Jennifer went to Peggy and Glen's last night. She will be there through Saturday. Jennifer says he looks better than he did last week and his scars seem to be healing well. He still gets fed thru the feeding tube continuously from 6 pm to 8 am. He is occasionally eating a few bites of soft foods throughout the day [like mashed potatoes, baked fish, applesauce, etc.], but he really doesn't have an appetite to eat or drink anything. He had lost 11 pounds since Jennifer saw him last Thursday [talk about your rapid weight loss program].
They are still trying to settle into semi-routine. Besides taking care of Glen and all that entails, Peggy has started working jigsaw puzzles again [not a hobby Glen will probably join in even when he is fully recovered..lol]. Peggy has learned more about golf from the golf channel than she really cared to know. Glen tries to sit outside and take short strolls for some fresh air...but it's so HOT!! He spends most of his time resting in 'HIS' recliner with the remote control. A continuous sleep pattern still alludes Glen on a regular basis so his naps depend on how much sleep he obtained the night before. He and Peggy have their good hours and their not-so-good hours. He is still weak, sore and tired but overall getting stronger and recovering well. We thank God for the recovery progress so far.
He and Peggy really appreciate and enjoy all the encouragement and cards they have received and continue to receive.
As always, we thank you for your prayers and support. It still means so much as he still has a long way to go.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Glen Update - May 19th - 9:00 PM
Glen and Peggy are adjusting to their new home routine. Glen's swelling in his legs and feet is now under control, he is not in much pain, and is slowly regaining some strength.
He still has a long road ahead of him, but we continue to be grateful for the progress he has made and pray that he will continue his recovery and that Peggy will have the strength to deal with all that is ahead in the coming days.
Thank you for your continued prayer support. The entire family really appreciates it.
He still has a long road ahead of him, but we continue to be grateful for the progress he has made and pray that he will continue his recovery and that Peggy will have the strength to deal with all that is ahead in the coming days.
Thank you for your continued prayer support. The entire family really appreciates it.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Glen Update - May 16th - 10:00 PM
I haven't updated the blog for a couple of days, so this is a little longer than usual...
Glen has been home for two days now. It is always an adjustment transitioning from the hospital to home after such a major surgery. However, it is nice just to be at this next stage of the recovery. We thank God he actually has reached this phase!
Starting early Monday morning, the poking & prodding; the waiting & preparing to be discharged in the afternoon; the drive from Nashville to McMinnville; the unloading and transitioning into the house; the delivery of equipment and supplies; and later the two hour home health visit to establish Glen's baseline and make sure Peggy [and Jennifer] know how to properly care for Glen; Glen was once again VERY TIRED and UNCOMFORTABLE. We had hoped he would sleep well the first night at home. He gets a special formula through his feeding tube for 14 hours continuously at night [approx 6 pm - 8 am] and he has to maintain at least a 30 degree upright position throughout the process. So the first night, he chose to sleep in the living room in a recliner. Unfortunately, he was never able to get comfortable and had to make frequent visits to the bath room. As a result, he was even more tired by Tuesday morning.
During the day on Tuesday, he never got any quality rest. He tried a bed with a pillow wedge, but that was even more uncomfortable. However, on a positive note, he drank some liquids and nervously swallowed some medicine in pill form [the first time with a spoonful of applesauce and subsequently with just water...which was a big deal since he hadn't swallowed anything thicker than water since the surgery]. He was also able to step outside for a few minutes and breathe some fresh spring air. But for Glen, probably the best thing was that he finally got a BANANA flavored popsicle.
By Tuesday evening he was EXHAUSTED. His calves and feet were swelling and his breathing was more labored more frequently.
Thankfully, Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, he finally got some much needed rest. Jennifer said he even slept continuously for 4 hours at one point and got quality sleep in shorter intervals for the rest of the night. With the much needed rest, his Wednesday was much better.
I drove to McMinnville this morning after taking Courtney to school to help Jennifer pickup a hospital bed and set it up in the living room. Our hope is that this will provide more quality resting periods. While I was there, Glen was able to go for a walk in his driveway and yard and sat outside in a lawn chair while we rearranged furniture.
Glen alternated between the recliner and the bed throughout the afternoon. They are still trying to address the swelling in his calves and feet. Jennifer said Glen is sleeping well now and hopes that he will have a good night.
This will be the 4th night in a row that Jennifer has stayed in the room with Glen during the night. She has also helped Peggy and Glen during the days and ran errands for them. She will be there through Thursday afternoon, but will be returning to Hermitage in the evening [looking forward to hugs from Courtney & Kelsey]. However, this means that it will be just Peggy and Glen by themselves for the first time since the surgery [at least for Thursday night]. It is their choice. It is our prayer that they feel God with them, to provide them rest, remove as many obstacles during the recovery as possible and know they have a strong support system ready whenever needed.
