July 29

It's been a rough couple of days. Mom has had a rough time coming back after her biopsy and has since again contracted the CDIF virus which will see her back on antibiotics and quarantined in her room for 14 days. Her spirits are poor and I can't blame her. The feeling of helplessness and her lack of independence are her two worst enemies currently.

This morning they are performing an ultra sound to check her gall bladder. She continues to have no appetite and has lost a lot of weight. Although her cognitive skills remain pretty sharp her inability to manage all of the information also leaves her very frustrated. It seems as if each morning brings with it a whole new set of issues and challenges.

I have gotten to know the nurses at the facility pretty well over the past few weeks and although they are concerned they remain positive that a positive outcome is probable. It is difficult to learn to trust those that are trained in these matters but I feel she is in good hands. We continue to ask questions and try to understand the circumstances but we are not doctors and need to rely on them to guide us. We want what is best for Mom and everyone has an opinion on what needs to be done which overwhelms me each day. Not having the answers seems to be my worst enemy. Juggling between so many doctors is also problematic. So many are involved and the medical sciences are not always exact so experimentation in diagnosis is sometimes all that can be done. Our chief concern currently is just getting Mom fed and strong while trying to help her maintain her sanity. She is frightened and helpless and it hurts that we cannot do anything about it.

Our follow up with the doctor who performed the biopsy is Thursday at 1:30. He has confirmed that what he removed was cancerous so now we need to find out what happens next. There was no widespread areas and he called it local not invasive. The waiting game continues.

We are all doing as well as can be expected. I am so proud of Dad and his ability to cope with these difficult times. Dad, I hope you know what an inspiration you continue to be to me and to all of us. It is of comfort knowing that we are all together for this and although we did not wish these circumstances we will take the trip together and do all that we can to help each other out. We all struggle with the task of managing our current responsibilities and doing what we can to try and comfort and watch over Mom. We will follow your example.

So far we have all been pretty good about taking care of ourselves as well. We are no good to anyone if we ourselves are not up to the task and it's important that we find ways to ease our own minds. I can't remember a time in my life that I have prayed so much. It's hard to clear the mind at times from all thats happening with Mom, work and life. Prayer and meditation certainly help.

That's the latest. We have a lot on our plates for the rest of the week as we continue to play the waiting game. As always, thanks for all the love and support. It means the world to us and know that we all love you too.

July 25th

Thanks to the Sisters in Michigan for the new puppy addition to the family. XOXOXO

Mom has been resting a lot since she returned from the biopsy. We were told and expected that this would happen. She is not happy about the down time and the small step backwards with her recovery. We are hoping that we will hear back from the Dr. regarding the biopsy today but should hear something by Monday at the latest. This has been a difficult week for us all.

Mom woke up this morning with a sore toe and they believe she may have gout now on top of everything else. We seem to keep experiencing these bumps in the road on regular intervals. Her appetite continues to be weak and her spirits come and go. She doesn't have much desire to watch TV or read and I know it's getting tough for her to occupy her time.

One thing that seems to cheer her up above all else is hearing from you all. When she is able she likes to catch up and we know you will all share happy news that will lift her spirits. We are trying to maintain an atmosphere of positivity to lift her spirits as best we can. Visitors are welcome also but you may want to call Dad prior to your visit to make sure she is awake.

Randy, Susan, Brenda and I are doing our best to resume a normal life, work doesn't acknowledge crisis so we are trying to stay busy while juggling visits to Mom and trying to keep an eye on Dad. Dad remains strong and has handled the situation extremely well however it's taking it's toll on everyone. If the Coble family has nothing else we do have resolve and a stubbornness that will see this thing through to the end. We will stop at nothing less than getting Mom back home and resting comfortably while resuming a somewhat normal lifestyle. The prognosis remains positive and we just need to keep reminding ourselves that this too shall pass.

The hardest part of everything is relinquishing control. The serenity prayer is getting worn out but we know it holds true, we are all doing pretty well with accepting those things that we cannot control however it's often frustrating to say the least. Thy will not ours be done!

