A letter of Thanks

I wanted to just let everyone know that I posted some incorrect information in the previous blog. Uncle John had only been receiving 100% oxygen for 1-2 days post surgery, not the whole time. I thought I should give Uncle John credit for being stronger than I had noted. Instead of an update from me, I have posted an update and a personal letter to all of you from Maureen.

A Time for Thanks!

To all of our friends and family,

In the past week, as John has rested more, I have had much time to reflect on the past 22 days. Though some of it still seems quite surreal to my children and I, we have all been reminded of the many blessings we have been given. On Ash Wednesday, I was sitting by John’s bed watching him sleep. I decided it was a good time to reflect on the Way of the Cross. I happened to have a prayer book with me that gave a reflection on each station. When I came to the one about Simeon helping Jesus carry His cross, I thought of each of you . . . Since this journey began, each of you have helped us carry this cross in such an incredible way. Through your love and support which have been manifested through the many cards, calls, visits, meals, donations, and friendship, we have been lifted up and carried. Through your love, in the midst of our sadness, we have found peace, hope, strength, courage and above all God’s love. Through your willingness to reach out of yourselves to love and care for us, our spirits have been refreshed and renewed to keep on hoping and trusting in God’s providence.
When John’s initial event happened on the eve of February 4th, our family was plucked out of one life and dropped into another. As Bridget has noted many times in the blog, it has been quite an emotional roller-coaster for each of us. Our emotions have ranged from shock to sadness to hope and even elation with each small step toward healing. We have struggled with fearful moments, which have turned to joy with the knowledge of how God has surrounded us with His love and care. I know Bridget has already shared the many ways in which the Lord has provided for us on the evening of February 4th and beyond. I am so appreciative of her willingness to share her time and talent in giving those who care about John and his family, the chance to be connected to our journey. I am also so appreciative of the many prayers that have been the fruit of her “blogging”. There is no doubt in my mind that it is those prayers that are sustaining and bringing God’s healing love to John and to us. I just wanted to take a moment from the deepest part of my heart to thank each of you for being there and loving us when we needed it most. Each of your acts of kindness have touched our hearts and given us courage for the days ahead.
On my way home from the hospital tonight, I was listening to Celine Dion’s song,
“Because you loved me”. I immediately thought of two things.:
First, this song so beautiful describes the life I have been priviledged to live with John. I found myself reflecting on all of the little ways in which John showed us he loved and cared for us. In the deepest part of my being, I know that Shawn, Kerry, Matt and Gavin and I will now have the opportunity to give back to John all that he has given to us over the past 26 years. He has spent his life doing little things for us. Now it’s our turn. . . . . .
Second, this song so perfectly describes what each of you have given to us since John became ill. I know it is alittle lengthy, but I’d like to share it with you in gratitude for all of your love. Maureen

Because You Loved Me……

For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I’ll be forever thankful baby
You’re the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You’re the one who saw me through, through it all

Your were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You gave me faith ‘coz you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I’m grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don’t know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You gave me faith ‘coz you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

You were always there for me’
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You’ve been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you.

Big Heart

Uncle John is still improving slowly each day. He still has many challenges that lay ahead, but he and his family continue to take it one at a time. The most immediate challenge is trying allow him to wake up, but also helping him to stay relaxed so he does not tear his sternum open again. The doctors are also trying to wean him off the ventilator. This is also a big challenge as he was recieving 100% of his oxygen from this machine since his surgery. On a positive note, his fever is down, which means if he did have an infection in the lungs, it is definitely improving.

We need to continue to pray for his lungs that they can grow a strong as his heart has become! Isn't it amazing that after everything that John has been through, his heart is still beating strong!! As time goes on, it is easy to forget what brought us here in the first place. The original issue surrounded John's heart, and now this is the strongest organ in his body, and is helping to keep his other issues in check. It is so amazing how God takes one problem and uses it to show how truly wonderous He can be. Although, it seems like John keeps facing problem after problem, we need to remember that God really does provide what we need; without Uncle John's healthy heart, these 'bumps' in the road would be more like mountains!