Thank you so very much for continued prayer support. We definitely have felt it throughout the last few weeks.
Glen has been home for two days now. It is always an adjustment transitioning from the hospital to home after such a major surgery. However, it is nice just to be at this next stage of the recovery. We thank God he actually has reached this phase!
Starting early Monday morning, the poking & prodding; the waiting & preparing to be discharged in the afternoon; the drive from Nashville to McMinnville; the unloading and transitioning into the house; the delivery of equipment and supplies; and later the two hour home health visit to establish Glen's baseline and make sure Peggy [and Jennifer] know how to properly care for Glen; Glen was once again VERY TIRED and UNCOMFORTABLE. We had hoped he would sleep well the first night at home. He gets a special formula through his feeding tube for 14 hours continuously at night [approx 6 pm - 8 am] and he has to maintain at least a 30 degree upright position throughout the process. So the first night, he chose to sleep in the living room in a recliner. Unfortunately, he was never able to get comfortable and had to make frequent visits to the bath room. As a result, he was even more tired by Tuesday morning.
During the day on Tuesday, he never got any quality rest. He tried a bed with a pillow wedge, but that was even more uncomfortable. However, on a positive note, he drank some liquids and nervously swallowed some medicine in pill form [the first time with a spoonful of applesauce and subsequently with just water...which was a big deal since he hadn't swallowed anything thicker than water since the surgery]. He was also able to step outside for a few minutes and breathe some fresh spring air. But for Glen, probably the best thing was that he finally got a BANANA flavored popsicle.
By Tuesday evening he was EXHAUSTED. His calves and feet were swelling and his breathing was more labored more frequently.
Thankfully, Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, he finally got some much needed rest. Jennifer said he even slept continuously for 4 hours at one point and got quality sleep in shorter intervals for the rest of the night. With the much needed rest, his Wednesday was much better.
I drove to McMinnville this morning after taking Courtney to school to help Jennifer pickup a hospital bed and set it up in the living room. Our hope is that this will provide more quality resting periods. While I was there, Glen was able to go for a walk in his driveway and yard and sat outside in a lawn chair while we rearranged furniture.
Glen alternated between the recliner and the bed throughout the afternoon. They are still trying to address the swelling in his calves and feet. Jennifer said Glen is sleeping well now and hopes that he will have a good night.
This will be the 4th night in a row that Jennifer has stayed in the room with Glen during the night. She has also helped Peggy and Glen during the days and ran errands for them. She will be there through Thursday afternoon, but will be returning to Hermitage in the evening [looking forward to hugs from Courtney & Kelsey]. However, this means that it will be just Peggy and Glen by themselves for the first time since the surgery [at least for Thursday night]. It is their choice. It is our prayer that they feel God with them, to provide them rest, remove as many obstacles during the recovery as possible and know they have a strong support system ready whenever needed.
Thank you so very much for continued prayer support. We definitely have felt it throughout the last few weeks.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Glen Update - HE IS HOME!!!!!!
Jennifer drove Peggy and Glen home this afternoon, got Glen settled in, unpacked the car, ran errands, and was expecting Home Health to deliver feeding pump and supplies between 3 & 6 PM.
Praying for a restful night and no problems with the feeding this first night at home.
Jennifer is staying with them to make the transition home as stress free as possible.
Thank you again for your continued prayer support.
Praying for a restful night and no problems with the feeding this first night at home.
Jennifer is staying with them to make the transition home as stress free as possible.
Thank you again for your continued prayer support.
Glen Update - May 14 - 10 AM
YEAH! The doctor has written the orders for Glen to go home today. It will take a while before he actually gets to leave because of the amount of time to take care of paper work, training on how to care for him, make arrangements for the necessary equipment for his feeding tube, meds, etc.
Although he gets to go home and is getting stronger each day, he still has a hard and long recovery process ahead of him [not only in recovery of this surgery but also with the next harsh lymphoma battle to come]. He remains susceptible to infections & complications and even with short interactions he still gets very tired very quickly. He will continue to get the majority of his calories through his feeding tube.
Thank you for your continued prayer support and feel free to leave comments here on this page. We will make sure to convey your comments to him. You do not have to have a google account to leave a comment. You can log in as Anonymous and just need to make sure you leave your name in your comments, so that we will know who it is from.
Although he gets to go home and is getting stronger each day, he still has a hard and long recovery process ahead of him [not only in recovery of this surgery but also with the next harsh lymphoma battle to come]. He remains susceptible to infections & complications and even with short interactions he still gets very tired very quickly. He will continue to get the majority of his calories through his feeding tube.
