Yesterday Donnie had some slight improvement, but today is another very rough day for him. Dr. Zehngebot wants him transferred to Winter Park to evaluate him. That will probably happen today. Please no visitors. He is not able to talk or be very coherent. Please pray for him. Thank you for your love and caring! Tina
So…here we are…in Donnie’s ICU at East Orlando. I must say there is nothing more comforting to know that the entire ICU loves Donnie, and is so protective of him. Awesome intensivist (ICU doctor), awesome nurses, awesome respiratory therapists, awesome chaplains, and I could go on. They treat us like gold!!! It is so comforting to know that they all “have his back”.
He is in ICU because that is where the docs and nurses wanted him…to take wonderful care of him and be supportive of him. He is getting IV fluids, and they have been “tweaking” his medications to help with all of his chemo side effects. He has had better nausea and pain relief today than he has had in the last 2-3 weeks. PRAISE BE TO THE LORD!!!! So thankful to caregivers that are looking for alternatives to help him!!! Especially Dr. Siddiqui 🙂
The last 2 days have been very, very difficult for Donnie. Today is a “HAIR” better. He actually sat up and ate 4 bites of a chicken wrap, and 4 spoonfuls of chicken and wild rice soup that Rachael (daughter) brought to him. Jeff (son) stayed with him last night, so he is taking credit for his Daddy’s turn around!! He is staying with him again tonight, so I am expecting another improvement tomorrow!!!!!! It takes a village . . .
As you know, Donnie was able to be photographed with our family for about 30 minutes at the beginning of our family Christmas celebration (on December 27th), then he went to bed for the rest of the day. We are all so grateful for the wonderful pictures that Keeley Leippert with Sugar Coated Photography took of our family “on location”. She was so wonderful to accomodate our special needs with Donnie.
After Donnie spent the rest of the day in the bed (literally), he got up after everyone left. He ate a very small meal, took a shower, and then became deathly ill. We ended up going to the hospital and being admitted to his ICU at Florida Hospital East. He was very relieved to get better pain management, better nausea management, and an IV for hydration. He is very, very weak. He talks minimally, as he does not have much strength to do that.
All of our family stays with him around the clock. He is too weak to advocate for himself. Please pray for his comfort.
Much love, Tina
So we had our family Christmas today. Everyone was present!! Donnie was able to take pictures for about 30 minutes, then that was the end of his day. He was in the bed, exhausted, feeling nauseated, weak, etc. Tonight he is being readmitted to the hospital for hydration due to vomiting and diarrhea. He is really weak. Pray for him. Thank you!
Donnie went for his clinic visit today (Friday), and praise the Lord, it wasn’t a catastrophe like it was on Wednesday. We did a lot of “preventative” steps so he would not get so deathly ill. Even though the round trip takes us 3 hours, and it does exhaust him, it was much better today. He agreed.
He finished his last Neupogen shot today (the medication that boosts his immune system). A praise is that his while blood cell count never dropped below normal. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of this medication is that it gives him flu-like symptoms. So…on top of his first round of chemo, he sort of gets the flu. No wonder he doesn’t want to hold his eyes open. He will see Dr. Z on Tuesday, and we will keep you posted on the plan of care.
Tomorrow is our family Christmas. We are very excited to have all our grown babies and our grandbabies together! It is always very special. We are having professional pictures taken at our home this year, so we are all looking forward to that. So hard to get all of us together. It will certainly be special!!! Pray that Donnie can have some energy to enjoy his babies (he’s pretty weak). Thank you for all your love and prayers!!!!!!!!!!
Tomorrow, Dec 26, I take Donnie back to the oncology clinic at Florida Hospital South to receive his Neupogen injection. This was a very difficult thing for him to do on Wednesday this week, so pray it will not be as difficult this time. He has been in the bed all day today, except for eating a little breakfast, and a little dinner. His face looks flushed, so I am worried he is dehydrated. He isn’t drinking much, because it makes him feel full and feel bad. He has chills, but he is not running a fever. They will draw labs on him at the clinic tomorrow, and we will go from there.
He is really exhausted, and talking minimally. It’s pretty hard to see him this way. Please pray for him.
Merry Christmas from us to you!!! Christmas has always been such a special holiday for us. We were both raised by Godly mother’s, who put great importance on the birth of Christ, and on the love of family. Our holidays are pretty huge!!!! There are so many wonderful memories … an awesome problem to have 🙂
This is the last wonderful Christmas we spent with my sweet Momma when she was feeling good. We are in Mom and Dad’s front yard. Mom always made Christmas magical. All us girls got that gene from her!!
This is part of the McFarland clan. We are spread out all over the U.S., and all the way to Finland. All of us are not in this pic, as everyone could not make it home. Its tough getting all of us together, but we sure do like being together!!!!!!! Donnie’s Mom has always made EVERYONE in the family feel so loved. We are a hodge podge of blood relatives, step relatives, and adopted relatives, but you would never know it by the way she loves all of us. What a blessing she is to Donnie, and to all of us!!!!!!!
Our personal family Christmas will be this coming Saturday, December 27. I am thankful we planned it that way, because Donnie has not felt well at all. He had a pretty horrible day yesterday. He is weak. He is eating a little. He is drinking a little. He is always kind and in good spirits, like always, just exhausted. He is resting up for Saturday, as we will be taking family pics that day. If they turn out well, I’ll post them. I’m expecting the best 🙂
Merry Christmas!!! Keep praying for my Donnie … he is uplifted by you all!
Here’s some Christmas cheer for all of us!! Ronnie Mac asked me to post this pic on the blog. The whole family gets a kick out of this picture. The best part is, NO ONE, can tell which one is which FOR SURE.
Lorraine (big sis who can always tell them apart …. except this time), Momma (who can’t tell them apart here either) Darlene (Ronnie’s wife who can tell them apart MOST of the time), Tina (who can tell them apart a significant part of the time), and of course Donnie or Ronnie are not sure either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be sure to note the jeans rolled up to the knees. Ronnie told me that was so when they grew, the jeans would still fit…hmmmm
Personally, I think identical twins are simply amazing! These two are best buds FOREVER. With all of our heads together, our best GUESS is that Donnie is on the left, and Ronnie is on the right.
MERRY CHRISTMAS from our family to yours!!!!!!
Donnie had a restful night in his own bed. I think we both had the first restful night in 2 weeks. He is still nauseated slightly all the time. This morning, he took a shower. When he brushed his teeth, it made him throw up, and it was a pretty rough moment for him. He is just very sensitive. He is also exhausted. Any movement just wears him out.
This morning we go to the oncology outpatient clinic for him to get his Neupogen shot. This increases his white blood cell count. His count has never dropped, but I think Dr. Z is being proactive with him since this is his first round of chemo, and it is Christmas. Donnie is going to be around our immediate family, and can’t afford to “catch” anything. It is flu and RSV season after all.
Today is Bradley’s first birthday (our youngest grandson). We will not be able to attend his birthday due to his Daddy being sick. We are sad, as we have never missed a first birthday of any of our grandchildren, but we will get to skype … yay!
Donnie is very tired. Tired from being sick, and then slammed with chemo. He has a little gnawing nausea, but has powerful meds on board. So…
…even though he has some recuperating to do, we are getting to go home today. YAY!
David came to the hospital to help me take him home. He will stay with Donnie and care for his needs while I unpack. Connie is bringing homemade chicken soup for dinner…Yummy! This is so much easier to handle with help.
Keep praying for his recovery. He has to go to the oncologists office on Wed and Fri for his Neupogen shot. This can potentially give him bone pain. Pray he doesn’t get that side effect.
Thank you for your prayers and support!!!