RIP Catdancer

[tic chick]

thank you for finding the thread, suze-q. my memory of 2 years was way off (funny how time passes so quickly when you're a "certain" age). i read all of it and all your encouragement. people who hadn't posted for sometime came to support catdancer in her fight.

and so she was able to live 5 years after thinking her life was coming to an end because you all cared about her and helped bring back her fighting spirit!

that is why these forums are so wonderful. while you were all supporting cat in her battle to live, i was receiving support at the end of my mother's battle with alzheimer's.

the love is palpable.

jeannie

[nuthatch]

Thank you SuzE-Q for posting the link to that thread. It was wonderful to read that thread in its entirety four years later and see that so many came together to encourage and support her in her struggle to recover. She was one tough lady.
Cat's passing has reminded us all that it is the relationships in life that matter.

[Parsi]

This morning I went to Facebook and saw a post from someone else about another friend passing (i.e., Cat). Before stressing about it I needed to make sure I wasn't misreading the meaning. So I went to Cat's Timeline and saw the post from Cat's niece. It was dated 9/17. I also saw that the niece had posted on 9/12 about her entering Hospice. :-(

Agate asked if I had an address. I do. But b/c Cat liked her privacy I didn't know if it was ethical to share. However if you know her name and search on Whitepages the Wautoma address is correct.

I did call the phone number I had for her and left a message for Tom Cat and asked if I could share contact information. I think the cell phone number has been surrendered b/c it says the owner has not set up a box.

I painfully admit I haven't been keeping up with her or anyone else. Thank you, suze-q, for finding that thread about her celebration of life. I couldn't remember how long ago it was. Like a cat she did seem to have nine lives.

[Parsi]

I did post the following on her FB timeline:
[TC]

, [Cat]'s BT forum friends wish to express their sorrow about her passing and their condolences to you.

If Tom Cat reads it, he should know what BT means but no one else would. So privacy guarded.

[Parsi]

TC returned my call and has given permission to give out their address. However, I won't do it on open forum. PM me if you want it.

He said there won't be a service, but later some kind of open chat? Conference calls scare me so I've never gotten involved and won't this time either.

I haven't seen an obit.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

Parsi ~

I'm so very sorry for your loss.

It is comforting to know that Cat was in Hospice care, and I pray that she felt no pain and passed peacefully.

We're all here to support you.

Love & Light,



Rose

[Parsi]

Rose,
Thanks, I will miss her but I haven't been in touch with her much the last few years. So I'm not aware of the loss like someone who would see her or talk to her frequently. The triggers are fewer.

To all,
if we had an obit we'd share it with you and everyone would know her name. So I'll announce it now and you can all search for her address on Whitepages.com. Search for Elizabeth Ann Woldt in Wautoma, WI. She went by Ann.

[stillstANNding]

Thank you for all of this, Parsi.

ANN

[agate]

I have received this message via Facebook from Tom Cat:

This is Ann's hubby Ralph. Ann died at 4:01 on Tuesday, Sept. 17th. She was hospitalized for uti & pneumonia, she was incognitive, & didn't respond to the intravenous antibiotics after 4 days. She did not respond to me or others at all. I took her off of life support, and she passed in my arms 4 days later. She was a wonderful lady, and we got to spend 51 married years together. Please let everyone on BrainTalk [know]. If you like I'll let you know more later. This has been a tough year, in which she lost her cognitive abilities 3 times, but came back twice. She was a fighter to the end, especially for social causes. Hubby RalphDear Ralph, Thank you so much for contacting me. Th will let people know, and I hope you'll be able to l

Part of my reply may be showing up in the quoted material above. I can't seem to delete it. Anyway,
I replied and asked him to let Parsi or me know about arrangements. I mentioned that some here might like to make a donation to a favorite charity.

Maybe I should have waited for input from people here before replying but I'm afraid everyone here will have to trust my judgment on this. This is what I wrote in reply:

Dear Ralph, Thank you so much for contacting me. The BrainTalk people had learned this sad news via Ann's Facebook page but we didn't know any details. I will let people know, and I hope you'll be able to let [Parsi] or me know about arrangements. Some of us would like a chance to remember her, maybe with a donation to a favorite charity or cause. I will miss her as she was a good friend for the last 18 years, and good friends are scarce! Best wishes to you at this difficult time, [agate]

[Lazarus]

I have received this message via Facebook from Tom Cat:

Part of my reply may be showing up in the quoted material above. I can't seem to delete it. Anyway,
I replied and asked him to let Parsi or me know about arrangements. I mentioned that some here might like to make a donation to a favorite charity.

Maybe I should have waited for input from people here before replying but I'm afraid everyone here will have to trust my judgment on this. This is what I wrote in reply:

Perfect...thank you so much. Nicely done.

[Sunshine]

Thank you agate. Well done.
How very sad...She did live her life well, and did well with the cards she was dealt. She was a good woman.
(I have read that more recently there are antibiotic resistant UTI’s that result in death.)

[Virginia]

Agate, thank you so much for handling this. As always, you have a gift with words and I am glad it was you that TC contacted. Your response was perfect.

TC obviously is having a hard time, as we all knew that he would be. So many years together.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

agate ~

Thank you so much for posting this message from Cat's husband. Your response to him is lovely. I hope that he is comforted in knowing how much we all love Cat and care about him.

My heart goes out to TC, as I'm sure he will be lost without Cat after 51 years together. In my experience, men have a more difficult time grieving for their wives than women, who grieve for their husbands.

Unfortunately, UTIs are often accompanied by an upper respiratory infection, especially in people who are immune compromised. Treating both simultaneously can be a challenge. UTIs can impair cognition, more so than pneumonia, for some reason. I've witnessed this with several friends and family members. It is frightening.

I'm so sorry that TC had to make the decision to remove Cat from ventilation. It is absolutely heart wrenching to make that decision.

TC and all of you are in my prayers.



Love & Light,



Rose

[nuthatch]

Thank you, Agate. I would love to make a donation in her memory. The charity does not necessarily need to be MS related, just one that Catdancer favored. Her lifetime of fighting for social causes was something I very much admired about her.
If you speak or e-mail TC again, please pass any information on here or e-mail it to me.
Thanks again.

[agate]

No further details yet but Parsi and I are staying on the lookout.

She could be so funny. I recall one time--I wasn't there but it was reported online--when Cat Dancer was visiting Peg (and it would be Peg's birthday today) and was looking at the horse. Cat Dancer asked what kind of horse it was and was told it was a quarter horse.

And Cat Dancer replied, "A quarter horse? What good is that? If I had a horse, I'd want the whole horse!"

--I may not be telling this well. Maybe Peg hosted one of the Leafwatchers get-togethers, and that's when this was.