Simone

My sister Simone, she is having a rough time of it lately.

When most people think of siblings, they are reminded of their own

  who are usually just a few years older or younger than themselves. 

I was blessed by my parents to have 6 siblings in a 23 years span.

Simone, whom I speak of today is the oldest of us all,

81 and is now a resident of a nursing home here in Plaquemine since Ida.

 Just two weeks ago she was rushed to the 

hospital with gallstones and had to have emergency surgery.

Three days later she was back at the Home, doing well although confused.

 Then on Friday night my niece, her daughter, Minta

 received a call from the Home 

saying that the ambulance had to take her Mom back to the hospital.

As serious as the illness two weeks ago was, this episode is life or death.

She is septic and on a ventilator as she was having trouble breathing.

She had a kidney blocked by a stone and had that removed and

the organs washed out. Minta, has been a trooper for her Mom

and has been keeping me updated so I can update the rest of the siblings.

Yesterday evening, I was able to visit for an hour with her and my nursing

self knew what to expect, I have seen this scenario many times in my

career, but my heart, oh my heart....

it could never be ready to see my sister, still on a ventilator,

being weaned off the meds that kept her sedated so that they can

try and get her to breathe on her own.

As I approached her bed, with my Minta at my side,

I reached for her very swollen and cold hand and said,

"Hey Mone, it's Lil"

right away, she opened those big blue eyes that are mirrored in mine,

the ones we inherited from our Dad. As she tried to focus on 

my face, she also squeezed my hand and tried to speak.

We are all big speakers, us Collins children, often known to over-talk

each other, so for her not to be able to talk or try and

figure out what is going on is so hard.

I reassure her that she is very sick but getting better, that

I come full of love from our other siblings and family members.

She becomes so agitated that Minta and I decide to leave her rest.

She has at least six IV fluids, pumping through her, catheters,

drain tubes etc. she is far from out of the woods but this ICU staff

is superb at Our Lady of the Lake and if she does pull through

it will be because of this same staff and the caring of my niece.

My sister is a trooper. She has more lives than a cat, 

if the '9 lives' saying is true. Throughout all of her illnesses,

she has remained steadfast and positive in the belief that

she will be fine and if she is not, then she will be going with all

her other loved ones that have passed to the next life.

Being the baby of all the Collins siblings has me realizing oonce

again, that I will probably see this scenario playing out

again with another sibling before it is my time to say goodbye

to those I love. Yet there is  no amount of "practice" that can prepare

you to see someone you love suffering in life.

I do know this... that each time I am witness to the tragedies of this life

I am more aware of just how wonderful the body and mind is...

... and the heart, well it goes on and on.

(Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks for your time as well.)

left to right!

Roseana, Veronica, Cheryl (sis in law), Peter, Celena, Myself,

and our oldest sister, Simone in the front.

Not pictured, My brother Larry who has died.