Dad's Final Event

Thank you for all the kind messages and calls we've received over the past 24 hours.  If we haven't returned a call or text it's only because of the deluge of information we're pushing through over here.  Know we appreciate and share them with the rest of the family.

The arrangements for Dad's Final Event are as follows:

Visitation

Wednesday,
September 28th, 4 - 7PM

Funeral

Thursday,
September 29th, 7PM

All events will be hosted at:

Pathway Memorial

411 Union Ave

Moberly, MO 65270

(660) 263-7284

Interment at Oakland Cemetery on Friday, September, 30th, proceeding from Pathway Memorial at 1PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to

Apostolic Pentecostal Church

2197 Six Mile Lane

Moberly, MO  65270

For those who are determined to send flowers (even though Mom's house is filled with plants already), our preferred florist is:

Lynn's Country Floral

517 W. Reed

Moberly, MO 65270

(660)263-4242

(877)263-4243

The End of an Era

It's over.

And now we start again.

Dad returns to the Lodge

Throughout this entire process Dad has been fairly insistent that he go home. He did not want to stay in the hospital. After spending the evening chatting, we gave Dad some quiet time. This morning around 2AM, I noticed Dad's breathing had gotten longer. When we tried to talk to him, he didn't respond immediately. Over the next few hours his responses became farther apart. By 8AM there was no response to our questions and he seemed to be in a deep sleep. We made the decision to move him home and the great folks at Boone transported him late this morning. When the ambulance pulled into his street, Dad's oxygen level jumped. He knew he was home. Now, he is tucked into bed and surrounded by the STL clan. His breathing is pretty shallow and his grip isn't as strong. We're waiting with him as he prepares for one final trip.

Message from Dad

As any good pastor, Dad wanted to send an update to his church family about his condition.  The following clip will be played at APC in Moberly on Sunday evening.

The Saga Continues...

Around 3AM Friday morning, Dad woke up with severe abdominal pain.  By 9AM, the family decided it was time to go to the ER.  Boone Hospital staff did their best to make Dad comfortable throughout the day on Friday.  Gayle, one of the nurses, said getting the pain under control was like chasing a train.  Late  in the evening, the amount of pain meds in his drip finally reached a level that he was able to sleep.  When he called me early Saturday morning, it sounded like the dad I knew.  But the report was from a world we'd hoped to have left behind us.

Throughout the day on Friday and Saturday, Dad went through a battery of tests, pokes and prods.  These are the results:

Complete renal failure
A mass on the liver
Abdominal fluid buildup
Internal bleeding

The pain is probably caused by tumors getting wrapped around nerve fibers.  His creatinine levels showed  the kidneys shutting down and by Friday night, he was no longer producing urine.  The doctors on Friday initially gave Dad a survival rate of 1-3 weeks.  Based on our most recent lab results Saturday afternoon, we have revised that estimation to one week.

Tonight we have gone to a pain patch that will possibly replace the IV drip.  If it controls the pain tonight, Dad will go home on Sunday and hospice will take over for the duration of his care.

We are praying for God's perfect Will throughout this situation.  We trust Him to lead us.

We will update the blog continuously as information is available.  Due to Dad's condition, we are limiting his visitors.  Thank you for your understanding.

Throughout the day, some of the St. Louis clan stopped by along with Matthew & Becca Johnson and others.  Tonight the four of us are camped out in Dad's room with a box of Shakespeare's trying to recreate the kitchen table atmosphere so many of you have experienced over the years at the Lodge.  There are more pictures over here...

Cinderella on a Saturday

On Saturday, the family convoyed up to Macon to visit Maples Repertory student theater camp's last performance of "Cinderella: The Untold Story."  It was the first "full" theater show Cooper's been able to sit through and Heidi, well, she's a seasoned pro by now.  There was lots of singing and dancing and Heidi sang and danced her way about while Cooper sat thoroughly entranced (it probably helped that he missed a nap).  The show was laugh-out-loud funny in parts and it was great to see Nathaniel Richards treading the boards as the leading man.

Afterward, we stopped by Hawg Father's BBQ for bit of very nicely smoked brisket & pork.  The beans are amazing and the sweet potato waffle fries are tasty.  We'll be back!

A short note:  This was Cooper's first time out with sunglasses.  He's got two pairs (a Spidey set from Aunt Janet and black set from his Dad).  He's been picking them up and slowly getting used to wearing them at home, but today was the first time he chose to wear them out of the house!  There's more pix over here...

Relay For Life

 

In June, Dad walked in his third Relay For Life event in Moberly.  We are profoundly grateful for God's blessings on our family.  Fellow survivors Sally Walker and Sasha (Suzi's mom) have walked with Dad every year and it's a wonderful reunion for them to circle the track together.  I'm always thoroughly impressed with the community involvement and level of production by the local organizers.  They do a really great job.