March 17, 2009

Dear All, I don't know what to say, Other than she will be missed so much . She was so great with my Mother and Bonnie's Father before they passed away. She was truly one of a kind,and was a special lady too us also.I can still remember the times that she spent with us when Mom's last days were upon us.We can all say that were ready when our parents pass on, but are we? I know that she is in a better place,one with no more pain and no more suffering. I know that she is talking with my Mom and Dad and looking down on us all! I reallly wonder what their thinking? Hopefully their saying that we have raised you well,and you can handle any problems that come around. I will close this, because my typing skills leave alot to be desired. I just wanted everyone to know that my heart goes out to each and everyone of you. Dale & Bonnie Van Volkinburg

Todd,
Sandy and I are very sorry to hear of your Mom’s passing. We have been kept abreast of her health through your emails to Julia and Bob. We all have very fond memories of your Mom.
We are sorry that we will not be able to attend the funeral but we want to send our condolences to you and Tammy and to the rest of your family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sincerely,
Tim and Sandy

March 19, 2009

Dear Todd, Otie Kent, Buddy, Danny, Tootsie, Peggy Jo, and Becky,

Our deepest sympathy to you all. Your Mom will certainly be missed. She leaves so many memories for all of us and many years of which you were all part of our farm family and the trials and tribulations of growing up together. There were many good times for all of us and much hard work to go all around.

Your Mom will always be remembered for hearing Dad's cries for help so early in the morning of the accident that lost his leg in spring of 1968. She saved his life and for that we were always grateful. Your family pitched in and helped us all in a time of great need and there were many years of fun, work and play after that.

We expect to be up on Saturday for the service. You Mom's life will be a joy to celebrate and remember. She sowed so many good seeds and was truly an example to follow as she lived her faith and her life through God. We rejoice in that she is now at Peace in heaven and with your Dad.

Our support and our love to you all. We look forward to sharing in the time of remembering.

Much Love,
Jule Alice and Bob

The following arrangements have been made to celebrate Peggy’s going Home:

Thursday, March 19th at Hope Baptist Church, 6450 Hope Way, Hanover, PA.
The afternoon viewing will be from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. The evening viewing will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a memorial service starting at 8:00 p.m. for anyone who would like to attend.

Friday, March 20th at Sheldon Funeral Home, Main Street, Laceyville, PA.
Viewing will be from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Friday evening.

Saturday, March 21st at Mehoopany Baptist Church, Mehoopany, PA.
Funeral will begin at 11:00 a.m. Family will receive visitors beginning at 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to any of the following organizations:

Hope Baptist Church
6450 Hope Way
Hanover, PA 17331

New Tribes Mission
1000 E First St.
Sanford, FL 32771

Loud and Clear Ministries
9 Choice Hill Rd.
Greenville, SC 29609

Mehoopany Baptist Church
P.O. Box 162
Mehoopany, PA 18629

Face to face with Christ my Savior,
Face to face, what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me?

Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory
I shall see Him by and by!

This was Mom's favorite hymn. At 3:30 p.m. Peggy Marie Comstock came face to face with her beloved Savior. She will be sorely missed.

There has been no change in Mom's condition in the last 24 hours. She continues to rest easy and peaceful as we watch for any signs of discomfort. Each family member here has had the opportunity for a special time with her, and we know the Lord is guiding her even now. Please continue to lift Peggy in prayer.

Mom appears peaceful and is resting easy. All her children are here with her. We continue our vigil.
Please continue to lift Peggy in prayer.

We have been in contact with the Hospice RN and are doing everything we can to make her comfortable.

Mom's status - she has had a very bad day, and is having a hard time right now.

There were 36 of us for Mom’s family breakfast Saturday morning. A lot of good food was prepared, and she ate well. It was a long day for her, but a good one, and we thank the Lord for allowing us more time to fellowship together. She finally laid down to rest late in the afternoon, and we enjoyed singing some of the hymns she knows.

Family members arrived just before dinnertime, and she insisted on getting up to eat dinner. In fact, she offered the prayer before we ate, and enjoyed more of the good food that people have been bringing.