Aunt Maureen told me today that despite all John has been through, it amazes her how sweet he still is, and how big his heart really is. According to her, Uncle John tries to give everyone who visits him a little something, whether it is a hug, a kiss, a smile, or simply opening his eyes to say hello. What a powerful gift to receive from such a miraculous man!
Let's all continue to lift both Uncle John and his family up in our prayers. The power of prayer truly is undeniable, and for many of us who live far away our prayers are the best gift we can give to UNcle John!

Pulling through

I am very pleased to let everyone know that Uncle John is doing much better. Yesterday, the doctors were very worried about his medical status, but today his fever is down and his blood pressure has somewhat normalized. The doctors have ruled out the worst possible case scenario, and so for this we all need to be very thankful! We still need to pray very hard that Uncle John's lungs can grow stronger and healthier every day so that he can continue on with his recovery. This surgery was a pretty big setback considering all the improvements he has made thus far. He has a lot of lost time to make up, and we need to pray that this setback is only temporary.

On a positive note Uncle John did start to wake up a little today. He was not where he was two days ago, but he was awake enough to tell his daughter that he is doing better. Wow! If he believes he will get well, than so should we! The bottom line is that this is his journey, and we should all feel so fortunate to be a part of it. I for one feel very blessed to be able to witness the faith Uncle John has and the strength he holds to keep up this fight! We love you Uncle John! You gave us all another big scare, but thank God you are not going through this alone, and thank God you are pulling through!

Hold on to Hope!

Uncle John spiked another fever last night, and his oxygen and blood pressure began to drop through the night. The doctors have ruled out a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs), and are currently running a lot of cultures to try to determine the cause for his fever. His response to this most recent surgery is very similar to when he underwent heart surgery. The difference is that after the first surgery, and even the second one (to place the trach), he was able to use what the doctors have called his reserve. This helped him tolerate these surgeries. The bad news is that his reserve is pretty much all used up right now, so he is basically in a state of shock. This is a very serious condition especially for someone as vulnerable as John. The doctors believe the anesthesia they are keeping John on may be causing some of these negative reactions. So they are trying to balance between lowering the dose of anesthesia, but also trying to keep him relaxed and still so he doesn't cause his body more harm. We really need to pray that the medical team can have the wisdom to discover what is causing John to spike a fever. We need to pray now more than ever that Uncle John can remain strong enough to continue this fight. He gave his girls his word that he would keep fighting, and he is not one to go against his word!

As I said in a previous post, this is very emotionally draining for his family because they were just getting accustomed to having their dad back, and now he seems to be right back to where he was two weeks ago. We need to pray for his family that they can continue to trust that God knows what He is doing, and know that He will not abandon them and He will never abandon their dad.

At the very beginning of this journey we all asked ourselves, "Why?". ..."Why would such a horrible thing happen to such a wonderful man and a genuinely good family. Throughout this journey, we each answered this question specific to our own life because of how Uncle John's story has touched us. As Uncle John began to improve, I think we stopped trying to answer this question of "Why is God using Uncle John, and what is He using him for?". Instead we focused on John's small steps towards recovery. Now that he is facing yet another setback, we are back to asking "Why", and trying to figure out what is the purpose of all of this. Instead of trying to figure out what God will do next, we need to embrace what he has already done. We need to put our utmost trust in Him and His plan for our quiet giant. Most importantly, we need to hold on to the hope that God is not yet quite done with John!

REMINDERS:

After each post, you can click on the word comments, and then post a comment. You need to click on the drag down button and click on anonymous, unless you already have a google account. I hope this helps all of you who were wandering how to leave posts of encouragement and support.

For those of you who have also asked about making a donation - thank you!
An account has been set up for The Hannan's. The goal is to help with the mounting financial costs while John is recovering and unable to work.

Checks can be made payable to Maureen Hannan, and sent to

The Hannan Fund
c/o The Corbeys
108 North Adams Street
Rockville, MD 20850

Let's ride the rollercoaster

Just a quick update....our prayers worked! The surgery was a success, and the doctor did not find any signs of an infection. Uncle John did not, however, tear just one wire, but four or five. As a result, he will remain heavily sedated for a few days. The purpose of the heavy sedation is to allow him to relax and prevent any further tears. We need to pray that he does not experience any complications from the surgery or sedation. There are always risks when anesthesia is used, and the next 48 hours are very critical. It is difficult for the family because just this morning, he was awake, alert, and happy. However, for the next few days he will be in a similar state as he was after his heart surgery, except for all of the tubes. So lets all pray for his family that they can hold on to the hope that he will bounce back from this surgery, and he will wake up with the same funny and sweet personality that we all miss and love so much. I said from the beginning this journey was turning out to be a roller coaster ride for Uncle John and his family. I guess when all is said and done I am just glad we still have a ride to look forward to. Uncle John is undeniably a fighter, and our prayers are needed to help give him strength to keep up this fight!

