This has been a busy week for some of the folks we've been following and reporting to you on. The memorial services for Winnie Brown was yesterday. It was nice event--she would have approved, no doubt. That was followed by a reception at George's house for family and close friends. Another nice event, but it was obvious that Winnie was badly missed--as she will be for any future gatherings.
Terry got word that Joy Hartsfield's surgery went well and that she is feeling the expected amount of pain--a lot. The surgeon had clear margins to work with, so hopefully this will be the extent of her treatment. Please send her some good vibes for a fast recovery.
As for me, the oral surgeon's office is trying to coordinate the schedules of the several doctors who will be part of the team to do the jaw resecting. They are looking at April 21 or 28 right now. My pain level has inched up a bit, meaning that the current fragment is moving its way to the surface, but there is no way to predict how long that will take. I am trying to find a balance between the amount of pain meds I take and the amount of pain I can tolerate to get me through the day. In order to be pain-free I would have to take a lot of the meds, but that makes me very tired.
On the bright side, I had a follow-up procedure to my cataract replacements of about a year ago. They did a simple laser procedure to clean up some of the old lens that was left in to help the artificial lens stay in place. They did the right eye on Friday. The left eye will be done early in November. I have already noticed a big improvement, so am looking forward to getting the left eye done.
Mike
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Replying to comments
Terry asked me recently if I saw and replied to the comments sent to me by some of the blog's readers. To be honest, I thought that function of the blog site didn't work, and I stopped looking for them a long time ago.
Imagine my surprise when I did go there and saw so many supportive and complementary comments. Please accept my apologies for missing them, and then not responding to them. I will make sure to check for comments whenever I post a new blog entry.
Some of you have asked for my personal email address. I am happy to provide that, if you can just give me a short reason for wanting it--so I can sort out those who really want to communicate from those would-be cyber stalkers, phishers, debt collectors, and ex-wives.
Mike
Imagine my surprise when I did go there and saw so many supportive and complementary comments. Please accept my apologies for missing them, and then not responding to them. I will make sure to check for comments whenever I post a new blog entry.
Some of you have asked for my personal email address. I am happy to provide that, if you can just give me a short reason for wanting it--so I can sort out those who really want to communicate from those would-be cyber stalkers, phishers, debt collectors, and ex-wives.
Mike
Rest in Peace, Winnie
On our way home from the airport after a conference in Colorado Springs, we got a call that Winnie Brown had passed away earlier this morning. She was one day past her 78th birthday. Winnie died from an extremely rare type of cancer that started in sweat glands on her face and spread via her nerve tissue. She was told a few months ago that there was no cure for her cancer. She managed to hold steady for a while but then started to go downhill fast a few weeks ago. Terry saw her five days ago, just as Winnie was starting 24/7 hospice care at home. Terry's estimate that it was a matter of hours or a few days proved to be very accurate.
We went over to see Winnie's husband George, their three daughters (Deb, Gay and Cherie) and Jeff (Deb's husband) and spent a little time with them as the reality of it all was sinking in--even knowing for a while that it would be sooner, not later. To varying degrees, they were coping as best as they could while slowly turning to the many decisions and plans that need to get done in the next few days and beyond.
Raising her daughters and then being a major part of their adult lives was Winnie's raison d'etre. She and George doted on them, making them laugh and cringe in equal measures in the years I have known the Brown family. Terry was a friend of the Brown family for many years before we entered that circle as a couple. One of the highlights every year was being invited to the Brown's a few days before Christmas for a gathering of extended family and friends of Winnie and George's. It was always a day filled with great food, fun stories, bad jokes, wine, Bloody Marys, Obama bashing by George, and reflections on the year just ending. At the center of it all was Winnie, making everyone feel right at home, and cooking some of her signature dishes that we would remember with sighs and smiles until July, and have great anticipation from then to the coming year's Holidays.
Winnie didn't ask for much in life but what she did want most are the most important things-- the love of family and friends. She got, and gave, a lot that way.
Please keep George and his family in your thoughts. George is having an especially difficult time coping with their loss and he will need a lot of TLC in the coming days, weeks and months.
Mike
We went over to see Winnie's husband George, their three daughters (Deb, Gay and Cherie) and Jeff (Deb's husband) and spent a little time with them as the reality of it all was sinking in--even knowing for a while that it would be sooner, not later. To varying degrees, they were coping as best as they could while slowly turning to the many decisions and plans that need to get done in the next few days and beyond.
Raising her daughters and then being a major part of their adult lives was Winnie's raison d'etre. She and George doted on them, making them laugh and cringe in equal measures in the years I have known the Brown family. Terry was a friend of the Brown family for many years before we entered that circle as a couple. One of the highlights every year was being invited to the Brown's a few days before Christmas for a gathering of extended family and friends of Winnie and George's. It was always a day filled with great food, fun stories, bad jokes, wine, Bloody Marys, Obama bashing by George, and reflections on the year just ending. At the center of it all was Winnie, making everyone feel right at home, and cooking some of her signature dishes that we would remember with sighs and smiles until July, and have great anticipation from then to the coming year's Holidays.
Winnie didn't ask for much in life but what she did want most are the most important things-- the love of family and friends. She got, and gave, a lot that way.
Please keep George and his family in your thoughts. George is having an especially difficult time coping with their loss and he will need a lot of TLC in the coming days, weeks and months.
Mike
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Needs lots of good vibes
A dear friend of Terry's, her art mentor Joy Hartsfield, has been diagnosed with a tumor on her tongue. She will have surgery on September 25th. Please keep her in your thoughts on that day. Hopefully the surgeon will have clear margins and Joy won't lose too much of her tongue--and she can avoid chemo + radiation down the road. Joy is a true "starving artist" and works a part-time job to survive on and keep her in art supplies. She has limited health insurance, so it's important that she can avoid long-term treatment and care.
We have not seen Winnie in a while, but hear that she is doing well, even as her cancer spreads. Please keep her in your thoughts, too.
We have started a series of tests, scans, and appointments that will lead to the jaw resecting in April. All of the doctors are on board with our plan to wait until we get back from New Zealand, but the tests and other preparations are being done now just in case this turns into an emergency--and to allow it to be done soon after we get back.The prep time is long, due the the number of doctors involved (5 or 6) and the making of the 3-D model of my jaw to help with the bone sculpting that's needed.
Finally, I am having more eye surgery on the 28th. After noticing some severe degrading of my vision the eye doc did an exam and told me that the little bit of the lens that's left in to hold the new lens in place has gone bad in both eyes, so he needs to remove the old lens bits. Why does that not surprise me? So, one will be done on the 28th and the other in October.
Mike
We have not seen Winnie in a while, but hear that she is doing well, even as her cancer spreads. Please keep her in your thoughts, too.
We have started a series of tests, scans, and appointments that will lead to the jaw resecting in April. All of the doctors are on board with our plan to wait until we get back from New Zealand, but the tests and other preparations are being done now just in case this turns into an emergency--and to allow it to be done soon after we get back.The prep time is long, due the the number of doctors involved (5 or 6) and the making of the 3-D model of my jaw to help with the bone sculpting that's needed.
Finally, I am having more eye surgery on the 28th. After noticing some severe degrading of my vision the eye doc did an exam and told me that the little bit of the lens that's left in to hold the new lens in place has gone bad in both eyes, so he needs to remove the old lens bits. Why does that not surprise me? So, one will be done on the 28th and the other in October.
Mike
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