ARDS after 3 weeks. The doctors had finally diagnosed herpes simplex virus in her lungs and cytomegalovirus in her blood. She was never alert and aware after the first two days in the hospital. Her loving parents permitted a lung autopsy in hope that someone else could be helped. Amanda was a "special needs" young lady and she will be missed.

posted 8/22/2006

John jtd1@bryant.edu
I recently lost my mom to ARDS. She was only 43 and the most complete person I knew. She became sick with what the doctors thought was the flu, then pneumonia. They found out it was ARDS. She was steadily improving in the hospital under an induced coma. For some reason I never wanted to go up and see her like that, hooked up to machines. So I waited downstairs. After a month, I decided I have to go. So I sucked it up and went to see her. That night I stayed with her and spoke to her. I knew she could hear me. The next morning I watched her lose the struggle. Everyone says that she was only waiting for me, so she could let go.

posted 8/10/2006

Trina Behlow trenebeanie@yahoo.com
My mom died suddenly from ARDS after a heart catheter. She was my best friend.

posted 7/6/2006

Michelle Haswood skullstress@yahoo.com
My father is Native American member of the Navajo tribe residing in New Mexico. He lived on the continental divide for 35 years. He lost his battle with ARDS on March 22, 2006. As I sat by my father's side as he took his last breath, I felt like he was so relieved to be free of his pain. The gray hair around his hairline and the stress on his face were gone. He appeared to be youthful once more. I miss my father very much. I wait for him to see me in my dreams. I did once one early morning. I held his wrist and told him I was so happy he wasn't in pain any more that he looked well as he stood upright and handsome. Still, he isn't here with me on earth so I can physically put my arms around him. Dad was a smoker all his life and he was an alcoholic. I think if he did not do those things for so long his body might of let him survive the respiratory bout. However, we learned he had heart failure. There was a tiny slit above his heart in the valve that needed repair. His heart wouldn't allow him to get off the vent like we doctors wanted. He died once from septic shock but he was revived. He had yeast in his blood and plenty of other infections. His body was malnourished and he was just hanging on for dear life. When he was off his pain medicine he could open his eyes and communicate through his facial expressions. He could respond with yes and no, barely move his hands and squeeze. He did not want to live on the vent or dialysis for the rest of his life. So my mom gave the go ahead to take him off of life support. I took care of my dad from the day I took him to the clinic to get his body checked for pneumonia up to the last breath he took. My mom stayed by his side as well, hoping and praying he would get over the "hump" and begin to breathe alone without the vent. It was a long and enduring battle for our family. We miss dad so much and will forever love him. It helps to read and communicate with others who experienced the same situation and it comforts me to talk about this because the more we educate our families, the better.

posted 4/14/2006

Lindsay Brett lindsayannb31@yahoo.com
My mother had never been sick in her entire life, minus the occasional cold. On January 29th, 2006, mom went into the hospital with severe breathing troubles. The doctors drained over 4 liters of fluid off of one lung & said that they were shocked she didn't die before making it to the hospital.
They diagnosed her with severe pneumonia & she spent the first week of her stay in a "regular" hospital room. The following Friday, mom was rushed to the ICU & was quickly diagnosed as having ARDS. My family & I had never heard of it. It scared us, but we never truly believed she would die. My mom started out wearing a bi-pap mask & made excellent progress after only one week. She was going to be discharged from the hospital in a few days when she started having severe troubles breathing again. She was again rushed to the ICU & had a code blue. The doctors immediately put her on a ventilator & told us she had stopped breathing, but that her heart never completely stopped. The cause was a blood vessel that burst into her chest cavity, and she almost bled to death. Mom spent the next 5 weeks fighting for her life with several more close calls. An MRSA staph infection was the final straw. Over her whole time in the hospital, the doctors were amazed that mom never got an infection, and said if she did that it would probably kill her. On March 24, 2006, my beautiful mother lost her battle. She fought so hard to live. The toughest part is that I was 9 months pregnant with my parent's first grandchild (a girl), when my mother went into the hospital. Mom was SO excited about this lil' gal on the way and would have been an AMAZING grandmother. My daughter was born about one month before mom passed and she is our whole family's inspiration to "keep our chins up." My mother was completely sedated and never got to see our daughter, but I know mom sees her now. This whole tragedy has been such a shock for my father, 2 sisters and I...as well as the whole town. Over 1000 people came to my mother's visitation.

