Update on Don: He amazingly got out of bed about 6pm yesterday evening and ate some soup and applesauce. His headache pain is somewhat less as well.
I continue to be amazed at Don’s comebacks. We have spoken to neurosurgeon office, and neurologist. We are going to “stay the course”, unless Don takes a turn for the worse.
Don’s nurosurgeon is on vacation until Monday. We want him to do the surgery.
We are taking the taper a little slower. Don will not go down today to 2.5. We are going to keep him on 5mg. a few more days. We don’t want a relapse to happen on the weekend.
Your prayers for Don are incredible with what has happened and Don rebounding some.
He still has symptoms of relapse but they are not to the point where he needs to go to the ER.
We now have a plan in place if Don were to relapse. I have some people ready to help with Joshua.
I have had offers as far as Santa Barbara Ca. to help with childcare and support.
Thank you precious believers of God. for coming to our rescue. Thank you for reaching out to us. Thank you for your love and care.
Here we are at 7 months and feeling pretty weary again. Needing to lean on you all the more. Thank you for continuing to be” Christ” to us. We are so grateful to you!
I will post again later this evening to update you on Don’s condition.
Bless you
Jimmy and Retia Dukes
Just a quick story. I will update on Mom and Dad’s conditions and potential transfer tomorrow, because there is not any new information
at this time. Right now, I wanted to simply share a story with you that gives a good indication that Dad is returning to himself.
The new daily routine since last Friday is as follows:
6:15 / 6:30 – hit snooze.
6:40 – hop in the shower and get ready. Grab a Pop-Tart and some water (oh yeah – take my Juice Plus) and head to the hospital. Stop at Starbuck’s on the way to get Pop some coffee.
7:30 / 8:00 – arrive at the hospital with a tall Decaf for Pop to sip through a straw. Ask the nurse about how he did through the night.
8:30 – mix up Pop’s oatmeal and yogurt and feed him breakfast.
9:00 – therapy comes in to transfer Pop to the potty chair.
9:30 – clean up from the potty chair experience and shift Pop into either the wheel chair or a reclining chair in the room.
10:00 – go down to visit Mom. You can visit in the ICU of University Hospital at 10, 1, 5, and 8 for 30 minutes. I go down, and Pop has been going down about every other day since last Wednesday (a week ago) according to how he feels. I think he appreciates the chance to roll around in the wheelchair. I know he appreciates the chance to see Mom.
11:00 – help Pop get back into bed and get him whatever he needs and chat or answer phone calls for him or meet with people about logistics.
12ish – get Pop ready for a nap, leave to grab lunch, stop to get coffee, update the Caring Bridge site, and iChat with the family when I can.
about 3:00 – arrive back in Pop’s room with a “Double-Tall, Decaf, Non-Fat, No-Whip, One-Splenda Latte.” He sips it through a straw. That still makes me smile every time I write it or think about it. He hates straws. I get him or do for him anything he wants. We chat and are quiet together until about 5. Sometimes I empty his pee bottle.
5:00 – go see Mom again. Each time I visit, I tell her about her husband, her sons, her daughter-in-laws, and her grandchildren. I usually play her some messages I have on my phone from friends and from the kids. I try to sing her a song I know she likes. And I pray over her that God would let me look into her brown eyes again.
5:30 – give Dad a report on Mom. We talk about what his hankering is for supper. Then, I go grab a bite myself and bring him something back before the 8:00 visiting time for Mom.
7:30 / 8:00 – bring Pop food back. Guys hanging with me since we started this routine (and my wife one of the evenings she was here) usually feed Pop supper while I go see Mom.
8:40 – give Pop a report on Mom and get him ready for bed. We recap the day, look ahead at the day tomorrow, and I kiss him on the forehead. I am thankful to look into his brown eyes and tell him how much I love him.
9:30 – walk out to the car and head back to the apartment at Seminary. I usually call Jen on the way back, cause I like to hear her voice. I plop on the couch around 10 and watch Sports Center highlights before hitting the hay.
One night, I watched “Yes Man” – the Jim Carrey movie. Not only did it keep me up too late and make me even more tired the next day, but it just wasn’t that funny. I could have watched the trailer on YouTube. It would have had the same comedic effect. My advice to all of you – say NO-MAN to “Yes Man.”
Anyway – I wrote all that to give you the context for last night’s trip out to the French Quarter to capture Pop’s hankering and provide satisfaction for his particular evening hunger. I am about to, right now, drop off Bruce Young at the airport to return home from being here with me. Thanks, again, Bruce. It meant a lot to have you here.
Well, Bruce and I left Pop to go get a bite ourselves and bring him back what he wanted. We stopped at The Praline Connection. It is my favorite restaurant in the universe. A little hole in the wall on the far east side of the French Quarter just before the Quarter blends back into the urban-sprawl of the city. It is a soul-food restaurant with amazing red beans and rice, sweet tea, and sweet cornbread. And lots of other stuff, including the best pralines anywhere.