She slept very little last night and was very restless, but is finally sleeping this morning. Also, there was much confusion, as well as talk of old times. However, her strength and mobility in getting up and down is very good when not tired.

Please continue to lift Peggy in prayer.

Mom had a great day yesterday, and said she was feeling good! We got her up and into the chair in the morning, and she stayed up visiting all day and evening. The confusion wasn't too bad during the day, but got worse toward evening. She spent a restless night.

She has been planning a family breakfast since Monday, and is really looking forward to it. Yesterday morning she supervised a trial run, and ate pretty good-not just at breakfast, but all day. Most of the immediate family members are here, and the rest will be arriving today and tomorrow

She rose early this morning, had a bath and shampoo, requested a particular dress to wear, and is ready for the day. And she is still excited about this family breakfast! She says we are going to have another good day! We believe her.

The confusion is still there but to varying degrees during the day. She did complain early this morning about the pain in her legs, and requested Tylenol. Right now she is holding court in the kitchen with the family surrounding her.

Please continue to lift Peggy in prayer.

Mom slept during the late afternoon and evening hours on Thursday probably because the trip home tired her out. But she was alert and awake for a while last night as friends and family gathered to visit. She also enjoyed having the Psalms read to her and prayer offered for her.

Because she requires someone to be with her 24/7, we have set up a schedule of four-hour shifts. Anyone who wants to can take a turn watching for changes, making sure her needs are met, and keeping her comfortable.

Out of town family members are beginning to arrive, and we look forward to their visits. Please continue to lift Peggy in prayer.

We brought Mom home from the hospital about 2:00 today. She is settled in at her home in Hanover, and resting from the trip. Hospice was here and gave us additional information on keeping her comfortable. If anyone would like to call, her phone number now is (717) 632-9048. Please continue to lift Peggy in prayer.

Mom actually had a very good day yesterday. She did sleep most of the morning because of the difficult day and night before. But by lunchtime, she was awake and ready for the day. Not only did she have lots of visitors and phone calls during the course of the day, but everyone was able to enjoy quality time together. She was very alert, talking, joking and teasing. The confusion was at a much lesser degree. In fact she said that she felt great and it was because she hadn’t had her meds for 24 hours. (In reality most of them have been discontinued).

The hospital chaplain was visiting and asked what her favorite hymn was. She started singing “Face to Face with Christ My Savior”. We joined in with her and then sang several more hymns. She ate well, and she was out of bed using the walker to get around.

The doctor plans to discharge her from the hospital on Thursday, and our goal is to bring her home to her house to spend whatever time the Lord allows. Arrangements are currently being made for a hospital bed and whatever else is needed to make that happen.

Please continue to lift Peggy in prayer.

This is the latest on Mom’s condition. The nurses at the dialysis center were unable to hook her up to the machine on Monday because the fistula was so badly clogged. They scheduled her to go to York Hospital Tuesday to either have it re-opened or a catheter put in, followed by dialysis. However, after she got back to the Brethren Home on Monday afternoon, her blood pressure dropped very low and she was lethargic, so she was transported to York Hospital Monday night.

Tests and x-rays were done, and her doctor told us that the situation was grave. She has retained a good deal of fluid, her confusion will not improve, and the fistula is beyond repair -- which means another surgery. The question became do we want to put her through this.

Many, many factors and much prayer went into the decision that had to be made, but her dialysis has now been discontinued. She could be with us for a couple days or a couple weeks. From this point on, it is totally in the Lord’s hands, but we recognize that he has been in control all along.

We covet your prayers for Peggy/Mom/Sis/Grandma. Please pray for the Lord’s Will to be done, and that she not suffer.

Mom has had some difficult days lately. She requires the use of oxygen more often, and when she keeps it on, her color is better and her mental state improves a little. An x-ray this week revealed she has pneumonia, and a CAT scan is scheduled for Tuesday at the hospital to have a closer look.

She gave us a bit of a scare this week when she took a notion to get out of her chair by herself and fell. She's ok, and only suffered minor bruising.

She also had some serious confusion Friday evening which required Otis to leave work and go to the Home to calm her down. We are still searching for answers as to why so much confusion.

