I heard today that George Dunlap had heart bypass (5 bypasses) last Friday at Baylor Hospital. He is still in ICU but hopefully will move to a room tomorrow or Wednesday. He has specified NO VISITORS. Barbara is staying at the hospital so she can go in to see him every few hours. I feel sure they would appreciate our prayers though. Barbara Saffle (April 5, 2010)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jerry Prager underwent coronary bypass surgery at Presbyterian Hospital on January 8. He was released from the hospital a week later and has been recovering slowly but steadily since then. Howard Compton (January 27, 2010)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I visited Sheila for about 5 minutes yesterday afternoon and she was feeling better . She has some fluid on her lungs and that was to be expected, but that is improving. She will probably come home in a couple of days but still needs lots of rest. She felt like yesterday was her turn around day so that is a good sign. She still asks for your prayers. Will try to let you know as things progress with her. Anna Lynne (February 1, 2010)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from Anna Lynne Whitehurst Palmer-update on Sheila Peters: I left the hospital just a little while ago and Sheila was in the recovery room and she was doing well according to nurse at her bedside. Her color looked good and they had her in an induced sleep but if everything continued as it was going they were going to start waking her in a hour and would then try to take out the breathing tube. I will keep sending e-mails as I know her progress. Have a great evening and keep up the prayers. (January 26, 2010)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
from Trudie about TIsh Heard Drinkwater--Tish was diagnosed with shingles in her upper arm and shoulder last week. She is on medication and is doing better. Please keep her in your prayers. (January 25, 2010)
----------------------------------------------------------------
from Anna Lynne Whitehurst Palmer --Sheila Turner Peters is having a heart valve replacement surgery on Monday the 25th at Baylor and will keep up with her progress and let everyone know, She has asked for no visitors and for prayers from us. (January 24, 2010)
----------------------------------------------------------------
update on George Alexander from wife Nan (December 27, 2009) Update on my George: We are now home from the hospital with no definitive answer to why he collapsed on December 11th. We are so thankful for all the prayers. Now the strengthening begins.
---------------------------------------------------------------
From Nan Alexander (November 15, 2009) George ( and I as his caregiver) are in Baylor Dallas for tests but we will be back home sometime this week we pray with the results on why he collapsed on Friday afternoon. Your prayers are asked for answers.
-----------------------------------------------------------
From Judy Hatfield Lambert (November 13, 2009) I'd be grateful for your prayers. I am gaining strength but am in a wheel chair for a couple of months. I hope to be on crutches in December or January. Guess I have months of therapy and maybe another surgery if the bone in my heels dies (85% chance of that). The latter is a particular prayer request--for blood supply and bone growth in my right heel.
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Hugh Rucker (November 13, 2009) Things have gone very smoothly here with absolutely no problems or discomfort to speak of. All my plumbing is working well and I expect it to continue. Any possible side effects they say will disappear in 4 to 8 weeks after they quit blasting me each day. Because of the implants in the prostate, they use a lower dose of external beam radiation and so you have fewer side effects. I have been coming home about every other week and Gale came in one weekend and we went to Savanna, which was fun. Marrying an ex American Airlines employee has it's advantages. I have tried to treat it as a forced vacation trip and I am also able to get a lot of work done here that I couldn't seem to do in Dallas.
From Nan Alexander (November 9, 2009) about Jo Ann O'Bannon Brown I just spoke with Jo Ann O'Bannon Brown of the June Class of '55 and her husband George in Austin, TX. Jo Ann is in a nursing home in Austin. She has been hit with spinal meningitis, with mini strokes also. I asked both George and Jo Ann if I could place her on the HPHS prayer list for complete healing. George said the goal could be a trip next September for the 55th Reunion of the Class of '55. Please place George in your prayers also for peace and comfort as he continues in his role of devoted husband and caregiver.
