Just a quick post to apprise folks of my travel status, future posting plans and the latest on Shannon.
I left Florida this morning and have arrived back home in Utah. Though I enjoyed the greenery and warmth of Florida during my 10 1/2 days there as best I could I was never so happy to see mountains again as I was today and the relative cold here was refreshing (Florida has been having record heat and I really don’t do well in that humidity…).
Shannon continues to improve very slightly from day-to-day in some areas and remains static in others, which is alarming though not completely unexpected. Her move out of neuro ICU was uneventful and a good sign in some ways. Her mother (we were divorced decades ago) arrived today to be with Shannon and help Rick and Ryan. I know that her presence will help to take a load off of the entire family, including me.
I hope to resume my daily posting schedule as early as tomorrow (though the forecast suggests we won’t have decent shooting weather for some time). How long and how faithfully I’ll be able to maintain that schedule remains to be seen.
The support we have received from my blog readers during this journey has been nothing short of phenomenal. The entire family (except for Shannon of course) has read the posts and your comments have brought much comfort.
For that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Ron
I think the shooting and blogging will be therapeutic for you. Glad to hear of Shanon’s improvement, may she continue in her wellness journey.
Thank you, Jane. I hope you’re right on both counts.
Welcome home … sounds like Shannon is in good hands. It is always nice to have mama around! And we know, you are just a flight away.
Warm wishes for you and your family,
Linda
Welcome Home Ron.
Nice to get busy again.
It’s good to hear you’ve arrived home safely. I hope that Your work, and the small comforts of home give you some amount of relief from the strain and grief of the last few weeks.
I will continue to pray for you , and for Shannon.
Welcome home. There’s nothing like coming home… good for the body, great for the soul. Born on the East coast, moved to the west (Arizona) 25 years ago and realized this is where I belonged. Will keep praying and sending positive energy for Shannon. Thank you again Ron. Your posts are food for my soul and I know it’s a bit selfish….but I’m glad your home.
You will always feel good about the time you spent with Shannon and her family. It is an experience nobody ever wants to have but you were there and she will have the feeling of love and comfort you brought to her. Not to mention her children and partner. I am sure you will be breathing in the crisp air and wide open spaces with a deeper feeling of the peace being part of nature it offers. Good luck to your daughter and all of you.
Dear Ron, Glad you returned home safely! As I’ve said before, I hope the news (and prognosis) continues to improve with time…
Glad you’re back home. There’s just something about the west that’s indescribably magical. Delighted that your daughter continues to improve, but like someone else said, it’s going to be a long road, fraught with steps ahead, some small, some large, and some steps backwards. I hope her journey will be shorter than anticipated and complete. We’ll keep her, and you and the rest of your family, in our prayers!
Glad to hear that you got home safely. There’s something about birding that’s so therapeutic- feeling the warmth of the sun on your face, raising a collar against a stiff November breeze, watching that Savannah Sparrow launch as you depress the shutter. As the doctors are taking care of Shannon, don’t forget to take care of yourself, knowing that we are thinking of you both!
Great to be to back some of your “creature of habits” behavior. Hope it recharges you and that you continue to hear about progress – even if it is slow.
I join all your readers in welcoming you home – I”m sure the birds of Utah like being immortalized, too! We will all keep Shannon in our thoughts and hearts.
Heartfelt hugs and oceans of caring.
I missed the first of your posts about Shannon, absorbed in my own parent grief, and then, when I noticed, I didn’t dare, at first, to read. My 14 year old son was removed from ventilator 1 month ago today and passed away. He suffered brain bleeds as either a symptom of macrophage activation syndrome or as a result of a surgical complication that caused hemorrhage (hard to know, but even the procedure – which was chest tubes to drain pleural effusions – wasn’t as routine as it should have been, due to his condition, we know now).
I’ll keep Shannon and family in my thoughts and prayers.