Thank you for your continued prayer support and feel free to leave comments here on this page. We will make sure to convey your comments to him. You do not have to have a google account to leave a comment. You can log in as Anonymous and just need to make sure you leave your name in your comments, so that we will know who it is from.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Glen Update - May 13th - 10:00 PM
I apologize that I did not update the blog site today, but everything is still on schedule for Glen to go home tomorrow. Peggy said that he had an uncomfortable afternoon, but is still making progress. They upped the amount of tube feeds that he is getting at night significantly and they are hoping for a good night of rest. Jennifer is staying with him tonight, I will go over in the morning after dropping off Courtney at school. Jennifer will help Peggy get checked out of the hotel and then we will wait for the word to go home. Jennifer is going to spend at least the first few nights with them at home to ensure everything is going well.
I will try to update again tomorrow once we know what time they are going home.
Thank you very much for your continued prayer support as Glen starts the next phase of his recovery.
I will try to update again tomorrow once we know what time they are going home.
Thank you very much for your continued prayer support as Glen starts the next phase of his recovery.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Glen Update - May 12th - 6:00 PM
Glen had a good morning and afternoon. With all of the tubes disconnected, he was able to walk the halls freely without his pole. We walked a couple of times and once even went down the steps at the end of the hall and sat in the chairs in the hallway and observed everything going on outside. He also felt good enough to shave. In the afternoon, he took a couple of good naps in between nurses checking on him and a breathing treatment.
I once again realized what a small world it is when I recognized the respiratory therapist and confirmed that she took care of Courtney during one of her many stays at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. She said that she still has a picture of Courtney and remembers she taught her some sign language. I am glad I recognized her and she was very excited to see recent pictures of Courtney and hear how she is doing.
Glen's brother came late this afternoon and will be spending the night with him. Once the girls return, I will get a night update on Glen.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
I once again realized what a small world it is when I recognized the respiratory therapist and confirmed that she took care of Courtney during one of her many stays at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. She said that she still has a picture of Courtney and remembers she taught her some sign language. I am glad I recognized her and she was very excited to see recent pictures of Courtney and hear how she is doing.
Glen's brother came late this afternoon and will be spending the night with him. Once the girls return, I will get a night update on Glen.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
Glen Update - May 12th - 9:00 AM
After another day with not much rest, Glen was able to sleep better last night than he has any night thus far. Christy stayed with him last night, so that Jennifer could come home and spend the evening with us on Courtney's birthday (hard to believe, but she is now 15). We kept Tori also and we had a great evening celebrating with Courtney.
I am staying with Glen today so that all the girls can go to Winchester for a prior committment. And later, Courtney was able to spend some fun birthday time with some special friends.
When I came in this morning, I found that they have Glen's tube feeds up to goal and they have decided to only feed him via the pump at night. So he is totally disconnected now and it seems strange to him getting into his chair and not have to worry about tubes. :-)
They are still discussing when to send him home, but the thought right now is Monday. We all know how things can change, so we will see how the weekend goes.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
I am staying with Glen today so that all the girls can go to Winchester for a prior committment. And later, Courtney was able to spend some fun birthday time with some special friends.
When I came in this morning, I found that they have Glen's tube feeds up to goal and they have decided to only feed him via the pump at night. So he is totally disconnected now and it seems strange to him getting into his chair and not have to worry about tubes. :-)
They are still discussing when to send him home, but the thought right now is Monday. We all know how things can change, so we will see how the weekend goes.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Glen update - May 11 - 9:00 am
Glen had another night without much rest. He spent much of yesterday afternoon without any J-tube feedings for a variety of reasons but were able to start them back around 7:00 last night. Unfortunately, by midnight the tube had clogged yet again. Several attempts of the 'tried and true' methods to unclog the tube failed. Just a bit ago, the doctor was able to unclog the tube. Hopefully soon, they will restart his tube feedings [and hopefully it will not clog again! especially once he goes home!].
He will continue on oral liquids as well- juices, coffee, jello, broth and popsicles [although they never have banana flavor which is his favorite].
Despite being VERY TIRED and a few little issues that must continue to be monitored, he is able to 'tolerate' his pain, he gets stronger each day, and his spirits are good.
Thanks for your prayers and support. We are grateful for all the support!
Happy Birthday #15 Courtney!
He will continue on oral liquids as well- juices, coffee, jello, broth and popsicles [although they never have banana flavor which is his favorite].
Despite being VERY TIRED and a few little issues that must continue to be monitored, he is able to 'tolerate' his pain, he gets stronger each day, and his spirits are good.
Thanks for your prayers and support. We are grateful for all the support!
Happy Birthday #15 Courtney!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Glen Update - May 10th - 9:00 PM
Glen was a little tired today and they found that he had some fluid on his lungs. After trying to get rid of excess fluid with lasix, they decided to draw the fluid off his lungs (with a VERY LONG needle). Once they were able to draw the fluid out of his lungs, he is feeling much better.