----------------------------------------------------------
From Howard Compton (November 1, 2009) about Judy Hatfield Lambert. She is at home now facing a long recovery and possibly more surgery. She was agreeable to our letting her classmates know about her misfortune. She said that the accident occurred on October 13 while she was driving alone on Highway 380 just south of Decatur. Both ankles were broken, but the left one received the most damage and required surgery. Even without additional surgery, she is looking at a long period of physical and occupational therapy. Her contact info is (214) 726-1865, 608 Irons Court, McKinney, Texas 75070, judyr.lambert@gmail.com.
----------------------------------------------------------
from Hugh Rucker (October 14, 2009) I am in Atlanta for my second week of radiation treatments and all is going well. I would not know I was being treated if I was not being charged for it. I hope all is going well there and I will be back for good on November 21st or so.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from Hugh Rucker (September 17, 2009) I am scheluled to go to Atlanta for treatment of prostate cancer on the 14th to the 19th and did not know till last week exactly when it would be. It is a intermediate to early case and they give me a 95% cure rate so don't get all excited about it. I will have radioactive seeds put in the prostate on Thursday and will be back in Dallas Saturday. Later I will go for low dose radiation back in Atlanta. I am not turning down any prayers even though it seems to be low risk...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from Debbie Dunlap Elliot--update on Merida's surgery (August 29, 2009) Just talked to Merida, and she sounds like the M. we know and love. May go home tomorrow. Is getting up to walk, when therapist comes. Wishes they would give her stronger pain medication. Has a friend with her, who is a retired nurse, and she will go be with M. this week during the day. The surgery was successful, now for recovery--NO FUN. She is happy for people to call--can use her cell # 303-875-2093. Also, the room # 720-225-4410
What a relief!!!!!!!!!!! Hearing her laugh, her sence of humor in tact was wonderful. OK D
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from Debbie Dunlap Elliott about Merida's surgery (August 28, 2009) It's 2:15, and just talked to Robert. Merida is about to go from recovery to a room. She had the maximum number of screws, pins, rods--they had hoped for less. Now let;s pray for good recovery--she has a lot ahead of her, but her life should be so much better. D
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from Merida Watson Blackwell (August 22, 2009) I appreciate all prayers. I am having surgery next Fri. - rods and screw put in - the lower back. I have been putting off surgery for probably 30 years. I also want to get this done before the health reforms? I have tried many things over the years. It is amazing how many people have been having different types of surgery. Isn't it wonderful that we have waited for all the amazing improvements in surgery. Thank you for your concern. We have been having a weird summer - rather cool, lots of rain, hail, tornadoes around the state. I think we will now have a few days of summer - it is now 90 and will be for the next couple of days before the next front comes in. My sister,Betsy keeps me up on the heat in the Dallas area.
Merida
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from Nan Alexander (August 17, 2009) My prayer request is for all young people, their teachers and professors everywhere have a safe, wisdom filled, and special school year 2009-2010.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
from Carol Penland Fleming by way of Ann Brown Beasley: (August 16, 2009)
Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, "I love you, and I pray you enough."
The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too."
They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me by asking, "Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?"
"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?"
"Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away and has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is--her next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.
"When you were saying goodbye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough. May I ask what that means?"
She began to smile. "That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. "When we said, 'Ipray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them." Then turning toward me, she shared the following as if whe were reciting it from memory:
I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear. I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting. I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest joys of life may appear bigger. I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye.
Then she began to cry, and walked away.
They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them.
To all my friends and loved ones, I pray you enough.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A classmate has asked "why do we need permission to post a prayer request?" This is what I told them:
Here in Dallas I have since 1992 coordinated the Episcopal Hospital Chaplaincy program for the Diocese of Dallas. It has two main focuses: trained volunteers who visit mostly Episcopal patients who are either unchurched or from outside the diocese, and education (workshops) for education in pastoral ministry. For instance, our latest workshop addressed resources for the mentally ill. Because I work closely with the hospitals, I am aware of their patient confidentiality guidelines. Although confidentiality has always been important, it is especially so now because of the national HIPAA guidelines for patient privacy. HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (see the gov't HHS website if you want more information). No information about a patient may be taken out of the hospital without the permission of the patient him/herself.
I look forward to receiving your prayer requests to be posted on the website! Please send them to me at smither8@aol.com
