notes from NY...

Well, on Monday evening, Nov. 19, Becky called from NY and she was in so much pain that her voice was shaking and she said her entire body was shaking. She had sent someone to go get her pain meds, but she was not doing well at all.

I went down to Jaime's on Tuesday to watch Maddie and pick up Chase from preschool while Jaime when to Raven's Thanksgiving play at her school. When she returned, we started talking and were even able to IM with Jay for over an hour to try to put a plan in place to get Becky some help. So, at 8 p.m. Jaime and I headed for NY. Jaime is very proactive when she sees someone in pain. We arrived at Becky's at 4 a.m. and when she came to the door--because she was not able to sleep--she looked like "death warmed over". She was as pale as a ghost and the telltale signs of pain were all over her face in the form of deep lines. She looked older then I do.

So, the plan that was devised and agreed upon by Becky and Jay and Jaime and myself was that Jaime would take the kids back to MI and I would stay here with Becky. So, at 7:30 p.m. we left to catch the 9:41 p.m. Amtrak train. Jaime and the kids left Syracuse and arrived in Toledo approximately 7 hours later, where Jeff picked them up and took them home.

Ray stayed with Jaime's kids while Jeff was gone and then for several hours after everyone arrived back at J & Js to watch all 7 kids ages 8-1 so that J & J could get a little sleep.

On Friday, November 23, I took Becky for an MRI of her cervical spine as she has symptoms indicating nerve compression. We sent the MRI results out the very same day to Dr. Dhawan in Syracuse. The symptoms are progressing rapidly with not only her left arm and hand involved, but now her left side of her face and ear and just this a.m. her left eye is twitching.

We did get word from Jay this a.m. that they have given him an ordinary leave for emergency purposes--which translates that they are going to give him a two-week leave of absence for the time being. He is still in Afghanistan, but will be coming home--supposedly within the next 4 days. That is all he knows right now.

So, I will keep you posted as best I can. I am trying to get all those things--big and small--accomplished before the kids get back. Becky had asked Doreen--Jay's Mom--if she could please come out and help her in NY. This was before she knew Jaime and I were coming out. So, Doreen and either Jay's brother, Patrick, or her sister-in-law, Betty, will arrive November 28 with the kids. They will be here until the morning of Dec. 2. I will be arriving back here to help prepare for Becky's surgery on Dec. 6.

That is what we know right now. Please keep Becky and Jay and the kids in your prayers and all those who will have them in their care.