I,m back with the LIVING

Well, I'm well enough to sit up to the computer once more. I saw my surgeon this morning, and my blood pressure was perfect 120/70 and everything is on the mend. I still have small amounts of energy to do things, and am busy trying to keep my fluids and electrolytes in balance. But as long as I do that I will continue to progress as scheduled. He told me to have a good triip and he'd see me when I got back. Then I saw the ostomy nurse this afternoon, and got a completely new set up for that. It seems to be working well....and I don't need to return there. I will have to make an appointment with the oncologist in a few weeks. But right now, all I can think about is going to Lutsen with the whole family and celebrating a brand new year. I'm sick and tired of this one!!
Jimbo and Ann and the boys will be here to pick me up around 11:30 and we will drive as far as Duluth and spend the nite at a water park. Then we will head for Lutsen on Saturday. I'm taking my laptop along so hope to keep you informed all the way.
In the meantime, I have so many people to thank....till I get the thank you's written, I hope you accept this giant heart felt THANK YOU for all the thoughts and prayers, flowers, gifts and for just being there for me. I especially owe a huge thank you to Karen for taking care of the blog and keeping you all informed. I also want to tell you that I have the best bunch of kids (and spouses) in the world and they will even will wipe your butt when needed. They will be eternally in my debt....and last but not least my sister Kathleen, for sitting with me and encouraging me to cough and walk and to just go on when I didn't think I could. I love you all! m

Merry Christmas

It has been a very Merry Christmas in deed. Mary is getting stronger and stronger as the days past. She sounds strong. Solid. What better gift could we ask for.

God bless.

K

Jesus Take the Wheel!

This is what I know for sure. Miracles happen. I'm not talking parting of the Red Sea type miracles, but small, significant ones, that mean the most to those they effect. Miracles happen. This I know.

For all the challenges that Mary faced the last couple days, she donned her Santa hat and her blinking light necklace and joined the festivities of Progressive when Santa himself arrived to greet us all. It was exhilarating to watch and I think for all of us, pretty emotional. This is truly what the Spirit of Christmas is all about. I'm certain that all of Mary's Angels were smiling down on all of us in approval. It was awesome! Such an incredible lady. Such an incredible day.

With that, it was also a time for reflection and remembrance. We all felt Gene physical absence, but he most certainly was with all of us. We laughed about how nervous he would've been with all the kids and the fondue cooking that was going on. We lit a candle for him, and we are sure that made him anxious too. "Who was going to do all the dishes? Why is there so much Christmas wrap all over the place"? The quicker-picker-upper was missed :) We cried as each of us received our memory frame that Mary made for each family, with magnificent pictures of Gene's, Mary and Gene, and "the" bench at Gooseberry. It was wonderful to sit with our memories but so hard too. A wonderful evening. Mary lasted, sitting in the chair for two hours. So hard to put it all in writing. Small, wonderful miracles.

The night was good. She's moving a bit better, and is drinking and eating more which should improve her strength. Still light headed, but that too, has improved and it doesn't seem to occur as frequently, or without just cause.

Today, she's eating a bit more. Panera, Chicken Wild Rice seems to have hit the spot. Blood pressure holding steady. Still just trying to build up her strength. Hoping she'll be up for watching the Vikings game for a bit this evening. Lets pray for a restful nights sleep.

Life is good.
K

HOME!

Mary was released yesterday. She arrived on the door step with just a bit of assistance and was ushered into the familiar warmth of "home". All was well for the afternoon, but as the day wore on the full scope of the past ten days started to take it's toll. Things have not been easy. Mary continues to persevere, and she never ceases to amaze any of us with her undying spirit. It's those powerful prayers that keep her going.

Some obstacles that have made things difficult.
1. Blood pressure has remained low. 85/65 was the read at 2:15am. Concerning to most, but she was discharged with low pressure. Relatively low as the night continue, but in the early morning light it has come up a bit.
2. Remains very weak, not only from lack of food, but certainly the low pressure. We are pushing Gatorade, as per the nurse instructions and that has seemed to help.
3. Still is pretty dizzy. Some of this might be due to her allergies, but also that darn blood pressure. This has prevented her from getting up to go to the bathroom. She did slowly make her way up this morning and was FINALLY able go to the bathroom. She hadn't really done that all day yesterday so there was some concern with dehydration.

There're other issues, but the ones above have been the most concerning. We have been in contact with Healthpartners, and we are noting her condition and keeping everyone in the loop. Any turn and we'll take her back to Memorial for a precautionary check.

Progressive continues as planned. Mary is being a superb patient and is resting and perhaps she can join us a bit this evening when Santa arrives. PERHAPS!!

So.. You're not rid of me yet. I will keep you posted to the progress.

K

SCORE!!

