Moving Day: A Few Pics

Just a couple of photos for the blog tonight - Amy went to visit Tami after she had lunch w/ her mom today - Tami feels as though she is "doing a 'lil better everyday I think" - sure love & miss you & home & UTAH - The photo on the right is some of Tami's favorite nurses at the hospital. 

Moving Day: Hurry up and wait...

What a day this has been.

 

They said Tam could go to Hope Lodge today but by the time you get her perscriptions, wait for her release papers, wait for the home care nurse schedule, wait for the perscription that was forgotten that the nurse noticed was missing, wait for this and wait for that, it is exhausting - can't imagine what Tam feels. She has been a real trooper through all this.

 

The home care nurse came at about 4:30, 5:00. Tam will need to be hooked up to an I V twice a day for her antibiotic. So I am learning to be a home care nurse. I will be doing the task in a day or 2. But with her help we will do great!

  

By the time she was settled she just crashed. But it dosen't last too long. She seems to wake up often.

Time to end this day.

Goodnight,

Abby

Moving Day

Moving Day!!!!!!!!!

I got a text from Abby that they will be moving sometime today to the Hope Lodge....Hoping all goes well.....When Lana took her home for the two nights she was there, they didn't get to the Lodge until about 7:00 that night,,,,,,happy Moving

Judy

A Pretty Great Day!

A pretty great day!

Helooo from Woosta,

     The day started out real good---then----it finished even better.  She was up, showered and eating a titch more than a bird by 10am.

We walked the course a couple of times and even took her for a cruise outside.  Amy came to visit today so with those 2 personalities together it was a delightful afternoon.

     Tam was free of her tag-along (IV pole) for most of the day.  She would get hooked up only to receive her antibiotic.

Dr. Lambert talked of hooking up a "wound vac" that would accelerate healing.  I am not sure if she would have to stay in the hospital for that or not.  Will find out more tomorrow.

     White blood cell count today.....a 6 without a spleen!!  A normal person is between .5 to 5.0--So she is doing real well there.  A couple weeks ago wasn't she at 26?

     Blood sugar was around 150.  They say the slightly higher blood sugar helps in quicker healing as well.

     There is a mystery happening here.  Tam has been waking up to a wet bed and they don't know what could be leaking but so far the best answer is night sweats---welcome to menapause!!  Also Dr. Lambert said this particular antibiotic can cause night sweats. So we will see what happens in the morning.

     She has about sucked the top off her sucker toy - the aspirator, but she still talks a bit soft.  Better though everyday.

     After enjoying this good day we pray for no more set-backs.  The folks at Hope Lodge want her to back.  So that's the goal.  We just have to take it a day at a time.

Abby 

Changing of the Guard

Changing of the Guard (Passing the Baton) (Marsha to Abby)

Hey Tami's Team,

     Just left her a bit ago.  She is looking like our Tam on the outside, hair done up, make-up on, what - nails all pretty.  She felt rather lousy this morning but better this afternoon - what do ya expect with the changing of the gaurd.  Just teasing you Mart!  Tam has loved having her family come out to stay with her.  Now she has to put up with some outsiders.  Me now and Amy next week.  We wanted a turn!

     This evening Tam and I walked around the 7th floor a bit. She did really well.  Little shaky but thats what happens when you eat like a bird.  She will get her strength back slowly but shirley! 

     We just all have to pray for the innards  to stay on task and keep healing.  And it just so happens fast sunday will be here next week so we can turn our thoughts and prayers her way.  I know she is feeling them and I know she is grateful to all.

Till tomorrow -

Abby

Another Set Back

Another set back but no surgery.......

Hi everybody,

Well, this is my last night here at the Hope Lodge in Worcester.  This week has really been a roller coaster ride.  Lana said the same thing and it is so true.

Tami did not feel good at all yesterday but today she said she felt about 80% better. She walked around a lot today and even took off by herself once while I was talking to Judy.  When I walked with her she even picked up the pace a little. 

Tami went in for her procedure this morning to see if her bladder had any more holes.  Tami said they really couldn't even finish the test because they could see on the moving xray that the liquid dye was leaking out into the body cavity.  That was really a big disappointment for both of us.  Dr. Lambert said she didn't really want to make a decision as to what course to take until she talked to the Urologist. 

Later in the day she came back to tell us that her boss who is the Chief of Staff over the oncology Dept. recommended that we do nothing because he believes the bladder will just heal itself in time. He also thought another surgery would be detrimental for her. Later Dr. Blute called Dr. Lambert and she asked his opinion without telling him what her boss had said. He said exactly the same thing and Dr. Lambert totally agreed.  Dr. Lambert told us that Dr. Blute is the best there is and she really trusts him and her boss also.  His name escapes me but I know Tami will remember it.

Anyway, Dr. Lamber seems to think Tami will be released from the hospital (UMass Memorial) on Monday. Abby will be here tomorrow before I leave so she will be able to help her out this coming week. We know Tami will need to stay at the Hope Lodge for at least two more weeks.  After that they will give her the same test again to make sure her bladder has healed before making any more decisions.  We can only HOPE for good news.

It has been wonderful being able to help my sister this past week.  She is truly a special lady and I wish her the very best because she really deserves it. I believe it's all in the Lords hands at this point.  I just have faith that he knows what's best for her and I'll trust in Him.

Again, please keep her in your prayers and thanks for caring enough to read our sister's blog.

Marsha

Trying to Stay on the Mend

Trying to Stay on the Mend:

July 26, 20120

Hello again,

I'm not completely sure, but I believe that today marks the one month mark since Tami's amazing surgery. I'm glad we're on this side of the HIPEC and that she is on the mend.

It was hard to say goodbye to Nate and Natalie today.  They have been so sweet and supportive. I consider them very close friends even though I've only known them for one week.  I'm going to miss them but hope to stay in touch. 

Tami took another step forward today.  One of her drain tubes were removed from her side and the other one drains very little fluid, so I can't help but think that they will remove it before too long.  I enjoy watching the progress that Tami makes.  She looked very good again today but was not feeling very well this morning.  They have  her off the IV again and back on oral meds which may have upset her stomach a little bit.  She just needs to make sure she has food on her stomach when she has her pills.

 She got up and walked several times again today. As we walk around the 7th floor, we pass nurses and assistants and cleaning people that have helped Tami during the past month. Tami somehow remembers every one of their names and every thing about them. She greets each one as they stop and ask her how she's doing.  She amazes me. I always try to remember people's names, but I get really confused and it ends up being a big blur. 

While Dr. Lambert was in the room tonight visiting this afternoon, the Urologist dropped by.  He wants to run a test on Tami tomorrow to make sure that her bladder is functioning properly and is healing.  Tami, being a little paranoid after the problem she had with her last procedure, asked him if there was any chance he could hit another artery.  We all had a good laugh about that. He told her that it should be a very simple procedure and that she doesn't have to worry about an artery getting hit. She also doesn't have to go without food and drink , which is a great thing. 

After the Urologist left, Dr. Lambert checked Tami's incision and the open wound and told her it looked really good.  Tami said, "Really, it just looks like a big hole to me."

Dr. Lambert and I just cracked up.  She's making people laugh again which is fun to see, but she is still weak and trying to regain her strength.  We're hoping for more good news tomorrow.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya, Tomorrow, You're only a day away. 

Please keep her in your prayers and have a wonderful night.

Marsha

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The difference a day makes

Hello all,

What a difference a day makes.  Today was a very good day.

