One year later

Believe it or not folks it's been a year! One year since the surgery.

You remember the one, where we waited in angst for nearly 12 - 13 hours before finally seeing her and knowing that she was really ok.

The one where Rod, Leah, Edith, Drexel, Terry and Jeannea sat and waited and jumped every time the phone rang.

The one where when Dr. Sinson said, "I'm really pleased with how things went," brought tears of relief and joy to all of us.

The one where we were never 100% sure that sight would or could be restored or even kept.

Yeah that's the one.

One year later and....you would never know that she even had the surgery....except that she's a little more forgetful than she used to be. That's okay! We will take that, and harass her on a regular basis about it.

Here She is, with her newly added oldest grandaughter.

So.....surgery again??

Ok, well, not nearly like you might think. This is an out patient procedure to have her eyelids done. She joked the entire time before her "other surgery" that while they were in there, they need to lift her eyelids too. So in a week, Momma will have her eyelids lifted. I might just have pictures up of that too!

CT Results

Mom had her CAT Scan on Friday. All results are really good. I guess I don't really have anything special to report. :) There's no sign of a tumor and it's great. The past year has been quite a topsy turvy one for our family and let me tell you this, it's been very nice to be able to relax for once and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the holidays. We had a sad Christmas last year but this year proves to be wonderful, as long as the weather holds and Janell and Richard make it. They have only missed once for Aunt Janell's surgery. She's finishing up her shopping today. :)

Anyway, as we all gather as families across the country and around the world, know how thankful that we, the Guffey Family, are blessed with such wonderful friends and extended family members who may never be blood but are just as good as blood. It's truly been why we have been so lucky and have felt your love wrapped around us. Have a wonderful Christmas and a Blessed New Year. The only main event we have next year thus far is my wedding in July. Yay!

Check up

Mom went to Dr. Su in Springfield yesterday and he's pleased with everything. He even spoke to Dr. Harris at a Convention in Atlanta and I'm sure my mom's tumor was discussed. She goes in for a CT Scan on Friday. Stay tuned.

Drexel's teacher had reconstructive surgery today at the end of her breast cancer battle so keep her in your prayers while she recovers.

hee hee hee

Due to what we do in the summer months I think this is appropriate background for the Thanksgiving holiday.  :)  Our year of hell began one year ago Friday, we've put it all behind us or at least we're starting too.  

Happy Birthday Grandma Betty!  We miss you....a lot.

Thanks from mom

I don’t have enough words to express my gratitude to each of you for your prayers, support, and encouragement you have given my family and me before, during and after my surgery.  I have been truly blessed by all of you. There is such power in prayer and I felt every word of it, especially right before my surgery.  I knew God was there because of you.
My recovery is going very well.  I have been released from my Milwaukee doctors to a doctor here in Springfield.  My tumor is totally gone, my eyesight is totally restored, and miracles happen every day.  Praise God! Again, thank you!  I could not have made it through this without all of you! 


God Bless,

Lois and Family

No More Milwaukee....

....Except to visit our friends and family of course. Mom text me a little while ago. She said she has been released from the Nuerosurgeon Dr. Sinson and can follow up here in a month in Springfield with Dr. Su. YAY! We're happy to know that now close to 6 weeks post op she is doing great. We even let her drive from time to time. :) She's very excited. Now if the dang scab would come off and the hair grow back you'd never know a thing was done to her!!

I also want to say thank you thank you thank you!!! I can't say it enough. We've been overwhelmed with happiness and joy from our friends and family for your outpouring of support. We are about to enter the one year mark from when we lost Grandma and that's going to be hard, but Tom will be home (cross your fingers) for Christmas and hopefully our family has seen the last of this year. The past year hasn't been an easy one and we're coming up for air finally. We hope to be able to breathe deeply and enjoy the holidays with happy hearts instead of those filled with sorrow and unrest. We are a happy bunch and we hope to keep it that way! We could not have done it without all of you.

I'm going to keep the blog up for mom and this way she can post her own things if she would like to. I've got to learn her how to do it, but I think that old dog can learn a new trick now that her head is back in operation...and not on the operation table!

