Mr. Bad Luck
I am tapping this message out from the comforts of my ‘heavenly bed’ here at the hotel with Brad and Matt in the bed next to me playing games,… which sounds like a normal night away from home..BUT… let me describe the past 24 hours of our fun Disney family vacation.
Brad had a seizure in the car on the way home from the Magic Kingdom. He was transported to a hospital called ‘Celebration Health’(where I think Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are board certified) because he displayed stroke-like symptoms(pretty scary, a bit like last stroke.) Brad spent the night there and had a few tests to determine what happened. The final outcome was a seizure and he is back on his anti-seizure medicine which he just stopped on Sunday as prescribed.
We were able to make our dinner reservation tonight and will finish our trip but in a very low key manner.
Please direct all prayers to the ‘Jackie Lazzari Saved Brad’s Life Again’ column and we will write more when we have better things to talk about.
Sledding time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winter Fun - 1/19/09
Haven’t posted since before the holidays, hope everyone got what they wanted. I know Matt sure did! It was nice to spend time with family and friends. Tomorrow we leave for Disney, we all can’t wait to go. We’ll put up a couple of pics when we return, but for now I can’t wait to go somewhere and THAW OUT!!
Other than that, Matt went sledding, and he’s gone on a couple of trips to Chucky Cheese’s. Not sure who had more fun Matt or Grandpa Blue!
Brad
December 9th
Hello winter! Snowy and icy today. Sometimes I worry about Brad walking on the unshoveled sidewalks belonging to the SUPER LAZY people in Chicago. I have lived here my whole life (of 21 years(hee.hee…ok 25 years, ha..ha) ) and when it snows YOU GET OFF YOUR LAZY DUFF AND SHOVEL IT PEOPLE!!
Brad is doing well. He and Matt both have colds. But Matt made it more exciting by having croup.(not fun) Both are doing better and Brad will have a little chemo-boost this week.
We have been having a lot of fun lately taking advantage of our weekends in Wisconsin and staying overnight downtown(in a hotel, not the hospital this time.)
No major drama, which is nice, but there are still a few family parties ahead, so I am sure someone will step up to the plate and make things exciting. Time to go, but take a look outside and if you have snow>>SHOVEL IT!
November 14
Well. Things HAVE been going well. Mostly.
Brad is still cancer free as his bone marrow was checked last week. That is ALWAYS welcome news. Now our doctor is adjusting his chemo to keep his white cell and platelet levels from dropping. I am sure she will have this all figured out ASAP, but for now Brad feels good.
OK…now for some interesting news. Since Brad’s return to work, Matt and I have been finding many new places to eat in Greektown(Brad’s office is located there and Jackie’s Taxi Service delivers Brad to work a few times a week) So if you are in Greektown, try Meli Cafe(Jackson & Halsted) for breakfast. Fantastic Menu and not a greasy spoon.
Our good friends had a baby and Brad got to visit them in Prentice, which was nice since he is usually the ‘one in the bed’ there. I’m sure our insurance company is breathing a sigh of relief that he was a ‘visitor’ this time.
Matt is doing well. He has a serious crush on June from the Little Einsteins. She is able to get him to eat, behave, and do whatever she wants…..Gee, if only Brad had someone like that in his life.
Jessica Altman Research Fund
Jessica Altman is our fabulous doctor. She is saving lives each day and is conducting research to help better the care of many others with leukemia.
If you would like to support her research, please send a check payable to ‘Northwestern University’ and note on the bottom that it is for the Jessica Altman Research Fund.
Send your support to:
Jeff Nearhoof
NU-Feinberg School of Medicine
750 N Lake Shore Drive
Rubloff Building, 9th Floor
Chicago, IL 60611
Happy Stroke Anniversary!-Does Hallmark Have a Card for this Occassion?
A look back a year ago…
Brad suffered a stroke and brain hemmorage very early Thursday morning. After tests, the doctors at Northwestern performed surgery on his brain to remove the blood clots. Brad cam through that surgery as well as can be expected. He is trying hard to recover movement in the right side of his body and has not been able to speak since he arrived at the hospital.
Celebrating a year later…
Wow! That was a bad day. I am lucky to have Brad with me a year later. We will celebrate and reflect over the weekend.
October 9
Brad is back at work full time—–and my vacation(from him) has begun. He is hanging in at Johnson Controls, getting used to his new schedule and managing the frequent trips to NMH for lab work.
Brad Looking Much Better
Unemployed!-September 16
Yes, Brad will still be unemployed until October 1st. He is ready to start work; his company is ready for him to return; but Uncle Sam says not until October 1st.(due to rules with social security) So I am hiring this man out to do handy work and odd jobs. Not really, but Brad is starting to catch on to my ‘mom’ lifestyle of hanging out with Matt and Ozzy, going for lunch, and enjoying the nice weather….he thinks it’s all fun and games and it is hard to try to make myself ‘look’ busy.
Brad has began his 2-1/2 year maintenance chemo program which includes LOADS of pills, biopsies, IV meds, and blood tests. Nothing he can’t handle.
And……..his Italiano hair is making a comeback!!