One day at a time....

Getting better every day!

I was able to speak to my mother Sunday. After three weeks in Intensive Care, she has been moved to a private hospital room. She is expected to make a full recovery and will hopefully soon be transferred to a rehab hospital much closer to their home. This will make it much easier for my dad to visit who has been driving the more than 100 miles round trip daily since August 3rd. They will be married 63 years in December and still very much devoted to each other..... Amazing!

I plan on being in Canada when my mother is finally discharged home and will spend time helping her readjust to full independence.

I thank you all for the prayers and positive energy...... it was desperately needed and remains very much appreciated!

HOPE

I spoke with my mother today. After more than two weeks in Intensive Care, she has made significant improvement and has been transferred into a private room.

The healing process will be slow, but with a positive attitude and extensive physical therapy she will eventually walk out of the hospital and this will all have been a horrific nightmare.

We thank you all for your prayers and positive energy. You are all a very important part of my blogging family and I am so grateful to have you in my life.

My sister arrives back in Florida tomorrow and I will be going to Canada mid-September.

It's time to allow my mother to recover and my father to rest without all the drama family tends to generate.

THANK YOU, once again!

DON~

On July 9, 2006 I joined my family in Las Vegas to celebrate the wedding of my only nephew and godson, Marc and his beautiful bride Kim. Life was grand~

On August 9, 2006 one month later my mother has been in the Intensive Care Unit of a New Brunswick, Canada hospital since August 3rd.

It's been a nightmare from HELL!

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My mother entered the hospital to undergo a seemingly uncomplicated hip replacement surgery. The surgery in itself was successful but there were "complications".

Complications is an understatement. I telephoned the hospital after the surgery to be told that my mother was in the intensive care unit on a ventilator and being examined by a kidney specialist. Ventilator, kidney specialist; what the fuck?

I telephoned my dad who had just spent the entire day at the hospital. He was physically and emotionally exhausted. I asked if he felt that my sister and I should fly to Canada; if for no other reason but to offer emotional support to both him and my mother but he said no, wait a few days to see what develops.

After a sleepless night, I telephoned my sister who decided that one of us should be there and stated that she would fly out the following day. It would be easier if she went first and I would follow either on an emergency basis or to take turns staying with my father.

My parents live in a small village in northern Canada approximately 2600 miles from Florida. One flight per day, two connections, 11:30 hours total flying time, six days per week.

On Saturday, I telephoned and was able to speak with my mother. She sounded very weak but hopeful.

My sister telephoned daily with updates and I telephoned daily to speak with my mothers' doctors.

Last Monday I telephoned and my mother who was in much better spirits was able to tell me she had received 4 pints of blood. Blood transfusions (she has now had a total of 7 pints), what the fuck? Another telephone call to her physician. My mothers' blood was too thin, platelet count low, whatever.

On Thursday, I telephoned the hospital and asked to speak to my mother. Sorry, she is unavailable having been taken for chest x-rays. CHEST X-RAYS? Possible pneumonia.

Last evening, I telephoned my dad. Things are slowly returning to some semblance of normalcy. My mother is off the ventilator, no more blood transfusions, some fluid on the lungs but not pneumonia. There is a possibility that after 10 days, she will be transferred out of ICU early next week.

Tonite, I telephoned my dad. My mother is back on the ventilator, but in better spirits. She finally ate for the first time yesterday and again tonite.

My sister will remain in Canada until the 21st of August after which I will fly up and remain until we're certain life has somewhat stablized.

My mother and father are both 82 years old but to my sister and I, age is not a factor. We are not at this time and will probably never be comfortable with letting go.

I ask that you keep us in your thoughts and I thank you.

HOMOPHOBIC JAMAICA

Human Rights Watch asked Jamaican officials Thursday why the prime suspect in the stabbing deaths of a lesbian couple, the latest in a series of apparently homophobic killings there, has not even been questioned a month later. The decomposing remains of Candice Williams and Phoebe Myrie were found June 29 in a sealed septic pit behind the home they shared in Taylor Land, Bull Bay, St. Andrew.

The women had last been seen alive by Williams' mother 11 days earlier. An autopsy revealed that they died from multiple stab wounds. A police inspector told the Jamaica Star that a lead suspect had been identified -- Williams' former partner, Dwayne Lewis, the father of her year-old child.

Lewis had encouraged Williams to experiment sexually with women, a relative told police. His attitude changed when she "slowly progressed from a bisexual to an outright lesbian, which led her to end the relationship," according to the statement. Conflict then arose between Lewis and Williams over custody of the child, the relative said.

"We . . . should apprehend (Lewis) before next week," Inspector Hornet Williams (no relation to the deceased) told the newspaper July 6. "We are now appealing to Mr. Lewis that he come to the station as we need to ask him some questions."

Nearly a month after the bodies were discovered, Lewis has not been questioned, much less arrested, Human Rights Watch director Scott Long wrote Jamaican Minister of National Security Peter David Phillips.

"As you know, Human Rights Watch has documented an atmosphere of homophobic intolerance and violence in Jamaica, and a pattern of indifference or reluctance to investigate such violence on the part of the police," Long wrote Thursday.

"The apparent absence of further investigative steps, including the fact that the alleged suspect has not yet even been questioned, has led local advocates to express concerns to Human Rights Watch about the level of commitment to identifying and prosecuting the murderer," he wrote.

"Recognizing that the women may have been 'killed because they were good friends,' moreover, means recognizing that they may have been victims of a documented pattern of homophobic violence."