Catching up with the Twomey Family

It's been such a long time since I've made a post on the family blog! I'm a big blogger on my personal blog but I'm going to try and come back to family blogging!

This is Joseph, and I'm the middle child in the Twomey family, age sixteen. Daniel is fourteen and Shannon is twenty four! I am the one who runs the blog and updates things. I know from insights that people are still viewing the blog and I apologize for my lack of updates. I believe the ast update I made was after Mom's surgery to get her catheter out!

Currently, Mom is off of chemotherapy and she has been for a while. This is a huge relief and blessing at the same time for her. She has dialysis that was three days a week, but as of last week has started to be only twice a week, which as of now if Tuesday and Saturday. She is going to be moving to dialysis on Monday and Thursday in two weeks so she will have a free Saturday to do family-oriented things. 

Things around the house have been pretty normal but of course very stressful with the school schedule and medical schedule for my mom. School five days a week, hours of homework every day, extra activities, my production and tech work at Grace, and more! Staying busy helps keep my mind off of things for the most part though. 

That's a quick cap off of what's been going on! Nothing major. Just a pretty slow and laid back schedule. I am hopefully going to start blogging via iPhone soon to bring updates more often since I don't carry my laptop around. You can probably expect bi-weekly posts from me now. If you want to get in touch or email me, go for it!
twomey.joseph@gmail.com (Primary)
twomey.joseph@me.com (Apple, secondary)


I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving and everyone is doing well.

Love! 
         Joseph

Surgery 6/27/2012

Mom's surgery was scheduled for today at 11:00 A.M., but there were complications with another patient's surgery before her. Her surgery was delayed for a number of hours and was not until about 4:00. She went into recovery for two hours afterwards. The surgery went well with no problems! Her arm will be sore for a while from where the fistula was put in, but she is taking pain medication for that. She will be coming home tomorrow to have full recovery here at home. Her port will not be usable until it heals completely, in about two months. We appreciate all the prayers for today and for everyone thinking about us! God is so good!

June 2012 & Surgery 6/27

[Post written by Karen]
Summer days are passing us by, sometimes rather quickly, and other times dragging it's feet. We really aren't in a hurry about anything. After all, isn't that what summer is all about? We should speed up the summer reading schedule a bit so the books can be put away. It's not on the boys's list of favorite things to do. 
I have just been keeping up with the schedule of dialysis three days a week and chemotherapy every three weeks. I have tolerated chemo fairly well and I am thankful for that. I missed one chemo session because of an extremely low white blood cell count. I received an injection to boost my white blood cell count which has helped. The only side effect was my bones ached pretty badly for a couple of days. 
I am having surgery in the morning at St. Joseph's Hospital to put the dialysis fistula in my arm. This will be a permanent access for dialysis and takes two to four months to heal before it can be used. I'm not looking forward to it, but the temporary one in my chest is just that, temporary. It is not the most ideal way to do dialysis and can easily become infected. The doctors want it gone and so do I!
We are all still trying to adjust to life differently now. Our days have been filled with constant appointments that have taken the place of other things on the calendar. We are thankful for the days when the calendar has a day or two with nothing on it. God has really blessed us with so many friends that continue to help us with transportation, meals, and lots of support. This has been a great source of help for all of us. Thank you for your prayers for our family and we pray that you are having a wonderful summer with your family. 
We will keep you posted on my surgery tomorrow (both on Facebook and the blog). Thanks again for the prayers! It is my constant reminder of God's love and provision through you. I love you all!


[Message from Joseph]
The blog will begin to be updated more frequently now with news, updates and photos both on our blog and on my Facebook. Thanks again!!

June 7, 2012

Today was another dialysis day. Dialysis for Mom is on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. It takes some of the weight off her from fluid buildup. It makes her feel "better" you could say, but she does feel tired and more worn out afterwards. She also has chemo tomorrow at 1:00. We had a "do nothing day" today where we hung out with friends and sat around. Mom got some new flowers for the backyard which we planted tonight and filled up the pond in our backyard. We wanted to go out for dinner tonight to get out for a while, so we're going to Red Lobster for dinner and then coming back home to do something tonight. Summer can be fun, and it can be boring.
We want to know - What is the best part of summer! Take your vote to the right and let us know. 

June 1-6, 2012

Sorry for our lack of updates and news. Summer 2012 has been a busy one so far!

