Video Tribute to Dad is posted on YouTube

At the lunch after Dad's funeral, we presented a slide show tribute to him. That is now available on you tube.

Thank you all for your support in these trying times. It is much appreciated. With our large family returning home, it is now much quieter here. Though saddened, we are doing well. Mom soon will be off to Arizona with Carla for a few weeks around Thanksgiving. We are winding down activity at the house for a while.

It's been a pleasure to meet so many of Dad's friends. It's great to know how special a person he was to you all.

-- Bob

Funeral Monday at 11:00 (plus additional info)

Dad's funeral will be Monday, November 16th at 11:00am at his church, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. There will be a lunch afterward at the church. Rosary will be said Sunday at 7:30pm at the church.

The Parish of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux is located at 4001 East 101st Street in Tulsa between South Yale Avenue and South Riverside Drive.

The church web site is at http://stbernardstulsa.org/

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Kairos Prison Ministry of Oklahoma, where Dad had volunteered extensively or to Maryknoll Lay Missioners.

Kairos Oklahoma
PO Box 54383Oklahoma City OK 73154-1383
http://www.kairosoklahoma.org/

Maryknoll Lay Missioners
PO Box 307
Maryknoll, NY 10545-0307
http://www.mklaymissioners.org/
(800)867-2980

Several out of town family members have made reservations at the Tulsa Holiday Inn Express. The hotel have made rooms available at $73 per night if you tell them you are part of the Minich party.

Tulsa Holiday Inn Express
9010 E 71st Street South
Tulsa OK 74133
(918) 459-5321
http://www.hiexpress.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hotel/tulwh?&dp=true

If you have photos of Dad you would like to contribute to the family, you may email them to David Minich dminich@datamovers.us.

-- Bob

Funeral Monday at 11:00

Dad's funeral will be Monday, November 16th at 11:00am at his church, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. There will be a lunch afterward at the church.

The Parish of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux is located at 4001 East 101st Street in Tulsa between South Yale Avenue and South Riverside Drive.

The church web site is at http://stbernardstulsa.org/

-- Bob

Farewell Dad

Dad passed away about 11:30 today. Mom, myself, and Christie were by his side holding his hands.

Last night he was nearing the limits of what doctors could do for him. We had called the family to Tulsa to be with him today and to ensure that his passing would be peaceful and respectful of his wishes. His body just wasn't able to hold out any longer. He was not in any pain.

We will post plans for memorial services as soon as we have them. For now, we anticipate a service sometime Monday.

Thank you all for your support and love for Dad and family. He was an amazing man. He lives on in the hearts of everyone whom he loved.

-- Bob

A rough night

Dad had a rough night last night. When I visited him after work, his oxygen levels were lower (mid 80s) than the doctors wanted so they adjusted his ventilator to give him slightly larger breaths of the pure oxygen he was already breathing. At the same time, his heart rate was fast and irregular. It varied between 140 and 180 beats per minute. After performing an EGK, they gave him some medication for the heart rate and did another adjustment to the ventilator and by this morning his heart rate was down to 110 and his oxygen levels were up to 93%.

Overall this seems like two steps backward and then one forward.

We are working on setting up a meeting with Dad's doctors to evaluate how is doing and where we need to go from here to meet Dad's wishes.

-- Bob

Ups and downs

I think Dad looks a little better today. The swelling in his arms seems to have gone down a bit. His breathing is steadier and a bit slower paced. Today's nurse reported that he gets agitated when they mess with him. His breathing would speed up as did his heart. They had upped his oxygen back to 100%. She thought he might be in some pain. A little morphine every few hours has helped calm him down. Tonight's nurse said she would look at trying a reduction in the oxygen levels over night and see how that goes. While I was there, it seemed like his heart would occasionally speed up a bit to 130 beats per minute and then slow back down 115 or so. That is different, but I didn't see any other changes in breathing or noise or movement that went along with it.

Before I entered Dad's room tonight, I was getting ready to put on a gown and gloves tonight when the nurse told me that Dad was no longer in isolation. Whatever nasty bug they thought he might have apparently hasn't shown itself recently. I think about 1/3 of the ICU was under those isolation protocols. I'll count no sign of the nasty stuff as one step in the right direction.

-- Bob

A little bit better

I just got back from the hospital. I sat with Dad for a couple hours. He's doing a little better today. They've lowered the oxygen level in his air to 80% and he's breathing a bit slower (28 breaths per minute). They are still giving him plenty of the two antibiotics they are using. His other vitals continue to look fine. The lung sputum and blood cultures they started the other day haven't shown anything yet. His arms are still swollen but he's better than yesterday. His latest blood sugar reading was decent at 184.

Today I held his hand a while and let him rest quietly. He's got the radio going if he wants noise. I said hello but didn't get a big reaction.

We're back to small steps in the right direction.

-- Bob