Video for Church

Here is a video message of dad. He wanted to shoot it for his church family. Here is a little script of what it says because his voice is so hoarse that it makes it difficult to understand.
Hello McLeansboro. I hear you are having church today. I just thought I would let you know, I'm alive and well and I wish I could be home with you. As you can see, I can only see out of one eye, but Dale deals with that every week so I don't feel too bad. Anyway, I've received over 100 get well cards and I just want to thank everybody for your prayers and for all your thoughtfulness. Thank you and may God bless you!

Happy Saturday!

Hey Everyone! It's Cejae blogging here. I made it up safely last night and arrived at about 8:00 p.m. I went directly to the hospital and saw dad before heading over to Buck and Mel's. He was surprised to see me. The fam went and visited him again this morning. He looks great! He seems to be feeling really good and he is really making progress. The picture at left is dad helping his friend George "Bud" down the hallway. George wasn't having a particularly great day so dad was lending him a hand. It is funny to see a man in a wheelchair push another man in a wheelchair down the hall. Dad and George have similar residual effects and are both doing the best they can. They live right across the hall from each other. I am glad to be back up here to see dad, I've been missing him and my mom alot (and my brother & sister in law, but I'm used to not seeing them).

Bad Wife.

Hello all,

I am a bad wife today because I did not go to the hospital. I was going to wait and go with Bucky later and we started to go, but it was coming a torrential downpour, the streets were flooded and the traffic was horrendous so we decided it was going to take longer to get there and back than we were going to be able to stay, so we had lunch and came home. I feel really guilty (my boss says he can get me to feel bad about almost anything with my Baptist guilt), but I have to admit it was very nice to just hang out for a day. I talked to him three times and will probably talk to him again before the night is over.

He said they stopped feeding him through the tube. He didn't even have it last night. He's taking in enough calories so he doesn't have to supplement with the tube feedings anymore. Praise God! They are still leaving it in, but maybe he can have it removed before too much longer. That's just me being hopeful; I'm not sure they've said anything about it.

He said he ate dinner without anyone watching him and it was very liberating. I said, "Did you choke?" He said, "Probably," but I guess he was at least eating without someone staring at him or correcting his eating habits. He said he gets really nervous when he eats in front of the speech therapist. He said he's afraid to even clear his throat.

We are planning on going fairly early in the morning and then coming back early so that we can see trick-or-treaters at Bucky and Melody's. We try to find little bits of normalcy wherever we can. Hopefully, the sun will shine tomorrow and I can get a dose of Vitamin D.

Cejae is on her way up. I talked to her about 5:00 and she was at Tuscola. We are all very excited about her coming up again. Melody has to leave for Arizona for a job on Sunday, so I will be with Bucky for the week. Pray for safe travel for everyone.

Bucky has gone to get pumpkins now so that we can carve them. Fun, huh?

I spoke to Beth Stevens today and her family certainly has a lot on their plate. Please pray for healing, strength and peace for all of them.

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Cathy

Kickin' it!

Good evening everyone,

I just want to say this up front and get it over with: Chicago traffic is brutal no matter what route I take. Okay, I'm over that and back to Bucky and Melody's safe once again. What a relief.

My wonderful son is making enchiladas for supper, my daughter-in-law is on her way home and I'm blogging. I probably should be jogging, but that's not going to happen.

John said his swallowing went much better this morning. What they do is take their breakfast down to a little room and they have to eat in front of the speech therapist so she can see their progress. Tricky, huh? He said he did much better this morning so he was pleased and, evidently, so was the therapist.

He said they told him he is taking in enough calories that they may stop the tube feedings. We'll see; I know that would make him so happy.

He is so funny. Today he was on the matt doing kicks and his physical therapist came in and asked me if he had told me how much he liked his new shoes. Well, I'm sure he only meant to graze her or tap her, but he kicked her pretty good in the arm. It totally took everyone by surprise, including her. And then he said, "You can't hit me, I'm a patient." She said, "You're right, but I'll get you back." And I'm sure she will. Everyone is so nice in Rehab. They do such a great job and we are so blessed to be here.

He said they told him that his eye is improving. They said they wanted to leave it sewn shut another week and then see how it does.

He also told me Dr. Nguygen (pronounced Wynn) told him about a month after he is released he will come back and they will inject something into his vocal cord to strengthen it. I haven't been there to hear any of these conversations, but he's usually very on top of things.

I bet John got another ten cards today. I don't know whether you all have a schedule or what, but it is so nice to get cards everyday. They mean so much and thank you all for that.

Well, I'm going to go spend some time with my family now, but I know how much you all care, so I thought I'd give you a small update.

Oh, and in thanking people this morning, I failed to thank our friend Barbara. I'm just going to end every update with a thank-you to Barbara because she is doing something for us all the time. Thank you, Barbara.

Love to all,

John, Cathy and family

Good morning!

Good morning,

I took a Tylenol PM last night and slept really well so I am awake with a new attitude. I just can't be grumpy when God has blessed so much, so I am hopeful that I can stay positive today.

I appreciate all of your comments so much. Thanks Delores for always understanding. You are so good at everything you do and I so appreciate your support and love.

I have to thank Jerry Hart again for keeping our lawn mowed (no small task). What a thoughtful and caring thing for him to do. Thanks Jerry!

We continue to get cards. Awesome! Thanks to all of you who keep sending them. Sometimes we think those don't mean much, but when you're in a situation such as this and far from home, it means a lot.

I also must apologize to Jayda, Aysia and Adyson because we are not going to be home for trick or treat. Adyson had asked her mom if Uncle John was going to be home for trick or treat and she said she didn't think so. Addy said, "But Mom, we always go to Uncle John and Aunt Cathy's last, and Aunt Cathy cooks supper." So there will have to be a delayed trick or treat supper one evening for them. Michele, be sure and take lots of pictures.

I also hope my brother, Robin (his wife) and my niece Hannah had a great time at the Miley Cyrus concert last night. If any of you know my brother at all, you will know that he was so excited about a Miley Cyrus concert. But, what a great thing for all of them to do together. Time goes too quickly and we often miss some of those special moments, so kudos to you Mike!

Denita, I love you and I appreciate all you do for so many people. You are in my thoughts and prayers daily, as is your family. You have always been so good to us and you will always be my sister.

Michele, thank you for this great idea of blogging. It is very therapeutic and a wonderful outlet. I love you and your family so much and I pray things are going well for you. I'm glad to hear your kids are feeling better. Give them all big hugs and kisses for Uncle John and me. We have to plan a beach vacation this year!

And to my Rend Lake family I have to say thank you for all that each and every one of you have done for us. (Jeannie, the bread was wonderful.) I am thankful for a great benefit package so that I have sick days to take off, for a Vice President who was my friend before she was any of my bosses, for my current boss, Buster, who is a wonderful, understanding friend who cares about us, for a fabulous Liberal Arts Division to be a part of, and for all of my friends at Rend Lake College. I miss all of you so much and I hope you are doing well. I know in Liberal Arts there's probably no one skipping down the hall singing the "Sound of Music," (stop Buster if he tries) but hey, we have to be serious sometimes (not!). I appreciate each of you so much.

To my Sunday School class: I hope to be back with you all soon. I love each and every one of you so much and appreciate your love and support in return. My prayers are with you and I know you are in excellent hands. And I thank Phil for doing such a great job in my absence. Maybe I'll come back as a participant rather than a teacher. I still enjoy and look forward to Charlotte's devotions. It seems they come when I need them most. Thank you all for continuing to pray for us. We certainly know those prayers are coming, just look at God's wonderful miracles.

And to our church family I just want to say a big thank you for all that you have done and given to us. You have been a constant in our lives, and your faith and hope have been inspirational to us. I thank God daily for a praying, believing church. We appreciate and love all of you so much. It would have been much more difficult to go through this without all of you. A special thanks to B.J., Denise, Jason (twice) and Tim for making the trip. You all hold special places in our hearts for your sacrifice.

And now to our family. John's brothers and sisters, their families, and my brother and his family have been so supportive. We may not even see each other often, but when we need them, they all come arunnin'. What a great thing to know and have! We appreciate each and everyone of you and are so thankful for all of your prayers.

And I couldn't have gotten through any of this without Cejae, Adam, Bucky and Melody. Cejae and I are not very strong on the emotional line, but, hopefully, we have good hearts (I'm crying as I write this). She has been such a blessing through all of this and she loves her Daddy so much. Adam is so good to take care of things from the homefront and I appreciate that so much. I am living with Bucky and Melody and they have made themselves right at home in my new home (ha). They prepare meals, give me my own bedroom and let me come and go as I need to. What a blessing! We have such great kids (in-laws included) and I really don't know what I would do without them. We praise God for this wonderful blessing and we so love you all. We do this funny thing now--Cejae started it--when Bucky did something to annoy her she would say, "Dad doesn't like that." And now, even if John is nowhere in sight or we are somewhere else, when anyone does anything that annoys the other, we say, "Dad doesn't like that." Even Melody has used it a time or two. It is so nice to be with a family that you love and have fun with. Laughter is a great thing.

