The FINAL escape (also known as)-- Oops! It was so exciting I forgot to tell you!

Well, I’ve been scolded by a very elite group of folks for not posting an entry on Daddy’s blog about the get-a-way to Albuquerque! So – my apologies and here goes!

Well, here’s Mama and Daddy flying out of Houston (use your imagination now) and heading to Albuquerque!  Wow – were they happy – and I know because I was on the plane with them!!!! Wow – was I happy too!

We left on Tuesday morning, March 9, 2010.

Here’s what the view looked like when we landed!!! What a sight for sore (Albuquerque deprived) eyes. Mama and Daddy couldn’t stop grinning they were so happy to be home. Daughter Stacie picked us up at the airport and whisked us home in a jiffy. I think Mama didn’t stop walking around looking at things in the house for a week – she was so happy to be home. They wanted to see the views that they missed and just be home – some of you probably know that feeling too! I’d catch them just wandering around the house, enjoying the experience of home.

Here are a couple of the wonderful views from close to their house that are so magnificent and inspiring. these are the Sandia (Watermelon) Mountains.

You all have been wonderful during that past two months, supporting our family and especially Mama and Daddy, with your prayers and cards and emails. Each and every one was dear to us when we got them, and each one was read and cherished. As many of you know, it’s during the difficult times that friends and family are so important and can make such a difference.

Daddy has been blessed with wonderful doctors during the entire experience of his cancer diagnosis and then the heart failure. Each one has been so caring and concerned about his health as well as how Mama is doing.

Daddy is not even two months from the day of his open-heart surgery! The surgery was on February 1^st. It is hard to believe that it was such a short time ago and yet so long ago. His recovery is not over, but each day I believe that he is getting stronger. There will always be some impact on Daddy’s health because of the cancer treatment – radiation and chemotherapy – as well as the toll that heart surgery can take on anyone – old or young. However, as many of you know from personal experience – each day we have on earth is a blessing. Each day we have with our loved ones is a blessing. Each day we experience the love of our friends is such a blessing.

Here’s Daddy - Home in Albuquerque! I think he looks great.

Thank you all so very much for your thoughts and prayers.

With love, Laura

Stan, Carol, Stacie, Kathryn, and Kenneth

The Second Escape

Here’s Daddy this past Tuesday the 2^nd scoping out the escape routes from the Select Hospital (the one after St. Luke’s) he’s been in since February 18^th.  He was packed and ready to go before they could even get the wheelchair to the room!

Here’s Daddy making his break! He was halfway to the fence -- uhhh - I mean --  down the hall before the aide could catch up with him with the wheelchair! Fortunately - we all left safely!!!

Here’s Daddy once we got him to Kenneth’s house.
V E R Y happy. Just relaxing and enjoying uninterrupted time.

Mama and Daddy are so happy to be out of the hospitals and into a house. They went walking outside yesterday. It has been beautiful here for the past few days. The more exercise the better.

Now we are just making our plans for the final escape to Albuquerque.  I’ll keep you posted on the day for that.

If any of you ever need a hospital and doctor for heart surgery, we would highly recommend Dr. Coselli and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. He is a world class surgeon and the quality of care we received from the nurses and staff at St. Luke's was wonderful. 

Thank you so very much for your thoughts and prayers.

With love, Laura

Stan, Carol, Stacie, Kathryn, and Kenneth

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Well, great news. Looks like Daddy's breaking out of the hospital today and heading to my brother's house in League City!!! We have all the paperwork in and just have to make sure the doctor clears him this morning. Our bags are packed and sitting by the door too!

Talk about excitement in room. Bigger than the Houston Rodeo that's going on in town right now I'll tell you that!!!!  

I'll update again after a few days to let you know his progress, but in the meantime - here's a picture of Daddy breaking out - by whatever means he can. He's worked so hard to get better that he even has a halo!! That can't be right?? Stan Hall???  ;o)

With love and gratitude for all of you, Laura

Starting to feel a little cooped up!

See the bird flying high on the wall – just about to fly into the blue sky? That’s Daddy – he’s just about ready to break out of here and run. Cooped up can be a great motivator.

This is a shot of the magnificent wide open sky at Lake Powell this past October when we were out there. I think that Daddy is ready for some of the wide-open sky out in Albuquerque.

This new place is v e r y did I say v…e…r…y slow paced! One nurse came in today and was shocked that Daddy is in his pj’s and robe.  Wait ‘til he’s up and dressed. They’ll wonder who he’s visiting.

