Laurel's Cancer Journey

It's Michael. Hello everyone. For my (likely) last post on Laurel's page, I would like to offer a summary of our meeting up at Skylawn for the dedicatory prayer and of the memorial service at our chapel the day after. Business: -- For future reference, I will continue to monitor Laurel's FB page for a while. I do not really use Facebook so if you would like to contact me, please do so through Laurel's page and we can exchange email addresses. -- A recording of the Zoom broadcast is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FUF0wq1kJuPdV6mEfKoV4TV69x7aDdfq/view?ts=6742cb29 -- Last bit of business: I would like to retain all of these posts and comments. Besides leaving Laurel's page active, does anyone know an easy/efficient way to transfer this record to a Word or Google Document or somewhere else for sharing or for future reference? The dedicatory prayer meeting was almost a disaster! This was only my second time at the Skylawn Mausoleum in the Sky, where our...

It's Michael. I thought those who won't be able to attend Laurel's memorial service this Saturday might enjoy seeing the poster and program we've had printed. Multiple family members were involved in the design and printing of these pieces. Thank you. I picked them up today. The printer was on the phone and pointed to the box of programs. I opened it and took off the protective cover. When I saw Laurel's beautiful face I immediately started crying. It took me completely by surprise! I just gazed at her and quietly wept while the printer finished his call. I did eventually turn the page to look at the rest of the program. Man. I did not even feel that coming. Anyway, I think the program turned out beautifully.   For those attending, enter through the glass doors at the rear of the building (1475 Edgewood Rd. Redwood City) and turn right. If you're early, I invite you to look at the Laurel memorabilia which will be on display. Please find a seat in the chapel by 1...

  It's Michael. For those who wish to attend the niche dedication on Friday, here are detailed directions: Skylawn Mortuary is located on Highway 92 at the intersection of Highway 35, on your way to Half Moon Bay. You'll see their driveway on the right as you are traveling west. Take the driveway to the top of the hill. There's a parking lot on the left and the funeral home on the right. Go just past these and turn left. It's hard to give verbal directions from this point so take a look at the picture below. The red line takes you to the Mausoleum In The Sky. Park along any curb and come in the north entrance. Look for me or someone you know. We'll be meeting in a large room inside and toward the left not far from the entrance. They will set up 10-20 chairs for us.   Here is a link to the Skylawn Memorial Park website: https://www.skylawnmemorialpark.com/.../skylawn-memorial... . Scroll down to the box that says "View Property Map" for a .pdf of the proper...

Hello, everyone. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about my sweetie. Obituary for Laurel Ann Redd Feddock, 15 May 1962 - 6 Nov 2024 Laurel Ann Redd was born on May 15, 1962, in Inglewood, California, to Betty and Harold Redd, the sixth of seven daughters. As devoted members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Harold and Betty taught their children to pray, to love others, to serve in the Church, and to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. They also provided their daughters with piano lessons, and Laurel proved to be especially talented. At age 21, Laurel was called to serve in the Spain Madrid Mission, where she loved the people to whom she taught the Gospel. While there, she generously shared her much-needed musical ability. On April 25, 1987, Laurel married Michael Feddock in the Los Angeles Temple and the couple honeymooned for four weeks in Europe, visiting Germany, where Michael had served his mission, Switzerland, and Spain. Living at the Woodland Hills,...

It's Michael. I'm not a Zoom expert like Laurel was so I'm just copying below everything I was given. My understanding is that you just click the "Join Zoom Meeting" link at the appropriate time and everything else happens automatically. FYI, all three of us, Breanne, Mike and I, seem to be doing well. We've had a couple meals together and just chilled at home together. We're trying to absorb and experience as much of this singular time as we can. Not an experience you get a second chance at, thankfully. _________________  Topic: Laurel Feddock’s Celebration of Life - Zoom Link Time: Nov 23, 2024 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/93806204776?pwd=bWImJdKNV3Ejvx8op38RplZ6J04RY0.1 Meeting ID: 938 0620 4776 Passcode: 196616 --- One tap mobile +16694449171,,93806204776#,,,,*196616# US +16699006833,,93806204776#,,,,*196616# US (San Jose) --- Dial by your location • +1 669 444 9171 US • +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) • +1 25...

-- Laurel's memorial service will be on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at 11:00am at our chapel, located at 1475 Edgewood Road in Redwood City, CA. -- Laurel invited people to wear cheerful clothing. Light refreshments will be served afterward. I recommend the Scotcheroos (look it up). -- The service will be broadcast via Zoom. Stay tuned for link. -- We will dedicate our niche the day before, Nov. 22, at Skylawn Memorial Park, Route 35 at Highway 92 in San Mateo, CA. This will also take place at 11:00am. -- For those interested in carpooling, a group will meet at the chapel parking lot to caravan to Skylawn. We will depart promptly at 10:30am. Stay tuned for detailed directions to the niche. -- Dress will be casual. You are invited to attend both events. ________________ To Laurel's amazing Facebook friends: You have buoyed her up. You have carried her. You have brought tears to our eyes. Your dedication and service have been Christ-like. We feel the Savior has walked with us and yo...