My plan this morning was to be thankful and praise God, because then there isn't room or a reason for negativity. Praise God for his many blessings and wonderful miracles. He is still on the throne!

Love you all,

Cathy

Wow Wednesday!

Hello everyone,

I hope this finds you all having had a blessed Wednesday. My friend Barbara came and picked me up this morning and took me to breakfast and then to get a manicure. It was all about Cathy today, but a very nice morning reprieve.

I got to the hospital a little after noon and John was having his lunch. I think he's doing so much better eating. He says he just can't please the "swallow" people. They tell him to do it one way and he does and it's not right; they tell him to do it another way and he does and it's still not right. We'll see how tomorrow goes for him but, in my opinion, he's doing much better than he was before the surgery.

He got a haircut today and looks and feels better from it. It was getting pretty shaggy and Bucky said it looked very "hipster" to him. He had a strip shaved down the right side of the back of his head where they did the surgery and he had all of these shorter circular spots where they put the tabs on for the stealth MRI. It was kind of a mess.

Melody ordered him a new pair of shoes from Zappos and he really liked them. I made him leave the tags on until he tried them so we could send them back if we needed to. He went to therapy with the tags on and came back with them off, so he obviously really liked them.

He said nobody could do anything in therapy today so he had to show them all how to do it. I have no idea what that means, but he works really hard with little or not complaints. He does his best to impress whoever he's working with whether it be the occupational therapist, the physical therapist or the speech therapist. He gets most frustrated with the speech therapist because he just can't quite figure out what she's after.

Usually after he has dinner we take a stroll somewhere in the hospital. Last night we went down to the lobby and just sat in some chairs for awhile. Tonight we went to the observation windows on his floor and just looked outside a bit.

Cejae will be here this weekend and we can get back to the comedy. I think I'm just too tired by the end of the day to even be funny. That's pretty sad, isn't it? I don't mean to be Debby Downer because we have certainly been blessed and we are so grateful for everything and everyone. So, enough of my complaining.

Well, I'm going to go and help with dinner. Love you all and thanks for reading.

Cathy

Be vewy, vewy quiet.

Hello all,

I just want to begin by saying I understand why people in Chicago would drink. Traffic is brutal up here. I try not to have road rage, but if I didn't talk to myself before (which I did), I would certainly have whole conversations with myself after spending time on the road. Back to a happier note . . .

Good news! John has been moved up from pureed food to mechanical soft. I left him his cell phone over night and he called me this morning and told me he had scrambled eggs and French toast for breakfast (no cream of wheat). He was very excited and seems to be doing quite well with it. For lunch he had pork tenderloin cut up very fine with gravy, mashed potatoes and real California vegetables (not mushed up). He gets a thickening powder to add to his drinks so he has more control over where they go. He is still being supplemented with the tube feeding overnight.

Residents from both the neuro. team and the ENT team came in today and seemed really pleased with his progress.

He was doing physical therapy today and it was about 2:20. He said, "What do I have after this?" I told him he was finished with everything at 2:30. He was taking a rest and said, "Be vewy, vewy quiet." He was hoping they wouldn't notice him resting and just let the time pass. They did notice and he had to do one more exercise.

We probably got ten cards today. It is so nice to know that people care and continue to care. We so appreciate getting them. One of the cards was from Bill and Denita and she said the girls are really missing him. She said every time Aysia gets mad she says, "Well, you know my Uncle John is in the hospital." Denita said she has no idea what that has to do with her being mad, but Uncle John is certainly on her mind. John loved hearing that story.

He was supposed to get his hair cut today, but they cancelled until tomorrow. So maybe we'll have new pictures soon with his new do.

Cejae is coming back up this weekend to spend a few days with us again. We are certainly looking forward to that.

Peggy, I just want to say thank you for lighting candles for us. I know that is not easy for you, but we appreciate it so much.

Love you all and thanks for continuing to pray for us and think about us. It's so amazing to realize how many friends we have. Our family has been great as well, and we so appreciate all of you.

Have a great night!

Cathy

Pictures!

Hey All. It's Cejae. I just wanted to post some pictures taken last Saturday of dad and the family so you can see how great he is looking. I am going back up this weekend and staying until Tuesday and will try to take more pictures. He got his hair cut this morning, so he will be looking good!

Love,

Cejae Rawls

Water, water everywhere!

Good evening all,

Hope this finds you all having a great Monday. Sometimes Mondays are tough. I sometimes think hospitals suck the life right out of you, hopefully not for those in there, just those visiting. Today wasn't too bad, though. It was a regular therapy day for John. It just really wears him out, but that's good.

They had gone ahead and sewn his eye all the way shut. But, again, it is a loose suture so they can open it and put medicine in and then pull it closed again. He thinks it's helping so that's the main thing.

His neck and ear hurt still, but the neuro. guy came in and he doesn't think it's an infection. He gave some big medical term that I, of course, did not understand. As best I understand it, there are nerves that run through your head and, sometimes, when there is stress or a trauma, they can be affected (similar to the shingles). Anyway, he was going to talk to whatever medical team does that and have them come in and look at it, but they hadn't been there yet when I left.

We got a fabulous card today from Charlie and Janice Burnett and it just cracked both of us up. I had to read it to Cejae and tell Bucky about it. Thanks, Janice, we really enjoyed it.

After his therapy he took a little nap and then decided to take a shower. Now, I've helped him bathe before, but up until this point, it was sort of a spit bath. He had the shower going before I had time to think. I was soaked from the knees down, there was water all over the bathroom and even out into the hall. He got the job done, although he was a little aggravated at me for turning the water off so quickly. Again, he is very determined.

His eating is going very well. He is doing much better: going slower, taking sips of liquids and not choking as much. He is certainly enjoying real food much more than the tube feedings. They are going to cut back on the tube feedings since he is eating real food.

I made it fine in traffic today. I didn't leave until about 10 and started to Buck's about 6:00. It was still very busy, but I made it alright. Thanks for those of you who prayed it would be okay.

John gets his hair cut tomorrow. They come to his room to do it which is very nice.

It is so nice to be at Bucky and Melody's house. It's great to come to a nice, cozy house and the end of a day at the hospital. We have dinner together (if everyone is here), watch some television and just veg. It's very comforting and comfortable. I appreciate them sharing their home with me.

Our friends Chuck and Barbara came on Saturday night to the hospital to see John. They picked me up and took me out to dinner; that was very nice also. Barbara picked me up on Sunday and showed me a different route to the hospital which I took home tonight. They are very sweet people and great friends. Chuck had been to Ireland and brought John home a hat, shirt and several golf balls from famous golf courses there. In John's roughest days, he still remembered that Chuck was in Ireland playing golf and he was going to bring him home golf gifts. It was very nice of Chuck to do that. Thank you, Chuck and Barbara, for all that you do.

Well, I'm going to do some vegging now. I hope you all have a great Tuesday. Thanks for listening to me ramble.

Love,

Cathy

Alpo Du Jour

Good evening all,

Today John didn't have any therapies. My friend Barbara picked me up and we arrived at the hospital at about 12:30. John said he had eaten breakfast and then gone back to sleep until about 11:00. He had already eaten lunch when we arrived. We chatted for a while and then he went back to sleep. He said he is having pain from his ear down his neck. He said the doctor had been in and there is some swelling on the right side of his neck and they are going to do an X-ray or MRI, but they didn't do that today.

He slept on and off all afternoon. Bucky and Melody arrived around 3:00 and John and Bucky watched the Bears get trounced. His dinner arrived around 5:00. They are still pureeing his food. He is so on top of things. He told me he was getting two puddings and two Sprites for dinner and, sure enough, he did. I asked him if his meat was beef or pork and he said, "Beef I think, or dog food." We laughed at that and then he said, "Alpo Du Jour" which we all thought was hilarious. He is getting his sense of humor back which we are all delighted about. He did quite well eating tonight--he went slower and tried hard not to choke. It is still a bit difficult for him.

We took him up to the 7th floor in his wheelchair and looked at the city from afar and then went to the lower level and went into the chapel. He is getting around quite well. He is able to move from his wheelchair to the bed and from the bed into the wheelchair with little or no help.

I will be traveling by myself to the hospital tomorrow. Everyone has to get back to their regular schedules, so I'm on my own. I'm not necessarily looking forward to it, but it's the way it is. Please pray that I will have safe travel and know my directions. I will miss my driver, Cejae, but she has her own road to travel tomorrow.

Thanks for keeping up with the blog and for your comments. It helps us feel like we are still part of each other's lives even if it is from a distance.

