Ellen’s Story

Site created on February 29, 2020

Welcome to Ellen’s CaringBridge website. Ellen was admitted to United Hospital Center on Friday, February 21. She was diagnosed with colon cancer. On February 28, her doctors successfully removed the tumor in her colon. We are awaiting the staging of her cancer and what her longer term care plan will be.

Newest Update

Journal entry by Tara Reel

Mom has had many challenges since her colon surgery to remove her tumor in late February. My mother began experiencing heart issues since her thirties. Her life has been a constant battle with her health. She has fought valiantly.

A couple of weeks ago, she started to retain fluid. It was a signal that her body was starting to shutdown - multiple organ failure. The past week of my life has been on the outside of a hospital and talking to ER doctors and nurses as they fought to give her a little more time with us. 

This weekend they began dialysis due to her kidneys failing. We had hoped that they would rebound but her kidney function has continued to decline. In order for my mother to stay alive, she would continue to live on machines, which is not the quality of life she wished for. She had told the hospital she wishes to stop all treatment and wants to come home to spend her final days. We will be putting her into Hospice Care.

As you know, we are dealing with unusual times, which makes the process of losing a loved one all the more difficult. I cannot begin to explain the added pain and anguish of not being able to be with her. I am in the process of bringing my mother home so we can say goodbye. I am not sure what that will look like but I thank you for all of your prayers, and those of you who have gone the extra mile to bring comfort to me. You will never know what that has meant to me as I have experienced devastating losses between 2019 to now.

I ask for your prayers for strength to see my family through this difficult time.




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