The latest

Hi Everyone!!!

Well, Pop is doing well :) He walked twice today - down the hall and back with the assistance of a walker (standard). I (Susan)am now home in Colorado. I landed a few hours ago. It was hard to leave, but I know he is strong and doing well and will be absolutely fine.

As far as I can decipher, and things can and will always change, he and Mom will remain at the Clinic until Monday or Tuesday of next week. Then, since they live further than 2 hours away from the Clinic, they will need to stay at the Guest House (the hotel) for another 10 days or so. There is a list of requirements that he must meet before they say, "OK Ray, you can go home now." If I tried to list those here, I would be guaranteed to miss a few, so suffice it to say they are on top of things.

Today many "things" (as far as tubes and drains) were removed and he has more move-ability than he did prior. I will get updates from Mom and post as often as I can. Please do not hesitate to email me with any questions at: niedbalskigirls @ gmail.com (without the extra spaces).

Love and Hugs to all....

~Susan

Out of ICU!

So we are now out of ICU!! YAY! We are all thrilled to let you know this :) Not a whole lot to report (which is good news in and of itself). I will write more later.

Love to all...
~Susan and company and of course... Ray.

Waiting on a bed....

Yup - good news AGAIN over here for Pop. This morning they have called transport and the regular floor and are waiting for a bed to open so Pop can move out of ICU. He also gets to start solid foods today. He won't get the cheeseburger with onions that he keeps asking for, but anything other than his normal broth will be a nice change I think.

The snow finally stopped up here. I think we ended up with about 2 inches at most. Pop is convinced that People up here have NO idea how to handle snow since the people on the News keep warning drivers about 1/4 inch of the white stuff.

His humor is up, so is his grumpiness so things are just about normal as far as his mood goes.

We are all ready for a change of scenery.... here's hoping it comes sooner rather than later today :)

from all of us....

Doing Well

Pop is really doing great :) He is still in ICU, but again, it is only to monitor the now gone heart arrythmia. If all goes to plan the transfer should be a go tomorrow. I am on my cell so this entry is short. More news tomorrow :)

Love and Hugs.....
Susan, Karen, Jennifer, and of course.........Ray.

Just one more night....

Well... what's one more night, right? Much to Pop's disappointment he will spending one more night in ICU for monitoring. Nothing serious - they just want to keep an eye on a heart arrhythmia. Mom translates it to a funny rhythm in his heart every once and a while.

He looks incredible - and no, I am not exaggerating. Today he stood up so that he could move from his bed to a chair!! His swelling is down to just about normal, his color looks great, and he is in a seemingly good mood. He is even telling us jokes and picking on us all - including his nurses. Very cool.

Mom, Grandma, Grandpa and I are eagerly awaiting Jennifer and Billy's arrival. They should be here in the next 30 minutes or so. It is snowing here in Cleveland and sticking a bit, so the sooner they get here, the calmer we will all be. I am so excited for Jennifer to see Pop since she hasn't caught a peek since he left the house on Wednesday.

I will post more tomorrow.

Love and Hugs from us to you!!

~Susan, Karen, Marie, Harold, Jennifer, Billy, and of course..... Ray.

I took a Picture....

but you can't see it! hahaha. Pop asked for his picture to be taken about an hour after his main nose-to-stomach tube was removed. Mom and I were shocked! I asked if he was serious, and he said yes. So I asked Danielle and she said "It's the perfect time for a photo moment." So I ran down the hall, got my camera and snapped a good one :) But he doesn't want me to post it. So with the picture in front of me, I will describe it.

Plump face

rosy cheeks

smiling (slyly) - looking tough

White eyes

Only a few tubes

Hospital gown

Chicken Broth with a straw

Orange jello - no spoons (he has one now though)

Getting ready to move to a recliner

He is happy - way happier than i expected. He is 99% sure that he is moving up to a regular floor today! Happy days!!! I will say, I think he will miss Danielle ;) She is awesome!!! I know we are all very thankful that she has been Pop's main nurse for the past few days.

Love and Hugs!!

All of us and of course.... Ray!

Good Morning

Hi Everyone :)

Another day and still doing well :) Pop decided to take a sleeping medicine last night and I am so glad that he did. He slept for most of the night. He said they woke him up once "rolling me around and junk." We know he is feeling a bit more like himself when his ornery side comes out ;)

Things are going well and we are hoping that he gets to move to the regular floor today. We won't know for sure until the docs come in and make the decision.

I was glad to walk into ICU today and see that his Day Nurse Danielle was back in there again today. Pop really likes and trusts her, and more importantly listens to her! I know, I know, it's hard to believe, but he is actually behaving and listening to directions. Such a good patient! Hahaha.

I will post more as information comes about.

Love and hugs to all...

~Susan

Day 3 - 2 days Post-Op

Pop is doing great... lots of numbers and medical terms being thrown around, but Pop's ICU Nurse Danielle very sweetly translates it from Medical to English and assures me that it is all positive. I figure if Pop trusts her, then I can too! Haha. She is wonderful and puts up with Pop's jokes so she can't be all that bad ;)

Mom is still down in ICU hanging out with Pop. I came down to the waiting room to give them some time and to write an update for you all. Grandma and Grandpa just got here from the hotel and are on their way to see Pop. Two at a time are allowed in ICU so I am not sure who will go in and who will come back :) Surprises for all haha.

