Birthday Party

Hi all!
Yesterday we celebrated Tinsley's 2nd, and Tyler's first Birthdays. Ashley and Josh had a full house of family, friends and kids all seemed to have a good time.  I expect Ty to start running anytime now, he's gonna skip walking  :)
Some follow-up news which most of you may already know... Ashley had her last check up with her surgeon, she got an all clear and the Doc said he didn't need to see her anymore.  She's doing good!
Carolyn will have her 3rd round of chemo tomorrow, going after a small spot in a lymph node in her chest. Dr. Reddy has been watching this and decided after her last scan that now would be a good time to get after it.  Her chemo drugs are one's she's had before so we know what to expect.  So far though she's had only one rough day. After this round she'll have her Herceptin treatment, which is kinda like a week off, then three more rounds, a week off, finishing up with the last two and then a scan.
Becca is back at school full time and living the life of a student and doing good.
Me, well ... I continue to grow older... but not up!  :)

 

 

Merry Christmas Y'all :-)

Christmas Eve 2013,  I hope this finds everyone in the Christmas spirit and enjoying friends and family.
Rebecca is here, Ashley, Josh, Tinsley and Tyler are coming up this evening for the Candle Light Service and then dinner at home.  Christmas this year is at Ashley's.
Hopefully Marcia and Don will be stopping by on their way back to Florida, looking forward to seeing them!
Here's some recent pics.

Built this mantle to replace the el cheapo one !

Ashley needed a bench to go with her dining room table, after pricing chairs at $150/each,  the bench $23.

fits just right :)

There is absolutely no comparison between a Toy Tacoma and a Ram, truly the nicest vehicle I've owned..... so far :)

Christmas Eve morning heading home from the grocery store.

Approaching the lake.

Its cold out there today  35 degrees.

Our lake runneth over after 3" of rain day before yesterday.

Mary is blooming again for Christmas!

Thanksgiving delayed a little :)

We had our Thanksgiving on Saturday to accommodate busy schedules and to recover from a fast and hard hitting virus that went through the whole family at the same time earlier in the week. Great food, great football (way to go Auburn), and fun with the family.

First Annual  pumpkin roll in Ashley and Josh's new neighborhood.  Tinsley won :)

New curtins in time for Thanksgiving.

Gramma movin so fast she's a blur :)

Everything's good! Gramma.

Where's mine?

Let's eat!

Whew, Glad That's About Over!

Well gang it looks like Ashley's ordeal, and believe me it has been an ordeal for her, will have brighter days ahead.  Last Tuesday we returned to Emory so she could have a Cholangiogram.  Basically they inserted a dye through her drain and x-ray'd to see if there were any more blocks of bile ducts.  That went well.  Since she's been home the pain has subsided some and she's eating better.  This wasn't a fun way to lose 30 lbs. Her incision is scary (to me), so I don't look!  she has stitches on the inside but the incision itself is wide open.  The Drs. say this is the best way to heal (from the bottom up) to prevent infection.  So twice a day she has to change dressings, clean the wound and bandage it back up.  She does have a visiting nurse every other day to see how it looks and keep track of the healing process.
Tomorrow, we'll take her back to Emory to see Dr. Sarmiento (her surgeon), to go over the Cholangiogram and she hopes to have that last drain removed.
Last night we took a walk with the kids around the block in her neighborhood then ordered pizza!  They're slowly getting back to "normal".

Room with a view.

Tyler, my prediction... 6'4" by Jr. in high school.

Tinsley loves her cars!

When we brought Ashley home the first evening, Tinsley was sitting at the dinner table eating and pointing to Ashley saying and repeating "My Momma!"  ....words to heal by :)

Anyway fall is here, the leaves are falling and I'm burning all the scrap wood I can to make room for the next project!  a new mantle for the fireplace,  there's some nice red oak in the shop saying cut me up!
I hope this post finds family and friends are well!  Enjoy and cherish each day.

A short update :)

Took Ashley to Emory Hospital yesterday for a scheduled angiogram to her new Dr. could make sure there was no other damage caused during her first surgery.  As I understand the results the hepatic duct was clamped along with a blood vessel. One of the drains they installed was beginning to "come loose" so that was fixed. The Dr. said her liver had already started growing new blood vessels to compensate for the clamped one.  On Monday she has a consult with the surgeon and pre-op paperwork. So we're on schedule for the 22nd.  It's comforting somewhat to have "professionals" from Emory on this case.

Scientists say they've proved the existence by DNA!, wonder what they compared it with?  Who needs DNA!  :)

Home!

Well Ashley came home last night.  Glad to get her out of there (hospital) she actually came to our house for the weekend to rest and figure out life in the mean time with drains and how to keep the kids from yanking on them. We'll figure it out.  Sunday or Monday we'll get her home to the kids, everyone misses each other but are doing very well.
Yesterday was typical of this place recently.  Ashley had both kids at this hospital and throughout everyone and the care was exceptional.  This stay has been a qualified disaster.  Around noon she was told she could go home if she felt up to it.  Carolyn and I got there about 4:30 and her discharge paperwork was being "worked".  She also had to have her PIC line removed and was required to lay down for an hour before she could get up a move again.  Carolyn and I went to get a bite to eat.  We returned around 7:00 and still waiting on the paperwork. Her PIC line was removed around 6:15.  I asked the charge nurse on the status of her discharge and got the 1000 yard stare.  I took a deep breath and calmly and politely advised her I have had it with this place, who was responsible to get it done? why wasn't it done? and someone better get it done immediately.  The previous shift dumped everything on this shift and left! This is just a small minor example of the incompetence we've dealt with. 
Anyway, that's behind us, Ashley is slowly feeling better, has an appointment in a week and may get a drain removed then.  Once the Drs. think she's up to another surgery to attach her small intestine to her liver.

Just Damn... again.

Well not sure exactly what happens now with Ashley.
Day before yesterday they inserted a wire and drain through her liver to the bile ducts in order to install a stint. Well whatever the first incompetent Dr. did is not allowing that to be done.  Its suspected the first Dr. cut the duct when removing her gallbladder, and/or the three staples the Dr. used punctured the duct.  So as of yesterday, the plan was to send her home with drains hanging out of her for 4-6 weeks to give her intestines a chance to recover and then return for surgery.  That could mean attaching removing the staples and attaching directly to her small intestines.  With that being said... anyone know a malpractice attorney!  If somehow a badguy did this to my daughter I would be arrested for police brutality.  (I'm pissed)