I hope you all had a great day and have a good week. We will have Van in our prayers this week as he faces his surgery. We will pray for peace and strength for all of you. We also continue to pray for Glenda Mitchell and her family and have faith she will continue to improve.

Love you all,

Cathy

The Eyes Have It

Good morning everyone,

I am going to try and blog from here on. Cejae has gone home and I will try to keep you updated as best I can. It may be only once a day, but I will do my best.

John is improving daily. His stamina is getting better as is his strength and endurance. He only had an hour and a half of therapies yesterday and will not have any today.

They had to sew his right eye partially shut yesterday because of a corneal abrasion. They have talked of doing this before, but have never had to do it. He has such a great attitude and takes everything in stride. God has certainly blessed in that area as in so many others. They may also put a weight in it at some point so that it will close better. He said it feels better already. It is a loose suture so that they can open it and put medicine in and then pull it shut again. I really didn't know how they did that and I'm not sure I do yet, even after seeing it. They certainly seem to know what they are doing here and are really on top of things.

He is certainly enjoying his meals. I am still concerned because he eats too fast but, hopefully, that will get better with time. They are still subsidizing with the tube feedings, but less now.

A friend of mine from RLC, Tracy Devoy, held a raffle for us and raised $1270 to help with expenses. We cannot begin to thank our friends and family for all of their support. We have had such an outpouring of love, kindness and prayers that we can never begin to be able to thank everyone enough. We are so blessed to know such loving, caring people. God has been so good to us. Sometimes it is hard to realize that His time is not our time, but with patience and faith we can see what miracles He still performs.

John has such determination, acceptance and patience that I know God has given him. And he has such a great attitude. Even when things are difficult and I know he is tired, he is eager and willing to do whatever they ask. And he does it without complaining or whining. What a blessing!

Again, we cannot say often enough or strongly enough, how much we appreciate all of you. Your love, cards, gifts, donations and prayers are so appreciated and they are the things that have gotten us through this difficult, yet inspiring time. I have to go now because (imagine this), I am crying.

We love you all.

The Cross and Rawls Clans

Bloggity Blog Blog

Hello everybody,

Today is my last day up here for awhile. My husband, Adam, is on his way up to get me. It is a bittersweet day for me. I want to go home and I miss Adam a lot, but it is hard to leave after I've been here so long and we are just getting to the good part. But, I know dad will continue to progress weather I am here or not, so that is a comforting thought. I am sure I will be back up on some weekends and I know I'll talk to mom a billion times a day. AND, dad will be home very soon too.

Like I have said before, I plan to try and blog some more whenever I can. My mom will try to blog too, but the updates won't be as frequent. Thank you all so very much for reading the blog and for being here with us through this time. Please know that I am very grateful for all friends and family and do not know how I or any of us could have gotten through this without you. My dad will be SO surprised to see just how many people have been rooting for him! Thanks for making this time a little easier and for letting us know you care about us:) We can't repay you, but we can thank you, so thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Thank you Bucky and Melody for taking care of us while we have been up here. I am going to miss you two and I love you very much!

Love,

Cejae

November 11th

The therapist'ss who work with dad, the social worker, dietician, neuropsychologist, and his case worker all had a meeting today and decided that his discharge date will be on Wednesday, November 11th. They anticipate that he will be able to walk by then. They are not sure as of yet if he will need any assisting devices such as a walker or cane, but time will tell. He will have to have outpatient therapy once he is discharged, mostly to work on balance. His case manager said that he could have outpatient therapy back home. My mom is thinking she may try to take off the rest of the semester to help him with his therapy (sorry Buster). If I can swing it, I may try to give her breaks every now and then too.

We just got some lovely flowers delivered to the room. The card says they are from the Rend Lake College Liberal Arts Department. They are beautiful! Thanks guys, they brighten up the room.

Dad is really anxious to come home and he seems a little bummed about the discharge date. He is feeling good though. He is getting stronger and stronger and the therapy is helping him so much. Please keep him in your prayers.

I am not sure how often I will be able to update in the next weeks since I am going back home and back to work, but will try my best. My mom may try to update some too. Thank you so much for following the blog and for all of your support. It has been therapeutic for me and fun to chart all of his progress. I know he will enjoy reading the blog and all of your comments and emails in time. I've enjoyed hearing from all of you. All of us up here are truly touched by all of your love and support! Thanks.

Love,

John Calvin Cross & The Fam

John Cross Applesauce

Dad had his speech therapy and got to eat appleasauce and drink water. He did well! He did not eat a lot because he tired easily. The speech therapist taught him about the throat and tongue and how to properly swallow. His endurance is very limited right now, but he is getting stronger everyday. Wherever the head goes, the body follows and in his case, the head wants to tilt back because it is hard for him to hold it up. He is very tired from all the therapies but will get a break over the weekend. Today we should find out a discharge date.

He is eating lunch right now. He has pureed mashed potatoes, pureed turkey & gravy, pureed peas, pudding, applesauce, soup, coffee, and milk. The lunch of champions! He is having a little bit of trouble slowing down and remembering to sip a drink after he swallows, but mom and I are here to bug him about it so hopefully he will be an old pro before too long. He thinks it is funny to trick us and pretend like he's taking a big bite and then really just take a little off the spoon. We get uptight about it and we are barking orders at him right and left. By the end of this meal, he may hate us both. He gets choked fairly often, but for anyone who has ever eaten a meal with him, that is not all that uncommon. He is really shaky. He can't eat the soup very well because it is all gone by the time he gets to his mouth. That is okay though because he doesn't really like the soup anyway. He is so glad to be eating and he says the food is good. He's eating quite a bit. He really likes the pudding. Tonight for dinner he may get Sprite. Things are looking up!

Thanks for praying for his swallower to work. He is still getting fed through the tube to make sure he is taking in enough calories. The dietician is keeping on top of his calorie intake and hopefully soon he will be able to eat by mouth solely and won't need the peg tube anymore.

He is recovering nicely. He still says him and God got through it together and I am definately in agreement. Thanks for all of your prayers for my dad and my family. We are so thankful for such wonderful friends and family!

Have a great day!!!

Love,

Cejae

Its a good day to eat:)

Good morning folks. First, I'd like to say that I had some coffee this morning and we took a different route to the hospital so I was a much calmer, nicer driver today. And, unlike yesterday, I did not threaten to harm my mother, which makes us both happy.

Dad gets to eat today. He has speech from 10 - 11 which is when he gets to eat. His "swallowing guidelines" are to have 1 tsp of puree, swallow, swallow, then take a sip of liquid. Hopefully they give him something good to eat. The doctor that is assigned to him on the 5th floor has just visited. She is going to prescribe something for the outside of his mouth. She also said they could discontinue the IV and the tape for his eye at night, but dad said he would rather keep them. The tape makes his eye feel better (it is much better today) and if the IV is in, they won't have to stick everyday to get blood.

I will post again after the speech therapy to let you all know how the eating goes. Thanks!

Cejae

Long Road!

Dad is "walking" in the right direction. He has come so far and although the road to recovery is still long, each day he is improving by leaps and bounds! He's getting stronger everyday and we hope that he can start enjoying life again! He is evidence that miracles exist. My family and I can never express to all of you how grateful we are for all of your love and support. Thanks so much.

Love,
John, Cathy, Bucky, Melody, Adam, & Cejae:)

Let the man eat!

Great news! They did the video analysis of the swallowing. He gets to eat! He can have moist (gross word) puree for now. They said he has some trouble recognizing when he still has food in his throat. He also tends to eat too fast. Right now, he can only eat in his speech therapy sessions and at designated times after mom and I are trained. It will be mostly mom working with him because I am leaving on Saturday.

I'm sad to be leaving this weekend, but I feel much better about leaving this week than I did when I thought I was going to leave last week. 2 weeks ago today, dad was having his tumor removed and we were all anxiously waiting to hear something. Today, he is recovering like a champ!

Thank you for praying for him! We appreciate you all so much:)

Love,

The Cross's

Thanks for the cards!

Thank you all so much for the cards! I have put them on the wall right in front of dad's bed so he can be reminded how many people care for him and are rooting for him. If we get more cards, we'll just keep adding to the wall. Thanks so much!

Rehab

Hello everyone. I'm sorry I am just now getting around to posting. Dad is still trucking right along. He has already had an hour and 30 minutes of PT this morning and went to an orientation. At orientation they just went over how rehab works and what kind of resources are available. He is resting now. They challenge him in every session here, which is good. Right now, he gets worn out easily, but he pushes himself and does everything that they ask of him to the best of his ability.

I am learning that I take many things for granted. Even things that seem routine or easy for me are difficult for some and impossible for others. My dad is learning how to stand up by himself and walk using a walker or cane. Presently, he has to have assistance with all of these things. He has to call for help to go to the restroom or clean himself up or get out of bed. Sitting in a wheelchair exhausts him. It is hard to see a person work so hard to do the things that come easy to you. It is very sad to think of all the things I take for granted!