We have spoken to the social worker about home care and were hoping that perhaps by the end of next week we can get her back home. Hopefully she will be able to resume her PT soon but this morning she was still pretty tired.

That's it for now. As soon as we receive biopsy feedback I will post again. In the meantime our heartfelt love and gratitude you you all.

July 23rd

We just returned from the biopsy at Florida Hospital and the news is both good and bad. Mostly good. They did indeed remove a lump which the Dr confirms as cancer, however, he feels that he got it all. Now the tricky part will be determined through the actual study of the lump. If this lump were locate in the breast proper they would have removed the breast and been done with it. Since the growth was so tight against the sternum and nestled against tissue and muscle there is a slight possibility that it could have spread. We will know more when the study is completed in a couple of days.

He feels that this is not a serious cancer, if you could actually say that about cancer, and we are schedule for a follow up next week with him as well as an initial appt with an oncologist to discuss our options for follow up. A mastectomy may be required in which case he feels that will be all that is needed. Although we are happy to have these initial reports and tests concluded we are again in a hurry up and wait defense.

Mom has responded to the news well and went back to her room to get some well needed and deserved rest. She did not sleep at all last night and I know she is happy to have this initial procedure behind her. She continues to gain strength and this procedure should not cause any addition setbacks other than her missing a few days of PT.

We are now in the process of collecting information to determine our options for home care and hope to bring Mom home sometime as early as Monday of next week. She will continue to need PT and some care but is getting around well enough that she should be able to do fine with a few minor home alterations which she, needless to say if you know Mom, is not too happy about. Our main goal now is to try and create an environment that is comfortable and nurturing to her recovery so that moving forward she can continue with a good quality of life. I don't have to tell you she is stubborn but we need to continue to remind her to make use of the tools available to her. When I arrived this morning at 5 AM to pick her up I was informed that they found her on the floor again last night when she decided to get up without her walker and without calling for help. She is determined to fight for her total independence so we need to keep an eye on her.

I am sure that she will be sleepy and worn out the next day or two. Your calls and cards and flowers continue to work wonders for her spirit. A visit from Pastor Jared yesterday was well received as well. She has been able to look at her Facebook and her email so feel free to drop her a not at either.

The next time I speak to you all I should have more definitive news to report. In the meantime prayers are welcomed and appreciated.

God bless and much love!.

July 19

Were up at the Rehab center spending some time with Mom this Saturday. She just took off for her daily PT. She is in good spirits after a chat yesterday with Pastor Nathan whos super power is the ability to put a smile on anyone's face. We are grateful to him for his presence and guidance through this stretch of our lives.

Monday we take Mom for her blood work and Wednesday we are scheduled for the biopsy. After she recovers from the biopsy we are looking at the possibility of getting her back home. This morning she looks great and is getting around really well. Balance is the only real concern the PT has and she continues to work on this with her.

We are expecting record crowds today here in her room. Many family and friends plan on stopping by and Mom is now live on her laptop and plans to try and monitor Facebook and Email. God willing the wi fi here continues to work properly and she doesn't have issues staying logged on.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Much love.

July 17th

After the positive vibes we received from Gainsville our focus now turns to the upcoming biopsy which is scheduled for next Wednesday.

This procedure is weighing heavy on us all but especially on Mom's mind in particular. She had a rough time with it yesterday and wants nothing more than to return home. We are again in hurry up and wait mode until we know more after the biopsy.

We are doing all we can to raise her spirits and will be setting up command central in her room. I am working on getting a laptop set up so she will have some more access to the outside world. She misses everyone terribly and maybe access to Facebook and email will help her stay better connected. Hopefully this will be done by tomorrow if I can figure out the chaos that is her password situation and get things up and running.

If you feel so inclined you can send messages to her Facebook and I will make sure she is able to access them all. She has received a bunch of cards and well wishes and they always cheer her up. Deep dpwn she knows this is the best plan of action to continue rehab but I know she is tiring of the situation and we all know there is no place like home.

Dad continues to spend a lot of time with her and we are all trying to get down there as much as possible also. I know Dad misses her being at home as do we all. Her progress has been tremendous so hopefully we are on the home stretch and in a week or two we will be able to arrange for some home care so she can resume a somewhat normal life at home.

