Rehab Begins

Even though John's hip surgery went well on Sep. 15, the remnants of pain and weakness continue to plague him. He spent a few days this week in the hospital at Moffitt getting thoroughly checked out. The good news is that most of his symptoms are being caused by strong medications, exhaustion and dehydration - NOT a return of cancer activity in his brain. He's graduated from hospital care to rehab at Tampa General, where they will do a full evaluation on Monday and begin his rehab workouts. He may be there for a couple of weeks, in Room 410 - he has a great view of the water and downtown Tampa - so we are trying to consider this time as sort of a medical "spa."

Surgery Complete

John was in the hospital most of last week. His hip surgery was completed on Wednesday, the 15th, with the surgeon expressing "cautious optimism". Arriving home Friday evening, we realized the huge obstacle ahead of us now is physical rehab. The hip pain is diminished, but the cumulative effect of all he's been through will require physical therapy to rebuild his strength. With mobility significantly diminished for a while, we aren't out and about much now, so Food Tidings is open for business again. Thank you to all who have continued to ask if you can help in this way, and please don't overdo, we know you're busy! Just picking up something simple, small, and ready to go while you are already shopping is what we have in mind, as running errands is difficult right now.
Best to everyone,
Ellen

Autumn approaches

And with it, changes in John's health picture. We did "make hay while the sun shone" and had a marvelous summer, complete with precious memories and lots of time together as a family. As the summer weeks went by, however, John's right hip began to pain him and an MRI showed that cancer in his hip was causing the discomfort. He's now scheduled for a surgical procedure in mid-September which should alleviate the pain and get him back on his feet again. New bone scans and CAT scans are also right around the corner - totally unpredictable what will be found. We are taking these hazy days of September easy, staying close to home while we await his turn in the operating room.