We have been having a fairly smooth summer so far. Pool, video games, tv, family time, and outdoor time. It's nice to be able to relax now that everything is calming down for us. Dialysis days are still hard for her. She starts out fine, but comes home tired and weak. She cannot drive on dialysis days for safety reasons. She did drive for her first time in about 2 months this past  Monday, June 4th. That was awesome for her! She said she felt confident and like she hadn't missed anything. I'm starting to drive more too now that summer is here. Learning to drive isn't fun, but it will be worth it one day. Mom has chemotherapy on Friday at the cancer center near St. Joseph's. She will lose more hair from her chemo. Her hair is thinning more and more, especially  when washed and dried. She still has her dialysis port in her chest until she gets the fistula put in her arm. We don't really know when that will be, or when she will be able to stop having dialysis. Most of her bruising from the hospital is now gone, which is great. She is definitely more independent. She takes care of herself almost completely, and we help her out with chores and house-hold tasks.

I'm going to try and be updating this more throughout the summer, and I'm going to put some summer pictures up. We still appreciate the prayers very much and this is a part of what keeps up going. We love you all and we do think about you! Until the next update,

Joseph

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17 ESV

This is what happens when Mom gets out of the house:

I LOVE taking pictures. We went out tonight shopping for stuff Daniel needed for his D.C. trip. These with the glasses are from Dollar Tree trying on sunglasses. The others are from Publix.

Are these my style?

Ozzy Osbourne

Confused?

I'm stylish.

I'm an angel...

PINK?!

Uh... Where are I going??

What's this? Haha

The "Joseph is taking a random picture" picture.

New earrings?

HEY! Everyone look at me!!

What are we even looking for?

Dad: "Daniel, if you can't get a date, you can always get DATES in a can! HAHA!"
Daniel: "Really?..."

Wait! Let me get some flowers!

Post by Karen

Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. 
Ephesians 6:10


Thank you to each and everyone of our friends, family, neighbors, relatives, and to the many people that have heard about me and taken the time to pray for us, encourage us, laugh, cry, and pray even more with us. 
The love and encouragement has been overwhelming and at times, I feel like the most blessed person on the earth. I have learned first-hand the power of prayer and God's hand on my life. I am forever thankful to know that God is my Savior and the one who has all the days of my life in his hands. 


Lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares, and... run with endurance the race that is set before you. 
Hebrews 12:1


Runners never look back over the course they have covered. They keep moving towards their goal. Their eyes are on the finish line. 
I love this prayer from a prayer journal that my sister Linda gave me for my 50th birthday just four days before I was admitted to St. Joseph's Hospital. 


"God, help me accept where I am now and see the blessings and opportunities that are right here. I trust in you right here. I trust in you for my life. May I embrace what you're doing in my life so I can share with others the wonders of your great purposes. Amen."


Little did I know in the days leading up to the hospital what all of this would mean to me, but now as I read the words of my son journaling all the details and hearing his heart for his momma, I do know. His writings and blog with many pictures (Some approved, some maybe not!) have helped me make some sense out of where and when this all unfolded. Thank you Joseph for sharing your heart with all of us! I love you! 
We continue to trust God daily. Some days are good, some days are really hard, but I am so thankful for every one of the days I have. I love you ALL!


Love,
Karen Twomey

Crying

Crying (also called sobbing, weeping, wailing, whimpering, bawling, and blubbering) is shedding tears as a response to an emotional state in humans. The act of crying has been defined as "a complex secretomotor phenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears from the lacrimal apparatus, without any irritation of the ocular structures". A related medical term is lacrimation, which also refers to non-emotional shedding of tears. 
(Soure: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying)


I hate to see it. I hate to do it. 
CRYING.


It kills me when I was in the hospital and I saw tears running down Mom's face. That should NOT have to happen. She cried because she was scared for her and for us, and I cried for her wondering what was going to happen.
God is with us at all times, even if we don't think so.
I've told her to stay strong and keep fighting. I love that lady so much. She has been like my other half since I was little. She knows what I like and don't like, and she has everlasting love for me. 
She was just crying in her chair and I was on Facebook, and my dad gets up and says, "What's wrong babe?" and I sat here listening. She thinks her sickness will never end, but she doesn't know so many people are praying for her and so many people care for her.
If you think about it, please write a message on the prayer wall. 
Love you all, 
Joseph and the Twomey Family

