Debbie Guest

Hi I'm Debbie I am a mother 3 great children, William ( Bill ), Emily and Bryce.On Saturday 25th August 2007 3.00pm.... My whole world changed the day that I got a phone call telling me that Bill had been involved in a MVA... my heart sank and I just went numb... didn't know what to say or do.... I didn't get to see Bill until he was in ICU.... The neurosurgeon called an emergency meeting and told us what Bill's injuries were he had a servere head injury they had to take out the bone flap has he had a massive brain bleed, smashed pelvis ,3 broken ribs and punctured lungs and a broken arm Bill was put on life support and was given a 20% chance of surviving the night...They told us that the outcome of Bill's head injury was very bad and he would have a very poor quality of life he would be left a vegetable.... I felt sick when they told me that as I knew deep in my heart that Bill would not like to live if he was going to be left a vegetable... as he was a very active young man..... In a way I hoped he would go peacefully... but then I hoped for a miracle and he would wake up and be Bill again.... well that miracle never happend and Bill made slight improvement but they were just reflex actions the doctors told us... Bill was transfered to the Neuro ward where he stayed there until he was transfered to Sydney to the BIRU in Liverpool... he underwent rehab but to no luck... Bill stayed in Sydney for 3 long months ..... I could not stay with him I went down on weekends and when I could ... that was so hard seeing him like that as I could tell he didnt want to be there... the look i got sometimes... it was like he was trying to tell me to take him back home and let me die..... Well Bill did come back to Canberra in January 2008.... back to the Neuro ward with all the nurses that looked after him before he went to Sydney. You could tell that Bill knew he was back home where he belonged.... In my opinion Bill should never have been sent there ,as his brain is that severely damaged its iripairable. Bill went into surgery to have his bone flap put back in.... but his orginal flap didnt fit... so they had to measure it up for a titanium plate.... during all this time Bill got MRSA which is a bad infection, so he was kept isolated.... Bill had to wait 3 weeks before they did surgery again... that went well but he got phneumonia really bad, so the doctors called a family meeting to discuss our options of what to do... I as his guardian made the decision to DNA him as he was going to be left wheelchair bound and severely brain damaged.... but once again Bill recovered from the phneumonia as they gave him strong antibiotics... once he finished the course he got it back again... that happend several times.... I called in Pallative Care to discuss my choices ..... they told me he will never be any good... which I already knew that.... so I decided to stop all treatment and let Bill pass away.... The day after Mothers Day last year I asked Pallative Care to take over and cease all treatment.....That was the hardest decision I have ever had too do... I dont regret my decision I only wish I could of done it much earlier so Bill did not have to suffer 9 long months.... On Friday the 22nd of May 2008 I asked the nurses do you think its time for me to start staying here with him over night... they said no I think he will last another night.... I said my goodbyes about 7pm that evening... and I told Bill it was alright for him to go, I will be fine, I told him how much I loved him and that I was so proud to have had him in my life for 21 years..... The hospital rang me at 12.40 on the 23rd of May 2008 and told me to get up to the hospital as Bill isn't doing to well...we live 20 mins away from the hospital... my partner Mark and I left and got there ASAP. We arrived at his room door I just walked into the room and opened the curtain... and the nurses that were with him said he had just passed away as I walked into the room.... I immediately started to cry and I hugged him and said I love you and I said rest peacefully you are now pain free.... I believe that Bill knew I was coming and he didnt want me to see him take his last breathe... I thanked him for that as it was hard enough watching him fade away over the past 9 months....... Bill was my eldest son.... he was a wonderful person.... he was like a best friend to me ...... he is now resting peacefully with his grandparents... I hope no other mum or dad has to make that decision... but if i had to do it again I would... no person deserves to live like that....