Great Relief

Good morning everyone.
I hope all is surviving all these storms. We are having more coming in today.

I had my test for a bladder tumor and he said I had a very healthy bladder, a little dropping but not bad, and no turmor. What a relief, that was bothering me more then I thought. It stumped him too as to why I have so much pain in my right side and back. Still have no idea where I'm loosing all the blood. I'm getting really tired of taking pain medicine though.

Robbie is now in Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. I think he is going to try to come home for the 4th.

Jacob has got Fifth Disease. It doesn't bother him too much. Just breaks out all over his body when he gets hot or is in the sun for too long. Nothing you can do for it and takes about 6 weeks before he will be over it.

Alex, Jacob and Charlie are spending the week here. Yesterday they were in the back yard wading in the creek all day. Made them strip outside and then straight to the showers.

Pam is leaving Sunday to go stay with Robbie on the base. They will be there for 3 months.

My neice Loretta, is going to have a baby, due September 27th. Crystal, her sister, emailed me yesterday and she had gone to the doctor with Loretta and got to see the ultrasound. She said she saw him yawn (yep, its a boy). They are all doing fine.

We lost one of our cousins May 29, Loretta. She is one of Uncle Paul's girls. They live in California. She died of ovarian cancer. She had been battleing it for 2 years. We lost Bobby, her brother, last year. Sure makes you think a little more when your generation starts dieing.

The new member of our family is adjusting to Sammy and Scrammy just fine. They are adjusting to him too. They all sleep together, IN MY BED. They try to push me out but I hold my own. I was here first. Ha.

Hope everyone is doing well.
Love to all
Carol

Life

I'm not one for keeping up on my own personal blog because I just like to do the Vandy Kids one. I have sure enjoyed being back together with all my school friends. I think we've been better friends now then when we were in school. This has given me so much pleasure and enjoyment no one will ever know. When I was in school I didn't do much with my classmates. It was always family get together, which is not bad, but never really had any close friends.

Now that I have my own extended family, that is the way it has been. Family get together when Mom & Dad were alive we spent every holiday, week ends and any other time we had with them and my brothers. When they died, the get together with my brothers & thier families is almost non existent. I talk to them on the phone and see some of them occasionally. It seems that I'm the one that keeps all the rest of them informed of anything concerning the family. Who is going to do this when I'm no longer around. Even with my own kids, I wish they would spend more time together and talk more often. When they are so many miles apart, it just makes it hard for all the family to get together often.

I'm really anxious about the tests they are going to do on June 3rd, 2008. The doctor thinks it might be a bladder tumor. That scares me really bad. I try not to think about it but when I go to bed, I just can't seem to turn my mind off. I've done a lot of reading on this, since the doctor told me this. Sometimes I think its better not to know all the details.

Please keep me in your prayers.

Robbies getting married today

It has been a long week here. I've been really busy with work and then helping with the benefit for Quimby and Today Robbie, my son, is getting married in Brown County chapel. Its going to be small and I've not had the time to help with the plans. Its good they are able to do all this themselves. This is Robbie's second marriage so it is going to be a small wedding. Only a few family members are going to be there. His first marriage was to Tana, my husband's younger sister. Now that is another story for another time.

Our mini reunion last Saturday was really great. I guess in a way it takes me back to the school years & all the times I missed spending with my classmates. I was very shy in school and didn't make friends very easily. I've come out of that and now trying to make up for all the lost times visiting with my classmates. I hear all talking about the valley and the bee hive and all the parties and get togethers with one another. I am very sad that I could not have been apart of that group. I guess getting older makes you think of all the things you missed in school. When I left the mini this time I was sad. I can't explain why except that as we are getting older, we don't know who might not be with us the next time we meet. I am so thankful for all the classmates, and the times we are now sharing with each other. I hope we will all be around for a very long time to share these times together.

Growing up I spent most of my time helping Mother with my 4 younger brothers. I guess when you have a big family you are with them & not able to spend time with kids of your own age. We lived on Fry Road in a pick and white stone house. (still there). My dad was a builder and he bought several acres there and built all my Aunt & Uncles (6 families) a house on this land. I grew up with all my family surrounding me. We were always together for every holiday and most of the time we always had one of these families at our house for dinner. Mom was a really good cook and she was the oldest, so they all came to our house. Now that I'm older I fondly remember my family and all the fun times we had and all the love that was on this little spot of land in Greenwood, Indiana.

Ginger Johnson was my best friend all through school, she lived in Bo Mar Addition. I remember spending all my free time with her. I think I spent it mostly at her house. She would ride her bike to mine but we would usually end back up at her place. Maybe it was she only had 1 brother where there were 5 brothers and a lot of counsins always at my house. Even today I can remember setting in her bedroom watching her pratice her music, wishing I could play something. She would always help me with my homework, I always wished I could be as smart as she was. She always had A's on her report card and I had to struggle for a C. You might say she was my idol all through school.