They are adjusting his tube feeds and his liquids by mouth. They stopped all IV fluids today and have started mentioning the "h word".... (home) even more. They have also changed his pain medications, which he likes better now.
Courtney got to visit her Grandpapa for the first time since the surgery today and she was very excited. Jennifer and Peggy are back at the hotel, I am at home with the girls, and his brother David is staying with him tonight.
Thank you for your continued prayer support. We really appreciate it.
They are adjusting his tube feeds and his liquids by mouth. They stopped all IV fluids today and have started mentioning the "h word".... (home) even more. They have also changed his pain medications, which he likes better now.
Courtney got to visit her Grandpapa for the first time since the surgery today and she was very excited. Jennifer and Peggy are back at the hotel, I am at home with the girls, and his brother David is staying with him tonight.
Thank you for your continued prayer support. We really appreciate it.
Glen Update - May 10th - 9:00 AM
Glen had a good night. We walked the hallway around 11:30 and then he got several hours of sleep through the night.
The doctor came by this morning and decided to increase the amount of tube feeds he is getting to see how he handles that and the goal is to work to his target amount as tolerated. The target amount will be determined later by the nutritionist. The current plan is to try to get him ready to go home in the next few days.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
The doctor came by this morning and decided to increase the amount of tube feeds he is getting to see how he handles that and the goal is to work to his target amount as tolerated. The target amount will be determined later by the nutritionist. The current plan is to try to get him ready to go home in the next few days.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Glen Update - May 9th - 8:00 PM
Glen had his JP tube removed earlier today and then had his chest tube removed tonight right before I got here. They told him to not move much for a few hours and they will monitor and clean the site for a few days while it heals naturally.
He is resting well and hopefully gets some good sleep tonight. He had a busy and productive day.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
He is resting well and hopefully gets some good sleep tonight. He had a busy and productive day.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
Glen update - May 9 - 8:15 am
Glen had a good night. He continues to enjoy his occasional popsicle and ice chips. One of his main doctors left orders to remove his JP tube [the tube that drains the stomach area] sometime today. Another doctor will evaluate later whether or not to remove his chest tube today or tomorrow. Glen looks better each day.
Thanks for your prayers and support!
Thanks for your prayers and support!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Glen Update - May 8th - 9:00 PM
Glen's swallow study had good results today and he was able to enjoy a special treat (a popsicle). They will continue to keep an eye out for leaks, but if everything is still looking good tomorrow, they will remove the chest tube.
I went to WKU today and helped Kelsey move out and she went to the hospital to see her Grandpapa for awhile. Jennifer is staying with Glen once again tonight and I will be staying tomorrow night.
I will update again tomorrow as we get more results.
Thank you for your continued prayers.
I went to WKU today and helped Kelsey move out and she went to the hospital to see her Grandpapa for awhile. Jennifer is staying with Glen once again tonight and I will be staying tomorrow night.
I will update again tomorrow as we get more results.
Thank you for your continued prayers.
Glen update - May 8 - 9:00 am
Under circumstances Glen is doing good. He is tired. Glen will have his swallow study this morning. Praying for an uneventful day and good results from the study. Will update again tonight.
Thanks for your prayers and support!
Thanks for your prayers and support!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Glen update - May 7 - 6:30 pm
Glen had the epidural removed from his back this morning, had a bath, and stood up long enough to shave. He 'passed' another test on his road to recovery. He is still walking the hallways a few times a day and looked good when I went over today to spend some time with him so that Peggy and Judy could eat lunch.
The plan remains to perform a swallow study sometime tomorrow. We are praying for NO leakage.
Jennifer is on her way to the hospital for the night shift so Peggy [and Judy] can rest.
Thanks for the prayers and support. They are felt!
The plan remains to perform a swallow study sometime tomorrow. We are praying for NO leakage.
Jennifer is on her way to the hospital for the night shift so Peggy [and Judy] can rest.
Thanks for the prayers and support. They are felt!
Glen update - May 7 - 9:00 am
Didn't post last night but Peggy said Glen had a good day yesterday. When Jennifer went to stay with him last night, she thought he looked less tired. She said he had a good night last night. He has walked once this morning. They will remove his epideral from his back sometime today.
The doc told Glen to chew gum to help jumpstart his intestinal functions[ pass gas - there is just no delicate way to word that function ...who knew chewing gum might help?].
Peggy and Judy are there now for the day with Glen. Jennifer will return again for the night shift.
God bless!
The doc told Glen to chew gum to help jumpstart his intestinal functions[ pass gas - there is just no delicate way to word that function ...who knew chewing gum might help?].
Peggy and Judy are there now for the day with Glen. Jennifer will return again for the night shift.
