Friday

Justin worked everyday this week and I'm sure that he is worn out....5 working days.
It is 5 1/2 weeks since the tumor surgery and he was told he needed about 6 weeks at home before returning to work and 2 to 3 months to recoup. He had his first swallow/ speech therapy today. It was mainly an introductory meeting. He will actually begin the therapy next week; going 2 days a week for about 5 weeks.

Brenlee will be 1 year old in just a few weeks; her birthday is April 10!

Tuesday

Bill and I feel that Justin is beginning to gain a little steam! Small steps, small steps! He has been to work for 2 days now. He went for a haircut today and a swallow test. Although he did not pass the swallow test, he was given more information and there is now a plan of things to work on. The first day of therapy will be Friday. Justin told Bill that he is beginning to feel like his old self, with no dizziness, etc and he is beginning to manage the feeding tube a little better. We thank God for the small steps. We are praying that his nerves heal/are retrained and that Justin grows stronger mentally and physically.

Thank you to all that have us on their prayer lists. Thank you for your friendship and support!

Monday

The weekend was rather calm for Justin, thankfully. Justin still needs the down time to recover and heal. His body is weak and I know that the working week will be difficult. He is back at work this morning and will try to make the week. Last week was kind of every other day, making as many days as he could. Amanda will be making him a few doctor appointments for this week. He needs to go back to the gastro doc to have a stitch put back in his feeding tube, to a swallow test at the hospital, and to the speech therapist. That in itself is a full week of activity for him.

Bill and I had several parties to attend. Friday night was Kathryn Biegel's engagement party. It was wonderful and I'm hoping to get a few pictures. I attended a bridal shower/luncheon for Lyndsay Olim on Sunday that was delightful. I took just a few pictures--enjoy! In between, we hung out with the Marbles for dinner and relaxing in the hot tub. Mary joined us one evening-YEA! It was a relaxing time for us to be with friends/loved ones. Thanks you guys!

Friday

Mary brought a large group of daffodils over and it was just what the doctor ordered! They are beautiful and I've enjoyed them immensely each and every day.

Justin was very tired this morning, which always makes a mom worry. I am trying to calm down and not worry so much! Easier said than done. Justin is disappointed that the procedures last week are not showing much helpfulness. He and Bill are on their way to the doctor for the follow up visit.

He is to begin therapy next week. He did mention that his head is beginning to feel somewhat normal; he is feeling better in that respect. I guess that is our one step forward for this week. I know that he will feel so much better when he feels some small steps forward with the voice and swallow.

This was an extreme surgery and will be a lengthy rehab process. We appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers that each of you are sending our way.

***Doctor visit went well. He saw some progress with the vocal cords and throat. There will be a test done to see how much therapy to begin.

Thursday

Justin worked a full day today! I'm sure that he is exhausted when he arrives home, but it is refreshing for him (and us) to see him make this progress. Tomorrow, he and Bill will leave at noon to go to his doctor appt.

Brenlee was doing fine today. She did not come to my house, but Amanda indicated she was doing great.

Wednesday

Justin completely amazes me! He is so strong and insightful. Tuesday evening was very rough as he aspirated greatly and had an extremely rough night. It was so rough on him that he did not go to work on Wednesday. We were in communication with him all day. Bill was in and out during the day. Wednesday evening, Bill went over to spend some time and planned to spend the night. After several hours, Justin sent his dad home. He is confident and wants our support, but is constantly reassuring us! It has been an amazing month of ups and downs, yet love abounds! It has been one step forward and three steps back and yet, Justin has a smile on his face and is totally hanging in there. Bill and J will go to the doctor on Friday and we are anxious to hear more information about voice and swallowing. I will keep you posted.

Brenlee ran a fever during the night and had a runny nose. She did not have a fever during the day Wednesday and seemed to feel better as the day progressed. We wanted to go to Justin's, but did not want to spread our germs.

Please continue to pray for small steps forward for Justin.

Tuesday

Justin is at work today. He worked 1/2 day yesterday with afternoon doctors appointments. He was at the office first thing this morning., trying to get back on schedule, and build strength.

As for Justin's voice, we expected it to be back pretty much like normal. I'm not sure if we are wanting too much or what. When he first had the surgery on the windpipe in Memphis, he was sitting up talking to us on the gurney. He was so excited to have his voice back. We were impressed that it sounded like Justin. But when the swelling went down, the voice was gone to a whisper. Bill was with J last night and said that he talked up a storm! I know that his voice is not completely back, but Bill indicates that it is a little stronger. He sees the voice doc on Friday and should be released for speech and swallow therapy next week. We will see what the new plan is...or whether the speech will help, etc.

