Monday, January 25, 2010

fayetteville service

the arkansas service is going to be a 2pm Friday at Baldwin Church of Christ. that is out 16 east near lake Sequoya. just after there will be a quick grave side out near mountain grove church of christ.

i understand that they are predicting bad weather. hopefully that will not deter anyone from coming to the service at baldwin but i would expect that not many people are expected to travel to the grave side. the family is really looking forward to seeing all of you.

karen loved you all.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

2 services

karen and i talked last week about what she was wanting for arangements and we agreed that there should be a service in georgia and arkansas. so, with that in mind there will be a visitation sunday the 24th from 5 - 8 and a service on monday at 3. they will be at wards funeral home.

376 Fairview Rd
Stockbridge, GA 30281

as for the arkansas service it looks as if it will be last in the week. we are aiming for a friday service but that may change. i will post something as soon as we know, and i will try to finalize that monday morning.

karen was a great woman and it has shown these few days by the outpouring for her from everyone...she loved and now that love is being handed back to my family from those she loved.

Friday, January 22, 2010

my best friend

today at around 10:00am, karen means, my best Friend for the last 26 years, the only person on this earth that understands me, lost her battle with brain cancer.

i am not sure how many more posts there will be, but i will post at least a few details for those of you who have been following.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

seizures

karen is now having some major seizures. right away this morning karen had a big seizure. we went to the ER and spent a day there to find out there really isn't anything they can do there. we got home about 5pm and in total today karen has had more than 8 big seizures today. her neurologists has upped her seizure meds and toda was the first day of the total does and hopefully that will make a huge difference tomorrow. we also have a "visiting nurse" group that is coming to help with blood work and therapy and other needs we may have. we are looking into getting help for lynette and me to make sure karen is getting the best care. i am worried about how things are going and am not getting alot of answers from the doctors right now as they look into how to help her.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

still better

karen and her mom were home alone today. things went well. karen has been up talking to her mom instead of sleep all day. she did some exercises, and over all her attitude was better. it was great to come home from work and see a bright eyed karen sitting up. as the day is winding down she is very tired, but that is to be expected. she drank alot of water, lynette has been keeping up with the actual ounces so that we can tell the doctors how much is going in. she still is not eating alot, but is eating some. overall after last week, everything is getting better.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

finished today strong

today has been so much better. i am not sure if it being off the chemo 4 days, 4 days of her new dose of decadron, or mom being here, but it was a better day. she ate a little for break fast and lunch, and had an ensure milkshake for dinner. she sat up alot of the day and all three of us had some good conversations.

she is still very weak and needs a little help to the restroom but even that was so much better.

i am always amazed at the people who are helping in whatever way they can. some of our church family showed up with a card and hugs, just what karen needed. every time i turn around some type of love is thrown our way. just when i think more cannot come, it does even better than ever.

even this three day weekend was a blessing at the right time.

daren, her dad, and sarah drove out early this morning and are home in arkansas. sarah saw karen at her lowest, and i wish she could see her now, but i hope she understands how much we love her, and how we thank her, and how much we needed her this last week.

bad day yesterday, great start today

let me say how hard it is for me to post this...
yesterday karen woke up around 7am and right away she told me that she was going to die, that it was her day to go, and that she just knew that Jesus wanted her in heaven. i am not sure if you can imagine how that made me feel. i asked her how she knew, and she said she just knew, that the chemo wasn't working, and that God wanted her.

in the mean time karens parents and brother were already on their way here to drop off her mom to stay with us. karen and i talked about just relaxing until they arrived and then we would talk about it with them, karen agreed. she refused to get out of bed. eventually i talked her out of bed around 5pm and we waited for her family to get here...it was not a great day for me and my attitude.

now, as a little reminder karen visited her neurologist here locally, thursday. he looked over the reports from her last few blood draws and cat scan. he said that the liver count that caused duke to stop the chemo for a few days can cause toxicity in the brain that will cause a person not to think straight. we all hoped that after a few days off the chemo and on a higher dose of a steroid, she would be clearer in her thinking.

i was hoping that this would happen saturday but instead we hit rock bottom.

so, karen's parents and brother showed up around 7pm, and i think that really helped karen alot. she went to bed that night apologizing for the was she was talking, and she told her brother that she had told Jesus he would just have to wait for awhile longer.

this morning karen even wanted to try some of mom's chocolate gravy. we got up, she ate a few bites and is talking so much clearer. she really is even having a hard time remembering some of the last two weeks. i really think her liver was poisoning her brain and the chemo was making her weak. i am not sure where we go from here with the chemo, i will be talking to duke tuesday to get some things straight.

let me just say this one thing, one time...no one knows what the future holds for us or when our time is coming. i do know this about karen, she is right with God and understands that God wants her with him and that they love each other. we all want karen to be here a long, long time, and today i know karen does too. i hope everyone that reads this is as right with God as karen is or could find the love that she has in her heart.

i can not imagine what someone without God in their heart has to look forward to if this life is all there is.