Mom and Susan at the hotel on Day 3 :)

Love and Hugs from us all and more updates to follow.

Bed Time...

Time for some sleep. Pop is doing great. Actually, he is ahead of schedule. We should hopefully be moving out of ICU tomorrow and into a regular room. As usual we will keep you all posted via this blog. If you want to leave a note for Pop, you can leave a comment on any post OR click on the guestbook link (over on the right) and leave a comment there. We will share them with him soon :)

Love to you all........
All of us and, of course......Ray.

Awake and Talking

Yup - Pop is talking and awake and says Hi to everyone!!!!

Just Saw Pop

Mom and I just went in to see a nice and AWAKE Pop!! He still has his respirator tube in, but they kicked me and Mom out so that they can remove it :) He was writing us notes with a pen and paper and winking once for yes and twice for no. What an amazing thing!!!

Will post more later!

LOVE YOU!
~All of us!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas everyone! And what a wonderful day it is! It is raining, windy, gray skied, and beautiful :)

So, the updates on Pop -

13 has always been Pop's lucky number and yesterday was no lie. He was called in on the 13th day of listing. His surgery began at 7:13 am, and his surgeries lasted 13 hours. What do ya think about that? Crazy, right?

We were finally able to see Pop at 10pm last night in his ICU unit. ICU is absolutely 600% standard after this length and level of an operation. He was heavily sedated, but Mom and I were able to hold his hands and talk to him and hang out with him. His nurse last night was Gary and he was just incredible.

I was nervous to go see him; I had read that post-transplant the patient has lots of tubes and bags and all that on him. When I went in to see him, he looked great - I could not believe it. He had so much fluids pumped into him for the surgery that he actually looked good with some extra weight! Haha. The lighting isn't very flattering in an ICU unit, but from what we could tell his color looked good.

Mom, Grandma, Grandpa and I all went to the hotel last night and Mom finally got some rest. She really needed it.

This morning Pop is getting an ultrasound to make sure that his NEW Liver and NEW Kidney are working the way they should. So far so good.

I will keep you all posted throughout the day.

Merry Christmas to you all!! May this year be as Incredible for all of you as it is going to be for us :)

Love to all,

~Susan, Karen, Jennifer, and of course..... Ray.

Liver = Success!!

WE HAVE A LIVER! What a day! Part 1 (the hardest) has been successful!! The Liver doctor, Dr. Miller, came out to talk to us and said that the transplant was a success! He said that the liver looks beautiful and everything went fine. Pop is doing well and the rest of the team was "closing him up" as Dr. Miller was speaking with us. Now comes the kidney. What a day!

Someone has answered our prayers this year, and let me tell you, we will be forever grateful. I will keep you posted this afternoon as well.

Love to you all!!!

~The Crew

Surgery Day!!!

Merry Christmas is an absolute understatement. Surgery began at 7:13am today, the 24th. Pop has been listed for 13 days. Jennifer, Billy, and I arrived at the Cleveland Clinic about an hour ago to sit with Mom. The hospital is enormous, which again, is an insane understatement. This morning we met one of the Social Workers, Lisa. She is an angel.... hands down. Mom said everyone has just been incredible here, and from what I have seen in an hour, I believe her.

Grandmother and Grandfather should be here any minute. I will post throughout the day. Mom has a pager of sorts that gets messages from the OR periodically. The last update came at 9:15 and said that surgery is going well and that Pop is doing fine. My guess is that this surgery will take about 8 hours total, but could go longer. Again, updates to follow.

Love to you all,

Susan, Karen, Jennifer, Billy, Marie, Harold, and of course, Ray...

Call Number Two

Well tonight the phone rang at Mom and Pop's House at about 6pm EST. It was the transplant coordinator from the Cleveland Clinic telling us that there is another chance for a transplant. Mom and Pop left for the Clinic at about 6:30. It is just impossible to explain the feeling that comes across each time the phone rings, and then to look at the Caller ID and see "Cleveland Clinic" - your heart just stops.

I will post here as updates come in. I don't expect to hear anything from Mom until about 10 or 11pm tonight telling us that they have arrived. If Friday was any indication of what might be expected, it could be morning until we hear anything definitive about Pop.

Love to all..... Let's hope this is the Merriest of Christmases.

**Update 1 - Mom just called. She and Pop made it safe and sound to the Cleveland Clinic (in record time lol). The word is right now that the organs are not expected to arrive until around 2am. Tentative surgery time is 6am 12/24/2009. I say tentative because nothing will be definite until it actually happens. More updates tomorrow morning.... Gonna try to get some sleep tonight.

Flase Alarms. Long Days, and Snow

Hi Everyone...

So the latest. As I was getting ready to leave my apartment to go to the airport yesterday morning at 6am MST, I called mom to let her know I was awake. I said, "Did you know I am coming to see you today?" And Mom says, "Well Susan, there has been a change in plans... we are at Cleveland Clinic. They called at 3am with possible organs." OMG! He has only been listed for 8 days! This is a miracle!! Well, as the doctors warned us, there would be false alarms, and this was one of them. A friend of mine commented on my Facebook yesterday, this was a trial run to get us all ready for the real thing. Mom and Pop spent the whole day (literally) at the Clinic. They came home about 11pm last night because Ohio is supposed to get some nasty weather today. They made it home safe and sound and hopefully today we can all get together.

