God shall wipe all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. -Revelation 21:4
It all started about a year ago when Mike went in for a what was believed to be a routine check up turned into a year of pain and sorrow. He was diagnosed with blockage of the right Common Carotid Artery which supplies blood to the brain. Mike agreed to install a stint to open the artery instead of having major surgery. The stint was installed and Mike went home 3 months later. During the next check up, the doctors discovered a 30% blockage to the new stint. Instead of scheduling surgery, the doctor sent him home.
While feeling that something was wrong, he went back to the doctors several times, but the doctors kept sending him home with the blockage increasing each time. After awhile, Mike started to keep his symptoms to himself. The doctors would not listen to him and even made sarcastic comments to the nurse while he was in the room. The last time he went to the doctor, he was at 90% blockage and the doctor sent him home yet again.
November 23, 2005 three weeks later, Mike went to bed that night around 9:00 PM and fifteen minutes later he was having seizures on his left side, and 911 was called. When the paramedics arrive Mike is still conscience, paralyzed on the left side, and can not walk on his own. The paramedics carried him to the stretcher and drove straight to the trauma unit at a local hospital. He was administered Phenol Barbital to stop the seizures, and put on a ventilator because he could no longer breathe on his own. He was then moved to ICU where he would stay the remainder of his life.
November 25, 2005 he was pronounced brain dead on the right side and still paralyzed. On November 26, 2005 the doctors said there is swelling on the right side and is pushing on the left side of the brain. They gave Mike medicine to control swelling but the medicine failed to work. The right side of the brain pushed up against the left side of the brain and caused the oxygen to be cut off. Later that day the doctors pronounced him totally brain dead. On November 27, 2005 the doctors said there was nothing else they could do for him.
On November 28, 2005 @ 8:00 o'clock pm. , Mike went home for the last time. He is missed by all who knew him.
He Only Takes the Best
God could see he was getting tired
And a cure was not to be,
SO He put his arms around him
And softly whispered "Come with Me."
With tear filled eyes we watched him
Slowley wither and fade away,
No matter what we did for him,
We could not make him stay.
A golden Heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands put to rest,
He broke our hearts to prove to us
He Only Takes The Best.
Material on this Web site of courtesy of son Eric Messer. | 
