Where to begin...

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated...it has been quite busy around here! I'm also having major e-mail issues! ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!

First Ron's Mom:
She had a good Labor Day weekend and they were scheduled to transfer her back to the skilled nursing center for rehab on Tuesday before sending her home. About 5:15 Tuesday morning we received a phone call from HEB informing us she had a bad episode of throwing up bright red blood and had been unresponsive since. They advised family needed to come right away. Nancy and I headed up there while Shar stayed with Papa. When we arrived she was VERY BAD...completely unresponsive, very pale and her blood count had dropped markedly. When her internist came in she was still unresponsive and began to have seizure-like activity. His guess was that she had a massive stroke. We called the rest of the family and they headed to the hospital from their various locations. CT was ordered and GI consulted with us...decision was made if CT revealed stroke, Mom would want them to do nothing and allow a natural death. CT showed no sign of stroke (sometimes they don't show right away on CT) so MRI was ordered. In the meantime, they started her on the first of 2 units of blood. MRI also showed no sign of stroke, so GI scheduled endoscope to try to stop bleed. Shortly after first unit of blood was complete she came out of state of unresponsiveness and was her normal self wanting to know why everyone was there, weren't we supposed to be at school/work, etc. It seems she probably had a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack...looks and acts like a stroke but no lasting effects.) Endoscope went well, they were able to find the large quarter to half dollar-sized ulcer, clean and cauterize deeply; basically "welding" it to hopefully prevent another episode. She was kept in ICU until Friday afternoon and now seems to be back to her perky self and fussing about having to stay on a liquid diet! She will have to go back to skilled nursing facility until she is strong enough to go home. All of this has forced the decision to move them to an assisted living facility. We found one that is very nice in Grapevine and they have a 2 bedroom 2 bath possibly coming available soon. In the interim, Dad is not safe to be living on his own; Ken and Shar initially came to stay with him until Ken had to get back to work; Shar continued to stay with him until Wednesday. Nancy & Leonard took over from there and Laurie & Tony will take over a couple of days starting Saturday; then Shar will come back again. There is now a one bedroom available so we will be moving Dad next weekend and then transfer into 2 bedroom when available.

It's been an emotional roller coaster for eveyone!

Please pray for all invloved (especially Mom & Dad Nordell) as all these changes take place.

Now, on to Ron...in the midst of all of this; his PICC line decided to give us major problems. Home health nurse had problems drawing blood from it and it started clotting, terribly. Blood results came back grossly abnormal so nurse had to return the next day and do a needle stick blood draw ( 3 times before she could get a vein that didn't immediately "blow"). So today, we went back to Presby for PICC line maintenance. All is well, and after meeting with Dr. Arslanlar he has been given the go-ahead to start eating solid foods...just about anything he wants excluding any fiber and anything with seeds. He asked specifically about chips, hot sauce and was told basically anything!...slowly and in moderation. If things go well, he will probably get the g-tube out in the next couple of weeks. And they will start decreasing his TPN by going to 12 hours on and 12 hours off. When we met with Dr. Shires, he said Ron could discontinue wearing the binder...YIPPPPEEEEE!!

For his first full meal, we met Aaron & Kristin at the Tin Star Taco Bar in Plano. He had a beef quesadilla and some chips w/hot sauce! The look on his face was priceless!!! Unfortunately, after we got back home...he puked it all right back up! Before that happened, we headed over to see A&K's new apartment (they move in this weekend). Aaron begins his new job on Monday. He is the recreation therapist for a couple of skilled nursing facilities...one in Wylie and one in Garland. It will be a great job for him...he's so good with the elderly!

Please pray things will go smoothly as Ron's body adjusts to eating. And that we will have no more problems with his PICC line. As well as for Aaron and Kristin as they move this weekend and transition to living in Plano.

Hope I've caught you up on everything!
Have a good weekend!