May 29, 2012

We've come a long way since the beginning! I am so excited to see so much progress being made daily. Dialysis was today and that went well, but after dialysis you tend to be more tired and cranky. (Sorry Mom!) She is resting right now and is going to take it easy for the rest of the day. Things at the Twomey Home have been going well, and life is a blessing for sure.
From now on, every time I put a new post up, I am going to change the background. It keeps things interesting and reminds us of how beautiful our surrounding are. 
Click the FACEBOOK tab! Now you can subscribe to my Facebook updates if we are now Facebook friends, simple by clicking subscribe.
Please, if you want to get in touch with us or talk to us, contact us! I check emails probably about 15 times a day on the go. If you text me I will text back unless my phone is dead or I'm busy. 
Thanks for all the love and support you continue to send! It is really not even fair to try and describe how much it means to us. 
Follow our blog with Google to the right! Answer those trivia questions! Just because someone has answered, doesn't mean it is right!


Keep your heads up! God loves you!
A shortened bible verse:


John 10:10
Live FULLY.

Sorry About My Lack of Updating

Hey everyone! 
I'm really sorry I haven't been updating this in the past few days! Summer is here for me and I've been really, really busy so far. I hope everyone is having a good time so far!
Quick update for now: 
Grandma Sawvelle is doing better and is now HOME from St. Vincent's Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. She is staying with my Aunt Linda and Uncle Ray. She will start recovery there and do some at home therapy. 
Mom has started sleeping upstairs in her bed instead of downstairs in the hospital bed. She has been a lot more independent now than in the past. She is starting to put the living room back together (red room for those of you who know) and is going to have the hospital bed picked back up. Her dialysis is going better and there haven't been any problems so far with that. She is going to try and get her appointment to get the permanent catheter put in her arm so she can get the one near her shoulder taken out and to get the stitches taken out. She is still losing her hair, but that doesn't bother her very much. She has other things to think about. 
We are so thankful that she is doing better and that Grandma is doing better.
"With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 
-Matthew 19:26

Let's clear up some confusion

If you are viewing our blog on an iPhone or other mobile device, I have disabled the mobile site. The mobile website does have bugs in it with sign in issues and viewing issues. The full version of the blog is now live and active on desktop and mobile. 


Tabs are up and running! Please leave us a comment or message on the guest book or prayer wall. TO DO THIS: You have to sign in to an account. Here is what is accepted: Google (Gmail), AIM (AOL.com), WordPress (other blog site), LiveJournal, TypePad, and OpenID.  I am sorry to say, you must sign in to post comments so I know who is posting and for security reasons. There is no anonymous option (unfortunately). Most people use Google accounts. That is what I use for the blog. If you don't have a Google account, I STRONGLY recommend you getting one. It is quick, easy, and free. I will look into fixing this during the summer.


https://accounts.google.com/NewAccount (This site is secure, hence the httpS://)

I have people saying, "I cannot post comments!" You must sign in to post. You can comment on a post I put up by clicking the pencil icon, or just type in the comment box on the guest book or prayer wall. Don't be shy! I do check my emails (both) listed below. I check my Gmail first, and my Apple email secondly. I understand not everyone is computer savvy. 


I will put an update for yesterday and today up later. I have finals this week and have been busy! I only have 2 and 1/2 more hours as a freshman in high school! This is very exciting for me and Mom. I am really going to miss my friends and teachers. Have a safe summer and a fun summer, and check our blog daily! I will start blogging from the iOS app this summer to keep you guys updated even more. 

Our Blog

The blog is now completely functional and usable. All the tabs are open now. There are a few adjustments still being made. Let me know of any issues. 
twomey.joseph@gmail.com
twomey.joseph@me.com

May 20, 2012

Today is a great day.
Grandma Sawvelle was said to have E. coli and a temperature of 102 yesterday in CCU and today is doing better with a 98.5 temperature, better blood work, and has been napping. They are working to treat the E. coli. They are not sure where she picked it up, since you can pick it up from touching a door knob or eating raw meat/vegetables. Please continue praying for a full recovery! She may be moved from CCU into a regular room today depending on how well she is doing. 
Mom has not had any major complications lately. She is going to Vinings in Atlanta today with my dad to visit Shannon in her new apartment and for dad to look at a car issue she is having. You know it's a good day when she feels up to going somewhere other than dialysis. 
We have close to 800 blog views so far, so keep it up! Please tell your friends who do or who don't have a Facebook as well.

