Dear friends,

Some of you know, most of you do not yet know, that Steve is in very serious condition in the Wake Medical Hospital System. He went to the ER in Cary on Friday (June 19) with what turned out finally to be probably a reasonably benign vertigo. This particular scenario was a blessing. In getting to that diagnosis, after running many tests, the doctors determined that there were cardiac issues that needed to be dealt with immediately at WakeMed Raleigh. He had 2 stents placed on Sunday and he came through that surgery beautifully--not a problem to be seen, other than lifestyle changes that had to be made. Very good news.

Early Monday morning he got out of bed (with permission) and fainted. He fell and hit his head--hard--and now is dealing with a traumatic brain injury. The medicines that he needed for his stents increased the probability of brain bleeding; the platelets he needed for the brain injury greatly increased the probability of life-threatening clots in his stents.

He is now out of neuro ICU and on the neuro floor, getting really exceptional care. There is a very good possibility that he will move later this week to the Neurological Care Unit at WakeMed Cary. After that he may move back to the WakeMed Raleigh campus for in house rehab, and then home.

Right this very minute, neither of us needs your help, but we do need your prayers. Prayers are always very good, and they are working right this very moment. In both the immediate future and in the long term, I am certain that I will call on you for something; whether it's a morning break for me so that I can buy groceries--or a morning break FROM me so that Steve doesn't see me as only the bad guy.

I will ask for help as I need it, or as Steve needs it. Right now, I am doing all I can to be what he needs each moment he is alert. We are requesting no calls or visitors at this time -- it just takes a lot of time and energy that we don't have to spare. Rest assured that I will ask for help when the time is right. As the doctors keep telling us, this is not a sprint it is a marathon. So we are pacing ourselves, taking things day to day, and we'll let you know.

Please feel free to pass this link on to anyone you think cares about Steve and would want to know how his condition progresses. Every day, one step at a time, we move forward.

In God's Peace,
Janice