We've got a new blog!
There's still some minor adjustments to be made, but I've decided to activate it so I can just do the upkeep on one blog instead of two!
Be sure to bookmark the new link!!
http://www.kristinmoconnor.com/familyblog/
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
rough
The last week has been rough. Tensions are high. Sleep is minimal. I think we're all emotionally drained.
And Shane, our poor, sweet little boy, all too often lately, ends up being a "casualty" in all of this. Breaks my heart. He's 3. He should have Mommy and Daddy's undivided attention, and many times, most times, our attention is anything but undivided.
Recovery on Chris is harder this time around, I think because the two procedures were done so close together, he didn't have time to completely heal from the first go around. Watching him struggle is an internal battle for me, and lately, parts of every day find me, find us, in tears. The weight loss continues, the feet continue to swell, sleep is still hard to come by, and lately, the life is gone from his eyes. He looks like a man in desperate need of a break. A break from the pain, the treatment, the recovery. Yet we know there are a few more steps we need to walk before that break will happen. That's tough on all of us.
Chris has said that most days he feels like he's just surviving. He's not living. And it's the living part he wants to get back to -we all do - and we will, no doubt. But the road is much rockier and much longer than we had imagined.
Things we used to love to do get pushed aside to make room for the things we need to do, namely, to heal. All of us. Inside and out. My therapist tells me that it's important to not let go of the things that make us, us. The photography. The walks on the beach. The trips to the children's museum. The walks thru the park with the dogs. The family vacations. The Sunday drives. The sporting events. All the things that make our family who we are - they're the things we seem to be letting go off and it's high time we regain control and welcome these things, our things, back into our life. Perhaps that is when the healing will really begin.
And Shane, our poor, sweet little boy, all too often lately, ends up being a "casualty" in all of this. Breaks my heart. He's 3. He should have Mommy and Daddy's undivided attention, and many times, most times, our attention is anything but undivided.
Recovery on Chris is harder this time around, I think because the two procedures were done so close together, he didn't have time to completely heal from the first go around. Watching him struggle is an internal battle for me, and lately, parts of every day find me, find us, in tears. The weight loss continues, the feet continue to swell, sleep is still hard to come by, and lately, the life is gone from his eyes. He looks like a man in desperate need of a break. A break from the pain, the treatment, the recovery. Yet we know there are a few more steps we need to walk before that break will happen. That's tough on all of us.
Chris has said that most days he feels like he's just surviving. He's not living. And it's the living part he wants to get back to -we all do - and we will, no doubt. But the road is much rockier and much longer than we had imagined.
Things we used to love to do get pushed aside to make room for the things we need to do, namely, to heal. All of us. Inside and out. My therapist tells me that it's important to not let go of the things that make us, us. The photography. The walks on the beach. The trips to the children's museum. The walks thru the park with the dogs. The family vacations. The Sunday drives. The sporting events. All the things that make our family who we are - they're the things we seem to be letting go off and it's high time we regain control and welcome these things, our things, back into our life. Perhaps that is when the healing will really begin.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A Note From Our Amazing Friends & Family
Benefit for Christian O’Connor!
Sometimes charity really does begin at home…
Christian O’Connor is suffering from Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, a battle he fights valiantly along with his wife Kristin, son Shane, family and friends.
But they need your help…
Please join us and help support the O’Connor Family at Chuck’s Steak House in Darien, CT for a Steak and Eggs Brunch and Silent Auction.
Proceeds to benefit the Christian O’Connor family.
Sometimes charity really does begin at home…
Christian O’Connor is suffering from Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, a battle he fights valiantly along with his wife Kristin, son Shane, family and friends.
But they need your help…
Please join us and help support the O’Connor Family at Chuck’s Steak House in Darien, CT for a Steak and Eggs Brunch and Silent Auction.
Proceeds to benefit the Christian O’Connor family.
Date: Sunday, May 31
Time: 10am - 2pm
Place: Chuck's Steakhouse - 1340 Post Road Darien, CT
Donation: $30 per ticket, children 10 and under are free
Can’t make it to Chuck’s and still want to help the O’Connor family during this difficult time or have questions, please contact Susan Buesing at sbuesing@verizon.net or 267-475-8700.
Labels:
Chris
Monday, May 4, 2009
Doing Well
So - first things first, head CT came back clear!!! It wasn't something we really ever thought was going to a problem, but still - it's good to know that everything is fine and we're SO thankful for the prayers and support that helped us get those results!
Chris is doing well. Nausea is his biggest complaint, and thankfully, that has been much better the last day or so. He has some pain, but nothing unbearable, thankfully.
His sodium levels are a bit low, but nothing that they were surprised to see. All in all, he's doing well and this embolization has gone MUCH better than the last one!
His doctors are taking him off the IV today and will start him on oral pain meds. If that all goes well, and if he continues to eat and feels up to it, they may even let him go home tonight! So, we're continuting to sit it out and wait and see what happens.
In other news, our little guy officially turned 3 yesterday!!! We'll do a big birthday post for him later in the week once things have quieted down around here.
