Lance Miller update March 1, 2016

Once again I come to bring an update of Lance Miller, and have to start with saying that Lance is back in the hospital again.  I hate saying that he is basically back dealing with the same thing that put him in ICU on September 1st, 2015  -   6 months go today but that is pretty much exactly where he is.

I talked to Lance 2 weeks ago on Valentine's Day and things seemed to be gong really well. He was happily ensconced in a Motel with our brother, Brett and Brett's wife. They had gone to an evening Church service, and to the beach and to a Horse race and shopping for a jacket because Lance was too cold, not on the beach, but in Church.

I also talked to my Sister-in-law and she said Lance was getting a lot stronger, but still on a feeding tube and a catheter. Still sick but making progress.

Only five days later Lance was back in the hospital for a barium swallow test to see why he couldn't eat but could drink things like Ensure or juice.  The barium test went OK, but once he was home he was violently ill, all night with the heaves but nothing in his stomach. A new Dr. said he might have a narrowing where his stomach entered the bowels and he does, and his pancreas was inflamed so he needed antibiotics, and still the urine leak, "Repaired" in September, is unhealed, as if it had just been done inside, only the skin healing. So the urine leak can be causing the pancreas inflation, and the stomach narrowing needs addressed but at the heart of the matter, most of ll he either needs the kidney bypassed of the leak repaired and that means more surgery. So tonight he heads to UVA hospital and the knowledge that every surgery impacts his blood pressure and breathing enough to put him in ICU.  He still is having issues getting approved for medicare and his hospital bills are outrageous by now of course.

If that isn't enough, Brett's wife has been very sick too, and 

mom's money is running out so they may need to bring her home to their house soon, but she is really difficult to care for too.  Any positive thought, prayers or funny cards you care to send their way would be greatly appreciated I'm sure.

All the other details in life pale beside the fact that they are actually still together, still sounding cheerful and hopeful and not giving up.

Lance has a cell phone (540)-359-1413 and you can send cards and pictures and letters to him or to Mom at the same address

  Lance Miller /PO box 865/ Middleburg, VA 20118

Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas 2015 and May A Happy and Healthy 2016 Be Heading Your Way.

This was a year of changes for our extended family, it was a scary and emotional roller coaster at times, but we are finding ourselves at the end of it with a lot to be thankful for.

First of all, as we have had so many of you asking about Mom

and Lance,                         

 let me update you on what has been happening with them this year.  Lance and Mom were living in Virginia with Brett and his wife, Emily. Mom’s dementia got really bad and she was hallucinating, and paranoid and unable to take care of basic hygiene. She tried to run away and got lost, so she has been in assisted living, not far from Brett and Emily’s home, for over a year. The first home really made her worse and messed with her meds, changing her from just insulin and blood pressure meds, to 27 different medicines a month later.  The home she is in now, she likes, but she fell in June and broke her hip and was in a hospital and rehab before getting to go “home.” She is weaker and needs a wheelchair and once when Brett went to talk to her and asked her if she was worried about Lance, she answered, “I’m worried about him, but I don’t know who he is. Did I meet him here?”

 

The reason Brett asked about Lance is that he has been really sick since mid August, and in the Hospital, in ICU and a Rehab Hospital again and again ever since September began.  He was nearly dead (not an exaggeration) before the Dr. decided to do emergency exploratory abdominal surgery starting at 10 PM. He came out of surgery around midnight, and they had found his bladder blocked and holding 800 ccs of urine when a normal adult male would be uncomfortable with 300 ccs. They cleaned out the infection and put in a drain, but that only began the journey.  He has kept getting sick when he leaves ICU and they reduce antibiotics.  He has had his gallbladder removed and had a bad case of staff infection in his lungs.  He still has need of the Rehab hospital, the staff infection in his lungs is gone, the gall bladder cured the need for the drain in his abdomen, but he still can't eat much beyond ice cream without vomiting and he still needs a catheter, so he still has an appointment for micro-biotic robot cameras to scan his abdomen in the end of December. He can walk, but has no stamina so needs a wheelchair when Brett takes him out. Three months now has been a huge financial drain on Brett's family. He'd be able to take mom out too, if he had a wheelchair Van, but of course that would be another big financial hit, so probably won't happen. Anyway, Lance sounded excited to be out of ICU, happy to talk and more energetic than I've heard in ages when he talked to Greg and me on Thanksgiving. Brett had sprung him from the rehab hospital to go eat Turkey with Mom at her Assisted Living Center.  Mom doesn’t really talk on the phone anymore, but Lance has a cell phone (540)-359-1413 and you can send cards and pictures and letters to them at the same address

  Lance Miller /PO box 865/ Middleburg, VA 20118

Then in October we had to face the death of the daycare grandma who had helped us raise our boys when they were toddlers. Nadine was a large part of who they became and of why we have a family of daycare cousins and their parents here in Crescent City. It was such a blessing to have had her so long.

