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.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
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!
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!
Monday, February 23, 2009
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!
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!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
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
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
Friday, February 20, 2009
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!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
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!
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!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