Wow, how do I wrap this up for Laurel's Facebook People? First, regarding a memorial service for her, after some decompression time I will decide on and announce the date. It will be at our ward building on Edgewood Road in Redwood City on a Saturday, with a trip up to Skylawn Mortuary on the Friday before to dedicate our niche. The memorial service will also be accessible via Zoom. Laurel asked that people wear cheerful colors to the memorial service. There will be light refreshments afterward. You are invited to all three events. Man, I wish Laurel was writing this. My first draft of this post described the events of the last two days of her life. I told about the progression of her pain, the eventual failure of the meds to comfort her, visits from hospice and about a Facetime call with a doctor so she could observe Laurel's labored breathing. It was a detailed account that a casual observer would probably find interesting. But we are not casual observers. We are friends and ...

It's Michael. She's gone. I'm going to need a minute.

Big day today. My life changed. Laurel has been experiencing some kind of pain or distress that has caused her to groan over and over and for long periods. Meds usually take care of it but it got worse last night and this morning. It's pitiful to sit beside her, asking where it hurts, does she want an ice pack, what can I do, and she can't respond. She has not been communicating for a couple days. I think whatever was causing this distress was just overwhelming her. I'm thinking pain so great you can't even think straight. I called hospice for help last night and again this morning. Our nurse came over about noon for her usual visit. Laurel was groaning. I don't want to say 'in anguish', and she wasn't writhing, but something was clearly really bothering her and she couldn't respond to questions. Our nurse called the doctor. Everyone is up to speed on every call I've made so the doctor knew Laurel's recent history and instructed the nurse to ...

It's Michael. In the last three days, Laurel has stopped eating, mostly stopped drinking, stopped getting out of bed, basically stopped communicating, and almost stopped being able to take meds. In a very short time, she's gone from sleeping in our bed to sleeping in the living room in a hospital bed, to not being able to get out of that bed, to needing everything done for her and now this evening, to being on oxygen. This all is not what I pictured when I thought we might be headed for a repetitive daily life while waiting for one of us to exit. If the last three days are any indication of the near future, it won't be Laurel who goes first. Because of the new difficulty with pill taking, we've changed to a Fentanyl patch for pain management. The patch replaces two of the meds Laurel was taking multiple times daily. Hospice kept asking if we wanted to keep taking pills and I thought "What's the big deal?" Well, I see it now. As various skills stop working,...

It's Michael. Guess I don't really need to keep saying that, but I'm going to anyway. I felt very sure yesterday would be Laurel's last day. What do I know? I even exercised my faith by not preparing the next days meds last night. Welll, drat. Not only was I mistaken but today's hospice nurse estimates 2-3 weeks before she'll leave us. We may be beginning a phase of daily repetition with slow progress toward the goal. I am not amused. Talk time appears to be over with my sweetie. She does not initiate conversation, even to express her needs. She does respond to questions but her responses are halting and very slow. Very. She can fall asleep after saying just the first few words of her sentence, I'll rub her arm lightly, she'll wake and ask if she finished her sentence. I hate it. I doubt she's digging it, either, and wonder how much she is really processing but is unable to tell me. I'm talking with hospice about her possibly being medicated beyo...

It's Michael. There will be no more draft approvals by Laurel so I'll try to make her proud in my writing. I really feel she's at the brink. The reduction in the new med has had no effect on her grogginess. She still seems sedated. Hospice will check in again tomorrow for an update. I have to wonder if the grogginess and lethargy are just symptoms of her decline. She has almost no strength. From bad cell spread? From not eating? Is she over-medicated? She cannot keep her eyes open. Her breathing is shallow and halting. She can barely lift a cup to drink. She rarely initiates conversation, just responds to inputs. She can barely walk, even with assistance, and can't push the walker over a 1/4" high bump. After a short walk this morning, she said she didn't think she could stand again. I told her she wouldn't have to. I believe she's done walking as of today. A bit of (maybe?) humor. We were sitting beside each other and she announced "Jesus is here....

It's Michael. She's not really 'here', actually. But there is a chance she might be back. We started the new med yesterday and she was pain free (this was a BIG deal) all day but asleep most of the day. Hospice is coming three days a week and at today's visit, they connected me with the doctor so I could express my concerns about Laurel possibly being over-medicated. It is a new experience talking to a doctor who seems to have all the time in the world for just you, listens patiently to your concerns, offers suggestions, and asks what you think about them. I mean, in my experience, that never happens. It's almost an emotional experience. Of course, blinking is an emotional experience these days. But seriously, I'm praising our hospice team publicly and have complimented them directly. Today's phone call with the doctor yielded a plan to go from one tablet every 8 hours around the clock to one tablet every 12 hours, and to use the previous medication for ...