From September 1st to November 3rd should be long enough that I no longer have to worry about my brother, Lance Miller. But of course life isn't in my hands and I don't get to decide that the most joy filled, giving person I have ever met, should be healthy and not have to suffer. Even the most wonderful life has suffering. We all learn that eventually.
But even ill and in and out of hospitals and rehab and the ICU for two months, Lance has the ability to look forward to the holidays with joy. He says
"And in November is Thanksgiving, and after that, Pretty soon now, is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty The Snowman and Christmas." If you can imagine what life as a child with Down's Syndrome is like, and you remember the "we're all misfits" theme of that old Rudolph show, you will understand why, even at 40, Christmas begins and ends with watching the show about the Reindeer who just doesn't quite fit in, but leads the way to Joy.
remember, if you have a moment, a photo, card or postcard can make his entire day. and Thank you again.
Lance Miller /PO box 865/ Middleburg, VA 20118
So what is the most recent news? Well he was sent home with a drain in his abdomen and still on a catheter. He was supposed to wait a month and then see a specialist in another hospital with some high tech, very non invasive, micro robotics camera that could scan his abdomen and figure out where the problem is that keeps him failing every time antibiotics are stopped. But he didn't manage to make it the month. He kept getting weaker and stopped eating anything but a few grapes, so he was readmitted and a new scan revealed an inflamed Gall Bladder. That had apparently been blocked by the more urgent leaking kidney and the blocked bladder, but with those dealt with, and him still ill, they decided to remove the gall bladder. The surgeon told my brother Brett, that this was the worst gall bladder he had seen in his career and hopefully it would solve the mystery.
That news was one time when being the worst might be good news, but very soon after that surgery his blood oxygen levels bottomed out. The medical team couldn't get him to stop trying to take off the oxygen mask, so had to insert another breathing tube, which meant that, four days ago he was readmitted into the ICU from the surgical recovery area. Soon, as in within half an hour of putting him on a ventilator he was doing much better and they diagnosed pneumonia, which is scary, but at least doesn't mean that something other than the gall bladder was causing the abdominal issues.
Today, Brett says that they had him out of bed yesterday, standing for awhile and he is strong again, but his breathing tube is still in and therefor I can't call and talk to Lance.
Sadly, on the other worry, My Mom's dementia means that when Brett asked her is she was worried about Lance, who has been the center of her world for 40 years, imagine permanently having a ten year old, she said, "Yes I am worried about Lance. But I don't think I know a Lance. Did I meet him here?"
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