God bless!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Glen update - May 6 - 12:30 pm
The current plan is start a fluid by mouth study on Tuesday.
Because Glen is so very tired and still has such a battle ahead of him, the family is respectfully requesting no visitors at this time to maximize his resting time. Thanks for you consideration.... and prayers and support.
Because Glen is so very tired and still has such a battle ahead of him, the family is respectfully requesting no visitors at this time to maximize his resting time. Thanks for you consideration.... and prayers and support.
Glen update - May 6 - 9:30 am
Well, the second round of clogzapper did not work. However, a doctor was finally able to unclog it this morning. So, Glen is now back on his feast of 4 teaspoons of formula per hour into his feeding tube.
He has already walked once today and is now getting cleaned up. He is EXHAUSTED. His pains are very manageable from an intense standpoint....it is now as much as 'After being in a hospital bed for a week and having all my outsides and insides opened, cut and re-arranged, I just ache all over and just can't get in a comfortable position.'. And, just want more than a few minutes or an hour at a time of uninterupted sleep.
Christy has headed back to Jackson to see her little ones who haven't seen her since Monday. Jennifer is going home during the day to see Courtney and rest as she will be back this evening to stay at the hospital with Glen overnight. David will be returning to Winchester to rest. Peggy will be with Glen until Jennifer returns. We are hoping they have a very quiet and uneventful afternoon so that Glen can get some much needed rest and Peggy doesn't have to witness any more trauma. Judy [her sister] will be joining Peggy later in the day and remain with her overnight.
As always, thanks immensely for the prayers and support. God bless you all [or ya'll for our truly southern friends and family]
He has already walked once today and is now getting cleaned up. He is EXHAUSTED. His pains are very manageable from an intense standpoint....it is now as much as 'After being in a hospital bed for a week and having all my outsides and insides opened, cut and re-arranged, I just ache all over and just can't get in a comfortable position.'. And, just want more than a few minutes or an hour at a time of uninterupted sleep.
Christy has headed back to Jackson to see her little ones who haven't seen her since Monday. Jennifer is going home during the day to see Courtney and rest as she will be back this evening to stay at the hospital with Glen overnight. David will be returning to Winchester to rest. Peggy will be with Glen until Jennifer returns. We are hoping they have a very quiet and uneventful afternoon so that Glen can get some much needed rest and Peggy doesn't have to witness any more trauma. Judy [her sister] will be joining Peggy later in the day and remain with her overnight.
As always, thanks immensely for the prayers and support. God bless you all [or ya'll for our truly southern friends and family]
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Glen update -May 5 - 8:15 pm
Glen is now tucked in bed and will hopefully get some much needed rest. He is VERY tired. He walked for a 3rd time and his pain was manageable for the day. In many ways, he had a good day on his path to recovery.
On an unfortunate note, in the late afternoon his J-tube [a surgically inserted feeding tube located on the left side of his belly that is connected into his intestines just past the stomach to receive some nutrition] clogged. The nurses have tried several de-clogging techniques and have tried a medicine called 'clog-zapper' [no kidding...that's the medical term]. But so far, there has been no success in un-clogging his feeding tube. In the next hour or so they will try again with a second round of clog-zapper. If that doesn't work, the doctors will have to decide what to do.
We REALLY need that tube to unclog and not require any additional procedures. David [his brother] returned today and will be spending the night with Glen. An exhausted Peggy and the girls will be returning to the hotel shortly.
Thanks, as always, for the prayers and the support!
On an unfortunate note, in the late afternoon his J-tube [a surgically inserted feeding tube located on the left side of his belly that is connected into his intestines just past the stomach to receive some nutrition] clogged. The nurses have tried several de-clogging techniques and have tried a medicine called 'clog-zapper' [no kidding...that's the medical term]. But so far, there has been no success in un-clogging his feeding tube. In the next hour or so they will try again with a second round of clog-zapper. If that doesn't work, the doctors will have to decide what to do.
We REALLY need that tube to unclog and not require any additional procedures. David [his brother] returned today and will be spending the night with Glen. An exhausted Peggy and the girls will be returning to the hotel shortly.
Thanks, as always, for the prayers and the support!
Glen update - May 5 - 1:30 pm
Glen has had a good morning and early afternoon. He walked for a second time today. He has not used his 'on demand' pain button as frequently today. His strength and alertness gets a little better each day.
The doctor said they were not going to re-insert the nose tube he lost last night. This is great from a 'my nose feels better without it' standpoint for resting. It is not so great from losing the functionality of why the tube was there to start with. Losing the tube does not change the steps in the progression of recovery but does increase the risks of leakage and other complications that could arise as the next steps are taken. But the risk to replace it is much greater.
So for now, we will be grateful for his 'good' hours and take each step as it comes. [And pray for no more choking spells or losing tubes before their usefulness has expired].