An update on Quimby. She lost all her hair this week and I think her mom was more upset over this then Quimby was. They knew it was going to happen. It's so hard to see your child in a hospital bed and nothing you can do for her. She is still having to get blood and hopefully this operation will work. It will be several more weeks before we know. She has been having a hard time eating anything without it making her sick. I guess the Chemo is still taking its toll on her. I don't understand what they have done so different with this bone marrow transplant then with others that have been done in the United States. The doctors say that this is the only 2nd one of its kind to be done in the States. Its been used in others countries. I'm going to have to ask more questions on this, my curiosity has got the best of me.

Quimby Shirrell

First of all I'm back home from Houston. Its nice to take a mini vacation but so good to be back home. Had a great time with my friend Brenda.

Second, TJ was shot in the leg on Sunday night. He is in Baghdad and had just finished his duties for the day and walked into a trailer. He is alright. The bullet went through the trailer wall which broke the force before it hit him. Again, his angle was watching over him. This is his second tour over and God willing, he will be returning back to the states (OKlahoma base) by the end of the month.

Third, but not the least. Quimby is going into the hospital today to start Chemo. She and Leslie went out Monday to try and find a hat and a wig, since she will loose all her hair. I don't think she found a wig or hat that she liked. I'm going to post the letter I sent out last week with a few more details.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR & PLAN TO ATTEND
NOVEMBER 24, 2006
Primo Banquet & Conference Center
2615 E National Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46227
317-788-4140
(I 65 & SOUTH KEYSTONE AVE area)

Cards and/or $ DONATIONS CAN BE SENT TO:
Quimby Shirrell Fund
1456 Preston Court
Greenwood, IN 46143


AUCTION DONATIONS CALL:
317-839-9006
FOR P/U OR DROP OFF AT:
Tracaron Cabinetry Designs
6854 100 South
Avon, Indiana 46123


Quimby Shirrell was a beautiful healthy baby girl born on Christmas day 1979, The first child to Tony & Lori Shirrell. Quimby has been a blessing and an inspiration to all who have known her since.

At the age of three her life would change forever. She was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. That was the start of knowing what living with pain for the rest of her life would mean. Riley Hospital knows Quimby well. As a child she spent many years trying different medications, working with all the top doctors in the field of Arthritis, surgeries and therapy. All the doctors and surgeries she has endured over the years is not a list, but a book. Throughout her entire life she is known for her beautiful smile and positive attitude. She has inspiringly fought with courage, spirit and endless determination. She is truly an amazing young woman. She graduated from Center Grove High School in 1998. She began working at Meijers (retail store) in Greenwood October 1996 and remains a beloved employee.

Quimby is now traveling a different highway toward her wellbeing. For several months Quimby has been battling a condition, not understandable in any way, say the doctors. Top Doctors all over have been working with her to come up with a diagnoses, cause and treatment. She has developed Aplastic Anemia, which is when the bone marrow doesn’t make enough red cells, white cells, and platelets.

The doctors believe that a bone marrow transplant is the only option left to optimistically get her over this bump in the road. Her siblings, brothers TJ and Chad, and sister Leslie (TJ could not be tested because he is in Iraq) have been tested and they have found two identical matches for her transplant. Leslie was chosen to give her bone marrow to Quimby. Leslie flew in from Kansas on 9/29 to start proceedings necessary for this operation. In the next couple of weeks they both will go through additional testing. Quimby will be admitted into the IU Hospital 10/10 for a week of chemo while at the same time Leslie will be getting injections to make her produce more of the cells her sister will need. On 10/17 Leslie will have surgery and donate her cells to her sister. Quimby will be in the hospital approximately 30 days, in addition to the extreme physical and emotional strain she will be in, she will be in recovery and avoid public places for 12 months. This means she will not be able to go to work. The first 100 days are the most critical, to make sure her body doesn't reject the bone marrow.

Plan to attend, in honor of Quimby, a Monte Carlo Night. Admission price is $25.00 includes the Dinner, Silent Auction and Live Auction; also a bank account is set up for any $ donations.

Please join together to help keep the smile on Quimby’s face. Prayers are the first priority. Next, any donations for the Auctions and/or her bank account for expenses.

Please respond to her Aunt Carol Clayton - email: tracaron@aol.com , phone 317-839-9006, or
Nancy sumcy@sbcglobal.net
Courtney turner4004@yahoo.com

And Please, forward this email on to all your friends.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God

Quimby Shirrell

First of all I'm back home from Houston. Its nice to take a mini vacation but so good to be back home. Had a great time with my friend Brenda.

