Online Grief Support - A Social Community
Don't grieve alone; 14,000 members and growing
-
Dawn
- Female
- Newburgh, NY
- United States
- Blog Posts
- Discussions
- Groups
- Photos
- Photo Albums
- Videos
Gifts Received
Dawn has not received any gifts yet
Dawn's Page
Profile Information
- About Me:
- I was born 12 August 1955. I have a BS in Elementary Education and a Masters degree in Library Science. I am currently employed full-time at a service academy library (33 years) and part-time at a public library (11 years). I have 2 grown children - daughter born in 1984 and a son born in 1985; also 3 grandchildren and 2 step-grandsons.
- About my Loss:
- Percy and I were first married in 1984, after being together since 1978. We were married for about 5 years when we were divorced, due to his drug/alcohol problems after his mother's death. We were apart for 15 years, until we were reunited when our children looked him up. We were together since June 2004 and inseparable! We remarried on January 15, our original wedding date. Percy was told of suspicious spots on his lung on July 2013. The VA took its time and finally gave an official diagnosis of stage 3 lung cancer on October 2014. Yes - 15 months to a diagnosis! He finally started chemo and radiation in December 2014, after battling pneumonia in November. Percy was absolutely positive of fighting the cancer and becoming a "phenomena". He made it through 5 weeks of treatments and very little side effects. Then, on Saturday 10 January 2015, we came home from helping our son and his family move to a new place. Percy started coughing up massive amounts of blood. I called 911 and Percy was taken to the hospital down the hill from our house. All they kept telling us was "infection". He got increasingly worse, with high temps and high heart rates. However, Wed afternoon, a doctor told us his cancer treatment was successful because the cancer was breaking up and dying off. He told us that he would probably be kept for a couple more days because of this "setback" and then sent home. Later that night Percy was transfered to ICU because his blood pressure dropped and they wanted to use his chemo port to give him meds for it. We were never told that anything was life-threatening! Percy woke up at 2 in the morning needing to pee, then needing a basin - again coughing up massive amounts of blood. While this was happening, he collapsed. Code was called, 3 units of blood called for, CPR...he was resuscitated. Drs amazed!! Then...he coded again and was gone. I will never forget the look in his open eyes and the tube in his throat. Percy's death certificate says: acute cardio/pulmonary failure; CVA (stroke); sepsis; pneumonia; and lung cancer. Afterwards, looking at his medical records, I see increasingly abnormal ECGs and an indication of a previous heart attack (none of which we were notified of). What the hell really happened I still don't know and am tortured by. He was only 57, 6'3", 280 pounds (never lost weight from treatment). I thought he was indestructible. I was in charge of everything medical for Percy and now agonize over mistakes that must have been made!
My Percy died on our Anniversary - 15 January 2015. I'm lost...can't believe he's really gone.
Groups
-
Traumatic loss of an onl…
37 members
-
Loss of a loved one to a…
4 members
-
Being the Other Woman/Ot…
45 members
-
Grief Counseling
141 members
-
Sibling Loss
10 members
-
Losing My Sister
5 members
-
Losing a Sister
94 members
-
Funeral Service
2 members
-
I miss my Mom!
751 members
-
LESBIAN ..GAY 2 SPIRITE…
15 members
-
Loss of a child In memor…
29 members
-
Too Young To Die
17 members
-
Multiple Losses Group
324 members
-
Zoom Grief Support
39 members
-
Orphaned Adults
80 members
Latest Activity
"I lost my husband overnight that it happened so fast that I still can’t accept that he’s gone."
My Fathers Loss
Many years ago, I lost my father after his battle with colon cancer that later spread to his bones. The grief stayed with me longer than I expected. Ambrosia Behavioral Health helped me work through that loss, understand my emotions, and find healthier ways to cope and move forward. https://www.ambrosiatc.comSee More
"Professional help gives you a safe space to talk, understand your emotions, and learn healthy ways to cope. It can make grief feel less overwhelming and easier to manage over time. https://www.ambrosiatc.com"
© 2026 Created by Ninja.
Powered by
Comment Wall
You need to be a member of Online Grief Support - A Social Community to add comments!
Join Online Grief Support - A Social Community