When I got to the hospital this morning Tami was happy and had a smile on her face.  She had a very good night's sleep and was ready for a new day. She has been moved to a new room.  Before I left last night they asked her if she would be interested in moving to another room. She said she was willing if they needed her to move.  But the nurse said that she didn't have to.  It was her choice.  So she said she was happy with her view of the lake and she would stay.  Well I guess five minutes after I left, they came and moved her anyway.  It makes me wonder why they bothered asking her what she wanted at all. But even though the view is different, the room is nicer, newer, cozier and the bathroom is much bigger.  She seems to be very happy with her new surroundings. 

I sent some pictures of her view of the lake in the first room and a picture of her view in the new room.  The building up on the hill is the old insane assylum.  It was built in the 1800s and is now vacant and the new state hospital is next to it in a red brick building.  They told me that the old building has been in several movies.  Anyway it is very unusual looking. It looks like a castle to me.

I also sent a picture of Tami and Dr. Lambert and a picture of Lana and Tami. I hope Judy is able to post them. If not we'll try again tomorrow.

  

Tami has felt so much better today.  In fact, she only had one nap in the morning after her breakfast.  The rest of the day she was awake and sitting or up walking around.  After her lunch I took her for a ride in her wheel chair and we went out into the sunshine again and just enjoyed the warmth. We curled her hair again and she looked very nice today. 

Nate and Natalie went to see the Doctor this afternoon and were given the okay to go home to Utah.  They dropped by the hospital to visit and to say good bye to Tami.  We took some pictures and they went back to the lodge.  They will be flying out tomorrow afternoon.  We're really happy for them.  They haven't seen their children in six weeks.  We're hoping that all goes well for them.

Dr. Lambert has told Tami that she's mostly keeping her in the hospital for observation.  She just wants to make sure everything is very good before she goes back to the lodge.  Tami is not in any hurry and is just happy she has Dr. Lambert there to look after her.  All of the nurses and the Doctors tell her how good she is looking and are impressed with her progress after all she has been through.  Here's hoping and praying that it continues. This last set back was a doozy.

Wishing you all the best,

Marsha

Happy Pioneer Day Everybody,

 

Today has been a very relaxing day for me and Tami.  She had a nice breakfast and then took a shower and washed her hair.  She napped a while and then had lunch. We curled her hair and then she had another nap. She has really enjoyed her sleep today and has not been on her feet much at all until the Doctor asked her if she wanted to put the boots on that help with her circulation.  She said she would go for a walk if she didn't have to wear the boots.  They make her anxious.  So we went for a walk around the hospital and she went back to the room and had her dinner and went back to sleep. 

That's the whole day in a nut shell.  Lots and lots of sleep which was much needed after yesterday's ordeal.

 

The highlight of her day was when Allison from the Worcester Ward here in Massachusetts dropped in to visit her with her three sons.  The boys and Allison all made get well cards for Tami and then bought her a treat from Mike's Pastry Shop.  They said they wanted to share their favorite treat with Tami.  Then Allison let Tami borrow one of her favorite books to read.  We all had a very nice visit and Tami really appreciated their kindness.  I understand they also went to the Hope Lodge and did the same thing for Nate.  What a sweet family they have.  Visits just make everything a little better.

 

It's 1:30am now.  I have been chatting with Natalie for about 2 1/2 hours about life and how it always throws us curves. And how we have to just pick ourselves up and move forward with faith.  We have really enjoyed our visit tonight.  She is really a special lady.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have been able to come here to be with Tami and to meet so many great people out here.  It has been a highlight in my life that I shall never forget.  

 

We are hoping for another good day for Tami tomorrow and look forward to better times ahead.  Have a great night and I'll get with you again.

 

Good Night All

Marsha 

 

July 23

 

Hi again,

 

Well it certainly has been an eventful day but not what we had anticipated.  I arrived at the hospital this morning and Tami told me that Dr. Lambert had ordered a procedure to drain some residual fluid from her body that has been collecting inside her. Well, after waiting 5 or 6 nerve racking hours for a procedure that was supposed to be 5 minutes long, the nurse finally came in and told me that there had been a problem and that Tami wanted me to come in to be with her. 

 

 Apparently, they had tried to remove the fluid through a syringe but the fluid was too dense to retrieve so the procedure was unsuccessful. However, during the process they nicked an artery.  The Doctor in Radiology that did the procedure called Dr. Lambert and was quite concerned about what had happened.  He said this is the first time he has ever encountered this problem in the 25 years that he has been practicing.  Dr. Lambert said, "You wouldn't believe what this poor woman has been through".  He told Dr. Lambert that they were going to keep an eye on her for a while but she told him, "No, you're going to get in there NOW to see if you can plug the artery because if I have to do an emergency surgery, I don't want to start at midnight tonight".  So they did an angiogram to see what had happened, and they were able to insert a coil into the artery to stop the bleeding.  I guess that coil will be part of Tami for the rest of her life. 

 

Dr. Lambert came in to talk to me and said that tomorrow she is going to totally leave Tami alone and just let her recuperate.  She said that all the Doctors and nurses were very impressed with the way Tami handled the whole problem.  She was very kind and patient the entire time which must be unusual in that type of situation. 

 

When I got back to the Hope Lodge, Natalie was telling me that the Nurses had mentioned to Dr. Lambert how impressed they were with the two patients from Utah and how kind they were to all the staff.  That says a lot about Tami and Nate.  They are both wonderful people and it is very obvious.

 

Tami had not had any food or drink all day and was really in need of nourishment so I helped her eat a small portion of a sandwich, some peaches and some orange juice.  She had to lay flat in bed for 6 hours without bending her legs so she couldn't sit to eat.  They gave her something to tranquilize her because she was quite anxious after her ordeal.  They also gave her some pain meds in her IV, so she fell asleep very quickly after just a few bites of food.  I stayed with her for awhile after she nodded off to make sure she was okay.  I tucked her in and covered her up and enjoyed watching her totally relax for the first time today.  She has really earned a good nights sleep. 

 

Please keep her in your prayers.  Hopefully tomorrow will be much better. 

 

Thank you for all you do,

Marsha

Sunday July 22, 2012

 

Hi everybody, and Happy Birthday Mom.

 

It's been a busy day. I got up and got ready for church and then ran to the hospital to visit Tami before church started.  She was eating breakfast.  She seems to be able to eat quite well but just can't eat a full meal. She can only hold about half or less.  But at least she has an appetite.  She said she made it through the whole night without any pain killers and was still okay when she woke up. That surprised me because we've been so careful to make sure she gets her pills every three hours so that the pain won't come back too strong. Anyway that was a good sign to me.  When I left the hospital at noon she was really tired so I just let her sleep.  I guess she slept until 2:30 so she got a good nap.

 

I went to church with Nate and Natalie. We sat by Dr. Lambert and she visited with us quite a bit.  Dr. Lambert gave the Relief Society lesson and did a wonderful job.  Everybody at church was asking me about Tami and told me they just love her.  They wondered if Tami would mind if they took the sacrament to the hospital for her. I told them I thought she would love that.  

 

When I went back to the hospital they were wheeling Tami out to have a CT scan. I guess they want to see the trail her liquids are taking and to make sure everything looks good.  We still havent got any results from that test.  They said it might be tomorrow morning before we find out anything. 

 

The full time missionaries and the Gospel Doctrine teacher (I forgot his name) came to see her while she was gone so we visited for about half an hour while we waited for her. Then she came back and was happy to see them all. They had a good visit.  After they left, she ate her dinner and we went for another walk.  She was exhausted after that so I got her settled in and let her go back to sleep. 

