It's Good to Hear Your Voice

Tonight at about 6:00, my cell phone rang. The caller ID said Missy, but the voice was nothing close to Missy's. My dad talked to me for the first time in four weeks and one day. The last time he spoke to me was the Wednesday before the surgery. I called him during Lost and we briefly talked about the about the next day's events. Not being able to talk to him for the past month has been difficult. Not because we talk all the time. But rather because any time I call to talk, he is always available. I know that not being able to hear from Dad has been difficult for many. A lot of people depend on Dad and his steady advice and encouragement. It was great to hear from him.


Now, do not let me lead you astray. As many know and as has been reported hear at Canney Family, Dad has been talking for a week or two. Tonight, however, was my first time talking to him as he was well enough to use the phone. Our conversation was short. It was mainly me blabbing excitedly about various things that are going on in my life. I was surprised to hear from him and just rambled about anything that popped into my mind. One funny exchange occurred towards the end of our conversation. I told him that it was good to hear his voice. He responded by saying "It is good to get my voice out." I thought at the time that it was an interesting and telling statement.


There is more good news to report. It was actually the reason for Dad's call. He has been moved from his recovery room to a rehab room! He will do his rehab at Riverside. This is the moment we have been waiting for. The time in which the active and visible recovery can begin. The answer to many prayers! Dad is also able to swallow. He ate three 'real' meals today! It has been four weeks and one day since his last meal of actual food.


Now is a great time to offer your encouragement to Dad. Day in and day out, the experts will be working to get Dad home. Let us all join together in prayer and support to make it happen!

Treading Water

Dad and Miss
in NYC!











Each day for Dad has become a repeat of the last. There is not much going on...no physical therapy, no activity. We are all waiting for the meds to eliminate the small complications that have developed. Things are pretty boring at this time. A lot of television. A lot of nurse check-ups. A lot of visitors. Not a lot of news to report.



This has been very difficult on Dad. As most of us know, he has not gained much moss through his years. He is always on the go. Meetings, rounds of golf, basketball games, trips to Florida, South Carolina, California, Arizona, Wisconsin...and I think this is all in the last two years! Thus, having your life play out in slow motion is challenging for the spirit, the mind and the body. Dad has remained solid through all of it, but of course he is restless and ready to say good-bye to Riverside. Soon, we know, he will!



When Dad was about ten years old he had to go to Riverside, the same hospital he is in now, for a procedure on his leg. As a good Catholic boy, he had recently finished his religious education classes (CCD). As he entered the hospital he was greeted by a smiling employee who said "Welcome to Riverside Methodist Hospital." Dad's eyes widened in shock as he announced, "I can't come here...I'm Catholic!" His parents and the employee assured him it was OK for a Catholic boy to get help from a Methodist hospital. =) And now, I think Dad would be fine with never seeing the inside of Riverside again. Not for the lack of care, but as anyone knows...to stay in a hospital for an extended time as a patient wears on a person.

Three Weeks

Today marks the conclusion of the third week since the surgery. I was talking to my sister Jamie the other night and we both remarked how it seems to be much longer than three weeks since Dad had the procedure. It truly has been a long and hard time for us all. But we pray that, Lord willing, Dad is on track for a full recovery.


Dad is still showing positive signs of neurological recovery, and he is regaining the control and movement of his right side. He is voluntarily lifting his right knee and is doing so more and more, which is wonderful to see. Plus, Missy has continually stated that she has no doubt Dad is comprehending everything that is going on around him.


Dad did have some set backs today. He has developed some complications that are not a surprise for a patient that has been laid up in bed for three weeks. They are not serious complications, but the slight derailment means Dad will be kept at Riverside for five to seven more days. This is a little discouraging, especially since one of the rehab centers we are considering stopped by today, saying they had an opening. The key word through this whole process has been patience, so we will exhibit some more and continue to support Dad through his recovery.


Let us all continue to petition God in prayer for Dad's healing and offer praise in Jesus' name for the progress that has been made so far. =)


May God Bless Each of You!

Here's Looking at You!

I thought I would share a fun pic of Dad and Toby at Halloween. Enjoy!

ICU later

The title says it all. Dad was moved out of the ICU last night and into a luxury suite at Riverside. =) Maybe a slight exaggeration. But progress none the less.