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.” 
-Robert Frost

I have this bitter-sweet feeling a lot of times.

Mom has been doing really well since she came home from the hospital for the third time. She is becoming more independent and even climbed the stairs this morning to get ready and come say hi to me. She is losing more hair every day, and she is probably going to get a wig to go with her hat assortment. I never thought it would come to this. My friend Matt's mom had breast cancer and he was telling us that it probably felt like this for him when his mom went through chemo and did the hat shopping and stuff. I am very happy she is walking around, can clean herself up, and even walk up some stairs now. She had her vein mapping on Friday, May 18, and had more chemotherapy. Today she is on her way to Lawrenceville for more dialysis. She did take off three pounds of the five of fluid when she went back for dialysis. Dialysis make her feel better and makes some of her swelling go down as well. If you didn't previously know, Mom has been having kidney and lung issues, which could have ended up being really bad if we would not have found out. She was diagnosed with Wegener's Disease (also if you did not know). On top of her being sick, we are trying to keep her stress level down and her blood pressure level down so she does not get sick. 
Here is why I feel bitter-sweet a lot of times:
She has been saying that she has been trying to call her mom for a number of days later at night and she has not been answering her phone. Not to any of our knowledge but my dad's, her mother and our grandmother has been admitted to the hospital with some bad kidney issues. She is currently in CCU in the heart unit. She has been very sick lately, and was taken by ambulance. A  little over two years ago she was in CCU and did almost die. She was on the ventilator for THREE WEEKS and all the doctors said she wouldn't make it. With tons of people and churches praying for so long, she started recovering and got off the ventilator, and went into rehab. (Doesn't this all sound familiar?) Her ureters [For the non-medical people, those are the tubes that connect your kidney to your urinary bladder] were blocked and there is bleeding and bad infection built up, so they put a stint in (they also did this two years ago to her heart) to try and keep it unblocked. 
I just found this so ironic that she was having the same issues as mom with kidneys, with such proximity of time. Of course, my mom had a meltdown last night. Honestly, that's all she needs right now. I tried telling her this morning everything would be fine and she teared up, and said "Pray." I still pray for Mom, but now we need to be praying for Grandma Marion Sawvelle as well. I will put more news up as I find things out. 
In times of bitterness and sorrow, try and remain optimistic and sweet. Life is short, so enjoy it.
Joseph

May 17, 2012: Near 2 AM

This morning, I texted my mom saying "Love you!" and I heard her phone go off. I thought she forgot to take it to the hospital, until I got a text back saying "I am home!" Of course I ran downstairs, to find her laying in her hospital bed. She got home close to 2 AM from the hospital. God is so good! I am also so thankful that she was able to be released after she was checked out in the ER.

May 16, 2012: 3rd visit to hospital

Mom is on her way back to St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta tonight to be re-admitted for her third time. She has had really, really intense swelling in her thighs, legs, and feet. She gained 5 pounds just TODAY, which is pretty bad. She has attempted to make it go down, but her doctor said on the phone to go back to the hospital. Although I am so heartbroken (again), I honestly don't know what to say at this point except for "Why?". She will be in the hospital for a while to try and get things under control and to have hospital dialysis for a few days, and starting her chemo again on Friday. I am so sad and disappointed. Prayers are appreciated!

May 15, 2012

With the school year quickly ending and six days remaining, the countdown has become quite exciting for me and for Mom. Today when I came down for breakfast she said she was having some bad swelling and asked if she could just stay laying down, and I said yes. Not even five minutes later, here she comes shuffling into the kitchen. She helped me make breakfast and get ready for school. While I was at school she had dialysis in Lawrenceville at the dialysis center. Mrs. Lori spent the day with her and Daniel, and was the one who offered to do that and take Mom up to dialysis. Her dialysis went fine, but there was a man next to her she said that started having complications, which received a lot of attention from everyone else. I am very thankful it was not her with complications. She took Daniel out for a while and got a speaker and sub woofer for the iHome in the basement. We tried out a dubstep song with it and Mom goes, "Yes, I feel it up here." She didn't seem overly impresses, but I think she thought we were just being loud. She made dinner that both her and the rest of us could eat instead of one dinner for her and a separate one for us. She and Dad went to the store and are on their way home. I fell asleep on the couch (the high school life!) and just woke up a few minutes ago, so now is the time to get some homework done so I have a little more time to spend with her tonight. Also, she is on a good size amount of medications which do keep everything working. Please continue to pray for healing and progress like this every day where she wants to do things and is motivated. 
Joseph 

