Mr. Clean

The Morans were all over the place today.   Christie & Korina were due at a college open house this morning.  So Korina was up at 3:45, on the road by 5:00 and drove 3 1/2 hours to Lake George to pick up Christie & her friend, Kaelene, from another friend's home.  Then we headed back south for an hour, (all the while discussing an essay that was to read for a "mock lecture"), to Albany to attend the Siena open house.

Meanwhile Gerry was going to drive, (for the first time since February 2nd), to Phelps to get an x-ray & check up with Dr. Merav.  After checking in at radiology to get the x-ray Gerry headed up to Dr. Merav's office and got some good news.... The pathology report came back from the part of his lung that was removed.... Mr. Clean!.... It's all clean.  No cancer cells hanging around.  'No sign of 'em!  The other tidbit of good news for Gerry was that he could get a stronger prescription for the pain of his rather large incision, (not to mention the healing going on inside that we can't see).  He's had a very hard time getting rest and sleeping using only ibuprofen.  That problem has been remedied.  He's happy and looking forward to a full night's sleep.  But... you won't see Gerry driving for awhile again!  :)

Thanks for checking in with us!  'So glad we have good news!
Hope you have as good as a week as we're having!
Love,
Gerry, Korina, Christie & Josie

Patient & Nurse

This photo depicts life at the Moran house these days.  There are a few minor differences, of course, (such as Gerry not being on an IV or in a hospital bed and Korina does not wear a nurse's uniform). Gerry & Korina both do, though, have that "button-eyed", blank, do-what-has-to-be-done, glazed-over look from unwilling patient and even more unwilling nurse.

Gerry is healing nicely and moving through various levels of pain / discomfort. He was feeling quite discouraged before he received many an out-of-town visitor this weekend.  Cousins galore were in the area to celebrate a 50th birthday and made time to stop in to see him.  He is now happily exhausted.  The time recounting memories with family has been a successful elixir for his tired soul.  Thank you to everyone who drove miles out of the way to provide this happiness for Gerry!

Since Gerry is convalescing at home we do welcome visitors.  If you call us prior to coming, (at 914.941.8931), we can assure you when he'll be showered, up & about and ready to receive guests.  If you just happen to be driving by and want to swing in, please do so.  You'll be able to chat with Gerry if he's awake and if he's asleep we'll give him good news that a friend stopped by to wish him well!

In addition to having the "button eyes" of the nurse above, Korina has spent many a moment blushing over the past month as the Moran Christmas tree is STILL standing proudly, (in all it's glory complete with presents underneath), in the living room.  It stands as a tribute to the chaos of the past couple months. Korina is determined EVERYDAY to find the time to take it down.  We'll be sure to let you know when the goal is met, but you may hear Korina's cry of triumph, (where ever you are), when it finally happens.  The nicest thing anyone has said about the Christmas Tree in late February is "Wow!  This shows me that you guys have your priorities straight!" However true or untrue that may be Korina thanks you, (and you know who you are), from the bottom of her heart!  :)

The BIGGEST news in our house this weekend is that Josie's 6th Grade Girls' Basketball Team won a game after 3 years of, (as a dear friend puts it), experiencing the agony of defeat.  Yes.  You read right.... 3 years.  They achieved their victory at a tournament and, therefore, were immediately presented with a trophy, (which made the win even more delicious)!  Although Gerry was extremely disappointed to miss that glorious moment, it's a really good thing that he wasn't there.  All of the parents from the team spontaneously started jumping up and down at the final buzzer of the last quarter and acting a bit too exuberantly than we should have.  Gerry may have had some incision issues had he been there!

We know that most of you cannot post on the blog.   Please feel free to email us at sherwoodmorans@verizon.net  .    Gerry reads the emails everyday.  He does not, however, respond.  Korina is slowly responding to those who emailed but is answering emails from 3 weeks ago at this point.  Please know that Gerry sees your wonderful words of encouragement, (even if you don't get an answer from him).

Thank you for all you do to lift our spirits!  You are fantastic friends!  Thanks for being you!

