So sorry Debbie! I can't imagine how painful this is for you. May she be at peace...

(((((Debbie))))) I am sorry for the loss of your Dear Sister Karen. And may the Dear Lord carry her to Heaven in His loving arms.

Thank you all for your prayers...she didn't die at home, which I consider a blessing for her son. I watched my dad die from a heart attack at home.

The shock has worn off and now I realize I'll never talk to her again...but I know she'll be in my dreams. My mom always invades when I'm doing something she doesn't like I'm sure sis will, too, since she always looked after me.
My parents were both older when I was born, and not in the best health. Karen took me to amusement parks, the zoo, even a Monkees concert!! She visited my mom every day after I got married, and watched after her...

The list is so long of docs and nurses she worked with as a nurse that want to pay their respects that my nephew has decided to have a 2 day visitation. She didn't know or believe, anyway, how valued and loved she was...I hope she knows it now...

((Debbie)) my thoughts and prayers will be with you.

Sorry for your loss.

Debbie,
Prayers are with your sister at this time. She now knows how much she was loved. May you remember all the happy and good times which will help see you thru your loss.

Thank you God for giving Debbie and family the gift of having her for all these years.

Prayers are with all of you.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Debbie, I'm sorry for your loss the good memories will help you through. sending healing hugs xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What a long, expensive weekend...

Got up to my sister's city Thursday afternoon. We decided to beat the snow coming into the Chicago area...glad we did, because we had 6" at home.
Spent the evening with my nephew and his wife and daughter...he is only 9 years younger than me, so we grew up almost as brother and sister the first 10 years of his life. His brother and sister are a bit younger, and I never really got to know them. My nephew has a heart of gold, whereas the other two are leeches, IMO...
My nephew was extremely close to my sis...they both considered one another their best friend. He took her in after she got very sick 2 years ago and could no longer live on her own. His wife cleaned up after her when she got c diff and cleaned and infused her IVs...he was heartbroken to lose his mom...

Friday we got to the funeral home after finding out that my sister's life insurance policy wasn't scheduled to pay fully until 2 years after she bought it. It had only been in force 11 months when she passed. So the kids would get a whopping $400 to put towards the $7100 bill
My nephew had emptied her checking account-a few hundred dollars. my sister was rock-bottom poor after years of working hard as a nurse, but with mucho doc bills and med bills... and the kids aren't doing well either.

So, needless to say, my very dear husband offered to pay the majority of the bill. The three kids are going to use their tax refunds to pay the rest. A group of nurses that my sis worked for gave them $250, which went immediately towards the bill.

There was nothing but drama the whole weekend, since they all thrive on it. I swear it shortened my sister's life...she worried about dying and leaving them. When we were young, and my dad passed, it made my sister grow up-she couldn't go to him to rescue her from her bad decisions...for awhile, she got her act together. But her life was riddled with bad choices. I hope that her kids grow up now...

In the end, she made one good decision-she had been driving when her last heart attack came on. She drove into a gas station, ran into the station, said "I can't breathe," and collapsed. She was smart enough to get off the road and not put anyone else's life in danger.

I felt a sense of relief when I saw her so peaceful in her coffin...no more stress, no more illness...no more kids' drama...just peace.

My nephew told me that she had started smoking again after almost two years off of the habit...her cardiologist, who also worked with her, visited the wake. When he found out she'd begun smoking, he said, "That's what killed her. When you restart, your arteries close up tightly and if you throw a clot, you're done." So sad...and such a waste...

Debbie, I am sorry for your loss. I did not realize that your sister had passed until I saw you mention the wake on insights. I rarely look at other threads beyond insights and the ms threads.