Brenlee & Amanda woke me up this morning! I had worried about Justin's feeding tube the night before, so last night I was really zonked out. I still pray that with each day we take a step forward.

Monday

Justin worked 1/2 day today. He had a 12:30 appt with the gastro doc. The doctor indicated that everything was looking good and seemed to be operating properly. He gave Justin some info that was helpful. Justin will do a follow-up x ray to see how things are operating on the inside. He then headed home for a nap as it had been a full day.

***Bill visited for a couple of hours. Justin's 5pm scan seemed to be fine. We will wait to hear from the doctor tomorrow or later this week.

We are so thankful for each small step.

Sunday

Each day is an adventure! Today, Justin is having problems with his feeding tube. I will be so relieved when he has it looked at by a gastro doc tomorrow.

I will keep you posted and it will probably be an afternoon appointment.

Friday, another day of hopefulness

We are being patient and waiting. It is another day of hopefulness; so much to be hopeful for! Justin is not to talk for 24 hrs which will be most of the day today. Then, he really should rest his throat and voice for another 3-4 days. Next week should give a good glimpse into his progress. The procedure was a temporary fix as the meds will dissipate through time, about 6 months--I think. But this will give Justin's throat a chance to work out and have therapy. Through time, various nerves and muscles will kick in and take over, working harder, etc. After six months, there are some procedures Justin could chose to do that would be more permanent...that is a decision down the road. For now, it is time to heal and begin the rehab process. God is good! We are thankful for so many things!

***OK--so I thought we were going to have to call 911....not for Justin, but for me! I had worried about Justin because they had done work on his throat yesterday. So, around 11 am I began to email and text him. I did not hear back. By 12:30, I was a total mess! I went to his house and he did not answer the front door, I went to the back door, and when he finally answered I wanted to cry a river! I was so happy to see him! He had slept in because he stayed up late watching movies and it was dark, rainy outside, etc. In fact, he looked great! Although he has lost weight (about 25 lbs), he looked stronger! He is still not to talk, but what an improvement I see in him since I was with him 2 days ago! Bill has spent the past 2 days with him at the doctor's office.

Thursday

Today is another important day for Justin! He and Bill are at the medical center where Justin is having a few procedures. The procedures should help him to begin the process of swallow and voice. He will begin therapy in 2 weeks after the healing from these 2 items.
We are thinking positive thoughts and praying for Justin to continue to move forward in the healing process.

Bren is growing like a weed! She is now 11 months old, crawling all over and full of personality! Next month is her first birthday---it is hard to believe that an entire year has passed!

Have a great day!

****Just got a call from Bill at 12:15 and Justin has not had the procedure yet. He is at the end of the line and waiting his turn.

****1:20 Just hung up from talking with Bill. Justin has completed the surgical procedure and the doc feels things went well. He is not to talk for at least 24 hours. He will be resting his voice and throat for a few days.

Wednesday

Justin and Bill went to a doc a few weeks back that said he could help Justin get his voice back. Justin really wants a stronger voice so he can not only get back to the office, but talk confidently on the phone, etc., conducting business in a professional manner.

Evidently due to the swelling in his throat when the vocal cord surgery was performed, the prosthesis is not located exactly where it should be. If it had been exactly right, Justin's voice would be good. Due to swelling during procedure and reduction of swelling after procedure, it is not quite in the correct place. It evidently is not easy to get it just right and sometimes takes a little "tweaking".

Today, they have a pre-op appointment. Tomorrow will be the procedure. I'm not sure of any of the details. They will be finding out things today.

We hope you will join us in praying for Justin to gain strength and confidence in his voice!

Tuesday

Thanks again to all of Justin's friends that went by over the weekend!

He needs visitors, but it is a balancing act as he gets weak quickly. He, also, has peaks and valleys. Like Sunday night, he had a rough night and was somewhat weak on Monday. Monday night seemed to be better.

We continue to pray that Justin will regain his voice and swallowing. He will begin therapy soon on both.

Whew, what a weekend!

What was I thinking when I wrote...Friday was a day of rest????

That was just the beginning of a fun filled weekend!

Friday was spent in San Antonio and Canyon Lake. I had dinner with the birthday girl, Grace--Mary Reininger's granddaughter.

Saturday, we worked on our house (inside & out), visited Justin, and had dinner with Dawn & Mike. We had talked about going to gamble with Beth & Larry, but were unable to get ahold of them Saturday night when we got home. Justin had a lot of company this past weekend. His boss went by one evening and high school/college friends were in and out Saturday and Sunday. Brenlee, also, made her way by to visit. He is still very weak. Some moments he looks great and other moments he looks exhausted. They say that it will take lots of time!

