Read All The Way Down To The Picture Of Me

relaxing on the dock! Then I won't confuse you again. I have done all my updating today from here to that picture.

Hollis and Jim Kennedy came by bring camellias cut from their yard that are absolutely beautiful, still today. They also brought chicken strogenoff we're also still enjoying. The best was the wonderful visit. Sunday it was one year after Hollis's heart attack. She is recovering so beautifully with faith and determination. Jim has been wonderful like John. We enjoyed how well Jim and Casey got along. He's a natural with dogs and Casey knew it.
Keep scrolling and reading. Thanks.

Friends Who Brought Food

Yesterday Bill Adair came and we had a grat visit. He brought some bean soup he made. It's the recipe he had at the Senate Dining Room in Washington. He worked hard over the years to get the recipe right., I don't think it would be possible for it to be better! Wow!
Later ysterday Jo Dobson brought another Wow! It was a roast beef meal of the most tender meat with perfectly roasted carrots, potatos and onions. I enjoyed visiting with Jo on the phone today as she couldn't come in last night. Such a treat.

Good Outing Good Report and Disappointing Report

Hello from Linda,
We did get to go to the Little Red River board retreat Sat. and Sun., as you can see by the picture posted. I was watching the beautiful clouds, praying sometimes and day dreaming sometimes. I saw so many birds. a lone heron honked a couple of times and flew up river right in front of me. I've only seen them standing with their great dignity and patience on one leg before. Flocks of ducks and geese came and went. Several other large birds came by. I enjoyed watching many circling and floating on the wind currents. My time out there was the last hour up to and including dusk, so I felt privileged to see the birds' bedtime activities.
And I did have fun and surprised myself how I kept up with the work (going over mailing list, etc.) and not having to take naps. Just rested on sofa now and then. I rested all day Monday!
All the board members were so sweet to look after me, serve my plates, etc.

Tuesday, March 10 was a great visit with Dr. Yuen. He said since the graft wound is closed so well, I can get it wet in the shower now! Not only that, but when I asked how long before I can try water aerobics, he said "Now!." I can hardly believe this since we were using totally sterile techniques changing the dressings just last week. I love the water and hope it will help me with overcoming stiffness. His next big surprise was he said instead of waiting two months for the orthopaedic surgery, now I can have it as soon as in one month. I don't return to him now for one month.

The appointment today with orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Gruenwald was informative and helpful in that way, but disappointing due to how limited the outcome can be.
First, he wants to wait a couple of months before surgery to see how much additional use I can
gain from the scrambled bones, nerves, veins, ligaments and tendons, etc. Much of what he'll have to cut through will be the skin grafts, which cover over half of my forearm. That's a tender or numb area that is just starting to rejuvenate all the tissue I mentioned above. He described the surgery he'd need to do like filleting the whole arm to do the repairs. He said he can place everything where it will look great in an x-ray, but that's a long way from making it work right.

I'm faced with how badly injured this arm really is. I will have a cat-scan in 3 weeks and return to Dr. Gruenwald in 4 weeks. Then he will present me with his plan. He encouraged me to get a 2nd opinion. Well, right now I want someone to say there's no problem fixing it up like new. Dr. Gruenwald doesn't want to promise it will be much better than it is now, but he's being conservative because we can't know how much it can improve now that I'm allowed to move it freely, in the limited way I can. It was immobilized for weeks. Now I can only reach a foot from my head. The splintered bones at both ends of the radius bone prevent me from bending my wrist inward and from bending my arm in at the elbow. He described them as floating around in there. I just feel sure removing them in surgery will help, surly! Please pray for me to trust God for the right decisions and the right help. Dr. Gruenwald has a very good reputation.
More to come as I can make sense out of it.
Love, Linda

Relaxing on the Little Red River

A Post From Diane

I would like to again thank all of the wonderful friends who continue to come by and give my healing Mother company and visit her while dropping off the many greatly appreciated food items you continue to provide. You're spoiling them, you know, but they are so very appreciative and blessed to have so much love and fellowship during this recovery time. There are, no doubt, many less fortunate folks out there who recover in a lonely state but, in this case we have a true testament to the love that Mom and John have so often given to see so much coming back. Thank you all and God bless you.