Again, we thank you for your prayers and support.
The doctor said they were not going to re-insert the nose tube he lost last night. This is great from a 'my nose feels better without it' standpoint for resting. It is not so great from losing the functionality of why the tube was there to start with. Losing the tube does not change the steps in the progression of recovery but does increase the risks of leakage and other complications that could arise as the next steps are taken. But the risk to replace it is much greater.
So for now, we will be grateful for his 'good' hours and take each step as it comes. [And pray for no more choking spells or losing tubes before their usefulness has expired].
Again, we thank you for your prayers and support.
Glen update-May 5 - 8:15 am
Glen had his best night yet. This morning he has gone for a short walk and had a 'bath'. He is in less pain when resting. He is very alert. We really like and are thankful for the 'good' hours.
Thanks for the prayers and support.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Glen update - May 4 - 9:00 pm
Glen has said that today is a lot more painful day than yesterday. We knew day 3 postop [Day 4 overall] is typically one of the harder days. We were just hoping for an atypical day 3. In addition to the pain, his blood pressure became an area of concern but with additional meds has returned to an acceptable level. Glen got up to walk again this evening but the pain was too much to take any steps. He was helped into the chair next to his bed. And later, he began severely choking after a rough coughing spell which fortunately Peggy was able to immediately get the two nurses who were standing just outside his door discussing his status when the episode occurred. Not long after, Glen was resting in the chair when Peggy noticed his drainage tube in his nose [the one to his stomach which suctions/drains unwanted stomach fluids and keeps an open passage thru his nose thru the esophagus and into the stomach - a very important tube] was no longer in his nose. Instead it was laying in his lap. This tube was not supposed to be removed until at least DAY 5 postop. After a call into the surgeon, they have decided not to put it back tonight. They will re-evaluate the situation in the morning.
On a more positive note: the tube was bothering him immensely and so, at least for the night, he can try to rest without it bothering him. And also another positive note: his eyes are much more alert and able to look directly at you when he talks to you.
Well..it has been an eventful last 3 hours. He is now back in bed resting. We are praying for a very UNeventful night.
Thanks again for all your prayers and support.
On a more positive note: the tube was bothering him immensely and so, at least for the night, he can try to rest without it bothering him. And also another positive note: his eyes are much more alert and able to look directly at you when he talks to you.
Well..it has been an eventful last 3 hours. He is now back in bed resting. We are praying for a very UNeventful night.
Thanks again for all your prayers and support.
Glen Update - May 4 - 5:00 PM
This morning Glen walked around the 'block' on his floor and was awake for a while and carried on conversations with several people. However, this afternoon he was very tired and has restlessly [if that's a word] dozed on and off for the majority of the afternoon although not comfortable sleep.
Still hoping for more 'good' hours than 'bad' hours. Thanks for all the support and prayers.
Still hoping for more 'good' hours than 'bad' hours. Thanks for all the support and prayers.
Glen Update - Day 4 - 9:30 AM
After a rough couple of hours before and during the transition from ICU to a room, Glen finally settled into a room last night. This will allow one of us to be with him all the time instead of going in and out during the day and not being able to see him from 9 PM to 9 AM. Last night, his brother David stayed with him.
Once he got settled in and got some extra doses of pain medicine, he had a relatively good night. This morning, his anesthesiologist increased his continuous doseage of pain medicine.
As each new day begins, we are thankful for not only the large steps, but the small steps as well in his progression toward healing. We are praying that the number of good hours continue to increase and the number of bad hours will decrease. As the pain becomes more manageable, the biggest concern for the next week is possible leakages and infections.
Thank you for your continued prayer support. You can also add travel mercies for me and Courtney to your prayer list as we travel to Sweetwater this afternoon to spend the weekend with my parents and have an early birthday celebration for Courtney with my family.
Once he got settled in and got some extra doses of pain medicine, he had a relatively good night. This morning, his anesthesiologist increased his continuous doseage of pain medicine.
As each new day begins, we are thankful for not only the large steps, but the small steps as well in his progression toward healing. We are praying that the number of good hours continue to increase and the number of bad hours will decrease. As the pain becomes more manageable, the biggest concern for the next week is possible leakages and infections.
Thank you for your continued prayer support. You can also add travel mercies for me and Courtney to your prayer list as we travel to Sweetwater this afternoon to spend the weekend with my parents and have an early birthday celebration for Courtney with my family.
Glen Update - Day 3 - 11:00 PM
Late tonight they decided that they would move Glen to a room. The transfer from the ICU to the room was very taxing on Glen and was rather painful. It is a good thing that he is in a room, but the process took a lot out of him. Hopefully he will sleep well tonight and have a better day tomorrow. It was 11:30 before Peggy and the girls got back to the hotel.
