Here is a short update of mom's status. She had her last surgical procedure this morning at 9:30am. The procedure was to remove a stent that was placed in her kidney a few days after her first surgery. According to the doctor, the procedure went well and mom should be able to go home on Tuesday. We have one more appointment to go on Monday morning at 8:30am. The appointment is with Dr. Chow, mom's urologist and surgeon. He will be the one to give final clearance for mom to return home. It looks really good at this point.
We will keep you posted as we go forward. Hopefully we will be out of here soon. Tomorrow we are going sightseeing, hopefully drive to the Wisconsin border and see the Mississippi River. Mom is feeling much better and is looking forward to getting out of here.
In closing, thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers. Once back home, mom hopes to see you all personally. You can email her at jessiesamfong@gmail.com or leave a comment on this blog. Take care and God bless you all.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Day 42 in Minnesota
Well, I think we're coming down the home stretch. After 42 days, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Mom was released from the hospital on Sunday and is now at the Fiksdal Hotel. She has one more surgical procedure on Friday, then a visit with Dr. Chow (the miracle maker) next Monday, and if all goes well, we will be leaving Minnesota on Tuesday the 29th. Say your prayers and cross your fingers.
Yesterday was mom's 69th birthday. We made the best of her special day that ended with a nice dinner at the Canadian Honker, a restaurant next to our hotel. After dinner, we celebrated with a candle on her chocolate sundae and a quiet "Happy Birthday" being sung by a few of the other customers. It was special but we have to do it again on Kauai, with family and friends.
As we get closer to leaving this fine state, we want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. The phone calls, cards and emails have been so helpful to mom's recovery. Please know that we appreciate all of you so much. We cannot wait to get back home to personally thank each and every one of you. We love you all. Take care and God bless.
Yesterday was mom's 69th birthday. We made the best of her special day that ended with a nice dinner at the Canadian Honker, a restaurant next to our hotel. After dinner, we celebrated with a candle on her chocolate sundae and a quiet "Happy Birthday" being sung by a few of the other customers. It was special but we have to do it again on Kauai, with family and friends.
As we get closer to leaving this fine state, we want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. The phone calls, cards and emails have been so helpful to mom's recovery. Please know that we appreciate all of you so much. We cannot wait to get back home to personally thank each and every one of you. We love you all. Take care and God bless.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Day 38 in Minnesota
Another day here in Minnesota. It is still beautiful here, but they tell us it will start getting cold tomorrow. They expect rain on Monday. Oh my.
Mom is doing extremely well. She is now wearing street clothes and lipstick. Wow!! Yesterday we went on a 30 minutes walk outside, to a park located next to the Charter House. We saw many squirrels and even a woodchuck. We had no idea what it was but a stranger saw us staring at this rodent and he kindly informed us that it was a woodchuck. We never saw one before. What a couple of country hicks. Hahaha.
We think that mom will be discharged from this place on Sunday. She still has the ecoli infection so we have to wait and see. Keep your prayers going and maybe she can enjoy next week in a hotel room instead.
I gotta run now. Mom needs to go on another walk. Until next time, thanks for everything and God bless you all.
Mom is doing extremely well. She is now wearing street clothes and lipstick. Wow!! Yesterday we went on a 30 minutes walk outside, to a park located next to the Charter House. We saw many squirrels and even a woodchuck. We had no idea what it was but a stranger saw us staring at this rodent and he kindly informed us that it was a woodchuck. We never saw one before. What a couple of country hicks. Hahaha.
We think that mom will be discharged from this place on Sunday. She still has the ecoli infection so we have to wait and see. Keep your prayers going and maybe she can enjoy next week in a hotel room instead.
I gotta run now. Mom needs to go on another walk. Until next time, thanks for everything and God bless you all.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Day 36 in Minnesota
Aloha everyone! Another beautiful day here in Minnesota. Not just the weather, but some positive news from the doctors here at the Mayo. Aside from the fact that mom's infection has been diagnosed as ecoli, she got good news from the doctors and there finally is light at the end of the tunnel. Her kidney drain was removed today so now she is drainless. She has nothing connected to her, other than an IV that is being used to treat the ecoli. She still has a stent inside of her kidney but that is scheduled to be removed on Friday the 25th. After that, one more visit to the doctor on the 28th and if all is well, we will head home on the 29th. That would be 50 days since mom left Kauai. Unbelievable.
Hopefully mom will be released from the skilled nursing facility on Sunday. She will then move in with me at the Fiksdal Hotel. I will be taking her out on the town for the next week, and we may even take in the Vikings/49ers game next Sunday. Go Vikings.