So, Sunday morning I headed to church. Yes, I attended 2 services! I did not turn my clock forward and hit the end of the first service and stayed for the entire second service. When I got home, we decided that we would go gamble. So, about noon we headed for Lake Charles. What were we thinking!?! I told Kay that we were going. So, Kay and a friend showed up! We all had fun with Kay and MC breaking about even. Everyone in our truck--Bill, Sherrie, Beth, and Larry went home winners! WooHoo!!

Friday, a day of rest

Today was a day of rest....well, a little bit! I got up early, picked up my friend Mary, and drove to San Antonio. It was her granddaughter's birthday. The party will be next weekend, but today was her actual birthday and a sweetheart she is! Gracie loves SeaWorld. So, Mary, Tiff, and Gracie went to spend the day with Shamoo and I headed over to the lakehouse at Canyon Lake.

I did deal with 2 very important issues....one was some doctor's appointments for Justin and the other was a double billing issue. Other than that, I rested and relaxed at the lake. I visited with a high school friend-Terry, visited with Bill and Fanchen, Fanchen & I looked at a new house that is being built, and wandered about in the golf cart. I watered the lemon trees, the pecan trees, and ran the vacuum. Other than that, I just appreciated the beautiful hill country views!

It was a nice day! But I'm delighted to be back home, have plenty to do this weekend and hope to spend a little time with Justin and a little time with Brenlee.
I hope that you get to spend some quality time with your family, too! Love to all-

Thursday

Yesterday, Bill & Justin met with a laryngologist that works with opera singers, etc. He is in the medical center and evidently worked on Barbara Streisand and some other famous singers.

It was a very interesting visit and he feels that he can get Justin's voice back in shape. He is going to work with the doctor in Memphis to come up with the best plan. He feels that Justin needs to get on the therapy as soon as possible for the swallowing and has a plan for that, as well. I have been in touch with a speech center this morning to get things going.

It is early out from the surgery, being 2 weeks from major removal of tumor and less than 2 weeks from vocal cord surgery. There is still healing going on. Justin is plugging along, staying at his own place.

Continued prayers are welcome as Justin begins a difficult journey of rehab.

PS--I want to make sure that everyone understands that there were 2 tumors. They were benign. The largest one was removed and the smaller one will be eradicated with one shot of radiation, gamma knife radiation.

Wednesday

One of the toughest things for Justin to adjust to is the fact that his voice, right now, is not loud or is somewhat of a whisper. He and Bill are going today to a laryngologist at the medical center to begin working on his voice and swallowing.

I know that we have asked for a lot lately, but continued prayers for this long process are still needed. God is good and we feel very blessed--there is so much to be thankful for! There will, also, be a long road to recovery.

Many of you have asked what you could do for Justin...maybe cards of encouragement, hope, etc. or movie DVDs...I don't know...I don't think that flowers, food, drink, etc. would be on Justin's list. Anyway, I'm going to give you his address and let you take it from there....

19022 Woodglen Dr.
Houston, TX 77084

Tuesday

Justin got settled in last night and I know that it felt great to be in his own home and in his own bed. The swallowing and speaking have not returned to the level we want, but we do want for so much these days. He is still very weak, but I know he was delighted to see his dog and his precious niece, Brenlee.

God is good and has a healing hand! Please continue to pray for Justin during his rehab. It is such an important time for him. Justin has an appointment with the ENT today to get a referral for the therapy.

Although Justin has his phone with him, I don't think he is too excited about talking...as his voice is weak. He does read the messages and I'm sure enjoys the interaction with his friends and family.

Thanks again to everyone! We love you all....

Monday

The boys have left Memphis! They are on the road today and I'm not sure when they will be rolling into Katy. Amanda and I are guessing that it will be after 5pm.
I'm not sure how he is feeling, but I'm sure getting home should put a little zip into his steps.

Justin has an appointment with the ENT on Tuesday and would like to get started as soon as possible on the swallowing/speaking therapy. It has been amazing to have so many people praying for him! Thanks to everyone for keeping Justin on your mind and taking the time to pray for his recovery and rehabilitation!

Sunday

It has been 14 days since we arrived in Memphis! It has been 12 days since the 1st surgery and 8 days since the second surgery. It is amazing how your life begins to revolve around certain days! We know that this will be a slow process and are counting on family and friends to continue praying for Justin throughout his rehabilitation.

GREAT NEWS..................The great news is that it appears Justin will be released at noon today. We are hoping and praying that he is strong and ready to go it on his own and grow even stronger here in Texas. YIPPEE! We are so excited that this day has finally arrived!

***7pm Just spoke with Bill & Justin on the phone. They will head for Texas first thing tomorrow morning! YEA! They plan to leave early and it will be a long drive, but I can't wait to see them and get them both back home.