My Mom keeps telling me that she enjoyed reading the blog more when I was writing it and, even though she is keeping up fairly well, she says she thinks it is not as interesting. I would like to note, at this time, that if I were still writing this blog it would be about me and my family and the goings on in and around our house in Eureka Springs. I'm not there with her and John and it is very difficult to tell accurately about what is happening there from here. I would do it for her if I could just so she doesn't have to pick it out with two or three fingers but I think she is doing well and the exercise is good for her hand too. I hope.

Since I first began the blog, back in October, I thought it was going to be a wonderful tool for our mother to keep everyone informed of her daily doings.. She always shares her thoughts and ideas. There is so much she likes to share with us and her friends. She is exactly the kind of person who can put a blog to good use. It's her perspective, told her way and by her. It's delightful and, thankfully, evolving with her and her healing progress. Eventually it will be filled with nothing more than how many places she has been and the things she and John have been doing. What a terrific place to share all the blessings they have received and enjoy daily.

Mindy and I will remain contributors but we, like everyone else, enjoy reading "Linda's blog" every day too. Thanks for keeping up with it Mom. I would gladly be the typist if you really don't want to do the typing for a while. Just call me and tell me what to type. I just hope you will enjoy blogging for quite a while so we can all continue to hear about your world.

My Blog Has Been Confusing Everybody!

Yes, my daughters have convinced me that that the wonderfully clever way I was formatting the Blog since February 13 was confusing and causing folks to miss most information these last two weeks. Sorry about that. Instead of starting a new post with each entry, I just kept editing the one to have the whole week bunched together. I didn't realize it made it seem to read backwards. You might want to read back from Feb. 13 and see what you missed.

I tell Diane and Mindy frequently that the Blog was much more interesting to me when they were writing it.

Wonderful News

Thursday, March 5 Dr. Yuen confirmed our hopes that my elbow's little bald spot was closed in by the new skin growing there!!!! John changes, cleans and doctors the wound every other day between doctor visits. A few days back he saw the little black scab wash off and felt sure what we saw underneath was skin. Each day was more convincing and we are so happy that it's really true! And no infection!

Dr. Yuen sent us over to the orthopaedic clinic to make our appointment with very respected surgeon, Dr. Gruenwald, an adorably gruff brilliant man who is a little of a mad scientist type.
But when he looks under those bushy brows, he's really with me. I'll sse him Monday. My arm has to heal 2 more months before they can do this surgery.

Last week I noticed for the first time that my left hand is sitting a qrarter turn off of straight on my left arm. I've always had such big casts and splints on it that I didn't notice. I'm anxious to learn if they can fix that and if it will be a separate surgery from all the repair on and around the radius in my forearm.

This morning John gave me my LAST bag of Vancomycin. !!!!!!! No moe being tied to the iv pole an hour and a half twice a day.

Grateful to get out

When it's sunny, John gets me outside with Casey. I walk a few dozen yards out front and Casey runs back and fourth on our street. He is so beautiful running! After our appointment Thursday, John took me down to the hostel office for almost 2 hours. I transferred some files so I can do some work from home. It felt like a start. Took a while to get oriented. Then whe I got home I slept 4 hours without stirring!

Today is a big leap for me. Our hostel board is having a 24 hour retreat at board president, Greg Hart's river cabin on the Little Red River. 1:00 pm Sat. to 1:00 pm Sunday. What a great place to get out to! If we need to, we can drive home tonight, but I really want to stay over with everybody and enjoy the great breakfast planned. Wish us luck. We are all close and growing closer. I'm grateful I can go and won't mind napping while the're working if I need to!

Pagan Adventure Still Waiting for Calmer Seas
because their ride is a 21 foot fishing boat. That basin of ocean is so big it takes a long time to settle after various storms. Larger vessels could sail now, but not the little guys. This fisherman
habitually goes to an island in that direction but not that far. He's charging them 200 gallons of fuel to go the extra distance and drop Thom and Garrett and all their gear off on the beach!! Picture that!! We heard their main concerns woud be the wild boars and centipedes. Now I've learned the bulls are a threat if they don't know where to camp out of their territory. Thom assures me he's talking with the guy who runs the cattle up there to find out. The guy goes up once or twice a year to butcher and cure a few cattle for hinself and to pay for transportation up there.
I've been telling Dr. Yuen and his med students, interns and residents about this and they are so wishing they could do that, especially on burnout days.