Keep those prayers coming!!
Chris is doing well. Nausea is his biggest complaint, and thankfully, that has been much better the last day or so. He has some pain, but nothing unbearable, thankfully.
His sodium levels are a bit low, but nothing that they were surprised to see. All in all, he's doing well and this embolization has gone MUCH better than the last one!
His doctors are taking him off the IV today and will start him on oral pain meds. If that all goes well, and if he continues to eat and feels up to it, they may even let him go home tonight! So, we're continuting to sit it out and wait and see what happens.
In other news, our little guy officially turned 3 yesterday!!! We'll do a big birthday post for him later in the week once things have quieted down around here.
Keep those prayers coming!!
Labels:
Chris
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Always Something
It's always something. Chris got into his room yesterday around 4:30. At 6:30 his nurse came in to say that they had ordered a CT scan of his head and he'd be going back down to the 2nd floor to have that done. NEVER a dull moment!
They were concerned because one of his eyes wasn't as open as the other eye and that eye was also appearing a bit red. They wanted to be sure it was nothing and so the CT scan was ordered.
I'm not sure when we'll get the results back. In my heart I don't think there's anything to worry about. He was still pretty groggy yesterday and he's always been one to do things like that with his eyes - he even watches TV that way. Still, it's something else to worry about for now!
So, prayers for clean head CT scan would be appreciated! They've been working thus far - keep them coming!!
They were concerned because one of his eyes wasn't as open as the other eye and that eye was also appearing a bit red. They wanted to be sure it was nothing and so the CT scan was ordered.
I'm not sure when we'll get the results back. In my heart I don't think there's anything to worry about. He was still pretty groggy yesterday and he's always been one to do things like that with his eyes - he even watches TV that way. Still, it's something else to worry about for now!
So, prayers for clean head CT scan would be appreciated! They've been working thus far - keep them coming!!
Labels:
Chris
Friday, May 1, 2009
Embolization #2 - A Success!
The embolization experience this go around has been much better and much less stressful than it was 7 weeks ago.
We were told to arrive at 8am and the procedure was scheduled for 10. Chris's blood pressure, as great as it was last Thursday, has been high since his pre-surgical appointment on Monday. We were actually starting to get nervous that they would cancel us because despite the constant changes to his blood pressure medication this week, his blood pressure was still high yesterday.
When we got here this morning, his blood pressure was 159/93 - and we thought for sure that we were going to be walking back out the door. But 10 minutes later, they checked it again (in the other arm) and it was 152/84 - we were a go!
Chris and I were escorted down to the 2nd floor where the embolization would occur, and Jerry and Zita went down to the lobby to wait for me. Chris was quickly taken into the procedure room, we said our goodbyes as we each fought off tears and I went off to find his parents to wait.
Dr. G. came out around 12:30 to say that while the embolization went VERY well (YEAH!!) his blood pressure did in fact rise and they were unable to remove the catheter (at this point we were fearing a repeat of last time). But unlike last time, Dr. G. came out again 30 minutes later to say that they were able to get his blood pressure low enough to be able to remove the catheter and that they'd be moving him up to recovery shortly!
By 1:30 he was in recovery, we saw him around 3pm and while still groggy, he was MUCH more alert than he was the last time.
The best news of all . . . . Dr. G. thinks Chris may be able to go home on Sunday!! Sunday, for those of you who don't remember, is Shane's 3rd birthday! Nothing would make us happier than the spend the day together, at home, as a family! So here's to a speedy recovery!
Many thanks for all the support and prayers. They truly are what carries us through.
We were told to arrive at 8am and the procedure was scheduled for 10. Chris's blood pressure, as great as it was last Thursday, has been high since his pre-surgical appointment on Monday. We were actually starting to get nervous that they would cancel us because despite the constant changes to his blood pressure medication this week, his blood pressure was still high yesterday.
When we got here this morning, his blood pressure was 159/93 - and we thought for sure that we were going to be walking back out the door. But 10 minutes later, they checked it again (in the other arm) and it was 152/84 - we were a go!
Chris and I were escorted down to the 2nd floor where the embolization would occur, and Jerry and Zita went down to the lobby to wait for me. Chris was quickly taken into the procedure room, we said our goodbyes as we each fought off tears and I went off to find his parents to wait.
Dr. G. came out around 12:30 to say that while the embolization went VERY well (YEAH!!) his blood pressure did in fact rise and they were unable to remove the catheter (at this point we were fearing a repeat of last time). But unlike last time, Dr. G. came out again 30 minutes later to say that they were able to get his blood pressure low enough to be able to remove the catheter and that they'd be moving him up to recovery shortly!
By 1:30 he was in recovery, we saw him around 3pm and while still groggy, he was MUCH more alert than he was the last time.
The best news of all . . . . Dr. G. thinks Chris may be able to go home on Sunday!! Sunday, for those of you who don't remember, is Shane's 3rd birthday! Nothing would make us happier than the spend the day together, at home, as a family! So here's to a speedy recovery!
Many thanks for all the support and prayers. They truly are what carries us through.
Labels:
Chris
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