I'm sorry that I haven't had a chance to post since Dennis' surgery, and I'm afraid that this will be short............it is so hard to find time to write when he needs me constantly, but I will be filling in the details in days to come. In short, we are finally home. After 25 days at Johns Hopkins, it is a relief.

Dennis found out just seconds before surgery on the 4th that he would lose his voicebox. We had hoped, along with the doctor, that clear margins would be possible and save his voice. This wasn't to be. He had to have a total larynectomy along with a glossectomy. His tongue was removed, and he is left with a permanent stoma, along with the inablility to speak.

He also suffered a stroke on the 20th that led to (hopefully) short-term weakness on his right side. So along with the inability to speak, he can no long write. There are problems with his understanding at times......no sense of time, or patience, and a loss of spelling and mathmatical skills....but will improve, if we are at all lucky. This makes it hard for him to cope, but he suffered no loss of memory, so that is a blessing in itself.

There is so much more I want and need to share, but his feeding pump just went off. I will try to come back tomorrow night. ( A whole nother story to tell about the PEGs....yes two....that failed!)

In the meantime, please know that all your prayers were felt in Baltimore. The doctors couldn't believe that I never left the hospital. (Thank you God for family) But, with the support we've had from his sister and husband, and knowing you guys were here for me, we are coping.

God Bless Us All
and Love,
Mandi