Gerry, Korina, Christie & Josie

Ups & Downs

Thank you to everyone who's asking about Gerry!  

He is doing well at home.
'Making progress and moving forward.

The first day home was the best. 

'So happy to be home that everything made him smile.  

Since then, though, he's restless and not sleeping well.

The incision is large, (from his side under the left armpit over around his back in a "hook" shape).  It makes it hard to find a comfortable position in which to lie & sleep soundly.

The good news is that we have a lot of pillows and Gerry can "construct" his bed & chair to get comfy for a short time until the discomfort sets in and reconstruction of the pillow structure comes into play.

Today, February 17th, three tiny yellow crocus bloomed in our front yard!  We feel that Spring is around the corner and hope is in the air.

The girls are very happy that they are now officially on Winter Break.  Christie will be heading off to Lake George to visit a friend for a few days, visit Siena College and play in CHSAA Basketball playoffs.  Josie will hang out with Dad, spend time with friends and play in the St. Augustine Tournament.

Although Korina just finished "reading", (audio book), an entertaining book about embracing chaos in life,  ("Perfectly Imperfect" by Lee Woodruff  http://www.leewoodruff.com/perfectly-imperfect), she is just NOT feeling like embracing the chaos of these days.  What Korina is embracing is the kindness & love of friends, happy moments like little yellow flowers smiling up from the soil in the front yard and sleep. 

We're blessed to have you in our lives!

Thanks for checking in with us.  Thanks for all you do to cheer us.  Thanks for being you!

Gerry, Korina, Christie & Josie

Coming Home on Valentine's Day!

Please forgive us, Dear Valentines,

for the lack of updates in the past few days.

We've been moving at a frenetic pace 

and the need for sleep won out over the need to update the Blog!

Gerry will be coming home later today,

(around 2:00),

Tuesday, February 14th.

He's been steadily gaining strength and good health

and after a restful weekend of feeling better each day

he was "booted" from ICU.

(The ICU suddenly flooded with patients on Sunday

and since Gerry was the healthiest of the lot

he was moved to a regular room at 10pm.)

Korina was tempted to sneak him out of Phelps

as his new room was about 1/4 of the size 

and the poor, hard-of-hearing chap that was his new roommate 

had trouble understanding the concept of the "nurse's call button"

and kept screaming "NURSE!" when ever he needed something.

Somehow Gerry seemed to welcome the activity around him

and didn't mind the added noise and chaos of the regular floor.

(A sure sign that he's ready to have more of a social life!  :)

He is definitely feeling post-surgical discomfort, pain & tiredness

and adjusting to breathing with 1/4 less lung capacity.

But he is very glad that he will arrive home 

without having to use supplemental oxygen & a heart monitor

and without needing a chest drain.

'Great progress!

_________________________________

Christie had her last at-home Basketball game at St. Vincent Ferrer.

The team had a very nice send off for the Seniors,

(complete with flowers, chocolates & pizza).

Their team is #1 in their division in NYC and will start playoffs soon.

It's good that she has this outlet for the energy of "Senior-itis"!

_________________________

Although Josie's Basketball team 

doesn't quite have the same record as Christie's team

they happily played their best during 2 games over the weekend.

What raised Josie's spirits most was receiving the music 

for the County Honor Band Concert to be held in the Spring.

She's very excited to play lots of new songs on the Saxophone,

(most particularly "The Star Spangled Banner" & "Scooby Doo"). 

__________________________________

As always THANK YOU to everyone who "checks in" here

to read about Gerry's progress,

to those of you who ask about him, 

call us, send texts, emails, letters, gifts & cards,

to the families who have cooked & baked 

then shared your meals & sweet treats with us,

and  the friends who pick up the girls, spend time with them

& take them where they need to be.

You've made our lives rich and infinitely less stressful.

We can only hope to be as wonderful friends as you are.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Gerry, Korina, Christie & Josie

Celebrating a Birthday in the Hospital - Communication Issues

Gerry was not able to leave the hospital on his birthday.