Looking at the bigger picture

Let me begin by saying that Aunt Maureen called today with another minor setback, but on a positive note Uncle John was squeezing her hand with his left hand (the weak side) the whole phone call.

Uncle John has to have surgery tomorrow afternoon because it appears that one of the wires keeping his sternum together has come a part, and he also has a little infection at the base of his wound. To an outsider or a new member to this blog, this may seem horrible considering all that Uncle John has already been through. Although, this surgery does pose more risks for Uncle John, you frequent 'blog followers' should know by now that there is always a bigger picture to see when something goes wrong for Uncle John during this journey. That bigger picture is that God's hand is still very much at work.

As I said, it is not a positive step that John has to have this surgery or that he has another infection. However, it is positive that this problem was discovered now before it got worse. This torn wire may be part of the reason why Uncle John is having such difficulty getting off of the respirator. It is obvious now that God's hand was at work long before this incident occurred.

It turns out one of Shawn's (Uncle John's oldest daughter) bosses, Dr. Otero, is the head of plastic surgery at Washington Hospital, and specifically specializes in wounds. Because Dr. Otero knows Shawn so well, she has been following Uncle John's case from the beginning. She was able to brief the family on how Uncle John's heart surgery went before the surgeon even came out. She became concerned based on Shawn's recent updates, and decided she would pay him a visit. While assessing John, she felt his sternum and ordered an X Ray because she thought there might be a tear. It turned out she was correct. She decided the surgery was very necessary, and she is planning on performing the surgery personally. She is very confident that Uncle John is stable enough to go through this surgery. Dr. Otero is not Uncle John's doctor, but she was obviously brought into his life for a very specific reason. On behalf of the Hannan family and all of us who love Uncle John...words cannot express how thankful we are that you have taken such a special interest in our guy.

I know there are hundreds of people praying for Uncle John tonight, and my hope is that the prayers can multiply by the time he has his surgery. We need to pray once again that his body can tolerate the surgery tomorrow and can heal from his infection. We also for the first time need to pray for his mental well being. When we first learned Uncle John had a stroke, we were unsure how 'with it' he would be, but I am proud to report that he is very much with it and very much aware of what is going on. Although this is AMAZING news, it does mean that we need to keep his mental well being in mind as we pray. He is obviously nervous for the surgery and frustrated that it is difficult to communicate. We need to pray that God can help him relax and find comfort in knowing that he is on the road to recovery and that the Lord is by his side every step of the way.

His kids have asked me to share one more fact about John. Their Dad has always been one to shy away from attention, and this is no exception. Although he is lying in a hospital bed, unable to breathe on his own or communicate fully, he is still making sure those around him are OK. He doesn't want the focus to be only on him. He constantly tells his kids to watch over their mother and take their vitamins so they dont get sick. He always makes sure Aunt Maureen has gas in her car before she leaves. And he even told his daughter to get one of his visitors a glass of water because he began coughing. WOW! What an amazing man! We all loved Uncle John before this journey, but this experience just reiterates what a wonderful, kindhearted man he truly is. We love you Uncle John, and are so grateful to all the lessons you have taught us....Oh and sorry if you don't like the spotlight, but get used to it because you are now a hero to so many of us. You may not have physically saved any lives through this journey, but your life has saved so many spiritually and given us all a new perspective on our own journey!

Take the good with bad

The doctor has found the culprit of Uncle John's recent fever, and unfortunately he has pneumonia....again! Uncle John has been somewhat prone to lung infections throughout his life, but this time will be the hardest on his body because of his vulnerable state. Our hope is that John will be able to fight this infection with the same strength that he displayed throughout this journey.

