How
is she doing?
How
it started | How she is | Baby
Larissa | Jim | Blacky
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. Sunday was a quiet day for Joann. Jim was the only visitor -- he spent the afternoon and evening with Joann, and they watched the Albany fireworks, visible over the skyline of Empire State Plaze from the window in Joann's room. Monday was very hectic and in some ways stressful. Joann moved to the Ob-Gyn floor (D6), and she had to make sure that the phone and TV accounts were changed and meet a new nursing team. Jim wasn't able to get there until 7:30 in the evening, but he was able to stay until after 10:00 PM. The Ob-Gyn staff wants to make sure that Joann has a stable consistent care plan and that attitude is very reassuring. Joann will be allowed off the floor, with oxygen and in a wheelchair, and accompanied by staff or a family member. So guess what -- Blacky is going to visit her on Tuesday evening. Jim has an appointment with his opthalmoligist, on Tuesday afternoon, and his eyes will be dilated, and he'll have to wear dark glasses and will undoubtedly need a guide dog to find his way to the front door of Building D, and he thinks that Blacky can handle it. There will probably be some pictures here tomorrow morning. Photo gallery from Saturday's visitors and family picnic. Joann is not restricted as to visitors, and she would really enjoy seeing you. However, Jim asks that you keep visits brief so as not to tire her, and please don't visit if you have a cold or infection, because her white blood cell count is lower from the chemotherapy. She would also enjoy a card or note whenever you find the time. We have a list of interesting things to do and good places to eat around Albany, so that you'll enjoy your trip even more. Click here for a map and directions to the hospital from Exit 23 of the
Thruway.
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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, July 1. Overnight Wednesday/Thursday, her blood oxygen level dropped to 90%,and she began receiving supplemental oxygen early that morning. Now that she is in the Ob-Gyn ward, Larissa will be monitored much more closely. The medical and nursing staff is working very hard to make sure that everyone understands the special issues involved with Joann's condition, and developing contingency plans for every possible situation. On Monday night, Friendly's made a special request coffee ice cream float with coffee soda. Jim hopes that it was a good as the one's that Clo made for Joann when she was a little girl. Look back at the July 1 edition for more information about the chemotherapy treatment.
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About baby Larissa: Mommy is noticably bigger, and Daddy can 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 visited the neonatal nursery on Friday, July 3. Daddy will try to publish some more news about that.
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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. Rosmarie was unable to go to the picnic yesterday because of the retail operation at Smoky Mountain Garden Art, but she came in after closing and gave Blacky a long walk and played with him. Daddy brushed him this morning, and he's going to go out to the farm and see Lilly and the cats. He should sleep well tonight!
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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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