She's not feeling so great.....

Hello Friends and Family,

Some family out West emailed me today asking for me to put an update on Chris' blog since they've heard she's in the hospital right now.  I checked with Chris, and she has asked me to go ahead and do so.  

First, I have been asked to pass along how grateful both Chris and Ken are for the overwhelming support, hard work, and generosity regarding the special benefit in her honor last week. I know I can't express how grateful I am personally for the outpouring of love and kindness shown to my Sister and her family.  I'm rather speechless about it, but I'm not surprised just how many people love the Van Ry family and would do this to help them.  Thank you from myself, who couldn't be there.  Thank you from the Van Ry kids, thank you from my Mom, Maurine, and thank you from Chris and Ken.  I'm sure when Chris feels better, she will add her thoughts.  

It's been a hard several weeks for our entire family.  Bill Shomers, who somehow became part of our family 24 years ago, passed away last week.  In fact, he passed away just days before the benefit on Wed. Those of us who were able to, scrambled to get to NY to be there for the funeral which was just this past Sat.  I was lucky enough to be able to be there for a few quick days.  This was all just too much for Chris.  While I was there, I was incredibly worried about her.  She was exhausted, almost always down on the couch, she's had a cough that's really been winding her, and she was frustrated that she couldn't keep up with everything.  This past Sunday, just hours after I left to return home, she ended up in the ER at Millard Fillmore Suburban with a 103 fever.  She was there for hours.  Her Dr at Roswell, Dr K, told her to go there.  Something about Roswell didn't have room at the moment for her.  At Suburban, she had chest x-rays and another CT scan.  The results showed fluid in her chest cavity and possibly her left lung.  (Hopefully I got that right.) She was transferred via ambulance to Roswell around Midnight.  They are testing for Pneumonia, Flu, and other infections.  She is on antibiotics and IV fluids.  The fever is down a bit, but Chris says it comes and goes.  She also had some stomach pain yesterday which she thought was from all the coughing, the Drs gave her morphine and she felt much better.  Chris hasn't had the chest tube drain in her side for quite a while now.  Because of that, they did have to tap her side and drained about a liter of fluid out of her chest cavity.  That made her feel instantly better.  Today however, her abdomen has been swollen and sore.  Per her last update, they (the all knowing "they") think it's a possible bowel obstruction.  She's been told to walk as much as she can at the hospital with the hope it will correct itself.

Because of this newest development, we really don't know when she will be released to go home.  She is in isolation at this time, and has to test clear of infection for 48 hrs before she gets to leave.  As of this time, the initial tests aren't even back yet that I know of.  

Please keep your prayers coming.  They are so appreciated and I know they are felt by her.  

I hope I've covered most of your questions and worries.  She loves reading your comments, so blow up her inbox here with them.  = )  I'll continue to keep her blog updated until she can take over again.

-Barbra