 

Tomorrow the Urologist will check her out and we'll find out the results of her CT scan too.  It should be an eventful day. 

 

Nate has a Doctor's appointment tomorrow and is hoping to go home soon. We're praying for him too.  Nate stayed to all three meetings today and felt pretty good so hopefully he can return home before too long.

 

Well another day has come and gone.  It was mother's birthday today and she had a big shindig without me and Tami.  It sounds like there was a huge turnout for the celebration. Wish we could have been there.  Happy 86th Birthday Mother. We love you.

 

Marsha

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(I goofed)  This should have been posted before the last one)  I didn't see it in time before I posted the other one......

Hi everybody,
     I arrived in Boston at 4:30 Boston time and Amy picked me up at the airport. She was
such a delight to visit with.  And is such a sweet angel to help all of us who come here.
There is a good place in heaven for her.
     She took me to the Hospital where Lana and Tami met us at the front door to show us where
we were suppose to go.  I hadn't eaten since breakfast so Lana  and I went to eat at the cafeteria.
  The clam chowder was wonderful.  Lana talked to me to catch me up on all the things that
need to be done to take care of Tami. I didn't know she was coming home to the
Hope Lodge so soon so I was really excited to hear that.  I won't have to commute to the
hospital and back every day.  We'll just stay at the lodge except for Doctor appointments and
for groceries.
    Lana drove me all around town while it was still light outside and I learned how
to find my way around quite well.  It's really quite easy and I was so afraid of getting lost.  I'm so
glad I was able to come before Lana had to leave.
     It's 10:00 pm here and my body still thinks that it's 8:00.  Lana is dead tired and I am wide awake
wondering what I'm going to do all night. I'm sure that will change when Tami gets back here. 
     Tami looked so good tonight I was so excited to see her and see that sweet smile on her face. She
is in a hospital room that overlooks Quinsigamond Lake.  It is the most beautiful view right from her bed.
I hope she gets a picture of it. It is so picturesque.

    Well, we have a big week ahead so I better get some rest.  Keep Tami in your prayers.

Love to all,
Marsha

 

Saturday July 21

 

Hi Team Tami,

 

This morning when Lana and I got to the hospital, we found Tami standing at the white board writing in her very unique fancy handwriting, "Happy Birthday Dad". I think she thinks of dad quite often and what he went through.  I told her that I think he thinks of her too and is probably right there with her at times helping her through her toughest times.  She agreed.

 

We thought Tami would be released today but Dr. Lambert thinks she should stay at least till Monday when the Urologist can see her.  He was not on call during the weekend.  Tami felt better about that anyway.  I'm glad they can keep an eye on her just a little longer to make sure all is well with her before they release her. 

 

I met Dr. Lambert today.  She was there a couple of minutes before they told me that was her Doctor. She is such a sweet lady and is so confident and knowledgeable but in a humble sort of way.  I was so happy to finally meet the woman who has taken such good care of my sister. I'm looking forward to seeing her at church tomorrow.

 

The Doctor said Tami's white blood cell count was down to 8 and was really glad about that.  That's really good news.

 

Tami and Lana and I went for a walk outside after the Doctor left.  It was such a beautiful day today.  There was a soft cool breeze but the warm sun felt so good on my face.  The weather could not have been more perfect so we just sat in the sun and took it all in.

 

Then our sweet little Amy came again to visit and to pick up Lana to go back to the airport. She has been priceless to us all. 

 

It was hard to see Lana go, but I think she's ready for a rest. She's been really good with Tami and I'm sure Tami will miss Lana's entertaining ways.

 

Tami has felt pretty good most of the day and we have walked the halls several times.  It's not really easy for her but she pushes herself.  She really amazes me after all she's been through. 

 

Lana and I went to Target this morning on the way to the hospital to exchange some clothes Lana bought for Tami.  Tami got dressed in these cute sweats and a colorful top and she just looked like "a million ducks".

 

Tonight before I left to go back to the Hope Lodge, I went to the gift shop to get some fingernail polish remover and I cleaned off her polish and put some new polish on her nails.  It was fun to pamper her a little. 

 

Nate and Natalie came to the hospital tonight to take me back to the Lodge. They have been so willing to help.  I'm so grateful for good people that will do anything for us.  What would we do without good friends?

 

Well tomorrow is another day.  I'll do my best to keep everyone updated this week.

 

Lots of love,

Marsha

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Friday,  July 20

   Tami had already had a work-out by the time I got to the hospital.  She
had talked to three different doctors, that was telling her three different things.
One doctor told her to stop all foods, and get ready for another test on her bladder.
another doctor told her she was doing well and she didn't need any more tests, 
the other doctor didn't know what was going on. by the time I got there they had
found that everything was great ,and they are acually releasing her tomarrow.
   It's been a week today since her last surgery, and she's been doing so well.
Doctor Lambert wants to see Tami on Tuesday for a follow up, but she is very impressed
with her progress.
   Well, I'm so freak'in tired I cant think, so I'm going to let Marsha finish. Good-nighttttttttttttttttttt.

Lana
 

Thursday,July 20

Hi everyone,

   Tami hasn't had the appetite that she has had the last few days , but I think she
was a little nervous about the test they were going to run on her bladder today.
they need to check to make sure the scrapping on the bladder during surgery
didn't leave any more holes. This made for another very long day. I swear, doctors
love to make you wait, it must be part of their training. They took her in for her test ,finally at 2:00,
done at 3:00, and didn't find out until 7:00 that she had no leaks! Yeah!!!! talk about
a relief. This roller coaster ride has not been fun. But I hope we can finally say that
maybe we can slow down and enjoy the ride.
   Today Tami was talking  to all the doctors and nurses more. she wanted to know all about their lives,
how many kids they had, and what they did for fun. When I came back from lunch Tami was
sitting in her room with one of her nurses, looking at all her kids pictures and talking about
everything that they were involved with. Im sure the nurse had 10 other people trying to reach
her ,but she wanted to sit and chat with Tami. I love my sister, she's one of a kind.

Love you guys,  Lana and Tami
  

Hello again,


   Another day at the hospital, but Tami got all her IVs out today and she feels a little bit of freedom again.  We went on alot more walks, and took another wheel chair ride outside to get a little sunshine, But what we didn't know was, that there was a big storm rolling in from the ocean. It ended up being quite a show, we stayed out side and watched the lightning and black clouds roll in. It was very entertaining.
   Tami got her first real shower since her surgery today,she couldn't wait to get clean and wash her hair. I wish we could have had a picture of me and her in the shower trying to wash her hair. Between getting tangled with the drain tubes and tripping over the shower chair, we were quite a sight. (anything for my sister). After her shower I fixed her hair and she felt like a new women.Though it took three hours to complete, It was well worth it.
   Doctor Lambert is ordering another test tomarrow to make sure everything is ok.  We are trying to think possitive and  not forgetting our prayers. Speaking of prayers.... The missionaries from Doctor Lamberts ward came today to see Tami. She ask them to give her a blessing (perfect timing).They were very nice and friendly. One was from Arizona, and the other from Mexico,a long way from home but theywere doing great. Thank you everyone for your love and support.

 Love Lana and Tami 

Hi everyone, 
  
   Their is not alot to report today'  Tami started on solid foods again, but that was the
biggest excitment of the day. We went on a couple of walks and talked about this maybe being the first
time in 50 years that she hasn't planned a trip to Lyman Lake. She was hoping that everyone was still
planning on going so she could here how it went, thou She still plans on making it their before the end of the year.
   I curled her hair today ,and she cleaned up, but they told her she could have a shower tomarrow.
 I think she is looking forward to that.
   Hope all is going well at home, I know Tami would rather be home enjoying everyones company,
but until then join in our prayers to bring my little sister home soon.