May 14, 2012

Well, today was a lot of fun actually. I got up and ran down the hall looking behind me in the dark making sure nobody was chasing me since I saw a horror movie on Saturday with Conor, Matt, and Daniel. That was an experience. I came downstairs quietly and went into Mom's "hospital" room in the front of the house to find her asleep, which is unusual. She is usually awake and perky when I get up since she is on high doses of steroids. I went into the kitchen and started to make some bacon for breakfast and Bandit clicks into the kitchen, followed by Mom. I didn't think I was being loud, but she must have heard me. I hate getting up, and so does every high schooler, but I look forward to it since I can see Mom before school, not after school in a hospital room. I went off to school and had AP with Ms. Blankenship for 3 hours and then the Biology EOCT. I came home to find mom CLEANING, which is a big no for her. She was out by the pond in the sun and then came in and started cleaning. She felt a little dizzy and overheated so she took two Tylenol and sat down to elevate her feet, to try and stop some of the swelling (also from the steroids). We put some dinner together and had dinner, which she couldn't wait any longer for. As a joke over the years, my brother Daniel and I have always told her she has a 'man appetite' to be funny, but now she literally does since those steroids have so much effect on her. She didn't feel too sick today, but tried to take it easy for the most part. She climbed the stairs outside to get from the deck to the patio, which shows she is trying to be more and more independent. She has dialysis again tomorrow, and her friend Lori Martin has volunteered to come stay the day with her and take her to her appointments for the day, since my dad returned to work today. Words can't even describe how much I love this lady. She has a heart for people and she loves God. When Mom was in ICU, she saw a lady walk down the hall crying and said, "Be right back." She went to the vending machines, bought her a bottle of water, and sat and talked to this lady and introduced herself telling her everything was going to be okay. The LOVE this amazing friend (I consider her family) shows for us is so amazing. Mrs. Lori's daughter Susanna had a daughter with leukemia names Piper, who recently passes away. Mrs. Lori spent countless hours in ICU and hospitals with her daughter, Piper, and other family. She has devoted her life to helping others and putting others first. The world needs more people like her. Seriously. She has spent countless hours in the hospital with my mom while I have been in school or at home studying. Her other friend Dawn Roberson came over today to spend time with her and talk, and volunteered to take her Thursday to dialysis. We continue to have amazing support of neighbors, friends, etc. for assistance and for helping us out with dinner a few nights a week. 
From the Twomey's: "We love you all, and thank you all so much for everything you have done for us. It truly means more than you could ever imagine, and the level of support we receive is so outstanding."
So, we love you all so much, and seriously appreciate everything SO much. 
After dinner, my Mom wanted to get some things from Dollar Tree, so I said, "Can I drive?" Since she is not able to drive, she said, "We'll see later." For her, 'we'll see' can mean yes or no. To my surprise, she said yes and I did get to drive from our house up there and back. There are some drivers in this world I have already noticed that are absolute idiots. I was merging into the left hand turn lane, and some idiot races up besides me to the the left and almost smashes the left side of the car. My parents just try and keep me calm since I'm freaking out, but you know how that goes. Mom likes trying her luck in the lottery since she got a few tickets for her birthday, and got a few tonight with what she won. She said we should trust God in everything we need to support us and what we need, and then kiddingly said, "Let's go cash them in!" She NEVER lost her sense of humor. 
So, from the early morning to late evening, she continues to smile, widely. We were talking earlier, and most people don't know that while in ICU, if she would have gotten any worse, she could have died. It is by God's grace and by extreme prayer that she made it out alive, and okay. At the Twomey household, we have many great times, just like today. We love our amazing friends and supporters, just like Mrs. Lori and my English teacher Mrs. Heather Parkerson who never fail to see how Mom is doing and how everything is going, even when these people have other things to do or are busy. I love you all so much, and you have been such a good influence and strong supporter to me through these times. 
Hopefully tomorrow will have more facts than story, and maybe some pictures. 
But, until tomorrow, remember to stay optimistic! 
Joseph

Before Mother's Day Dinner at Bonefish Grill

Dinner was great! We all went out to Bonefish Grill at The Avenue Webb Gin, and looked for something Mom could eat. She had shrimp and scallops with steamed artichokes. She said she actually enjoyed it. Here are a few pictures from before we went and for Mother's Day Dinner:

A few notes about our blog so far:

Thanks for visiting The Twomey Times! 