Seven Days To Go On Vancomycin

Tuesday, February 24, David's Birthday, Another Post-Op Visit to Dr. Yuen

for dressing change. Skin is still trying to grow over the pencil lead-size bald spot down in the 1/2 inch deep creator on my elbow.
It looks like a creater because of the built up skin surrounding it. Although it was more red today than last Thursday, it still doesn't look infected.....and that's what we want as much as seeing new skin growing. It's good to know I only have a week left of the iv antibiotic. John gives it to me twice a day now. He still gives me 2 Levenox (blood thinner) a day and I don't know how long that lasts. I just know I don't like those shots in my tummy, although John is very gentle and steady and has gotten very good at that.

Happy 25th Birthday to grandson David Reunard. He came by and said he was cooking out with friends.

Today my niece, Ginger, in Port Arthur, asked us to pray for her 23 month old Antonio who is having throat surgery Wednesday to remove a cyst. Our hearts are with them. He and his big brother, Chris, are very adorable loveable little boys.

Today is sad because my 1st cousin, Eddie Wesson, who has COPD and lung cancer is going into Hospice in their Palestine, TX hospital. All the family live near and are with him. Eddie and Elsie have been married almost 52 years. He was always a beloved cousin, partly because they lived in Texas and it was such a treat when we got to visit. But I truly loved him because even though he was 2 years older, he was always so kind, gentle and soft spoken with me. We could have fun just digging in the dirt or stacking rocks. Summers when we went to visit them we would stay at the pool all day. When we got back to his house Aunt Margaret would let us make our own banana splits! Man was that good! It was at least 12 or 14 blocks from the pool to their house and we didn't think a thing in the world about walking home every day.

Thursday, February 26, Mindy's Birthday Was Here and There!

Yesterday was Mindy's 42nd birthday here, but it was there all day Tuesday first because Saipan is 15 hours ahead of us. We never quite get used to talking to them on Tuesday when it's already Wednesday there.....or to saying good morning when we call although it's really evening here. She had a great day watching a few dvd's with the family.

Antonio is doing fine. Thankfully they don't expect the lab to find anything but the harmless cyst.
Sadly Eddie's condition has worsened. He is rarely even semi-conscious. In addition to his worsening cancer symptoms, he has pneumonia in one lung. The Wessons need our prayers.

After escaping two waves of lay offs, Karen Fordyce got the bad news Wednesday. She has lots of love and empathy flowing her way. She and William are good survivors, but this is a hard knock.

Friday, February 27, 2009 - Eddie Ray Wesson

Eddie died at 4:00 a.m. We don't know about arrangements yet. There were four first cousins of us, grandchildren of Clyde and Dallace Wesson, Stephens, Arkansas. Eddie is the first to die leaving Bill Wesson and Jane of Houston, John Wesson and Donna of Greenville, S.C. and me. Im sad that I'm the only one who can't be there. I am sad that we have lost dear Eddie.

Thanks to Friends Who Brought Food

Carol Ann and Don Nolley= cinnimon swirl cake, vegetable beef soup, fruit salad.
Lynda and Smitty Faucett= sausage and rice casserole , blonde yummy cookies. Barbara and TommyLandfair = chocolate chip/pecan cookies, butter pound cake and pimento cheese. Barbara Hanley = Italian apple salad, bread, and soup.

Third Post-Op Visit

What The Doctor Said

Yesterday Dr. Yuen was more optimistic that the skin is growing on my bony elbow. The bare area is very small and he thinks it will continue to close in from the outer edge. I am thinking since faith can move a mountain, I know God can get this skin to grow on my elbow! I just keep thanking Him that He loves me and He can.

When People Ask How I Am

I usually say I'm better or something I might write in this blog. I worry I say too much, but some people really want to know more. If you don't, stop reading here! This is from answers to a dear cousin I wrote today.

