Late yesterday afternoon they moved Gram by ambulance back to the Westbury (1800 Robin Lane). She's in room 214 and her phone number is now 630-353-5711. Her spirits are pretty good, and we can only hope and pray that the bleeding stops happening. She had 2 more blood transfusions in the 24 hours before she left the hospital. Dr. Barhamand says that there are abnormalities in her bone marrow that could possibly account for the bleeding, but he's baffled as to why it's confined to the right leg. I believe that they will get her going with therapy pretty soon, although it will be slow going since she's been flat on her back for almost 2 weeks and she's very weak.
Pop and I are going together to the chiropractor at 9:00 (how romantic!), so I'm off to take a shower.
Love, Mom
P.S. Have any of you checked out the eagle cam? There have been lots of strange things going on, like an intruder female chasing away the first female and rendering the eggs unviable. Also some squirrels constructed a nest under the eagle nest and ran up top to obtain down for their nest building.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Flights Booked
It's official! Here's our flight info:
Fri 4/18/08 - SLC to ORD, Delta flight 1152, arrives 2:35 pm
Fri 4/25/08 - ORD to SLC, Delta flight 867, departs 4:05 pm
As you might imagine we're a little apprehensive about flying with Gavin, but we're a little apprehensive about pretty much everything when it comes to him so I'm sure we'll be fine. Mom asked what she needed to have in the house to accommodate Gavin and hmmm... that's a good question! Mom, your washing machine will be relieved to know that we're going to take a break from cloth diapering while we're there. Your landfill might object, but out of sight out of mind as the ol' American garbage mantra goes. It would be nice to have somewhere to put Gavin for sleeping. He's on the verge of rolling over, so laying him on a regular bed won't be safe by the time we get there. DJ and Michele, do you still have any of your baby stuff? A playpen would be ideal and a bouncy chair or swing would be gravy. Perhaps if Dave and Melissa get registered for baby stuff in the next month Gavin can buy them one of their essentials and then test drive it to make sure it works (I know, that's kinda presumptuous but I thought I'd throw it out there). Oh, and we're more than happy to give Dave and Missy as much diaper-changing and baby-soothing practice as they can stand.
Oh boy oh boy! We can't wait to see all of you! We continue to pray for Gram and hope that she'll be feeling well again soon.
Fri 4/18/08 - SLC to ORD, Delta flight 1152, arrives 2:35 pm
Fri 4/25/08 - ORD to SLC, Delta flight 867, departs 4:05 pm
As you might imagine we're a little apprehensive about flying with Gavin, but we're a little apprehensive about pretty much everything when it comes to him so I'm sure we'll be fine. Mom asked what she needed to have in the house to accommodate Gavin and hmmm... that's a good question! Mom, your washing machine will be relieved to know that we're going to take a break from cloth diapering while we're there. Your landfill might object, but out of sight out of mind as the ol' American garbage mantra goes. It would be nice to have somewhere to put Gavin for sleeping. He's on the verge of rolling over, so laying him on a regular bed won't be safe by the time we get there. DJ and Michele, do you still have any of your baby stuff? A playpen would be ideal and a bouncy chair or swing would be gravy. Perhaps if Dave and Melissa get registered for baby stuff in the next month Gavin can buy them one of their essentials and then test drive it to make sure it works (I know, that's kinda presumptuous but I thought I'd throw it out there). Oh, and we're more than happy to give Dave and Missy as much diaper-changing and baby-soothing practice as they can stand.
Oh boy oh boy! We can't wait to see all of you! We continue to pray for Gram and hope that she'll be feeling well again soon.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Wednesday
Nothing much to update on Gram. I'm sure she would still like to get phone calls. Thanks to Melissa's suggestions, we're trying to get some new doctors involved. She's already had all the tests they can think of, but they're going to do another bone marrow biopsy, although the last biopsy was negative. There's an off chance that the lymphoma might be involved in this. If so, there are medications that can take care of it.