Near the end of the meal, I Google-Mapped “scallops” on my phone. About 12 restaurants came up in the downtown area. One call after another, I was told, “We don’t serve scallops right now.”
Now, I have to admit something that I am a bit ashamed to admit. I don’t even know what a scallop is. I couldn’t tell you. That’s really sad isn’t it? Especially considering I grew up here. Nonetheless, it was what Dad specifically requested. Some scallops cooked in lemon-butter. Since he was the one who got hit by an SUV, I thought he deserved whatever he had a hankering for, even if it meant driving to Baton Rouge.
11 phone calls later, Bruce and I weaved our way through the one-way streets of the Quarter trying to find The Pelican Club. They had scallops, and they said it wouldn’t take but a minute to make them.
Bruce circled the block, while I went in. Eventually, he parked cause we were low in gas. I say eventually, because it didn’t take just a minute to fix them.
That’s okay, though. Here’s why. I walked in and walked up to the bar, as I had been instructed to do by the person who answered their phone. Michelle, the bartender, brought me a menu. I told her I simply wanted some scallops to go. She said, “You are the one who called. We don’t normally do to-go orders.”
I interrupted her. I didn’t want the next statement to be, “So sorry. I don’t think we are going to be able to help you.”
I pulled the sob-story card out. I know, shameless right? Seriously, I told her, “I promise I am not trying to give you a sob story. I just want to give you the context for my to-go request for a delicacy like scallops” (whatever they are). “Mom and Dad were visiting town for some meetings, and they were struck by a car while crossing the street. Mom is in a coma. Dad is recovering from multiple fractures.”
As soon as I said it out loud, two thoughts came. One – what was she thinking about what I just said? Two – I just said that – my mom and dad were hit by a car. It is still a bit surreal to me at times. Especially when I step away to write. Writing is how I normally process and express. I am thankful for the chance to do it.
Anyway, she asked, “Are you serious?”
I said, “Yes. I am here, because my Dad just wants some scallops. I need to take them back to him in the hospital.”
Compassion was apparent. She told me she would ask the chef to do something special, since the only scallops they had on the menu was an appetizer with the word “artichoke” in it. I think Dad likes artichoke, but maybe not with scallops (whatever they are). She told me she would ask the chef to do some scallops in lemon-butter, a side of their special corn dish, and some grilled veggies. I really didn’t care about the sides. Pop has not been eating that much food. But, I was very grateful to Michelle for working with me on this one. She placed the order.
About 20 minutes later, I was walking out to meet Bruce and the car with a make-shift to-go sack of scallops (whatever they are), a special corn side, some grilled veggies, and some bread. VICTORY!!!
When I walked into Dad’s room, it smelled like a seafood restaurant. The smile on his face when he looked up at me was all the thanks I needed. Bruce had headed up with the delicacy to feed Pop, while I went in to say good-night to Mom.
It was good to see Pop more like himself. It was good to give him something he wanted right now, rather than the many things that he was dealing with positively but certainly didn’t want.
I will let you know tomorrow what the word is on Mom and Dad’s transfer to a long-term acute care facility. I will hopefully be telling you something about Mom waking up. I hope so. I pray so. She did open her eye briefly again today – her left one again. I am thankful.
Your prayers mean so much.
-jason
Norman Travis is in Lallie Kemp hospital and is in ICU with Poison in his kidney’s and is taking dialisas for this. Also his blood is too thin and they are concerned about this as well.
Norman Travis’ dad was Dennis Travis of Kentwood and His mom Pearl Dykes is from Roseland.
Faye Carney
I’m posting this obituary again because it now includes a photo of Mr. Sanford. I’m sure many of you know him from his years in education and/or church.
William Sanford Hyde
(October 24, 1926 – April 20, 2009)
Died at 12:50 p.m. on Monday, April 20, 2009 at his residence in Chesbrough, LA. He was a native of Chesbrough, LA, a retired teacher, and a U. S. Army veteran of WWII. Age 82 years. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Tuesday and from 8 a.m. until religious services at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Services conducted by Rev. Gary Wieborg. Interment Hyde Cemetery, Chesbrough, LA. Survived by his 4 daughters and 2 sons-in-law, Beverly “Tinker” and Robert Carroll, Erwinville, Brenda Hyde, Chesbrough, Julie and James Holton, Wilmer, Katherine Schultz, Chesbrough, 2 sons and daughters-in-law, William Dale and Carolyn Hyde, Wilmer, John and Leslee Hyde, Chesbrough, 1 sister and brother-in-law, Mildred and J.B. Crain, Roseland, numerous granchildren and great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by his wife and mother of their children, Lyra Lawrence Hyde, parents, Frank and Zoe Hyde, daughter, Violet Darlene Hyde, brothers, Huey Hyde and Douglas Hyde, wife, Mary Louise Osborn Hyde.
Julia W. Brown
(November 6, 1931 – April 22, 2009)
Died at 2:14 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, LA. She was a resident of Kentwood, LA. Age 77 years. Arrangements are entrusted to McKneely Funeral Home, Kentwood.
The Prayer Link 
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