On her own

Well, this is a big test week.  Mom is all alone.  Aunt Janell, Grammy and I have been taking our turns taking care of Sis.  She's not resisted much. She's been very thankful.  On top of that there are visits and meals we've enjoyed from a lot of people and well, if I were to mention you all by name I'd be in trouble.  I will say the Cantrall Intermediate Teachers, Charlotte, Gina, Teri, Randy and Teri and well, many more that I've missed I'm sure.  Last week while I was in between jobs I kept mom with me most ever day.  WE found my living room, Drexel's room, the kitchen sink and even got the carpet cleaner out.  I'm doing pretty good at keeping it up...not great but I'm working on it.  Anyway, I had to keep her from mowing the yard and overdoing it.  We're only 4 weeks post op!  Can you believe it? 

I'm not going to lie, we've been through a lot the last few months, but never would we have made it without our friends.  We are very grateful for your love and support.  Mom feels like now it's better for people to see her.  So we're getting her out and about a little more.  She's been to lunch in town at Blu Cat, which I highly recommend if you're in Williamsville sometime, she went to church on Sunday and made it to Drexel's football game.  It's been busy.  However, we're happy to see you and we're happy to get out and about.  But this week she's on her own and I think she might even drive on Wednesday.  Stay tuned. 

Long Weekend

Well, she survived.  No thanks to the warden of course.  Yes, I Leah, was the Warden.  While we were in Marshall I was very particular about how long she could be up and moving around and such.  It was pretty easy to do and I can tell by looking at her when she's done too much.  Her right side begins getting very lazy and sagging.  The week was pretty busy.  She started off on Thursday in Milwaukee, Friday to Marshall, then Sunday to Red Oak Iowa.  That's about a cross country trip in one weekend.  She enjoyed seeing a lot of family and friends and didn't seem to over do it too much but she's certainly feeling it now.  

I'm off this week, so my plan was to have her at my house during the day until Drexel got off the bus, because now he gets off at her house.  I would hate to confuse the school anymore.  I'm not mad anymore, but I am trying to keep it simple.  Plus if she's here I can get stuff here done way better than I can at her house.   So, I'm trying to do both.  I'm here if she wants to go somewhere.  Tomorrow we're going to the elevator for free food from Farm Credit Services.  I love my friends.  They'll probably put me to work though.  Oh well, it's all for my farmer friends and will give mom a chance to see some people in town. 

Anyway - keep those comments coming she loves hearing from you and I think we have her strapped down for now. Keeping her home for a while at least.  Visitors are welcome. 

Check up from the Neck up!

Mom went to Milwaukee today and had her first round of visits with the doctors since she left them about two weeks ago.  They are very happy.  Her eyesight is coming along and Dr. Harris told her to just keep doing her exercises.  Dr. Sinson said she could drive next week and Dr. Harris said only if it felt safe.  Trust me it's not safe yet.  :)  Love ya mom!  

She made the ride there and back without much problem.  Tomorrow she'll go to her parents house for the weekend and we have the food trailer set up there.  Thanks to my Uncles for getting that taken care of for us.  Most of her family will be there to a, see her and b, help out in the trailer.  She will have to take the supervisor role and sit in a chair...or perch as we call it.  I'll head there after my last official day in radio and get lil Drexel off the bus.  However, we have a football game on Sunday so we're coming home a little sooner than everyone else.  

We did get some sad news today.  Aunt Elizabeth passed this morning.  We're filled with joy and sorrow at this time.  She is in a better place after fighting dementia for so long.  She lived a long full life for 90 years and taught many, many children how to read write and do math, too from a one room school house to a standard school similar to what we have today.  Unfortunately, I will not be making this trip.  She will be buried with my Great Granparents, her brothers and sisters-in-law.  I know that Grandma and Grandpa as well as Uncle Ray and Aunt Rozella plus her parents met her with open arms.  Mom and Dad will make the 8 hour trek to Red Oak, Iowa Sunday night after we close in Marshall.  Pray that mom makes these trips ok, it is very important to her to be able to be there, dad is a pall bearer.  I'm not sure that Drexel and I will be able to make the trip as terrible as we feel about that, there is a lot to be taken care of here too.  Rest in Peace Aunt Elizabeth...your tired body deserves all the glory after your 90 years on this earth.  

For the rest of you....we'll see you in Marshall or back here in Williamsville.  Don't be strangers.  I hope to get mom to church next Sunday.  I know she would like that. 

We've been rather busy

Ok I know I haven't updated this much lately and for that I'm sorry.  I can't say thank you enough for all the cards and letters and meals.  Drexel and I are there just about every night and I'm not at all sure what we'd do without Grammy and Aunt Janell.  Next week in between jobs I'll be out and about to help mom out.  I won't be there nearly 24/7 like Grammy and Aunt Janell have been but I'll be there often and just a phone call away.  I'm hopeful that we can go and walk around the mall a little bit.  I need some work type clothes.  I don't know what it is about your mom but you really just want to go to her when you don't feel good and that's just what I did today.  