It is an odd thing, this whole transplant process. On one hand I am so grateful for the family who decided to offer their loved one's organs up to those who needed transplants, and at the same time, so sad for their loss, and then again, so disappointed that the liver was not a good match for Pop. We all knew this process was going to be.... emotional, but I personally had no idea what exactly that meant.

So we wait a bit more... as everyone keeps saying, "It will work out" and I know that it will. I am so glad that I am with my family right now, and hope that things continue to "work out."

I will keep you all posted as we hear news...

Love,

~Susan

and he's LISTED!

That's right, folks... Pop is now on the Organ Transplant List as of last Thursday Morning. Thanks to everyone for all of the love and support up until now, but we still need that all coming to Pop. The real waiting game is now on and as mom says, "Every time the phone rings, my heart just stops." The suspense is awful, I can't imagine what it is like for Mom and Pop.

We will keep you all posted as news comes, but I guarantee it will be sporadic at best. Please email or leave comments if you have any questions. If you want to send along those happy thoughts, prayers, mantras, whatever, we would all greatly appreciate it.

Love to you all,

Karen, Jennifer, Susan, and of course, Ray

SUCCESS!

Mom just called - Pop is out of the procedure, awake, talking, everything. The catheterization was a success and he has been cleared for any impending surgeries!!

His case will again be presented to the transplant teams this Friday and we will hopefully have some listing news to share next week!!

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers!! My family and I are so thankful and grateful to all of you :)

Love and Pax...

~Susan

Cath-e-t-er-i-za-tion

Say that 10 times fast... I dare you! Today is Catheterization day for Pop. He is a bit apprehensive, but who could blame him? He and Mom are headed up to Cleveland in about 30 minutes and Jennifer will be driving up separately. I wish I could be there for support, but I am there in spirit for sure. Sam and I will be going to Ohio in 16 days! We are so excited to go see everyone. I am thrilled that he will FINALLY meet my nephews in person.

Just got off the phone with Jen :) She is bringing her laptop with her so she will keep me posted via Instant Messenger throughout the day.

The procedure itself should only take about 30 minutes. Pop's appointment is at 2pm (I believe). After that, he has to lie on his back for like 3-6 hours or something insane like that! haha. I would be way too antsy ;)

I will post updates as I get them.

Keep the prayers and good thoughts a'comin!!

Love to all,

~Susan

"Your Heart..." Update

I just spoke with mom. The Cardiologist has scheduled a catheterization for November 10th.

"Your Heart.... it's just Your Heart...."

An amazing song by Donovan Frankenreiter :) and so very fitting for today. Mom and Pop should be either at Cleveland or arriving there shortly to meet with the cardiologist this morning. I don't have too much to share about this yet, only that it is fairly routine that Pop would need to meet with the Ticker Doctors.

As I hear from Mom, I will post updates.

Hope all is well!!

Love,

~Susan

Positive News

Hi All!!

Pop sent out an email on Saturday to some people, but I am not sure who got it or not. So I will sum it up for you :)

Dr. Carey and the Liver team have decided that they want to submit Pop's case to the hospital board and the state for transplant list consideration. This is VERY good news. The Kidney team had already made the same decision, but it was contingent on the Liver Team's findings.

This is all fantastic news, but the waiting game continues. We are very hopeful that all will work out, but those thoughts and prayers are still really needed.

Mom and Pop are both doing well. Sam and I Skyped with them a bit yesterday and could not stop laughing. They are too funny! Pop even trimmed his beard! Mom said, "It was time." haha. I don't doubt it.

More to come....

Love always,

~Susan

And We Wait...

Hi All -

Mom and Pop are off to Cleveland again today, to meet with the Liver Team. We are waiting (personally, quite impatiently) to hear what they have to say about listing Pop for a liver as well as a kidney. Remember, we have the "Go ahead" for kidney listing, but it is contingent on whether or not the Liver Team decides to list him as well.

We could really use some powerful positive thoughts, energies, and prayers today. Please hope for the best for Ray and keep him in your heart and mind.

If you want to speak with me directly, please email me at niedbalskigirls@gmail.com and I will email you back as soon as I can.

I will post news as I get it. Mom just called and said they had arrived at Cleveland Clinic. Pop has a Liver Ultrasound scheduled for 1:45. Mom says she will call when she can.

Thanks to everyone for everything...

Love to you all...

~Susan, Jennifer, Mom, and Pop

Update

Hi Everyone....

So here is the latest....

Mom and Pop went to Cleveland yesterday; the Kidney team let them know that Pop needs a kidney. However, they will only list him and grant the transplant if the Liver Team decides that he in fact needs a liver as well.

The whole situation is like a ping-pong game sometimes with all of this. Emotions are a bit ping-pongy as well. The Liver Team appointment is scheduled for November 5th, but Mom will be calling today to see about moving that up a bit further - hopefully quite a bit. For now, Pop will continue with dialysis and we will wait and see what happens.

Please keep those prayers coming.

Love to you all,

~Susan, Jennifer, Karen, and of course, Ray

Kidney Evaluation Day

Hi All -

I know it has been awhile, but there really has not been too much to update you all on. Pop is doing ok. He has still been going to dialysis every week, 3 times a week. He and mom (and Uncle Charlie) have been doing some landscaping in the yard. I would describe it to you, but Mom still can't figure out how to send me pictures in an email! Someone teach that woman, will ya?

