Michael David Matheny passed away at 12:20 pm on Sunday, June 10th, 2012 at the Wedum Hospice. He was surrounded by friends and family in his final hours, and he knew he was loved.
We are having a day of remembrance for him at the Washburn-McReavy Nokomis Chapel on Saturday the 16th, from 1pm to 5pm. All of his friends are invited to come and share memories and raise a glass in honor of a life lived well and too short. The address is 1838 E. Minnehaha Parkway, Minneapolis MN. The number is 612-721-1651, and the web address is www.washburn-mcreavy.com.
If you need information, please email me - I'm kevin.matheny at comcast.net.
His story does not end here. His music is his gift to the world, and I am going to find a way to make it available to everyone. If you have recordings of his music, please contact me.
[Updated 6/14 to correct location - there's no way we can fit the number of people who want to remember Michael into his house]
Monday, June 11, 2012
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Saying farewell
Michael is in the hospice.
J.A. Wedum Residential Hospice
9350 Noble Parkway North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
He's resting comfortably, with round-the-clock nursing care if he needs it, and his family is there.
The hospice is wonderful, there is lots of room for friends to come and spend time with him. He is sleeping much of the time, but he knows we are there.
Friends are very welcome to visit. We're going to try to get Boo there on Sunday, and some of his musician friends may be able to play for him as well.
This is a sad time, so we are crying, but we cry in remembrance of this wonderful man, and in celebration of the vibrant life that he lived and the memories he leaves with us.
Thank you all.
- Kevin
J.A. Wedum Residential Hospice
9350 Noble Parkway North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
He's resting comfortably, with round-the-clock nursing care if he needs it, and his family is there.
The hospice is wonderful, there is lots of room for friends to come and spend time with him. He is sleeping much of the time, but he knows we are there.
Friends are very welcome to visit. We're going to try to get Boo there on Sunday, and some of his musician friends may be able to play for him as well.
This is a sad time, so we are crying, but we cry in remembrance of this wonderful man, and in celebration of the vibrant life that he lived and the memories he leaves with us.
Thank you all.
- Kevin
Friday, June 08, 2012
Hoping for hospice
Kevin here.
We are hoping to be able to move Michael to a hospice center (Wedum in Brooklyn Park) tomorrow, if he is strong enough to make the transfer. We will know more in the morning. He saw Boo today, which made both he and Boo happy.
We are hoping to be able to move Michael to a hospice center (Wedum in Brooklyn Park) tomorrow, if he is strong enough to make the transfer. We will know more in the morning. He saw Boo today, which made both he and Boo happy.
Back to the ICU
Michael is back in the ICU. He was having trouble breathing, and they've moved him back to Station 20 so he can be on the BIPAP. This sucks, because it's hard to sleep when you have this assistive breathing device blasting air into your lungs, and it means you can't talk. But without the BIPAP, he can't get enough air. He's trying to sleep now. Jen is with him, as is Mom. I'm not sure if any of us are going home tonight.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Less sweets for the sweet, unfortunately
Michael's blood sugar is up a bit more than the docs want to see, so they're monitoring it and giving him insulin. Which means all of the sweet treats we've been giving him are not such a good idea.
So if you are planning a visit (bearing in mind new precautions and limiting visitors as before), think twice before bringing him sweets.
Did I mention before that we don't need anything else to suck? Because we really, really don't.
So if you are planning a visit (bearing in mind new precautions and limiting visitors as before), think twice before bringing him sweets.
Did I mention before that we don't need anything else to suck? Because we really, really don't.
Visiting precautions
Michael is "C Diff Positive" -- I'm sure one of the nurses can spell out what exactly that means in medical terms. basically, the antibiotic regimen they have him on has allowed some of his intestinal flora to flourish. The nurses now have to observe additional isolation procedures, including wearing gowns at all times and gloves for every procedure.
What it means to visitors is that, in addition to "foaming in" you will also need to:
- Not sit on Michael's bed, chair or any other place where he has been sitting
- Not touch his bedding
- Thoroughly wash hands with soap and water as you leave
And if you have diarrhea after visiting, see your doctor.
just in case there was a shortage of things which sucked about this whole experience.
Still scheduled to move to Station 30 some time today, but no word yet on when.
- Kevin
What it means to visitors is that, in addition to "foaming in" you will also need to:
- Not sit on Michael's bed, chair or any other place where he has been sitting
- Not touch his bedding
- Thoroughly wash hands with soap and water as you leave
And if you have diarrhea after visiting, see your doctor.
just in case there was a shortage of things which sucked about this whole experience.
Still scheduled to move to Station 30 some time today, but no word yet on when.
- Kevin
Moving day - even better news
Talked to Michael's hospitalist this morning, who said he's ready to move out of ICU and back to Station 30. He's still on 8 liters of oxygen, but has been off the BIPAP for two days and is looking much better. Creatinine levels are down, which means his kidneys are getting better, and he's more alert. All good things.