Whether it was the move or some other factors I am not sure, Dad's spirits were improved today. This is great to see for those close to him, but not a surprise to any of us. Some other good news was that Dad and Missy met briefly with the surgeon and he said Dad would definitely walk again. It is just a matter of time for him to get his energy and strength back.



This is the stage of the game we all wanted to get to after the surgery...the recovery. It was very difficult for a while to continually get bad news, followed by an excruciating period of waiting. Now we are getting to the action part of this story. It is uplifting for us because we all feel like we
can do something. We can help. Which reminds me...thank you for all your help!






Just a little pic here of Dad opening a Christmas present from his kids the winter after the Sox won the series!

The Needed Support

Greetings to each of you. Thank you for your continued support and prayer for Dad. It means everything(literally) to him and to all of the family. I do not think anyone has a true understanding of how far and wide the support for Dad is reaching, but I know of, and have heard stories of people who have never met Dad gathering together to pray for his healing. And they continue to pray for his recovery. Of course, if that is what people who have never had the privilege of meeting Dad are doing, you can imagine what those who know him well are up to...and of course you may be one of them! =)





Dad continues to make progress in his recovery. He is alert and aware (maybe too aware) of what is going on around him. Physically, he seems sound, although he has understandably lost strength from being laid up in a hospital bed for two and half weeks. He is regaining strength though. He has had some good Physical Therapy sessions and the therapists are pleased with his attitude and progress. It is important that he gets good nutrition, so we have had to decide to make some adjustments in how he is getting his food.

At this time I ask you to put yourself, if you have not already, in Dad's shoes. Can you imagine the frustration? the anger? the sadness? the boredom? the bitterness? the restlessness? the exhaustion, the way his body must feel? I cannot, but I know all of those feelings are there. Especially now as he comes to understand fully what has happened. Why do I bring this up? Because many people ask how they can help. The best answer is...in whatever way you feel comfortable or are moved. I ask you to offer encouragement to Dad, such as a short visit with you being a 'cheerleader' and even talking about other things than him and his situation. The greatest thing any of us can do is praying for him - his health and spirit.

Thank You and God Bless!

Please excuse this interruption...

I am sorry, but I have to break into our regularly scheduled blog to make this important announcement...my sister, Beth Hamilton, is engaged!!! Her boyfriend, John Pelletier, popped the question Friday night! And of course, she said yes!

We here at the Canney Family Blog are extremely excited and proud for the happy couple! Although we are all still a little weirded out about her marrying a John, we all agree he is a great guy and could not be happier!

CONGRATS BETH AND JOHN!!!

Dad (2/13)

Yesterday, Friday, was another good day of progress for Dad. Physical Therapy came in to assess him and work him a little bit. They had him sit in a chair for 30 minutes! One thing I have learned about PT through the years is that they do not mess around. They push patients and push them pretty hard. It is one profession were they do not listen to 'no's' and 'I don't want to's'. The good thing is that I believe Dad will be receptive to the therapy. Many of us saw him rehab his shoulder after surgery recently with a great amount of zeal and focus. Do not underestimate the power of 18 holes to motivate! =)



Dad was tired throughout the day, so he rested and was advised to not talk much. Again he had many visitors and encouragers. I'm sure the weekend will have a lot of people stopping by for some good news too!



As far as the outlook in the near future, Melissa met with a Neuro-doctor and he said Dad would stay put over the weekend and then hopefully step down to a regular room for a bit. After that he would go to a rehab facility.

Here is a great picture of Grandpa Canney with the grandkids!

"Would you like to hear some good news?"

This is how Missy began our phone conversation at 5:55 tonight(2/12)! She reported to me that Dad had the vent removed and even said a few words! Hallelujah!



Dad is doing well, but very tired. Visitors have had to been limited a little bit so he can rest. I figure he has had two weeks to rest! =)



It is actually a very interesting story of how the decision was made to have the vent removed. I will not tell all the details for the sake of privacy but what I will relay is this...Miss has done a great job of paying attention, asking questions and writing down notes. She has recorded physical observations of Dad and the meds he has received. She has also tracked his dose amount of the various meds. This has helped her, and the family, play an active role in Dad's recovery. This has been crucial to keeping us all in good spirits and focused on what we can do. A funny side note...the family in general is designed to do what Melissa has been doing. In the hospital we monitor Dad's vitals (HR, BP, etc.) with great attention to detail. The day they hooked up Dad's brain to the 'brain stuff', my Uncle Johnny went home and learned how to read the monitor which showed Bim's brain activity on the Internet.



