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Post by quincannon on Dec 9, 2022 2:55:51 GMT
First: Ian I have no personal differences with you. NONE AT ALL.
Second: Thank you for your kind thoughts.
Third: She had the last rights administered this afternoon so if the worst does happen and the doctors say 50/50 at this point, she is right with God and fully prepared, as am I.
She has at least three blood clots causing all of this. The one most concerning is one in her lungs which flaired up her existing disease of pulmonary fibrosis, for which there is no cure, nor corrective operation, only management and is eventually fatal. It is basically the same disease many of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan suffered from as the result of burn pits
She is in an Army Hospital at present but is being transported tonight to a Catholic civilian hospital here in town where they are better equipped to handle her care which will probably be an extended period. The thing that amazed me was the final diagnosis was reached by a teleconference between Army hospitals at Fort Sam Houston Texas, Fort Lewis Washington, Tripler Army in Hawaii, Walter Reed, in Maryland, and the Naval Hospital in San Diego, California
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mac
Brigadier General
Posts: 1,790
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Post by mac on Dec 9, 2022 8:01:08 GMT
Thoughts and prayers with you both Chuck.
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Post by quincannon on Dec 9, 2022 15:40:20 GMT
Thanks Mac. She still has a lot of fight in her and we intend to win. Never give up. NEVER.
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Post by Elwood on Dec 9, 2022 18:40:53 GMT
My best too Sir. Sending out postive waves.
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Post by quincannon on Dec 10, 2022 5:54:22 GMT
I can use those positive waves right now Elwood. She is presently on the critical list, but her breathing is stabilized, and she is getting some rest, although rest in a hospital environment is a distant relative to real rest. Her doctors are hopeful that she can be released in about two weeks, if all goes well. The respite will only temporary though. We will deal with this, as together we deal with everything, on step, one day, one week, at a time, but together. You ain't beat until your beat.
There is a bright note though. Every year about this time for the last thirty five years she has asked me what I want for Christmas. My answer every year is that I really need some socks. She comes back with I'm not buying you any damned socks for Christmas, now what do you want for Christmas. Today, because she could not shop for Christmas, I bought myself a six pack of really nice socks, and placed them under the tree. I'm finally going to get the socks I have wanted for Christmas for thirty five years.
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mac
Brigadier General
Posts: 1,790
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Post by mac on Dec 10, 2022 10:45:48 GMT
You are two of my favorite people!
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colt45
First Lieutenant
Posts: 439
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Post by colt45 on Dec 10, 2022 16:13:51 GMT
Chuck, I'm so sorry to hear about Joan. My best wishes to you and her.
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Post by Elwood on Dec 10, 2022 18:15:23 GMT
I can use those positive waves right now Elwood. More coming. Glad to see you've got the sock situation under control tho. Can't have too many good quality socks I've found. Like pocket knives or flashlights.
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Post by yanmacca on Dec 10, 2022 18:54:13 GMT
I get socks in with my prezzies every year, even if I need them or not.
I hope she gets home for Christmas and rests up in her own home.
All the best to both of you.
Ian
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Post by quincannon on Dec 11, 2022 8:08:34 GMT
Yes Elwood, you cannot have too many good quality socks. Socks for an Infantryman are next in importance only to your rifle. Maybe next year I can ask for a new flashlight so as to make use of those fifty or so batteries she has been storing in our refrigerator for those same thirty five years.
About 4:00 PM yesterday she had been sitting up in a chair for about half an hour, and was placed back in bed she was having a very hard time breathing, and was very tired. Last night about 8:00 PM she called, and her voice sounded quite strong. She told me that over the last few days she did not care if she lived or died. Now she said she wants to live and proceeded to give me a laundry list of items to bring to her today, including a Christmas Tree, not a real one but one we have had for years. It is one of those Thomas Kincaid ceramic things, that you plug in and it lights up. You probably have all seen them if you order as many books as I do. The Franklin Mint must make a fortune on them. Some of her fire fighters were also in to visit after I left, and knowing those guys as I do, they would raise the morale of even the Midshipmen of the Naval Academy after Army beat them in overtime yesterday. Go Army. I don't think that the "get back on your feet" card from Governor Polis that came in yesterday's mail hurt either. All this is a very good sign that the positive beats the crap out of the negative every time.
I hope she is home by Christmas too Ian, but for us home is where we two are together, wherever that may be. Funny thing about that same hospital on Christmas. Both of us made that our home one year. For many years Joan was a volunteer chaplain at this same hospital. A few days before Christmas that year we had a small plane crash on the grounds of our airport. Two were killed, one badly injured. Joan was on duty that afternoon and administered to the badly injured man. On Christmas we were supposed to join some friends for dinner and some holiday celebration. On the way she said do you mind if we stop by the hospital and see how this man was doing. We did, and she walked in just as a shooting victim was brought in, who technically was alive, but for all intents and purposed deceased. She spent the rest of Christmas, and into Saint Stephens Day (Boxing Day for you Ian) administering to the woman's family, and I carried one hell of a lot of coffee and sandwiches to these same folks, a very large family, most of whom could not speak English. Both of us later agreed it was the most fulfilling Christmas ever. She often says that chaplains peddle Hope. I think she is correct.
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Post by yanmacca on Dec 11, 2022 19:53:50 GMT
She sounds like a very popular person your Joan and puts others first which is a special virtue.
If they do let her out in time for Christmas (and I sincerely hope they do), then I hope you are up to cooking christmas dinner. You have to make it the best she has ever had, and if you cooking skills arnt up to it then get one sent in, there must be places who provide and deliver xmas nosh, for a price I guess.
Ian
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Post by quincannon on Dec 11, 2022 21:58:36 GMT
Got that all under control
Yes she is popular. Over the last twenty five years she has served on about ten different state and county boards and commissions, she probably knows more about road building, emergency management, waste water management, and city planning by her work overseeing these different facets of governmental life than you could ever imagine. Her friends call her the pot hole queen, in other words if you want a pot hole fixed and the normal channels have stiff armed you, call Joan. Thing is she never drew a dime of pay for any of that, all a politically appointed volunteer. That is over and above her work as an elected official in our Metropolitan District, and chaplain to our fire department. The county commissioners here in El Paso County, the sheriff, district attorney, and the CS fire chief all know her by her first name, and evidently the governor took the time to send her a sentiment. How he knew of her illness I have not a clue.
My daughter will be here tomorrow, and we have a ton of things to do. Everyone knows what the ultimate score will be. It may be tomorrow, next week or three or four months away. All of us, including Joan, are prepared. We face the future with no fear, a little sadness maybe, but no fear.
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Post by yanmacca on Dec 12, 2022 7:49:48 GMT
Wow! I left the house at 6am this morning and walked to work, it was like scene from band of brothers (bastogne), with freezing fog, frozen snow and ice, it was a cold one.
Ian
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Post by quincannon on Dec 12, 2022 8:25:27 GMT
Count your blessings. They are expecting as much as eight feet of snow in the mountain passes of the High Sierras over the next day or so.
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Post by yanmacca on Dec 13, 2022 8:28:35 GMT
Yeah, but that's just it, we never get weather this bad before January, this is not the norm, we usually get dull cold days with rain around this time. I may have mentioned this before but I cannot remember a white Christmas.
Ian
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