Since my post yesterday we had a family dinner that Misty and Pennie made. Misty made Grandma Juretich's world famous chicken enchiladas and Pennie made all the side dishes. It was nice to have dinner as a family and I'm sure Tamra was with us if not in body but spirit. Over dinner we relived some moments we had with mom and bonded a little bit.
During dinner Tamra's home teachers came by for a visit and even though she was asleep we all gathered in her room for a prayer. After they left Tamra had a few more visitors. Some of Misty's friends came in just as Tamra was starting to wake up. We sat her up and she had a bunch of water and also had some juice that Shane had bought for her.
They spend quite a while talking about the days that mom lived in Silver Reef and how much fun mom was when the girls would get back from snowboarding and mom would have a big tub of warm chili just waiting for them. Tamra just LOVED to take care of people and make you feel like you were at your own home when you visited her. She just had a way of making you feel at ease even if you were meeting her for the first time. And just try and get away without her giving you a hug.
We also had a visit from a coordinator with Rocky Mountain. We all sat around the table and worked out a schedule for this weeks care for Tamra. We hope to be able to have someone close by her in case she passes. Since she really hasn't eaten in a week and a half and so Bart and I feel that she is getting close.
About 8pm she started to get sleepy again and so we laid her down without too much pain. She slept for hours without really stirring too much. he did wake a bit when i was saying goodbye to her for the evening. She gave me and Bart a kiss and mouthed that she loved us. She then drifted off to sleep.
After speaking with Bart this morning before i arrived he told me that she slept through the night without any sign of pain. When the CNA came this morning to check on Tamra they got her to a sitting position and she had a bunch of water and some juice as well.
Bart then spent about an hour talking with mom while she was up. Apparently during this conversation Tamra was asking Bart why she keeps seeing Grandma Juretich. I guess she says that she has seen her multiple times and she is always smiling from what Bart gathered. Tamra has also mentioned that she has seen a dark haired woman but she is not sure who she is but she is also smiling back at mom. We are just glad that she is at peace with what she is experiencing right now. While i am on the subject, it seems that the anti-anxiety medication is working. She has yet to have any more panic symptoms.
Just so you are all aware Jack is taking this very hard as one would expect. He has not been himself the last couple of days and is starting to grieve even though Tamra has not left us yet. He is going to need ALL of your support in the coming months. He needs you to reach out to him and just let him know that you care and that he will eventually be OK. If you could a prayer on his behalf would a wonderful thing.
Thanks for everyone for all your concern!
I love you mom...sparkle, sparkle, sparkle, meow, meow, meow.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Tamra Juretich Tapp
Tamra Juretich Tapp
Our loving, wife, mother & grandmother age 67 passed away on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at home after a brief battle with Pancreatic Cancer.
She was born July 16th, 1941 in Murray Utah to Matt & Claudia Juretich and later married Jackie Thomas Tapp February 20th, 1960 in Coalville Utah.
Tamra began high school at West High and later graduated from Jordan High in 1959.
She started dancing at the age of 3, was a member of the Jordan High Dance Company with her best friend Penny Walker and later preformed on the Ted Mack show as a beautiful gifted young woman. As a young mother she taught ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance in the basement of her home on Coventry Lane and had a positive influence on the children she taught.
Tamra loved her time serving in the Young Women’s program of the Church. Her greatest joy was teaching and laughing with the Young Women she served. She especially had fond memories as Stake camp director while living in Silver Reef, Utah.
Tamra enjoyed working with her friends at Sunfirst Bank in Hurricane and St. George Utah, where she was always the life of the party. She especially enjoyed working alongside Mont Humphries who she considered one of her closest friends.
Most of all Tamra loved her children, grand children and her husband Jack of 48 years and will miss them dearly!
Tamra’s catch phrase throughout her life was “have a nice day and smile all the way” and loved anything that was bright and sparkly. She was always thinking of others and had the innate ability to make others feel comfortable around her.
Instead of flowers Tamra has requested that you provide an act of kindness for someone in need.
Thank you to the staff at Intermountain Healthcare and Rocky Mountain Healthcare who assisted with her care. Specifically we would like to thank her nurse Julie and CNA Sally who took such good care of her during the end of her earthly life.
Our loving, wife, mother & grandmother age 67 passed away on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at home after a brief battle with Pancreatic Cancer.
She was born July 16th, 1941 in Murray Utah to Matt & Claudia Juretich and later married Jackie Thomas Tapp February 20th, 1960 in Coalville Utah.
