MSK is at a great loss today

Today I lost my Grandfather (Pappaw). He just turned 86 yesterday. I can't help but be sad due to the things hes going to be missing but yet I do have to think about it this way he was 86 years old and had never had to be hospitalized for anything other then pneumonia twice. He never had any kind of health issues and on Thursday of last week he had his first stroke. Unfortunately it was massive one causing him to fall and made him unresponsive he was lucid but unable to respond. They life flighted him to Louisville where he had to have brain surgery. Unfortunately they put him on a strong blood thinner to remove the clot causing his brain to hemorrhage. They finally got that to stop but he had swelling of the brain. One kinda good thing that was working against him his brain hadn't shrunk like most peoples his age due to his constant activity and what I mean by this he had just made his rounds at Wal-Mart with his friends and was gardening the day before and doing lawn work yes at 86 years old how about that. I can't get over just how lucky he was even though hes been through so much pain in 86 years between loosing his Wife to bone marrow cancer (my biological grandmother, Syble), loosing 3 children way before their time, and just going through many trials with is 11 children 6 with my Mammaw Syble, 5 with Martha, and 1 adopted daughter (Martha's daughter before they married). He was also a WWII Veteran. Through all that he has been a lucky man with a very fulfilling life being about to watch his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren also to have such a big family that loves him dearly and I can tell you the night we all came my Aunt went down and got 20 night passes and the guard said are you serious and she said yea i'm serious and believe it or not their still coming probably another 20 more he has 8 kids alone much less counting grand kids and other relatives. Anyways back on subject. They finally got the brain to stop swelling but unfortunately they had him on life support he was breathing on his own but needed help. Well on his birthday they decided to do the procedure today to see if he could make it on his own that was Pappaw's last wish was to not ever have to be put on life support due to having to pull the plug on his eldest daughter years ago he didn't want any of his family to ever have to do that with him. Unfortunately we kind of did. He lived for most of the day on his own but unfortunately the built up fluid on his lungs plus his black lung working against him he died at 8:50 pm cst tonight. Keep our family in your prayers please we're going to need it for we the "Cotton" Family have lost our rock that holds this family together. Pray that we make it through this just as strong of a family as ever.


*~*R.I.P. Rudolph Mitchell Cotton*~*
Devoted Husband, Father, & Grandfather
May 25th, 1923 - May 26th, 2009

Amanda, I am so sorry to hear about your familys loss. He sounds like he was well loved by a large number of people. You and your family will be in my prayers.

Patty and I are praying for you!