He still has a leak in his lung and it is not inflating properly.

Therefore, he must stay hooked up to the chest drain.

That news was upsetting for him.

He really counted on being at home for his Birthday Celebration, (cake).

But in the scheme of things this is a very small hurdle

and one that didn't linger as "a negative" for long.

The antibiotics worked like a charm.

Gerry looked & felt much better by his birthday.

He was up and walking around for the first time since the surgery!

He needed the supplemental oxygen for only a short time 

and his heart stayed in a regular rhythm for the whole day.

All in all this was a day of true celebration!

We brought in 2 identical cakes, 

(one for the daytime staff & one for night staff),

and everyone was happy from their "double chocolate mousse buzz".

Gerry was wished many a "happy birthday" 

and at one point while he was walking around 

everyone on the floor sang Happy Birthday to him.

He's got "get well" and "happy birthday" cards plastered 

all over a wall in his room,

(which is increasingly taking on an "at home" kind of atmosphere).

Korina would love to take a photo of Gerry to show how good he looks

but he has banned photo-taking,

(except for the pic of Josie with the cake).

Christie is doing well but feels tired as she bounces back from her illness.

Unable to play in the SVF vs Cathedral game for long, (due to coughing fits), 

she enjoyed sitting on the bench yesterday.

Korina discovered a new song that she and Josie "went crazy" for.

They played "Good Morning" by Mandisa about 20 times on Friday morning

while Josie was getting ready for school.

They got so carried away with the happy mood in the song 

that Josie was late for school.   :(

If you like to have a song that gets you going in the morning

you GOTTA get this one!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_7?url=search-alias=digital-music&field-keywords=mandisa+good+morning&sprefix=mandisa,digital-music,195

But if you play it on repeat like Korina & Josie did

make sure you set a timer so you don't end up bopping around the kitchen 

until you're late for school or work!  :)

____________________

We are finding out that it's difficult for many of you 

to post comments on the blog.

We are not very "IT savvy" and don't have an answer to help at the moment.

If anyone has suggestions about this,

(or anything else you'd like to tell us),

feel free to email us at sherwoodmorans@verizon.net.

We are about 2 weeks behind on answering emails,

(even though Korina is trying to use every spare waking minute to catch up),

so please be patient!

Also, we are hearing that no one can leave a message on our phone at home.

It was discovered that Korina accidentally erased 

the outgoing message on our answering machine.

So you would have had to wait through about a minute of silence before the beep.

('Goodness!)

Please accept a sincere apology if you were trying to leave us a message 

and were met by silence after 6 rings.

It's fixed now!

You are always welcome to call or text Korina's cell phone.

914.954.2747

Again, please be patient.

If we can't answer your call or text immediately 

there is sometimes a delay of a day or so.

Thank you for your concern & hopeful thoughts!

With Love,

Gerry, Korina, Christie & Josie

Sharing is Caring, Right? - and - FAQs

Daughters are always looking for things to have in common with their Dads.

A connection of some sort.

Something to make Dad proud.

Christie inadvertently found "common ground" with Gerry this week

and somehow shared her flu or virus with Dad.

After all.... Sharing is Caring, Right?

We're not sure if Christie shared her germs prior to showing symptoms

or if Korina was the liaison or carrier for the illness

but somehow poor Gerry came down with 

the aches / pains, hot /cold misery that kept Christie in bed for 4 days.

He's started an antibiotic this afternoon 

and is expected to feel better by tomorrow, 

Friday, February 10th, his birthday.

Gerry has high hopes of being released from the hospital on his birthday.

We won't know if this is possible 

until the second chest tube is able to be removed

and his chest x-ray shows that he's well & strong enough to go home.

Christie feels great and went back to school today.

She's doing so well that she made it through Basketball practice

and is looking forward to her game tomorrow.

We're hoping that Gerry 

has as speedy a recovery from this illness as Christie had.

_________________________

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

FAQ -  Does Gerry have cancer?

Answer - The cancerous tumor was removed in December.