   Love Tami and Lana

Monday July 16

Hello again everyone,
   Today Tami was up drinking broth and eating jello, when I got there.
 they had already removed her N.G. tube and had finished the procedure to insert her Pic line,
She had a full morning ,but she still had a smile on her face.
   Doctor Lambert released Tami from I.C.U., at 10:30 a.m. but we did'nt even get to another room until
9:30  tonight. It made for a very long day.
   She was in a little more pain today ,but she took it easy and tryed to rest. she does'nt want to push it.
Their isn't alot to report today ,but the doctor was impressed with her progress, so that helped
   Tami did tell me today, that she felt she would fully recover from this , but she was'nt sure what trials she
 would have to face.

   I love you Tami, and God bless

Hi everyone,
   I stayed at the Hope lodge last night , and slept like a baby. Its been a long two days,
But Tami was resting great. When the doctor came in today ,she was thrilled that Tami was doing so well,and was
so alert. Its hard to put Tami down for very long.
   She sat up in a chair all day and read some of her messages from anything for a friend. she told me that those messages are what keeps her going.She wanted to thank everyone so much for all their comments, all their love, and all there prayers. You are all the
reasons she is doing so well. She also told me that today was the first day in over a year that she has'nt been sick or
 nauseated, and she feels like all the cancer is gone! I was so excited I had to try to call everyone, and share the news
Those words were music to my ears. For the last little while ,you didnt' see Tami without her crackers to help with the nausea
   She put her make-up on today. had me paint her nails and fix her hair, ( some things never change.)
We visited as best we could today with the tube down her nose, but she was happy and awake all day.
    I love seeing a smile on her face again She said she feels much better after this surgery than last, and from what Judy
said, she looks alot better too.
   Tami has loved her nurses in I.C.U. her male nurse reminds Tami and I of Tim, he has the same manorisms and he even looks
 a little like him. Maybe thats a little comforting. What ever the case ,Tami is being well taken care of , and thats all that matters.
   Earlier today ,Tami tried to sneak a piece of ice, and she is'nt suppose to have anything in her stomache. When I stopped her she said
"OK you big monster" I think Judy was the big monster when she was here , and I'm sure Marsha will be the big monster when she's here. But let me tell you what..... I've enjoyed being that big monster!  We are hoping she gets in a normal room tomarrow ,with all the tubes out, but time wil tell . Till tomarrow ,hugs and kisses to all.
                                                                                                           Love Lana and Tami
Lana called me after she wrote and said Tami had been sitting in the Chair singing...."I know Heavenly Father Loves Me"...The primary song that goes.....Whenever I hear the song of a bird or look at the blue,blue sky.....whenever I feel the rain on my face...or the wind as it rushes by......that one.....The second verse ends with......Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me......I love that song too.....it takes me back to days of youth and laughter, freedom and fun and yes, knowing that Heavenly Father loves me.
Judy

Happy Sunday everyone.......It is for Tami and Lana too......Lana said she didn't write anything yesterday because "Tami rested all freakin day" (Lana's words, cute huh?)  Lana called this morning, I told her I sure look forward to seeing her name on the caller I D, anyway, her first words were,"Judy, she looks so good.....she's putting on her makeup and she looks wonderful"......That sounds good to us too.  Then she handed Tami the phone.....Tami doesn't like to talk too much on the phone but I could tell through the rasp in her voice that a smile was there.  She still has the NG tube in her nose......a good explanation of that is on Nathan's blog..(hardyfamilyupdates.blogspot.com).....Natalie is a nurse so she explains it very well......You'll remember that Nathan is from Farmington and had his surgery 1 week before Tami.....We have been comforted to share in this journey with Nate and Natalie....I read their blog daily and we too hope and pray they can get home to their family soon.  Lana took Natalie back to the Hope Lodge last night and again this morning back to the hospital....It saves Natalie parking money every day which adds up.  Natalie was with Lana when Tami had her last surgery....they were both sleeping at 3:00 AM when Dr. Lambert came in.....Lana says Natalie wakes up faster than her so Dr. Lambert may not have been able to wake Lana (HA HA).  Natalie told Lana about ordering chloresceptic(sp)....and that has helped to ease Tami's throat pain and moisten her mouth.  Tami said her pain level is a 3 or 4.  She is on a constant drip for pain meds and then she can push the button for an extra boost every 6 mimutes.  Lana asked Tami is she had been pushing the button because Tami was applying make-up and may have forgotten.....Lana works hard to keep Tami on her toes(well....I guess her back) but all in all they're doing well.  Tami can have no ice chips, only a swab for her mouth.  Nate and Tami were next door to each other in the ICU but he was finally moved to the oncology floor.....that will be Tami's next step.  All in all we're grateful for the care she is receiving......Dr. Lambert told Tim that sometimes you have to turn everything on before you can find the leaks.....both Nate and Tami had leaks which she says is unusual.......we're just happy she found the leaks and plugged them up.  Well have a great Sabbath day and enjoy that food and water you put in your mouth because some can't have any:)
Love,
Judy

HI everyone.....Not a lot to report this morning except to say that Lana said she managed a tiny smile this morning and she is understandably in a lot of pain but OK otherwise.  Dr. Lambert said everything is very good and they hope to get her out of the ICU in just a few days and into a room.  Lana said she was resting well and they were doing all they can to give her the drugs that would help her rest.  There are a lot of milestones that need to be crossed.....her digestive system needs to wake up at some point so she can tolerate a liquid diet and then soft foods....All this will take time and hopefully her body will heal and start working properly. Dr. Lambert said her next surgery will be to reverse the colostomy which will be a few months out....depending on her healing process. We're uplifted by the news but still try to remember the words that Peter gave us at the Hope Lodge when we were out there in April....Peter was helping his wife through bone marrow transplants and had been travelling a long road of rejections and more surgery...He told us, Don't get too excited about the good news and don't get too down about the bad news.....I've remembered that and tried to think of the whole process and its ups and downs.......Of course leaving it in the Lords hands is all we can do and hope and pray she has many years of living yet to come.  Of course We all think of Tami and how hard this is for her....I guess we can put that in perspective for each of us and try to get past some of our own struggles we each have and push forward.......
Love,
Judy

Good Morning Team.....I just got a phone call from Lana and Tim...."Dr. Lambert had a smile in her voice," Tim Said.  She repaired the tear in her bladder and performed a colostomy to let Tami's intestinal track heal.  She said Tami looked good inside and they even closed her all up with the staples again.....previously she had left a 3 to 4 inch incision open to drain infection and let the wound heal from the inside out, but she said all looked well, so they closed her all up.  They left a drain in to prevent infection, but Tim said she felt like it was a success and all should go better from here.  She will stay in recovery the rest of the night because there is no room in the ICU but Dr. Lambert said that's as well anyway.  Hopefully she'll feel better soon.  Lana was sleeping in the waiting room on the couch when Dr. Lambert came out.  Thank you all for your care, concern, and prayers.  Let's keep hoping and praying.....
Love,
Judy

