Obituary for Patricia E Carrow
Patricia E. Carrow went to be with the LORD in the early hours of March 7, 2020. She passed away in her own home and was free of any and all pain. Her daughter, Sara was with her when she passed.
Patricia was pre-deceased by her father, John Carrow and her mother, Eleanor Carrow. Her siblings, who are still living, include her sister, Kathryn Cartwright, John Carrow and his wife, Jeannie Carrow, and George Carrow and his wife, Georga Carrow.
She leaves behind two children, her son, Paul J. Calvarese and her daughter, Sara R. Spurgeon. Also, her two amazing grandchildren, Wyatt J. Smith and Ariana E. Spurgeon, whom she loved with all her heart.
Patti lived a life that not many could fathom. A type I diabetic since she was 23, her kidneys failed when she was 46. She received a kidney transplant in 1998 from Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 2001, she received a page from a pager that Johns Hopkins had given her. It was a call telling her that a pancreas had become available. She underwent the very rare procedure of a solo pancreas transplant. She underwent the procedure at Johns Hopkins and from October 29, 2001 (ironically, it was her 49th birthday) until the day she passed, she never had to check her blood sugars or take insulin again. She was “cured” of diabetes, essentially.
Then, in 2014, her transplanted kidney started to fail. Sara even took it upon herself to find a live donor for her mother. She found 3 people to test, but alas, none of the 3 were at least a 3/6 HLA match. She held out as long as she could, but after one unforgettable in-patient episode, she conceded and accepted dialysis treatment. Dialysis, over the six years she was on it, calcified her vessels, including her heart. We searched for treatment, but unfortunately, she was not a candidate for any procedure or experimental trial. We had reached the end of the road, medically, just 2 months before she passed.
Patti was, without a doubt, a fighter. A warrior. But she also had a tag team partner that fought for her treatment, comfort, and quality of life. This person was her daughter, Sara. Sara was with her through every hospital stay, every clinic visit, and anytime she needed someone to hold her hand. She saved her life more times than anyone can count, assessed and diagnosed her quickly and accurately. To make a grim situation more humorous, Sara and Patti used to make a $5 bet each time Patti’s labs came back. What her BUN, creatinine, tacrolimus, CBC, LFT, troponin...you name a lab, they’ve bet on it. Sara cared for her mother for more than 20 years. Patti’s 826 pages of her health history was imprinted in Sara’s mind.
Patti will be missed by many, but she is now finally at peace. She is free from pain and suffering for the first time in a long time. Thanks be to God and a special thanks to a wonderful surgeon, mentor to Sara and friend to them both, and also, a man my mother adored, Dr. Ernesto P. Molmenti.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visitation on Thursday, March 12 from 6-7:30 pm at Krienen-Griffith Funeral Home. Eulogies will be shared at 7:30.
Patricia was pre-deceased by her father, John Carrow and her mother, Eleanor Carrow. Her siblings, who are still living, include her sister, Kathryn Cartwright, John Carrow and his wife, Jeannie Carrow, and George Carrow and his wife, Georga Carrow.
She leaves behind two children, her son, Paul J. Calvarese and her daughter, Sara R. Spurgeon. Also, her two amazing grandchildren, Wyatt J. Smith and Ariana E. Spurgeon, whom she loved with all her heart.
Patti lived a life that not many could fathom. A type I diabetic since she was 23, her kidneys failed when she was 46. She received a kidney transplant in 1998 from Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 2001, she received a page from a pager that Johns Hopkins had given her. It was a call telling her that a pancreas had become available. She underwent the very rare procedure of a solo pancreas transplant. She underwent the procedure at Johns Hopkins and from October 29, 2001 (ironically, it was her 49th birthday) until the day she passed, she never had to check her blood sugars or take insulin again. She was “cured” of diabetes, essentially.
Then, in 2014, her transplanted kidney started to fail. Sara even took it upon herself to find a live donor for her mother. She found 3 people to test, but alas, none of the 3 were at least a 3/6 HLA match. She held out as long as she could, but after one unforgettable in-patient episode, she conceded and accepted dialysis treatment. Dialysis, over the six years she was on it, calcified her vessels, including her heart. We searched for treatment, but unfortunately, she was not a candidate for any procedure or experimental trial. We had reached the end of the road, medically, just 2 months before she passed.
Patti was, without a doubt, a fighter. A warrior. But she also had a tag team partner that fought for her treatment, comfort, and quality of life. This person was her daughter, Sara. Sara was with her through every hospital stay, every clinic visit, and anytime she needed someone to hold her hand. She saved her life more times than anyone can count, assessed and diagnosed her quickly and accurately. To make a grim situation more humorous, Sara and Patti used to make a $5 bet each time Patti’s labs came back. What her BUN, creatinine, tacrolimus, CBC, LFT, troponin...you name a lab, they’ve bet on it. Sara cared for her mother for more than 20 years. Patti’s 826 pages of her health history was imprinted in Sara’s mind.
Patti will be missed by many, but she is now finally at peace. She is free from pain and suffering for the first time in a long time. Thanks be to God and a special thanks to a wonderful surgeon, mentor to Sara and friend to them both, and also, a man my mother adored, Dr. Ernesto P. Molmenti.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visitation on Thursday, March 12 from 6-7:30 pm at Krienen-Griffith Funeral Home. Eulogies will be shared at 7:30.