Mary is going home!!! Had solid food yesterday, is up and about so they've given her the all clear. She's hoping to be home by noon.

Spoke briefly with the Dr. last night and although Chemo is an option, the surgery went so well, and the cancer was so isolated, that Chemo won't be something Mary will do. With that being said, she will most likely only have to have the stoma for 6 to 8 weeks. How about that!!!

All is well! Once again, we can't thank you enough for all the prayers and support. You all know what a difference it makes.

That is all from me. The true editor and chief will take it from here. Much love and a very Merry Christmas to all.

Karen

Apology

I apologize that I did not update the blog today. Life got in my way. I will speak with Mary first thing in the am, and be sure to post the latest news. Forgive me.

K

Batter Up!!!

Small victories! One foot in front of the other. It's the simplest of things that mark progress. Mary has made her mark, and she is well down the road to recovery. It's a long road mind you, but she's on her way.

Catheter has been removed so Mary has been up and to the bathroom numerous times. She needs a bit of help getting up, but once up she moves remarkably well all considering. They've also introduced liquids and broth and no complications at this point. Hoping iv's and all other wires will be removed tomorrow and then she'll be free :)

Incision is healing well, and she is comfortable, which I find absolutely amazing. She has yet to take any pain medication since off the epidural.We didn't receive any updates from the Dr. with regard to treatment from here, but hoping tomorrow will shed some more light on battle plan. I'll keep you posted.

Much love to all, and big Thank you to all and the amazing love and support. K

If You Want to Walk on Water, Get out of the Boat!

Mary took a short walk this afternoon to the elevator and back. Unassisted! This is some encouraging news after a pretty rough 36 hours. She also moved to and from her chair all by herself. Exhausted she did get a bit of a rest after Kathleen made her way to the airport.
Amazing what the power of prayer, Angels and perseverance can bring!
God Bless
K

Mother's...

What is it about mothers? When speaking to their children the sky could be falling, yet they maintain their composure to assure their children all is well. Such is the case with our Mary. She picks up the phone, realizes it’s me, and the voice changes immediately. Comforting me! Assuring me all is well. I am smarter than the average bear of course, and know that this isn’t the whole truth!! Moms!! Seriously.

Still not a ton of rest, and still no food. Hard to make progress when the engine just isn’t getting proper fuel. Hopefully tomorrow. Mary thought that the Qigong worked as “things” are starting to move! Stoma seems to be working better and there is hope that with it functioning Mary will feel better.

Dr. presents Mary’s case again tomorrow so we should have some news as to where things go from here. I’ll be sure to update as soon I hear anything 

K

Every Rose has it's thorn...

Not a very good day today. I suppose this too, is the cycle of recovery.. Good day.. not so good day. Overall Mary feels very nauseous and has thrown up quite a bit. Dr. says we have no reason to panic, as this is normal for now. Trying to regulate her stoma (colostomy) and for now it’s not draining properly and bile is backing up in her stomach. So as you can imagine, she’s not feeling so great. Dr. says she’ll start to feel better when she’s up walking around, but just doesn’t have the energy. Days without food will do that to you. Her appetite is way off, and she hasn’t had anything much today.

On a more positive note she did have Qigong (CHEE-gong) today, which is an ancient Chinese healing practice. Hopefully this will get "things" moving along in the right direction.

Still keep those prayers coming...

K

Slow and Steady...

That is simply what this it's all about. Slow and steady progress.
Mary has been given liquids today, which is another positive benchmark. After not having anything since Wednesday other than ice chips of course, you can imagine the taste sensation a glass of apple juice would bring. Super sweet. A glass of cranberry. Same thing. We're hoping that some broth will arrive later in the day.

The epidural is slowly being lessened and should be removed entirely by the end of the day. She is comfortable with that, as they will start to administer pain pills if needed.

Her scar is healing well, and she cleaned around it a bit this morning during her time sitting up in a chair. She can last about 1/2 hour or so, before exhaustion sets in. I find it amazing how strong Mary's spirit is. It really drives her to achieve amazing physical triumphs. I think it must run in the entire family :)

No estimated time for her release. No one is even mentioning it. We’re just hoping she’ll be home in time for Progressive Dinner on the 22nd. Otherwise we’ll have to bring the entire family to the hospital. Can you imagine!

Kathleen has a few days remaining in her visit. She’ll leave on Tuesday and I know Mary is going to miss her. Aren't sister's the best! I know Mary's anxious to connect with everyone. She actually wanted me to pull up her email today to make sure she isn’t missing anything. She must be feeling better!! Feel free to send her a note. I will make sure she gets it 

K

ANSWER TO OUR PRAYERS!!!