I have an appointment shortly with the tax guy in Oak Brook, so at least Gram's and our taxes will be done by the end of the day. It's bitterly cold here, with no end in sight. At least the full moon is beautiful. Tonight at around 6:37 - 6:39 CST you might be able to see that orbiting satellite in the NW sky, about 16 degrees above the horizon. This is the one the Navy is going to attempt to shoot down from somewhere over the Pacific.
All for now....
Love, Mom
I have an appointment shortly with the tax guy in Oak Brook, so at least Gram's and our taxes will be done by the end of the day. It's bitterly cold here, with no end in sight. At least the full moon is beautiful. Tonight at around 6:37 - 6:39 CST you might be able to see that orbiting satellite in the NW sky, about 16 degrees above the horizon. This is the one the Navy is going to attempt to shoot down from somewhere over the Pacific.
All for now....
Love, Mom
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Gram update
Hi All,
As you know from Mom's last message Gram is back in the hospital with the same problem as before and has received a blood transfusion. We don't know how long she will be there this time but I am sure that it would cheer her up to hear from any/all of you. Her phone number there is: 1-630-646-0209.
LOVE Pop
As you know from Mom's last message Gram is back in the hospital with the same problem as before and has received a blood transfusion. We don't know how long she will be there this time but I am sure that it would cheer her up to hear from any/all of you. Her phone number there is: 1-630-646-0209.
LOVE Pop
Saturday, February 16, 2008
back to Edward Hospital - again
No time to write much, but just to let you know that Gram is back at the hospital via ambulance last evening. Same problem. Will try to post more info later.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day!
Dear Wood Family,
Wishing you all the love you need on this cheesy Hallmark holiday.
I miss you!
I miss you!
oxoxoxoxoxo
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Caregiver at Last
Today, finally, Gram has consented to have a caregiver. She really needs someone, especially in the morning. They will help her get up, washed and dressed and take her down to breakfast, then bring her back up. They'll be with her for 4 hours, from 7:30 until 11:30, and can also prepare lunch before they leave. I presume they can do other small tasks, such as fixing her bed, washing her few dishes, and throwing in a load of laundry now and then. She's aghast at the price ($18.95 per hour, 28 hours per week) Her friend Therese is still bringing her down to dinner every night. Meanwhile, the leg is still quite swollen and painful. We'll have to watch that it doesn't continue to worsen. Her doctor has prescribed a blood count to see if she needs any further transfusions, and I believe they can draw the blood at the Devonshire. Melissa, that was very sweet of you to bring her lunch on Sunday. She was very appreciative, and so am I.
We enjoyed ourselves at Christopher's birthday celebration. It was good to see everyone, but most especially exciting to hear Melissa and Dave's news! I'm extremely happy for them, and I presume that those of you with experience can inform them of all that they need to know about parenthood, although much of it as I recall will be a learn as you go adventure.
Good for Brandon for following up on that diamond rebate thing. How about it, D.J. and Dave, you've got nothing to lose and presumably something to gain.
Have I mentioned that the eagle cam website is up and running? It's down in Virginia, and there's a 24 hour camera on an eagle's nest, where you can watch everything from nest building to egg laying and hatching to chick feeding to flying off on their own. Everything is archived, so you can see things that are extraordinary or that you might have missed. The site is http://www.wvec.com/cams/eagle.html. This year they've expanded it with a nighttime camera as well. It used to be just daylight hours when I watched last year.
Did I forget to tell all of you about Wally breaking his leg at work? It happened last Weds and he's at Gottlieb Hospital in Melrose Park. He'll be there for some time, and then will have to go to a rehab facility for some time, and his car is still in the parking lot at Navistar. I need to get over and see if there's anything I can do for Aunt Ginny. I called her this evening and she says there's nothing she needs as yet, but I expect she'll at least need a few groceries soon. Maybe I can find some time now that Gram will have that caregiver for 4 hours each day.
