Latest posts

  • The Tooth Fairy

    Vernon survived another surgery today (insertion of a new dialysis catheter) but we’ve gotten so used to them now…I honestly can’t remember off the top of my head how many he has had.  I couldn’t make it up there because I had another surgery to attend, our little Justine’s. So about the same time Vernon was going under…

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  • Haircut and Cap

      He’s the star of the show…he should have a decent haircut! I believe someone on the trauma staff at Mission hospital staff shaved Vernon’s head the first night back in May, the big night of  surgeries, when they had to plug in all that head-hardware. And since then, he’s been letting his freak flag fly. But today…

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  • Standing Tall

    One of the things I was concerned about when Vernon had that infection-interlude at St. Jude’s Hospital a week or so ago was that he lost momentum with his physical therapy and his right side, that had started showing some improvements, seized up all over again…to the point that he was convinced (when he started…

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  • The Escape Plan

    Vernon was on form again today, chatting about all manner of things, but the thing that tickled us the most was that he kept trying to take his clothing off.  His hospital gown, that is.  (I won’t post that photo…though I may save it for potential blackmail later.) 🙂 At the end of our our visit,…

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  • A Room With A View

    In all the excitement of the past few days, I forgot to mention a very important detail. Vernon was moved back to Kindred Brea, the long-term rehabilitation hospital, his home-away-from-home, on Tuesday night. And for about 18 hours, he had a room to himself.  A window seat, this time! Vernon, as you can see by…

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  • Surprised by the Journey

    What a day! What a weekend! Where to start? I feel I should start this post with some kind of disclaimer about my emotional state. What a Ball of Feelings I am today!  I’m all over the place…   First off, I had a perfect getaway weekend in Seattle. The weather was so warm and sunny, I kept…

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  • Ticket to Ride

    Around this time last year, Vernon was supposed to go to Seattle for a type conference. Ticket was bought, bags may have even been packed, but he managed to injure his leg playing soccer with the weekend team.  He felt too injured to do the trip and conference, so he cancelled his ticket and hobbled…

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  • Musical Beds

    Vernon’s new temporary catheter seems to be working fine.  When I went to visit today, he was in the thick of being dialyzed. Though these sessions wear him out, I expect he is starting to feel somewhat better. As for Vernon’s spell at St. Jude’s, its seems all their work is done.  He has been fixed up, medicated,…

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  • Dr. Justine Visits Again

    One perk of Vernon being in another hospital is that they have more relaxed rules about visiting children. Although there is a sign at the entrance of the step-down ward that suggests no children under 12 should enter, the staff I spoke to understood that emotional importance overrode the guidelines.  So Justine and I took advantage of the…

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  • Someone Else’s Story

    “Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.” ― Robert Browning The other day, I saw this older couple on the beach, walking alongside each other like they probably have for years and years.  I thought: wow, that sure is something that gets taken for granted too often—that people grow old together and, on top of…

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