Mom and I moved out of "our" hotel yesterday and moved into Bucky and Melody's. It is nice staying at their house, its "homey!" The only setback to staying with them is a longer drive right smack dab through the city. On the drive over, in the middle of traffic, I contemplated taking out various cars and people just for fun. Don't worry, I realize this is not the way to be, so instead of thinking about the best way for me to make MAN D 55, in her little black Lexus, suffer, I should have been thinking about how fortunate I was to be able to drive. I'll try that on the way home, but no promises. Hopefully my road rage will subside when I get back to 'good ole Dahlgren.' So today's lesson kids, is to cherish what you've got and be proud of what you can do and forget about what you don't have or can't do because someone always has it worse. I'm going to try and remember this.

Back to dad. His swallow test is at 1:00 today. We are hoping that he is able to eat real food again. He wants it so bad!!!

He has been sitting up since 7:00 this morning. He really is working hard and we are so proud of him. I'll try to post after we hear about the swallower, but in the meantime, ENJOY YOUR LUNCH!!!!

Love,

Cejae

More updates!

Dad did wonderful in all of his therapy sessions today. During OT he washed himself and shaved himself using both his right and left hands. They worked him hard in PT and he was exhausted afterwards. He did so well though. He walked with a cane and climbed stairs, among other strenuous activities. He has come so far from just a few days ago. Although he is a little self-conscious about the way he looks, he allowed me to take some photos and post them. He doesn't know I'm posting the one of him and mom, but I snuck it in. He may be mad about it later but I think it is sweet! Mom was giving him a massage while he was in his wheelchair and then he fell asleep, so she just stood there with him while he slept. It looks a little like she put him in the sleeper hold, but mom wants you all to know that she did not strangle him:) His scar is way bigger than last time, but it is healing very nicely. I just cannot believe how much progress he's made! It is truly a miracle.

Before and After

The first picture above was taken on October 7th, the day before dad's surgery. He had to wear those life saver looking things all over his head for a whole day. Those "life savers" bounce off of each other and give the doctors a 3-D image of his brain. Brain mapping they call it. The second picture was taken this evening while dad was lying in bed. He has lost 25 pounds in 14 days. Besides the irritated right eye (its not totally cooperating) and the mouth sores from fever and from the respirator, I think he looks fabulous!

One more thing...

Please pray for dad's swallowing test to go okay tomorrow. He REALLY wants to be able to eat by mouth! It seems like he has a difficult time swallowinig, but even if he could just have some liquid, I think he'd feel better.

Thank you all SO very much!

Yo Peeps!

Happy Wednesday everybody,

Dad started his speech therapy this morning at 8:00. We cannot be here until 9:00 so we didn't get to sit in on that session. He said the therapist showed him some pictures and asked him some questions. She also assessed his articulation and the way he moves his mouth to make sounds. Tomorrow she is going to do a video analysis of his swallowing and see what they need to work on there. At 11ish he has OT and they are going to work on daily living skills, such as bathing and getting dressed. He sat up for about 2+ hours today in his wheelchair. He went back to bed at about 10 and he is resting peacefully now. Poor guy, he is worn out! We rocked out to some CCR & the Eagles this morning. Kelly left her CD's and Buck & Mel bought him a CD player. He loved it, he said it was "great." In my opinion, you can't listen to CCR without getting happy! He gets tired easily right now, but he is working up his strength. He says, "It is what it is." Having to go through such a huge surgery once in a lifetime is enough, but having to endure it twice is just plain awful (or four times, right Ron?). He is doing so well and he has a great attitude! We are very proud of how he is handling himself! He is working so hard. He's doing great. We are very grateful! As always, we appreciate all of your support and prayers and thoughts, calls, emails, texts, and cards!

Beth and Glenda are having a better day today as well. Glenda is doing much better this morning and they took her off of the ventilator. Good news!

Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic day!!!!

Love,

Cejae Rawls & the Cross peeps

P.S. Some of you have asked where to send cards. Dad can have cards or whatever sent to his room at the hospital. The address is:

Loyola University Medical Center
2160 S. First Ave.
Room # 5362
Maywood, IL 60153

Schedule

Hello there,

Dad is still pretty tired. He sounds really hoarse, probably from coughing so much. Dad has a schedule now. He has speech from 8:00 - 9:00, ADL from 11:00 - 12:00, and PT from 1:00 - 2:00. He is going to be worn out! I just hope that they can work their magic and that dad will be able to do some of the things that he hasn't been able to do in awhile.

I'm adding the words fester and mucus to the gross sounding word list.

We are all enjoying our very own seat in this massive room while we watch reruns of Grey's Anatomy. This room rocks our world!

Thanks for reading and for all of your support!

Love to all.

Cross family

Movin' on Up to the 5th Floor!

We have officially moved into room 5362 on the 5th floor. It is huge! There's color and people are happy and there enough seats for everyone and it is fantastic!

Dad is very tired right now. He's sleeping comfortably in his new bed. This will be his home for the next 3 or 4 weeks. Fortunately I think he likes it. They will let him rest today, but the therapy will start tomorrow. He will be getting speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. They said that he may get therapy for around 3 hours per day. I am not sure if he will start with that intense of therapy or if he will work up to it, but I will keep you posted on that:)

Thanks for reading. We hope that today is going well for all of you too.

Love,

Cejae

Glenda Mitchell Update

I just received a text from Beth. Glenda, her mom, is responding and brain activity is good. Beth says when she pulls out of this lung thing they should be over the hump. She has pneumonia. She is very tough! Beth said thank you for the prayers, they are working! Please continue to keep their family in your prayers.

12th day is a charm!

Good morning everyone,

It is another sunny day in Chicago and we have great news this morning. At some point today dad gets to move up to rehab. Yeah!!! He's coughing up a lot of yuck again today and we aren't sure what that is all about, but the nurse acts like thats a good thing. Its gross though. His tongue is still bothering him. They say he has ulcers all over his tongue and the inside of his mouth and he may have thrush too. I think that is fairly common, but very uncomfortable. I am not sure if it is wishful thinking or confusion, but he keeps thinking that he will get to go home. He knows he is going to rehab, but for some reason thinks it will only be for a week or so. The lady from rehab told him yesterday he would need to stay atleast 3 to 4 weeks and we have been reminding him that he would need to stay for that length of time, but he is just having a difficult time accepting it. Rehab is a much more colorful, happy place, so we are hoping that he likes being up there. He has come such a long way. Thank you for all of your prayers! They have helped him and us so much.

It is a bittersweet day for us here. Although my dad is doing so well, we know some of our friends and "family" are hurting back home. Our friend, Beth Stevens, needs prayer for her family. Her mother, Glenda Mitchell, was lifelighted early this morning to Evansville hospital because she was unresponsive. She was being hospitalized for pneumonia. They think she has acute respiratory distress syndrome and may have suffered from a mild heart attack and stroke. She is responding a little to sound now and is turning her head. Please pray for Glenda, Beth, and her entire family! This is a very scary time for them and they need many prayers! Thank you!

Delores- Dad said that Van could go ahead and go to the doctor without him if he needs to:)

Thanks to the golf course guys for buying dad a membership for a whole year! That is the best gift this guy could ever get (besides being healthy) and it was really, really considerate and very kind! He appreciates it so much. Hopefully he can get that balance and swing back!

People have been so wonderful to us. We are very blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives and we don't know how to thank you all enough. Please know that we appreciate you all so much.

Love,

Cejae & family

Rehab here we come...

The resident has cleared dad for rehab so he may be going sometime this afternoon/evening or tomorrow. The physical therapist said that he should stay in rehab for 3 to 4 weeks. Dad has some ulcers on his tongue that are really bothering him. We were able to swab his mouth with Mt. Dew but he couldn't hardly enjoy it because his mouth is so sore. Hopefully soon he can sit down and have a cold Mt. Dew after a nice long walk:) It is a beautiful day up here. We hope that it is beautiful where you are too.

He talked to Delores and Brad Jones on the phone today. He's Mr. Chatty Pants. He feels sick right now. We might have overdone it today. He went for two wheelchair rides, one of which he got to go outside. I think the outside trip might've been too much for him. Sitting up is much better for him than lying down so we have tried to encourage him to sit up and wheel around as much as possible, but we might've pushed too much. Hopefully our pushing will soon pay off though and he might start to feel better.

We hope all of you are enjoying this day. Thanks for your continuous support. We are up to 98 followers! That is awesome.

Good Morning

Good morning everyone,

Dad is looking much better today. He had to go down this morning for a doppler of his legs to check for blood clots. I'm assuming that if there is anything wrong they will let us know. They have taken the bandage off of his head which I am taking as a VERY good sign. Hopefully this means that the leakage issue is all cleared up. The resident doctor's usually visit us in the afternoon.

