Final Post

One month ago, on November 30th, 2011 my beloved wife Jackie sucummbed to her illness. She was approximately 5.5 years post transplant. She was 53 years old at the time of her death.

From the time of the previous post until her death she faced a huge number of challenges due to advancing graft-versus-host (GvHD) disease. At the time of her death she was receiving weekly photopheresis treatments at the Mayo Clinic. She had become highly susceptible to pseudomonas infections due to the open wounds from the GvHD. She was hospitalized a number of times for sepsis requiring IV antibiotics.

In the end she died of probable sepsis from an infection, dehydration due to leakage of fluids from her GvHD wounds, and mostly from a lack of energy and will to continue a valiant fight. Not one person in one thousand could have fought the fight she fought. She leaves behind myself, and three children. She will be missed by all those who ever knew her.

It is my great hope that medical advances will soon make this terrible disease a thing of the past. To this end, I wish to thank Dr. Clive Zent of the Mayo Clinic for his faithful service over the past 7 years.

Rest in Peace Jackie Sue Taylor

A Kinder, Gentler Soul Never Walked This Earth.

Signed,

Your loving husband of 32 years

Bruce M. Taylor