I don't have to wear a brace or cast on my right arm anymore for the last few weeks. I have`a removable splint type brace I can wear when it's tired, sore or when i need to use it more than usual for protection. I still can't make a good fist with that right hand, but try to do my exercises daily. Can still only lift and use a very light-weight plastic glass. i can type with my first 3 fingers. Dr. Yuen thinks i'll get the motion and use back out of it. i hope so. John has to help me pull skirts and pants up and down and i can't do zippers or buttons yet. i feel very proud that i can bathe everywhere now except my right arm and right side, my back, and my left hip. i feel very advanced now!!
sad to say, my left fingers are pretty useless and starting to bend in different directions. i try to wiggle and strengthen them all i can. they aren't as terribly sore to touch as before, but the swelling still hurts a lot around my left wrist and the back of my hand. it hurts there more than the elbow, but we hope the eventual surgery will stop that. i'm not allowed to bend that arm to encourage the skin to grow on my elbow, so it has a very thick, well-padded cast on it. john now starts to open the cast to change the dressing inside every other day, now that the doctor will only need to see me once a week.
I feel hopeful and positive. there is so much to be grateful for! all the prayers mean so much to us, our friends from church and other precious friends are staying with us through this amazingly. and you know john has been a prince, as always. so has deno . the girls and grandkids call almost daily. More than burdened, i just feel happy to be alive and so blessed. sure, i don,t like shots and all that goes with the treatments, and i have very low energy, but I'M ALIVE!
no sign of infection for some time in my left elbow. I'm so grateful for that! I'm still on the iv vancomycin to make sure.
My love and thanks to God and all of you,
Linda

Nine Days Post-Op and Hopeful

Linda's left arm
Dr. Yuen changed my bandage yesterday. We are happy the elbow is a pretty color of pink and seems to be holding the grafted skin and showing no infection. I pray it will start growing new skin from here. We all know the floppy-flabby skin on our elbows. But my left elbow doesn't have any skin except the new grafts. Also Dr Y. had to cut off some elbow bone to remove the infected parts.
Please pray for this restoration so we can move forward to the orthopaedic surgery to fix my lower left arm.
John still giving me 2 blood thinner shots per day and he or Dean give my iv antibiotic every 18 hours. Dean comes to relieve John almost every day. Ha! I have 2 first class male nurses!

Friends Mean So Much
Sunday John had a great much-needed day off hiking with John Gill. They went to one of the beautiful falls in Tim Ernst's waterfall book. It was in western Arkansas. My "sitter" was my lifetime friend, Anne Corson Hagen, from Hot Springs Village. We talked all day until she noticed me looking tired, so we were silent about 15 minutes then happily started up the chatter again. Lifetime is true. Our mothers strolled us together in our baby carriages! I can't remember a time when I didn't love her and consider her a dear friend.
Thanks to the friends who have sat and visited with me.
Your visits brighten my day.

Friends Who Brought Food
Kaye and Bill Burton corn bread fruit cobbler potato soup
Wilsie Tiner chili cole slaw coconut ice box pie
Pat Lile banana nut bread
Alter Guild Members flowers from Sunday services
Diane Holt mixed salad casserole
Anne Hagen cinnamon roles
Kay Luplow chicken salad mini cinnamon roles
Bob Ritchie his homemade spiced peaches....yummmmmm
Jean Wallace pimento cheese

John's Medical Duties Expanding

John started giving me the blood thinner shots in my tummy last night. His medical duties keep growing! We decided to do the first shot at 8:oo p.m., putting my two a day at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Would you believe Diane Holt, who has a Masters in Nursing, called wanting to bring over some chili and a casserole at 8;00 p.m. !!! .....j.ust in time for Diane to show John how to do the shots without hurting. They didn't! We have had so many little gifts from God and his sweet angels like this.
Thanks to Jim & Nancy Foster for a wonderful valentine type meal, and they didn't even know that day was our anniversary. And thanks to Susan Weir for bringing her special chicken veggie soup for the third time. John sure knows how to brag on something to get more, doesn't he! I will quit naming everything people bring, but just know it's ALL good and appreciated.
WOW! We got a mouth watering Harry & David box mixed with pears and other goodies from Susan Marshall-Winslow and her Karen and Monte and their beautiful families. Susan is a close forever friend. She's been in Austin several years and we get to see her when we go to visit Karen, William, Carly and Emily Fordyce there.
Karen Fordyce is an electrical engineer with Motorola and is still standing after two major layoffs they've had. Thank goodness. We are all watching the economy.
Jack and J.R V (now 11 years old) Fordyce live in Hot Springs now and are spending the weekend here for a boat show where they'll be Sat. and Sun.

Love to All, Linda

Post Op Visit a Good One

We returned to Dr.Yuen today three days post-op. Everything looked infection-free. We are so grateful. I have had very little pain from the surgery, just the usual pain in my wrists and hands due to the swelling.