Dad is sitting up in his bed today and does not seem to be in as much pain. The optomotrist came in and says his right eye is looking better. He still has the bandage contact on the eye and she says it is progressing slowly, but slowly is better than not at all! A doctor from infectious diseases also just dropped by to check on dad. Infectious disease in not typically a department you want to see on a daily basis, but its becoming pretty routine around here. The doctor said they are still giving him antibiotics for pneumonia (I think I forgot to post that).

He asks us what we eat all the time. He still really wants that Mt. Dew. HE says the neuro group told him he could have some swabs of soda, but we are waiting to get the go ahead. The tube feeds have started up again so I am thinking they are not worried about having to do surgery anymore. He no longer needs the IV of just nutrition because his body seems to be taking it in from the tube feed.

He told me today that when he gets to eat I can make him a sandwich. I really hope that he gets to eat again and doesn't have to have the tube feeds all the time. Hopefully once he gets to rehab, they will work hard on this. The social worker came in and said he might be discharged today or tomorrow and moved up to rehab. A doctor from rehab services has to come and check him out to see if he is ready and they have to make sure his medicare will clear it but then he should be set.

He wanted me to tell you all thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Have a nice day and thanks for reading! Talk (blog) to you soon.

Da Bears!

Hey there,

We are watching the Bears game in dad's hospital room. His choice, not ours!

One of the doctors just came in to check the dressing on dad's head. So far there is no leakage, which is good. Dad sat in a wheelchair today for about 15 minutes while we wheeled him all around the 2nd floor stroke, neurosurgery, and epilepsy monitoring unit. Not exactly the scenic route, but we are very proud of him for getting up and about. Hopefully soon he can make it outside to breathe in some fresh air.

Even though we aren't in ICU anymore, dad used his charm to get one of the ICU nurses to come in and shave him today (she is one of our favorites). Today we were able to swab his mouth out with some listerine. This is probably the first actual flavor he's had in 10+ days. He really liked that. The tube feeds are still put on hold until they figure out what the leakage is all about.

My Aunt Gaila (dad's sister) and cousins (Gina, Andy, and Austin) came to visit dad today. Buck and Mel were here all day as well.

Dad seemed very uncomfortable today. His neck and head were really hurting him today. He has some hot packs on his neck right now. Hopefully the pain will subside soon!

Last Sunday was a very scary day. The progress he has made in just a week is remarkable. We are firm believers in the power of prayer and we want to thank you all so very much for your continuous prayers. As I've said before, it feels selfish for us to hope that you keep us on your minds, but we just need all the prayers and thoughts we can get. Dad has come such a long way so far, but there is still a pretty long road ahead. I hope that he will be able to WALK to the end of that road someday soon. After the doctor clears us, we will go up to the 5th floor where he can start rehab.

We hope that all is well back home. We miss you guys and look forward to seeing you soon. Have a wonderful night and a happy Monday.

Love,

Cejae & family

Leakage

Howdy doody friends,

My friends (sisters-in-law included) and I have a running list of gross sounding words, for example, moist. I am adding to the list today with the words seepage (sp?) and leakage. Yuck!

Okay, enough about gross sounding words and back to dad's progress.

They are monitoring the leakage issue. He has the bandage all wrapped around his head and they come in to check periodically if it has leaked out. It seems to be another waiting game. We are getting good at being patient though and are hoping and praying that the leakage is just a common problem that resolves itself. We will see I suppose. I will try to post as soon as we hear anything.

I hope that the rest of you can go all weekend (minus this little post) without having to hear the words seepage and leakage! Grody.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading and caring! I know you've heard it before, but as always, we appreciate you all so much. It is so nice to know that we have so many people that are with us (even if not physically).

Love,
Cejae

Minor Setback:(

Dad has some leakage from the site of his incision on his pillow this morning. The residents have already come in early this morning and are "on top" of dealing with this issue. This is apparently fairly common. They are hoping that it is not spinal fluid, but they are not sure what it is exactly yet. They are putting a bandage back on the incision. The doctor said that if it is just regular bodily fluid (he called it something fancy) that the bandage should take care of it, but if it is spinal fluid that when the bandage is removed there might still be leakage. They are just watching and waiting right now. If it is something more crucial, they may have to go in and do surgery. We are a little fuzzy on what is happening, but I will try to blog when we get updated again.

Please say a prayer for poppa John!

Thanks.

NO MO ICU

Hello Everyone,

Sorry its been a few hours since the last blog entry. Today was a huge day. Dad is officially out of ICU. He is on the floor now. Hopefully soon he will be going up to the 5th floor to rehab. He was a little depressed today. He told mom that he wished he could just walk out of the there. We have faith that he will be able to walk out of there in time. I don't think he realized that he would need in house rehab services and that they would be so intense, but he is taking everything in stride. Hopefully he will be striding soon himself.

He does like his new room and I think it makes him feel better. Hopefully he won't have anxiety tonight. He is able to suction himself now so I think that helps.

He got rid of a lot of tubes and even walked a little today. He did have some pain. His legs hurt and he had a headache. They gave him pain medication tonight. When we left he was falling asleep while talking so we are hoping that he gets a good nights rest.

He has been so patient! He is really accepting everything as it comes and has a very calm demeanor. He likes us in there with him and doesn't want us to leave, but we don't want to be anywhere else either, so we don't mind. My mom is his biggest supporter. She's a very selfless person! I am hoping that with everyday dad becomes more confident with himself and his abilities. I was thinking about how scary it was when things weren't looking so positive. I realized how fortunate I am to not only have both parents living, but to have good parents. I don't want to take that for granted and I am going to try not to even when they make me want to scream:)

I will do my best to keep you updated tomorrow. We hope you all have a nice relaxing Sunday. We are missing many of you and look forward to seeing you soon. Thanks to all who have left a comment and for those of you who don't know how, thank you for reading and thinking of us. I hope you don't get tired of us saying how much we appreciate you all. We really feel the love all the way up here in Chicago!

Thanks so much for everything!!!!

Love,
John, Cathy & the rest of the clan

The Running Man

Hello followers! This is Bucky blogging today. First off, I want to personally thank everyone for all the thoughts, prayers, cards, and gifts. All the positivity has really been helpful especially in the first few days. Mom and Cejae have been amazing so far, aside from making each other cry occasionally. It's like yawning for them, it's contagious. One does it, then they're both doing it. Fortunately, Dad has been making huge strides so the crying has ceased. Today, my amazing wife and I gave them a little relief, and stayed with him the majority of the day. His will and determination are really something to marvel at, as is his continues progress.
The big news of today is that he actually got out, and beat me in a foot race around the block. Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit. He didn't really get out, nor did he run. He did however walk around the bed with the help of a walker, and his physical therapist merely spotting him. Considering three days ago he was near catatonic, it really is amazing progress. Best of all, Dr. Anderson, his surgeon, cleared him to get his own room out of ICU today and begin his physical thereapy in a few days. Nurse Ashley just informed us that he is getting a private room and will be moving hopefully before the end of her shift this evening. Much thanks and love go to the doctors and staff here for their continued care both physically, mentally, and emotionally. And huge thanks again to all of you as well as to those who aren't following the blog for the buckets of love you continue to send our way.

Love and blessings,
The Cross Family

BIG NEWS!

Good morning everyone,

I have lots of news today. Dad said this morning "take my staples out" and mom said, "I don't think they are going to do that yet." He said "they already did." Sure enough, Dad got the staples removed from his head and his stomach where they took the fat to put in his head. He's a fat head. Kidding. He also got his NG tube out. YEAH!!!! He is tolerating the food. He seems to be digesting all of the food and taking in nutrition. They are taking the cathater out today as well (sorry dad but the people want to know). They put in the order for him to go to the floor today, which means he may get out of ICU today! He is still a little nauseated, but we are hoping that passes. As I said earlier, he didn't have a great night. He had some anxiety. I have some anxiety in this hospital too, so I can certainly understand how you would if you were the one that had to be here ALL the time. He looks really good today. He's talking good. He seems less confused. Yesterday he only had Tylenol for pain, nothing else until the afternoon when he started to get a headache.

He is a very strong person. He gets excited when the doctor's come in and brag on him. I'm not sure if he realizes how well he is doing, but he is doing so great. He is a trooper!

My mom told me a funny story this morning that happened after the last time dad had his surgery (17 years ago). She said he fell asleep with me after tucking me in. He woke up in a panic and ran into their bedroom and said "Who's Mario." My mom said "I don't know a Mario" and he said "You've been having an affair with him for 11 years." My mom said "If thats the case then who does Cejae belong to?" And dad said, "YOU TELL ME." That must have been some dream he had! I reminded him of the story today and he smiled. Hopefully he doesn't experience those kind of dreams this time around.