Time to go up and pack Pop's lunch for tomorrow. He's gone bowling, and I plan to go to bed early since I start at 5 tomorrow. I trust that you are all celebrating Abraham Lincoln's birthday appropriately :)
Mom
We enjoyed ourselves at Christopher's birthday celebration. It was good to see everyone, but most especially exciting to hear Melissa and Dave's news! I'm extremely happy for them, and I presume that those of you with experience can inform them of all that they need to know about parenthood, although much of it as I recall will be a learn as you go adventure.
Good for Brandon for following up on that diamond rebate thing. How about it, D.J. and Dave, you've got nothing to lose and presumably something to gain.
Have I mentioned that the eagle cam website is up and running? It's down in Virginia, and there's a 24 hour camera on an eagle's nest, where you can watch everything from nest building to egg laying and hatching to chick feeding to flying off on their own. Everything is archived, so you can see things that are extraordinary or that you might have missed. The site is http://www.wvec.com/cams/eagle.html. This year they've expanded it with a nighttime camera as well. It used to be just daylight hours when I watched last year.
Did I forget to tell all of you about Wally breaking his leg at work? It happened last Weds and he's at Gottlieb Hospital in Melrose Park. He'll be there for some time, and then will have to go to a rehab facility for some time, and his car is still in the parking lot at Navistar. I need to get over and see if there's anything I can do for Aunt Ginny. I called her this evening and she says there's nothing she needs as yet, but I expect she'll at least need a few groceries soon. Maybe I can find some time now that Gram will have that caregiver for 4 hours each day.
Time to go up and pack Pop's lunch for tomorrow. He's gone bowling, and I plan to go to bed early since I start at 5 tomorrow. I trust that you are all celebrating Abraham Lincoln's birthday appropriately :)
Mom
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Gram is back home
I just talked to Gram. She's back home and is very glad to be there. Her knee is giving her trouble now (or maybe it always was but the rest of her leg hurt so bad she couldn't tell) so she's resting and taking her pain meds as needed. She's looking forward to having a cocktail this evening with her friend Therese. She pointed out to me that she hasn't had a drink since December 21st. More power to her - she's earned one!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Utah contingent checking in
It's so nice to read about what's been going on with the Illinois Woods. Since our lives revolve around Gavin, his blog pretty much covers what's going on with the Chards. Still I suppose it's time for a few words over here in Wood-land.
How about that Super Bowl? What a great ending to a great game. Those Mannings must be a pretty proud family these days, what with Peyton winning the big game last year and little brother Eli following suit this year. But then, who really gives a bleep. At least it provided motivation to get your house clean, eh Mom?
We just keep getting more and more snow. Normally I'd be ecstatic about it since it makes for great snowboarding conditions, but getting out on our boards is proving to be difficult these days. Not impossible (we did make it up to Beaver yesterday for a few hours), but difficult. And its been so cold that its tough to even get outside for a walk around the neighborhood. Being cooped up in the house, coupled with the fact that shoveling has taken its toll on Brandon's back, really makes me yearn for springtime.
Brandon has a couple of neat projects going on at work these days. He's working on getting a million-dollar materials recycling facility (MRF) set up at Hill Air Force Base and has also been working on an alternative energy project for one of the administrative buildings on the base. He's been researching solar technologies and is going to Las Vegas the week Feb 18 for an alternative energy conference. With all his new-found knowledge maybe one of these days the Chards will be living off the grid! With an eye toward that we're continuing to look in earnest for our "dream property" in southern Utah. The only places we can afford don't exactly have developed utilities, so if we ultimately want to live on our little slice of paradise we're going to have to get creative.
I've been going in to work for a few hours at a time, one or two days a week. I plan to ramp that up to 3/4 time (30 hours/week), but for now I'll just keep using my vast reserve of sick leave to make up the hours I don't work. Brandon is home on Fridays, so he can take care of Gavin while I go to work. On the other days I'll take Gavin to work with me. Not sure how productive I'll be able to be with that arrangement, but my boss is ok with it so it's worth a try.
