Thanksgiving was a time for THANKS

Our family gathered around a bountiful table on Thanksgiving Day - just a quiet group of us - ever so thankful for the blessings we have. Will and Lauren gladly escaped the frostiness of Chicago for a few days in our Tampa warmth, and Dee's son, Sam, was home from Stanford. We enjoyed quiet visits, tv football and reading while they were home.

John had a rather non-eventful doctor's visit today and the outcome was that he will continue the treatment regime he has switched to for the immediate future. There will be further brain MRI and body CAT scans in the new year, but for now, we are hoping for smooth sailing through the holidays. The whole clan will be in Tampa, so our home will be filled with loving energy on a daily basis! We so look forward to gathering them all in.

Our Annual Christmas Card mailing has been curtailed for this year. So, for all of you, please know we wish you happiness and health for 2011 and a wonderfully blessed holiday season.

A Brief Stay at Moffitt

Things certainly never get dull around here. We noticed some swelling in John's right ankle over the weekend. Our doctor requested John's presence in the Moffitt Direct Referral Center (sort of a triage emergency room) on Monday and ultrasounds showed a blood clot in his leg. Because of his history of brain tumors, he is not allowed to take a blood thinner, so inserting a filter to catch any breakaway clots was the required course of action. They kept him overnight Monday and we waited all day Tuesday for the 20 minute procedure to be completed - with no complications. My devoted sis, Dee, took the day off to be with us which was a huge help. We returned home Tuesday night at 8:30, tired as always from hospital time, but so glad to know the filter is in place. Hopefully John will return to his physical therapy efforts on Friday and we will enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with Will, Lauren, Dee and her son, Sam - home for the holidays from Stanford.

Cortisone shots today

Conditions remain much the same here since I last wrote, Oct. 17. Radiation treatments have concluded and we continue to hope that they will help with John's hip pain. Likewise, the x-ray guided injections today of cortisone have a likelihood of reducing inflammation and thus, relieving pain. John will soon start on another kidney cancer drug, Afinitor, as results from the Nexavar he has been taking have not all been as we'd hoped. Upon much urging from friends and family, we are getting some home assistance three afternoons a week, which serves as a huge help for me. We look forward to a visit next week from John's sister, Margaret and his mom - both of whom will drive down from Atlanta.

John home and enjoying family visits

John is home from rehab and working hard on regaining his strength. Our son, Will, visited last weekend and his stories of his new hometown of Chicago and of life with his beautiful new bride were energizing. Our daughter, Anna and grandson, Soren, arrived on October 14. We delayed my birthday celebration so that Soren could help with blowing out my birthday candles! Soren and Anna baked a delicious coconut cake and our special seafood dinner was provided by Jeanne Doney. Having an 18 month old around is really energizing!
John is going to physical therapy three times a week at TGH and is also having daily radiation treatments for cancer in his hips. We have more family arriving later this week, which is such a blessing.
Our plan, if all goes well, is to have a family Thanksgiving Dinner at the Yacht Club.
We want to express our deepest thanks to everyone who continues to support us. The twice-weekly meals on Food Tidings help us out more than you could ever imagine. Such a simple thing, and yet, so --- so very helpful. Keep those positive thoughts and prayers coming!

Release from rehab

John's been doing very well, over-achieving as usual, and has beaten his projected release date from TGH rehab by a week! Everyone agrees he will regain strength and improve more quickly at home. Our son, Will, is heading home for the weekend, which will make John's homecoming even better. John's latest CAT scan shows a small bit of new activity with his cancer, so the medical team plans on changing his medication as soon as radiation treatment on his hip is completed. It remains an ongoing challenge to get "far enough away" from tough treatments to enable him to regain strength and some semblance of normalcy, but we continue to try!

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