How
is she doing?
Thank you for stopping by
to check on Joann. We hope that this page is useful and we will try to keep it as
up-to-date as possible. Check back here tomorrow for the picnic, tomorrow, at 4:00 PM, in
Albany's Washington Park. A map will be included. All are welcome -- Joann, of course,
will not be able to leave the hospital, but she might be able to see you from the lounge
window. How it started
| Baby Larissa | Jim | Blacky
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How she
is: As you know by now, Joann is at Albany Medical Center with a large, inoperable, cancerous tumor in her right lung. She is also 27 weeks pregnant. This has greatly complicated her treatment. Her doctors, Stephen H. Grund, MD, PhD, Oncology, and Marla S. Eglowstein, MD, Perinatology, have researched and consulted with colleagues around the country to design a treatment program that has started Joann on a road to recovery and is safe for her baby Larissa. Joann had her first chemotherapy on Wednesday. Overnight Wednesday/Thursday, her blood oxygen level dropped to 90%,and she began receiving supplemental oxygen early in the morning. Last night the blood oxygen level was back up to 98% at one reading, which is great! Joann has gained over 2 lbs. since her admission on Monday, so she is definitely doing her job to grow Larissa. Joann had visits from her sisters, Judy Ives Barba, Janet Ives Angelis, and Ginny Ives Bishop, friends Michael and Anita Shamansky, Mike Waskew, and Pam and Georges Casimir, and phone calls from brother and sister-in-law, Jeff and Lynn Ives, godson Ethan Minor Ives, brother Jon Ives, Ed & Elena Shaughnessy (from Verona, Italy), Marie Shaughnessy, Mary Frances Shaughnessy, and others. Jim visited, too. Look back at the July 1 edition for more information about the chemotherapy treatment.
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About baby Larissa: Mommy was noticably bigger yesterday, and Daddy could feel Larissa bumping the front of Mommy's belly. Actually, Larissa's heartbeat has been so consistently strong that Dr. Eglowstein and the Obstetrics staff decided to reduce the fetal monitoring from once-a-shift to once-a-day. The means Mommy doesn't have to be awakened as many times at night. Mommy and Daddy are going to visit the nursery this afternoon. Mommy is also going to see to it that Daddy finds out how old Larissa really is. He keeps overstating her age, and that is no way to treat a young lady.
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What about Jim?  Well, Joann doesn't have a computer at the hospital yet, so Jim has a little bit of time to get straightened around. Check back here in a few days to see how he is doing.
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And Blacky? Blacky misses Mommy, but he is being very good about it. So far he has chewed up only one of Aunt Judy's Rubbermaid food containers. He slept on Mommy and Daddy's bed last night.
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| How to reach Joann: She is going to be moving around, so check here for latest information. mail: visiting: phone: How to reach Larissa: How to reach Jim: mail: Ives & Shaughnessy 318 Wall Street, Suite 2A Kingston, NY 12401 visiting: phone:
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