Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo went to see Dr. Willet yesterday, and while the diagnosis was expected, she got some bad news. He thinks the reason the wound on the neck is opening again is that "something" is trying to work its way out. It could be another stitch, which is most likely, it could be something else he just cannot tell from the exterior. She will begin treating it with silver nitrate, and and keep it covered as before. If it does not heal he may have to open it up a bit to allow what ever is trying to get out a path. We really thought that this part of the recovery was over, and we are all very disappointed that it is not. She will see Dr. Willet again in three weeks.

Bettyjo Update

Sorry that is has been so long since I updated you on Bettyjo's condition. Since my last post there has been little change. She is still on soft food, but continues to expand her diet as she is able, but progress has been slow. One small step back has been that the wound on the exterior of her neck that was healed and closed, has for some reason re-opened. She will be seeing Dr. Willet today for that.

I would like to again thank you for all your prayers and support.

Bettyjo Update and More Vacation Photos

The last two days of our vacation were very nice. The weather finally straightened up and we were able to be out on the beach. The photos I have included are: the slave quaters at the Boone Plantation, the view from our balcony, Brenda and Emily, the Boone Plantation near Charleston, the ocean from our balcony, and lastly our condo complex.

Bettyjo Update - When we got back from vacation a stitch had worked it's way out of the small remaining hole in her neck. After it was out the hole just healed up on it's own. She is still only able to eat soft food, and it may take two years for the esophagus to develop scar tissue, and then soften to the point where the Dr. could possibly stretch it so that she can eat more solid food. However, as with everything else, we just never really can tell what will happen.

Bettyjo Update/Vacation Photos

Bettyjo went to have the minor surgery to her neck on the 31st. We arrived at 5pm, sat until 6pm when an ambulance pulled up and took a patient out of the office for a ride to Riverside and emergency surgery. Consequently, Dr. Williet was not able to do surgery on Bettyjo, as he had to meet up with his other patient at Riverside. The new date is May 1st. Please pray first for the guy that had emergency surgery, then for Bettyjo's operation to go off with out a hitch on May 1st, and that it is success full.

On another note we are on our first vacation in nearly three years as a family. We are currently in Myrtle Beach SC. The weather has not been great and Emily and I are not feeling very well. One unexpected blessing was that we spent the first night in Charlotte NC, and stumbled across the Billy Graham Library. When we got there it was just closing, but the guard offered to take us and a couple of ladies that arrived right before us on a personal tour. I would recommend that anyone who has the time and is going to Charlotte see it. What an amazing life Dr. Graham has lead, and it is the burial site of his wife Ruth. Above are a couple of photos.

Bettyjo Update

On Friday Bettyjo had her feeding tube successfully removed. The external wound has not yet healed, but we are hopeful that it will be closed by the time we leave for Spring Break. Bettyjo will have one, hopefully last procedure on the 31st of this month to close up the hole on the out side of her neck.

Thank you for you prayers for Bettyjo's mom. She came through her surgery well and should be home later this week.

Bettyjo Update

Well.....it looks as if we are meeting another mile stone this Friday 3/13/09. Bettyjo will finally get her feeding tube out after two LONG years. Yeah!!!!

Please be praying for a minor in office procedure she will have March 31st to close up the drain hole that is stubbornly remaining open after 4 months.

Also Bettyjo's mom will be having disk surgery on 3/12/09. Please pray that all goes well.

Good News!!

I took Bettyjo to see Dr Willet this morning and he put a scope down her esophagus , and conducted an external examination. He thinks the blood clot may have been part of a stitch that came out. The best news is that from what he could see the esophagus was in good shape. Praise God!

Thank you for all your prayer and support.

Bettyjo Update

I hate to post this but.......Betytjo brought up a blood clot last night and Dr. Willet wants to see her first thing Friday morning.

Please pray that this is not a serious set back. I will post again after her appointment.

Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo saw Dr. Willet yesterday late afternoon. He was very pleased that she was eating something every day, and has had no leaks! The only minor problem is, that the hole where the primrose drain was, is still not fully healed. We will be treating it for 8 weeks, and if it is still not closed, he will do a minor surgery in his office to close it. She is now allowed to eat ground meat, and other soft foods. She must chew everything very thoroughly.

To celebrate, we went to Texas Roadhouse and Bettyjo was able to eat about 2/3 of a baked sweet potato, and 1/4 piece of salmon. Dr. Willet suggested that she cut back on her liquid diet as she adds calories by mouth. We are praying that the feeding tube will be out by Memorial Day.

To all of you that have been reading this blog and praying for us, THANK YOU!

Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo has gone a full week eating pudding and applesauce, and drinking small amounts of water with blue food coloring in it, and has not leaked. We are very encouraged by this and hopeful that this trend will continue.


One real blessing is that we had a family outing yesterday that included eating out at Cracker Barrel. Bettyjo was able to order water an applesauce. This has not happened in nearly two years.


I have some additional good news to report. My Grandfather, who was diagnosed with cancer this year went for some testing earlier this week, and it appears that the chemo has stopped the growth of the cancer, and he will not be needing additional treatments for at least six weeks. He will be retested and re-evaluated at that time.

Bettyjo Update

Well.....it looks as if Bettyjo got her wish for Christmas. She is now allowed to eat pudding, and applesauce with blue food coloring in it. So far the blue water has not leaked, and has gone down her esophagus into her stomach. Her food and water will continue to be colored blue for awhile, to make sure that it continues to go down and not out. Thank God for this positive step.

Bettyjo went to her family Doctor yesterday, and he wants her to increase her calorie intake to 2000/day. Which would be an extra can of Promote and a pudding snack pack. She is also having a painful time with her RA, which continues to flare up with the temperature spikes we have been having.