Things are looking good but we still need your prayers. We want to get her home as soon as possible. She has been through so much but she has come a long way. She is THE TOUGHEST person I know. PERIOD!!! We want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. And please send mom an email to jessiesamfong@gmail.com. She really enjoys reading your words of support. Thank you, take care and God bless.
Hopefully mom will be released from the skilled nursing facility on Sunday. She will then move in with me at the Fiksdal Hotel. I will be taking her out on the town for the next week, and we may even take in the Vikings/49ers game next Sunday. Go Vikings.
Things are looking good but we still need your prayers. We want to get her home as soon as possible. She has been through so much but she has come a long way. She is THE TOUGHEST person I know. PERIOD!!! We want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. And please send mom an email to jessiesamfong@gmail.com. She really enjoys reading your words of support. Thank you, take care and God bless.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Day 35 in Minnesota
Hi everyone. It is beautiful here in Rochester, Minnesota. The weather has been super for the past 3 days but I was warned that it should be changing pretty soon. Let's pray for decent weather. Thanks.
Well, mom has had some progress. Yesterday the doctors removed her catheter and one of her drains. The second drain was capped and will be checked tomorrow. She has another procedure tomorrow morning at 10am and if all goes well, her last drain and the kidney stent will be removed. If that happens, she will have another 24-48 hours in the hospital then she will be released. We are all praying that all goes well tomorrow.
She did have a little setback yesterday. She has developed another bladder infection and had some fever and chills last night. She didn't sleep well and is very tired today. That's unfortunate because the hospital is having a birthday celebration for all the September birthdays in about an hour. She is not feeling well and will probably not go. We will see.
Well, that's all for now. I will update you all tomorrow after her procedure and hopefully will have good news. Thanks again for all your prayers. Take care and God bless.
Well, mom has had some progress. Yesterday the doctors removed her catheter and one of her drains. The second drain was capped and will be checked tomorrow. She has another procedure tomorrow morning at 10am and if all goes well, her last drain and the kidney stent will be removed. If that happens, she will have another 24-48 hours in the hospital then she will be released. We are all praying that all goes well tomorrow.
She did have a little setback yesterday. She has developed another bladder infection and had some fever and chills last night. She didn't sleep well and is very tired today. That's unfortunate because the hospital is having a birthday celebration for all the September birthdays in about an hour. She is not feeling well and will probably not go. We will see.
Well, that's all for now. I will update you all tomorrow after her procedure and hopefully will have good news. Thanks again for all your prayers. Take care and God bless.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Day 34 in Minnesota
Aloha everyone. I hope all is well back home. Mom is at the doctor's office right now checking her two drains. Hopefully they will remove at least one of them today. She has developed another bladder infection and had a low grade fever last night. She is not feeling well today but hopefully she will get better with more meds.
If the drains are removed today, there is a good chance we could be released from the hospital. If that happens, we will stay here for a week to make sure that everything is working correctly. There is a good chance that we could be home before the end of the month. I sure hope so.
That is about it for now. I will update this post as soon as I get word from the doctors. That should be in another hour or so. We thank you for your continued prayers and we look forward to seeing you all back home real soon. Aloha.
If the drains are removed today, there is a good chance we could be released from the hospital. If that happens, we will stay here for a week to make sure that everything is working correctly. There is a good chance that we could be home before the end of the month. I sure hope so.
That is about it for now. I will update this post as soon as I get word from the doctors. That should be in another hour or so. We thank you for your continued prayers and we look forward to seeing you all back home real soon. Aloha.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Day 32 in Minnesota
I finally made it back to Minnesota. It took me 26 hours to get here but I'm glad I finally made it. Mom is doing great. We hope to get good news from her doctors on Monday. She thinks she has one more procedure to do before we can get out of here. With your prayers, she may be home by the end of the month. Remember, her birthday is on September 21st. Don't forget to call and wish her a happy birthday. Also, please email her at jessiesamfong@gmail.com.
That's it for now. I will update this blog on Monday after we see the doctors. Take care and God bless.
That's it for now. I will update this blog on Monday after we see the doctors. Take care and God bless.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Day 30 in Minnesota
Can you believe it? Today marks 30 days that mom has been in Minnesota. She has been through 4 surgeries, 2 hospitals and a skilled nursing facility. She has seen numerous doctors, tons of nurses, and even more aides. And through it all, she manages to maintain her wonderful spirit. What an awesome woman.
I am currently sitting at the Honolulu Airport waiting for my flights to Minnesota. I have a 4 hour layover in San Francisco which should be nice after 5 1/2 hours in the air. I should be arriving in Rochester sometime tomorrow afternoon. I'm so excited to see mom again. She has been alone since Monday night.
It appears that mom is doing really well. We are hopeful that she can be home before the end of the month. Her 69th birthday is on September 21st. Wouldn't that be the best birthday present if she could come home by then? Let keep on praying for that.