Dear Team......I was hoping we wouldn't have to write this blog.....but things have gone so well..... and now comes some more struggles......Lana has told me that Tami has had a bit of pain the last couple of days but they thought it was just surgery pain....but at her Dr's appointment today they tested secretion fluids and did a scan and determined that she has a perforated bowel......We won't know the origin of it until we talk to Lana after Surgery....or until Dr. Lambert speaks to Tim tonight.  I imagine they'll begin surgery between 10 and 11 tonight Boston time, Dr. Lambert was waiting for the other surgeon to get there and then they'll begin.  Dr. Lambert told Tim that they expect the surgery to last approx. 4 hours. I spoke with Both Tami and Lana and neither one of them wanted to talk about it, but there was some repair work that needed doing.  Tami seemed matter of fact and resigned to accept what was before her.  I think both Lana and Tami were trying to be strong for each other.  My heart is pounding, mom is trying to sing hymns to feel better and we're all just heartsick......We know she's in the Lord's hands and we hope and pray for the best.....We'll keep you updated as we get info from Tim or Lana......Let's keep up the good hope that all will go as it should.
Love you all
Judy

---

From: bentlana@live.com
To: porterjudy@yahoo.com
Subject: tami
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2012 14:51:50 -0600

Hi everyone,
   Today Tami has been resting great ,eating right ,and getting alot of exercise on the stairs. Every time she needs to eat(which is
every 2 hours) she has to walk 15 stairs. She takes them slow, but she's doing great.
   The  home health care nurse came today to check on her ,and everything looked perfect.
Tami had to leave the hospital with an open wound in her belly ,and they had to come to change the dressing and teach me how to take care of it. The doctor is letting it heal from the inside out.
   She is very aware of what is going into her body, and what she needs, to help in her recovery. I'm so proud of her. She is amazing! Their is not alot to report today. We just need to concentrate on getting her well, and looking forward to our doctors appointment tomorrow. Thanks again for all your prayers,may god be with all of you.

  Love Lana and  Tami

Good Morning......I spoke with Lana this morning and she said she sent the e-mail ....I just didn't receive it.....so she resent it this morning......Tami is resting, needs to eat small meals several times a day and so Lana helps Tami up to the kitchen which is up about 14 stairs.....Tami still doesn't have a lot of energy and is resting a lot (to be expected).  They have a Dr's appointment tomorrow so Lana is writing down a bunch of questions and is being prepared......I talked to Tami a minute....she said Lana was crocheting and is being a great care-giver.  Lana writes down all Tami's meds and marks off her list....she says that takes a while.  Sounds like they're doing great.
Judy

---

From: bentlana@live.com
To: porterjudy@yahoo.com
Subject: Tami
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:37:36 -0600

July 11

   Yeah!! We're out of the hospital, and Tami is doing great.  The doctor released her at 8:30, and we did'nt get to the lodge until 3:00,
so it's been a pretty exausting day. Tami is getting to know the new residents here, and already making new friends,but it would'nt be Tami if she was'nt.
    Tami is listening to her body and being very careful not to over do it .I know thats hard for her but she is doing great.
Before we left the hospital,the nurse had to give her 3 immunizations,  phnemonia, tetnus, and menangitis. Without a spleenshe has to have them.
    Its still baby steps for now , and alot of Dr. appointments. But I don't think it will be long before we see my beautiful little
Tami back to normal.
    We love you all,
  Tami and Lana

Hi Everyone......I didn't receive an e-mail to copy and paste to the blog today....but I did talk to Lana as she was preparing to get Tami released from the hospital today....my feeling is that Lana just got too busy to sit down to write us an e-mail......by the time she got Tami into the Hope Lodge and taken care of.....and by the time they spoke with everyone there.....she probably lost track of time.    At any rate, Tami was released today and Dr. Lambert called Tim and told him that her white count was down to 14 and that she was doing well.  A big step forward for Tami......It's been 1 year on the 29th of July since her first surgery and the news that she had 6 months to live.....That was probably the best information that the Doctors knew to tell us.....what a ride she has had since that time.  We are still hoping for the best......At first I thought that if Tami could come home with Lana......Well.....I thought the stars would all have to align and hope and faith would have to be on our side for that to happen......We still don't know but it sure seems more probable now.   Well I bet Tami seems like an uncaged animal and Lana said she thinks she'll have a hard time keeping her down....Good Luck Lana.....We love you.....
Judy

Two weeks post surgery

After two weeks.(June 10)

Hi everyone,

Tami is doing well, but she is still in the hospital. We went on a couple of walks outside today and sat in the sun. They have a little farmers market right outside the hospital that they set up every Tuesday. We bought some fresh bread, veggies, and a hand full of fresh cut flowers to liven up Tami's room. It was a beautiful day.

I think Tami is the only one on her floor that I've seen come out of there room. If determination heals her sooner she'll be home before you know it.

We miss you all and I hope to bring Tami home in a couple of weeks. Thanks for all your prayers, you've all been great.
Thank you for Loving my sister so much! She's a "Jewel"

Love you all,
Lana

 

Hey Team!

 

It seems like every day Momma is just getting so much better! Her hair is done, make up applied, and Keens on (Thanks Weney!) She is being very Tami-like today, worrying about everybody but herself. She even called and dickered with Enterprise to get Lana a cheaper car rental. Who is this woman?! We love her:)

 

Dr. Lambert came in sometime after her five mile run and her first surgery of the day (She's super woman, too!) and right before surgery number 2. Isn't she great? We really really like her! She told us Mom's white blood cell count is a 20, "But all of your numbers are high. That's probably just a result of the spleenectomy." So it's sounding like no kind of infection.

 

She's been outside twice today. It's gorgeous here!

 

I'm on my way to Amy's soon, then to the airport tomorrow. About day five of "vacation" time, I usually really want to just get home and have my everyday routine back in place (I don't relax very well...) But I'm way over five days now, and I just want to stay! She's getting so much better and being so much herself that I don't want to leave her. But I know I'm leaving her in good hands. Plus if she keeps this up, she'll be home in a couple of weeks (fingers crossed!) and we'll get to go "wayyy down deep with the willy worm!"

 

I love you, Momma. And I'm so proud of you. So many people would've given up a year ago, but you endure and endure, and then you endure some more. In D&C 121:7-9, the Lord talks to Joseph Smith. And now I know this scripture is for you, too, for this very time. Excuse my own verbage...

 

"My Tami, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt trimph over all thy foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands."

 Isn't that applicable?? This "shall be but a small moment" and "thy friends (and family) do stand by thee." We love you, Mom, and want to help. So let us know how! We're always here for you.

Love,

Madeline

Sue Gray giving Tami one of her favorites since she went on her mission many years ago.....Thanks Sue for making us all smile...

Hey everybody who loves my momma, great news! Mom walked UP the stairs! Then she walked right back down them! Isn't she awesome??

 

Mostly today Mom did normal everyday stuff. She walked around everywhere. Went outside. Looked at the view. Visited with an awesome friend (Love you, Sue.) She is doing so great.

 

The PCA changed Momma's sheets right after she got out of the shower, and Mom said, "Man I'm glad I pushed myself to take that shower. It feels soo good." And it hardly even exhausted her! She's really getting stronger.

 

It's been a good, sunny sabbath day, and it was lovely! Just not too much to report on. Oh! Except they un-Ponochio-ized her a couple days ago. They put her on four antibiotics, and so she was attached again. But now antibiotics come in pill form! Who knew?! Great job, Ponoch! We love you!

 

Love you all! Maddie

Hey Team,

Less eventful days lead to less eventful blobs (as Grandma calls them!) don't they? But that's okay! Mom needs sleep.

Mom ate a great breakfast and a great lunch today. Sometime in between those two meals Dr. Lambert snuck in before her meetings to check everything out and said everything is looking great! Although her white blood cell count is at a 17 again...but still that's better than the original 29.