Mom and Pop are off to Cleveland today for Pop's Kidney Evaluation. Now, honestly, I am not 100% sure what that really means. I am pretty sure there will be at least one blood test involved, and I believe Mom mentioned that they had to go to 3 or 4 different meetings.

As I hear more, I will post updates. It may not be until tomorrow though, but we'll see.

Happy thoughts to all!

Love,

~Susan

It's been a LONG while.... that isn't a bad thing though!

Good Morning, Everyone!!

It has been quite some time since I reported to you last, but as my title says, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Pop has been doing pretty darn well. He is all finished with one set of meetings, and continues the other set - not a big deal there :) He is continuing dialysis at this point - 3 days a week. Not his favorite thing to do in the world, but he seems to be sucking it up pretty well. haha.

This morning he and Mom are headed to the Cleveland Clinic for an appointment or 2 with a new Kidney Doctor. It's a long story, but they asked for a new Doc to start seeing Pop, so today will be interesting to say the least. There appointment is at 10:40 am (I think) and Mom promised me yesterday that she would call as soon as she gets a chance after they see the Doc.

Uncle Charlie went out to Ohio a few weeks ago to help Pop and Mom do some more landscaping magic in the yard. I haven't seen the pictures yet, but I am told there are now 2 flower boxes made of railroad ties (sp?) near the foot of the driveway. Mom is now back to work at the hospital on a casual status and has been in twice in the past few weeks. I know she really misses work and we are all so excited that she can go every once and awhile. Who knew someone could actually miss working??? News to me! HAHA.

The rest of the family is doing well. Kyle (Jennifer's eldest) is in different camps this summer still until school starts, which I think is mid-September. Jacob, just turned 4 on the 16th and is already in Pre-School. Jennifer has been updating her blog a bit with some cute pictures of his birthday and his first day of school. Oddly enough there WERE tears shed! However, Jacob was not the cry-er!! Take look at her blog.

I will post an update this afternoon once I speak with the parental units.

Love to You All!!

~Susan

PS.....HI TO KATIE IN ENGLAND!! That is right, folks! Katie is studying abroad this semester in England!!!!!

"Knock Knock" "Who's There?" "It's Your Liver, Ray, and I am doing pretty damn well!"

Pop called about an hour ago. He and Mom are headed HOME already from Cleveland. His liver functions are in normal range - which means it is healing :O) He will keep up with the dialysis for another 3-4 and by then, hopefully, his kidneys will kick back in. This is really good news, although the next 3-4 months will continue to be busy (3 days of dialysis a week). Keep sending those thoughts and prayers - they are working!!!

Love to you all!!

~Susan, Jennifer, Karen, and of course.... Ray

Off to see the doctor....the wonderful doctor of Livers...

Today is another trip to the Cleveland Clinic for Mom and Pop. They have some appointments with Dr. Carey and I believe some other team members.

No updates as of yet.... Mom assured me she would call as soon as she could.

I will post updates when I get them :)

Love you all!

~Susan

Off to Cleveland....

Pop has some appointments in Cleveland today at the Cleveland Clinic, so as far as I know of, Mom and Pop are on the way right now. I have dubbed today as "Kidney Day" since his appointments are with the kidney doctors.

I know I have not posted in awhile, but trust me, it warms my heart and makes me smile that I have nothing new to report to everyone. Pop is still attending the meetings he is required to attend (with very little grumbling hehe) and attending his dialysis sessions three times a week. It is so great to call home and ask, "How are things? How is Pop?" and to hear Mom say, "We are doing well." Those 4 simple words just make me smile.

I know Pop would love to hear from you, so drop a note in here or send him an email if you have his address.

Thanks again for all the love and support :O)

Pax...

~Susan

Updates....

Hi All!!

No news is good news, or at least that will be the excuse I present for not posting in a few weeks ;) Pop is doing well :) He is still at home (WOOHOO!) and is continuing with outpatient treatment. He is maintaining a (much) lower weight and is getting stronger each day. Dialysis tends to wear him out, but this is not unusual and will get better with time.

We had an AMAZING weekend long celebration the last weekend of June. The mini-family reunion was awesome! We all laughed our butts off, jumped on a new trampoline, swam in the pool, slid down the HUGE blow up slide, and just relaxed and enjoyed the company. Uncle Charlie was in 7th Heaven mowing my parents' lawn, tending to the gardens, and just landscaping everything! Jacob and Kyle had a blast with their new family members and charmed their way into everyone's heart! Such flirts ;) I even learned that we have some Kite Fliers in our family!

"At the Carwash.....Yeah"

HA! Is that stuck in your head now??? Pop is in dialysis again today - shorter session though. The doc wants to jump start the cleaning so he has an extra session today and a full session tomorrow. We are all thrilled that he is home! I fly out there tomorrow to celebrate with my family and I cannot wait! I know that the celebration is for the adoption, but something tells me that it is even more than that! We can all celebrate being TOGETHER for the first time in a long time. That to me is more exciting than anything else at all.

No real updates on Pop, his liver, or his kidneys, but trust me, that ain't bad! I will take pictures this weekend and maybe even post a few for everyone to see.

Love you!

~Susan

Homeward Bound!

