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 this page is useful, and we will try to keep it as up-to-date as possible. Since Joann is much more mobile these days, we ask that anyone intending to visit please contact Joann or Jim ahead of time. When he returns from vacation, Lowell Thing will be taking over as
editor of this page. |
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How she is: Your thoughts and prayers have been working! Joann had an appointment with Dr. Grund yesterday, and his chief comment is that Joann's improvement has been "fantastic." He had been on vacation for a week, and was very surprised and pleased to find that Joann had been discharged while he was away. Jim thinks that Joann's progress is approaching the miracle category, and we can talk more confidently about the next chemotherapy treatment, and dietary complements to the chemotherapy. The bone scan did show some "hot spots" in Joann's ribs and right thigh, and we had a x-ray taken of the right thigh and hip to see if there has been extensive structural damage to the bone. We may do radiation therapy there. Joann's red blood cell count is low, which may be why she feels tired and anemic. Dr. Grund also said that the lung tumor will never be a candidate for surgery, although Joann may be a good candidate for clinical trials. Joann and Jim will continue to stay at the Ronald McDonald House of Albany, a few blocks from Albany Medical Center, so they can be near Larissa until she is transferred. Russ and Dana visited from Austin on Saturday, and we enjoyed seeing them. Joann met her mountain goat, Two Winds. Joann and Jim drove to Kingston for a short visit home on Sunday. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were a bit disheveled, and the house was musty from being closed during the hot humid weather, but we got that under control and the trip was a success.
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About baby Larissa: She is doing very well. Daddy decorated her isolette with a piece of the wallpaper border that will be in her room at home. The incidents of apnea are much reduced. She had one brief event last night; that was the fist since Saturday evening. He weight today is 2 lb. 15 oz (1335 gm). Tomorrow she may be in the threes! She will be ready to move out of the intensive care nursery very soon. Her attending physician, Dr. Joaquim Pinheiro, told Daddy that in the terminalogy on advanced neonatology medicine, Larissa has reached the "feed and grow" stage. ;-) We will archive email to Larissa at larissa@iswis.com
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What about Jim? Jim is learning where to shop in Albany. He is also trying very hard to learn to segment and organize his time. Larissa's feeding takes an hour, and she starts a feed every 4 hours. Diaper changes, etc. fall into the remaining 3-hour intervals. The drive to Kingston takes an hour. These are good problems to have, though. As frequent visitors to this site know, the interval between editions has increased. The situations all seem relatively stable, and in an upward trend, and there is a lot to do to get ready for our return home. Jim asks that you continue your prayers and positive thoughts. We can see a light ahead - the tunnel seems to be still long. Thanks to all.
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And Blacky? Blacky is still out at the farm on Spillway Road where Jim's sister Rosmarie is taking good care of him. Thanks Rosmarie.
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