All Little Bit About Nanny
Patricia Ann Steward came into this world on December 26, 1937. She had two brothers and one sister. Pat married George Nelson Jr. on June 19, 1955 in Tarrant County. Pat and George had four daughters: Pam, Marcia, Patti, and Karen. Pat was very proud of her daughters, I still remember Nanny telling me stories of her and her girls, as she would call them. Pat was the very proud Nanny of 12 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. When Pat first had signs of liver problems was in 1979 when she went in for a hysterectomy and her liver test came back elevated. The test went down and she had the surgery. Everything was alright until she went to the doctor in 1980 and was diagnosed with primary biliary cirrhosis. She was given only five years to live, but she beat the odds. Pat and her family then moved back to Oklahoma in 1986, where she resided until her death. Pat started going to a liver specialist at Intergris Health Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City. By the 1990's she was also going to a cardiologist also. The day after Chrsitmas, her birthday, in 1996 Pat was brought to the emergency room because she was spitting up blood. She was transfered to Oklahoma City the next day. She stayed in the hospital for about four days then was released to go home. Everything seemed to be okay for a while besides her spitting up blood every now and then. In early 1997 her primary physician told her she would not live to see her 60th birthday, later that year. Again she defeated the odds. In February 2001 Pat was diagnosed with the end stages of PBC, she had to have a liver transplant. She started going to the transplant institute in Oklahoma City and started undergoing many tests. But, it was too late to get a transplant. During the firsts weeks of October Pat's health started going down hill. She was falling asleep at the table and while she was sitting in her chair. She was brought to the emergency room and they realeased her so her daughter's made her a appointment with her liver specialist in Oklahoma City, when she went she realized it was too late for a transplant and they wanted to admit her to the hospital. She didn't let them she said she had to get things in order first and would come back that Friday. Pat went back to Oklahoma City that Friday and was admitted. She went into a coma and was put in the transplant icu. She was put on a vent. By that Wednesday she was off the vent and bby Thursday she was in her own room. She got to come home on Friday. But we had to call the ambulance early Sunday morning because she wan't breathing. She was put in the local hospital, basicaly just for comfort measures. She came in and out of conscience that Sunday and Monday, but by Tuesday she had her eyes opened, but she wasn't there. We got to bring her home Friday evening. We sat her in a bed in her living room, her favorite spot. And we all sat with her her last days. The next day, Saturday October 27, 2001 at 4:18 pm Pat took her last breath at age 63 and lost her fight to PBC. But I don't believe that she lost her fight at all, she had defied all of the odds, she lived 20 years when they said she would only live 5. Pat died of liver failure, CHF, and COPD. Pat was the greatest women alive and I know that she is our angel watching over all of her family. By, Susan Lucas 3/15/2002