Pop is heading home from Cleveland sometime this afternoon :)

He will have dialysis 3 times a week starting tomorrow, but the really good news is that this treatment will be done close to home!! He seemed pretty darn excited when he IM-ed me with the news: "we are going home today!" I almost jumped out of my chair! I talked to mom shortly after and you could HEAR her smiling!

Family reunion weekend - here we ALL come!!!

Happy Father's Day!

Pop had a really good day today. Read that: Pop had a nice, quiet day today :) And well deserved!! Pop was in a very chipper mood today. He is just trucking along like a brave little soldier. I believe Dr. Carey called him a "Stubborn old coot" today hahaha. Doesn't that just say it all? Mom and Pop both seem to really like Dr. Carey, and from what I hear, I dig the guy too!

Pop is off to dialysis again tomorrow. Internal Car Wash here he comes! He might be bringing his little laptop with him, so send him an email or post in the guestbook and say hi. He also has his IM installed on his laptop, so say hello if you have AIM :)

Ok - gonna get going. Not a whole lot to report today, which is fabulous! I will post some more tomorrow :)

Love and hugs...

~Susan

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!

Officially Grandma and Grandpa!

**UPDATE
Pop is currently sitting through his first dialysis session. This is very good news :) I sent him an email earlier telling him that this is like a car wash for his internals!! Today's session is only (and only is kind of a stretch here) 2 hours. A typical session is between 4 and 5 hours long. They just want to get him started on it today and allow his body and brain to adjust to the procedure. As far as I know of, he will sit through a longer session tomorrow. I will keep you posted! Happy Adoption Day to our Family!!!

---

That is right! As of about 8:15 am this morning, Mom and Pop are now Grandma and Grandpa! The adoption hearing went through with out a hitch and Jennifer and Billy are OFFICIALLY the parents of Jacob and Kyle!! YAY! Congrats to everyone!!! We are all just so excited. I can't wait to go home next weekend and see everyone!

Pop received his Permacath this morning, so he is a tad loopy from the medications they gave him for that. Luckily he is not attempting any weird magic tricks or what not, just sleeping it off instead. He is supposed to start his Hemodialysis today and possibly receive a blood transfusion (nothing to be concerned about). Things are going well, and Mom sounded good this morning. I mean, who wouldn't feel good on the day she officially gets 2 grandsons??

I will post updates as I get them.

Love,

~Susan

Just Spoke with the Mama-Ship

**UPDATE

I just spoke with Mom. The doctor will perform the Permacath tomorrow instead of this afternoon. No real reason why, it's just what they have decided to do. He will be undergoing the Hemodialysis treatment (read about that here). He is in a fairly good mood, especially since he has his little Laptop to keep him occupied :) Mom was on her way to get herself some lunch from the cafeteria while the staff is getting ready to bring Pop his lunch - he is crossing his fingers for a hamburger! haha. As usual - we will keep you posted.

---

Mom just called. Pop is getting his tap on (they are draining the fluid off of his abdomen). This morning he had an ultrasound of his kidneys and later today they will insert a Permacath into his upper chest. This is used for short term dialysis. Dialysis is used to clean the blood when the kidneys are not doing their job. From what I understand, there are two forms of dialysis, so I am not sure as of yet what flavor of dialysis Pop will be getting. From what Mom has read, during dialysis only 1 cup of blood is removed from the body at a time. Isn't that incredible? The hope is that the dialysis will clean his blood and make it all squeaky clean and as a result the kidneys will start functioning (read: behaving) again.

Mom said Pop is in really good spirits today despite a lack of sleep last night. They both send their love and look forward to checking the blog later for your love and support :)

I will keep you all posted as I get news.

Pax...

~Susan

On the Road Again...

Back to Cleveland they go. Mom and Pop were asked to go back to the Cleveland Clinic yesterday around 5:30pm eastern time. Pop's creatinine levels have gone up again this week (kidney function), so Dr. Carey and his team at the Clinic decided that Pop should come up a night early. He was scheduled to go to Cleveland today for a tapping (fluid reduction on the abdomen) as well as a check-in with the Liver team. I have not spoken with Mom yet other than a brief phone call last night to let me know they reached the Clinic and were registering him at the desk.

As soon as I speak with Mom, I will post an update.

Keep those prayers a'comin! I am finding that they work pretty darn well ;)

Love and Hugs...

~Susan

Excitement is mounting!

Not a whole lot of news on the Padre front (which is actually VERY good news!). He has an appointment tomorrow at Mom's hospital to meet with the Nephrologist (Kidney dude). No news is good news as far as we are all concerned.

Pop seems to love his new Netbook, as do Jen and I! We all have one now! haha. Great little buggers for sure :)

The very exciting news is that this Friday, at 8am, is the court hearing for Jennifer and Billy's adoption of the boys!!! We are so excited for them and cannot wait for it to be 610% official that Mom and Pop are Grandparents (hehehe), I am an Aunt (scary), and Jennifer and Billy are officially parents to two amazing little men!

The family who Netbooks together....

We surprised Pop yesterday with an early Father's Day present - a Dell Mini 10 netbook. We wanted to make sure Pop could keep up with emails and news and blogs (hehe) and IM's while he is back and forth between home and Cleveland. So don't be surprised if you see a message on here that he is away from home for a few days but you still receive his emails :)

I also wanted to say that since he is HOME (yay!!) there won't be too many updates going on, since, well, you can just ask him yourself ;) But please, keep the comments in the guestbook coming and leaving those happy thoughts and prayers.