posted 3/30/2006

Joanna Elizabeth Cassady jo_virgo2004@yahoo.com
My father was an alcoholic and did not have regular doctor visits. He stopped breathing on December 31, 2005 at his home. He was diagnosed with ARDS three weeks after being admitted in Chapel Hill. From January 2nd to February 1st, his condition was up and down. He passed away on February 2nd from his second major heart attack.

posted 3/29/2006

Ruth Petell rpetell488@msn.com
My husband underwent triple bypass surgery on January 11, 2006. He was taken off the ventilator on January 12th but was having problems with his oxygen saturation levels and had labored breathing requiring an oxygen mask. He was able to talk and joke with the nurses in the CSU. On the 13th, his breathing was still labored and on full oxygen. He was still able to walk up the hallway to see his grandson Benny (whom he always called his "best friend"). On January 14th his breathing became so labored and his oxygen levels had fallen so low, he was placed back on the ventilator with sedation. Because the days became such a blur, I am not quite sure when his pulmonologist advised he was suffering from ARDS and advised that many times patients were able to overcome ARDS. At this point he was transferred to the ICU unit. When I spoke to his surgeon on the 19th, he indicated that my husband was a mystery and they were not sure why he had contracted ARDS but he felt he would be alright. On the 20th I was heartened when I got to the hospital as his oxygen saturation levels and PO2 were much higher than previously and they had been able to decrease the ventilator pressure to allow him to breathe more on his own. I left that evening feeling very optimistic. On January 21st my hopes plummeted. Upon returning to the hospital I found that my husband had taken a critical turn for the worse and his kidneys had shut down. At 9:48 am on January 22nd, 2006 my husband passed away. He was my best friend and constant companion for 21 years. He has left behind 5 children, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, which is expected to be born in May. My one wish was to be able to have him open his eyes and speak to me one more time, and after having read the many other letters on this site I felt his story needed to be here too. If anyone has had a similar circumstance and wishes to communicate with me, please feel free to do so!

posted 2/9/2006

Jamie jmyers35@hotmail.com
My niece, Cayla, was taken to the hospital on January 1st where she was diagnosed with pneumonia. She was transferred to another hospital on January 4th and she was placed on a ventilator. The next 18 days were a rollercoaster of emotions and we found out that Cayla had adenovirus, severe pneumonia and ARDS. She fought long and hard for 3 weeks, but in the end, God needed another angel. She was a gorgeous little girl who could light up a room, but now she is lighting up Heaven.

posted 2/7/2006

Teresa Jordan mtjordan613@yahoo.com
My husband of 31 years kept complaining of headaches. He kept going to his doctor. They put him on antibiotics, had CT scans, and MRIs, which all turned out OK. Then on October 27,2005, he had a seizure at home. We rushed him to the local hospital. He was put on all kinds of medications and seemed to be getting better. On November 7, 2005 he had another severe seizure while still in the hospital. He coded. They got him back. His breathing was very labored. I had him transferred to another hospital, where they immediately intubated him. He passed away on December 17, 2005 from ARDS. I miss dearly.

posted 2/6/2006

Sherri Jones sherribeth1@tds.net
My sister noticed that my mom had a fever the Sunday after Thanksgiving and took her to the Emergency room (mom was on chemo for metastasized breast cancer) in our little town and they took x-rays and said she had pneumonia. She was transferred to St. Luke's Hospital in Jax (we live in GA). They admitted her immediately and began giving her antibiotics to fight the infection. Days went by and x-rays were taken everyday and her breathing became labored. On that Thursday, mom was taken down to intensive care and put on a ventilator to see if they could get a sample of the fungus they claim was growing in her lungs. She had agreed to be put on the ventilator until Monday (she had a living will stating otherwise, but the doctors and her family asked to give them the time to see if they could treat this). Unfortunately, Monday came and things were no better, so mom was removed from the ventilator (by my signature as I was her health proxy, but my only sister held my hand while I signed and my father also told me he was holding my hand). They put her on a face mask at that point and Tuesday evening, they removed the mask and mom passed quietly and peacefully away.