PATHOLOGY REPORT IS ALL CLEAR!!!!
What wonderful news. Cancer has not spread. This is what we've been praying for. Mary sounds wonderful and is in great spirits. She’s even up for visitors!!

She had solid night sleep and although she has yet to eat ANYTHING, she sounds strong and absolutely joyous. Food will hopefully come tomorrow (they’ve been saying that for two days now). She did vomit last night, which I guess, in this case, is a good thing as it means her tummy is starting to work. She will still have her epidural until she starts to eat. Speaking of the epidural. This morning’s nurse who checked on it, to see if they should remove it, is 2nd cousin, Pat Schoenecker, daughter of Norbert Schoenecker. He is alive at 98 and Pat was anxious to fill him in on all she learned from Mary. What are the chances! I take it as just another wonderful sign! All is well and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Any early Christmas gift for sure!

Better Late than Never :)

It has been a bit more difficult getting info, as I haven't wanted to call and wake Mary if she is resting. My updates may become less frequent, and please let me know if I'm not including answers to your questions or concerns.

I did have the pleasure of speaking with Mary personally this afternoon. She’s a bit hoarse but it was great to hear her voice and laughter. Certainly there is a long road of recovery ahead, but she’s off to an incredible start.

She had a much better night. With the epidural working as it should, she was able to get some much needed sleep. She woke this morning feeling and looking much better. As the anesthesia begins to wear off, she’s not as itchy, which brings much needed relief. They took the bandage off the incision and it is healing well. Nice and clean, no redness. Temperature is down and her blood pressure is closer to normal. Still has yet to have a meal, but did received communion. She’s expected to get liquid diet tomorrow.

Kathleen maintains her vigil by her sisters bedside as the family comes and goes. So glad that Kathleen is there!!

Thank you for all the prayers. Keep them coming.

K

A Good Night needed...

Not much new to report.

Today has been a bit tougher. Overall, Mary is exhausted. She's in desperate need of some solid rest. The family tried to stay away as Mary insists on participating in every conversation. The consummate entertainer, that one is. I was told that her epidural wasn’t working properly and she was in more pain than she needed to be. Everything is catching up to her. She needs a good night of sleep...I know we'll all pray that she gets it.

God Bless
K

A New Day....

I apologize for the late update. Visiting hours just began at 11am, so I wasn’t able to get any news.

Not a very restful night. Mary had a hard time getting comfortable and is really itchy from the medication. Her roommate also kept the TV on late, and wasn’t very cooperative when asked to turn it down. The roommate has since been moved and we’ve been ensured that the hospital room will remain just for Mary. Thank goodness.

Dr. was already in today and everything looks good. Blood pressure is still a bit low, which is expected due to the epidural. Mary also has a slight fever which is normal and they really want her to start getting up. She has already sat-up in a chair, which was pretty painful due to the incision that runs the length of her torso. These are all good benchmarks. They’re also encouraging her to cough to keep her lungs clear. This is important to combat against phenomena.

Mary still hasn’t been able to eat anything and although the ice chips were a welcome “gift”, some real food would do wonders for her. All and all though, things are progressing nicely and Mary is in good spirits.

Karen

Rm phone # 763-257-8282

Recovery- 6:30pm Update

Mary is finally out of recovery. Her blood pressure was a bit low so they needed to get that stabilized before they moved her to her room. Dr. has given us no cause to be concerned, and things are moving along as expected. She’s still a bit groggy, but is doing really well. Needless to say everyone was happy to finally spend time with her. All except her roommate. Think college dorm room. Barely big enough for two, now home to the huge support system. The kids requested to have Mary moved to a single room so her bunk mate could get some rest! You know how noisy we can all be. A pretty rowdy group!

I think that might be all for this evening. If anything changes I’ll be sure to keep everyone posted.

Karen

2:00pm Update

Mary is out of surgery and she came through with flying colors. So this is what we know, and I apologize as I don’t have all the details.

1. The cancer was just localized in the rectum. GREAT NEWS. They did check her colon and it was in good shape, even considering all the past radiation.
2. Surgery lasted longer not due to complications, but just because it did!
3. Not sure if they’ll have to do any chemo. Wouldn’t that be awesome!
4. Dr. is meeting with the Oncologist on the 19th to see about chemo and how long she’ll have her colostomy. For now she will wear the “bag” for 6 wks or six months. We’ll know more after Wednesday.
5. She is resting “comfortably”, and is not in ICU
6. She still has another hour or so before she can be inundated with family and loved ones..
7. Dr thought her hair was absolutely beautiful and wondered what she had been using on her skin to make it look so wonderful.

So, all really good news. The prayers have worked yet again. Keep ‘em comin’.

Much love,
Karen

12:10pm Update

After what seemed like a lifetime, we’ve received just a brief update from the surgical team. All is going well. Surgery will last a bit longer, as Mary still has an hour and half left to go…..