I know he loves reading your notes so don't stop now :) Thanks for all of the love and support and we promise to keep the updates coming as we get them.

Love to you all!!

~Susan and Jennifer

News News News...

So Pop and Mom have been home since Saturday morning and all seems to be well. Very exciting! Yesterday I Skyped with Mom and Pop so I got to see them both for the first time in over a month! It was great! The next month will be (hopefully) filled with STAYING HOME. haha. No appointments scheduled in Cleveland for now, but don't let that fool you - they are super busy at home! Pop has multiple appointments every week to meet with different people in preparation for being listed for a liver. Lots of work to do to insure that he gets listed.

Not a heck of a lot to update everyone on, which is so nice to say! Keep those happy thoughts (cough cough comments) coming and let Mom and Pop know you are thinking about them!

Love to you all...

~Susan

and we have... RELEASE!

Pop was discharged a little while ago from the hospital :) He and mom are staying at the hotel tonight to get used to a non-hospital environment and relax for a bit and will drive home tomorrow. 

Your prayers and happy thoughts are working!! Keep them coming!!

Love to all!

~The Niedbalski Crew

Nothing Too Exciting... But That Ain't So Bad

Hi Everyone...

I spoke with mom briefly this morning. Pop had been taken to another Stress Test, this time with a different method of testing. Honestly, I really have NO idea what that means haha. It sounds like they might still be released today, but mom assures me that no matter what, it will take hours to get out. haha. Apparently because of all of the doctors involved on each case it takes about 6 hours or so to get released. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am way ok with a 6 hour discharge process if that means mom parents can go home for a few days.

As soon as I hear from Mom again and get some more news, I will post it.

I just also wanted to remind everyone that Mom is trying to call everyone back that has left messages on the house answering machine. Just remember that she and Pop have been gone for over a week now, so please be patient. If you have questions, please send me or Jennifer an email at niedbalskigirls @ gmail.com (take out the spaces for this email address to work properly).

Love to you all!!

~Susan, Jennifer, Karen, and of course... Ray :)

More Great News!

It seems that each day I talk to Mom now, I smile bigger and bigger. One thing that we all must always remember is that no matter how good the news is, there is still a very long road ahead of Pop. But here is the latest and GREATEST.

Yesterday Pop's creatinine levels were down to a 4.6 (or close to that). This morning his levels are down to a 4.1! That is right! All of the fluids and medicines are helping his kidneys. This news is fabulous for a few reasons:

1. His kidneys are healing a bit
2. He is closer to getting the heart catheterization that he needs
3. The chances of needing a kidney transplant are getting smaller

Yesterday he met with the physical therapist to start walking a bit. The PT wanted to evaluate his strength to make sure he could get around on his own, or with a bit of assistance. He was cleared to walk with mom! So today they are going on 5 walks! haha. I asked mom if that was PT Mandated or Karen mandated and she said, "A little bit of both." PT said 4-5 walks today so mom said, "5 then." 

I spoke to pop on the phone yesterday and he really sounds good :) He told me that he is eating the hospital food, but he ready to deport the guy who delivers it since it really doesn't taste too good. He said, "It's no fault of the guy, but I am ready to deport him since it tastes pretty bad." I guess he is really starting to miss his "gourmet" cooking at home. haha.

The Gastro doctor and Radiologist told Mom and Pop yesterday that there really isn't any fluid that needs to be drained off of his abdomen right now and the "automatic" drainage that had been flowing (an understatement) from the original drain point has slowed down dramatically. That is, again, very good news.

We are very hopeful that he is on the road to recovery and I cannot wait to give you more updates. It has been a long week at Cleveland Clinic for Pop and Mom, but hopefully they will be able to go home tomorrow and finally just relax. Mom keeps saying, "I really just want a hair cut" so hopefully that will happen for her in the next few days.

We love you all very, very much!!

~Susan, Jennifer, Karen, and Ray

Happy Hump Day!

Hi Everyone :)

What a way to start off a Wednesday! Good news from Cleveland :)

Pop had a much better night last night and got some good rest. He also has an appetite again! Now, for any of you who know my dad (hehe most of you), you know that appetite has never really been an issue with the man. This morning he slammed down some French Toast and really seemed to enjoy it!! Mom says he is in a good mood and I could hear him chatting it up in the background while I was on the phone with her this morning.

The kidney doctor came in this morning and reported a DECREASE in his creatinine levels (kidney function) which is super good news. They are still high, but any creatinine decrease is very much welcome in this journey. 

Mom has become quite the toughy in the past few months. She is now not only wife, mom, and nurse, but also physical therapist! haha. She has told Pop that he will now eat all meals while sitting upright in a chair as opposed to being in bed. She is also planning on taking him for a walk today. Way to go Mama!! Pop was feeling so good this morning that he even called Grandma and Grandpa! 

Right now the doctors are saying that Mom and Pop should be able to go home before the weekend, so we are all shooting for Friday at this point. Of course, that can change at any time, but here's hoping!

Thanks for the support and love and prayers and all that goodness! We love you all very very much.

Remember that story...?

Good Morning Family and Friends :)

Mom told me that Pop had his stress test yesterday. Well, he failed the stress test and will need a catheterization to see where the blocks are in the heart. My father has told me a lot of stories over the years. One story really sticks out to me right now with the news of this "failed" test.

