Freedom Reborn Archive

Community Forums => General Discussion => Topic started by: Alaric on July 11, 2007, 09:28:51 PM

Title: Just to let people know...
Post by: Alaric on July 11, 2007, 09:28:51 PM
My father's in the hospital. Apparently, he has some sort of bleeding in his brain. They're trying to treat it without surgery, but there is a neurosurgeon ready if nesessary. He was diagnosed with leukemia some time ago, and his doctor aparently believes the brain problem, which has probably been going on for a few weeks, is related.

Anyway, I'm heading up to northwestern Massachusetts, where my parents live, tomorrow. I don't know how long I'll be there.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: The Hitman on July 11, 2007, 09:43:27 PM
A, I'm really sorry to hear this. I'll keep you and your dad in my thoughts.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: MJB on July 11, 2007, 10:37:05 PM
I'll be thinking about you and your family Al.

-MJB
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: UnfluffyBunny on July 12, 2007, 05:30:58 AM
My complete sympathies, my mother suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm a few years back, it's not something i'd ever ever wish on anyone, I wish the best for you and yours in this time of trial.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Glitch Girl on July 12, 2007, 06:00:55 AM
Be strong Alaric.  I honestly hope this works out for the best, whatever that may be.  I'll be praying for you and your family.  I know htis has been hard on you and I magine for them as well. 
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: doctorchallenger on July 12, 2007, 06:39:31 AM
All my best, A.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Uncle Yuan on July 12, 2007, 07:48:24 AM
I'm very sorry to hear this, Alaric.  My thoughts are with you, and I wish you and your father the best.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: El Condor on July 12, 2007, 08:35:24 AM
I'm keeping you and your dad in my thoughts and prayers, Al.

EC
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: The Phantom Eyebrow on July 12, 2007, 10:12:33 AM
Very sorry to hear this Al.  I hope you and your family can stay strong though this and I wish your father all the best.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: BlueBard on July 12, 2007, 10:22:43 AM
I'm sending up a quick prayer now and more to come... I pray that you will receive encouraging news, that your father will recover, that you have all of the grace that you need to deal with things as they come.  God bless.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Revenant on July 12, 2007, 01:43:00 PM
Alaric, I'm sending some prayers and some strength to you and your dad.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Blkcasanova247 on July 12, 2007, 02:15:54 PM
Godspeed Alaric...my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Sevenforce on July 13, 2007, 04:22:14 PM
Alaric, for once words fail me. I don't think I can express my hope that you and your father make it through this relatively unscathed with such petty words as "Good luck", but that's the best I can come up with. Here's hoping all the best, and I'll keep you both in my thoughts.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: ow_tiobe_sb on July 13, 2007, 04:29:02 PM
I'm very saddened to read of your father's ill health, Al. :(  I wish him the best and a swift recovery as well.  Please keep us posted on his condition.

ow_tiobe_sb

P.S. If you need any assistance, my family and I are located in the Boston area.  Please feel free to call upon us and any aid we can furnish you via PM.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: bredon7777 on July 13, 2007, 10:06:16 PM
Good Luck Alaric. I dont know how much pull I've got, but I'll be pulling for you.

Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Protomorph on July 14, 2007, 03:18:19 PM
Stay strong, Alaric   :(
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Alaric on July 25, 2007, 11:04:27 PM
I'm back. I've been helping my parents with various things- since my father was in the hospital for a week, and when he got out was supposed to take it easy for a while, they needed my help.

It turns out my father has a subdural hematoma, a pooling of blood between membraines covering the brain. It's being treated through medication, rather than surgery (which would have been done if the treatment hadn't been effective), and the treatment is working so far, though the hematoma has not completely gone away as yet. The cause is unknown, but apparently has nothing to do with my father's leukemia.

Thank you all for the good wishes, prayers, offers of help, etc. This has been a scary couple of weeks.