His doctors believe that, at the moment, he does not have cancer in his body.

But, because he had a cancerous growth 

he is considered to be at "Stage 1A",

(which is the best possible stage).

FAQ -Will Gerry have to have treatments?

Answer - His doctors feel that he will not need any further treatments.

They will know for certain when Pathology presents their report 

from the segment of his lung and lymph nodes.

Evidently they can track how active the cancer had been when it was present.

(Sort of like studying a traffic pattern through the lymph nodes.)

If they find that the "traffic" was somewhat quiet or slow

Gerry will not need any treatments.

If they find that the "traffic" of the cancer cells had been active or aggressive 

they may prescribe treatments of some sort.

FAQ - Why is Gerry still in the ICU?

Answer - Post Thoracic Surgery requires a lot of monitoring.

The chest pumps are checked and fluids are measured often.

Gerry is still on supplemental oxygen.

The oxygen supply has a special feature that adds humidity when needed.

Because it's been discovered that he has an irregular heart rhythm

he's on constant heart monitor.

It may seem like being in the ICU is not a good sign

but it's really is a good thing that he's getting so much attention,

(hourly screenings for temperature, blood pressure, heart rhythms & oxygen levels).

The nurses each have only 1-2 patients to care for.

Dr. Merav prefers to have his patients stay in the ICU with this high level of care

until they are released from the hospital.

FAQ - How are we "holding up" through this?

Answer - OK.  

Being in the hospital this long is "getting on Gerry's last nerve"

but he's glad for the great care he's receiving.

Korina is super tired 

but has some sort of relief from friends everyday,

(in the form of meals, helping with the kids & pets, words of encouragement, etc).

If not for the support she's getting daily Korina would have had a major "crash" already.

Now that Christie has slept 4 days 

she is back to her loud, happy & fun self.

Christie has an amazing group of friends as a core support system.

Josie is alright.

She is at her most joyful when the whole family is together

so it's taxing for her to have Dad away 

& Mom leave every night to stay at the hospital until midnight or 1:00am.

She's tried to be with her Dad everyday 

but the ICU is a bit intense for an 11 year old and the atmosphere sort of "got to her".

She's had great support from her best friends

and just spent the afternoon & evening with a family she loves

so she's going to be just fine!

As always Thank You for caring enough to check in on us!

Thank You for your prayers, good thoughts & kind wishes.

Thanks for "being there" for us!

Love,

Gerry, Korina, Christie & Josie

Slow but Sure

As is true with any healing process

the path is long, progress seems slow,

days are long, nights feel even longer

the pain is depressing

and the time it takes to be well seems to last forever.

But healing is a "gotta go through it" journey.

One can rarely skip steps and achieve a good result.

Gerry's healing journey over the past few days

has been less than enjoyable or encouraging.

Sunday afternoon started a series of "I can't get comfortable"moments, 

which turned to minutes, hours & days of the same.

His skin took on a "greenish", waxy hue.

His eyes showed discomfort.

It was a tough experience for him 

since he expected to make daily progress toward feeling better.

Today he had one of the two chest tubes removed.

The chest tubes are part of a suction system 

to keep the chest clear of unwanted fluid.

They are an important part of healing after thoracic surgery.

They are also very uncomfortable 

because it's like having hoses twisted all through the chest cavity.

They press on the spine and bother the heart sometimes,

They make it hard to find a restful position in which to lie or sit.

Having one of the chest tubes removed this afternoon has been a relief.

Although it is rather painful to have it taken out

there is less pressure in Gerry's chest 

and he feels happy about that.

He's gotten his healthy skin tone back already

and his voice sounds stronger and more joyful.

Dr. Merav expects to remove the other tube & pump 

either Wednesday or Thursday.

Gerry is expected to go home either Thursday or Friday.

In the meantime 

Christie's doctor thinks she has some sort of virus that's going round.

She's on the "Z-pack" antibiotics 

and is instructed to come back Friday if she doesn't feel better.

Hopefully Christie will feel better before Gerry comes home

so that rooms & bedding can be disinfected.