Then around lunch time the one and only Sue Gray came to see us! She brought Momma a cute Willow Tree called "Hope," and a box full of Dunkin Donuts. Thanks, Sue! You're so great, and you really lifted her spirits. We love you!   

After that Momma slept, then she went for a walk...OUTSIDE! She was mostly pushed in the wheelchair, but she enjoyed the sun shining on her face after nearly two weeks.

Love you all! Keep the prayers coming!

Maddie

PS I recieved a text reminding me I left somone out....I told you I'd forget somebody! Thank you, Mimi, for all that you do! You don't go unappreciated! We love you!

You know what? I owe quite a few people a lot of thank yous. This one will be long, and no names go in any kind of order (just so you know I'm not picking any favorites.)

Amy, Kempy, and Avy: We would all still be stuck at the airport (hungry and "Fluffless!") without you three! You drove so many hours for us. Avy, you raised great girls! Thank you!

Judy: Thank you so much for all you've done for my mom. She so appreciated you being here the two times before. At a time when she was really lonely, and putting up a great big fight with the insurace every day, you were with her, and I love you for it!

Aunt Kimmy: Kimmy, I think since I was born we've spent a total of five days together (four of those days were this last week!) and I just love you! I really appreciated that you knew what you were doing with my momma, especially in her "loopy-we're-under-investigation" times (Mom thought we were all being investigated by the FBI for a few days...) And you definitely gave me amo as far as my dad is concerned...lots of great teenage days stories to hold over his head!

Barb: Thank you for feeding me (everyday!) and being here with me! One day (when I have a job...) I'll take you out for a 5 lb. lobster, and we'll take lots of pictures of it! Love you, Barn!

Becky, Sue, Jodi, and Amy: Thank you for all of your "Anything For A Friend" help! Sue's talked about how when she met us, she felt an instant connection to our family. We feel the same way about all of you (well Jodi was already connected...who knew she was a long lost cousin? Sorry Jodi...love you!) We know the Lord has been looking out for us. It's evident in so many ways, and a major one is all that you've done for our family. Thank you thank you thank you!

Lana: Thanks for coming, Peter. You've only been here for a couple of hours so far, but already I can tell you're going to do awesome! Thank you for loving my momma and being here for her. She's in good hands.

Suzy, Bonnie, Weney, and Wack...The Volvo Friends: Wow! You four have done so much for my momma, and I've loved getting to know you four better. I've known you since I was a baby, but haven't really KNOWN you until now. Thank you so much! Judy said not too long ago to my mom, "Your friends are really doing a lot for you, Tam...I mean a LOT. I think they're doing more for you than your sisters would do for you...and I'm one of your sisters!" You really have done SO much. We love you so much! Thanks for loving our mom!

Nate and Nat: Thank you for being with her and loving her. The Lord sure does watch out for us, doesn't He? Hang in there!

The Bingyum sisters and good ol' Uncle Van: She loves you guys! You've done so much for her, and know you never (ever) go unappreciated. She only has great things to say about all you guys.

To my very own Volvo Friend, Brookie: Thank you, Brookie! When you won the gift for the most donated at our last meeting, I wasn't suprised one bit it was you. Thank you for your words of encouragement. They always seem to come in times of need, and I'm grateful for that.

Grandma: The day I got here Mom said, "Sometimes I feel like if Grandma can fight, then I can fight!" Thanks for fighting, Grandma. Momma loves you. We all do! Keep fightin!

The committee members: I knew my mom was loved, but I never knew how much! You all take time out of your so very hectic days and you go and do! Thank you for your time and your love. Anything For A Friend (every part of it) has been so overwhelming in the best kind of way! The love you have for us has been just that. Overwhelming. Thank you.

Seth: Thanks for playing Words With Friends with my mom. Is that a goofy thank you? Yeah, probably. But she tells me often how thankful she is for you taking time out of your busy day to play with her. She says, "He even lets me win sometimes!" Shauna said to you, "You'd do anything for your Tami, wouldn't you?" And you would. Thanks for loving her.

Daddy: You call every hour, on the hour. But if you didn't, we'd be worried! Thanks for loving Mom. Despite what I thought my last twenty years....I think the love you have for mom is real love....the kind of love that is way better than the movie kind of love. We love you!

To Dordyn and Cal: Nobody understands better than a sister does. I love you! (You too, Macey...)

Oh, and how could I forget about the Hope Lodge? Last, but not least! Thank you for giving us a place to bed our heads, a place to eat, and a place to feel loved 24/7. Momma only has great things to say about you, too.

And you know what, since I've written a novel already, even though I really don't think Dr. Lambert reads this (though she should! Major self confidence booster! Because we love her!)...Dr. Lambert, I can not thank you enough. As much as all of these people love my mom (and we really, really do) nobody can give her what you did. I am in absolute awe of you, and every extra day she has is because of you.

I love you all so, so much! There's so many more people I could just thank all day long, and I'll be kickin myself in the pants for not making this five times longer after I press "send." For those of you not mentioned, know we appreciate you, too. There's just absolutely no more room.

Of course, our Father in Heaven, I'll talk to you when I'm on my knees a little later. You'll really be getting a novel.

Love, Maddie

...I was gonna send this, but mom said I left out the wards. All three. The Creekview ward, LaDonna Mesa ward, and the Worcester 2nd ward. Thank you for the fasting and prayers!

 

Hi Team,

 

Today hasn't been too eventful, but that's good considering that eventful days consist of tests and scans which just send Mom in a tail spin, and she wants to sleep all day.

 

Showering and putting her hair in rods (even though I helped her) really exhausted her, and she's been recovering from it all day with lots of naps.

 

Natalie came and talked to us for about an hour (hang in there, Nat!) and we went on a little walk with her. It was nice of her to visit.

 

Right after she left, Lana showed up! Yayy Peter! Mom was excited to see her, but tired, too. So she's been sleeping ever since. That's good, Momma! Keep counting sheep!

 

Love you all!

 

Maddie

Just got the e-mail....it was a little late today.....*I hope Lana is doing ok on her fli

Hey Tami-goers!

 

"When Dr. Lambert said this surgery was gonna knock me on my butt, she wasn't just a whistlin dixie!" Mom's tired today, but doing great!

 

There's not too much to report on (it's early yet.) But I thought I'd take the opportunity while Momma's taking her million dollar shower to say that....drum roll please....her white blood cell count is down to 16! Yay! From 29? That's awesome! Us folks have a white blood cell count of aboout eight or ten. But because Mom doesn't have a spleen anymore, hers is going to be freaking out a little bit, and it's normal for her to be between a fourteen and a sixteen. She's right where she needs to be. Although our dear friend, Dr. Lambert, does want it to come down just a little more.

 

I saw another major surgery today (Dr. Lambert said, "Hey, to you it is a major surgery because you've never seen the inside of your mom before.") She REALLY has seen the inside of my momma before...I wonder if you look at people different after something like that?

 

She said Mom sounds so great today. She was all smiles when she said, "You sound the best I've heard you sound since surgery. The way you talk, too. Not just the sound of it, but the tone. It's kind of depressing to hear you not be so happy." Very true, Doc, very true! She also said Mom could go outside and get some fresh air (I won't point her in the direction of the Boston marathon, just in case!)

 

Mom ate a ton of breakfast this morning. They ask her every night what she'll be wanting for breakfast, she tells them, they bring it. But every morning they throw a coffee on her tray that always goes untouched. We decided that the person putting her breakfast together is thinking, "Oh, she must be a little loopy on meds today. Everybody needs their coffee." There IS a Dunkin Donuts on every corner! (Don't worry, Lana!)