It is mind boggling to think that Dad's surgery was two weeks ago today. What many said was impossible was achieved...Dad was speechless for two weeks! =D Sorry I could not resist.


The past week has been very hard on all of us. Dad has been making progress, but slowly. Today is what our hearts needed...as if this is even about us. I know that as Dad continues to gain consciousness his fighter's spirit will return. Dad is a battler and he will be determined to get back to being the dad, husband, son, brother, boss and golfer we all love!

My Dad (2/10/09)

Yesterday (2/10) was another day of small progress. The doctors are continuing to wait for my dad to become more alert so they can take off of the vent. That is a day we are all looking forward to!

The surgeon came in for a visit. He got Dad to go through his paces, including the 'thumbs up' on his left hand. The doctor said that he thought Dad was doing well and was ready to move forward to get off the vent. They lowered the current sedation medication and we saw a much more alert Bim throughout the day. He is still tired, but more alert. He made good eye contact, and showed some facial expressions. It looked like he asking how the Celtics were doing! =)

Believe it or not, they removed the staples from the incision! He is going to be bummed that he did not get to show those off. More good news is that his swelling is down and he has regained his Canney hands back! His central line was removed and new IV's put in his arm.

Nanny is now calling the waiting room the 'Amish Room' and rightfully so...it has been taken over completely by the Amish. Johnny and her seem to making some new friends. Johnny is interested in the food they bring and also seems to be trying to get some wood working pointers.

In all seriousness, Dad has been through so much. It is hard on our hearts to see him in his condition. He continues to be strong and brave. Prayers, visits, care and concern from so many are helping to sustain him. Missy also appreciates everyone's care and concern. It seems when she gets to a low point, a smiling and encouraging face comes into the room for an uplifting visit.

Thank you!

Nanny and Bim

What a great picture of Nanny and her baby, Bim!
They have such a special relationship, which is only natural because the two of them have special relationships with so many people. Nanny has been particularly strong and steadfast throughout Dad's surgery and recovery. Missy put it best when we were talking the other night. She said Nanny always remains positive. Missy is exactly right. My grandmother, the current matriarch of the Canney Clan, has been one of the most positive people I have encountered in my life. She has lived through the after effects of WWI, the Great Depression and WWII. She has navigated her way through the loss of family and close friends. Yet she has remained one of the people I, and so many others, enjoy to be around the most. Missy also correctly stated that Dad has much of the same disposition. He always remains focused on the positive and does not let the negative, whether it be people or circumstances, keep him down. Except of course when he is watching the Buckeyes...then, not so much! =) I know that if anyone of us were in his place, he would be doing exactly what all of us have done. He would be there with encouraging words, a quick smile and the occasional fist bump.

Dad's condition remained stable and steady today. He performed a lot of the same functions as yesterday, which is good. He remains on the vent and is still very tired. As the meds wear off he will become more alert and awake, which will lead to the removal of the vent. The important thing to remember with brain trauma is that there will be days with no steps forward, but no steps back either, which I consider progress.


Melissa(Missy) seems to be losing her voice a bit! Maybe a sign of how many visitors have been coming in for Dad. Please continue to pray for her and dad. Pray for recovery, for wisdom. Pray for strength, for encouragement. Pray for the family, for the friends.

Thank you.

Germanic Invasion

Today, Sunday, was another day of steady improvement for Dad. Early in the morning, as the nurse checked him, he showed increased signs of alertness. He opened his eyes, raised his right arm and was able to track with his eyes. Later in the day he was able to squeeze Missy's hand and again move some body parts. To say we are encouraged and uplifted would be an understatement.

The nurses had to give him some light sedatives to keep his body calm as he recovers. Every four hours or so, they can shut those sedatives off to check his progress.