I feel compelled to say one more thing on behalf of Uncle John. Up until now Uncle John has made nothing but positive improvements since the incident. However, it is small setbacks like this that remind us who really is in control during tough times. We owe it to John to keep praying and honoring the One that Uncle John so faithfully follows. We need to be thankful to God when good things happen, but trust in Him when bad things occur. The only thing we can do as family and friends of Uncle John is to lift him up in our prayers, especially has he fights hard to get off the respirator.

This being said, the miracles are not over! I have not mentioned much about this out of respect for John's privacy, but since his surgery, he has not been able to move his left side. Yesterday, he told is family he could feel them touching him on his left arm. And today, Uncle John was able to move his left foot and grasp his family's hand with his left hand. What an amazing accomplishment for someone who has had the type of stroke that he suffered. Thank God Uncle John is still able to surpass all medical expectations.

Please know that your prayers and your kind words have helped to carry the Hannan family through this very difficult ordeal. They tells us this every day.

We are so blessed to still have John with us. And we continue to pray that he will make a full recovery. The doctors have said that given all that he has been through, the road to recovery may be long.

For those of you who have asked about making a donation - thank you!
An account has been set up for The Hannan's. The goal is to help with the mounting financial costs while John is recovering and unable to work.

Checks can be made payable to Maureen Hannan, and sent to

The Hannan Fund
c/o The Corbeys
108 North Adams Street
Rockville, MD 20850

In His Hands

There are a lot of people following this blog, and it is amazing that his story is touching so many lives. I hope these daily updates help all of you who love John to know how much of a fighter he truly he. I also hope one day, Uncle John can sit down at his computer and read over his journey so that he too can truly know how far he has come. The following is a list of some things he did today.
- Told Aunt Maureen that they still need to celebrate her birthday (the incident occurred on her birthday)!
- Arm wrestled his sister in law
- Smiled and laughed
- Communicated through mouthing words, as well as through sign....I can't believe it has taken him this long to learn sign language!
- Hugged his daughter
* He did a lot more than this today, but these definitely seemed like highlights.

Uncle John had a fever tonight, so the doctors took cultures to try to find out more about what is going on. We need to pray that John is able to fight a possible infection in his lungs or elsewhere in his body. His lungs seem to be the biggest issue right now. Uncle John's immune system is very vulnerable right now, so an infection would be harder for Uncle John to fight than a healthy person. Pray that the medical team is able to identify the source of his fever, and are able to treat it before it worsens. Uncle John is in good hands at Washington Hospital, but as Aunt Maureen reminded me today, doctors can only do so much...the rest is in His hands! So we need to keep praying!

Pucker up

Today was yet another GREAT day with John. Uncle John laughed for the first time today, and his family was there to witness it. He was much more alert and oriented today. The hardest part about learning that Uncle John had a stroke was the fear that he would loose his amazing, kind hearted, and funny personality. However, Aunt Maureen said today that 'He was back'. He seemed to enjoy his day almost as much as his family did. He smiled, mouthed words (it is hard to talk with the trach), and even puckered his lips to kiss his daughter and his wife. It is so amazing how far he has come. Uncle John has beat all odds so far, and we need to continue to pray that he can keep up this fight.

Uncle John has been able to tolerate the removal of many of his tubes. He does, however, still have his tracheotomy for the time being. The next big hurdle for Uncle John to get over is to be able to breathe on his own. It was found that he has quite a bit of fluid in his lungs, which is making it difficult for them to fully expand. The medical team was able to get rid of some of the fluid, but not all of it. We need to pray that Uncle John's body will respond to treatments, and his lungs will grow stronger every day.

God is using John to inspire so many people to reexamine their faith and love for God. We should all feel so blessed to be able to stand witness to God's miracles and works through our quiet hero. John still has a very long road ahead of him, but that road is getting brighter and brighter each day!

Comments

I do not have an update yet about Uncle John, but I wanted to let everyone know how to leave comments for the Hannan Family. After each post, you click on the word comments, and then post your comment. The key is to click on the drag down button and click on anonymous, unless you already have a google account. I hope this helps all of you who were wandering how to leave posts of encouragement and support.