 

Mom's advice for the day went something like this, by the way: "Don't take things for granted! I used to get up and shower and get ready fast, and I could do it, and it took little effort. But now I get up to put my hair in rods or to get in the shower and I get so exhausted. I'm ready for a five hour nap." So in a word, be grateful for your showers:)

 

We love you, friends and family!

 

Maddie

 

PS They call a drinking fountain a "Bubblah" over here...I enjoy thatght....Thanks Barb & Kimmi for all your help.....

 

One more thing;

 

Barb leaves bright and early tomorrow morning back to Michigan (why do all the good ones live back East??) and Lana will be coming in from the West (She's awesome, too, actually) and will be taking over.

 

We're so incredibly thankful for Barb and all that she's done, and all that Kimmy did also! We love you both so much and are grateful for the love you have for us, and our Momma, too!

 

Go on, get on outta here!

 

Maddie

Hi Team!

 

Today was an eventful day! Dr. Lambert came in and looked at Momma's wound. She started taking out staples, and to save the gory details...let's just say I saw about an inch of her insides. Puny stuff to Dr. Lambert...but I now consider myself an onlooker to a major surgery (It was really nothing, but we'll stick with my first story...)

 

At about 1:00 they took Mom down for her next surgery of the day (they only used a needle and some pain killers, but it was still probably bigger than the "major surgery" I saw an hour before.) It took about an hour and a half, which was suprising. I was under the impression that she really would be in and out within ten or fifteen minutes, and wouldn't feel it at all. She didn't during the "surgery," but after she said she felt like she had been shot (rating her scale at a four or a five, as opposed to the one or two she normally feels...she's a trooper!)

 

She slept for quite a while after that, drugged up a bit on pain killers, and woke up to a tray chuck full of food. And she ate most of it, too!

 

Dr. Lambert came in to say goodnight. She's going home, but will probably really be working all night. She's as cool as my mom!

 

Anyway, folks, thanks for everything. Thank you, Judy, for posting my emails everyday. Peter loves you to pieces, and so do I!

 

Love, Maddie

 

Hi Team Tami!

 

Momma is doing great this morning, although she is tired. Who wouldn't be?? We need to keep reminding her she just had an out-of-this-world kind of surgery.

While she was resting, Dr. Lambert (Mother Earth, they call her, because she is so personable and down-to-earth.) found me in the waiting room. She asked how momma was doing, apologizing she hasn't been up to see her yet. I told her she was great today, just a bit tired (to be expected) and hungry! She laughed when I told her she was hungry, and was very happy about that. She said it's like when you have the flu. Nobody wants to eat when they have the flu. But when they start getting better, they're starving, and can keep down what they put down.

She also explained that the fluid in her left lung will be drained today, and that will be very fast, painless, and easy. She can't eat until she gets that done though, so hopefully she won't get too ornery!

Dr. Lambert said regarldess, she'll be going home on antibiotics, and will be on them for a few weeks. But that she is doing so great. Wasn't it awesome that Dr. Lambert took time out of her day to set my mind at ease? I appreciate that she knows and understands that I worry about my momma, and love Dr. Lambert for that. Now we REALLY want to take her home!

She just came in and said the battle wounds looks great, Momma looks and sounds fantastic, and her feet are warm and much less swollen! And the great news...the white blood cell count went down seven points! Yay!

I look all around me at the sick people at this hospital, and realize that so often they have complications and set backs...sometimes major complications and major set backs. But Mom gets noticeably better everyday! She really is going uphill...her marathon has been a great race, thus far! Keep your fingers crossed that it continues to go so great!

Love you all so much! Keep the pick-me-up texts comin! She loves em!

Love,

Maddie

Hi Team!

 

Momma had a busy day today! She ran marathons (went for a few walks, that is) and had a couple photo shoots (CT scan and an X-ray.) A doctor came in and was talking to her for a really long time, actually. She now knows more about mom than my dad did by the eighth date! She asked where exactly in Utah she lives, what exactly she does for work. How old us girls are. Where Dad is. Where she grew up... I was suprised she didn't ask who cut her hair! The conversation was like an investigation, and it was a little unnerving, actually.

 

After a few hours, Dr. Lambert came in and said Mom has no blood clots (they were worried because of her puffy feet,) everything looks really really good, and the high white blood cell count is a result of a tiny bit of fluid in her left lung, that she'll drain tomorrow. Very easy, in and out. Nothing serious.

 

Tonight as we shared the unnerving story about the nosey doctor, we learned that what she was doing was a bit of a cognative test. They were making sure Momma was all there! It's a good thing she came in now as opposed to Sunday....that day was a bit of a loopy day! And now we appreciate the nosey doctor:)

 

Mom's a little weak, with a scratchy voice still. But she is doing amazing! Everything that is supposed to happen, has. And all of the organs that were supposed to wake up, did. Knock on wood, and keep praying for her!

 

Love you all!

 

Maddie

 

Hi Tami-ites!

 

Dr. Lambert just came in and told us the white blood cell count is still very high, but it did go down a couple points. She said Momma looked very good, and that her voice will grow stronger with time (for any of you who have talked to her, she sounds a little down in the dumps...she's not. She's just tired, and her voice is just raspy from the surgery.) Still no idea what's spiking that blood count though! Isn't that odd? She seems great, looks great...must be great! Pray that her next test will pass!

 

Dr. Lambert was also very concerned about her feet. She kept staring at them, touching them, poking and prodding...they're definitely swollen a bit, and a not-so-pretty shade of purple. But then she remembered that Mom walks like a marathoner just getting out of surgery, got the nurse to give her some Lasics, and she'll be good to go with normal (size and color) feet.

 

They're going to take her down for a chest and belly X-ray because her tummy is a little bigger than yesterday, but she really didn't seem too worried about that...just a precaution.

 

When Dr. Lambert asked if she wanted to drink any Ensure or Boost, she got a little excited. Who remembers Boost? It was the obsession that came before the SoBe (SoBeIt!) and before her shakes. The Boost will be good for her, with more calories and protein than the orange juice that she sips on all day.

 

We love Dr. Lambert a whole bunch! I appreciate how much time she spent staring at Mom's feet. That's goofy sounding, I know. But they were purple, and I was a little worried myself, to tell ya the truth! I know Dr. Lambert really cares for my mom, and I want to give her a big squeeze every time she leaves. On hardyfamilyupdates.blogspot.com (Nate and Natalie's blog-check it out!) Natalie said how she just wants to take Dr. Lambert right on home with her. I don't know, Nat, you might have a fight on your hands...we want to keep her, too!

 

Keep the encouraging texts coming, friends! She loves them, and she loves you!

 

Love,

 

Maddie 

Hi team,
Nothing really to report on tonight. The Dr's never came back with results, and so i'm gonna go with "no news is good news." That's how the saying goes, isn't it? Oh, except they did rule out a UTI. Hopefully the high white blood cell count is just a mistake. And Dr. Carroll actually said it just might be. Because she feels so great! We should know by tomorrow.
She got out of bed a lot today (a lot!) And walked and walked and walked. In fact, she didn't even lean on us. It was all her. Go momma!

She ate chicken noodle soup today and she enjoyed it (Dr. Lambert said that was a good sign.) She said it was almost as good as grandmas soup. She'll be home in a few weeks, so ya better start practicing, Granny!

