How
is she doing?
The Official Joann Ives Bulletin
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Updated 11-23-98 |
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Thank you for stopping by to check on
Joann. This is the page with all of the news for November, 1998. Click on the above link
to the Previous Edition for all of the news for October, 1998, or go to the archives for any of the earlier editions. |
|  November 23, 1998
 The plan today
is that we go to Nantucket for Thanksgiving! It has been an off again-on again situation.
We are instituting a new feature today - a Photos
with Larissa gallery. Ed Shaughnessy visited
this weekend. His wife, Elena Valussi, has been in China since September. We want her to
be able to see a picture of her hubby. We have had other inquiries about when pictures are
going to be on the web, so we are instituting a permanent collection.
We hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving. |
| November 20, 1998
Joann has been taking care of her cold and taking care of Larissa. She feels former task
is going reasonably well and the latter task is going exceptionally well. Plans for the
weekend are a lot of rest. If we are able to make the trip to Nantucket for Thanksgiving,
Tuesday is going to be a very long day and there won't be a lot of opportunity for
comfortable napping. So, we all have to be well rested and in good health for the trip.
Larissa has been playing a lot with her hanging toys, and she does hold her polka dot
rattle. She smiles as she is playing and particular likes the toy with the mirror on the
bottom. Last night she slept from 01:00 to 07:00, and three nights ago, from 23:30 to
06:00. Her nighttime sleeping is definitely getting longer. |
| November 17, 1998
 There is
not a lot of news today, but there is a new photo. That makes a good excuse for an update.
Joann is feeling better than over the weekend. She has been very busy, the last two
days, actually. Soups and corn bread, and other good things in the kitchen, and lots of
time with Larissa.
Larissa doesn't look much like a preemie anymore. She has the chubby cheeks of a
robust, full-term baby. She definitely has no problems with her eating.
She is starting to smile as she plays with her toys. She'll be a very lucky girl if she
grows up to have her Mommy's smile. Actually, we'll all be lucky if that happens! Daddy
will be especially lucky, as he'll have beautiful big smiles and beautiful little smiles
to enjoy. |
| November 16, 1998
 Joann rested over
the weekend. The chemotherapy causes a lot of achiness, and there are still lingering
effects from the cold.
Jennifer Giordano stayed over on Friday and Sunday nights. Judy and Jim
Barba visited on Saturday afternoon. Jim is recovering well from his prostate cancer
surgery. Aunt Judy tried to hold the rattle, but Larissa grabbed it so she could hold it
herself!
Mary Frances prepared dinner on both Saturday and Sunday evening. Many thanks.
The ribs on Sunday night were cooked to perfection, when Blacky decided to bolt out the
back door. Delay of dinner. Rosmarie made a cake and custard.
Janet Angelis came down on Friday and cleaned the hosta garden.
Helena Phillips took Larissa for a long walk on Sunday afternoon, visiting
Forsyth Park and Anyone Can Whistle in Uptown Kingston.
And since this seems to have developed into a list of people who have helped out, we
don't want to forget Anita Shamansky and Joan Singer, who regularly sit with
Larissa while Joann naps in the afternoon, or Cindy Pascaretti who twice a week
does laundry and ironing. |
| November 13, 1998
Joann tolerated her chemotherapy well yesterday. This morning, she felt that she finally
has her cold beat. We are hoping that she doesn't have the severe intestinal side effects
that she had during her last cycle.
Larissa slept from midnight to 6:30 am this morning. Yeah! This is a repeat performance
from last Saturday night. Daddy is hoping she keeps progressing right along that path. |
November 11, 1998
 
The photos are from Saturday, November 7. Larissa had a visit from her cousin, Ethan
Minor Ives, who brought along his parents, Jeff (Joann's brother) and Lynn.
We hadn't seen them since the picnic on August 1 in Albany's Washington Park. You might
recognize that Larissa is wearing her Parisian outfit.
Joann is much perkier today and in good spirits. We go to Albany Medical Center
tomorrow for the next round of chemotherapy. |
| November 9, 1998
Today's news is that Joann is feeling much better, the same as last Monday. In between,
her cold actually didn't go away, and she had several not-so-great days. Today, though,
she is very perky.
It seems that time is going by very quickly. Thurday, November 12, will be the
beginning of the next chemotherapy cycle, the sixth round of Taxol and carboplatin. We are
hoping that the side effects are less severe than the last cycle, and we definitely want
to avoid colds.
Larissa had an appointment with Dr. Appel on Friday, 11/6, and she had her polio
nad hepatitus B vaccinations. She continues to do extremely well and is becoming much more
interested in her surroundings. She is starting to hold her head steady, and pushes and
pulls (and occasionally punches) the bell and caterpillar hanging overhead.
On Saturday night, she slept from midnight to 6:30 am. Mommy and Daddy think this is a
very nice feat and hope she repeats it often! |
| November 2, 1998
 Joann is
feeling much better. The side effects from the chemo therapy on October 22 are greatly
diminished, and she is almost recovered from a cold. Last week was not a pleasant week.
She was able to spend some time with Larissa over the weekend. It's no fun not being able
to take care of your baby.
Larissa is eating, eating, eating, and occasionally sleeping. She is over 9 lbs!
Jennifer Giordano (Joann's niece) slept (actually, not much!) over on Saturday
and Sunday and took care of all of the nighttime feeds. That was a tremendous help. Joann
and Jim both got two nights of really good rest. Thanks, Jen.
Mary Frances (Jim's sister) helped out with Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween, and
prepared a steak dinner. Yummy! |
| 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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