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Mom is in the hospital still. We all got a chance to be with her. Our eldest, RGT, took it best and tried to talk to her. Our middle child, TFT, didn't like all the machines and spent most of her time in a nearby waiting room. KFT was indifferent. She just had a puzzled look on her face and then turned to me and said, "Kiss Grandpa?" (She is still not getting her labels correct...) She tires easily and seems to be doing better, but the Hospital is still preplexed at her condition. Her white count spiked two weeks ago up to 52. They think her original condition has changed to normal pneumoia and is treating it with antibiotics, but they still don't think that is the total cause for her condition. Her white count is now in the upper 20s and it should be around 5 to 7. She is still very sick, but being able to talk to her is a real blessing. Dad is handling it well, but the 90min drives to and from the hospital are wearing him down somewhat. As much as he would like to go every day, he just can't and it is causing him to feel guilty. He now is visiting Wednesdays and Saturdays. (Mom is something of a pack rat and he is using this time to 'tidy' the house, one room at a time.  ) We got the van back and it runs fantastically. Could have done without the 12 hour drive home, but what can you do? And today I am am celebrating a young forty-third year on this planet we call Earth.  James
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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James, I'm so glad to hear that your mother is doing better. Wow...a white count in the 50's! That's beyond septic. Anyway, my prayers are with you, Elisabeth and the rest of your family.
Oh...and Happy Birthday!
~Sheila
I'm a firm believer in the fact that God doesn't put any more on us than we can bear. He does however make us come to Jesus every so often.
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Thanks for the update; I'm thinking about your family! Happy Birthday, James!  JD
"Meg...who let you back in the house?" -Family Guy
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Well, got a phone call from Dad shortly after my last post, but forgot to post  . Mom has eaten her first solid food in the last 8 weeks! With the help of a walker and a PT, she walked to the nurse's station, about 20 ft, and she seems to be doing better, white count wise. The doctors say that if she continues at this pace, that she may be moved to a hospital closer to Dad. There are two possiblities, one is 25 miles away, and is a pretty decent hospital. The other in the same town as Dad, but it really isn't top notch (I mean, I went to school with some of the staff! How good could it really be! ) Anyway, that fact that the doctors are talking so positivly is a really good sign. James, Thanks for the birthday wishes. 
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Latest from Dad... Darlene is still off the Ventilator and she is taking some steps now. The nurses told me that she walked half the way to the nurse’s station and back to her bed; of course she had her walker and a nurse on both side of her helping her. She was worn out when I got their today.
All of the other sign are good and the doctors said that her lungs problem is going in the right direction and are clearing up. She will always have lungs problems as she did before this happen and this has left some more lung damage too.
Darlene has some problem with confusion and they are trying to figure out what is causing this. She tried to get out of bed last night and the nurse caught her in time and put her back in bed.
The doctors said that she is heading in the right direction with a few hiccups.
It is hard to believe that it has been three month that Darlene has been in the hospital.
Keep Darlene in your prayers
Dick James
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Some bad news, but mostly good news. Mom's health is improving greatly, physically. Mentally, she has a little ways to go yet. She is still rather confused and over the weekend, pulled off all her monitoring leads and pulled out her catheter  because, according to her, she wanted to go to the bathroom, like a real person. However, she fell and broke her glasses and cut the side of her head. On the plus side, she has been accepted into a nursing home that is only 15 minutes away from where Dad lives . This is not a permanant thing. It is only for her rehab. It is also where most of Dad's family is, so she should get lots of visits. The doctors still insist that her confusion is probably medication induced and will clear up, once the figure out what, exactly is causing the issue. The hard part is that she hasn't taken anything new in the last year, so there is no obvious suspects. James
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YIPPEE! Mom is being transported to the nearby facility even as I type.
Dad is very happy and sad at the same time. He’s happy to have her closer by, but he apparently had told Mom that he wouldn’t be putting her into a nursing home, so he feels that he is breaking his word to her. Of course, he made this promise a long time ago, long before she was in her current condition. Cathy has tried to reassure him that he is doing the right thing, since this is only going to be temporary, however, Cathy doesn’t have the gift of positive communication so I don’t know if he feels better or not…
James
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James, what great news! Your mother is doing a big progress. I hope your father understand he's doing the right thing. I'm very happy for you and your family.  I'll keep her in my prayers. Keep your faith. Last month my sister-in-law lost speech, movements and got comatose due neurotoxoplasmosis. Doctors didn't give us any hope of recovery. They told us IF she came back from coma, she wouldn't walk, or wouldn't speak or wouldn't recognize people. But we prayed and the Lord brought her back in three days. She's speaking, has no memory problem and is already walking. Praise be to God! For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah! Psalm 117:2 May God's grace be with you and your family. Andreia
"My wife's love is what unites Krypton and Earth in my heart. Without it, without her, I truly would be in hell."
~ Superman: Man of Tomorrow #15
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Which just goes to show that doctor's aren't gods...
James
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Mom is dead. Oh God, she dead. Have mercy on her soul.
I have no details, Dad just called Elisabeth before I walked in the door.
James
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{{{{HUGS}}}}
You're in my prayers.
Carol
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Kerth
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Kerth
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Oh my, James, I'm so sorry to hear that. Love and prayers from me. And lots of (((hugs))).
The only known quantity that moves faster than
light is the office grapevine. (from Nan's fabulous Home series)
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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I'm so sorry to hear it, James. I'll keep you in my thoughts.
Ann
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Merriwether
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lisa in the sky with diamonds
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Kerth
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James,
I'm so sorry for your loss. You and your family are all in my thoughts and prayers. <<<hugs>>>
Lois: You know, I have a funny feeling that you didn't tell me your biggest secret.
Clark: Well, just to put your little mind at ease, Lois, you're right.
Ides of Metropolis
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Beat Reporter
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OMG! That's just...unthinkable. I'm so sorry for your loss. I'll be thinking of you and your family.  ((((hugs))))
“Is he dead, Lois?”
“No! But I was really mad and I wanted to kick him between the legs and pull his nose off and put out his eyes with a freshly sharpened pencil and disembowel him with a dull letter opener and strangle him with his own intestines but I stopped myself just in time!”
- Further Down The Road by Terry Leatherwood.
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Beat Reporter
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I'm so sorry, James. You and Elisabeth and all your family have my deepest sympathy. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
Caroline
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Top Banana
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Hi James,
I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you and saying a prayer for you and your family.
Angry Clark: CLARK SMASH!
Lois: Ork!
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I offer you my deepest sympathies, James and Elisabeth. I wish I had something more substantial to say, but words fail at such times. I wish I could be with you to put comforting arms around you. But know that the Lord will do that so much better than I.
My prayers are with you and your family.
Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.
- Stephen King, from On Writing
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Columnist
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My thoughts and sympathy are with you both as well.
Mona
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