- Kevin
- Kevin
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Somewhat better news
Kevin here.
Things are looking a bit better as of this afternoon.
Michael had a rough night; his nurses accidentally pulled out his nephrostomy tube as they were moving him around (it was intended as a temporary measure so it was not stitched in). He said of this event that it "hurt less than he expected." They then bundled him off to Interventional Radiology to have it re-inserted, which proved to be a fruitless endeavor, so they made him NPO (nothing by mouth, perhaps his least favorite thing aside from catheterization), catheterized him (ouch) and started him on steroids so they could give him contrast for a better image, and scheduled him for another surgery in Interventional Radiology in the late morning.
He went down for that about 10:30 am, and that's when I wrote the preceding post, waiting for him to return. He got back to his room about 12:45 or 1:00, and I got back in to see him about 1:30. They put nephrostomy tubes in both of his kidneys this time, which turned out to be a good thing, as his right kidney was very full - the interventional radiologist described it as "blown up like a balloon" which is not a good image.
About 2:30, I got back in to see him, along with Mom and surprise visitors John and Rachel. We didn't stay too long (since they close the ICU to visitors from 3-4) but we did see him a lot more alert than he had been in the morning, with reduced oxygen demand (down to 10 liters from 15 this morning) and a good appetite - he had several bites of a turkey sandwich, a wee cinnamon roll, some pita and hummus and about half of a peanut butter rice krispy bar with chocolate. The interventional radiologist pronounced him to be "doing great" which is nice to hear.
He's been off the BIPAP now for more than a day, and our new target (according to his hospitalist) is to get him down to the oxygen level where the ICU team pronounces him "too easy" and sends him back to Station 30 (Acute Oncology Observation), where we can make a new target.
- Kevin
Things are looking a bit better as of this afternoon.
Michael had a rough night; his nurses accidentally pulled out his nephrostomy tube as they were moving him around (it was intended as a temporary measure so it was not stitched in). He said of this event that it "hurt less than he expected." They then bundled him off to Interventional Radiology to have it re-inserted, which proved to be a fruitless endeavor, so they made him NPO (nothing by mouth, perhaps his least favorite thing aside from catheterization), catheterized him (ouch) and started him on steroids so they could give him contrast for a better image, and scheduled him for another surgery in Interventional Radiology in the late morning.
He went down for that about 10:30 am, and that's when I wrote the preceding post, waiting for him to return. He got back to his room about 12:45 or 1:00, and I got back in to see him about 1:30. They put nephrostomy tubes in both of his kidneys this time, which turned out to be a good thing, as his right kidney was very full - the interventional radiologist described it as "blown up like a balloon" which is not a good image.
About 2:30, I got back in to see him, along with Mom and surprise visitors John and Rachel. We didn't stay too long (since they close the ICU to visitors from 3-4) but we did see him a lot more alert than he had been in the morning, with reduced oxygen demand (down to 10 liters from 15 this morning) and a good appetite - he had several bites of a turkey sandwich, a wee cinnamon roll, some pita and hummus and about half of a peanut butter rice krispy bar with chocolate. The interventional radiologist pronounced him to be "doing great" which is nice to hear.
He's been off the BIPAP now for more than a day, and our new target (according to his hospitalist) is to get him down to the oxygen level where the ICU team pronounces him "too easy" and sends him back to Station 30 (Acute Oncology Observation), where we can make a new target.
- Kevin
Limiting visitation, and how serious is this?
Kevin here.
Michael is in Intensive Care, as he has been since Sunday. This means visitors are restricted; in addition to 4 hours a day when they enforce Quiet Hour and kick everybody out who isn't a nurse or doctor, they want the fewest possible visitors at all times.
If you want to see Michael, call me or Mom or Jen first, and please be understanding if we say no.
How serious is this? Incredibly fucking serious.
His oncologist has no further treatment recommendations. This means no chemo, no radiation, because those things will do more harm than good at this point. He's in ICU because he needs a huge amount of oxygen - 15 liters/minute on the "oximizer" which is the one that looks like a snowy white mustache. For contrast, his home concentrator maxes out at 5 liters/minute. His first night, he was on the BIPAP, which is a forced air system. That's not something he can use at home, since they only do it here in the ICU. Until his oxygen needs go way down, and he can get up out of bed, he can't go home.
This is terminal cancer. That means his life expectancy is limited - less than 6 months. There's a big difference between median life expectancy and reality for an individual, though. Since he's allergic to the contrast dye and has kidney issues, the doctors aren't ordering scans that could assess the progress of the cancer. So we don't know how long we have.
I'm hoping like anything that we have a long time left, and that he gets to go home and enjoy his new back yard, and play music with his friends and have visitors. But the reality is that we don't know how long we have, so we have to make the most of the time we do have. He's in and out of consciousness, between the pain medications, anti-anxiety medications, low oxygen level and exhaustion, so texting or emailing him is the best option. He may not reply right away; please don't be offended. You can also comment here or on Facebook if you are connected there.
