Sunday, November 29, 2009

Sharon’s Medical Adventure



On Friday the 20th Sharon had a follow-up visit with her physician who informed her that her biopsy showed endometrial cancer and it was stage 3! Her doctor had already called a surgeon and they had scheduled surgery for Tuesday morning.

This all happened early Friday morning and Sharon still had to drive to Jacksonville Airport and pick me up from my return from New Mexico. She told me as I drove out of the airport. I lost track of where we were for awhile, but we drove on home to face a long weekend.

Prayers and well wishes began to roll-in like wave after wave. Monday’s meeting with Dr. L. Morgan, gave Sharon great assurance that she would be under excellent care. The wait until the surgery prep Tuesday morning was very emotional, but we employed one of the greatest tools in healing, laughter and joy.

Sharon went under the knife around 10am. I went home and my two sisters Cindy and Beth joined me at my Gainesville home. Cindy and Beth had flown down to Florida to visit my mother and have Thanksgiving with Mom, Clint, Sharon, and I. It was wonderful that they could come over and stay with me until Sharon was in recovery.

Sharon was admitted to the brand new Shand’s Cancer Hospital. This hospital opened November 1 this year and Sharon had helped open it. She is working on the non-trauma orthopedic cancer floor 6 West and she was admitted to 6 East. Therefore, her friends and coworkers were around and helpful.

Many people sent flowers and messages. Thanksgiving Day Dr. Morgan and Dr. Mock came to visit us at Sharon’s bedside. Well they had been able to get all the lab results and the surgeon was positive that the surgery had removed all the cancer and it was in no other tissues!! No radiation, no chemo required, just regular follow-up visits. What a great Thanksgiving Day. Sharon barely ate anything that day and I faired on left-over’s.

Her are some pictures - She is at home and on the road to well being.




Saturday, November 21, 2009

My Cross Country Adventure with Dexter


Well, I have a new travel companion, Dexter, my grandson.


He along with his mother, Allison Karrels, my daughter, together we had a great adventure!

On Nov 15 on a beautiful Florida Sunday morning, we set off for New Mexico, via Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Smith, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

We had a great time. Dexter, is so much fun. We practiced high-fives, drum patterns, and smiling during the hours we sat together in the back seat of a Ford Escape. Dexter can make anyone smile. He was riding backwards in his high tech baby seat. He found it boring and slept, most of the time. But once he got to his new home he was very active. I was impressed how strong his legs are. He will be walking soon!

I can’t wait for my next adventure with Dexter!
For pictures of sites we saw along the way go to our Face Book photo album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=123200&id=617928368&l=8bb8b554ac

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Dexter meets UF Mascot, Cheerleaders and Volleyball Players!







Dexter is making the rounds at the University of Florida. Friday and Sunday he attended Volleyball matches in which UF won against Georgia and Auburn. Dexter is pictured with Colleen Ward star of the Auburn match!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Dexter Karrels first visit to Florida


Dexter Karrels first visit to Florida
Allison is moving to New Mexico. So, she took this opportunity to visit family and friends in the Eastern time zone. Allison arrived with her son Dexter in Florida at Dexter’s great-grandmother’s home in Fernandina Beach. Dottie Stone is my mother and Allison’s grandmother. The photo album link shows pictures from her home.

We all (Allison, Dexter, Sharon and myself) left Dottie and headed for Gainesville where Dexter and Allison will stay a few weeks. Yesterday evening we took Dex to his first Gator sporting event, a Gator Softball game! The Gators won, of course. Tonight he gets to go to a Volleyball match at the O’Connell Center. Go Gators

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119457&id=617928368&l=07c96117f9

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Halloween 2009




Just a quick note to say Hi! Happy Halloween 2009!
This is a picture of Sharon and our new cat Aja.
This month should be full of adventure as I (Allan) drive with Ali, Dexter, and Tiger Lilly to ABQ, NM.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Ohio Reunion

I am sorry to our dear readers we have not kept up to date on our blog. Our adventures have been interesting to say the least. It seems like once a month we go to Ohio. We had a quick but very successful family reunion at Bonnie Singleton's home in Oberlin, Ohio. All of Sharon's family was there, brother Bob, sisters, Bonnie, Wendy, and Vicki. Bonnie's son Kelly John with his wife Jeanne and son 3 yr old son Max; Wendy and her husband Bruce and Wendy's daughter Tia and her boyfriend Adam; Vicki and her husband Brian along with their family, Troy, Cody, Seth and Taryn along with our daughters Heather and Allison and their husbands Jeff and Dan amd their children Cole (2 years old), Luke (2 months), and Dexter (3 months) were all there!

The next day Sharon, Heather, Jeff, Cole, Luke, Allison, Dan, Dexter and I descended upon my gracious sister Cindy in Media, Ohio for breakfast. There we were joined by Cindy's family, Ned, Rob, Jason, his wife Amber and their children Grace ( 4 years) and Jason Jr. (1 years). It was a beautiful morning and it was so wonderful to be with them all!

I had planned to stay on in Ohio for awhile and get to spend time with my grandsons, but when Sharon got to the Jacksonville airport her car wouldn't start. She had to rent a car and have her VW towed. So I drove on back to Florida with my new GPS system and boy did that make the drive seem shorter.

I have video and pictures, but it seems everyone has a camera these days - so I let them go for now.

Monday, June 15, 2009

My journey around the yard.


Not going far these days, but am enjoying the beauty around our yard. Took a few snaps of some of the flowers in bloom this morning. It is fun to see the morning glories. They are coming back on their own from seed. The crape myrtles are in bloom, except the hybrids. The midday heat wilts the daisies, but they bloom in the morning. I am working on building a meditation garden, but for now it is mainly in my head, ha, ha.
Love you all, Allan

Pictures in facebook
: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=84605&id=617928368&l=4c40fa5f87