Happy I love you Day

* I began reading a new book about marriage today, and one of the first lines I read was that "Love always does what is best for others and can empower us to face the greatest of problems". I felt like this statement really describes what we have witnessed through Uncle John's Story. The love Aunt Maureen has for Uncle John, as well as for God is truly what is allowing her to be so strong and get through this tough time. I hope we can all be inspired by this love story. It is only fitting that on this day, I share a letter written to all of you from Uncle John's one true love:


Happy Valentine’s Day!

It seems appropriate today for me to take the time to thank each of you for all of the love and support you have shown John, myself and our children over the past 11 days. We have truly been humbled and in awe of the outpouring of love and care we have experienced since John’s initial event on February 4th. To our family and friends …you have been nothing short of incredible. Anything my children and I have needed has been provided. God has clearly worked miracles through you as well as the doctors and nurses. I hope each of you know how much we appreciate all that you have done to make this journey easier for us. My heart is filled with gratitude to each of you for the love, support and especially your prayers. Thank you so very much.

My other purpose in writing today is to give John the only Valentine’s gift I can. I would like to take time to honor my best friend and the love of my life, John. We have been married for 26 years last September. In those 26 years we have faced many challenges. But in those 26 years, I have come to know and love this wonderful man even more than the day I married him. If you are reading this blog, you probably already know John is a great guy. What you may not know is why…John is a very private and humble man, so I will try to give you a glimpse of his simple, but profound goodness without embarrassing him. When I think of John …the verse “only goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of our life; I shall dwell in the house of the Lord” comes to mind. These words resonate to me who John is. He values God, his family, his friends, a good laugh, his beloved Maryland Terps, the Redskins, and a cold Miller Lite. On the deepest level he gets the fact that life itself is a gift from God, and what we do with it is our gift back to Him. That’s how he spent the last 60 years of his life. He has tried his personal best to love and care for each of those people God has placed in his life. He is a dedicated husband and father, brother, brother- in-law, cousin, uncle and friend. To him it is living his faith, honesty, hard work, integrity, laughter, enjoying moments, serving others, and loving with all your heart that mattered the most. The amazing thing about John is that he does these things daily by simply being who he was. He never looked for praise or complained about whatever challenges he might be facing, he just kept trying to make it better.

John would be the first to tell you, he is not perfect and neither am I…But what made our marriage work and our friendship grow was that we both understood our imperfection and knew that we have a third partner in our marriage. When one of us failed to give our best, God filled in the rest. John always told me that God has given us all crosses and He will help us carry them. We both believe that. Though we are facing one of the biggest crosses of our marriage, I know that in the deepest part of my heart that the Lord has spent 26 years teaching me how to love and care for John by the way he has love and cared for our children and me. I have been blessed by being married to this wonderful man. This will carry me through this difficult road ahead of us. Now it is my children’s and my turn to treat John with the love and kindness, and humor that he has shown us. John is undeniably my hero. I am forever grateful to the Lord that he is still with us and I will do my best to cherish this wonderful man daily for all the kindness and love he has given me for the past 26 ½ years. Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you John. Thank you again to all of our friends and family.

Maureen

Successful Strides

The surgery was successful, and Uncle John now has a tracheotomy in place to help him breathe. Aunt Maureen relayed this morning how nice it is to actually see his face! Uncle John is however getting frustrated when he is awake, as his blood pressure keeps fluctuating signifying agitation. As his kids always say, he is a creature of habit, and being stuck in a hospital bed is far from his usual routine. We need to pray that he can remain at peace as the medical team helps him exercise his lungs so that he can breathe on his own.  He is making remarkable strides every day, and we need to pray that he can continue to have strength to keep up the fight.  Uncle John is headed in the right direction, but we need to remember that it is only by God's Grace that he is even on the path to recovery in the first place.  I know Uncle John, and I know he would want us to continually thank God for all He has done throughout this experience.  So let's all say a prayer of thanks tonight for all God has done, and pray that He can continue to amaze us through his healing power with our beloved John!

