Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Movin' on Up June 16th update from Faith
Dennis has been moved to the Neurology Floor - 17 flights up ( top of the hospital) with sweeping views of Lake Union, approaching weather, and everybody's roof garden. It is very full of light, quiet, and private. He is noticeably more content, and I believe I heard snores after a few minutes! Thanks again to our fantastic nurse Katy in the critical care unit. Today Dennis barely asked for pain meds (tough guy) and he's starting to speak more. Tomorrow I'll bring the laptop in and read all the new blogs and campfire threads to him, that will really lift his spirits. We hope to be home in Alaska on Saturday afternoon, and re-acquaint ourselves with sidekick Kona the 14 year old chocolate lab, and two Missouri barn cats, Max and Minnie, of equal age. Meanwhile, his healing from the surgery continues-with three titanium disks to stabilize the cranial bone, the surgeon says the next day or so is critical to reduction of swelling. I cannot imagine what TSA will think... Love to all, Faith
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17 comments:
Hi Dennis! Glad to hear you've made it to a doom with a view . . . you deserve nothing but the best : ) My thoughts and prayers are with you my friend. Take good care of you're self . . . kick ass and don't worry about taking names. Faith, I can't remember if we've ever met, but my thoughts and prayers are with you too. Later! You're friend from the other Forest! -Sharon Randall
Oops . . . That should have been room with a view. Apparently my fingers are to fat to type without proof reading ok my iTouch!
Dennis & Faith,
17th floor! Good thing you’re not scared of heights. Great news that you hope to be back home on Saturday. Next thing you know, you’ll be out fishing for kings.
The old saying “when the going gets tough the tough get going” couldn’t be more true.
You are in our thoughts and prayers daily. Glad you’ll be back home soon. Thanks for the update Faith.
Pat and Carolyn
Back in Sitka and ending the day thinking of you. I have made good milage on the orange chicken laugh. For all the roughness of the go over the past days, It was good to be with you and Scott and share life. You honor me with your friendship. We'll compare hansomness when I get back to KTN of the 25th.
Hey Dennis & Faith. I got the blog site last night from dad. We are sure thinking about you guys and as everyone else, you are in our prayers. Sounds good getting to head back to AK.
Yeah, you might be on the 17th floor, but is Chef Pierre cooking for you?????? I can only hope so.
Can you and Snelson video the handsomness contest and share with us all? Mr. Hip Fitzwilliams can probably figure out how to put that on youtube and all of us oldsters can take another big step in our use of technology. As Doyle says, maybe we'll all be twittering by the time you get home this weekend (unlikely). Learning all this new stuff is better than AgLearn training. Have a good Thursday (gonna be 90 here today). Love, Patty
17th Floor!!! That's probably just like being on the top deck of one of these cruise ships at high tide sitting outside my window - taller than anything around it! Not that anyone has ever thought to call you hard-headed before, but at least now they would be right with a bunch of titanium plates in your head.
Anyway, I'm really glad your healing is going so well and that you're beginning to feel better. We are all looking forward to seeing you when you get home. I bet Kona and the kitties are too!
Take care, see ya both soon. ~ Becky
I had dinner tonight with joe meade and Heather in anchorage and we all send our collective positive thoughts your way. However-Joe spent way too much time dishing the Tongass and I felt totally inadequate in the face of that silver tongued devil. So I really need your help since I know that you are the one who can help prepare me in this battle. I am counting on some quality time perhaps catchin a few silvers and dishin the chugach. Let me know when your ready
Even after an intense pharmacology course this past year, I still strongly believe there is no medicine stronger than the love of a dog for her owner. Soon you'll be sitting beside Ms. Kona (who certainly knows a thing or two about being a fighter) and be soothed by her presence. Now that I'm going to school in Oregon I hope to make a visit up North to Alaska. I will see you all then.
