Hello to all my dear Matthews family & friends:

The last 4 months have been very difficult for John Sr., myself and my mother Susanna. For those of you that don't know the circumstances that lead up to dad's passing… it all started very innocently shortly after Christmas when dad (with a new pill box) got confused and accidentally took to many of his pills.

Although we gave him Ipecac and he coughed up the prescriptions, we took him to the emergency room as a precaution. They checked him out and decided against any further treatment, but advised an overnight stay in the hospital for observation 'just to be safe'.  Dad did not want to stay, but mom and I talked him in to it. We were assured that we could pick him up first thing the next morning and take him home. That turned out to be a regrettable decision.

At some point during that night dad fell out of bed and broke his hip.

The downward spiral began. There was an operation to fix his hip (which had to be repeated several days later due to an error). There was extensive rehab which he did not take to very well. There was a bout of pneumonia and a week long stay in intensive care (which we think broke his spirit). The complications continued resulting in more medication, scans, x-rays, transfusions, pain killers, etc.  Dad had fair days and bad days… sometimes when we visited his mind would be clear and we could talk, other times he would be in a complete fog.

Last week we were told that his kidney was failing and that the doctor had suspended treatment. We were advised to contact Hospice.

The end came early this last Sunday morning. The nurse said that dad had passed on peacefully in his sleep.

This has been a series of unfortunate events… A day before his overdose I had taken dad for his check-up and he received a 'clean bill of health'... his doctor said he was in 'great shape'. It is difficult to understand and comprehend how one small incident could lead to this sad circumstance.