Sister Mary Ellen was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis roughly a year ago.
https://www.lung.ca/lung-health/lung-disease/idiopathic-pulmonary-fibrosis Her journey with this disease has brought her to live at the Sisters of Saint Josephs community.
http://ssjerie.org/She is a patient of Great Lakes Hospice and receives "at home" services here at her SSJ residence.
https://www.agingcare.com/local/great-lakes-home-healthcare-and-hospice-erie-hospice-paAt this time, Mary Ellen is on 24/7 oxygen support which helps her maintain a quality of life in which she continues to dress for each day and enjoy delicious foods that satisfy her appetite: dark chocolate, anything raspberry, soups, muffins, cinnamon pecan rolls, yogurts, tangelos and more!
Though she spends most of her days resting in her room in her comfortable recliner, she does drive the "Mercedes" of scooters to dine for breakfast and lunch. She enjoys a light meal at dinnertime just outside her room at the "round table".
Visitors trickle in daily, as she is quite a popular "gal". These visits are greatly appreciated, but can wear her down, as she continues to be "Mary Ellen" and quite the "Chatty Cathy" of conversationalists.
She enjoys her puzzle books, reading, watching the news, game shows and the occasional Hallmark Channel movie.
Posts on this website, emails, cards and brief phone calls and short visits are greatly appreciated.
FYI: Flowers are not permitted in her room, as they take up too much oxygen.
With all that she has done and accomplished at this glorious age of 80 (soon to be 81 in March) She has earned herself this time of peace, self-reflection and rest. She has ministered and cared for so many on their own journeys, it is time for she to be ministered and cared for by others.
As Mary Ellen's journey continues, she is at peace with what lays ahead.
We thank you for taking this time to visit and will continue to keep updates current.