Also, Aysia, Jayda, and Adyson wanted me to relay the message "Butt, butt coconut" to dad because they said Uncle John would laugh at that. He did! He thought it was funny.

My mom wanted me to make sure and mention a couple more thank-you's. Thanks to Uncle Mike, Aunt Robin and Hannah for the care package and TV and for everything they do for us. After all, they keep our pool up and running all summer;) - its thier pool, we just take over. One of my best friends ever, Brandi and her mama Denise sent us up care packages. Brandi even included a salt shaker - she knows me too well. Dianne Friederich sent us up a care package too which was awesome as did the Rawls family. That was so nice and considerate of you all.

My parents neighbor and friend, Jerry Hart, has taken over the lawn duties at the Cross estate (ha) for some time now. We appreciate that so much and it was and is very considerate of him to take that upon himself. Terri Newbury gets the mail at my parents house everyday which they greatly appreciate. Adam has taken care of keeping everything happening at home, both my home and my parents. Thanks! Thanks to all of the individual people and the groups of people who donated money, it has come in very handy. To the many people from FGB Church, RLC, and PNB who gave us money - thank you. Money doesn't buy happiness but it will take care of the $4.00 parking fee each day, among other things.

Personally I'd like to thank Terri and Kelly for being there for me always and helping me through this very rough time (mushy I know). Also, thanks to Julie and Melissa for being there for me, crying with me and letting me ramble on and on about my fears for months now (Aunt Paula and Carissa too). I am very blessed to have such wonderful friends. Adam has witnessed my sloppiest meltdowns and still loves me anyway (I think). He's been dealing with some family stuff too but is always right there when I need him despite all that he's going through. My "sissies" (they love that), Audrey, Sarah, Emily, and Anna are awesome too as is Adam's entire family. I'm one of those people who actually loves my in-laws. The folks at my work (Marilyn, Ellen, Carrie, Kathy, Keri, & Teresa) are taking care of my work stuff for me while I am gone and that means so much! They have just been incredibly great. Bammer - thanks for always checking on us. Some other pretty awesome people to thank: Buster, Jason, Chris, Jeannie, Barbara, Lee-Lee, all of dad's family, Uncle Mike, Michele, the girls, Suzanne, the Moids, Delores, the Pritchetts, Tim, Charlie & Janice, Phil, and a whole bunch of other people that I'm probably leaving out! Sorry.

We have a lot of thank-you's!

I'd like to thank the academy for... Kidding! The biggest thanks goes to all of you people who have been there thinking and praying for my dad and us. There are so many of you that I can't name names, but we are SO THANKFUL for you people! We are so blessed. You all will never ever know how much you mean to us and we are so grateful for you.

It is very sunny here today! We hope that it is sunny where you are too and that you all have a wonderful weekend. Thanks again for the cards, emails, texts, and calls too.

We love you dearly!

The Fam

I C U have been in ICU 9 days now!

Good morning folks,

The sun looks like it is trying to come out. I can see it peeking out over the top of the BP station. What a view:) Maybe it will come out to stay.

Last night, dad was a little anxious. I think maybe his days and nights are off. Of course it is hard to get much sleep when someone comes in and pokes around on you atleast every hour, you know "tortures you all day." We are glad for those little pokes though as they are helping him get better. The nurses do such a wonderful job at the hospital. Nurses have a very demanding job and probably don't get a lot of gratitude. Thank God for nurses...and of course, doctors too! It is amazing to me how much "stuff" they have in a hospital. Who came up with all of this stuff? I don't know who thought it up, but I'm glad they did. They have machines for everything imaginable. I'm rambling now.

Back to dad. He has been nauseated but the food seems to be going somewhere. It is a slow process, but that is okay. We can be patient! It is easier to be patient when things aren't so scary. We will get to the hospital about 8:30 this morning and I will have more to post later.

Thank you for all of the cards. We got to Buck & Mel's last night and had a bazillion. Mel said that dad gets more mail than they do, but she is okay with that:) For those of you who don't know the address and would like to, Bucky and Melody's address is:
2011 West Dobson
Evanston, IL 60202

Okay, more later.

Love,

The Cross's (& a Rawls)

Baby Bird

Hello all,

This is Cathy posting for the first time. I hate for Cejae to get all the kudos. Just kidding, she has been such a blessing as have Bucky and Melody. Melody thinks of all kinds of questions that we don't, and Bucky is always so positive, even when Cejae and I are puddles. I am so excited that Cejae gets to stay another week even though I know she misses her husband and others.

It is so wonderful to see John doing so much better. He loves his ice chips and looks like a baby bird when he wants more. It is just so sweet. He is so eager to please everyone and really very easy to please. He told me it was the "little joys" that mean so much, like ice chips and using the bathroom.

I told him Sunday I thought Cejae and I would try to go to church before we came. He said, "That would be good; say a blessing for me." I told him we certainly would.

He has rested a lot today. He said he couldn't see very well out of his right eye and Cejae told him it might be the contact. I told him his prescription might have changed and we might need to get him new glasses. He said, "I got glasses. Where are they? Let me see them." So now he is lying in bed with an NG tube in his nose and glasses on watching a Baseball playoff game.

This morning when we got here he asked us where we had been, and he doesn't want us to leave until the very last minute tonight. I can't blame him. We originally told him we were going to leave around 6:00 and he said, "Where?" I told him we were going to Bucky's. Bucky is making dinner and we are looking forward to it. We hate to tell him when we are going to get something to eat or drink because we don't want to make it worse.

We so appreciate everyone for everything. We are so blessed to know such wonderful, caring, praying people. We are so thankful for everyone, but I would like to thank a few specifically. We look forward to Charlotte's daily devotionals and this week they seem to have been right on. Delores is so good at taking care of the prayer chain updates and all around communication. We can never thank Barbara enough, ever. It was so nice to have Buster, Jason and Tim come up this week. Cejae loves company. We love the cards, phone calls and text messages from everyone. Our family, church family and friends have been wonderful. We feel so loved and supported even though we are far from home.

I will say goodbye for now, but thanks and love to all of you.

The Crosses

80 Followers

80 Followers! Wha? That is crazy. Crazy Awesome!!!!

WOW

Dad says "WOW" and "alright" alot.

Dad has rested well for a couple of hours today. They've sat him back up in the chair, but he is nauseated and said he wants to go back to bed. Dr. Anderson came in and said he looked good and that he is making improvements. He stood up and closed his eyes to try and hold his balance for Dr. Anderson. He tries hard to impress the doctor and he does a great job for him. They have started feeding him again through his peg tube. They also said they were going to feed him PPN. I think this means they are going to supplement by putting in another IV. This may be totally off though. We just nod and smile sometimes when they tell us what is going on.

I am going to stay another week now. My supervisor told me that if I need more time off that I should take it. She said that family comes first and work is secondary. I am very happy I get to stay! Me and mom are both very glad to work for people who are understanding and caring. RLC and WOVSED have been very good to us, and I'm not just sucking up:) The only bad part about staying up here is that I am missing people back home a bit. I miss my husband and even my "special" dog, but I will get to see them soon enough.

Being up here puts a lot into perspective. How do people who have loved one's in the service or away from them for whatever reason handle it? I guess you just have to handle life as it comes at you no matter what your situation. It just makes you really think about what someone else might be going through, even when you feel like you've got it the worst! ICU is a rough place. You see some people day after day waiting on progress that never comes. You see some people who have to make some REALLY tough decisions about their loved one. But, sometimes you see good things too. People getting back on their feet. Our ICU buddies waited 3 days for their mom to wake up and she finally did and seems to be doing better. You just never know what someone else is going through. I think we get so bogged down sometimes we forget to recognize what other people may be dealing with. I know I do...alot. The only time it is acceptable to not care about what someone else is going through is in traffic. Kidding of course, sort of!

I hope you all are having a nice Friday. Work time is almost over! I'll keep posting all weekend, but feel free to email or call too, we will try to reply/answer.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Love,

The Cross Family

Dad is sitting up in his chair. He waves at EVERYONE that passes by in the hallway. My mom asked him who he waved at and he said "He's just a guy that works here." He's very friendly. We asked him if he remembered that he had a contact lens in and he said no, but I told him he had one before like it which he remembered. He told me to look up Tokyo Shishatano. He said this is what his contact was. Then he changed it to Tokyo Kerashotow. Then he made a motion with his hand and said it flies. "Like geese." "The contact does." Today he likes the "death nurse." Everyone is really happy that he's doing so well. She said today that she is SO HAPPY for him. Guess what, mom cried at this. Ha. He said he might be a little confused. He gets ice chips today. He is watching the clock very closely for 10:00 so he can have more ice chips.

