Hey there Thirdson :)
Happy to see your reply. I'm glad to hear that you and S and the lad are doing well.
Things here are returning to some state of pseudo-normalcy...well 'new' normal for us. My dad is still in ICU, he will hopefully have his ventricular drain out SOON (long story there, that I will be writing about soon...) and my MIL is still recovering in a NY hospital. She is having surgery today to close up her leg, it will require skin grafting...ouch!
Justin is back to work...tentatively. The small company he works for is still struggling along and called him back after eight weeks off. They have work now...the trouble is cash flow. Several of their accounts are holding out on them and the wait for the pay off is strangling them. But they got another month's work at least in the form of a small contract yesterday...so we're taking it one day at a time.
Social Security denied my claim for disability...that was expected, they deny 68% of people the first go around. I'm in contact with a Social Security rights agency and they will be my advocate for filing the appeal. It will probably take another year for it all to be settled.
My mother has been in rare form...you won't believe the displays she put on at the hospital...we finally had to have someone take her home and she hasn't been back since (she couldn't keep her hands off my father's medical equipment! She might have killed him!) and Seconddaughter 'Jessica' (also an exJW) had a total meltdown, I think she was off her medication and also had to be escorted out.
It's like a stinking soap opera, Thirdson, I'm tellin' you. But you know in spite of it all...I am so blessed. Justin and I have only become closer through all these trials...and no matter how hard the road to recovery, we still have our respective parents alive; and those are two total miracles. It took 23 pints of red cells, 7 of frozen plasma and one of platelets to save Justin's mom. If not for the blood...
I'm just glad she wasn't one of my JW relatives!
Well I've rambled on at you long enough, but it's so good to catch up to you. I'm hoping you'll see this before you go on your trip, have a wonderful vacation. Please give my warmest regards to Mrs. Thirdson! :)
Love,
Essie
p.s. Talk about WT mercy...my cousin Allison and her husband Nigel showed up at the hospital right after my father's brain surgery...and walked right past me. Allison gave me a strained half smile and 'hi' as she had to walk past me on the way out.
They made a point of introducing themselves to Justin after I'd gone back into my father's room. Amazing. My father is in that kind of condition, I've been up with him several nights in a row without sleep...and they showed no kindness or consideration for that whatsoever by offering any consolation at all. I can't imagine ever being that unkind to anyone. I know that Jesus certainly wouldn't have been.