NANCY IS FINALLY ABLE TO RELAX AND SLEEP!

Okay, Nancy is in her bed sleeping after much activity with pulmonary function test and treatments!  The reports from her nurse, Bruce, and the pulmonary guy, Gary, are all wonderful...she is doing excellent on all counts and was sitting in a chair in her room when Ann and I got here.  She actually ate her first solid food (banana pudding extraordinaire...my addition and emphasis!)  I have a photo I will post later to prove it!!   We have no idea how long they will allow her some peace and quiet before the next round of treatments, but Ann and I are hoping it will be at least an hour or so as she really needs to sleep!  

We are so thrilled and grateful that she is FINALLY in her very own room D948!  Hurray and Hallelujah!  Between the tears that keep coming up, I'm smiling from ear to ear all the time...on cloud nine, or ten, or maybe even 20!  I'm so far up in the clouds you'd need a telescope to see me.  I just can't take my eyes off of Nancy's face...it is so incredible to see how far she's come since last Wednesday that, barring something unforeseen,  I really believe she might be able to move to the apartment in time for Christmas! 

Ann is glued to her chair, refusing to leave even to go for food or drink...and I had to be arm twisted to leave to go up to the cafeteria to get something for both of us a short while ago.  No matter what happens from here on out, I truly believe the worst is behind Nancy now and from here on it is going to get easier and easier and before we know it she is going to be up and out of here.  Can you feel my heart pounding?  Can you feel the joy and love washing over you?  We are so blessed to experience these moments of pure, unadulterated euphoria!  How can we ever forget these high points.  Unlike Nancy, it's on the mountain tops I grow!  And this is equivalent to being on top of Mount Everest!  I could go on and on and on, but you all get the picture, or, you will shortly, when Nancy can share her own joy with you.  

What an honor, as her father, for me to be able to do this one small thing for her...keeping this blog going has kept me going, even at the worst of times through this process, and all the outpouring of love and support for Nancy that has come through your messages has sustained both Ann and me and the rest of Nancy's family back in Olean.  

I want to add one unsung hero to the list of heroes in our family...Grandma Gail Matthews...she has been the glue that has held us all together and she is the one who has carried the heaviest burden since Nancy married into her family.  She is the one who hasn't been able to be here with us out of her love and caring for Hannah.  She is the one who, over the years, has cooked, washed, cleaned house, taken care of the pets and always been there to take Hannah through all the many hospitalizations Nancy has endured.  Scott and Hannah are both so fortunate to have her there at home with them to give and give and give, and to her we ALL owe an ENORMOUS debt of gratitude!  Thank you Gail, for all you've done, and will continue to do, for our precious daughter and her family!  We love you dearly.

To all the unspoken  heroes out there who never receive the recognition or the praise they so richly deserve, let us all give thanks and wish the greatest of blessings upon them!

Tis the Season for giving thanks!

Vance

Nancy's Dad