We are all big believers in the power of prayer and are doing our best to encourage Mom to stay positive during this trying time. We also believe a positive attitude will help in the recovery process but the fact that there is not a lot we can do about it is the most frustrating thing of all.

This weekend we will, weather permitting, try and get her out a bit around Lake Eola for some fresh air. Once she has more computer access hopefully she will be cheered by being able to communicate more with everyone.

A busy week ahead awaits us. Thanks for taking the journey with us. Much love to you all. Peace.

July 15th

We had a very good, encouraging and productive visit to Gainsville. The trip itself was quite smooth and Mom enjoyed getting out of the room for awhile and traveled well.

We met with the DR. yesterday morning and we all really liked her a lot. She was incredibly knowledgable and had a really great bedside manner that was both realistic and positive. Overall she feels that there is a lot of room for improvement but due to all the additional complications we will have to wait until a more accurate diagnosis can be completed. The pneumonia proved a big setback and the upcoming lumpectomy is also standing in the way of getting an accurate read on her Parkinsons. Once the lumpectomy is behind us and she is able to rehab from that we will be going back to Gainsville for more tests and at that time a more precise plan of action will be put in place.

The Dr. felt that there is a lot of room for changes to her medicine and is all Parkinsons cases getting the proper dosage and mix is often a hit or miss proposition. In other words she is diagnosing Parkinsons but feels that she will be able to treat it and Mom should be able to continue living a somewhat comfortable life.

Mom still has a way to go in gaining her strength but the results of the past week have been amazing and we are being told that all of the setbacks have been as a result of the Parkinsons not allowing the body to heal as quickly as normal. We are told that all of the symptoms she has experienced are normal and not anything additional that we should be concerned with.

Due to her lack of strength and age she is recommending we speak to the surgeon performing the lumpectomy and advises that if her breast needs to be removed or any additional surgery is needed we consider having it done at the same time as the lumpectomy so she only needs to be put under once. Obviously a surgery of this type will provide yet another setback in her recovery but again we are told that this is normal and shouldn't provide a real big setback. We are scheduled to meet with the surgeon and his team next Monday the 21st and assuming Mom continues gaining strength the surgery is scheduled for the 23rd of this month.

The facility in Gainsville is top notch and the Dr. was incredible. We feel like we are finally in good hands and getting somewhere. Even though uncertainty lingers we are getting some answers and direction that we feel we can trust and move forward with. It will be a series of steps. We can't predict the outcome of the lumpectomy but once that is behind us we will be able to start looking at the proper medicines and dosages. Once all this is done she has recommended at least part time care at the house until we are able to make things comfortable for her and she is able to get around a little better.

Mom's attitude seems to also be growing in strength and she is eager to get on with rehab. He goal is to get out of there as soon as possible and she seems willing to do whatever it takes. We appear to have already leaped over the first hurdle which was the CDIF virus she contracted. It is gone and she will now be able to resume using the PT room for her therapy instead of having it in her room. Her appetite has not yet returned and she has lost a lot of weight but the Dr did not seem to concerned as again this was somewhat expected. We are however a bit concerned and doing what we can to provide tasty meals and high protein snacks for her.

We were all really proud of Mom and how she handled the travel to Gainsville. I know it wasn't easy but she did well. She still has a little problem sleeping at night and her tailbone is still tender from a fall she had a few weeks back and this is causing a bit of trouble getting comfortable at night. The care on the first floor continues to be good and we now have a more defined schedule for her pills which we are keeping an eye on to make sure they are administered in a timely fashion.

The Dr. assured Mom that rehab was the best option for her and reminded us how lucky and fortunate we are to be in a position to take advantage of it. Looks like at least two more weeks but will know more after the upcoming surgery.

Mom is up and alert if anyone would like to reach out to her. She has received quite a few cards and flowers and phone calls and we all thank you so much for your prayers and concerns. It has been difficult getting in touch with everyone so I hope this blog is doing it's job and keeping you all up to date. We apologize for the informality but I know you all understand. The Cobles are trying to settle into a groove that allows us to resume our regular responsibilities and still be able to spend as much time with Mom as possible.

