Sandra Lee passed away a little before 5 P.M. tonight. Arrangements will be made tomorrow. Please continue to pray for the Lee and Birch families.
Don Denton
Today Joshua and I were able to attend church. It is hard to describle what that feeling is like when coming back to church after a lengthy illness has happened.
Don’s illness is considered chronic. My entire understanding of what “chronic illness” means has changed. The level of empathy for those suffering from a chronic illness has changed to.
Don will get better. It has just taken longer than we could have ever imagined. His goal is to be back at work the fall semester and he is making amazing strides in that direction. It looks more than ever like a reality that this will happen.
The doctors at “Barnes Jewish” wanted Don to go from there to a full time rehab hospital and Don and I decided not to. And we are glad we did.
Don is now walking with a cane again back here at home again. Don has done his own intensive work here at home to get to a place where he can be in “out patient” therapy again. Don will start that on Monday.
We continue to take “one day” at a time. And we are learning more of what moving forward looks like and not letting this disease become our life, our idenity.
And of course we have our “set back” days which is normal. Allowing ourselves the grace to be there is a good thing.
Please pray for us, we have allot to do this week. Pray for Don’s continued progress. We are very hopeful.
We give thanks to you all for your continued support of us. We could not make it without all that you do for us. I continue to be humbled by what God does to meet our needs.
Bless you our family and friends.
Diane
Dukes Family
Yesterday was Erik’s 40th birthday. He celebrated it with his wife and kids at Dinosaur World in Bowling Green, KY. I don’t think that was his birthday celebration of choice, though, unless he has become an avid dinosaur guy without me knowing. I think his birthday celebration of choice was to be with his wife and make his boys happy. One of them in particular is quite fond of dinosaurs. He was very happy.
What was probably his best birthday surprise was from Mom. Just a little over a month ago, if you had asked Erik if he thought Mom would ever sing him happy birthday again, he would have probably responded with something like doubtful. But, she did.
She had on her passy muir valve. Dad was on the phone with Erik. Dad asked Mom if she remembered it was Erik’s birthday. She said she did. He asked her if she wanted to tell him happy birthday. She said she did. Dad didn’t say anything about singing, but Mom sang. In keeping with the normal birthday routine, she busted into the tune. She sang Erik the most amazing rendition of happy birthday we had all ever heard, her arrangement including the passy muir valve rasp for effect.
Erik must have smiled. You could almost hear it through the phone.
Another cool birthday thing yesterday. Yesterday evening, Dad and Jen and the kids and I stopped again to see Mom. It was a good visit. At one point, Caleb asked Ammaw if she remembered his birthday. She said September 20th, which is right. Jen then asked Mom if she remembered Katey’s. Without hesitation, she said August 11th, which is right. Abby’s? November…she didn’t remember the exact date, but she got the month. Ella’s? No hesitation again. December 13th was her answer. She was right. Pretty awesome!
Some days it seems like her memory is all there. Other days it’s not quite as clear. But then again, how often do I walk into a room and walk back out hoping to remember what I walked in for in the first place?
Yet another birthday thing. Mom’s 68th birthday is Monday, June 22nd. We are looking forward to a great celebration. Y’all come join us!!!
To say we are pleased with Mom’s new hospital would be an understatement. Right away, they have focused wholistically and proactively on Mom’s health, with the goal in mind to move her to the brain center in Orlando for rehab. Her first day in the new place, they plugged her tracheotomy (which we thought was overdue), sat her up on the edge of the bed (which you can see in the picture), and made advancement in treating her sacral decubitus (the bedsore on her bottom). Pretty amazing.
Today, they already are talking about taking out the tracheotomy, doing another swallow study to get Mom on a full diet, and getting the cranium piece back on. I will keep you posted on the plan ahead. We are very thankful.
Dad and Jen and the kids and I have had a great week. I will post some pics on my blog to give you some highlights. Click here to go there. Erik will be with Dad all of next week. Jen and the kids and I will be back the next.
I hope yall have a great week. Be thankful for your dads. I am very thankful to be typing on a computer next to mine right now.
Oh yeah! Erik didn’t turn 40 yesterday. He turned 39. I like to pick at him since he’s older than me.
I’ll post at you later.
-jason
The Prayer Link 