Dad in hospital, gathering at Mom's house, Theresa's arrival...

Hi everbody, this is just sort of an update, things have been kind of crazy. My sister Theresa's trip here from Ireland (where she lives) was delayed by the volcano, Mom's surgery went well, then Dad suffered an unexpected disaster. I'll throw some pics up in a few blogs to sort of "catch up", then I'll try to get busy posting more photos from our first RV trip to and from Texas. Still poking my head in your "doors" whenever I can to read your blogs, but, I'll try to get back to commenting soon. Thanks for your patience.
- Mary Ann :-)

Lorraine (Dad's wonderful girlfriend who also has cancer)
feeding Dad 2 days before his thigh surgery:


From my Facebook updates (newsfeed):
April 24 at 8:00am
Hanging out with all my siblings tonight :-)

April 24 at 9:09am
Just found out Dad rushed to the hospital. Update later...



Sun at 8:51am
It doesn't look good. Spiral fracture of Dad's right femur, while he was simply sitting on his bed after taking his shoes off...he heard *POP*POP*POP*!, then EXTREME PAIN. His bones are about as strong as a cigarette ash. Doing "embollism" today to keep him from bleeding to death, then surgery tomorrow. We're hoping he... doesn't have to lose his leg (at top of thigh). I HATE CANCER!!!

Mon at 11:19am
Worried about Dad, waiting for word. He is still in the 1st of 2 complicated surgeries. Hoping he won't have to lose his leg (or worse). It started at 8 am and he is still in the 1st surgery. Dad, Mom's sugery, & niece Elizabeth all in a week and a half. Sheesh!

Mon at 12:47pm
Dad now in 2nd surgery, they took him in right after embolisation procedure. Expected to finish sometime after 4pm. Using computer here in waiting room, no signal for cell phones. (UPDATE sent by Theresa.)

Tuesday at 8:17am
WHEW! Dad's surgery went well, they put his leg back together with a rod, pins, etc. (Thank God they didn't have to "take" it.) He will be on heavy pain killers for a couple of days, so we'll see how things go.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Marvels of modern medicine! Dad has already been up sitting in a chair, he's eating and is in good spirits. He doesn't like the Morphine, so switched to Norco. Looks like he may have developed pneumonia though. They're running tests, then maybe antibiotics. Mom is doing much better too, was out shopping with Theresa today already! :-)

Sunday, May 2, 2010
Dad has been moved to what is supposed to be a physical therapy-rehab center for a few weeks, but it seems more like a convalescent home (old folks home) than a rehab center (MEDICARE SUCKS!), and he developed pneumonia (while in the hospital), so we're worried and praying that he can overcome it, and get on with his physical therapy. He can't walk yet, his house is full of stairs, and his bathroom is upstairs (across from bedroom), so he HAS to learn to at least walk with a "walker" first, or else he'll be "stuck" in his bedroom. He really wants to go home NOW.

Theresa had to go back to Ireland on Friday :-( , but she'll try to come back again in October.

More updates to come...

My Mother's surgery...

Photos taken just before surgery...
Mom in the surgery prep area with a great attitude!
L-R: William, Mom, me, Trish, Joe

Mom made it through a rather complicated surgery on Monday. After the surgery, they told us that they wanted to send her home the next day with the catheter! WHAT?! That kind of surgery used to keep people in the hospital for weeks! It's all about the $MONEY$ now, it seems. Even the hospitals are run by huge, evil, greedy corporations...Universities, too (something I learned about when my daughter entered college four years ago).

Anyway, she IS still in the hospital, still unable to stand without becoming VERY sick to her stomach, and still in a great deal of pain and still with a catheter. So, they will keep her until at least Thursday afternoon, maybe even Friday. I will go and stay with her to take care of her for a while. My sister, Theresa is coming from Ireland on Sunday to help for a couple of weeks, and my baby sister, Trish, of course is ALWAYS there helping. My brother, Joe, too. I'm sure that she WILL rest much better in her own bed and that will probably help her to heal faster. Having her home sooner wouldn't be as much of an issue to us, I think, if she hadn't already been rushed to the hospital with a minor heart attack a few weeks ago. All just another part of life that we all must deal with at some point. We (the four of us siblings and our children) have told Mom that her house will be a "party house" while she is recuperating. Her face lit up with a big smile because she knows that that means she will have all of her children and most of her grandchildren around her, hanging out and visiting with her, doting on her, cooking together, watching movies with her, etc. We will of course be very, very quiet much of the time so she can rest and sleep. :-)

Trish in the family waiting area working on the arrangements for her TRIPLETS high school graduation party. (yes, I said triplets! Jessica, Jack and Elizabeth, 17 1/2 years old now, great kids, and very cool people, and I love them very, very much!)

Photos taken just outside of the family waiting area
(early morning)...














"Butthead"...see the face?