Although we try to be a family that shares

this should not be one of those "sharing moments".

The last thing Gerry needs is the virus that's going round!

Josie has been coming to Gerry's room after school to do her homework.

She's trying to take advantage of sitting by a window 

overlooking the James House & the Hudson River

while she reads and studies.

It's going to be hard for her 

to go back to sitting in the kitchen to hit the books!

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us.

We truly appreciate the visits, calls, texts, emails & blog comments.

We will forever remember the kindness of our friends

to help us around the house, at the hospital & at school.

With Love,

Gerry, Korina, Christie & Josie

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This.....

Life has a way of balancing itself 

as was the case for the past two days.  

Friday was a really good day!  

Gerry felt so good that he had himself somewhat convinced 

that he'd be released from the hospital in a day or two. 

(Yeah..... right...)  

Korina was able to get to both events 

that the girls said were important to attend,

(Girl Scouts for Josie - Basketball Game for Christie).

Korina's sister, Monique, and niece, Sophie,

came to help out and be companions for a couple days.

They, too, attended Girl Scouts & SVF vs Dominican Basketball.

Josie couldn't be happier!

Some of her PA family would finally get to meet 

some of her school friends.

Christie won her game.

She played well, as did all of her teammates.

It was a happy afternoon at St Vincent Ferrer!

Then came Saturday....

Gerry felt very, very tired & sore.

'Thought he'd never get better.

His two new "best friends", (green button & medicine ball),

were taken away.  

The pain was still manageable but at the same time edgier.

Early in the day his heart had "acted up" 

and he had to undergo a few extra tests.

The headache & aches that Christie began to feel on Friday 

turned in to the full-blown flu on Saturday.

Two of her goldfish were in a stage of suffering / dying

and she had a heated debate with her Mom.

(K = How can you let a living creature suffer like that?

C = Why would you kill something just because it's dying?)

After many hours in their critical state in our noisy house 

"it was over" for the goldfish.

Josie's Basketball Team lost their game,

(in a series of depressing losses 

despite their incredible spirit & good sportswomanship).

Josie got upset during the game, 

(which, for anyone, is always annoying & embarrassing).

We were thankful for Monique & Sophie.

Monique was able to diffuse one of Korina's "uptight, type-A" outbursts,

take Josie to her basketball game 

and say just the right words to her when she got upset.

She made a special trip to get, (among many other items),

the American cheese that Josie wanted to make grilled cheese sandwiches

and several bottles of red wine for Korina.

Sophie "kept things light and silly" as much as possible for Josie.

And passed around her delicious hugs.

By very late Saturday night, we were all a bit more relaxed.

Gerry was swinging back into good spirits,

Korina & Monique were sipping wine 

and laughing about goofy YouTube videos 

that the girls wanted us to watch.

Josie & Sophie were sleepily watching a movie.

We were all trying to be polite to Christie while keeping our distance.

 She was barking jokes from the bedroom 

and making us giggle.

We all finally "crashed" about 2am

thankful that the day was over.

Today is a beautiful, sunny day in the Hudson Valley,

(as you can see from the photo that Josie posted).

Gerry feels alright.

He doesn't need as much supplemental oxygen

and can sit up for longer periods of time.

He's really tired and feels pain but it's not overwhelming.

He had his hair washed 

and that's helped him feel "more human",(as he says it).

Korina has a little time to do some of the things she wanted to do yesterday,

like update this blog and answer emails.

(So if you've emailed us

you just might finally get an answer!) 

Poor Christie had a 103˚ fever this morning 

and is quite content to lie on the futon 

sipping ginger ale and watching TV.

Josie is hanging out with her Dad at Phelps 

while working on her book report & Social Studies project.

It's a low-key and laid back sort of day.

The feeling that "every little thing is going to be alright" prevails.

Thanks be to God and all our great friends!

Love ya!

Gerry, Korina, Christie & Josie

A Good View On a Good Day (by Josie)

Just looking out the window and thought I would take a photo. Perfect view of the James House while soon to be watching the Super Bowl XLVI.