Surgery and Anniversary

The surgery went well yesterday. Dr. Yuen said the elbow didn't look infected and he did the two types of grafts as planned. He is concerned that the area isn't healing fast and not growing skin.

Today is our 20th anniversary! We are so blessed!

Family News

I invited my terrific son-in-law, Thom, to write about the adventure on which he and my terrific grandson, Garrett, are about to embark. Such a rare get-a-way opportunity for a father and 13 year old son. Garrett will be doing some volunteer research for the government that I'll get them to tell you about.
There is a chance Mindy and Brooke can join them in the last weeks, but for now Mindy will continue her on-line graduate program in Library Science and Brooke will finish out the year at her Montessori school on Saipan.
Here, 4 months after my accident, i suspect most readers of our blog are family, close friends, or true new adopted new friends! So, why not share things of family interest. I hope you enjoy following Thom and Garrett and please pray for me in my surgery tomorrow morning.
Love, Linda

Garrett and Thom’s Pagan Adventure

Garrett and Thom are making final preparations for their trip to Pagan (rhymes with “toboggan”) island. They plan to stay 2-4 months Robinson Crusoe-style on this uninhabited volcanic island 175 miles north of their home in Saipan.

The island was inhabited by 40 villagers until a volcanic eruption in 1981 forced their evacuation to Saipan. The cone still emits steam daily and occasional trace amounts of gas. For more information on Pagan visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagan_Island and Google Earth has a great satellite image.

The seas between Saipan and Pagan have been rough the past month and as soon as they quiet down Thom and Garrett will ride up on a fishing boat to be dropped off on the beach with their equipment and supplies.

They’ll have plenty of fresh bananas, papaya, mango, coconuts, citrus fruits, guava and taro to eat. They are also good at catching fish with rod and reel from the beach. There are feral goats, pigs, cows, and chickens for the catching. And they will be supplementing their island diet with rice, canned food, and military MRE’s. They plan to catch rainwater for drinking but have also made a campfire distiller that they can use to purify the well water or even seawater.

Garrett has been home-schooled for three years and will continue his 8th grade studies on Pagan. They’ll be living in tents and have a screen house for eating in and doing school work.

They will be in daily radio contact with Mindy and Brooke. Saipan’s Emergency Management office will continually monitor the radio on a dedicated channel in case of any emergency. If they do have an emergency there is a helicopter on Saipan that can leave on short notice and get them to the hospital on Saipan or Guam in just a couple of hours.

Believe it or not both Thom and Garrett are looking forward to living without roads or sidewalks, telephone, TV, electricity, running water, or any other infrastructure. Pagan also rhymes with “what’s wrong with their ‘noggin’? “

They will each keep a journal of their adventure and are looking forward to sharing their stories when they return.

Food Fun

Flo Pullen we enjoyed discovering when we finished off your great vegetable casserole that the mystery/crispy topping was crumbled crackers! Were they Ritz or Cheese Crackers? Very good! We also loved your deviled eggs and baked apples and French bread. Thank you.
Thanks to Kay Luplow for helping John with his first dressing change since Dr. Yuen taught him to pack the open bone with medicated gauze and cover it with a paper thin square sheet of silver using sterile techniques. He works so steadily and calmly while hooking up my iv antibiotic, changing dressings and anything else needed. I didn't know silver has healing qualities until now.
Especially John and family and friends continue to amaze me. I am so grateful to be so blessed.
Love,
Linda

Another Surgery Next Monday

We were back to see Dr. Yuen today. He scheduled me to have surgery this coming Monday. He will cover the exposed bone on the elbow, where the skin grafts wouldn't grow, with a layer of the artificial skin, then cover the whole wound with skin from my abdomin this time. This all depends on no recurrant infection there by Monday.

We need your prayers for this.

John has been taught how to change my dressing daily until Monday. He's already transfusing my vancomycin daily. We stopped the cumidin today so they can operate. John has become such a good medic that I jokingly sometimes call him "Colonel Corpman Fordyce"!

Bob and Carolyn brought another delicious meal of pork tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, beans, etc. Thanks and love to you, Nelsons.

Catch Up and Review

Tuesday was my second return visit post-surgery to Dr.Yuen. Again they saw no sign of infection when they changed my dressing..... thank goodness. a small middle part is still not growing skin, but dr. Y is confident we're still moving forward. on the next surgery he can cover the skinless part with more artificial skin graft and use my skin to graft over that layer and the rest.