I will update again tomorrow once I get a report on how his night went and how his day is going.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
I will update again tomorrow once I get a report on how his night went and how his day is going.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Glen Update - Day 3 - 5:00 PM
At this point, we are taking it a couple of hours at a time. Glen will have a couple of good hours and then a couple that are not so good. This morning, he had good hours, early afternoon was not so good, and then the mid-afternoon he was back to good hours.
He walked down the hall this afternoon. The nurse said "let's try to make it half way down the hall'...Glen said "can we just go all the way down the hall?"...she said ok...so he went down and back with the nurse on one side and Peggy on the other. One small step for mankind...one giant step for Glen. He had another good hour after that walk.
Still hoping to go to a room sometime today.
He walked down the hall this afternoon. The nurse said "let's try to make it half way down the hall'...Glen said "can we just go all the way down the hall?"...she said ok...so he went down and back with the nurse on one side and Peggy on the other. One small step for mankind...one giant step for Glen. He had another good hour after that walk.
Still hoping to go to a room sometime today.
Glen Update - Day 3 - 12:00 Noon
When Peggy, Jenn, Christy, and Judy got to the hospital this morning, they felt somewhat relieved because they thought Glen looked much better than he did when they left last night. He was struggling pretty hard last night and was in a lot of pain when they had to leave. They knew he was going to have a rough night and they couldn't be with him.
He is still in a lot of pain, but he is working hard at doing whatever he needs to do to make progres... like blowing a spirometer, coughing, standing, etc. He said that he didn't sleep much last night and is still very groggy and sleepy.
The current plan is to move him into a room later today. They plan to get him up and walking 3 times today. He has already stood up once and marched in place and took a few steps forward and backward.
I will update further when I get more information.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
He is still in a lot of pain, but he is working hard at doing whatever he needs to do to make progres... like blowing a spirometer, coughing, standing, etc. He said that he didn't sleep much last night and is still very groggy and sleepy.
The current plan is to move him into a room later today. They plan to get him up and walking 3 times today. He has already stood up once and marched in place and took a few steps forward and backward.
I will update further when I get more information.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Recovery Update - Day 2 - 9:00 PM
They moved Glen from his bed to a reclining chair around noon today. He sat in the chair for a couple of hours and then they moved him to a reclining positino for another 4 hours. Although it was a very painful transition from the bed to the chair, he seemed to rest more comfortably for much of the afternoon. I went by to see him for a few hours this afternoon and he looked good and his blood pressure was very good. The only time he seemed to be in pain was when they asked him to use the spirometer to measure the volume of air in his lungs.
He is back in bed now and there are currently 2 main concerns: 1) He always seems groggy - although he is responding and talks when spoken to (even has his wittyness), he never really "wakes up" and engages in the conversation. 2) PAIN!!!! We knew going into this surgery that it would be a very painful process. Pain management is still an ongoing battle. Although he is still in pain, they are reducing his epidural pain medication in part to wake him up. He may be in for an extremely uncomfortable night.
Since he is still in the ICU, he can't have visitors after 9 PM or before 9 AM tomorrow. The girls are back at the hotel for the night and can check in on him via phone to see how he is doing.
Thank you for your continued prayers. I will update again tomorrow morning.
He is back in bed now and there are currently 2 main concerns: 1) He always seems groggy - although he is responding and talks when spoken to (even has his wittyness), he never really "wakes up" and engages in the conversation. 2) PAIN!!!! We knew going into this surgery that it would be a very painful process. Pain management is still an ongoing battle. Although he is still in pain, they are reducing his epidural pain medication in part to wake him up. He may be in for an extremely uncomfortable night.
Since he is still in the ICU, he can't have visitors after 9 PM or before 9 AM tomorrow. The girls are back at the hotel for the night and can check in on him via phone to see how he is doing.
Thank you for your continued prayers. I will update again tomorrow morning.
Glen's Recovey - Day 2 Update - 11:30 AM
Peggy was exhausted last night after a long day at the hospital. I can speak from experience as to how exhausting it can be just sitting around all day waiting for news and praying that everything will be okay. It is very hard on you physically and mentally.
I am work this morning, but got an update from Jennifer. She said that when they arrived this morning at 9:00, the nurse said that Glen had a restless night with a lot of pain. He had an anxiety attack, which they addressed, but overall was doing well under the circumstances. He is trying to rest in between the moans.
About 10:15 they were told that Glen will be moved to a room later this morning. Peggy and Jennifer talked to the doctor around 11:00 and he decided to keep Glen one more night in the ICU. This is for pain management purposes and to possibly start feeding his J tube (tube that will allow nutrition to go directly to the intestine and skip the esophagus and stomach).
The details of the surgery are as follows: They removed about 60% of his esophagus and about 30% of his stomach. They believe that the removed all the cancer that was in the esophagus. The biggest risk for the next week is potential leakage where they re-attached the esophagus and stomach.