On a lighter note, it was about 70 degrees here on Saturday and Mom wanted to go outside and enjoy the weather. Rita and Becky took her out around the courtyard area. When Otis got there later, he took her out again. While "strolling" around the campus, they saw a Turkey Hill across the street and Mom said she wanted ice cream. Anyone who knows Otis knows what happened next. Off they went with Otis wheeling Mom across the main road in her wheelchair!! What a sight! They bought enough ice cream for the six of them, and enjoyed it by the fountain on campus.

Please continue to lift Peggy in prayer.

Phone/Room Update

I just received Mom's new room phone number: (717) 624-3126.

Her address is:
Peggy Comstock, Room 3573
Cross Keys Village
The Brethren Home Community
2990 Carlisle Pike
P.O. Box 128
New Oxford, PA 17350

February 24, 2009

Last week we had a meeting with the Brethren Home concerning Mom’s progress in therapy. Currently she’s working on regaining more strength in her legs, as well as stability when standing. We were advised that her occupational and physical therapy would probably cease in about two weeks because she will have reached a plateau. This meant we needed to decide where her long term residence would be. Everyone including family and administration felt it was in Mom's best interest to have her stay and be cared for at the Brethren Home.

We were shown several rooms in the palliative care unit on the third floor of the Home, and Mom saw the rooms on Saturday. We advised the social worker of our room choice, and Mom moved into her new quarters today. Her new room #3573 is similar to the one she moved from, but has a large bay window and a window seat with storage. She also has her own shower and a remote control for the TV! All in all, a very nice setup. We spent the morning getting her things organized, and the room arranged and decorated to her liking.

Last weekend, we took her to a hymn sing in the sanctuary put on by a local church, and on Sunday we attended a piano concert put on by two members of a church located just over the PA/MD state line. She also plays Bingo and is working to win enough coupons to go to the gift shop downstairs.

Her mobility is improved, and she walks a little more with assistance. However, the calciphylaxis has flared up again with an increase in soreness and pain.

Her address is the same, but the room number has changed to 3573.

Please continue to pray for Peggy.

February 13, 2009

Mom enjoyed visits from some of her out of town family members last weekend (2/7) - in particular her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. That really brightened her spirits! And on Sunday we took her to an event put on at the Home where she tasted some vegetarian foods and soups, enjoyed Christian music, and had chocolate and coffee. She liked that a lot. In fact, always thinking of others, she insisted that Rita and Mary take plates of chocolate up to her room so she could give them to her nurses (which she did---honest!) But the main thing was that she got out of her room, had a change of scenery, and enjoyed the event.

Mentally, things have been pretty much the same. She talks a lot about her past and people from her past, and she does have times where she is quite lucid. Physically she's doing better. For the last month (since she came down with those infections) she has had to be stretchered to and from dialysis because she was weak and unstable. This meant being transported by ambulance, and it became very frustrating for her because she had to wait at the dialysis center until the transport came for her. It was frustrating for us when we tried to visit because we never knew when or how late she would be back to the home.

The ambulance company often got her to dialysis late, and did not return her to the Home until 8 or 9 p.m. This made for a very long day for her, and one without substantial meals. But she was a trooper. She continued to have physical and occupational therapy. She worked very hard, has regained much strength, and now is better able to move about with the walker. In fact she is doing so much better that today (Friday) she began riding the Brethern Home bus to dialysis again instead of being transported in the ambulance. Praise the Lord for that. She was so excited to be off the ambulance!

She has been receiving many cards and letters from friends and family, and on her behalf we say thank you for staying in touch. She loves to hear from every one of you.

Please continue to pray for Peggy.

January 27, 2009

Mom was pretty busy entertaining visitors last weekend - starting Friday night when her sister Nancy came in from Florida. It seemed like everyone who visited was able to spend some quality time with her. She was sitting up and talking, even teasing people. We could see a little of the old Peggy coming through.
Not much has changed as far as her condition. She is still fighting the infections and making some progress there. She’s able to get up out of bed and use the walker some instead of the wheelchair, which indicates that she’s regaining a little strength. And she was awake more over the weekend. The confusion is still there, and still upsetting to her, but we're trying to help her work through it.
Please contine to lift Peggy in prayer.