Please pray for continued healing, and that the RA would go into complete remission.

Bettyjo Update

We saw Dr. Willet this afternoon. He was ok with the way she was healing. Not upset, not over joyed. He did a swallow test in his office with some water and blue dye. None of it came out the hole in her neck where the primrose drain was, and later tonight it could be seen in her feeding tube, so we know it must have gone down. Bettyjo is to monitor the dressing on the drain hole for 24 hours, if she does not see any blue she can begin drinking small sips of water with blue food coloring in it. She is to call Dr. Willet on Tuesday, and discuss the possibly eating some pudding for Christmas.

Please forgive us, if when you see us we are not overjoyed. We have been at this spot before four other times, only to be disappointed. We may allow our excitement to come out after the first of the year when she has been drinking water, and eating for a couple of weeks with out incident.

Please continue to pray for full and complete healing.

Bettyjo Update

We saw Dr. Willet last Friday. The hole that was the primrose drain is almost completely closed. She has a little seepage at the surgery site due to some stitches that are surfacing. Dr. Willet was pleased with what he saw, but is cautiously optimistic for the healing of the esophagus itself. He did not feel that she would be swallowing any thing by the end of the year, except possibly her own saliva, and maybe, maybe water. I know that Bettyjo was disappointed about that.

We will go back to see the Dr. on December 19th. While she would really like to to be swallowing some thing for Christmas, we certainly do not want to risk another infection.

After we saw Dr. Willet, Bettyjo and the girls and I went to see the lights at the Columbus Zoo, which were very good. I would say that they actually were much better than they had been in the past. It was cold, but we were all bundled up, and had Bettyjo wrapped in a sleeping bag in her wheel chair. I think we all had a really good time. It has been some time since we have done anything like this as a family.

Please continue to pray for complete healing, and that Bettyjo will be able to swallow soon.

Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo had an appointment with Dr. Willet on Friday, that got canceled due to an emergency surgery that he was requested to preform on a boy from Costa Rica who was at Children's Hospital. Please include this boy in your prayers. We do not know the situation, but God does.

The appointment from Friday was rescheduled for Saturday (not a normal office day). Also please include Dr. Willet and his family in your prayers, as we know that extra time spent with us, takes time away from them. He removed the stitches from her neck, and was not pleased to see that the site where the primrose drain had been was not healed as it should have been. On the other hand he did not see any drainage that would indicate that the esophagus was leaking.

He gave us a treatment regime for the open drain site, told Bettyjo not to swallow for now, and wants to see us Friday. Not sure if he meant this Friday or next, as this one is the day after Thanksgiving.

Please continue to pray for full and final healing for Bettyjo. Please pray for our entire family, as we are all ready for this to end and are feeling discouraged right now.

Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo will be coming home today (thanks Molly). Everything seems to be going very well. Her mom and dad will be staying with her while Bob and the girls are in NW Ohio for Bob's grandmothers funeral. The only small drama that occurred is that Bettyjo's feeding tube came out yesterday, which is normal as they only last a few months. The good thing is that it came out in the hospital, and not at home. The first time one came out it was a Sunday night at home.

Please continue to pray for a full and final healing, and that she will be able to eat some applesauce for Christmas.

Bob's Grandmother

As you may know, by the prayer request that went out yesterday, my grandmother (dad's mom) was not doing well. Earlier this evening she passed away. My dad was there with her, and he said that when he arrived she asked how Bettyjo was doing, and that she worries about her.

She was a christian, so we know that now she stands before God in the company of all those that went before her, including her husband.

Please pray for comfort for the family.

Thanks

Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo had a really good day today. Her pain and nausea both seem to be under control. They will be hooking her up to her food today, so please pray that it will not make her sick. This has been a real problem in the past. She is scheduled to move to a regular room some time tonight. I am hoping that she is able to come home at the end of this week or the first of next week.

Thank you for all of your good thoughts and prayers. They are being felt.

Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo had quite a painful and sleepless night, which is odd because Dr. Willet said she would be sedated for the first night in ICU?? When I got here this morning she was wide awake and not able to speak due to a breathing tube. She had the tube, and in fact will remain in ICU for another day due to the possibility of swelling in the neck, that may cut off breathing, which would be a very bad thing. I say had the tube in because when Respiratory was in checking to see how she was breathing she coughed the tube up into her throat and they had to either put it back in or take it out fast as she could not breathe. They decided to go ahead and take it out. This has worked out well, as she is breathing fine, and thank God is able to talk. Any time you have surgery in the neck area, there is always the possibility of clipping the voice box nerve.

All things considered, she is doing really well today. Dr. Willet was in and he is pleased with how the outside looks, and is hopeful the inside will heal up as well.

If everything continues to progress, she will go to a regular room tomorrow.

Please continue to pray for complete healing.

Surgery Update

Bettyjo came out of surgery at about 10:15pm, after waiting in the pre-op for four hours! Every thing went very well. The doctor was able to dissect the pouch and sew good tissue to good tissue. She will be in ICU for two days and then will be in hospital for another three or four days. I was able to see her in ICU, but she was very heavily sedated. However, she really looked pretty good under the circumstances.

Please pray that this will be the beginning of her full recovery.

Another Surgery

Bettyjo got a call from Dr. Willets office Friday, and they want to do the major surgery that I spoke about in my last post November 10th. So at this moment we are just waiting. We are so grateful to Dr. Willet as he is actually doing this surgery during what was supposed to be his vacation time.

Please pray for complete success, and full healing. She wants to be eating by Christmas, even if it is just applesauce or pudding.