posted 12/22/2005

Gregory Williams freeurmind35@aol.com
My mom was admitted into the hospital on September 25, 2005 for pneumonia. On October 1st she was having difficulty breathing and was rushed to the CCU and placed on a ventilator. We were told that she had developed ARDS. After 6 weeks of riding this emotional rollercoaster, the hurt and pain of witnessing "this slow painful death", my mom passed on November 15, 2005. For the first time with the tubes gone, IVs, vent, dialysis machine and BP and heart rate machines gone, she was at peace and a vision of serenity appeared as my mom laid there.

posted 12/21/2005

Carolyn carorobrsn@yahoo.com
Terrance, at 25, is my first born son who was scheduled to graduate from American Intercontinental University (AIU) on January 6, 2006. He had a six year-old daughter name Amara. Terrance first began complaining of high fever, increased blood sugars (due to Type I diabetes) and difficulty with breathing on October 29, 2005. His wife rushed him to the hospital and he was later released because they felt he had the flu. She later returned with him because his breathing was more labored than before. After insisting that they would not leave until they performed other tests, they admitted him to short-stay for two days. Chest x-rays were performed and no indication of any problems on October 30. On November 1, Terrance's condition had not changed and another x-ray was done and the film showed that he had full blown pneumonia. Then we were told he is also suffering from ARDS. He was admitted to the CCU where he was intubated and later transferred to ICU on November 1. The last thing that Terrance told me before his he was intubated was that he loved me. We never expected this outcome because he was so young and strong. At Terrance's memorial, there was so many people that we never knew whose heart Terrance touched. The Dean of Administration will honor Terrance on January 6, 2006 by presenting his diploma in Computer Technology and Network Security. I will miss him so much because Terrance touched so many people in the short time he was here. We lost Terrance on November 20, 2005.

posted 11/28/2005

Diane Stolte dianem36@opt.online.net
My father Arthur Stolte died of ARDS on October 10, 2005 after a six week ICU hospital stay. He was admitted to the hospital with mild pancreatitis. The hospital performed a CAT scan using contrast which caused my dad to go into renal failure. His kidneys were functioning after two rounds of dialysis. I thought we would be okay. However, Dad developed ARDS. Dad was put on a ventilator for the next 5 weeks and was getting weaker every day. Next, he developed cardiac problems and sinus tachycardia. We made the decision to let dad go on Columbus Day. He died 12 hours after being removed from the ventilator.

posted 10/22/2005

Michael Harty oldestby4@netzero.net
I am a 29 year-old man who is the oldest of four brothers. On June 20, 2005 I received a call that has changed my life. My brother Matt, who was a union electrician, was coming home on his motorcycle from work when he lost control and was thrown from his bike head first into a telephone pole. He was wearing his helmet, but suffered severe head trauma to the right side of his brain. He made it through surgery that night but was in a stage 4 coma. They had performed a cranoscopy to allow for the brain to swell. He developed a blood clot on the left side of his brain which required a second surgery within 3 days of the accident. It seemed like we were beating the odds until he developed pneumonia, which turned into ARDS. It was an "emotional roller coaster." He seemed to get better but then would get worse. My brother gave us 35 days of a fight, but he got tired. It has been a little over two months since his passing. I have been keeping my family together, but now I am getting worn down. There is not a moment that goes by without thinking of the reality of everything that happened. My brother was a strong, intelligent, hard working young man who made living life look easy. I need some help with dealing with this tragedy.

posted 10/3/2005

Chris tatosbaby@msn.com
My father started experiencing right-sided numbness in June, 2005. He was told by a physician in Tampa (where they lived) that he had a high-grade giloma and needed a brain biopsy. After the biopsy (done at the Mayo Clinic) he continued getting weaker. We decided that he would benefit from some in-patient rehabilitation before a second biopsy. The first biopsy showed nothing unusual (no cancer). He somehow contracted sepsis and died 10 days later from ARDS. He never had a brain tumor.

posted 9/30/2005

Elizabeth Fertitta efertitta119@aol.com
My father was diagnosed in May with lung cancer, which we were told that he was in the very early stages and with surgery they would be able to remove it. My father went for surgery on July 12, 2005. His mass had grown a little bigger from the time of the biopsy and the surgery, so they had to remove one more lobe than they originally planned. They were able to remove all the cancer. He was able to breathe on his own, only requiring a little help from the oxygen. I remember the doctors saying about a day after the surgery that he was "Amazing". The nurses in the SICU were calling him the "model patient". He was moved out of the SICU 3 days later into a regular room, even though he clearly showed signs that he wasn't breathing too well on his own and was asking for oxygen to help him breathe. I still to this day do not understand why they were allowed to move him out of of the ICU. We left the hospital that night and told my dad we would see him tomorrow, only to have my sister call his room the next day to find out that he was moved back to MICU. We received no phone calls from the hospital...nothing.