He is trying to talk to his brother Gabe on the phone. He is yelling, but it is still just a whisper. He's concerned because Gabe got some stitches removed this week. He keeps telling Gabe to pray for him and that he loves him.

He is doing so great! It is almost 10:00 I'm told...that means ice chips.

Go drink some water now because you can:) Love - Cejae

Day 8 in ICU

Good morning everyone! Happy Friday (I think). Mom called the night nurse, Kathy, last night and she said that dad had sat in the chair some more. This morning, Kathy told us that dad went to the bathroom and that his stomach had gone down considerably. Talking about my dad's bathroom cycle is not my favorite thing to do, but in this case going to the bathroom is a huge deal.

Kathy was so pleased to see dad so "with it." He told her that he loved his wife so much which made my mom happy of course. And I bet this will shock everyone but she cried when she told me. Our sitting and waiting is much more eventful now because dad keeps us entertained with his stories and the wacky things he says. He seems a little, how should I put it, high right now. For the most part he knows what is going on and seems to pick up on a lot. Yesterday after he just finished telling us he needed that Mt. Dew (for the 100th time), Melody and Bucky came and Mel had a water bottle in her bag that you could BARELY see. After saying hello, the first thing he did was point and say water bottle. He used his eagle eye for that one.

He knows most things, but is still a tad confused sometimes. He still mumbles something about Aysia (his great neice who is 8 who he loves like his own child) coming to get him and now he's including "Mawmaw" in it too. So, Denita (Mawmaw), I guess you need to come up with Aysia when she drives up. Ha. We are hoping the confusion will fade some when the medication is reduced. He does not seem to be in pain which I think is remarkable after only 8 days following brain surgery.

My hubby Adam, whom I am really missing, is coming to pick me up tomorrow. I have to go back to work. My mom is a little worried about me leaving, but I think since dad feels better she will be okay with it. As soon as I get ready, we are going to the hospital and I will have more to update.

Thanks for reading the blog and for caring about us so much. Our stress has been diminished considerably since yesterday. God took care of everything for us and in hindsight it seems dumb that we worried so much, but it was very scary for awhile.

For those of you who do not know how to convert ICU days, 8 days in ICU is 7 months normal people time. So we've been here roughly 7 months now:)

Love you guys. I look forward to your comments and emails and calls everyday even if I can't respond. I've saved all of the emails and now dad has the blog to look at too. He will be astonished at how many people are pulling for him, he has no clue!

Thanks to you all.

Love,

Cejae & Cathy Ellen Cross - she says hi and that she will post the next update...maybe.

Cowboys & Mavericks

Hey all,

Dad was cracking me up today. He seems to be in good spirits. He's still pregnant but we are hoping that matter will get cleared up soon. I tried to call the hospital just now to get an update but the nurse was in his room. They have our number so they can call if there is a problem. I don't know if I will have much to report tonight. We are exhausted, so we may just call before bed and then hit the hay. I will post as soon as I know something in the morning. Thanks for all the prayers! They have been answered. We hope for more progress and no more jinx's!

Good night!

Cejae (& Cathy)

Still trucking

Dad is back in bed now. He really wants something to eat and drink. He keeps asking for his mouth to be swabbed. He doesn't like it when I do it because I don't get enough water on it because I'm afraid to give it to him since he can't swallow. He likes when Bucky and mom do it because they give him more water. He told me to be "more forgiving" with it, but I just let them do it.

The residents came in and said he looked good. He told them thank you. He called one of the residents Cowboy. There were two men and a woman, so then he called them the cowboys and a maverick. He's really funny. They put a contact in his right eye to bandage it because it is very dry. The nurse told us she was heart sick. He told her he loved her and told her he'd give her a hug. He told us to leave because we look tired, but he was also concerned about when we would be back. He does not seem to be in pain right now. If we could figure this stomach stuff out maybe we could get out of ICU. He is still breathing on his own. He is acting like dad. We are so grateful!

We are up to 71 people on here. I know there are even more that are reading and just haven't joined. I think dad likes the idea of a blog, but I am not sure he fully understands just how many people are reading and praying and wondering about him. Thanks to all! More later.

Love,
Cejae

Still Sitting

Dad is still sitting in his chair. He's funny. He is looking more exhausted and thinks he might want to lay down soon. But, he has been sitting for around 3 hours now. He has improved so much just overnight. He remembers most things pre-surgery but is still a little confused. Bucky and Melody have been here with us for awhile and Tim and Jason are still here. He still has the tube that suctions from his stomach and his stomach is still swollen. They are still staying on top of this and monitoring his stomach. He wanted me to tell Delores not to let Van have surgery until he gets home. Somehow I don't think Van is waiting for the go ahead from dad, but he is thinking about others. He was very excited to hear that Gabby Lemke got to come home and when he learned that she is doing well. I think he is a little upset with his feeding tube, but he is right on top of our conversations. He was laughing at some of Tim's stories about building his house. Anyway, as always, we are thankful for all of you and are so happy to have good news to report.

Love,

The Fam

Making progress

Dad is sitting up in a chair now. They are going to try and have him sit for an hour if he can stand it. He said he hates the bed. He is sitting well right now and not trying to get up. He wants a Mountain Dew! He seems to be getting sleepier right now. Dr. Anderson, his neurosurgeon, came by to see him and said that he was looking good. They are keeping a close eye on the stomach and monitoring him frequently. Today is the best day so far! I will keep you posted. Just know that today is an exciting day for all of us! Thanks for the prayers, they are working!

He said not to leave him with a specific nurse. He called her a death nurse. I think he just associates her with when he was sick.

I'm going to read him some of your comments now.

Love,
Cejae

ICU - Day 7

Hello everyone. We've got great news this morning. Dad is off of the respirator. They tried to wean him this morning and it was successful so they took him off of the respirator. He seems a little confused today. He isn't able to talk but he can mouth to us. He is taking most of his frustration out on mom. She is an easy target because she cares so much and because he knows she isn't going anywhere. It is easiest for us to be hard on those that we love the most.

He said he flew into Williamson County and flew back out and nobody knew that. He said he could hear the plane. He knows some things but he thought he was in Indianapolis. He says he was told this. Mom asked him who she was, he said Cathy, and she asked who I was and he said Cejae, the good witch. Mom asked if she was the bad witch and he said yes. He wanted to know why they have cross's in the hospital, mom told him because it was a Catholic hospital and they believe in Jesus. He said thats the guy thats supposed to be getting him out of here. He thinks he's going home alot sooner than he actually is, but thats okay. He seems sort of agitated right now, but I would be too if I underwent surgery and had to sit in the hospital for days getting poked and prodded. His stomach is still distended and he hasn't gone to the bathroom yet, but hopefully that will make him feel much better.

Mom relayed the message that Randy had sent her about the Americans winning the British cup (I think that is the right tourney) and he said that was unbelievable.

Jason and Tim are here. He told them mom keeps telling him all these weird things. He said that Tim and Jason get it. He told Jason he was head of the class.

Then he told us Aysia (his great neice) is coming to get him.

He knew that Adam was my husband and that Mel was Bucky's wife. He said something about Bucky earlier, but we couldn't understand. He seems to be getting sleepy now.

We are just glad that he feels good enough to talk to us. He seems to be confused, but that is probably just the medicine. We are very happy today! Thanks to all of you for your prayers. He has improved so much overnight and we thank God for that.

Thanks for reading! We love you guys.

Cejae

Grateful

Good evening,

Mom and I are so grateful for all of you. I'm kind of obsessed with all of the followers and am really astonished at how many people are following this blog, it rocks my world! We are always praying and we appreciate all of your prayers as well. We have come to terms with the fact that we have no control over the situation and are just really trying to leave it in God's hands.

Dad had a slight fever tonight, 100.6, and the night nurse gave him Tylenol. They said his white blood count was up earlier today which means he is likely fighting off an infection. His stomach is still swollen. He is still sedated heavily and is resting comfortably. They won't restart feeding until he has gotten rid of whatever is hanging out in his stomach. If it is a baby, he better get a big chunk of change!

Buster is on his way home now, please pray for his safe return. He just hung out with us all day which was very nice! Jason Moore and Tim Millenbine are here too. We haven't seen them yet but are so glad that they came. We certainly don't want everyone to come up just because we are here, but it is nice to have visitors to help us cope and to encourage us! People have been so kind. My dad is a truly remarkable person to me and I love and care for him so much! It is wonderful to see how many other people care about him and our family too. We are overwhelmed (in a good way) by all of you. My mom wants me to add, in case you didn't know, we love you and thank you all so very much!

Tomorrow it will be a week since dad had his surgery. It is funny how the body works. The brain is good right now, which is a blessing, but his body is a little ticked off about something. I hope his body loses the attitude and just starts to cooperate with us! Maybe there will be better news tomorrow.