She's still doing well.  Her double vision is there but not like it was, it's clearing up but she is having a hard time focusing and her memory is not very good right now.  She does realize it and it's ok.  I'm sure the last few weeks are a bit of a blur.  Literally and figuratively.  She's doing well, except for her sciatic nerve in her back is making her crawl out of her skin.  She's been off to see our wonderful chiropractor Gene Sullivan and he's making it work pretty well for her so far.  She's not on the stronger pain killers, but Ibuprofen and Tylenol are working pretty well for her at this point.  We'll see what the doctors say on Thursday!  I can't see how it could be a bad report.  

Oh yeah and she does have a few more weeks of staying in the house and she will get cabin fever.  I'm home with her next week but she's on her own after that...card games, projects whatever you think is appropriate is right up her alley...I'm sure she'd like the company too however, don't feel bad if she wants a nap.  We're getting more and more used to them.  :)

New Haircut and a trip to see Leah at work

Yesterday my mom got her haircut.  Well, some of it.  They did a pretty good job trying to even it up a little bit.  Hopefully it'll grow out just fine and then they will not have any problems.  Yay!  

Gigi brought us dinner last night and it was YUMMY chicken pot pie.  Night before Shelly and Amy delivered some yummy jello and spaghetti made by Momma's friends from Cantrall Intermediate School.  They decided to come by my work and see me so Grammy could see where I work, for now.  I showed them around and I think it did some good for my co-workers to see her and know what she really had done.  They knew she was having major surgery but not many knew how invasive it was.  She's a little shocking to see at first but it's all good.  

I'm pretty sure that she will stay home all day today.  She's been out quite a bit the last two days and is realizing just how incapacitated she really is.  Grammy is going home today and Aunt Janell comes in at least until next Wednesday which is when they will head to Milwaukee for a follow up with the doctors there.  Note to Kim, Willie, Micci and Demi - you may have a couple of visitors.  Then we're off to my grandparents for their Fall Festival and moving the food trailer.  I have no idea how we're going to do that but someone will be in charge.  Drexel and I are heading down after school on Friday.  

Thanks for your cards, letters, plants and flowers...they really brighten her day.  Not that she's gloomy.  She's just not...however she's a little anxious.  She wants to make sure that no one is afraid of her either.  She doesn't hurt.  I mean there is pain but she's not in pain.  She really feels like it's good for people to see her.  So, come on over.  Sit a spell. 

I promise...pictures soon.  It's hard to work and take care of everything.

Staples are coming out

I know I haven't posted pictures for a while and let me tell you personally, that the swelling and bruising have come down significantly.  She's looking a lot better and getting up and around a lot more.  Today, she will go to Dr. Bussing and take those 36 staples out.  I'll get a new picture as soon as that happens.  

I made potato soup for dinner last night.  I think it was the yummiest thing ever.  Shelley is bringing dinner on Wednesdays so Gina - Birdie - pick a night that works for you.  

Home still...and doing well.

I'm back to work every day  9 hours a day and Momma is resting comfortably at home.  Grammy is here helping her out and Dad is going back to work today.  He should be on the road by now but I'm not in charge.  Drexel is getting on the bus there for school and some sense of normalcy is slowing coming back to our lives.  Mom cannot bend over, and her staples should be out soon...like tomorrow or Thursday - yay!  Thanks to Mary Jo and Jack for bringing dinner out last night.  I'm thinking potato soup sounds good for supper tonight....it's going to be chilly...and i'm not ready to make Chili.  

She's ready for visits...so don't think you can't see her.  Don't expect tricks but if you're ready to come by just let me know....or call her cell phone.  She will tell you if she's up for visitors or not.  I guess the best news is that she has slept through her pain medicine time the last two nights...so she's not waking up with pain.  That's great!  She's getting better and stronger each and every day.  Yay Mom!

Oh yeah...Charlotte - Congratulations on that new grandbaby!!  You better have pictures when you come over!!!

Day 2 - Home

Last night was a good night and we celebrated Drexel's 6th Birthday.  He had a football game, we got new steps on the front porch and lots of work done inside with Momma.  

Anyway - all is well, I'm exhausted.  Yes Gina, I found my Starbucks.  3 a.m. comes really really early and I ate too much supper.