Later on that afternoon, we go up for visiting hours only to find out my dad had to be put on a respirator and was sedated. We were informed he developed ARDS and pneumonia, which they said he would require help from the respirator for quite some time to help build his lungs back up. That night he pulled out his breathing tube; they had to keep him heavily sedated and they chemically paralyzed him. It was the hardest thing to see my father go through. My mom and I would go up every day to visit him, and we talked to him all the time. We were told about 5 days later that he was slightly improving, but that was the last time we heard that. We were told my father should have a tracheotomy done by his pulmonary doctor to help try and wean him off his ventilator. The doctor said they normally only do this procedure on patients that have shown signs of improvement and should recover from the ARDS. That never happened. I would say about 2 weeks after his surgery everything just started going downhill for him, my father had to have 2 blood transfusions, he developed MRSA, which we were told was common for people on ventilators for long periods of time. He developed acute renal failure, which is kidney failure. He had dialysis done to try and remove some fluid. My father never got any better after this. Almost 3 weeks after my dad's surgery, my mom got a call on her cell phone from the hospital that my father had taken a turn for the worse. We went up to the hospital and the doctor told us his ARDS had entered into the next stage where the chances of him recovering were not too good. The doctor informed us that the next 24-48 hours were crucial. We stayed up at the hospital all day and night and decided to go home around 11pm that night to get a little rest. My father wouldn't want us to be sitting around like that. I remember waking up at 4:30 that next morning because I couldn't sleep, I watched TV and then around 6am decided to go back to lay down and rest a little more. My phone rang at 6:18 am and it was my mother telling me we needed to get to the hospital right away. My husband and I were the first ones there and it was too late. My father passed away minutes before I got there at 6:40 a.m. I only sit and wonder why they didn't call us sooner so we could have been there for him until the end. The nurse did tell us that they couldn't keep him stable all night and were in his room all night, I will never understand why they didn't call us sooner. My father passed away on August 2, 2005 at the age of 62, 28 days shy of his 63rd birthday. He left behind his wife of what would have been 39 years on September 10th, his 2 daughters, 2 sons and his first granddaughter who will be 2 in November, his daughter-in-law and 2 sons-in-law. No one will ever have the answer how this could have happened to my father. My father is so deeply missed.

posted 9/11/2005

Kathy Crellin bcrellin@sympatico.ca
My mom had a quadruple bypass almost 11 years ago. Things were fine until this year. On February 7, she suffered what was believed to be a mild heart attack. She was told to take time off work and see her cardiologist. About 10 days later, she suffered another, stronger attack which put her in the hospital. She would never leave. From all the tests, it was determined she had 3 completely clogged grafts from her bypass and her 4th graft was 95% blocked. She was then put on a heart pump to open up the arteries to prepare her for her second quad bypass once she got stronger. We were told that she would never leave the hospital until she had that operation. She was doing so well on the pump, that the doctors removed her pump on Friday March 4, and my mother crashed in front of my two brothers on Sunday March 6. One of the drugs they gave her, a side effect can lead to ARDS. That is what happened. From Sunday March 6, she was on a ventilator, and then a trach.
She developed pneumonia, got free from that, an infection, then pneumonia again. The staff at Toronto General said she was no longer a cardiac concern, but now respiratory and moved her back to the first hospital she entered. We were told at Etobicoke General on April 22 that she was full of sepsis, had developed ARDS, and pretty much there was no real hope for her. My brothers who lived in the city (I was 4 hours away) told the doctors to make her as comfortable as possible. On Saturday, April 30, she was given one last dose of morphine to make her comfortable. Either give her the morphine to make her rest easier, or help her blood pressure which would make her breathing worse. On Sunday, May 1, as my brother Joe says, she was "reborn" and free from this terrible disease. May 1 was Joe's birthday.