They also removed 2 cancerous lymph nodes to test to determine what type of lymphoma cancer he has and to know what type of chemo to use to battle it once he has recovered from this surgery.
Thank you for your continued prayer support. The entire family appreciates your support.
I am work this morning, but got an update from Jennifer. She said that when they arrived this morning at 9:00, the nurse said that Glen had a restless night with a lot of pain. He had an anxiety attack, which they addressed, but overall was doing well under the circumstances. He is trying to rest in between the moans.
About 10:15 they were told that Glen will be moved to a room later this morning. Peggy and Jennifer talked to the doctor around 11:00 and he decided to keep Glen one more night in the ICU. This is for pain management purposes and to possibly start feeding his J tube (tube that will allow nutrition to go directly to the intestine and skip the esophagus and stomach).
The details of the surgery are as follows: They removed about 60% of his esophagus and about 30% of his stomach. They believe that the removed all the cancer that was in the esophagus. The biggest risk for the next week is potential leakage where they re-attached the esophagus and stomach.
They also removed 2 cancerous lymph nodes to test to determine what type of lymphoma cancer he has and to know what type of chemo to use to battle it once he has recovered from this surgery.
Thank you for your continued prayer support. The entire family appreciates your support.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Recovery Update - 9:00 PM
Jennifer called after they saw Glen tonight and said that his blood pressure has come down enough that they can give him more pain medicine. He also appears to be resting a little better and if things go well during the night, he could move to a room tomorrow. He will stay in the ICU tonight so the girls are staying at the hotel and will get to go back in to see him again tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM.
I will update again tomorrow once I hear an update. I will be taking Courtney to school and then possibly going into work for a few hours and then head to the hospital.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
I will update again tomorrow once I hear an update. I will be taking Courtney to school and then possibly going into work for a few hours and then head to the hospital.
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
Recovery Update - 6:00 PM
I left the hospital to pick up Courtney from school and I am at home now. Glen has been moved to the ICU and they have been able to see him now. He is still in a lot of pain and has some issues with blood pressure, but he is conscious and able to answer questions. Jennifer says that he is talking a lot in between his moans.
They are going back 2 at a time to see him until 6:00, then go get something to eat and then get to go back in and see him between 8 & 9.
If I get more information later, I will update here.
Please continue your prayers for Glen, Peggy, Jenn, & Christy.
They are going back 2 at a time to see him until 6:00, then go get something to eat and then get to go back in and see him between 8 & 9.
If I get more information later, I will update here.
Please continue your prayers for Glen, Peggy, Jenn, & Christy.
Surgery Update - 3:00 PM
Glen is out of surgery now and in the Recovery room. He is awake, but they are working on getting his pain under control. We have not spoken with a doctor yet. I will update again once we have spoken with the doctor or find out anything further.
Thank you for your continued prayers that they can control his pain and for God's continued peace and comfort for Glen and the family during the recovery process.
Thank you for your continued prayers that they can control his pain and for God's continued peace and comfort for Glen and the family during the recovery process.
Surgery Update - 11:30
We got an update from the surgeon at 11:30 and he told us that Glen is doing fine. We knew that the surgeon would have to wait until the surgery started to determine which procedure he would do. We were hoping for Option 1, but they will have to do the more completed procedure. The surgery will last another hour or two because they will have to re-position him to go in from the chest rather than from the side.
While they were deciding which procedure to do, they removed a lymph node to be biopsied again to determine exactly what type of lymphoma he has. That will be treated in about 8 weeks.
I will update again once I know more. Thank you for your continued prayers.
While they were deciding which procedure to do, they removed a lymph node to be biopsied again to determine exactly what type of lymphoma he has. That will be treated in about 8 weeks.
I will update again once I know more. Thank you for your continued prayers.
Glen has been taken back for surgery
We just left seeing Glen before they took him back for surgery at 9:10 AM. It should be at least 2 hours and I will update as we get more information.
Morning Surgery Update
Jennifer and I picked up Glen, Peggy, & Christy this morning at 5:40 and dropped them off at the door and parked. By the time we came in from the parking lot, they had already taken Glen back to start the preparations. It is almost 9:00 now and we have gotten to see him several times, but they have not taken him to the operating room yet.
We had to leave the room while they put in an arterial line and again when they put in an epidural. They should be taking him about within the next 30 minutes or so. They expect the surgery to last at least 2 hours, so I will update as we find out more information.
Please continue to keep him and the family in your prayers.
We had to leave the room while they put in an arterial line and again when they put in an epidural. They should be taking him about within the next 30 minutes or so. They expect the surgery to last at least 2 hours, so I will update as we find out more information.
Please continue to keep him and the family in your prayers.
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