Today I received a phone call from Bob Justice, Corky’s husband.  Bob said that Corky was in the hospital but said I could talk to her later in the day,  so I called her this afternoon and spoke to her.  She is having chemotherapy for a blood cancer called multiple myeloma.  She was diagnosed in December and was put on medication at that time but is now having a stronger treatment.  She said it was time to let her classmates all know about her condition which is treatable but could not be cured.  She has her cell phone at the hospital and said she can have calls there but I suggest they are best later in the day as she is heavily sedated earlier in the day.  Her cell number is 209 988-3301.  It is a verizon phone.  She may be home in a few days but she doesn’t know about that yet.   Her house number is 559 592-2192.  If you wish to send a card her address is 605 Hannah Ave, Exeter, CA 93221.  Corky is always such a cheerful and optimistic person, I know she will appreciate calls and cards.  She has not felt well enough for a couple of months to respond to her emails.  When she is well enough to email, I will provide you with her email address.

I visited Barb and Dave Hartley at OHSU yesterday and was deeply touched by the love they have for each other. They are truly best friends and soul mates, which their daughter, Betsy, so poignantly captured in this photo she took a few minutes after I left. Betsy wrote this caption for the photo “Dad says ‘Bring your camera. Mom’s skin is so soft and her color is just beautiful, even though we’re in the hospital.’ So I did. :)”

Barb and Dave want to thank Azusa High classmates for all of the uplifting cards and phone calls they’ve received.  Your continuing support means so much in her healing process.

Keep your prayers coming because they really need them right now.

Barbara fishing at Diamond Lake this past summer

Here are excerpts fro the post from Barbara’s daughter Betsy’s Facebook page from Wednesday evening, 2-17-10:

“We did not have another clean culture.  Bacteria is still growing.  While we found this news disheartening–the docs seem to be taking it in stride.  Reminding us again and again that this is a massive infection.  Time is needed.  But it’s so, so hard not to be stressed at the news.  Our first thought was that this last-line medicine was NOT working.  They seem to think the Televancin really is working.  We just need more time for it to do it’s magic.  Her white blood cell count is holding steady and we are desperate to see it start dropping….Again – they say give it some time. 

Time is easy to preach, when you aren’t the one on the waiting end…

My sister brought the boys up.  Mom’s (and Dad’s) faces lit up when they walked in the room.  Nothing better than a little grandkid therapy. 

Dialysis is running well.  Fabulous dialysis nurses in the well-run unit.  Two days in a row it’s gone well.  She’ll have it again tomorrow and Friday.  They are attempting to clean her blood and balance a sodium/water issue.  This is an issue that takes time to resolve.  It came on slowly–they are working to rebalance it gently and slowly.

The hunt is still on for the source of the infection.  The back was at issue–now they are hunting for another source that’s obviously still producing MRSA within my mom’s body.  We should have clean cultures–we don’t–they’re on the hunt for the reason.  If there’s any group of people capable of figuring this out it is the good doctors at OHSU.

The sun was shining on my moms face today and she was smiling and content to feel the warmth.  Then the grandkids showed up.  Pain is being managed.  She was eating some orange slices.  Today wasn’t a great day news wise for our family, but my mom was happy for the windows of time and feeling well loved.”

Another paragraph reads as follows:

“I saw how much it meant for my parents to see their grandkids…life is GOOD.  There are reminders of life’s blessings all around us.  I know that.  We’re just ready for my mom to be healthy and well again.

Prayers continue for my mom, the MRSA-hunters, the docs, my dad, my sis and her family…”

Betsy Hartley