Many Thanks

Today the doctors took Uncle John off of the respirator to better evaluate his ability to breathe on his own. While off of the respirator, the nurse asked him if he knew his name, and he was able to respond 'John Hannan'. This is yet another miracle to add to our list. The family was told originally that he would have trouble with speech.  Although he still might have some trouble with speech, his progress is truly miraculous! Uncle John did, however, indicate that he was having difficulty breathing during this time so they put him back on the respiratory and decided to go forward with putting the tracheotomy in. The doctor is very hopeful that this will be short term. He is currently in surgery getting this new tube. Although Uncle John's health is improving every day, any surgery requiring anesthesia involves risks. We need to pray that his body is able to tolerate the anesthesia, and the procedure is successful! I will update the results of the surgery tomorrow morning.

Below is a letter of thanks that John's kids have asked me to post..

We would like to sincerely thank our friends and family who have given us the love and support to get through this difficult time.  Most importanly, we are truly appreciative for all of the prayers for our Dad's recovery. Our Dad has taught us many important life lessons, but the one we cherish the most is the importance of faith that he taught us at a very young age. Now more than ever, we have relied on our faith in God to get through each ay. We know God has a plan for our amazing dad and our family. We feel so very blessed to still have him here with us.   It has been truly unbelievable to witness the numerous miracles that have taken place this past week.  We continue to take each day at a time...hoping and praying that our Hero continues to improve.  Yesterday, he gave us a sign that he was still fighting to be with us; he nodded his head when we asked if he was going to fight for us, and so we are holding him to that.  He was always a man of his word. He is the kindest, most humble, sincere, and generous person....and everyone who knows him loves him dearly.

Right now we just miss his hugs, his stories, his laugh, and his smile.  While our Dad is recovering, we are trying to make him proud by doing all the things he would want us to do like taking care of our Mom, taking our multi vitamins, working hard in school and work, treating others with kindness, and keeping our faith strong.  Please continue to pray for our family, but most importantly our beloved Dad!

With love,

Shawn, Kerry, Matt, & Gavin.

Treasure the small stuff!

I am sorry for the delayed update, but the family was waiting for the results from an MRI that took place yesterday. There has been a lot of positive changes in the last two days. The doctors have decided to put a feeding tube in his stomach, as well as put in a tracheotomy to help him breathe. This will allow the nasogastric and the respirator tube to be removed. The positive to both of these new tubes is that it will be far more comfortable for John as he starts to wake up. For those that know Uncle John, he is all about comfort! The hope is that both of these tubes are temporary!  The doctors were worried that the stroke may have affected his breathing, but the MRI has shown that this is not the case. God is definitely looking out for our guy!

Uncle John was moved to another room in Washington Hospital's Center's ICU. This is actually a positive step because he has not been stable enough to move until now. As I said in the previous post, he opened his eyes for his family. He must of liked the attention he got when he did this because he has been opening them even more today. He is responding to commands, and he even reached his arm out to hug Aunt Maureen today. His girls asked him if he could still keep fighting, and he nodded his head. WOW! What an amazing day he has had, and we need to pray that Uncle John has many good days to come. 

Uncle John has taught us yet another lesson. We need to be grateful for the small things the Lord gives us. A simple response from John has made the world to those who love him most. He is living proof of the wonders that God can do for those who believe.....and Uncle John is definitely an avid believer. 

Pray that Uncle John can continue to have the courage, strength, and patience to keep on fighting. 

Keep praying....There is no doubt that He is listening!

A birthday wish

Uncle John has always had a way of making his kids smile when they really needed it, and today was no exception. He was able to respond to commands when asked to move his leg, wiggle his toes, and more importantly open his eyes. The best part is that Kerry was able to witness this before her birthday was over. I know a lot of people were praying for John to make some sort of improvement for his daughter on her birthday.  If it has not been evident already, the power of prayer truly is undeniable! Our prayers have been answered, and he has made his daughter's birthday wish come true. 

Although in the large picture this is only a small step in the right direction, it brought immense hope and joy to his family today. To see his whole family beaming with delight for the first time in a few days was a blessing in and of itself. Uncle John still has a long way to go, but is improving each day. He has obviously not given up the fight, and as his family and friends we will take his lead and continue to pray for his healing.

Trust

Happy Birthday Kerry! We know your dad is so proud of you! 