One of my greatest childhood memories involves the MLB All Star Game and tonight Dad will come over to watch with me. I am looking forward to it.

God bless you all and We will talk to you soon.

July 10th

Some well needed good news from the care team.

The Cobles all met with the entire team today at the rehab facility and the progress Mom has made is being called good. We have everything we need now to move forward with our trip to Gainsville this Sunday and we will be able to move Mom back into the facility Monday night.

We are encouraged by the news that Mom is progressing. She still has some balance and lower strength issues but the upper half is in pretty good shape. She seems to be pretty sharp as well and walked away from the meeting happy about the results and in good spirits.

Tonight Brenda and Susan are taking Darlene out for dinner and drinks. She has been by Mom's side since she arrived last Saturday so I am happy that she will see something other than in the inside of a rehab facility while she is in town. Tomorrow night we will have the family back over to the Casa de Coble for another feast from the kitchen of Chez BC. Sunday Dad, Susan, Mom and I head to Gainsville.

Much Love to you all.

July 9th 2014

Mom had a good day yesterday. Aunt Darlene was able to take her out and about in the downtown area. They went to Lake Eola and admired the beautiful park and fountain. Knowing them I bet there was a bit of shopping happening as well.

We are preparing for our journey to Gainsville Sunday afternoon. We hope the Doctors at Shands will be able to provide more information regarding the Parkinsons. Tomorrow we meet with the entire care team at the rehab facility which will also hopefully give us a better look at the prognosis and tell us how Mom has been responding to the therapy. She continues to feel stronger and her attitude is such that she knows she needs to work hard to facilitate her release.

As you are all well aware the healthcare system is a cacophony of chaos and finger pointing. It's really a shame that our healthcare professionals aren't able to say or do things due to legalities and fear for their own well being. It will be great to have the entire team in a single room at once so know one will have to "get back to us". Since she has to go to Gainsville they tell us they have to release her from the facility and then, if needed re admit her her upon her return Monday night. They will not hold the room unless we pay for it which we are happy to do since we refuse to chance that we would have to go back to the 2nd floor. Since moving to this room the care has been far superior and we are grateful. It's also a great advantage to have a rather large private room since we always seem to have lots of family activity and visitors. She is staying by herself at nights but we have someone down there with her most days all late mornings through early evenings. It has been a bit of a struggle but we wouldn't want it any other way.

So hopefully we will know a bit more tomorrow but the waiting game continues. After Gainsville we should know even more then we move onwards towards the biopsy which is scheduled for the 23rd or 24th of this month.

I will try and update everyone tomorrow after our team meeting. In the mean time thanks for the support and the love. In spite of everything we all recognize our blessings and continue to remain as positive as possible.

Much Love!

July 7, 2014

Not a lot to report. Mom is doing well and seems to grow stronger each day. Her mobility has improved a ton and it is great to see such good progress. She is tired of us all telling her she needs to eat but her appetite is returning as well. Hospital food is not very good, no surprise there, so we are trying to bring her things that she likes.

Darlene and Al arrived Saturday night and have provided a bright beam of sunshine into our lives. They are two of the nicest and most loving people you will ever meet and we are happy to see them always. Darlene is providing Mom with some calming girl talk and Dad has someone to hang out with as well. We had a nice dinner last night from Chez Brenda's kitchen and it was great to spend some time with the family. Hopefully next time Mom will be able top join us.

It was a crazy and stormy 4th weekend for us in Central Florida. BC and I lost two TV's, a modem and all of Direct TV due to the storm. Oh well, in the grand scheme of things we keep our eyes on what's most important and we remain grateful that Mom is recovering nicely.

I hope everyone reading is well and hanging in there. This year is flying by rapidly. Keep the thoughts, prayers and posts coming. Mom is able to check in at times on Facebook or we are always happy to pass along your wishes too. Much Love.

July 4th 2014

Happy 4th. We are disappointed that we are not able to have our annual BBQ tradition at Mom and Dads this year but grateful that Mom seems to continue to improve. Physically she seems to be growing stronger and certainly looks better as well. He mobility is also improving and motor skills too. We all really like her Physical Therapist Pam who has been really good with her. She tells us Mom has at very least another week here but she is encouraged by Mom's progress.