Karen

Preperation!

The Schoenecker sisters had a relaxing day yesterday after an action packed weekend. Kathleen FINALLY won spider and Mary consumed her liquid diet. Broth was the delicatessen of the day. Hospital food may actually be a welcome change!

At 5am this morning Mary got up to take her 4th shower. Boy.. not only does she have a new hairdo but she’s cleaner than she’s ever been!!! Kidding aside this was an important part of the surgery prep. She applied antiseptic solution at each cleansing to ensure that she was bacteria free. She left for the North Memorial Hospital at 6am. Surgery is scheduled for 8:45am and should last an estimated 4 hours.

Tom arrived last night, so all the kids are there to provide additional support. I will update the blog as news spills in. Keep those prayers coming!!

Karen (Tom’s wife)

North Memorial Hospital
3300 Oakdale Ave North
Robinsdale, MN 55422
763-520-5200

Last Supper

Kathleen arrived on Saturday and we haven't stopped running since. Saturday nite we partied late at the cousin's Christmas Party, which was lots of laughs and great fun and love of all the cousins. We also celebrated Aunt Millie's 90th birthday.
Sunday we visited Jimbo and Annie's homes and then a great hockey game of Collie and Katie, and then off to Home Depot to buy a tree, which the kids put up and decorated for me after a great meal of Chilli (Kathleen made) and a good time was had by all.
Today I enjoyed one last qigong session with Sheila Judd at the college, then went to North Memorial for a MRI and then to Bill and Kims to see their tree. Then had to drop off packages at church and off to Jan Ranum's to have my hair cut and colored before the surgery! (I need to look good on the operating table!! hehe But unfortunately they won't be looking at that end.) So now we are back home waiting for the squash and pork chops to get done so I can eat my last real food before the surgery, as tomorrow I can only have liquids. I will be spending the afternoon and evening near or on the toilet. So the count down to surgery is getting close and I am feeling strong and overall rather good. I appreciate all the thoughts and prayers, cards, emails and hugs and kisses I've received this last couple of weeks. I know the angels will be with me all the way, and mom will be at my side. Love to you all, M

It's Official "0" More Mornings to Get Up for Work!

December 7, 2007, the feast of St. Ambrose, Mary Rose Schoenecker Kiecker at the age of 63 years, 7 months and 5 days is officially retiring from Anoka-Ramsey Community College. Hip Hip Hurrah!!! YIPPEE!!!

Let the celebration begin!!!

Although, I did start celebrating yesterday. After a grooling drive to see the Geneticist, who didn't entirely rule out the paraganglioma as being hereditary....they don't think it is....although they still have one more test results that isn't back yet, and they are doing an MRI/MRA on my neck on Monday to make sure I only have one.
After getting back to work, I went to lunch with a bunch of the secretaries from the college and got some really nice presents and lots of hugs and well wishes. Then after work I went to Olive Garden with Sharyl Boes a neighbor and we had dinner. So the celebrating really has begun.
Wednesday I went to the funeral of Peg Skeate and got to see a lot of Gene's old friends from the StarTribune. It was sad to get together with everyone for a funeral again, but it was also nice to see everyone and visit with them.

So all in all it has been a good week and I can't wait till tomorrow when all of the cousins and aunts and uncles get together for the annual Cousin's Christmas! m

Passed the Pre-Op Physical

After an hour wait to see the doctor I finally had my pre-op physical this a.m....it's all systems go! Blood work already came back and I'm within normal levels on everything. I also finally had a blood pressure reading back to normal....so the meds are working.
I'm still counting down the mornings left to get up for work! Only 4 more to go! It really doesn't seem possible. Also starting to get a little paniced about getting the spring brochure done before Friday....It is only half done....I may have to put in a fe extra hours.
This evening I got an email that Peg Skeate died, and I was in shock. I got an email a few weeks ago saying she had been sick...but I never imagined she was that ill. Peg was the wife of Gene's buddy Tom Skeate...who he car pooled with for years. Her obit should be in tomorrow mornings StarTribune.
On the bright side I did receive several nice cards today in the mail....one congratulating me on my retirement from Tom and Karen and family, another from a Carmelite Convent in Michigan with a nice note saying they were praying for me at the request of my sister's mother-in-law...a cute picture Christmas Card from my neice Jessie and her husband Paulo and a Chrismas card and note from Pat and Larry Wood.

Angels all around!

Last evening as I was sitting curled up in front of the TV and watching the snow accumulations on the weather report, I was thinking that maybe I wouldn't get up and go to church this morning, but shortly thereafter I heard the roar of a snowblower in my driveway, and looked up and said...OK I'll go to church!! I am so thankful for all the help and support I get everyday. Love you all, m