So, now for news about the rest of us.  Greg and I have not changed as much as the other people in our families.  He is teaching again up in Brookings, OR. (year 10 I think.)  He only has choir this year, and with a local choir on Monday evenings is working with kids age 9 to High School.  He is also singing in the adult community Choir in Crescent City.  In February he flew a bunch of kids to Spokane for the All Northwest Choir Festival, while I went to Gold Beach for a writer’s conference.  I am still substitute teaching, and writing, and finished my sixth book this November which I hope to have edited and available by the beginning of February. This summer he tried his hand working with Special Ed. and taught a summer school class before we drove to Wyoming to visit his family.  Mimi and Harvey were both doing great, and had celebrated their 65^th anniversary in June. All of Greg’s surviving siblings were there, but the only one from our children’s generation (The grandchildren) who made it, was our niece Remi, at age 15, just back from touring China with the Tucson Girls Choir.  Mimi and Harvey have three great-grandchildren, but none of them could be there either. We did manage to get to Laramie, and saw our nephew Colton there as well. 

Emerson and Lula’s daughter, Daisy turned 1 on April 28^th, and we were able to spend a lot of time with her between April and September when she was living part time with Emerson and us, and part time with Lula. Now we are happy to say that Emerson and Lula are back together and Daisy is happy being with both parents, but selfishly, Greg and I miss having the little Miss Daisy here on a daily basis. She has totally stolen our hearts. Emerson and Lula both work as assistants in the School District where I sub, and they both had summer jobs as well.

Austin and Trisha seem happy and busy but we don’t ever see enough of them either.  It has been hard going from being Mom and Dad to being empty nesters for Greg and I. Still we are lucky that they live in the county here, so we do see them a couple times a month at least.  They have been keeping us in firewood, and have gone to dinner, or celebrated a holiday with us occasionally.  I am excited to see Trisha’s baby bump growing and to welcome our second grandchild in May of 2016.  Austin is still working with the crew he supervises at G & H outreach, a group of handicapped adults. He seems to enjoy the fact that a lot of their work is outside and active. They appear to be happy and that is really what parents want most of all I think.

So that is the news, and I hope next year is less newsy and more peaceful. Merry Christmas!

Love,

 

 

Dixie and Greg

 oh and PS. I did get my novel finished, at least the first draft, in the NaNoWriMo month of November. Yes!

2006 Suddenly in Caretaker Mode

Christmas 2006

I remember how quickly the younger son suddenly became taller than me.

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Merry Christmas 2006

Dear Friends,

     Life for the Crescent City Goodes this year has been filled with growth and changes and periods of extreme togetherness followed by unwanted separation and then the joy of coming back together as a family.  Austin and Emerson have both grown in many ways, half a for in height and miles in independent and responsibility.  We've had moments of terror and tears of relief.  There has been laughter and hugs and the wonder of realizing that under the surface we are interconnected to so many truly extraordinary, ordinary people that we are never truly alone.  What Joy is that?  Thank you for filling our lives and hearts with your love and the gift of Knowing you.  I know this is a dreaded, "Form Letter" but I only send it to the people we love.
     When 2006 began we were just getting home to a flooded Crescent City where the fast food places had to close because the roads were covered in rock slides and no deliveries could get in.  Home from a trip to Wyoming during which we saw most of our parents, siblings and nieces and nephews.  We haven't however managed to see Greg's nephew Cody or to meet his wife and their year

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old daughter Sadie Ann and their newborn son, Levi.  What's the point of having to think of yourself as a great-aunt if you don't get to wear a little baby slobber?
     February 5th the Steeler's won the Superbowl and we got to see it thanks to Sammy Hernandez and family allowing us to invite ourselves over.  We haven't had TV since October of 1982 but I would have had to pay for  hook up jut so I could sit with all my fingers crossed, my eyes locked, my breath held - until my Dad's team won the one for the thumb.
     February was also the month the boys participated in a 30 hour famine, while serving soup to the homeless.  They also blew us away at the annual talent show.  Those fighting matches with Greg over instrument practice have really paid off.  Unfortunately it was also the month my wonderful Mother-In-Law, Mimi, had to have back surgery.  She'd already begun losing weight before Christmas and the surgery didn't make it any easier as she began the month's long struggle to regain the health and vigor she's famous for.  For a long time, no-one would have bet on her being around for this Christmas and we are so very glad to know that she is once again squabbling with her husband over paying money for her wild feline cat rescue program.
     The year started with three of us spending large chunks of time at Pine Grove School, Austin Graduated from there and had moved on

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ro Redwood for middle school but Greg taught classroom music and band there.  I was doing the yearbook and substitute teaching a lot, Emerson was in sixth grade there.  Many of or friends are there - but now none of us are.  In March, I started teaching full time at St. Joseph's Catholic School where I have ten, first and Second grade students.  It's fun and better pay than subbing but I sometimes miss the variety and the chance to spend time in Austin and Emerson's classrooms.  Emerson Graduated from Pine Grove on the ridiculous date of June 22 and even though we're in the Redwood School area, he wanted to go to Crescent Elk Middle School for several good reasons.  So the boys are now in two schools, 12 miles apart. Then Greg Changed his mind several times but finally said Good-by to Del Norte County Schools after 17 years of teaching Grade school music here and accepted a job 22 miles from home in Brookings, Oregon.  He is teaching High School Choir and Jr. High Choir and Drama. So . . .from years when all of us had the same days off, the same hours at school and could ride in the same car, to four different schools, in three different towns (If Fort Dick, Home of the Redwood Raiders, can be called a town?) In two different states, to different vacations, insurance policies and working hours.  For example, This Christmas, Greg's last Day is December 15, my last school day is December 20, and A and E go until December 22, then Greg goes back to work on January 3 but we don't go until January 8th.  We also have different spring breaks and I guess that is just the breaks, but after so many years, it's weird.

