I can't remember what they wrote on the death certificate, because it didn't match up with what landed him in the hospital, and instead matched what happened when we removed the ventilator.

He had been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, and had to take a pill once a day, but also had to manage his diet properly. His health seemed to be rapidly declining. He would avoid eating certain things, and would gravitate to other things, because his teeth were so rotted, probably as a result of his Meth use.

The family felt that he had a handle on what he needed to do, although I was having doubts because I could tell that he had trouble comprehending simple concepts. I was concerned that he would not be changing his eating habits properly, even though we talked with him about it.

According to what the investigators suspect, he was in the shower, when he had some type of "sugar emergency." He exited the shower, and was attempting to get to his front door to open it and call for help. He did not make it. He grabbed a lamp and pulled it down to the floor, where he landed.

His probation officer called us, probably a few hours after his event, to let us know that he missed his group meeting later that day. His group participation was just about over, and he enjoyed group, so it didn't seem right. He wouldn't skip group, especially when he liked it and was looking forward to graduating.

We sent a family member to his apartment, and they couldn't get an answer. His car was still there, so they called the police to ask for a "well visit." The police showed up quickly. They found him unconscious on the floor, wet and naked from the shower.

He was rushed to the hospital, where they put him on a ventilator. His blood sugar was through the roof. He was looking at some serious kidney damage, but even worse, he wasn't responding to stimuli. He was in one hospital for about a week, before being transferred to another hospital, where they had other specialists available.

A nurse inappropriately and accurately commented this his situation "looked grim." I hated to agree with her.

A specialist came in, did some tests, and let us know that he was brain dead. We then made the decision to pull the plug. Even though we knew it was the right thing to do, and that it's what he would have wanted, it was still a difficult decision to make.

He died about 7 hours later.

It was a rough two weeks.

It does us no good to wonder "what if" or to think about what could have been done differently. He was my girlfriends last living immediate family member. She tries to not feel alone because he is gone, but I know she has her moments. We just do the best we can.