Seriously though, we are so blessed because most of the other patients in this hospital are not nearly as mobile as Daddy. We are so grateful for the prayers of everyone on Daddy and Mama's behalf, we know that they make a difference. 

Dr. Casar came by at mid-day today and said that Daddy’s X-ray from last week looks really good. They continue to monitor the fluid or lack of – around his lungs. The hope is that with the stronger heart from the bypass that his heart will get stronger each day.

Most days now Daddy is up and walking at least five times and sits in a chair most of the time. If he’s not too cranky then we let him take a nap.

The next step from here will probably be to go to son Kenneth’s house and have in-home physical therapy or outpatient therapy. We should know more by the end of the week. I think it will be sometime between Friday and Monday when he is released. Then – from there Mama and Daddy will go home to Albuquerque and have some more physical therapy and then – he won’t need it any more!! 

It’s supposed to get cold here in the next couple of days. We aren’t used to cold winters down here close to the Gulf Coast. Usually it’s already spring by now! So I’m leaving you will a photo of one of our nightly fires from last October at Lake Powell. Hope it warms you up like your love and prayers warm our family.

With love, Laura

         Stan, Carol, Stacie, Kathryn, and Kenneth

A little progress report for you today

My last update was Thursday, February 11^th.  On Friday the 12^th Daddy was good to go to get the fluid drained from one lung and then on Saturday he got the other lung drained.

When he came back from the first one he already had great relief and could breath much better. Then on Saturday it was again much easier to breathe!

One of the things that I’ve learned during my time spent at the hospital watching the activity of the doctors and nurses, is that there is a great deal of trial and error with the treatment (of course it is educated trial and error). One of the things that happened with Daddy is that they had been treating him with medicines to get the fluid off of his lungs and then when it was suddenly gone the result was that his blood pressure dropped dramatically. So we spend Saturday and Sunday working to get his blood pressure back up to normal.

This is what Daddy looks like when his blood pressure is too low! Well, not quite – his eyes weren’t open. Absolutely no energy – and very, very sleepy the whole day. Today it’s back up and he has already gotten up and walked a couple of times, so we are indeed making good progress.

All of the incisions are healing great. The doctors and nurses here at St. Luke’s are fantastic. I come in with a list of questions every morning and they listen to each one and address it with care.

Dr. Casar, the pulmonologist here and the follow up doctor for Dr. Coselli the surgeon, is wonderful and tells me that Daddy is making good progress. So we feel that we are in great hands.

Please continue your prayers, they are felt and so deeply appreciated by Daddy and our family.

With love, Laura

We are still hanging out at the hospital

Well, I know I’ve been a little remiss about updating you all. It's been a little busy around this joint! I’ll briefly bring you up to date.

Daddy is still here at St. Luke's because he has some lung congestion. He has three things. First he has pulmonary edema that they are treating with medicine; second he has some COPD that they are also treating with medicine; finally he has some fluid building up in the sac around his lungs. He’s having some difficulty getting his breath, but not all the time. The medicines are helping most of the time.

He’s going to have the needle aspiration procedure again to drain one lung and then the other one the next day. Most likely this will happen between Friday and Sunday sometime.

Other news is that he’s getting more physical therapy and getting a little stronger each day. He is walking about three times a day and that makes everyone so happy. Who knew walking could put such a giggle in everyone!

I want to let you all know that when I get an email or comment on this blog, I print them out when I’m at home and take them to him to read. He and Mama really appreciate all of your love and prayers.

love, Laura

Tough day but Moving in a good direction

Thank you all so much for your kind words and prayers for Daddy and for Mama. We have felt  them and fell so blessed. 

This is what Daddy is looking like these days. He’s doing whatever it takes to make this work!! By the way this is Stubbie our friendly and very cute backyard squirrel. She thinks she is a bird most days though.

Daddy had his most physically active day so far. He was up walking three times today, as well as doing some chair exercises. He is practicing his "getting in and out" of chairs faithfully. How about any of you? Practicing??? Better get to doing them -- turns out to be very important.

He is being treated for his pulmonary edema with breathing treatments every four hours. They have really helped open his airways in his lungs. He’s breathing much better and not wheezing.

He watched the Super Bowl yesterday and rooted for the underdog who won! His favorite commercial was the Betty White one, of course.

I want to let you know that any emails that you have sent to me, I take to the hospital and we read them to Daddy. He is so grateful for all of his friends and family.

So - on to a new day tomorrow.

love, Laura