Tamra began high school at West High and later graduated from Jordan High in 1959.
She started dancing at the age of 3, was a member of the Jordan High Dance Company with her best friend Penny Walker and later preformed on the Ted Mack show as a beautiful gifted young woman. As a young mother she taught ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance in the basement of her home on Coventry Lane and had a positive influence on the children she taught.
Tamra loved her time serving in the Young Women’s program of the Church. Her greatest joy was teaching and laughing with the Young Women she served. She especially had fond memories as Stake camp director while living in Silver Reef, Utah.
Tamra enjoyed working with her friends at Sunfirst Bank in Hurricane and St. George Utah, where she was always the life of the party. She especially enjoyed working alongside Mont Humphries who she considered one of her closest friends.
Most of all Tamra loved her children, grand children and her husband Jack of 48 years and will miss them dearly!
Tamra’s catch phrase throughout her life was “have a nice day and smile all the way” and loved anything that was bright and sparkly. She was always thinking of others and had the innate ability to make others feel comfortable around her.
Instead of flowers Tamra has requested that you provide an act of kindness for someone in need.
Thank you to the staff at Intermountain Healthcare and Rocky Mountain Healthcare who assisted with her care. Specifically we would like to thank her nurse Julie and CNA Sally who took such good care of her during the end of her earthly life.
Up to date information for friends and family of Tamra Tapp
1/12/09
About a month ago Tamra had a recurrence of some back pain which she has had on and off for years. She had some physical therapy done but it had little effect. Over the following weeks she was very tired and sleepy. The pain had progressed over time and so she had Misty take her into the St George hospital on December 31 to get at CT scan to see if the liver was the issue of her pain. The nurses at the hospital sent her home and said they would send the scans to the doctors for review.
The doctors called on the January 5th to check on here pain and suggested that she come in for a biopsy her liver on the January 6th. She had this done and had to wait until January 8th for the results. Upon receiving the results of the biopsy the family doctor suggested we meet a hospital oncologist because he had concerns about what he was seeing on the CT scan and what showed up in the biopsy results.
An appointment was set up with the Oncologist today at the Huntsman Cancer wing here in St George. Without knowing fully all the medical lingo here is what we learned today. Apparently as some point (nobody knows exactly when) a cancer started at the bottom head of her pancreas. It has traveled from it starting point to just outside the pancreas and has since spread to the liver. Unfortunately there is not a specific treatment for where this cancer started. This is not to say that there are not treatments that can be done because there are but there is no chance of a complete cure.
Tamra has decided on a course of treatment as suggested by the oncologist. Her pain is being managed at the moment and will be modified as needed. It is her and our wish that she be kept pain free even at the cost maybe losing a few months of her life. We will be exploring all treatments as some may work and others may not. We all have agreed on this course and just want what is best for Tamra.
As her treatments and her condition changes I hope either myself, Bart, Misty or Shane will update you all with any new information. Jack is obviously very distressed by this news and I would hope you would all keep him in your prayers as well as he loves Tamra dearly!
On a personal note I would like to ask one favor of all of you. We are creating this blog mainly for Tamra to be able to log in and read messages from her loved ones and be able to send her feelings back to them when she is feeling up to it. So if you could, please do not use this board to leave messages for other family members. Misty and I have found many of our relatives on Face book and love catching up with them there. And just so you know this is also one of Tamra’s biggest wishes as she expressed to us today. She has always wanted the family to stay together and to keep in touch!
Finally, my thanks to all my family for making a bad situation bearable. To my older brother Bart and his wife Pennie. Thank you for being the strong ones and helping organize all that you have. To my little brother Shane and his wife Jamie. Thank you for taking such good care of both Tamra and Jack now and for being there for them over the years while Bart and I have been in Salt Lake. Also thank you to my little sister Misty and her husband Doug for always doing what you can to do help and helping Tamra and Jack whenever they needed you. I love you all!
Chet
2 comments:
Chet, Bart, Misty, Shane, thxs for the regular updates. I read them each day and wish I lived closer to visit. It's hard to watch your mom struggle after all she's given! At the same time, what a wonderful gift it is to express your feelings to her while she's still around. I hope your time there is enriching individually and a means to bring you closer.
Thinking daily about you and my sister, Kim.
Dearest Jack,
I am so sorry. I know how hard this is for you. If ever you need to talk, please call. I know I can't do much to help, but I can understand. I love you.
Love, Rose
Post a Comment