And speaking of the little one... I gotta go! Love to all of you!
How about that Super Bowl? What a great ending to a great game. Those Mannings must be a pretty proud family these days, what with Peyton winning the big game last year and little brother Eli following suit this year. But then, who really gives a bleep. At least it provided motivation to get your house clean, eh Mom?
We just keep getting more and more snow. Normally I'd be ecstatic about it since it makes for great snowboarding conditions, but getting out on our boards is proving to be difficult these days. Not impossible (we did make it up to Beaver yesterday for a few hours), but difficult. And its been so cold that its tough to even get outside for a walk around the neighborhood. Being cooped up in the house, coupled with the fact that shoveling has taken its toll on Brandon's back, really makes me yearn for springtime.
Brandon has a couple of neat projects going on at work these days. He's working on getting a million-dollar materials recycling facility (MRF) set up at Hill Air Force Base and has also been working on an alternative energy project for one of the administrative buildings on the base. He's been researching solar technologies and is going to Las Vegas the week Feb 18 for an alternative energy conference. With all his new-found knowledge maybe one of these days the Chards will be living off the grid! With an eye toward that we're continuing to look in earnest for our "dream property" in southern Utah. The only places we can afford don't exactly have developed utilities, so if we ultimately want to live on our little slice of paradise we're going to have to get creative.
I've been going in to work for a few hours at a time, one or two days a week. I plan to ramp that up to 3/4 time (30 hours/week), but for now I'll just keep using my vast reserve of sick leave to make up the hours I don't work. Brandon is home on Fridays, so he can take care of Gavin while I go to work. On the other days I'll take Gavin to work with me. Not sure how productive I'll be able to be with that arrangement, but my boss is ok with it so it's worth a try.
And speaking of the little one... I gotta go! Love to all of you!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
A New Smith
Michael Smith is a father! Lillian Marie Smith was born on Thursday, Jan. 31, at 3:59 A.M. Her mother's name, I think, is Kate or Katie. They've been dating for awhile, obviously, but Sue doesn't know just what their plans might be regarding marriage. Michael has rented a townhouse in Bartlett, with the option to buy, and we presume that Kate and Lillian will move there too.
Melissa, it was good to hear from you! That's terrific about your Dad's employment situation - almost like divine intervention. I'm glad that Chloe is doing well on her new diet. It's a marvel that she likes it! As for Gram, she still plans to return to the Devonshire on Wednesday, pending her ability to navigate the shower when the therapists take her over to her apt. on Monday. As for Chris' party, we'll see what she decides. I won't tell her she can't go, but I don't think she'll have the strength. If that's the case, I know she would enjoy having you visit her on your way to the party.
We're busy getting ready for the Souper Bowl party tomorrow. I still have one more soup to make, but the other three are pretty much done except for last minute additions when I heat them up tomorrow. There's still plenty of cleaning that I could do, but I'm running out of energy at this point. There's still tomorrow....
Hope everyone is having a great weekend.
Love, Mom
Melissa, it was good to hear from you! That's terrific about your Dad's employment situation - almost like divine intervention. I'm glad that Chloe is doing well on her new diet. It's a marvel that she likes it! As for Gram, she still plans to return to the Devonshire on Wednesday, pending her ability to navigate the shower when the therapists take her over to her apt. on Monday. As for Chris' party, we'll see what she decides. I won't tell her she can't go, but I don't think she'll have the strength. If that's the case, I know she would enjoy having you visit her on your way to the party.
We're busy getting ready for the Souper Bowl party tomorrow. I still have one more soup to make, but the other three are pretty much done except for last minute additions when I heat them up tomorrow. There's still plenty of cleaning that I could do, but I'm running out of energy at this point. There's still tomorrow....
Hope everyone is having a great weekend.
Love, Mom
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