It's over

By now, some of you have already heard the news. Ed passed away at 2:25 p.m. today. I had gone to the pharmacy to pick up a refill on his bedtime medicine because we had only one pill left, and I had just picked it up and put it in my purse when my cell phone rang; it was Judi telling me to come home. At that point he still had a few labored breaths left in him, but before I could get home he took his last breath. Hospice nurse Amy (who had been here a few times and came to prepare him for the funeral home pickup) said she was convinced that he waited for me to be out of the house, to spare me.

Ironically, a different hospice nurse came to check on him at 11:30 a.m., and she told us that with his breathing being so strong, we were not looking at hours but maybe days. She urged us to take care of ourselves to be able to bear up a little longer, that he would go when the time was right for him. She also said he could prove her wrong--and he did. Ed got his wish. He died at home. The nurses all said he was comfortable to the end and that we had taken very good care of him.

Writing this blog that he started has been very good for me, a kind of therapy I guess. I hope I haven't "grossed out" anyone with the details, but it is also kind of my journal or memory book of all that has happened. I feel close to him every time I look at it, especially looking back at those first entries that he wrote himself. He wanted me to keep updating it.

I thank you all for your thoughts and prayers through this ordeal. You know Ed appreciated each and every one of you showing your concern. We do have some arrangements decided, so I'll list below what I think might be of interest, especially to those of you who have said you will be trying to come for the funeral.

The viewing will be Tuesday, June 19, at Tidd Funeral Home, 5265 Norwich Street, Hilliard, OH. Private family time from 5 to 6 p.m. Viewing for visitors 6 to 8 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial Wednesday, June 20, 10 a.m. at St. Cecilia Church, 434 Norton Road, Columbus (corner of Norton and Sullivant--sorry, there's horrible road construction going on and only one lane open on Norton into the church parking lot). Burial will follow at Sunset Cemetery, 6959 W. Broad St., (technically Galloway but it's really Columbus still) in the veterans' section.

Afterwards, everyone is invited back to our house, 6344 Thorncrest Dr., just a couple of miles from the cemetery.

There are numerous hotels in the vicinity of our house. The closest are:
Best Western, 1133 Evans Way Ct. @ Hilliard-Rome Rd. (The locals refer to this street as Rome-Hilliard Road.)
Country Inn & Suites, next-door to the Best Western
Microtel, 5451 Feder Rd., behind Handel's Ice Cream store (I'm not familiar with this one but it looks fairly new)

A Hampton Inn is also close by, near the intersection of Hilliard-Rome Road and Trabue Road; several others are at Hilliard-Rome and Renner. Renner and Trabue are actually the same street, just named differently on each side of Hilliard-Rome.

Contributions in Ed's memory may be made to one of the organizations below. Please enclose a note explaining that the donation is in memory of Ed Giesman and an acknowledgement letter should be sent to Mrs. Joan Giesman, 6344 Thorncrest Dr., Galloway, OH 43119. The organizations are as follows:
Purcell Marian High School, Alumni and Development Office, 2935 Hackberry St., Cincinnati, OH 45206
OR
Xavier University Annual Fund, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207
OR
Home Reach Hospice, c/o OhioHealth Foundation, 180 E. Broad St., Floor 31, Columbus, OH 43215-3707. Make the check out to OhioHealth Foundation, but be sure to say in your note that the contribution is specifically for Home Reach Hospice.

I don't mean to imply that anyone should make a donation anywhere, but since I have been asked, now anyone who wants that info has it. Also, if there is some other way you prefer to remember Ed, please feel free. For us it has always been enough to know we have strong bonds with family and so many dear friends.

I don't know if I'll write more in this blog; probably I will. But not tonight. We'll see if I wake up every 4 hours still.

Love to you all,
Joni