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    June and July were killer!  After several stays in smaller hospitals, Greg's sister Wendy finally took Mimi to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota on June 13th.  June 11 the boys were both baptized and confirmed in the Methodist Church after a year's study and a week at camp with the Bishop and our pastor.  June 14, Emerson played the wicked King Minos in Theseus and the Minotaur.  June 19, Austin went to Ashland for a week of fish camp with Tommy Michiels and skipped the last week of school here.  Emerson then had a lot of field trips and parties and graduated from 6th grade. Th minute school was out, we drove to Ashland, picked up Austin, and drove 1700 miles to Rochester where we checked into the Travelodge on June 30 and didn't check out until July 24th.  Every day the family was in our van, or a motel room or at Mimi's hospital room together.  It sounds horrid and parts of it were, like when the Dr. is asking Greg at 2:00 in the morning if they have a "Do Not Resuscitate" order on file.  But parts, bigger parts were wonderful.  We spent a lot of time with Mimi that we remember even though she doesn't.  We went through Custer State park, Saw the Missouri River, Rode the paddle wheeler, "LaCrosse Queen" and explored Niagara Falls Cave.  Saw a lot of the country that the boys had never seen before, watched fireworks at silver-lake park while chasing fireflies and they had never seen fireflies either.  We also went in two big Cabella's stores and those are an adventure in themselves.  The huge catfish in the aquariums and the dioramas are museum quality.  Then Once Mimi was stable and we got her home, (Oh my God!  I love you Mimi - but 700 miles, in 100 degree weather with you begging for the heater was not the high point of the summer.)

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     Then we made a quick visit to my family in Cody where Uncle Brett was Austin's new hero for taking him fishing up the Northfork.  I'm not mentioning Uncle Harv in Newcastle taking him fishing too, in a little boat with only a flashlight or letting him drive at 13. That DID NOT happen.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
     After Cody we spent a day recovering at one of our favorite spots in the universe. Lagoon. We still love the six acre water park and the boys now love the roller coasters and shows and amusement park junk food as much as we do.  For my PA, family, just think Kennywood and you know what I'm talking about.
     As soon as we got home on August 5th we went to the fair.  Then Greg and Austin did a week of Band Camp.  Austin started both playing and reefing at soccer games and Greg had to report to his new job on August 18th.  It has been the usual madhouse rush ever since then and there isn't a lot of indication that it will ever slow down.

Greg and April in Salem

Star Wars at OMSI

     We went to Salem for Thanksgiving with April and Vince, then into Portland to take Emerson to a really extensive Star Wars exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and industry (OMSI).  Emerson knows as much about Star Wars as the people who put on the two floor exhibit but the rest of us learned a lot.  The next goal is Austin trying to raise $1700 to go to Washington DC in June with his class and other 8th graders.
     This year would not be possible if not for the support of many friends.  The ones who pitched in and cared for out animals while we were out of town. Carla Bloyd, who has become Emerson's lifeline in nurturing him along with her own two and all the extra children she manages to have trailing her like baby ducks wherever she goes. So much love in our lives even with so much confusion in the world.  Pass on a little love!  We Love You.

Dixie, Greg, Austin and Emerson

(Then in hand written note)
On the sad side
our 17 year old
blue and gold macaw
was killed by a raccoon - now
we've trapped 7 here at the house
and our 100 year old apple tree
toppled over just after
Austin's class
pressed one last
large batch of cider
from this year's apples.

(Funny but it is now 2014 and that fallen tree still produces!)

Greg at South Beach

Ian and Zach and Austin at Lake Selmac

Dinner for Emerson's Birthday

Austin, Emerson and the Tall Ship

At The Old Mill in Newcastle, WY

Paddlewheel ride on Mississippi

Priscilla on Brett's Patio

Grandma Grace's Place and Grandpa Lawrence's truck

Austin playing soccer

Redwood Flag Football

My sunflowers

Austin and Emerson

Soccer Ref

At Beachfront park in Crescent City

Emerson, Dixie, Greg and Austin

Think it over Baby

Two homes for the holidays

Grandma Priscilla

Aunt Laura and Grandpa Harvey

Lagoon

Part of Confirmation Camp

6th grade graduation

At Mayo Clinic with Mimi

Riverboat queen

Lagoon

Youth Choir 

CCYC Ticket

Emerson and Sammy

Austin and Ransom

The fire pole at Uncle Harv's

Greg and his dad

at Grandpa Harvey's

Wyoming

My Nephew and his family

Austin, Emerson, Sammy and Greg at home

Christmas in Ashland