I may be a little slow in posting for the next day or two. Getting settled in and finding a good internet connection is always a problem. I will be posting daily updates once I get settled in. Thanks again for all your prayers and well wishes. We truly appreciate all that you have done. Take care and God bless.
I am currently sitting at the Honolulu Airport waiting for my flights to Minnesota. I have a 4 hour layover in San Francisco which should be nice after 5 1/2 hours in the air. I should be arriving in Rochester sometime tomorrow afternoon. I'm so excited to see mom again. She has been alone since Monday night.
It appears that mom is doing really well. We are hopeful that she can be home before the end of the month. Her 69th birthday is on September 21st. Wouldn't that be the best birthday present if she could come home by then? Let keep on praying for that.
I may be a little slow in posting for the next day or two. Getting settled in and finding a good internet connection is always a problem. I will be posting daily updates once I get settled in. Thanks again for all your prayers and well wishes. We truly appreciate all that you have done. Take care and God bless.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Day 28 in Minnesota
This is Mel again, updating you on mom's condition. I am here on Oahu with my daughter who had back surgery on Monday. She is doing well and we will be going home this afternoon. On Thursday, I will be returning to Minnesota to be with mom. I just got off the phone with her and she said that her 4th surgery (which just happened this morning) went well. One of the drains was removed and she will be needing one more surgery in a week or so.
She is in great spirits, although she is alone now. My Uncle Ed and Dorothy returned home yesterday after almost a month in Minnesota. Much mahalo and aloha to the both of them who left their families to be with mom. We appreciate them so much. I wish I could have been there before they left but unfortunately I couldn't. Thank God for cell phones.
It is hard to believe that mom has been at the Mayo Clinic since August 11th. She has been through so much and I am so proud of her. She is a true fighter. I will nominate her for American Cancer Society's poster child. She has kicked cancer's a** three times. She continues to fight, and while doing it, spreading the aloha spirit. The staff at the Mayo truly loves her. I'm beginning to think that they are keeping her there longer than necessary because they don't want to see her leave. I can't wait to get back to see her.
Don't forget to keep the emails and blog comments coming. She appreciates hearing from all of you. You can even call her on her cell phone at 635-5089. Please remember that she is 5 hours ahead so don't call after 4pm Hawaii time. Thanks again for all your prayers. Take care and God bless.
She is in great spirits, although she is alone now. My Uncle Ed and Dorothy returned home yesterday after almost a month in Minnesota. Much mahalo and aloha to the both of them who left their families to be with mom. We appreciate them so much. I wish I could have been there before they left but unfortunately I couldn't. Thank God for cell phones.
It is hard to believe that mom has been at the Mayo Clinic since August 11th. She has been through so much and I am so proud of her. She is a true fighter. I will nominate her for American Cancer Society's poster child. She has kicked cancer's a** three times. She continues to fight, and while doing it, spreading the aloha spirit. The staff at the Mayo truly loves her. I'm beginning to think that they are keeping her there longer than necessary because they don't want to see her leave. I can't wait to get back to see her.
Don't forget to keep the emails and blog comments coming. She appreciates hearing from all of you. You can even call her on her cell phone at 635-5089. Please remember that she is 5 hours ahead so don't call after 4pm Hawaii time. Thanks again for all your prayers. Take care and God bless.
Friday, September 4, 2009
DAY 24 IN MINNESOTA
Aloha everyone! I'm one day behind in this blog. So, pls forgive me for the mix up in days and dates. Day 24 (Thurs.) I went to the nuclear medicine dept at 7:00am. A total of 48 pictures were taken of my kidney w/ a special one taken in 3 dimension. The whole procedure took about 4 1/2 hrs. The doctors will review the scans and let me know the results. They seem to be confident that the results will be what they anticipate. My brother Ed & Dorothy went to the food court at the Apache Mall & brought me back barbecue chicken w/ RICE & stir fried vegetables. MMM! Good! It's been 21 days since I last ate "real" rice. What a treat! Happy Labor Day! My next blog will be on Tue., 09/08. Love to you all, Jessie
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
DAYS 22 & 23 IN MINNESOTA
Aloha everyone! Tomorrow, Sept. 1st, I will be going back to St. Mary's Hospital for another procedure. Unfortunately, the wait to have the procedure done was 4 1/2 hrs. So, I overnited at the hospital. Another drain was inserted. I now have 2 drains and a catheter. The doctors are confident that with a couple more procedures, I should be up and running. I feel fine. Kind of uncomfortable with the 3 drains coming out of my left side, which also makes me feel unbalanced. Ha! Ha! Ha! As always, God bless all of you. Thank you for your prayers. Still need more. Love you all, "Bionic" Jessie.
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