She wanted me to say thank you so much for all of the texts. She doesn't check her voicemail, but I read her her texts everyday, and they bring smiles to her face. She feels bad that she's to tired respond to any of them, but she does love them. Congratulations on the first 5k, by the way, Mellie!
Thank you everybody, so much! We love you!

Hello Team,

To start off, Mom wants me to quote our good ol' Uncle Roundy. "May the blue bird of happiness crap all over your hospital bed!" She felt very loved:) Thanks for the giggle that come out of her, Roundy!

Dr. Carroll came in and didn't tell us great news, but not horrible news, either. He kept looking at her and asking if she was okay, sick, feeling tired at all?  He explained that her white blood cell count was abnormally high, and that he was suprised she looked so good. He told us that when someobdy's white blood cell count is high, that means infections, fever, looking clinically sick. But not mom...It could be a few diffferent things:

1) In the hospital (all hospitals) a common problem is what they call CDIF. CDIF is a little bug that is spread from Dr's to patients, and as much as they try to prevent it, it happens.  

2) There's a possibility that the surgical area could be infected. He doubted this a little bit because her battle wound looks so great, but he didn't rule it out completely.

3) Urinary Tract Infection, which could be caused by the cathater...leading to great news..."YOU'RE A REAL BOY NOW, PONOCHIO!" No more strings, tubes, iv's, cathater. Nothin!

Oh and more great news! She's been sleeping fantastically. After they took out her epidural yesterday, they regularly give her 10 mg of Oxycodon, and she's been in little to no pain, with "no strings to tie her down." We're going to start calling her Pinochio!

We love you all! Thanks for reading the blog, and caring about our cute mom. We love her!

Love,

Maddie 

PS Here's a little song to get you through the day. A little diddy called "NO STRINGS TO TIE ME DOWN!" Love you, Ponoch!

I've got no strings
To hold me down
To make me fret, or make me frown
I had strings
But now I'm free
There are no strings on me
Hi-ho the me-ri-o
That's the only way to go
I want the world to know
Nothing ever worries me
Hi-ho the me-ri-o
I'm as happy as can be
I want the world to know
Nothing ever worries me
I've got no strings
So I have fun
I'm not tied up to anyone
They've got strings
But you can see
There are no strings on me!

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY FOURTH! Love you, Americans!

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Good afternoon Team Tami,

Only a few things to report. 1) she's slept amazingly today. Dr. Lambert made fun of her that she won't be sleeping tonight now though, will she? 2) speaking of the fantastic Dr. Lambert, she of course dropped by, and said great things. She's very proud of my cute mom. And how could she not be? We all are! She said the nausea is to be expected, so get up and walk. 3) we did just that! And this time, the walk was much farther. Go team!

Hopefully more great news tonight. Love ya! Madison

The computer isn't working, so you're getting a phone update, and it will be a bit short. Sorry team!
Mom got every tami attachment out except her catheter...yay! The nurse said that's always the last to go because of the swelling after the surgery, and issues with knowing when its time to go to the bathroom. She's already sleeping better without all of the bells and whistles:)
The Dr's also signed off on momma eating real life food! That is great news! We'll make sure she takes it very slow.

While i'm typing in the waiting room, a nurse is talking to a woman about hospice care for her loved one, and i'm reminded of how incredibly thankful I am that my mom is here, is progressively getting better everyday, and will be with us for a long, long time. I speak for my sisters and my dad too when I say thank you from the bottom of my heart that i'm so, so thankful for your prayers, calls, texts, and for how much you love our mom. We love her too!!

Speaking of those great texts you all send, my mom wanted me to post this text that Paul sent her. It  brought an automatic smile to her face. Thanks Pauly!
      Been following the blog every day, wow we r watching miracles, couldn't be happier for ya fatso, keep going we will have a drink mixed and ready for ya at the hand off spot :)
Words of encouragement and knowing she is loved brings smiles to her face! Keep em coming!!
Maddie

Mom is officially out of the ICU! Yayyyyy! Room 701a (we'll see y'all here tomorrow with roses....)

It seems like if she has a great day one day, the next is a day of rest. Today is that day. But we welcome that! Mom doesn't sleep much, but right now I think that's what's gonna be best for her.

She's been nauseated today, so we're back to ice chips. No steak fries yet....sorry mom!

Keep her in your prayers, He hears them!

Love you all so much! Manny.


Hello all,  It has been a peaceful day for Tam. Much needed rest came today. I believe she is disappointed about how she feels today, but we continue to tell her how well she is doing and to look at how far she has come. Dr. Lambert is impressed with her progress. Dr. Caroll tells her she looks wonderful for being just a few days post op.The nausea was a bummer today but it's the body's way of saying slow down and rest. 
This is my last post I leave for home in the morning. I really hate to leave, but I'm so glad I had the opportunity to be here for Tami. Please continue to keep praying . I truly believe in the power of prayer. I think we all have witnessed a miracle . Or perhaps several miracles. They say coincidence is Gods way of putting you where you need to be. Thank you God for bringing me here. It was nice not only to help with Tam's care, but as a bonus I spent time with Tim, sister Barb and I got to know little ms Mattie. The folks at the Hope lodge have been wonderful ,special thanks goes out to them.
Take care love to all

Sent from my iPad

Monday Morning Update

Well team,

It is 5:30 a.m. Tami maybe slept 2 hrs through the night. But all in all it was much better than previous nights. The team here had difficulty drawing blood from tami. She is a tough stick. Little tiny veins that play hide and seek. Her results came back and her electrolytes are imbalanced. Low potassium, magnesium and chloride. So now their working on correcting the imbalance.
Barb and Mattie are coming to pick me up and we are going to get breakfast, I'm in need of real coffee.  Barb and Mattie will take over for the day shift. Hope everyone has a wonderful day. We will post soon.

Love to all,
Kim

Kim's perspective on Tami's day - Sunday, 7/1.

Good morning or good evening all,

It a been a huge turn around day for Tami,as you all saw and read about in Mattie's post. I'm on the nightshift and all is well up to this point.  The nurse came in about an hour ago and gave Tam her pain medication and  a sleeping aid. Tami  is still awake. She is resting quietly . ICU is not a peaceful atmosphere for sure .
Tami had several firsts today: chair bath, sat up in the chair for extended times, walked around the nurse's station, clear liquids, and best of all a nice BM.
As a nurse that makes me happy because constipation can become a huge complication. Especially, after this type of surgery. It's a good sign the body is healing and beginning to to some normalcy . Please continue to keep her in your prayers. Pray that she has a peaceful healing night.
Love Kim
"All praise to God and father,of our Lord Jesus Christ . He is the source of every mercy ,and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles ,so that we can comfort others. When others our troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
                                                                                           2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Sent from my iPad

Tami's first marathon post surgery...

Hey Fatsos, Watch out! (For those of you who don't know, Fatso is the name of the running club that Tami is a member of. It is a term of endearment.. really!)

My mom just ran a marathon! Look at her go! It may not be 26.2 miles. In fact, it wasn't even .2 miles. But look at this woman go!!

One year ago this month, my mom went to the doctor thinking she had a bladder infection. That quickly turned to something a bit bigger, and she was having a minor surgery. But then that turned to something even bigger, and she was having a real deal surgery. And then the news was bigger than we could have ever imagined.

Now, a year later, she's recovering like a rock star! When I asked Caitlyn if she walked further than the others she said, "This is the ICU. Nobody even considers getting out of bed, let alone make it all the way around. So this is a first."

2012 St. George Marathon, here we come!

xoxo Maddie

PS She's eating food now:) Jello, broth, gingerale, and a little bacardi (only joking on the bacardi...)