Almost forgot - Jen's birthday is December 23rd
*and those who by choice or circumstances or whatever are not.
Could you please send a Christmas card or get-well soon card or just a silly funny postcard to help? She's very fond of pugs, labs, beagles, pooties and Edward Goreys.
We are so very alone out here for the time being; through our nearly 20 years together, time and again, the holiday season has been hijacked by external forces.
Since November 11th, my wife has spent 36 days in the hospital due to complications arising from a gastric bypass surgery.
Jen has had 2 additional surgeries and 1 "procedure" since her initial surgery. Essentially, they had to completely re-do the first surgery, but this last time, they had to go in the hard way - that is, no more laparoscopy, just open her up and gut her like a fish.
As it currently stands, there is a 30% chance that she may be allowed to come home tomorrow, but I think that is optimistic as she is still in a great deal of pain and carrying at least 30 pounds of excess fluid.
The cruel kicker is that in order for her to get rid of the "water weight" she has to take a diuretic which makes her have to pee every 5 seconds. That means calling for a nurse to assist her to get to the bathroom and aggravates her 12 inch abdominal incision. Pain and embarrassment pretty much sums up anyone's hospital experience.
My solicitation for your support in helping us find some resemblance of this time of year's normalcy comes from the following past holiday seasons.
>Her mother died around this time of year in the early '90s
>I was nearly killed by a semi a few years later a week before Thanksgiving
>Jen's father nearly bled out and died last Thanksgiving from a bleeding ulcer - about a year after to the day that he had to have a triple bypass
>This October, our first dog together had to be put to sleep
>6 weeks later, our second dog together suddenly died while Jen was still in the hospital
Darwin and Chester are now going to be together forever.
We are a broken family in spirit around this time of the year, with a minimal family support system. We came down here to Virginia from Connecticut to assist Jen's father during his health crisis(s) (3X heart bypass, COPD), so all of our prior social connections are 400 miles away, our small family circle range from San Francisco to Kansas City to Union City NJ to Jonesport Maine. We are a small island on our own.
I am beyond my depth through circumstances and my own screwed up head due to prior traumas both physical and psychological.
But this is not about me - well, not totally. And I know there are much needier causes and people who are in much more desperate circumstances beyond ours but still...
I need your help.
Friends, acquaintances, pootie/woozle people, total strangers, I ask of you - could you please spare a stamp and let my best friend in the world, my wife, that people care. That we can and will get through this.
Our names/address is on the photo of Angoose and Chester so as to have some modicum of security.
We both hold this community in such high regard, I know it would mean so much to Jen despite her protestrations to the contrary that anyone would know of her situation, let alone respond. She's never asked for anything, ever. I do on our behalf.
Thank you truly. This community means more to us more than anything I could ever put to words.
For reference, this is the song in my heart every time I see my Jen.
10:37 PM PT: Thank you all so much.
Almost forgot the final kicker. Jen's birthday is December 23.
Hoping that it won't be spent in a hospital bed.
Tue Dec 20, 2011 at 10:26 PM PT: All of your great responses and kind thoughts are truly humbling. Thank you.
Today, Jen was able to come home after this last stint of 13 days in an Intermediate Care room. Woot!
Still has a g-tube attached for the time being after all this time. Patience is key.
Thank you all so much. You have no idea how much this meant. Your kindness and generosity of spirit is beyond measure.