This blog has been completely updated as of 5/13/2012. The Guest Book, Prayer Wall, and Message links are still under construction. There are posts and photos on here that have NOT been released on Facebook. Please tell your church, family, friends, etc. about this blog! Pass it around! We really appreciate it and it helps keep people informed in detail. 
There is something called a "blog archive" to the right of the blog that lets you navigate the blog home page without scrolling up and down for long periods of time. 
There will be updates (mainly) daily. There may be a few a day, including photos. Please follow us on the right hand side of the blog! 
Any post or photo on this blog can be shared on Gmail, Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. Also, you can write a response or comment to the post by clicking the pencil icon. 
Please check back daily and read up on what's going on. I can view insights on the blog, and there have already been almost 200 blog views! Thanks everyone!
Also, the other tabs will be up and running soon!

May 13, 2012

Mother's Day 2012 - How sweet it is to celebrate together, at home, as a family.


What a day so far! It is about 2:30 P.M. on Mother's Day, and we are all so thrilled that we are celebrating it in the comfort of our own home, rather than at St. Joseph's Hospital where we are around nurses and doctors and other patients today. We had a very nice breakfast this morning for her with flowers as the centerpiece and her two cards surrounding it. Smiles traveled around the table, just being so happy. We are going to go out to dinner tonight at Bonefish Grill at The Avenue. This will be nice to go out for the first time in over a month as a family! She also talked about getting a pedicure with Shannon a little later. I am enjoying life day by day, and so is she. She said this morning, "Joseph, I am just so thankful for every breath I take." and I smiled and said, "Yes, so am I." Then she asked to see the pictures I took from when she was in ICU, so she looked, in shock. She said she prayed she would keep breathing and there would be no complications. Thank God for no major errors while in ICU! 
Today has been so amazing so far, and I hope it goes well for all of you. Happy Mother's Day 2012 to all of you mothers out there!

Before and After

This first photo is from Mom's 50th birthday on April 7, 2012 and the second one is from Friday, May 11, 2012 when she got her hair cut since she will lose it all.

May 12, 2012

Mom was feeling really good today and had a great day. I love the amount of progress she makes every day as well! She walks around the house, can do a lot for herself, and has even started to walk up the stairs! It's things like this that keep me so optimistic. 

Our dog Bandit loves to bond!

This is how affectionate our dog Bandit is:

Friday, May 11, 2012

Momma got her hair cut since she is going to lose it all from chemo. She is still beautiful! Thanks to her hair dresser Heather Barnes for coming to our house in her time to cut her hair for free!

Mom and Heather - Photo op!

The final product!

May 10, 2012 Inspirational Quote

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” 
-C.S. Lewis

Photo for May 7, 2012

Here is Mom getting her nails painted by Shannon:

May 7, 2012

Mom is home from the hospital - Hopefully for good! God is so good!

May 6, 2012

Making progress towards coming home!

Morning of May 5, 2012

Mom's surgery went well this morning! 

Humor for May 4, 2012

The automatic doors at hospitals never open fast enough.

May 3, 2012

Mom had a better day today and had chemo dialysis again. She was very tired so we did not make it up to the hospital today. Hopefully she can come home tomorrow!
(She did not come home the next day due to complications.)

May 2, 2012

Mom is going to be in the hospital for a few more days. She called me and sounds better. She had 2 liters worth of fluid removed from her lungs today! This is great because it makes her feel better and she can breathe. Please keep her in your prayers!

May 5, 2012 - Evening

Tonight's update on Mom, 5/1/2012:

This morning dad took mom to Atlanta for her dialysis training as usual which is across the street from St. Joseph's. While she was there, she couldn't breathe and that is because of fluid build up in her lungs. Luckily, she was not on her way home in rush hour traffic or at home an hour away from the hospital, because who knows what could have happened. She was taken across the street to St. Joseph's again, to the ER. They did a lung x-ray rich did show fluid in her lungs. She has been on a sodium free and very low sugar "diet" which has helped keep her healthy since she has not been on dialysis. Since she has not been on dialysis, her blood has not been filtered and it makes her body swell from all the extra fluid, and the fluid makes its way to her lungs. It was good that she was so close to the hospital today; I believe this was God's grace. I just talked to her on the phone at about 8:30 and she was out of breath. She is back where she started: Floor 4 of St. Joseph's. She is having a procedure done tomorrow to remove the fluid that is there since she isn't on dialysis. She is going to be staying the night. Let's hope all goes well tomorrow and that she can come home tomorrow without complications, and that she can get started on home dialysis soon to prevent more problems. God's hand is on her, and she is always in good hands.
Joseph