posted 7/17/2005

Vicky gemini698924@yahoo.com
My mom was hospitalized in the beginning of March. She was sick for about 3 weeks. My sister thought she had just gotten the flu that was going around her house. My sister was supposed to be taking care of her as she has been handicapped for the last 17 years unable to walk or talk. When my sister had realized how sick she really was and took her to the hospital, she was on her death bed. She had pneumonia so bad that she had also gotten sepsis. We were never told about the ARDS until it was too late. She spent a month in the hospital in the ICU unit in McHenry Hospital. She had seemed to have gotten a little better and the hospital was in a big rush to ship her out the door even though my younger sister and I had many concerns about her health. They sent her to a place that specializes on getting her off the vent. They had a family meeting with us and told us all about the ARDS and that she was at advanced state and there is nothing they could do. They told us we had to find someplace for her to die. We were going to have a meeting the final week and let them know what we had decided, but our mom had made the decision herself and passed away from this awful thing on 04/05/05. That was the worst day of my life. She left behind 10 kids, 17 grandkids, and1 great grandbaby who miss her everyday.

posted 7/6/2005

Jill Crawford legalsec2504@yahoo.com
My dear sweet Anne went in the hospital for pain in her abdomen. Sunday, May 29 she underwent surgery to repair adhesions in her abdomen. Wednesday morning at 5:00 a.m. she started having respiratory distress. She was intubated by 6:00 a.m. and by 10:00 a.m. she had a nasogastric tube inserted and was moved to E.R. because ICU was full. That afternoon about 5:00 p.m. she was moved to the MICU floor. By Friday afternoon, she was diagnosed with ARDS. She suffered a heart attack and stroke over this past weekend. On Sunday they were unable to see any brain activity and were unable to wake her when they stopped her heavy sedation. Sunday night at midnight she was removed from life support and passed away at about 1:00 a.m. this morning. She was a dear friend of about 20 years. I miss her. Godspeed Anne. I love you.

posted 6/6/2005

Julia Dady juliadady@msn.com
My fianc�, Dr. Adrian White, died on March 23, 2001 from ARDS after aspirating vomit while under hospital care. He went into the hospital the night before to be evaluated for pericarditis. He was given several drugs, including coumadin, aspirin, toradol, ibuprofen, morphine and a steroid within a short time period. I believe he had an adverse reaction to the combination of drugs that led to a seizure, vomiting, and aspiration. His pericarditis turned out to be mild and we were just waiting for the discharge when this happened suddenly. He was never treated for aspiration because they ignored my eyewitness report of it and one doctor even asked if he was a 'drug user' (he was African-American and was deeply hurt by that question) - so they never treated him and he died several hours later. The autopsy was unable to determine why he aspirated. I wonder how many ARDS cases and aspiration cases are related to adverse drug reactions? Adrian was my best friend and companion and I still cry sometimes - I felt so helpless watching him die that way, struggling to breathe - the last words I heard him say were "I can't breathe." I still feel deeply betrayed by the medical community and want to do something to improve the way African-Americans are treated - but I do not know quite how or what.

posted 6/1/2005

Gail Robertson brewskymd@aol.com
My husband, Mark (38 years old), was taken by ambulance to the hospital on the early morning of 04/14/05. Six days later he was in the ICU on life support due to ARDS. I elected to remove Mark from the machines 26 days later after blood tests came back with tissue deterioration and he rejected his feedings. He passed on May 14, 2005, and I have lost my best friend, lover, companion, a father of our beautiful 9 month old son, Zane. I miss him terribly and have to wonder if his Interferon treatments for Hepatitis-C took his immune system down so that he was unable to fight the pneumonia. I will continue to grieve and mourn for my handsome husband.

posted 5/26/2005

Tina Shipp tshipp@gulftel.com
My mother was a very outgoing, cheerful, gracious person who did not deserve to die at such a young age (44). She took herself to the ER after experiencing stomach pains after coming home from a dinner date. They gave her a muscle relaxer and sent her home. She was put back in the hospital when she was not better over the weekend. That was on July 21, 1987. She never came home. She died on September 27, 1987, just 4 days after her 44th birthday. She had multiple surgeries on blockages in her intestine, which resulted in pneumonia, and then onto ARDS. I was devastated to lose my mother at such a young age. She was my inspiration and my best friend. I only wish the doctors had been able to figure out what was wrong sooner so they could have treated her. Incidentally, after the autopsy, I was told that her lungs were completely black inside from the smoking she did all her life (she began at age 13). This, of course, did not cause ARDS, but it also did not help the situation any. I feel for those who are going through