Second, TJ was shot in the leg on Sunday night. He is in Baghdad and had just finished his duties for the day and walked into a trailer. He is alright. The bullet went through the trailer wall which broke the force before it hit him. Again, his angle was watching over him. This is his second tour over and God willing, he will be returning back to the states (OKlahoma base) by the end of the month.

Third, but not the least. Quimby is going into the hospital today to start Chemo. She and Leslie went out Monday to try and find a hat and a wig, since she will loose all her hair. I don't think she found a wig or hat that she liked. I'm going to post the letter I sent out last week with a few more details.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
NOVEMBER 24, 2006
Primo Banquet & Conference Center
2615 E National Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46227
317-788-4140
(I 65 & SOUTH KEYSTONE AVE area)

$ DONATIONS CAN BE SENT TO:
Quimby Shirrell Fund
1456 Preston Court
Greenwood, IN 46143


AUCTION DONATIONS CALL:
317-839-9006
FOR P/U OR DROP OFF AT:
Tracaron Cabinetry Designs
6854 100 South
Avon, Indiana 46123








Quimby Shirrell was a beautiful healthy baby girl born on Christmas day 1979, The first child to Tony & Lori Shirrell. Quimby has been a blessing and an inspiration to all who have known her since.

At the age of three her life would change forever. She was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. That was the start of knowing what living with pain for the rest of her life would mean. Riley Hospital knows Quimby well. As a child she spent many years trying different medications, working with all the top doctors in the field of Arthritis, surgeries and therapy. All the doctors and surgeries she has endured over the years is not a list, but a book. Throughout her entire life she is known for her beautiful smile and positive attitude. She has inspiringly fought with courage, spirit and endless determination. She is truly an amazing young woman. She graduated from Center Grove High School in 1998. She began working at Meijers (retail store) in Greenwood October 1996 and remains a beloved employee.

Quimby is now traveling a different highway toward her wellbeing. For several months Quimby has been battling a condition, not understandable in any way, say the doctors. Top Doctors all over have been working with her to come up with a diagnoses, cause and treatment. She has developed Aplastic Anemia, which is when the bone marrow doesn’t make enough red cells, white cells, and platelets.

The doctors believe that a bone marrow transplant is the only option left to optimistically get her over this bump in the road. Her siblings, brothers TJ and Chad, and sister Leslie (TJ could not be tested because he is in Iraq) have been tested and they have found two identical matches for her transplant. Leslie was chosen to give her bone marrow to Quimby. Leslie flew in from Kansas on 9/29 to start proceedings necessary for this operation. In the next couple of weeks they both will go through additional testing. Quimby will be admitted into the IU Hospital 10/10 for a week of chemo while at the same time Leslie will be getting injections to make her produce more of the cells her sister will need. On 10/17 Leslie will have surgery and donate her cells to her sister. Quimby will be in the hospital approximately 30 days, in addition to the extreme physical and emotional strain she will be in, she will be in recovery and avoid public places for 12 months. This means she will not be able to go to work. The first 100 days are the most critical, to make sure her body doesn't reject the bone marrow.

Plan to attend, in honor of Quimby, a Monte Carlo Night. Admission price is $25.00 includes the Dinner, Silent Auction and Live Auction; also a bank account is set up for any $ donations.

Please join together to help keep the smile on Quimby’s face. Prayers are the first priority. Next, any donations for the Auctions and/or her bank account for expenses.

Please respond to her Aunt Carol Clayton - email: tracaron@aol.com , phone 317-839-9006, or
Nancy sumcy@sbcglobal.net
Courtney turner4004@yahoo.com


And Please, forward this email on to all your friends.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God

Julies blog

St. Udio's Cafe

St. Udio's Cafe

Our Funny Animals

Just thought I would share this funny tidbit that happened last week. We bought a wood burning stove right before Christmas for our basement and we love it. Although you can't control the heat like you would a furnace, we just open the back door if it gets too warm. Now to the part I wanted to share - We have a cat, a dachshund and a labrador. The smaller dog, Duke, loves to chase the cat. We were setting around the stove and Duke started chasing Scrammy the cat. The cat, trying to excape from the dog, jumped on top of the wood stove. At the time this happened, the temp said it was about 1000 degrees. If you have never seen a cat fly, its a most hilarious sight to see. Don't get me wrong, we love our animals, they are our babies and definitely a part of our family. Tracy opened the back door and scrammy went out the back door and walked on the snow, you could almost hear the sizzle. We finally caught the cat and checked his paws only to find a little scorching. Now when Duke chases him, he does not get near the stove. He now jumps on the pool table. A much safer place for a landing. We get a kick out of watching our animals - they are so funny and they make us laugh.