This evening we decided to barbeque chicken for dinner. I prepared the side items inside while Don took the chicken outside to cook. I went out to check on him and he was sitting down relaxing with friends as he cooked. I couldn't resist posting this so everyone can see just how popular he is!!

Happy Birthday, Mary

Today Don's sister, Mary, is having a birthday. Mary is retired and lives in Huntington Beach, California, but we were lucky enough to enjoy our Alaskan cruise with Mary last summer and then spend time with her in Florida this summer. Mary calls each week to visit with Don and share the stories of her children and grandchildren. HAVE A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY MARY!!!

Home Again

On Sunday afternoon we got a call from our neighbor who let us know the electricity was finally back on after Gustav blew through a week ago. So, after a dinner of fried fish, hush puppies, gumbo and baked beans, with Deke, Debbie, Edward, Chris, Kim, Mom, Hannah, Christopher and Matthew, Don and I loaded up the Suburban with Mom and three tired dogs and headed west. We left Pensacola around 6:30 PM and arrived in Kenner at 10:15 PM - a much better trip than when we evacuated Saturday night and took almost 7 hours to get to Pensacola!! I drove home so Don got a lot of rest which is what he is supposed to be doing a lot of these days. We went to the hospital this morning so he could have a blood test that hopefully will reveal that his chemotherapy is working. We should have those results on Wednesday when Don sees his doctor. The only problem he is having now is a sore throat that is bothering him enough to take pain medication - something he does not normally do. I'll be interested to hear what the doctor has to say about that. I'll post the results of our visit Wednesday!

SINCERE THANKS: Thank you to all who visited Don while he was in the hospital in Pensacola - you all lifted his spirits in a way I could never have done. Thanks also to Deke and Debbie for opening your home to all of us, I know you say you love company, but this was above and beyond the call of duty! Thanks again to Nicole for coming to the aide of her sick uncle and calming us both down - you made life easier for both of us. Last but not least, I must thank Adam for emptying our refrigerator and freezer before the food went bad, feeding the cat, and most of all cleaning up the hurricane debris from our yard so we did not have to deal with that when we returned home. We love you all and appreciate everything you all did to make our evacuation easier to bear!

He's Still Got It!

Today, Douglas, Deke and Angie's husband, Chris, went off with their cast nets to try their luck with the mullet which is eaten in large quantities in this area but not so much at home. When they returned, Chris had some questions about throwing the net so Don went outside with him to give him some pointers. Even though he has been so tired lately he just couldn't resist...he picked up that heavy net and threw it just like he has done for years!

What a Difference a Day Makes!

Don had a rough time yesterday and was in and out of the bed most of the day. Things got worse as the day went on and he was in quite a lot of pain due to re-starting his chemotherapy after four days without it while he was in the hospital. When he first took the chemo it caused a lot of pain in his abdomen and it seems like this was the same pain he was in last night. Unfortunately, I had evacuated without his pain medicine. I had everything else, except that and I was in a panicked state as his pain got worse and he grew more upset. Our precious niece, Nicole, came to the rescue and called in his pain medication to the pharmacy here and before long, Don was a new man! When I returned from the store, everyone wanted to see the medicine to check out the prescriber information: Dr. Nicole Vignes!!! Woo-hoo! Never did we think when she rode the St. Louis King of France school bus with Ashley & Drew that one day she would be coming to her Uncle Donnie's rescue with pain meds! Thanks a million Nicole!

After days of waking up to dreary conditions, this morning a new day dawned, both outside and in. I came back from the grocery to find the pier lined with pelicans AND Don in the kitchen making a "beachhouse" breakfast just like old times! Today we are Blessed.

Resting comfortably!

Don had his surgery this morning and is doing fine. They could not see the area where the bleeding occurred but they banded the varicies they did see, cutting off the blood supply. Hopefully this will prevent the reoccurrence of this problem for a while. When he returned to the room he complained of pain in his esophegus and was given "something for pain." The next thing we knew he was very comfortable and no longer complaining! We had too many visitors to count and enjoyed all of the stories we heard during the visits. Debbie got us ssshhhhh'd by the nurses once and thrown out of the room on another occasion! Next we'll be run out of town!

Three's a Charm!

We evacuated to Pensacola to avoid the worst of what may come from Gustav. I could tell Don was not feeling well after our 8 hour, middle of the night journey and after talking I came to the conclusion that he was bleeding internally. We went to Sacred Heart Hospital and after an epic journey through their emergency department, learned that he is bleeding but the location cannot be determined. This morning at a time that has yet to be determined, he will have surgery to locate and hopefully repair the bleed. The hospital would not allow me to stay in the room overnight and I know I saw a little smile come across Don's face when I was told I had to leave - I'm sure he was thinking, "Ahhhh, alone at last". So, this morning I am in Navarre listening to the wind and rain come and go outside and praying that the tornado predicted for this area does not materialize. I spoke to his nurse at 5:00 AM and learned that they have not yet scheduled the procedure. I plan on leaving here around 7:00 AM - hopefully the weather will have quieted down by then.



Now, as for the title of this entry - for those of you who have known Don and I for less than 10 years, Don's history includes hospitaliztion during three hurricanes, George in 1998, Katrina in 2005 and now Gustave! I think he likes the evacuation accomodations afforded by area hospitals! At least he knows there will be no power outages to deal with - you know he cannot live without A/C! Although I am sick to my stomach as I type this, I am sure he will be fine and we will be on our way back to New Orleans once he is feeling better. Please continue to keep Don in your prayers - especially through this surgery.



I'll report on his surgery this evening when they throw me out of the hospital!