Dear Family and Friends,
Jim slept in his own bed and with his wife Debbie, for the first time in appx. 10 wks. The best things in life are free!! Jim's dad did stay the night just as a precaution. It was the first time home in wks. and we just didn't know what might happen. Well, guess what, nothing happened!! Would you believe? We are all very happy for so many reasons. Jim went to his Oncologist's office at Beaumont today and had blood work done and took another round of chemo. They found his platelets to be low so he had a transfusion. Needless to say, by time he got home it was early evening. But you know what, that's okay! He came home and had a nice dinner with his family and was able to sit outside while his brother-in-law Lewis and his dad set up a swing set for Tyler. The best things in life are free! Jim will be reporting daily for chemo treatments and blood draws to ck. his counts. They will stay on top of things and be able to administer anything he needs. We are so grateful to be home and to be normal for a little while!
We want to thank all who participated in the bone marrow drive. We are so lucky to have such fabulous relatives and friends who came and donated. We do not know if there is a match, but we do know there is a ton of love out there. We are praying to Our Heavenly Father for Jim to buy some time, so that this special donor can be found. We also want to tell you that little Victoria's family is very grateful to all of you. They were overwhelmed by the turnout and they are also asking God for some time for her. We ask The Lord to watch over Jim, to protect him and to cure him from this disease. We ask that Jim may be blessed with a healthy, normal life, so that he may help others. We ask all of this in Jesus's name, Amen. Sleep well Jim, peace be to you.
Lovingly,
Jim's Family
Friday, August 9, 2002
Dear Family and Friends,
Jim had a peaceful night, thank God! He had some special morning visitors. Mark Guglielmetti and Dr. Ted and his family stopped by. Jim, along with his dad and Debbie, left for the hospital around 12:30. He had chemo and his blood drawn. His counts are the same. He did not need platelets. His glucose is still high and he is taking insulin for it. Dinner tonight was lovingly prepared by Jim's mother. He and his family enjoyed a fabulous meal of barbequed chicken, eggplant parmesan, macaroni salad, corn on the cob, and rolls. Dessert was baklava made by Chris and Pete Coutilish. It was absolutely delicious! After dinner Jim had some more guests. He had a wonderful visit with John Tangelos. Later on, his cousin Marge stopped by and brought some essentials, including snacks, fruit, paper products, and juice. Jim has done more in the last two days at home than he did in ten weeks at the hospital. He is moving around on his own with the help of a computer chair with wheels.
Once again we'd like to thank all of you who supported Jim at the donor drive. We had over 500 people Wednesday and Thursday. This is a true testament to how many people love Jim. We can't thank you enough. Special thanks to Dave Hatfield (Kelly's dad) for giving us the information on this drive. We will all work together to get Jim, Victoria, and Kelly (if she needs it) bone marrow matches.
Well, this was a much better Friday night than last week! What a joy it is to see Jim sitting in his driveway watching his dad grill chicken. Please do not let up on your prayers, as each and every one is appreciated. Thanks to all of you! May the Lord bless Jim with another uneventful night.
Love,
Jim's Family
Saturday, August 10, 2002
Dear Family and Friends,
This will be a short update today because luckily, Jim's condition is status-quo. Jim had a good day today. He went to the hospital for his chemo this morning and that went well. Jim is officially neutropenic now, which means it is difficult to fight off infections. Jim's dinner was hotdogs cooked on his new grill by his father-in-law Don. He and his family also enjoyed food prepared by Pat and Gordon Smith, which included goulash, salad, rolls, and casada cake. Jim caught up on his sleep this evening and had a relaxing night. He sure is appreciating being home with his family. Thanks for all of your support and prayers. Please keep them coming! Next week two of the potential donor blood samples will arrive in Ann Arbor. After they arrive, it takes about a week to see if they are a perfect match. Please pray that one of them is. Thank you!
Love,
Jim's Family
Sunday, August 11, 2002
Dear Family and Friends,
Jim certainly enjoyed this beautiful day! He sat outside on his patio for a long time and watched his son play in the pool and on the swingset. He had chemo this morning at Troy Beaumont. That went fine and his counts have stayed the same. He was visited today by his two dear friends, Mark and Danielle Guglielmetti, who brought lunch. He had a peaceful afternoon which was followed by a relaxing night with his family. Dinner was sent by the Konnie Family. It was a fantastic assortment of Italian food delivered by Tiramisu. It was very delicious. Thanks again for all of the kind thoughts in the guestbook on the website. Jim and Debbie truly enjoy reading these. We are all so thankful for all of the support they receive. Please continue to pray for Jim's recovery. We really appreciate it. Good night and God bless!
Love,
Jim's Family