Not Again

My aunt Margie is my Daddy's older sister. The third oldest in a family of nine, she was born on my Pappy's 21st birthday. She has a daughter and a son, four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. She's an absolute trip, and finally told me how to make ham pot pie over Thanksgiving dinner last weekend. Every time I make something for a Hill get-together, I'm hoping that Aunt Margie will like it. Praise from her is hard-won and always sincere.

Aunt Margie has a bad heart. And lungs. She's had two open heart surgeries and has been on oxygen 24 hours a day for several years. None of this has kept her spunky self down. She just took her portable oxygen tank and went on. Some days her snazzy, flowery cane is a "Ho Stick", other days a "Pimp Cane".

Unfortunately, Aunt Margie's heart and lungs are giving out very quickly. She went to UVA yesterday, and was not in good condition. Daddy was on the phone periodically through the day checking on her and making plans to visit. This morning, another sister, Aunt Elaine, called to let Daddy know that Aunt Margie is at death's door. She wasn't expected to live through last night, and has said she doesn't want to be on life support. Her daughter has been called back off from a vacation, and the family is being gathered. Aunt Margie is struggling to breathe, has almost no blood pressure, and is in pain. Please, please keep her family and ours in your prayers. Needless to say we don't want to do this. But more specifically we don't want to do this AGAIN. This has been the longest year of many of our lives (certainly mine) and I just can't wait for 2009 to be over. Please pray as you're led, and for more strength for an already very strong lady.