Anyway, I have to go get some sleep now. Thanks again.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Glitch Girl on July 26, 2007, 06:58:23 AM
Glad to hear some good news Alaric.  You get some rest and thanks for the update.  Good to hear the family is doing better.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Zapow on July 26, 2007, 07:38:47 AM
Good to hear things are looking up.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Viking on July 26, 2007, 09:16:05 AM
My thoughts and prayers continue for your father's safe recovery, Al.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: DireWolf on July 26, 2007, 09:36:14 AM
Thanks forthe update, and we'll keep you in our thoughts....

:direwolf
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: El Condor on July 28, 2007, 09:50:36 AM
Great news, Al - here's wishing continued health to your father.  My Dad is in town for heart surgery, so I'm acutely aware of the stress you've been experiencing.  Best of luck going forward.

EC
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: style on July 28, 2007, 09:53:17 AM
Great to hear Al! My prayers are with you!
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: The Phantom Eyebrow on July 30, 2007, 09:57:32 AM
Sounds like you've been through the wringer this past while Al, but its great to get the good news.   I wish your dad all the best with his recovery. 
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Peerless1 on August 02, 2007, 08:41:28 AM
Glad to hear of some improvement.  Good news is always welcome.  Although a bit behind here, I will keep you and yours in my thoughts and prayers as well.  Best...
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Alaric on August 20, 2007, 01:52:16 PM
Yesterday, my father was taken to the emergency room. He stayed at the hospital all night, and was sent home early this morning- the doctor was halfway inclined to keep him at the hospital, but decided he'd be more comfortable at home. He seems to have several things going on at once. The hematoma has gotten worse, and may need to be drained, after all, his potasium was way down (they don't know why, but they had to intravenously feed him two bags of potasium before they would let him go home), and his red cell count is way down (the leukemia). Because there seem to be several aparently-unrelated things going on, the doctor wants my father to see his general practitioner, rather than a specialist. He's apparently very weak right now.

I'll keep you posted.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: ThePrelate on August 20, 2007, 02:17:52 PM
I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope everyone in your family is taking it as well is possible.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Glitch Girl on August 20, 2007, 07:00:27 PM
Thanks for the info Alaric.  It's gotta be really hard for you all.  I hope it all works out for the best.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: El Condor on August 21, 2007, 04:24:24 AM
Hang tough, Al.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.

EC
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: The Phantom Eyebrow on August 21, 2007, 04:36:13 PM
I'm sorry to hear this Al; my thoughts are with you all at this time.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Alaric on August 22, 2007, 07:59:31 AM
My father's probably having surgery tomorrow. I'm going to be away for at least a few days.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Uncle Yuan on August 22, 2007, 08:18:32 AM
Of course.  Best of luck to your father.  We'll be thinking of you.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Glitch Girl on August 22, 2007, 08:21:45 AM
Here's hoping for the best Alaric.  Be strong.  I'll light a candle for you and your family on my lunch today.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: ow_tiobe_sb on August 22, 2007, 08:41:13 AM
Good luck to your father and his physicians, Al!  I'll be thinking of you and your family as you weather these stressful times.  Take care of yourself, sir.

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and The Prat in the Hat
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Panther_Gunn on August 22, 2007, 09:55:48 AM
Take all the time you need, Al.  Family comes first.  Everything else will fall into line after that.  My best wishes are with you. (never really know what to say about stuff like this)
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Alaric on September 04, 2007, 12:22:50 PM
Just to update-

My father's still in the hospital. He currently seems to have no less than four more-or-less-unrelated conditions-

1) He's still recoverering from his surgery. As the surgical site was inside his skull, next to his brain, his mental condition varies a lot, depending partly, aparently, on how the scar tissue arranges itself. Both his ability to speak and his rationality vary a lot- he can go from talking almost perfectly, rationally, and intelligently about complex things in the middle of the day to having trouble doing more than grunting while trying to pull out his IV in the evening of the same day, or anything in between. The other morning, he was convinced that my family, except for him, had all been kidnapped by Nazis- he was frantically woorried about us, apparently. The next day, he was talking very rationally with my mother about various complex financial matters, such as bills that needed to be payed (he brought up the topic). The two neurosurgeons seem to be happy with his recovery, though. They say that the fact that he shows a strong sense of humor and uses sophistcated vocabulary are very good signs.