Update 1/22/2009

This has been a difficult week for Mom, who has been very sick because of the two infections she has been fighting. She is starting to recover, but it is a very slow process.


The therapist will stop her therapy on Friday in order to have a week of observation to determine her progress so far.


Also, we and the nursing staff have seen a marked deterioration in her condition from last week. The doctor feels the confusion is coming in part from the infections. There is also the possibility that she has had one or more small strokes in the last week. She’s been sleeping more. She has been more confused about where she is, why she’s there, and where she used to live as well as some other things. She asks those questions, and it’s like she’s trying to make sense of her circumstances and can’t. And for the last few days she has said she wants to stop dialysis, which to us is a sign she is giving up. We continue to encourage her to do her very best at therapy so she can get back on her feet.


Please continue to lift Peggy in prayer.

Jan. 19, 2009

We went to visit Mom tonight, and because she had dialysis today we thought she would be pretty tired and lying in bed. However, we were wrong. When we arrived, she was sitting up on the edge of the bed very much awake. A few minutes into conversation, though, we realized just how confused she was about everything. And that's the way the rest of the visit went. We were surprised to hear her say that she knows she is confused, and it's very upsetting to her.



We received a call from the Home last night stating they had received test results which confirmed that she has a new infection called "c dif ", as well as the urinary tract infection. (This infection is highly contagious, on contact only, and recommendations are to sanitize the hands before leaving the room). The doctor feels that these infections and the renal failure are what's causing her confusion. Sometimes this makes it very difficult to carry on a conversation with her, but we keep trying.



As a matter of information, in case anyone would like to check out the Bretheren Home, their website is http://www.crosskeysvillage.org/. Also, Mom has a phone in her room (717) 624-5305, and she has her cell phone with her (717) 476-9152. Should you want to send mail, her room number is 4525, and the address is



Cross Keys Village, The Brethren Home Community

2990 Carlisle Pike

P.O. Box 128

New Oxford, PA 17350



If you would like to speak with any of us directly, our phone numbers are listed below.

Otis 717-476-9150

Mary 717-476-9147

Rita 484-695-6761

Beginning Status 1/18/2009

Peggy Comstock, a.k.a. Mom/Grandma/Sis, has had increasing health problems during this past year. Early in December 2008 she took two falls in her home within a 12-hour period, both times requiring Otis’ assistance to regain her position. Because we were concerned about her safety, we spoke to her doctor who admitted her to Hanover hospital. This was to determine the cause for her instability and to get her meds regulated. However, once there, she began to rapidly deteriorate due to poor care, so we had her moved to York hospital where tests were run and some diagnoses were made.

The main diagnosis that she is now dealing with is a disease called calciphylaxis – a buildup of calcium in the bloodstream. She develops lumps under the skin around her abdomen and on her legs. This disease has the potential to shorten her life considerably and is very painful for her.

Also, her doctor felt that she needed therapy to help her build her strength and stamina, so we visited places where she could undergo rehab.

We brought her home from York Hospital on Christmas Day to spend time with her family; and after dialysis on the 26th, we admitted her to Cross Keys Village Bretheren Home for rehab. This facility has a very good reputation for care and for caring, and Peggy seems to like it there. They transport her to dialysis three times a week, and she has therapy five days a week. From what we witnessed this weekend, she appears to be regaining some of her strength.

Some of you have asked about the best time to call or visit. Our best advice is to do what suits your schedule. She has good days and bad days -- she even has good hours and bad hours. So it’s impossible for us to predict the best time for a call or visit. Just please don’t stop trying to contact her because she so enjoys the time spent with you in a visit or call. Please be patient with her responses. The tests disclosed that she has had at least two mini strokes. As far as we can tell, these have only slowed her speech some, nothing more. So it may take a little longer for a response from her.

As a final note, she has not lost faith nor stopped looking up. When the doctor told her she may have less than a year to live, her response was “I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future.” She continues to pray, and enjoys Bible readings. She is concerned that her actions now and in the future may not bring glory to the Lord that she loves so much. However, in her lucid moments, she is such a testimony to the One who holds her future. Please continue to lift Peggy in prayer.