Dad had many visitors today and that is a great source of encouragement to the family. I believe he can hear the voices in the room and while he might not remember everyone being there, the positive atmosphere around him definitely aides in his recovery.

The hospital has been great to us. We bring an army of visitors each day and are constantly questioning the nurses and doctors about what they are doing. The sad reality of being there day after day is that we see many of the same families day after day. Being a speciality floor, we are all going through the same 'trauma' together. Well last night it took a turn for the bizarre. Late in the evening three Amish women showed up. They were in the waiting room with us, which has two TV's on. They could not figure out how to turn it off, so they asked us. Then today, the waiting room was packed with Amish folks. We lost our claim to the only table in the room, much to the dismay of my crossword solving grandmother, Nanny. She was even ready with two pencils today! =)

Thank you for your prayers and positive support through this ordeal. It is exactly how Dad would respond. Focus on the positive and take it one hole at a time!

The Calm before the Storm

This picture says it all about Dad. Beantown Boys hat on backwards, Yankees Suck across his chest and arms sunburned to a crisp!

Saturday(2/8) was a good day of positive progress. Brain trauma steps are measured with baby feet, so the progress is slow but Dad is improving. I met with a Neuro-doctor Saturday morning. He again reiterated the seriousness of Dad's condition and informed me that at this point the doctors are in the same boat as us. Progress is measured by what we see. CT's do not reveal anything at this point. We are looking at what he is able to do physically as he emerges from his medically induced coma. And Saturday we were able to see a lot! (again, think baby steps!)

• Dad made a grimace on his face as we wiped his mouth and nose. It was a 'leave me alone' look that we all said 'no way' to! =)

• Dad wiggled his toes on BOTH his feet! The nurses would check his feet reflexes and more importantly, Missy would tickle his feet. He reacted to both and I could have sworn I heard him say 'Whitey...' as Miss tickled him.

• Dad raised his left arm. His body is aware that he has a tube going down his throat and he wants it out. He is reaching for it and the nurses actually had to restrain his arm.

• The doctors took the 'brain stuff' (as I call it....the medical term is electrodes I think) off his head because he did not show any seizure activity for 36 hours.

All of these things, plus him not running a fever are excellent signs for him and for us. Which brings me to the title of this post. For all of us, Bim's family and friends, we have had time to come to grips with everything that has happened to him. Dad, on the other hand, has little to no idea. It is really freighting for me to watch the nurses tear off day after day on the calendar in his room. I can only imagine his reaction when we sees the time that has passed and his condition...not to mention his big brother there! In all seriousness, it will be traumatic and Dad(along with the family) needs our prayers. Continue to lift my dad to the Lord.

Thank you for all your support and again, feel free to leave comments for Dad, Bim, Jim, Uncle Jimmy, Jim Canney or whoever he is to you! =)

My Dad (2/6/09)

This have gone pretty well today, Friday (2/6). My dad is pretty stable and is slowly moving toward consciousness. We are seeing some of his reflexes come back and his brain wave activity slowly increase. He still is battling a fever.

As his consciousness increases, he becomes more aware and aggrivated with the things that he is hooked up to. He is coughing a lot and his heart rate is elevated because of the vent tube going down his throat. The nurses may have to sedate him a little because he is basically fighting the vent. The vent is programed for 12 breaths a minute, but he is taking 16 to 18, which means he is breathing over top of the vent. When he is aggrivated he is taking 26 or so breaths a minute.

We found out today that the waking process may take three to four days, or even a week. This is discouraging for me, because I would like to be here when he 'wakes up'. I would love to see him open his eyes.

There have been a lot of visitors. A lot of family but also a lot from my dad's professional world. It has been neat to talk to them and hear about their interactions with him. My dad is the superientendent of Madison County MRDD. He has been invloved with MRDD for about 30 years, thus he has lots of close friends throughout the state. People have been coming from all over to see him. And people are really shook up over his condition.

Thank you for the prayers, cards, emails, and calls. They mean a lot to me and the family.

My Dad (2/5/09)

Today is Thursday(2/5) and here is a brief recap of the last two days.

Melissa and I drove back to NJ on Tuesday evening/night. We arrived to about 6 inches of snow, thus school was canceled for Wednesday. This was a blessing to us because it allowed us to get a lot of things caught up. We finished our school work, including report cards.