It has been 5 days since this whole experience began.  Uncle John's story has spread literally all across the country in less than a week.  This is a story of hope, but more importantly a story of faith. His family learned today that John suffered a stroke in the right side of his brain at some point on Wednesday night.  The doctors did not, however, deliver this news with despair.  The truth is they have no way of predicting how well John will recover.  They have every reason to believe John will amaze us all, as he has come this far.  He is still very critical, but much more stable than the day before.  His kidney function has shown improvement and his heart remains strong. We need to pray that his lungs remain free from infection, and that the doctors are able to wean him off the respirator so that he can move from the surgical MedStar unit to the ICU. 

This experience has been nothing short of a rollercoaster for his family. One minute they think they passed over a huge hurdle, only to find that an even bigger one awaits them. It is a true honor to witness the strength and faith of the Hannan family.  One of John's kids, in the midst of the devastating news, was able to share with the family that the Lord spoke to her and asked her to trust Him.  He said trusting Him means recognizing that He has complete control over this situation.  As family and friends of John, we all want him to be completely healed and back to the 'old' John we know and love.  The reality of the situation is that this may or may not happen. 

We need to pray for John that his body can continue to amaze us and his spirit can rejoice in knowing that his family and friends are praying for his recovery. 

We need to continue to pray for his family that they can find strength in their faith in God and their love for their Dad.

Pray Hard

Let me start by saying on behalf of the Hannan family, they are all so grateful for all of the prayers and the support family and friends have provided. As I have said before Uncle John very much believes in the power of prayer, and now more than ever we need to come together as Christians and as family and friends of this amazing man and continue to pray hard.

The doctor has just informed the family that after reviewing the tests performed at Shady Grove (the first hospital he was brought to), it is apparent that John survived a cardiac arrest at home, and may have experienced another one at the hospital before he was air lifted. This tells us two things. First, it tells the doctors that Uncle John has gone through much more trauma than we initially anticipated. It also tells us that his survival is undeniably a miracle in every sense of the word. As for his prognosis, it does not change much. The fact that he has survived is the important part. The doctors still remain hopeful, and are still very pleased with the results concerning his surgery. They have made it clear that John is still very critical and has a long road ahead of him. Uncle John's heart continues to remain strong, but he is still getting a lot of support from the machines that are available. There is no plan to wean him off of these right now, as his body simply needs more time to rest. Prayers and his will to fight are sustaining him.

Please pray for Uncle John that he can remain strong and continue to fight. There are a lot of people that are waiting for him to come back.

Pray for his family, as this has been a very trying time for all of them. His family is hanging in there, but request that everyone everywhere continue to pray for their precious Dad. 

Another day with John

Today is another day, and our gentle giant is still very much with us. John has made some small, but huge steps in the right direction. His heart is still beating strong, and the doctor's are pleased with the results specific to the surgery. He has also stopped bleeding. The doctor's have decreased some medical dosages, and he is responding well. We need to pray that his lungs can stay strong and free from infection. Currently, he has some fluid in his lungs, which increases his risk for infection, but is also a normal response to the trauma he has been through. The doctors are also watching his kidneys closely because they too have experienced shock from the surgery. They are hopeful that with time the kidneys and the lungs will improve.

Right now the plan is to let John have some good old r and r. His body needs to rest after the trauma he suffered. He is almost at the 48 hour mark, which is a huge milestone for John. Keep praying, and pray hard. He will probably be moved to the ICU in the next few days. This is a positive move, and will be good for his family because he will have his own room. The next milestone is the 70 hour mark, which is also his daughter Kerry's birthday. Pray that her birthday wish can come true!!!!

Continue to pray for the doctors and nurses caring for him that they willl have the grace and wisdom to provide the best care possible. We are thankful for the care thus far, and even more grateful for another day with him!

Miracles Galore!

Aunt Maureen called today, and Uncle John was stable throughout the night, so there is not much news to report.....no news is good news in this situation! This morning, Maureen said he was responsive to commands from the doctors, which is excellent news.

I'd like to take a moment to share with all of you about how miraculous that day really was. Maureen said John has been praying for a miracle for over a year, and in a strange way this has truly been the miracle he has been looking for. 