2) In addition, he still has the luekemia. He's needed serveral blood transfusions while he's been in the hospital. No one has indicated that this condition is particularly worse than normal, though- at least, no more than would be expected under the circumstances.

3) He also has pneumonia, which has been the single thing most worrying to his doctors. They've been unable to determine the cause, and for a while it wasn't getting any better. Within the last couple of days, though, his lungs seem to have suddenly cleared, which sounds like a very good sign.

4) To add insult to injury, dispite the fact that he hasn't been eating much, he has a bad case of gout. He's being treated with standard gout medicine now- the only reason it got as bad as it did was that it took them a while to figure out that it was gout.

Overall, considering everything that he's going through, I'd say he's not doing that badly. He has certainly enjoyed seeing my brothers and myself during our visits. He's been in the hospital for over two weeks now, though, which, even without the other prolems, is very hard to take (I spent two weeks in the hospital some years ago, I know what I'm talking about...).
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: ThePrelate on September 05, 2007, 09:18:00 AM
just keep hanging in there. It's a tough ride. I know we're all rooting for your family!
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Outcast on September 05, 2007, 09:38:52 AM
Never lose hope. My prayers go with you and your family.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Glitch Girl on September 05, 2007, 05:51:01 PM
Hospitals aren't fun by nature. Still, I'm glad he's not doing badly despite everything.  Do keep us posted.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: thalaw2 on September 06, 2007, 09:30:39 AM
My heart goes out you and your family.  I'll add to the pray pool
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Uncle Yuan on September 07, 2007, 07:24:02 PM
Thanks for the update, Alaric.  We've all been thinking of you.  My best wishes to you, your family and your father.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: The Hitman on September 07, 2007, 07:33:06 PM
Wow. I'm really sorry to hear about these health issues, and my thought will go out to you and your family.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Alaric on October 21, 2007, 02:03:16 PM
My father's doing much, much better now- almost back to normal. Even the luekemia seems to have gotten inexplicably better (though it hasn't gone away)- his blood doctor has no idea why.

I want to thank everyone for their posts, PMs, and e-mails- sorry I haven't responded to those who sent more private forms of communication, I'll probably go back and respond to each of you within the next week or so (most of the responses were in this thread, anyway). This community is absolutely amazing. The support meant a lot to me.

Incidentally, I should be around a lot more.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Uncle Yuan on October 21, 2007, 04:28:36 PM
I got the quick skinny on CoV earlier - but very glad to hear the good news.

Also very glad that you'll be around more again.  Does this mean you'll be restarting the game?
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Alaric on October 22, 2007, 01:07:57 AM
Quote from: Uncle Yuan on October 21, 2007, 04:28:36 PM
I got the quick skinny on CoV earlier - but very glad to hear the good news.

Also very glad that you'll be around more again.  Does this mean you'll be restarting the game?

Heh. It's very possible, if people are still interested. Not this week, though.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: MJB on October 22, 2007, 03:03:14 AM
Game? What game?

-MJB
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Outcast on October 22, 2007, 05:11:56 AM
Glad to know your father is feeling better.  :)
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Glitch Girl on October 22, 2007, 06:50:30 AM
Good to hear things are doing better for you Alaric.  They say there's power in positive thinking so I hope your Dad continues to get good vibes. 

And I'm still interested in playing if you ever decide to pick back up again.  We were in the middle if a fight scene as I recall.

MJB: this game (http://freedomreborn.net/archive/index.php?topic=42536.0)
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: Spam on October 22, 2007, 07:41:27 AM
Glad to hear your father's getting well. I hope he keeps getting better and better. :)

And it's good to have you back, Alaric.
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: The Phantom Eyebrow on October 22, 2007, 09:44:05 AM
That is great news Al, thanks for the update. 
Title: Re: Just to let people know...
Post by: El Condor on October 23, 2007, 08:16:44 AM
That's beyond good - it's spectacular news!  It's always great when health improves beyond what a doctor can explain.  I hope this continues, Al!

EC