In High School, my father was required to take 4 years of Physical Education classes. This is nothing out of the ordinary, even by today's standards. Now, let it be known that our father (the Padre, Pop, Uncle Ray, Bro, etc...) has never been one to "follow the rules." He has always enjoyed pushing people's buttons and rebelling against everyone - especially as a teen. Well one day in High School, the school decided that it was required of all young men to wear white tube socks to gym. If the youngster failed to wear said white tube socks, he would fail gym. Period. This did not fly well with Pop. He refused to wear the white tube socks. Instead, he told his gym teacher... "If you fail me for not wearing white tube socks, I will come back and be in your class again." Nuff said! Pop passed gym class without the white tube socks.

The point of this well told story? Pop beats the odds no matter what. And I have a strong feeling that this little "Stress" test is just another white tube sock. How is that for a metaphor???

Other minor updates for you all:

The confusion he was experiencing over the weekend was due to the high levels of ammonia in his body. The medicine he is taking for that is working and the doctors are very satisfied with his "facilities" (as mom, the always nurse, calls them). I said, "Mom, in English please?" Facilities are his attitude, disposition, confusion levels, stuff like that. So with the "Facilities" in order, he is going to Radiology today for some more abdominal look-age and drainage. Mom and Pop (and Jennifer and I) are all hoping that he and Mom will be headed back home tomorrow or Thursday.  His spirits (also part of the "facilities") are better today although he is pretty wiped out. All of that poking and prodding and laying in bed makes a Man pretty tired you know.

I will update as I hear more. I have heard that this blog has reached more people than I expected and I am so glad to have you all reading this. Jennifer and I try to keep everyone posted as much as possible as quickly as possible. I know it seems that I am writing all the posts - but you have to remember - she has 2 (yup, 2) sons now and they are on summer vacation! haha. So while I am typing away in Colorado she is chasing "J" and "K" around the backyard :)

You can read Jennifer's blog about the boys if you want to: Our Two Little Men.

Hugs and Love to everyone!!! And remember - Pop would LOVE to see any comments, thoughts, love, prayers, whatever in the "Guestbook" on this site. He was pretty excited when we told him about this blog, so send him some goodness :)

Love to you all!!

~Susan, Jennifer, Karen, and Ray

Good Morning from Rainy Colorado....

Hi All - 

It is raining here, again. Lots of rain recently - very strange indeed. But, it is nice to have green grass and trees in this desert for a change, so I will take it!

So updates on Pop - it was a tough weekend with some strong high points though. Let's start with the good stuff. Denise and David (mom's sister and brother) made the long drive from NJ to OH to visit with Mom and Pop for a few days. They were very welcome faces for my parents and they had a really great visit. I can't thank Denise and David enough for making that trip to spend time with Mom and Pop. Mom told me that they had a great visit and that having some familiar faces around really makes a big difference for her and my father. So THANK YOU!!

He was admitted again to Cleveland Clinic last week - Wednesday - when they decided that he should not go home with the blockage in his intestine. Luckily (and this is the WEIRDEST thing we have EVER been thankful for) Pop started FARTING! Yup, that is correct! Mom gave him a high five when he finally passed some gas. Now, coming from experience, I can tell you that my father's flatulence is nothing to be celebrated, but this is a HUGE exception! Passing gas means that the blockage was and is clearing and his intestines are moving - ON THEIR OWN! YAY!

Pop's been a tad uncomfortable the past few days. The draining of his abdomen was very helpful last week, however, the wound created to do the draining has been leaking quite a bit on its own. The doctor stitched it up, but the draining continues. The doctors have scheduled another manual drain for today. Pop was in quite the mood on Saturday... his ammonia levels are high which causes confusion which leads to some frustration and irritability. The doctors prescribed some medicine that starts with an "L" (I have NO idea what it is called) that is lowering the ammonia levels and Mom reported that yesterday Pop was heading back to his normal attitude and was much "perkier." This is awesome news! For one, it means that the doctors knew what was causing the mood swings and that his body allowed the medicine to work. YAY!

His kidney levels are still very high, but this is to be expected. No real news or updates on the liver or the kidney at this point. On the schedule for today is, hopefully, an abdominal fluid draining, but also a stress test for his heart. Since he is very weak, and we all know about his ankle (wink), the stress test will not be the typical, "Do laps on a treadmill, sir!" Instead, it will be a drug-induced test. Now, I am not sure what that really means, but I can imagine that it means the doctors will medicinally speed up his heart and other organs and test how they handle the stress. Like I said, this is just my guess as to what will happen. 

Pray for more farts and less drainage!! (wait, does that sound weird??)

Love to you all!!

~Susan

The Latest...

I spoke with Mom a little while ago. Pop needs to be admitted again today. He has been in a lot of abdominal  pain since his colonoscopy. The doctors did a CT Scan and found some sort of blockage in his intestine. They do not feel it is related to the liver or to the kidneys, but need to admit him in order to clear whatever it is. 

No real updates other than that as of right now. As I find out more I will post them.

Thanks for the continued prayers and positive thoughts....

~Susan

Liters Liters Everywhere....

