On my way back to NY...

On a heavier note, we were not able to spend Thanksgiving as planned. Jaime and I made an emergency trip out to NY, driving through the night and arriving at Becky’s at 4 a.m. Her pain had reached an unmanageable level and I could tell when I spoke with her on Monday evening that she had reached her limits. Jaime and I stayed through Thanksgiving. At 7:30 p.m. Thanksgiving day I took Jaime and Becky's 4 kids to Syracuse to catch the 9:41 p.m. Amtrak back to Toledo where Jeff would pick them up. Ray stayed with Jaime and Jeff's kids while he headed for Toledo and back. Jaime had the kids until the following Wednesday when Jay's parents brought them back to NY. I stayed the week with Becky to help out, then headed back home that same Wednesday following Thanksgiving and am now on my way back again.

As you may remember, Becky had a spinal fusion on May 19, 2006. Sadly enough, the bone graft did not take and first they found one screw was broken, then it became two and now it is at least three of the four. After jumping through countless hoops with Drs. egos getting in the way of scheduling surgery, Drs letters to the Red Cross not being explicit enough regarding her condition, Army commanders having an axe to grind, and the insurance company being fed improper information—Jay is now home from Afghanistan as of Nov. 29.--the Thursday following Thanksgiving--on a 2-week leave (even though this 9-hour surgery will require a 3-month recuperation with patient care required), her 540 ( back –180, front—360, back—540) surgery requiring three surgeons to carry it out is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Dec. 6. I will be leaving at 6 a.m. tomorrow to get there to help run the household and care for the children while Jay supports Becky in Syracuse (at least an hour away) and then help care for Becky upon her release from the hospital. Please pray for the success of Becky’s surgery and recuperation and strength for Jay and the kids and myself during this time that we may be supportive and caring and provide all that she will need to travel this lengthy journey to full health.