Later i met with Dr.Frear, the doctor in internal medicine who will be my primary doctor from now on at UAMS. i think he got a good grasp of everything and was very encouraging. Already he cut out 4 medications that were duplications or unnecessary and referred me to the cumidin clinic and sent me to the lab to test my cumidin and thyroid levels.

Kevin,.. my family practice doctor, in private practice, is good, but it was difficult for him to coordinate with the 6 or 7 doctors in the many services at uams who are all working my case. i suggested that at least until i'm healed from all of this, i get a primary doc at uams. you should have seen the relief on his face!! john or i had listed him as primary doc before each new doctor's visit, but he had not received one progress note. he first learned of my accident when i was discharged after more than 2 months and went in to get refills from him. He's supposed to have a number code to get into my records at uams, but hasn't been able to get it. now he won't have to.

Let me count the services who are working my case: trauma team, in ER, pulmonary, cardiac, (these first few may have only been for the first days or weeks. john said it was amazing how coordinated and competent they all were. I was kept in a coma those first 3 weeks, mercifully. john hardly left ICU all that time) orthopaedic, neurology, plastic surgery for skin grafts, vascular, internal medicine, infectous disease. I think that's enough!!!

I feel very good about having my Dr. Frear to keep everyone and everything straight for me and his positive attitude re. my recovery at this point just being a matter of time, as long as the infection stays away and he's confident i'm on the right dose and course of treatment.

john is now giving me the vancomycin every 18 hours or as indicated by the blood tests for 4 more weeks.

THANKS AND LOVE TO CAROLYN AND BOB NELSON FOR BRINGING THE WONDERFUL SHEPHERD'S PIE ..nothing tastes so good..and the yummy peach cobbler,unmatched, delivered like cute teenagers on their 45th anniversity on their way to Bruno's. Happy Anniversary Carolyn and Bob!!!!!...

flo Pullen, thank you for your beautiful casserole. we're having it tonight!

Love to All,

Linda

news from Linda

Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009

Dear all,
Itʼs me, still dragging and sleeping a lot, but Iʼm encouraged that my left leg has mostly stopped swelling. Also Iʼm still encouraged dr. yuen couldnʼt see any infection Tuesday.
Deno is well now and johnʼs back is slowly getting better.
My fingernails grew without breaking off for 4 months! Neither one of my hands can cut the nails on the other one. Johnʼs sister mary offered to take me to cousin rosaland lander knutson's great manicurist, johnda. When we arrived wed., rozzie had been in to take care of the cost for me! Such a thoughtful gift! Johnda did my pedicure but due to arm and back pain, I had to get mary to take me home before johnda could do my nails L the pain comes without warning or understanding like that. Dean brought me back on Thursday and I was having such a good day that I enjoyed watching johndaʼs amazing art work as she created my French tip manicure! J thank you, rozzie.
When home, dean stayed so john could get a slow careful walk to strengthen his back.
Saturday kay luplow came and helped me sort and wash laundry and john was able to go to the store and take a short walk. His walks have kept him going.
We have already missed thanking so many sweet friends bringing food, flowers or inspirational figures or books. I have realized it my be months before I can write notes, so I am trying to call and also thank folks in this blog. I want to add our love and gratitude to pat lile for countless and wonderfully thoughtful and tasty things she brought to the hospital and the house. Every time we return flo lullen,s dishes, she brings them back full with more goodies. Such great cooks, like mary louise Wilson, judy snowden, ben and georgann freisier, pat and ed matthews. Diane holt has sat with me so john could run errands and brought yummy food. Our thanks go on and on beyond our memories, Iʼm afraid. Just know we appreciate everyone and everything.
Monday they will test my blood for the vancomycin level. Then tues dr. yuen will change my dressing on the elbow skin graft. Please pray for the infection to still be gone.
Thank you for your prayers and for your love and all you do.
Love,
Linda and john

Welcome to Winter

We survived! School was dismissed at noon on Monday and frozen precip rained down on us for 12 hours or so. The power went out around noon on Tuesday and as soon as I finished hand washing our dishwasher full of dirty dishes it came back on this afternoon around 1pm. We are among the lucky. There are still many in the dark. I have email, tv, but no phone. It came on but quit.