Have a great day!
Josie :D

Relaxing En El Hospital (by Josie)

I've been to see my dad 2 times in the hospital, and he looks SUPER! Right now, I'm posting this from my iPod while I sit with my mom, aunt Monique, cousin Sophie, and my dad while we watch Storage Wars-his favorite show. (American Pickers is a close runner-up.)
All of us here in the Moran household thank all of you for your support, whether it's posting on our Facebook walls, writing us a letter, or anything in between.
Love you guys!
Love,
Josie :D

Great Outcome!

Gerry is resting, (a bit uncomfortably), in the Recovery Room

since 5:20pm tonight.

The Surgery was slightly more complicated than anticipated,

(due to the "glue" used in the last surgery

attaching Gerry's lung to his chest cavity

"like cement" as Dr. Merav said).

All in all the operation yielded the anticipated outcome...

the upper lobe of the left lung, (the site of the tumor),

has been removed along with the lymph nodes.

Dr. Merav is very pleased.

Gerry will be transferred to the ICU in the next hour.

(He keeps requesting a room with a river view!)

Gerry has two new favorite friends....

the "green button", (morphine drip on command),

and the "medicine ball", 

(a small ball that constantly feeds novocaine to the site of the incision).

He's also hooked up with the "leg massage" system used after surgery.

Korina is trying to figure out 

how to get one of those leg massage machines to take home!

Christie & Josie are enjoying a night out with Nonno.

As always

THANK YOU for your love and support!

Today was filled with hugs & kisses sent by text & email,

offers to help, reminders that our friends are praying,

kindnesses in every shape & form.

We are blessed!

Gerry, Korina, Christie & Josie

In Good Hands

Our family is in excellent hands.  

So many of you have wonderful wishes for us.

You are praying and hoping all the best.

You are lovely.

Thanks for your warm, kindness and love.

Thanks for sending prayers for us.

Since we believe that we are in the Hands of God.

We, then, believe that we are in the Best of Hands possible.

It can't hurt, though, to know that the humans that are handling Gerry's situation are wonderful too!

Gerry's Thoracic Surgeon is Dr. Avraham Merav,

Medical Director of the Thoracic Center at Phelps Memorial Hospital.

He is a renowned in his field.

A big plus about Dr. Merav is he has a great bed-side manner!

We're fortunate to have Dr. Merav as Gerry's surgeon.

http://phelpshospital.org/clinical_specialties_services/thoracic.php

____________________

Gerry's Pulmonary Doctor is Dr. Charles Abate.

Dr. Abate specializes in internal medicine, pulmonary disease and critical care.

Gerry has been seeing him for over a year.

Dr. Abate recommended "one more scan" in November

and is the one who discovered a tumor that is rarely discovered early.

He has been a Godsend!

____________________________

Gerry's Oncologist is Dr. Stephanie Smith-Marrone,

part of the Memorial Sloan Kettering at Phelps Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Smith-Marrone focuses on treatment of solid tumors

and has expertise in the treatment of lung cancer.

She's met Gerry once and feels that after this surgery she may not have to meet with him again.

She's given him a great prognosis!

http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/doctor/stephanie-smith-marrone

_________________________

Gerry's Cardiologist is Dr. Michael Feld.

Dr. Feld is on campus at Phelps Memorial Hospital.

He met Gerry in December after his last surgery.

Sometimes, as was the case with Gerry, the heart reacts to surgery on the lungs.

Dr. Feld was on the case as soon as Gerry's heart showed signs of irregularity,

causing quite a bit of alarm in the ICU.

He's at the ready should Gerry need him again this week,

but has already prescribed preventative meds to help Ger's heart "stay calm".

_______________________

Our prayers of thankfulness go out for these incredible people in our lives today.

May God give them wisdom and serenity!

MNRR Memories 2/1/2012

Thanks to all who came to wish Gerry all the best!

It was a memorable day for him.

We appreciate your love and support.

We're very fortunate to know you!

The Moran Family