As we get further and further ahead of that awful day, we all keep replaying that night in our heads. We can't help but constantly wander about all the ' What if's'.....What if the Hannan's had not had family over that night...What if John walked upstairs when he was feeling pain, and was a lone when he had his attack.....What if he was in the presence of people who did not know CPR....What if the Hannan's house was not very close to a hospital....What if the best surgeon for this procedure was not on call that night....What if Uncle John had not been the only patient in the operating room that night....What if John was not a healthy man before this attack, would he had survived the surgery?

It is very easy to say we are so lucky all of the small pieces fell in place like they did, but the truth is it is not luck at all....God truly has control in this situation, and if nothing else we have all learned through this experience to put our complete trust in Him and His plan. It has not been easy for the Hannan family, but their dad would truly be so proud of all of them for turning their fears over to God during this tough time.  Uncle John, in his own humble way, has brought his family together and has brought many people closer to God. For that, I know we are all forever thankful. Keep praying...Uncle John obviously has the Lord on his side.

Good News!

Moments after I posted the original blog, the surgeon came out to debrief the family on where we stand....let's just say THANK GOD for good news. 

He gave a play by play on every organ in John's body, and they are all functioning as well as can be expected. He actually said his heart looks great! John will remain in the medically induced coma for a day or two, depending on how well he does, so that his body can have time to recover from the shock that his body has experienced. The surgeon advised the family to be hopeful for the things John is doing, and not be too worried for the things he is not doing. John was placed in a hypothermic state in order for the surgery to take place, and it takes time for the body to come out of that.  There is a long road ahead, but with God by his side John is headed in the right direction. 

On a positive note, as Maureen spoke to John tonight, it was obvious that he was listening. His eyes began to flutter as she spoke, and when asked to move his foot, he was able to wiggle his toes. He is still not awake, but he is very much a live and fighting for his life!!!

Right now, please pray that John will remain free from infection, especially in his lungs. Pray that his body will recuperate from the shock as he slowly is brought out of the coma.  Finally, pray for the medical team that their wisdom and skills will help keep our guy alive. Please keep his family in your prayers...their strength, faith, and love for their husband and dad is truly inspirational! 

Keep on fighting....

The purpose of this blog is to help update and inform John's family and friends about his health. In the interest of keeping everyone up to date, let's start from the beginning.

On Wednesday, February 4, John gathered with his family for what seemed to be an ordinary night.  They were celebrating Maureen's birthday.  John was laughing and enjoying himself the whole night, as if nothing was wrong.  After dinner, John started to feel pain in his legs and some tingling. He pulled Maureen aside, and Maureen, using her nursing instincts, began to assess him. As she began to take his blood pressure and pulse, he complained that the pain was worsening, and eventually he became unresponsive.  He was trying to communicate what was going on, but was unable to do so.  His family members performed CPR until the paramedics arrived, in which John was then stabilized and brought to the nearest hospital (Shady Grove).  It was quickly determined that John had a massive aneurysm in his aorta, the major blood vessel that feeds blood to the body, had burst.  This is what caused the pain in his legs and the pain in his chest, and ultimately caused him to become unresponsive. It was determined that in order to save his life, he would have to have immediate surgery to repair the massive tear.  He was airlifted to Washington Hospital Center early Thursday morning, where he was taken to surgery for nearly 8 hours. 

The most up to date news is that John is still very critical and needs our prayers now more than ever!  He miraculously has made it this far, and our hope is that he can continue this fight. The surgeon was very pleased with how the surgery went, and his aorta has basically been 'rebuilt' with an artificial graft, which has allowed the blood to be re routed to areas of his body that had been lacking in blood flow.  He is still bleeding quite a lot, despite the multiple tubes in place to drain the blood.  He currently has a hematoma in the pericardial sac surrounding his heart. As of now, the doctors are just watching it, as it is not an immediate threat to his heart right now. The next 48 hours are crucial, and John is being very closely watched. Although he is still critical, the medical team is very pleased with the progress so far. He is responding as expected after such a traumatic event. He still has many hurdles to overcome, which is why the prayers are so critical. 

John strongly believes in the power of faith and prayer.....and if nothing else, he would want all of you to know how much he would really appreciate your intercession on his behalf. 

Please pray for John's health, and pray that he can continue to amaze the medical world with his courage and strength to keep fighting.

Pray for his family that they can find comfort in their faith in God, and lean on Him as they simply wait...

Please check back frequently...we will try to update as often as possible!