Ed

We are now at home. The team of doctors have decided to put off the surgery to remove the tumor and have opted to begin with radiation and chemo to shrink the tumor and then follow with surgery. We have mixed emotions since we don't know how the treatments will affect Ed but they say that this is the most effective method to avoid a reoccurrence of the cancer. We hope to see everyone on the 11th.

Byrum Christmas Gathering

You and all of your loved ones, (that includes boy/girl friends) are invited to the Blanchard home for the Byrum Christmas Gathering on Saturday, December 11. Please come and enjoy the fellowship beginning at 12:00. Lunch/Supper to be served at 3:00. The Blanchards will be providing the meat dishes - Fried Chicken, Grilled Turkey Mignon, Grilled Shrimp and the rolls. Daddy will be cooking ham and collards. I am asking each of you to bring a vegetable and/or dessert dish.

For those of you who enjoy the merriment of the gag gift giving, please bring a male/female gift costing $5. - $10. vbjPlenty of parking in the rear behind the fence.
We look forward to seeing you all! Love, Aunt B.

Joyce, Barry, Cathy and of course ED, We are so relieved and happy for you. I know no one's looking forward to the surgery, but Ed's attitude today was he just wanted to have them go on and do what they have to and then more forward. I think it's really harder when you're in "the holding pattern" and can't find out whats what. Bertha, I appreciate you're having the Byrum celebration since it was not a great weekend for me. As far as postponing, why don't you talk to Joyce tomorrow and see how they feel. I understand that you and Dad plan to go up tomorrow. I'm planning to go on Monday and be with Joyce if they do the surgery then. Love all you guys, Margaret

Update on Dad

Dad had his CT scan today, and the results were good. The cancer has not spread anywhere. The surgery is still tentatively scheduled for Monday. Dad's team of doctors is meeting together and then with him in the morning, I think. Dad's plan is to go home before the surgery, but I'm not sure what the doctor's plans are. We are all extremely relieved, especially Dad. He sounded about as happy as I've ever heard him tonight. Thanks for all your prayers. Keep them coming as I'm sure we have a long journey ahead of us.

Ed

Ed is scheduled for the CAT scan sometime this afternoon so hopefully we will know more soon. Thanks for all your prayers. I'm at home right now to do the payroll but will be going back to Chapel Hill this afternoon.

Christmas

Bertie:

Whatever everybody else wants to do is fine with me. I think the decision should be made between you, Aunt M. & Aunt Joyce. Thanks for the address and phone number Barry. Looking forward to seeing everyone no matter when it is! Happy Holidays!

Byrum Christmas Gathering

Christmas has be relocated to the Blanchard house for Saturday, December 11. Meal at 2:00. UNLESS - we just all want to wait till Joyce and Ed are at home and feel well enough to come even if that's January. What is the consensus of the group? Please blog and give me your opinion. Bertha

Mom's words:

"They were not able to do the scope today because the opening was too small to get the instrument through. The doctor said that they have to get rid of the barium & do the CAT scan before they can do surgery so they will know what they're dealing with. The plan is to keep Ed on the cleansing routine here at the hospital until he is free of the barium. They have him tentatively scheduled for surgery on Monday."

While a lot of folks might find a week of bed and television and people bringing you supper heavenly, Pop ain't one of them. He is feisty though when he's distracted from being stuck at the hospital. Earlier he snuck a couple smokes in the bathroom, but said the goon squad (his words) came in before he could get off three puffs. Perhaps Dad's best news today was when Dr. Heather (the only doctor Mom & Dad really liked, but definitely his favorite now) said that we didn't hear it from her, but she saw no problem with him hauling his IV outside (apparently UNC Hospitals is antsy about their IV racks wandering off) for a smoke -- whatever passes the time and, consequently, the barium.

As Dad's not the big chatter that Mom is (919-966-1841), you may prefer to drop him a note or a transcript of today's Paul Harvey at:

Ed Summerlin
Room 4712
UNC Hospitals
101 Manning Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Spoke to Joyce today and wanted to share this info with all (as I understood it). Ed is in UNC Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill; room 4712, telephone # 919-966-1841. Since he still has barium in his system, they kept him to try to help him get rid of it - I don't know exactly how. After that, the doctors want to do a cat scan and what Joyce called a flex - a light where they can look and see how extensive the problem is. All this is to help the doctor decide what plan of action to order. At this point, his preferred treatment is 4-8 weeks of radiation, then surgery. But until they know what they're dealing with, they really don't know what they'll recommend. Joyce hopes he won't be in the hospital but a couple of days. I'm sure when they get home, Joyce will fill us all in on the blog!

Happy birthday to Joan

By the way, Happy Birthday to Joan tomorrow.

Ed and Thanksgiving

Joyce, You know that we are praying for Ed. He is on several prayer list. Hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving. We did; we made a number of memories. You all what memories are don't you, all the things that go wrong are the things that you remember. Both families came in late Tuesday night. On Wednesday night all of of drainage systems backed up including the washing machine. After going out to eat and leaving the washing machine going, everything back up in the new bathroom, water came out the door, out the laundry room into the kitchen and also into the basement. We called a plumber and he cleared roots out of the drain. My boys were great, they cleaned up everything, including taking up the wet carpet outside the bathroom, which we had planned to replace with tile. On Thanksgiving, everything worked well. On Friday, Mandi was in the bathroom and said there were too many bubbles in the commode. Washing machine going again and had backed up in the commode and shower. We called the plumber again and he found a blue plastic bag down the drain. I believe I remember seeing one over the opening for the commode while old one had been taken out and before the new one was installed. On Friday, we decorated the tree and about 4 pm the three girls were playing under the tree and Mandi's hair got caught in the tree and the 9 foot tree came tumbleing down. Lots of ornaments were thrown off and a number of them broken. While we were cleaning up the mess I sent the girls upstairs, and I heard all of this bumping and went to investigate. The three of them were bouncing on the bed in the guest room and then jumping on the floor. I told them I was upset with them; that I thought they would have felt bad about the tree and not be doing what they were. I think Amber is going to be a politician, she said that they did feel bad and were jumping to make themselves feel better. All in all we had a good time. I'm grateful that their trip back home went safely. Chris' family on Saturday and Howie's on Sunday. Howie's was planning to leave on Saturday, but one of his friends invited them and another couple to cookout. With Michelle's back problem, they do not want to operate, so she is getting a series of three shots, similar to a epiderial (given while in labor to block pain). She had had one before coming and she was walking extremely well. She had her second scheduled for 6 this morning. Gene was also traveling yesterday. He had a meeting in Durham this morning so he went yesterday. He said it took him about two hours to travel about 5 miles; a bad accident. He's back home. Say a little prayer for Chris, he has an interview on the 1st. It's a good job. When they called, he told them he was being activated but they wanted to interview him anyway. Interviews were scheduled for the 6th and he told them that he would be leaving at that time, so they set a special time for him to be interviewed. Joyce, if Gene or I can do anything to help, please let us know. Margaret

Ed

Ed had another xray today and he still has barium left. Dr Koruda's office in Chapel Hill called and they still want to see him tomorrow as scheduled. We both relieved. Will let you know something when we know something. The nurse said that Dr Koruda may want to keep him so we'll be packing pjs just in case. Please continue to pray that no other organs are involved.