Love,
Meg Puchlerz
Enjoy your penthouse view, Daddy...and don't worry about those silly TSA people. At least they won't ask you if your parents are traveling with you before they pat you down. ;) Get some good rest, I love you!
Hey Dennis and Faith, please don't take my absence from comments any other way than me being slightly overwhelmed with the intricacies and details of life preparing to move south - and a sick and healing wife. Regardless of how nice the view might be frmo that 17th floor 'penthouse', the view from your own deck is better!
Looking forward to seeing you when you are back in town, when you are up to visitors. I have a book to share with you and Faith when you get back to town, and Teri is anxious to see and talk with Faith again.
And I'll find a way to share with you a Tongass-inspired polotical cartoon that ran in the weekend KDN - probably send it to Fitswilliams so he can share it with you - you'll love it! It puts teh whole 'small, family-owned business' into perspective!
Hey Dennis, now you'll set off the metal detector in the airports with those titanium plates. Glad to hear you're doin' so well. Take care and keep gettin' better.
Mtnman1
Dennis- I found my "Dennis Neill Fan Club" t-shirt and will be wearing it beneath the Forest Service green. You might remember the photograph (no not THAT one!). It was the "Don't Mess with the TLT" photo with you in dark glasses and the red hard hat at a lake in Hoonah. I realize that it would be highly inappropriate to wear with uniform components, but they'll never catch me. Take care. Rest up. I hope you're up for visitors in Ketchikan. Pete
Feel free to contact me anytime to discuss/chat/questions etc. My name is Michael J.Gressman and my email is mjgress@hotmail.com I was diagnosed with Stage IV GBM in Sept 08. Im on facebook as well and have a website Im raising money on at www.braincancerhope.org to help find a cure. Its a long road and remember is not a sprint its a marathon. Call or email me anytime.
Hello Dennis! I am really glad to hear your recovering from surgery and that they're treating you to the top-shelf service you deserve... I figure an update on your favorite island would lift your spirits... Fawns are dropping all around - even had couple do-gooders bring one to my house the other night! Snow in the alpine is slowly melting and I have started staging a little high-country camp beneath an alpine mountain full of big deer. When you're feeling up to the trip, let me know - it's a long walk in, but a great hunt. We can even take Baichtal and that blunderbuss of his - so he can at leat help us pack out our deer!!! Rest well and think happy thoughts about the upcomming season...
Oh, and many thanks to Faith and the Scotts for keeping is posted!
-J.
Thank you Faith and Scott for the updates! Glad to hear you have better room with a view. It is amazing how choices in the small daily parts of our life can help change our attitude for the day -- like one's favorite food. Tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches are my favorite comfort food. Looking out on a landscape of gardens, trees and for me water - yes even rain is so relaxing and joyous. And, returning home to the sights and sounds and attention from Kona and the cats will peace and healing for you. So, is there any truth to you can get better radio reception with metal plates in your head? As for TSA, do be careful of how much pain meds you are on when going throught TSA, so you don't embarras those with you. I came through once with a friend in a wheelchair and when TSA said they would have to run the wand over all of her to make sure she wasn't hiding stuff, she just flipped her skirt up to show them there wasn't anything. The TSA woman turned bright pink and said you're clean, so ahead!! Safe travels.
You know Dennis - I think Pam's really got something there - you should without a doubt wear a skirt home to AK, give 'em a good flash there at TSA, and really freak 'em out! Hey man you've got a great excuse! That could bring a smile even bigger than Snelson with a buzz cut! (Which actually makes both of you look pretty handsome - fancy that!)
Faith and Dennis, you two take good care of each other. If you have the time or the mind, here's a link to Bastyr Institute -a natural healing center place right there in Freemont that can really help maintin your much needed feist as you go through this next stage of life. A good girlfriend here who has fought and won three different types of cancer (yup - three) attributes her life to them. Hey don't knock it till ya try it it, right?
Wishing you both peace and strength,
~Nicole~
http://www.bastyrcenter.org/
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