May 1, 2012: Downturn

Mom has been doing well and was in Atlanta today near St. Joseph's for her dialysis training appointment and she started to have some breathing issues, and has been taken to the emergency room to do some tests and chest X-rays. I don't know anything else yet but please keep her in your prayers.

April 30, 2012: The blog is starting

I am going to be starting a blog with everything from Mom's first day in the hospital to now with all my entries and new ones to come - and a guest book for everyone who wants to sign it or leave notes for her. There will also be a prayer wall for anyone who wants to post a prayer.

McDonald's Trip to Northside across the street

Everyone knows I love taking pictures. Here is Daniel and I walking through the glass tunnel from St. Joseph's to Northside for a McDonald's run.

April 29, 2012

Mom had a really great day today. A nurse came to check on her and change her bandages from her surgery this afternoon. She has been walking around the house - and even outside! She isn't lightning fast, but she can keep a pretty good pace for just getting out on Friday. She had a hamburger and vegetables tonight, without seasoning, since she cannot have sodium. She said it was still very good and she was glad to be able to have it. She took a nap this afternoon to catch up on sleep, and of course Bandit was by her side the entire time. She hasn't stopped smiling since Friday night. We both know very well now to NEVER take things for granted. Your mom washing your clothes and cooking you dinner is not something to be taken for granted. People need to realize that they need to be thankful for what their mom does do for them, and that she isn't your maid. Never again will I take the simplest things in life for granted, like waking up for school or packing my lunch. Nothing can break the bond between my mom and I. She continues to make great progress every day. Thank you for all of your prayers.

April 28, 2012

For Mom's first day home, she was so excited not to be in a hospital room! She was very excited to see Bandit (remember the white board message) and to be with us again. 

Night of April 27, 2012 - WELCOME HOME!

After 2 weeks of being in the hospital, tons of treatment, medication, love, prayer, hope, and tears, WELCOME HOME Mom! We love you so much!

Welcome Home Committee - All the people who love Mom from the neighborhood came to welcome her home!

April 27, 2012

After 2 weeks of being in the hospital, tons of treatment, medication, love, prayer, hope, and tears, WELCOME HOME Mom! We love you so much!

Night of April 26, 2012

Mom is doing so much better, and she is coming HOME tomorrow, April 27!

April 26, 2012

Guess who was walking around her room when we got to the hospital?!

This made my day 100 times better. She can walk!

April 25, 2012

Mom's procedure went well today! She sounds better and better every day. She is such a miracle!

April 24, 2012

Please pray for Mom. She is having her dialysis ports inserted into her stomach tomorrow at 3, which is a surgical procedure. Let's hope everything runs smoothly!

Short one for April 23, 2012

Mom was moved from Floor 2 ICU to Floor 7 Lungs today. What a great improvement!

April 22, 2012

Mom has really been making some great progress. She is off the ventilator, breathing really well, is alert, she can talk very well to people, she is allowed to eat regular food now, drink liquids, had her feeding tube removed, and is moving out of the ICU unit into a regular unit tomorrow. Praise God!

Evening of April 21, 2012

I can't wait to see Mom tomorrow! She is sounding better! She had dialysis again today and wasn't feeling well and wasn't up to having visitors.

April 20 & 21, 2012

Mom was still in ICU on these days making progress, having her medications, and having dialysis.

Atlanta - On the way home

Off the ventilator pictures!

Mom was taken off the ventilator on April 19, 2012. She is still currently in ICU.

She is starting to try and talk again, even though she was very hoarse.

Enjoying company from her family.

This device measures how much she is able to breathe while not on the ventilator.

Practicing breathing.

Mom hasn't had her hair brushed, washed, or cleaned in days. She decides now is a good time to fix it.

This one was random... Haha

"Joseph, STOP taking pictures of me!"

Shannon is removing some old nail polish. 

Shannon's friend Ben came to visit Mom. Oh, look at that great food! Not.