There is not much news to report on my dad from Wednesday. He was pretty stable, but he was battling infection and pneumonia was confirmed.

I left NJ at 6:45 Thursday morning to drive out to Ohio. I drove straight to the hospital and arrived at 2:30. During the drive I found out that they began to wean my dad off of the sedation meds in the morning. By noon there were no longer giving him sedation meds. We then began the wait of his body processing the meds out. We were told it can take 24 to 72 hours.

When I arrived I immediately noticed my dad was very swollen/bloated. His Canney Hand's were gone, replaced by pudgy pokers that are very uncharacteristic of us Canneys. His belly is very bloated too and he continues to battle a fever (103 when I left at 10:30pm). We were able to watch his brain waves steadily increase throughout the day. Also he regained his gag reflex and moved his fingers a little when pinched. I am interested to see his progress when I go in Friday morning.

On another note, the Canney family is very spread out...we live all over and rarely get to see each other. So it was nice to see and spend time with my family as we all rally around my dad. My brothers James and Rick, along with my sister Jamie have all been at the hospital a lot. My uncle Johnny drove up from Florida and the 85 year old matriarch, Nanny (my grandmother Canney) has spent a lot of time at the hospital. My stepmom Missy has been spending 12 to 14 hours a day at the hospital. This is tough because she has two high school aged kids at home.

My Dad (2/3/09)

Today was my dad's first full day being intubated. It is very scary to see him in such a state.

There is not much news to report. They have brought his brain function (the amount of electric signals being sent) down to the low levels they want. The bad news for the day was that at about noon he began to develop a fever and had fluid in his lungs. The risk of infection is high and dangerous. His fever at the time was 102. They gave him Tylenol, ice packs under his arms and later a cooling blanket. By 9pm or so his temp was down to about 100.

The plan is to leave him intubated until Thursday morning. On Thur they will start to let the meds wear off to see if he is still having seizures. If he is they will keep him sedated for longer.

Melissa and I decided to come home today. We have school stuff to take care of and Melissa and Addison both have doctors' appointments. I am going to look into flying back to be there Thursday.

Thank you for your prayers and kind words. My step-mom continues to be strong thanks to your prayers.

My Dad (2/2/09)

I thought I would give everyone an update on my dad.

Today was a difficult day. It started well with a Physical Therapy session that went good. However later in the day we met with a neuro-doctor who delivered serious news. My dad has suffered a stroke. It has caused his right side to not function and caused him to lose the ability to speak. It also caused his seizures. It was a small stoke that grew larger.

The immediate concern is his seizures. None of the meds have stopped them. If they continue they will be permanent because the brain will re-wire itself. The doctor recommended intubation with heavy meds to bring his brain function to zero. They will then slowly bring him back up in a few days, hopefully with no seizures. If he continues to have seizures they will do the process over again. If not he will be slowly taken off the respirator and then moved to a physical therapy/rehab facility.

This is completely unexpected and a series of worst case scenarios. The surgeon told us today that the chances of all that has happened to him was less than 5%. Today(Monday) was the day he was suppose to go home. Instead we are looking at a long and difficult recovery. At this time there is no way to tell what and how much damage was done. We have no idea what to expect.

I know many of you are praying for my dad. Thank you and please continue to do so. Also, please pray for my step-mom Missy (believe it or not, her name is...Melissa Canney...weird...I know = ) This has been unbelievably difficult on her. She has had to make decisions that are difficult for any wife. Ask for strength and wisdom.

Thank you,
Joe

My Dad

My dad had brain surgery for a brain aneurysm on Thursday in Ohio. We were planning on going, but did not because of the weather. He came through the surgery well, but began to develop complications late Thursday. We thought it was due to swelling but I found out late Saturday night that the doctors fear he may of had a stroke. He is conscious, but very tired. He cannot talk and has no movement on his right side. He has had at least 6 CAT scans. He is not getting worse, but not better either. At this time they are not sure what is causing his complications. Could be a stoke, could be from his brain swelling. Late yesterday and continuing through today he is having small facial seizures.

We left late yesterday and arrived today. We will be here at least through tomorrow.

We would apprieciate your prayers.

Thank you,
Joe and Melissa