Thanks for all the well-wishes and prayers. They mean a lot.
-Kevin
Michael is in Intensive Care, as he has been since Sunday. This means visitors are restricted; in addition to 4 hours a day when they enforce Quiet Hour and kick everybody out who isn't a nurse or doctor, they want the fewest possible visitors at all times.
If you want to see Michael, call me or Mom or Jen first, and please be understanding if we say no.
How serious is this? Incredibly fucking serious.
His oncologist has no further treatment recommendations. This means no chemo, no radiation, because those things will do more harm than good at this point. He's in ICU because he needs a huge amount of oxygen - 15 liters/minute on the "oximizer" which is the one that looks like a snowy white mustache. For contrast, his home concentrator maxes out at 5 liters/minute. His first night, he was on the BIPAP, which is a forced air system. That's not something he can use at home, since they only do it here in the ICU. Until his oxygen needs go way down, and he can get up out of bed, he can't go home.
This is terminal cancer. That means his life expectancy is limited - less than 6 months. There's a big difference between median life expectancy and reality for an individual, though. Since he's allergic to the contrast dye and has kidney issues, the doctors aren't ordering scans that could assess the progress of the cancer. So we don't know how long we have.
I'm hoping like anything that we have a long time left, and that he gets to go home and enjoy his new back yard, and play music with his friends and have visitors. But the reality is that we don't know how long we have, so we have to make the most of the time we do have. He's in and out of consciousness, between the pain medications, anti-anxiety medications, low oxygen level and exhaustion, so texting or emailing him is the best option. He may not reply right away; please don't be offended. You can also comment here or on Facebook if you are connected there.
Thanks for all the well-wishes and prayers. They mean a lot.
-Kevin
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Hospital time again
Kevin again.
Michael is back in the hospital again.
This morning, as he was having a lovely brunch with Ray, Gabriel and Jen, the home care nurse came by to re-wrap his legs (which are swollen as a side effect of either the kidney problems, the cancer, or both) and do a "basic metabolic profile" which include checking his blood oxygenation level. He was at 78, which is very low, so she sent him packing to the ER. In the ER, they put him on a non-rebreather oxygen mask and 11 liters/minute of oxygen. This got his O2 levels up to somewhere reasonable, but we still don't know what's wrong or how to fix it. A chest x-ray shows something is up in his left lung, which was the case previously. Whatever it is, it's notably bigger than it was two weeks ago, which the radiologist says makes it unlikely to be a metastasis, since that would not have grown so much so quickly.
Possibilities are:
1. Fluid in the lungs
2. Pneumonia
3. Metastasis
4. Some combination of the above
The problem they are having now is that it's hard to tell exactly what is going on without a good scan of the chest with contrast dye. But giving someone contrast dye when they have kidney issues is a bad idea, and Mike has had allergic reactions to contrast dye in the past, making it a really bad idea. So for now, they're going with broad-spectrum antibiotic in case it's an infection, diuretics to reduce fluid levels in case that's the problem, and standing ready with BIPAP in case he needs even more O2. This means he's in the ICU, since the BIPAP is a tight-fitting device, and if he vomits with it on, things will get bad very quickly.
More news when I know more and get a chance to update. -Kevin
Michael is back in the hospital again.
This morning, as he was having a lovely brunch with Ray, Gabriel and Jen, the home care nurse came by to re-wrap his legs (which are swollen as a side effect of either the kidney problems, the cancer, or both) and do a "basic metabolic profile" which include checking his blood oxygenation level. He was at 78, which is very low, so she sent him packing to the ER. In the ER, they put him on a non-rebreather oxygen mask and 11 liters/minute of oxygen. This got his O2 levels up to somewhere reasonable, but we still don't know what's wrong or how to fix it. A chest x-ray shows something is up in his left lung, which was the case previously. Whatever it is, it's notably bigger than it was two weeks ago, which the radiologist says makes it unlikely to be a metastasis, since that would not have grown so much so quickly.
Possibilities are:
1. Fluid in the lungs
2. Pneumonia
3. Metastasis
4. Some combination of the above
The problem they are having now is that it's hard to tell exactly what is going on without a good scan of the chest with contrast dye. But giving someone contrast dye when they have kidney issues is a bad idea, and Mike has had allergic reactions to contrast dye in the past, making it a really bad idea. So for now, they're going with broad-spectrum antibiotic in case it's an infection, diuretics to reduce fluid levels in case that's the problem, and standing ready with BIPAP in case he needs even more O2. This means he's in the ICU, since the BIPAP is a tight-fitting device, and if he vomits with it on, things will get bad very quickly.
More news when I know more and get a chance to update. -Kevin
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