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.

MRI Today Shows Good Progress

John had the third MRI on his brain today and the results were encouraging. Of the 5 tumors he started out with, only 3 remain! And those have continued to reduce in size since the beginning of this saga, Feb. 15. We were so happy to see these results...as you might imagine! He will continue on the cancer inhibitor drug, Nexavar, until early October, when a new CAT scan will let us know if the cancer remains contained in the kidney or has spread elsewhere. Until then, we plan to enjoy our summer days as much as possible and remain so appreciative of everyone's interest, support and prayers. Hopefully, this will be the last blog update for a while. And that is great news for everyone!!!

Wedding a Total Success!

Our son, Will, and his lovely bride, Lauren, were married yesterday in a beautiful ceremony - all went according to plan! John has been having a wonderful trip, filled with lots of activities and people. He even danced at the reception - something that would have been the stuff of dreams only a few short weeks ago. We now have planned some "down time" for us and will be here on Lanai for four days of napping, reading and relaxation while the happy couple wings their way to a honeymoon in Fiji.

Hawaii is beautiful!

We have so enjoyed seeing family and friends, old and new, as we vacation for a bit in Hawaii prior to Will's wedding on July 16. John's hold up very well, pacing himself with naps and snacks, and looking forward to his role as host of the rehearsal dinner on Thursday night. But his favorite occupation of all, which can take place anywhere on the planet, is to play with our grandson, Soren!

Will's wedding is fast approaching!

John's mom and sister drove down from Atlanta for a few day's visit, which was wonderful. We got to dine "out" for a breakfast and a dinner, which we figure is good practice for the "real world" of Hawaii. Having family around, talking about everything under the sun, is the best medicine of all. We were fortunate to have a lasagna meal from the Dobbins which fed us all, and last night enjoyed a yummy meal delivered by Leah Martorana from Fowler White. We really feel like we are in the final count down to departure as suitcases are coming out, notes are being written for the housesitter, and the fridge is being cleared of all our lovely leftovers. It is a miracle to be at this point, being able to say, we are going to our son's wedding! Prayers do get answered.