Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
Mary has been living with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease for several years. This is a progressive disease which will get worse but not better over time. By 2016, her liver issues became more serious which then started to affect other aspects of her health.
In the summer of 2017 Mary was evaluated at the Mayo Clinic and was approved as a potential candidate for a liver transplant. This does not mean she will be able to receive a transplant even as her liver worsens. Up to now her risk to benefit ratio has favored ongoing monitoring.
In February of 2020, Mary experienced a perforation of her small intestine which resulted in an abdominal infection and immediate hospitalization at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She is being treated with antibiotics to control the infection and allow time for the bowel to heal. However, as her general health declines her options continue to narrow. For that reason our planning is moving to palliative care and perhaps hospice if that becomes necessary. Mary has had many people praying for her and we are not underestimating the power of prayer to help and comfort Mary. She feels these prayers and they are making a difference in her life.
In the hospital we are limiting visits to family, but your thoughts and prayers are gratefully welcomed.
-Written by Frank and respectfully submitted by Mary’s niece, Beth Zimmerman