It's Friday morning as I write this and BC and I are outside Mom's room. At 7AM she is just now waking up. We were told she slept well last night. It was her third night staying by herself and she has been very accepting and encouraging Dad to go home and get some rest. The care on this floor continues to be good so we feel comfortable and secure.

Tomorrow Aunt Darlene and Uncle Al from Louisville fly in for a week. I know it's killing Mom not be able to to be home hosting them. We are all excited to see them and spend time no one more so than Dad. I am glad he has been able to go home and rest each night. He is doing well.

If anything good has come out of all of this it has been spending more time with my family. Randy and I send the morning together yesterday hanging a TV and had a lot of laughs. He spent last night with his weekly poker gang that he has postponed the past two weeks. I am grateful that we are all now able to start finding sometime to continue with out lives and divert our attention from the chaos. I've said it before but it's been awesome how we have all been able to support each other and I am really proud to be a member with full benefits of the Coble clan.

BC and I are going to spend some time this afternoon at Ken and Carries. We have not been able to spend as much time together as we usually do and have yet to determine if this is good or bad? (A little marital humor for you) We did manage to grab some dinner Wednesday night and I currently couldn't love her any more than I do. In the midst of all the chaos and uncertainty she remains the one thing I can be 100% certain about.

Shout out to Judy for helping out so much by keeping an eye on Mom and Dad's place and walking Kayla and to everyone for all the cards Flowers and posts. The picture above is of a beautiful bouquet from my Sisters Charlene, Jean and Faye which arrived yesterday and really cheered her up. Much love Sis's.

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Will talk to you again soon.

July 1st 2014

It's been three weeks now since we started this ordeal. Time really flies.

As mentioned before Mom contracted the CDiv virus and had to be put on antibiotics. I understand this is commonly picked up by IV users. Her stomach has been upset and she has not been able to eat all of her regular meals so they had to put her back on fluids. The good news is that we saw immediate improvement and even her stomach seems to be feeling a bit better now.

The care she is receiving now on the first floor has been really good. I can't believe that one facility can house two completely different staffs. The 1st floor only has 9 patients so that helps. The fact that she is in a private room makes it easier for us all to spend time and I think she feels more secure as well. She has had a few moments when she gets upset and wants to leave but we are told this is pretty typical and the meds will sometimes have an adverse affect on peoples minds.

This morning she woke up and was looking forward to her physical therapy. We have also been able to bring in our own food for her so hopefully that will help ease the pain of having nothing but hospital food.

The Coble family continues to do well but it is taking it's toll on us. We have decided that we will stay with the Lutheran Towers since the circumstances have changed so drastically but it's located in downtown Orlando which is only about 10-15 miles from home but requires us to drive on the dreaded I4 and Colonial Drive. We worry about Dad not getting enough rest and are in the process of trying to build a schedule so we can all tend to our daily lives as well.

Throughout the turmoil we are grateful for a great many things. Our family is awesome and we have the love of so many people that have supported and wished us well. Huge shout out to Pastor Nathan who dropped by yesterday and offered support, encouragement, advice and lots of smiles and prayers. Also to our great friend Jan Decker who keeps tabs and stops by to cheer Mom up. Aunt Cathy for her calls and so many others that time does not permit me to mention now. Our familys form all walks of our lives have proved that Mom is loved by all and we remain grateful.

Mom's biopsy has moved to around July 23rd but we are still hopeful that she will visit Shands in Gainsville on the 14h for further Parkinsons treatment.

We are looking forward to a visit from Dad's sister Darlene and her husband Al whom arrive Saturday for a week. I know that will cheer her up as well as provide a diversion for Dad.

We remain hopeful and positive and if you would like to send Mom a note or pop in feel free. She usually is free in the afternoon after her PT. She is prone to naps at times but welcomes visitors and cards really cheer her up. We will all be around for the weekend of the 4th and hopefully enjoying a much calmer and more serene few days while Mom regains her strength.

God Bless you all and much love from the Cobles.