Thanks & Love,

Cejae (& Cathy, Adam, Buck & Mel)

Not much has changed since the last update. Dad is still sedated and is "sleeping." The GI team came in and said they weren't going to take action just yet. The nurses gave him an enema (sorry again dad if that embarasses you) to help the process. The hiccups are still brutal and pretty much ongoing. They came to suction him again through the tube, but this time he didn't even cough - he's just out of it today because of the meds. Mom and I are going out to dinner tonight. Aunt Barbara is taking us out to eat. She's not actually an aunt, but we consider her family. Barbara is also so graciously paying for our hotel stay which is a huge weight off of our shoulders. We don't technically have to stay in a hotel, but it is so nice to be just minutes from the hospital and not have to fight the traffic. She is such a very generous person and she has done and continues to do so much for our family. Thanks Barbara. Thank you all too for your generosity. It is very touching to us that all of you would put so much stock into our lives, but we know you care about us and dad, so we are still going to take advantage of that for as long as we can.

Love,

Cejae

Sleeping Beauty

Hello there,

Dad is still out. The optomotrist lady came and taped the right eye so it would stay shut and not get infected. He didn't even notice. The residents came in and talked to mom. They said that there is some sort of obstruction in his intestines (they called it ilius) and that is why his stomach is distended (pregnant). They do not know what the obstruction is for sure right now. They are giving him medicine to help all of that stuff that is just sitting in his stomach move on through. Hopefully it will work and the problem will get better. Lets see, what else? His incision looks good - its big and goes from about the top of his ear down to his neck. They still have gauze on the bottom part so I am not sure how far it goes in the back of his head. He is on a lot of pain medication and still heavily sedated. He coughed a little bit ago and the nurse had to come suction. It looks so painful when they suction down his tube. They suction his mouth out too to make sure that the saliva and stuff in his throat doesn't go into his belly. I am hoping maybe he's so sedated that he won't remember the pain. It is hard to know what to do for him. Right now it feels like we are just sitting and waiting. I do get excited every time there is a new follower though and I enjoy your comments. Bucky, Melody, and Buster are still here with us. We are just hoping and praying for some good news soon!

Thanks for thinking of us!

Love,
Cejae & family

Buster's Here!

Good morning everyone. My mom's boss, Buster, surprised us this morning and came to Chicago. I love having company up here. He brought with him a lovely basket that my in-laws had made - thanks Rawls clan - I love and miss you!

Dad looks pregnant. His stomach is really distended. They took two pictures of his belly to try and figure out what is going on. His bowels don't seem to be moving (sorry dad if that embarasses you). They've put a new tube down his nose and into his belly to suction up everything in his stomach. There is brown stuff coming up through the belly tube, the nurse says it looks like dried blood. Dad vometed a couple of more times last night. When I say vometed, they are not actually sure what it is, it may be stomach yuck, or sinus drainage or something else. They've also taken another chest X-ray. Since he's in ICU, they take an X-ray everyday. The big concern right now is why he is not responding to food and nutrition and what is going on with his stomach. He is heavily sedated right now and pretty out of it. They did not try to wean him off the vent today because of what is going on with the other stuff. Also they can't try to wean him off when he is that sedated. They have still stopped tube feeding right now. The IV pumps in liquids so he doesn't get dehydrated, but there is no nourishment going in right now and will not continue until they figure out about his abdomen. Dad doesn't know we are here today because he's out of it.

As always, we appreciate your support and all of your prayers. Hopefully I will have better news to report soon. We love you guys and I'll keep updating. In the meantime, don't be afraid to shoot an email or call. Even if we can't answer right away, we will try to get back to you. Mom and I are fasting and praying today if anyone wants to join us.

A special thanks to Peggy Davis for lighting a candle in Canterbury Cathedral in England for my dad!

We love you guys!

Bedtime

Mom and I are drained. You would think sitting in a chair all day wouldn't be such hard work, but it is exhausting. Of course not as exhausting as having brain surgery and having to deal with all sorts of issues, so why am I complaining? Dad got sick a few times while were there this evening. It looks so painful and it is just sad! They have to suction through his tube which makes him cough and it looks horribly painful and uncomfortable. They also suction his mouth out. We never heard a definate yes or no on weather dad had aspirated or not. They did take a chest X-ray. Kasia, the nurse, said that it did show something on it, but nothing major. His night nurse, Jerry, said that he thought they'd have a radiologist report sometime tonight that would tell us what the X-ray showed. He said that dad was doing well up until about 10 minutes ago and then he vometed again. Feeding has stopped temporarily until they figure out what is making him sick. I don't understand how he is getting sick when there is nothing in his stomach and since he is on the respirator. He may just be getting sick from gagging on the tube or because something else is making him nauseous. Hopefully he will get better in the night and will start to show improvement soon. I just hate it for him. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support! We wouldn't be able to get through without you all. We are up to 26 followers now...that is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to read my posts and to pray for dad. Tomorrow will be day 6 in the ICU. I am so glad he is getting good care and thankful for what he is able to do - think, move, comprehend, reason, etc - that is amazing after just having gone through such an extensive surgery! Thank you all so much for everything. Love you all! Good night.

Cejae

Jinx!

Well, now the sunshine went away. I am not sure what exactly is going on because we've just heard bits & pieces as nurses, GI, and respiratory come in. From what I understand, they think he might've aspirated. They've stopped the tube feed for now. They mentioned something about getting an X-ray. If this is the case, the nurse said they may extend the tube from his stomach to his intestines so they can bypass the stomach all together thus helping him to digest the food. Aspiration seems very serious and is what we were very much worried about before the surgery. Please pray for him. I don't exactly know what to ask you to pray for, but he needs prayers. I will update you more when we hear from the doctors. They think maybe there was a leak in his tube. Like I said, I'm not totally sure what is happening and I will let you know when I hear more news.

It has been a good day up until the afternoon when he started to feel worse. Pray, pray, pray please!

Dr. Anderson

Greetings from Sunny Chicago! Dr. Anderson, the neurosurgeon, just came in and he said that he was very hopeful that dad would keep improving. He is strong. He squeezed Dr. Anderson's hands and pushed against him to show that he has strength. They suction him out through his breathing tube and he HATES it. It makes him cough and it must feel like he can't breathe. He keeps trying to mouth things to us and it is hard to read his lips. He doesn't get mad, just frustrated when we can't figure it out. The ammonia levels have dropped some, but are still high. His body is finally taking in nutrition. The feeding tube seems to be helping with this. Dr. Anderson said his head CT looked good. He also said that they want to be really careful in trying to wean him off of the respirator because he wants to be positive that dad can breath on his own. He is resting pretty well right now. They are trying to cut back on some of the pain medicine because he is sort of out of it. But, he is getting rest. As always, he despises the respirator. It is probably good that he is restrained or else that baby would be yanked out!

Thanks for reading my new blog! We have 15 followers right now and my mom and I are very excited. Melody is here with us too. Melody takes our laundry home and does it for us since we are still at the hotel. We are going to stay at the hotel until dad is out of the ICU. Dr. A didn't get us a timeline on the ICU stay, but I'm assuming atleast a couple more days. We are starting to rub off on Mel because she cries at random things sometimes now. Bucky and Melody are the strong ones that always think of the good questions....and my Uncle Mike when he's up here.

Anyway, I will post some more later. We love you all and thanks for the prayers! We really appreciate all of you:)

10/13 12:00 p.m.

They tried to wean him off the respirator but he wasn't able to breathe well on his own at this time. They will try again tomorrow. They started slowly feeding him through his tube this morning. They've upped the pain medication so he is resting right now.

ICU - Day 5

Hello,My lovely cousin Michele created this blog for me as I would have no clue how to do this myself. She said she felt "helpless" so she decided to help us create a blog so we could keep people informed. I think it's a nice idea. I know other people may feel helpless too, but honestly we are here and still feel helpless. I do have some good updates though. Dad is not supposed to talk on his respirator as it disrupts the oxygen and all that jazz. He doesn't have a voice anyway when he does talk, but he tries to mouth every now and again. Today he smiled at me and mouthed "I love you." I told him mom was here too and he said "I love her too and Bucky." I said the nurses and doctors were taking very good care of him and he said "They torture me all day." I told him that all we do is sit and watch him and asked if that was okay. He shook his head yes and said "All the time." When I tried to explain that we couldn't be here at night he said "Yes you can." I finally agreed with him because he was getting a little anxious about it. They just came in to do a weaning test to see if he could breath okay without the respirator. I'll have those updates and hopefully others soon. Mom and I cried, of course, when he said that he loved us. We were so happy to see that he was alert and okay. He isn't getting much rest, probably because they "torture" him. Ha. The staff is really wonderful and caring here and we are starting to see some progress. Now usually when I say this we take a couple of steps back, so I hope I don't "jinx" him. Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts and concern. We certainly aren't close to out of the woods, but we are starting to see some sunshine through the trees!