I haven’t updated my blog in a while because I was in the hospital. Both Jerry and I are having severe health problems. Leah fell backwards and hit something resulting in a compressed fracture of L-1. The pain has been excruciating. I went to the hospital and they started a pain management program then rehab for a week so I can walk with a walker, get in and out of bed and go to the bathroom by myself, all of which still hurts even with pain meds. They are not doing surgery due to my stroke (plavix and anesthesia) and so my neurosurgeon’s advice is to be patient and let it slowly heal. I am in an abdomen brace except while in bed when I can loosen it. I came home yesterday, July 29.

What is worse, is that Jerry has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. The CT showed he probably had it but a biopsy of a lump on his back and a petscan showed the diagnosis was correct. He has been chosen for a clinical drug trial we hope will put it in remission. He has had numerous tests the last of which is a MRI on Monday and another blood draw to make sure is kidney level is where they want it. Either way he should start Chemo next week. He is in constant pain. We have help from some friends plus home health will be coming in to help but I’m not sure how long. They will help with my showers, wash hair and mositurize my dry skin since I can’t bend. They will also send in OT. PT and a nurse. I think I will have I for 17 weeks.

I CANNOT drive (which I can’t now anywyay. That is one of the stipulations of Medicare.

We are praying and literally taking it a day at a time. Neither one of us can even talk about what the future might bring. We are trying to remain positive; Jerry is amazingly positive which is what we both need right now.

I won’t be posting often, my office chair isn’t good on my back. We had just picked one out put didn’t have time to look at it before my fall.I will try to post major happenings but now I need to get his pain under control. I am still not beyond researching vertebroplasty but my current neurosurgeon was afraid to put me under and I would still have go go off plavix. Please pray for both of us. I still believe prayer saved me from death when I had my stroke so let’s hope it will work on Jerry’s cancer.

Love and Hugs, Leah