Good Afternoon, Everyone :)

I hope this post finds you happy and well. I spoke with Mom earlier today. Pop had the fluid drained from his abdomen this morning. Nearly 7 Liters of fluid (18 pounds) was drained and he is looking good :) Mom said, "We are gonna have to get your skinny pants!" Today is a busy day for them. He had the drain completed, he had another test this morning, and this after noon a Kidney test. He will stay in the hospital overnight tonight for observations to make sure that there is no bleeding or anything from the Kidney testing.

Keep those prayers a'coming!

Thanks!

~Susan

Good Morning!

Just a quick Update on stuff :)

Mom and Pop went to Cleveland again last night (this will be a weekly trip, I am understanding) because he has some more appointments and tests this week. An -oscopy of some kind, some kidney checking, some fluid draining (YAY!) and some other miscellaneous appointments to attend.

Mom said he is doing well - doing what he needs to do. As far as contacting them, your best bet is to leave a comment in the "Guestbook" on here. I know they would love to hear from all of you - but since they are traveling to the different appointments so frequently, this is easier.

Thanks for all of your thoughts, prayers, and smiles.

Please leave some love for Pop when you get a chance.

Thanks!

~Susan and Jennifer

Pictures

This is where I will post pictures for everyone to see :)

From Aimme's Wedding Fall 2008:

Way back at Susan's High School Graduation:

Pop's favorite picture of Jennifer!

Giving the Bride Away - Jen's wedding June 11, 2005:

Mom!!

Getting ready for the wedding:

Us, being us:

The girls:

All Smiles at Susan's Radford Graduation - May 2003:

Mom and Susan taking over the World at Pike's Peak:

Susan and Sam contemplating.... something:

Pop at Christmas:

The Man Himself:

Again - in Ohio:

"Over Yonder...."

One of the infamous "I can take the picture myself" shots that we are all so good at!

Brother-In-law Love?

Susan and her Pop:

Getting Comfy:

Mom Called

Just got off the phone with Mom. Pop and she are doing well. I am on a mission to find a pair of large, thin, warm gloves for him. I know there is a type of silk that is used for long johns that is super thin and very warm. Any ideas there?

They are waiting for one more appointment today - a CT scan of the chest. then they can go home until Tuesday. They will go back to Cleveland on Tuesday for 2 days of testing including a Kidney biopsy. He needs to get some vaccinations as well, including pneumonia, Hepatitis A and B and a few others. Not sure when those will happen, but I am guessing soon. He is scheduled to have the fluid drained from his abdomen next week. The doctor performing that will do it IN office (less uncomfortable for Pop). This is great news because the fluid and swelling are making the gent a tad uncomfortable.

More news to follow soon.

Thanks!

~Susan

No new news yet....

Hi everyone :) Now that the blog seems stable enough, we can start posting!! There are already a few posts in the guestbook, and it just warms my heart to read them!

I have not spoken with mom yet today, but will try calling her in a bit. Yesterday they met with the heart Doctor and a few others. Today I think the menu of physicians included lung doctors and liver doctors again. They need to monitor his weight every day due to the increase of retained fluids and of course watch his blood pressure. 

I just want to let everyone know that he sounds good. he hasn't lost his sense of humor AT ALL. He jokes and laughs about the weather and "normal" things as usual. It is refreshing to hear him giggle and make cracks about EVERYTHING. 

It is cold and grey in Colorado today... so much for the 90 degree weather earlier this week! It was gorgeous in Ohio yesterday, so Mom and Pop went outside for awhile to soak up some sun and all of its warmth. 

I can't say it enough, but Thank You to everyone who slips in an extra smile, thought, prayer, hug, whatever. It means a lot to all of us.

Love,

~Susan

Guestbook

Hi All! This post will be an ongoing one. We will use it as a Guestbook of sorts for now. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and encouragement for Pop and Mom here.

The latest and greatest

Hi All -

So just to bring everyone up to speed - Pop had a 10 day stay between two different hospitals. The 1o days (May 6th - 15th) included a multitude of tests and poking and prodding. Pop said to me, "I am human Swiss Cheese." Mom agrees! He is doing well, although very tired. The doctors are continuing tests throughout tomorrow. There really is not too much conclusive news to report. We know that he is need of a new liver so that is the priority. The amazing team of specialists at Cleveland Clinic are really incredible. They are working actively, aggressively, and compassionately to get this transplant show on the road. There is a waiting period (I will explain) before Pop can be placed on the transplant list. This period is approximately 3 months, but the team seems to feel that he is a good candidate for the transplant. In the 3 months or so between now and then, Pop needs to go to a gazillion appointments, tests, check-ins, you name it and he will go there. 

Mom is doing well. She is very tired, as I'm sure you can imagine. This has been draining in every possible sense and situation. She is such a trooper! 

What we really need now, and for a while, is positive thoughts and prayers. I guess to some this goes without mentioning, but I thought I would throw it in just in case.

Please feel free to post comments on this blog in lieu of calling Mom or Pop. Jennifer and I will answer any questions you may have to the best of our abilities. We really appreciate all of the love and support from our families - both immediate and extended. Jennifer and I will post updates as we get them.

Oh yeah - if you have any fun pictures you want us to post, let us know :) We are going to look through our albums (in my case hard drives haha) and start posting, too.

We love you all!!!

Hugs and kisses....

~Susan

Welcome

Hi Everyone.

Jennifer and I decided that creating a blog to update everyone on our father's progress might be more convenient for everyone. I am in the process of setting it up now and will post the story soon.

Check back soon.

Love and Hugs,
Jennifer and Susan