We closed off the newest part of our house and kept warm with the fireplace and gas stove. The temp in our living room bottomed out around 35. In the photo Matt is holding the thermometer when it was around 44. That boy never did put any clothes on the entire time. He just wore his underwear. The rest of us were bundled up.

The sun came out today and the melt started but the trees are still coated and beautiful. It may take us a few days to get out of here because many, many trees fell and there are at least 7 down on our road just from the house to our gate which is only about 200 yds we have another 1/2 mile of road!

I've also had a terrible cold though all of this so was thankful to be home anyway.

Mindy, I'll trade you this place for your home on the beach!!!!!!!!!

Mom, sorry you can't call but keep trying. I'm concerned about you losing so much hair. Those antibiotics must be strong. I pray that they monitor you well and you don't have any other ill effects.

Monday Feb 2, 09

Update to the above:

Our schools are still closed due to the number of people still without elec and the ice that still covers many of the side roads. It has thawed in the 50 degree weather we had over the weekend but re-freezes each night to a solid sheet. My dear husband Steve has spent no less than 30 hours out there cutting branches and moving them from the road, assisting our neighbor with her vehicle's dead battery and just yesterday was able to drive to our mailbox for the first time. He had to pack up his car and leave us this morning to go to work in OK city and KS city. I still have chains on my tires but plan to go no where until this mess is thawed, hopefully by Wed so I can take out my garbage.

Heavy-duty antibiotics

Hi,

Mindy reporting here from Saipan. Diane's been without power in Eureka Springs due to the ice storm, so my mom emailed me. Also, we talk on the phone almost daily. I'm pleased that her spirit is still high and she has maintained good faith and patience. I still know that if I were in her boat, I'd be screaming with frustration! She amazes us all.

Linda wrote the green text below via email (with 1 or 2 fingers!). Note the lowercase only--give her a break; why should she bother using the shift key? Many modern bloggers and techno-enthusiasts have given up the shift key altogether! In fact, a professor of mine in grad. school corresponds with us entirely without capital letters. We are required to use them for written reports, but for online discussion we are free to express ourselves in a casual manner.

i'm home from the hospital and the 2 surgeries last week.
i still need your prayers.
please pray for john who works so hard helping me and now has a sore back muscle.
dean is a great help but had to stay away sick for several days.
I get iv antibiotics twice a day that john has learned to hook up for me here at home. we are treating a bone infection in my elbow where healing of the skin graft was much slower over just bone.

the antibiotic is vancomycin and is the strongest on the market and makes me feel weak and tired at a time i'm wanting to feel much better. we have to keep running these iv doses for 6 to 8 weks. home health has to draw blood to monotor
the level frequently to avoid it damaging my kidneys. they already reduced it once this week.

but at this point i turn things over to God more quikly because i see he's the only one who can handle all of this.

today i went to see Dr. Yuen who changed the huge dressing for my elbow that covers my whole arm. didn't hurt too badly.
GOOD NEWS ... no infection at this time. i'm so grateful.

also it is important to let friends and loveed ones know they don't consider me contageous. this type infection lives on everybody's skin and i don't have any actively working away now, thank goodness.

the weirdest thing is i'm losing lots of hair, in big wads every time i comb it. i'm told it's due to combinations of trauma, meds, etc.

our SS class and friends have resumed bringing food over now that i'm home again. thanks and love to joan dietz, smitty and lynda fausett and kaye and bill burton for the delicious food. i can't express how very much this helps.

i miss you all.
love, linda

Mom also reported to me that the powerful and risky antibiotic that she will be taking for many weeks can destroy the kidneys, thus the need to monitor its blood levels closely. God hasn't let her down yet, so keep up all of your prayers, meditation, positive thoughts or whatever works for you!

John's had some mild back pain, but he says he's doing okay. He has managed to keep up some of his walking routine when Dean comes by so that he doesn't have to leave Linda alone. Both Dean and John were trained at UAMS in administering the antibiotic through the PICC line to her infected elbow. I know that Mom and John would both love a return to normalcy one day. Fortunately, when I speak to Mom on the phone, she very much sounds like herself to me and that comforts me. I regret that I can't be present right now, but try to maintain daily contact by phone. Dean and I have a plan to set up video conferences using webcams, so soon we will be able to see each other via internet!

~Mindy