Sunday Morning
Judah is still in the same restful state he's been in. I like to think that I saw him respond when I was talking to him this morning. Mom has been with him all night. First of all, we'd like to thank you Lisa, Josh and Michael. I don't know how you found us, but it was a wonderful sight. Also, a special thank you to the Nemetzes. Truly unnecessary but wonderfully welcome.
Judah's favorite nurses from the BMT unit just came in for a visit. They are so sweet and wonderful to him, and to my mom. We've been very fortunate to have met some wonderful people here at City of Hope.
Mom has asked one of our close friends who is a pulmonologist to come in and take a look at Judah on our behalf. Judah made it clear that he wants every aggressive option to be taken in order to sustain his life.
For those who wish to visit Judah, now may be a good time to do so. Please prepare yourself to see Judah like this. The ICU has very strict visiting rules, and we don't want to make ourselves unwelcome here. Please keep your visits short, 5 minutes or less. It's easy to forget that Judah is still a transplant patient, so please remember to wear a mask, and refrain from touching him.
Duarte is easy to get to by freeway:
From the Valley: 134 E to 210 E. exit Buena Vista. Go straight until Buena Vista intersection and make a Right. Go two blocks to Duarte Rd and make a Left. Hospital is 3/4 miles down.
From the 10. Take 10 East to 605 North. Go 3 miles until 210 junction. Take 210 West for 1 exit to Buena Vista. Make Left off freeway until the first streetlight, Buena Vista Intersection. Make Left again onto BVista. Make another Left on Duarte Rd. Hospital 3/4 mi. down.
Judah is in the new hospital, 3rd floor ICU room 12. We will be here all day.
Best regards to all.
posted by The Whites @ 9:11 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Wish I could visit Judah. Please send my love and let him know he is in my prayers.
Hopefully as he rests he dreams of beautiful places, as well as of new strategies for his next game of poker with the Freeses.
Shiksa
Have been on shpilkas waiting to hear an update...
Love to all,
Abby
thanks for the update. with every comment you post, i am struck again and again by Judah's strength and resolve. if anyone can beat this, he can.
sweet dreams, Judah. Rest up so you can keep fighting the good fight. i am fighting here with you in my heart and mind...
Love,
Cindy Rosenberg
hi everyone,
i just read all the posts from the past several days. i am at my nephews birthday party but i think i will probably head out there later today. i am sending all of you: judah, martha, issy, benji and grandpa love and good thoughts. i hope to see you all later. tamar
Hello to the Whites and to everyone reading the blog. Thought those of you out there in cyberspace might want a report on my visit to City of Hope last night. I know I've been feeling far away and helpless, and craving info, so this might make you all able to picture it a little better, and can let you know what you'll encounter should you visit Judah.
Micahel and I arrived at COH around 9 p.m. The guard in the lobby of the new gleaming hospital building directed us up to the ICU. We went to the ICU waiting room, but didn't see the White family, so we went to the ICU entrance. Someone was leaving as we got there and held the door for us - I think it's usually locked and visitors have to be buzzed in. When we walked into the unit a nurse directed us down the hall to room 12 and suggested we talk to Judah's nurse. The unit was very quiet - we couldn't hear beeps of monitors or machines clanking, any of those things one might expect to hear. When we got to Judah's room the family wasn't there (turns out it was precisely the time they'd taken a short dinner break). We spoke with Judah's nurse Thelma for a while, and she said it would be OK to go in but better not to touch him or even speak to him in case he became restless upon hearing our voices. She said he appeared to be in no pain at all and was sedated to keep him calm while the breathing tube is in. We went in just for a minute, and saw Judah lying quietly with a breathing tube taped to his face. He was still, and was warmly bundled in sheets and blankets. In case any of you are worried about it being scary or upsetting to see Judah, all I can say is: it wasn't. It was wonderful. There was my friend Judah, fighting the fight, and relying on all the technology we humans have managed to come up with to help in the ultimate challenge. We left after just a minute - somehow I wanted to give Judah his privacy, since he didn't know we were there, and I didn't know how he'd feel about us standing there looking at him. I'm so glad we went, even just to see with my own eyes the place he's in, the team that's helping him, the other families outside the ICU all waiting, waiting, waiting. As we left a family was standing in a circle, holding hands, heads bowed. Everyone at COH is there for the same reason: it's not like a regular hospital that handles hernias, newborns, bypass surgeries. Everyone there is linked by the out-of-control cells run rampant in their loved ones.
And we're all linked by our love for Judah White.
If only it were so easy that all the love in the world we all feel for Judah and that he elicits every day from anybody who knows him (OK, Benjie, so he's been mercurial for the last few days, aren't we all sometimes?) could turn around the damning little cells that are wreaking havoc with his life. If we never knew before what courage and life force are, Judah is teaching us every day. They say some people are lovers and others are fighters -- Judah is the best of both.
Love to Judah, mom, Issy, Benji, Grandpa and Pixie.
Andrea
hi whites,
i am so glad i came today. it was good to see judah and i am hopeful about the news that you got while i was there. i know that he is not out of the "woods" but i also know how strong and determined judah is to do all the things he wants to do. all i want for him is to have a wonderful life realizing all his dreams - which i told him today - hopefully he could hear me. please let me know if you need anyone to check on pixie (i know she doesn't let just anyone walk her) or anything at all. i am thinking of you all constantly and am hoping to hear the news get better and better. i'll say it again - thank you for sharing what is going on with all of us that care about your family. it is really invaluable for all of us "blogcheckers" to have a means to communicate with you and be able to check on things...with lots of love, tamar
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