Katie, I’m so very, very sorry about the loss of your son. The fact that you would comment here, in your grief, shows the size of your huge heart…
Happy for you that Shannon is stable enough for you to return home. Let’s pray that she continues to improve. Prayers continue for you and your family and Shannon.
Hi Ron,
I am so glad to hear that Shannon is getting better. I am sure it will take a while but every day that she can heal is positive. As always our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
I’m so glad to hear that Shannon is improving daily even if it is only in some areas. Slow and steady improvement is good, even if the slow part is frustrating and sometimes scary. Support from loved ones will make such a difference in her recovery. My mom was given a “no hope” diagnosis 16 years ago. The family stood vigil in shifts over two months and made a remarkable recovery and is still with us today.
Welcome home and I hope you are able to resume most of your routines.
I join everyone here in welcoming your return home — so glad you & the birds will be with us (most) every day, weather notwithstanding. And Shannon surely would want you to be doing the thing that brings you a semblance of peace, even as you keep her foremost in your thoughts. Wishing the best to all of you!
The support continues and I’m so appreciative!
I’m as exhausted as I’ve ever been in my life but I’m hoping that a good, long night’s sleep will begin to remedy that so I can get back into a more normal routine beginning tomorrow (you know me and my “creature of habit” tendencies…). Life must go on.
You need chocolate donuts and hot coffee and cold air….maybe even snow…
Need’em all, Patty. And birds in my viewfinder. But most of all I need a recovered daughter.
We ALL want that for you and will continue to send brave Shannon every positive energy, thought, wish and prayer we can muster to support her on her trip along the ups and downs of recovery road…we send the same to you, Rick and Ryan…
I’m glad you are able to be home again – it’s much more comfortable. I’m sure that Shannon’s recovery will happen, but it will be slow. I will continue to keep her and the rest of the family in my prayers. In the meantime I’ll be glad to see your posts again, as I have missed them greatly. I, too, hope you’ll continue to keep us advised as to Shannon’s progress.
Does your being back home mean that you’ll be wearing that Magpie on your head agsin??? I liked the look….thought it suited you….
Will continue to pray for your lovely daughter’s continued improvement. Please keep us up to day on her progress, if that’s not asking too much.
Best regards …
Glad you are safely back home. Hoping for Shannon’s continued recovery.
Praise God! So happy you’re back home “in your nest”. I’ll be keeping all y’all in my prayers.
Welcome home. We’re here if you or your family should need any local support.
What humidity??
It will be a long recovery for Shannon; lots of small and large steps forward and some steps backward. Much depends on how long she was “down” before the pressure on her brain was relieved. It will be very important for her recovery that she undergo rehabilitation with people who are reputable and highly trained in neuro-rehabilitative techniques. Unfortunately in this day and age of “unfettered capitalism,” it has fallen to the patient and the patient’s family to be their OWN advocate. Ask questions, demand answers, do research and push, push for the very best. And do not be fearful of getting a second or even third opinion. The medical system has become the Labyrinth of Crete. Shannon must never become lost in the maze. Godspeed. April
We’ll keep her in our prayers.
Charlotte
Welcome home, Ron! There is no place like the Rockies, and I am always happy to return from any place to Montana!
Weather doesn’t look promising, but it beats heat and humidity.
You, Shannon and family continue in my prayers.
Ron
Welcome home. We have a family member with severe head injuries and there was not a lot of hope in the beginning but Ben has done amazingly well and has far surpassed everything the doctors ever thought could happen. With love and support and patience your daughter will do the same. I’m glad you’re back to the West to re-energize and glad you were there for your daughter. Look forward to your posts but mostly good news of Shannon.
Welcome back home Ron. I also live near hills/mountains, so I know how you feel. I’m glad your Daughter’s Mother arrived. Not only for your Daughter’s sake, but for yours as well. Kick back and relax for a bit. You deserve it.
Welcome home, Ron. I’m glad you’re continuing to see incremental improvement in Shannon’s condition, and can understand your wish that recovery be wide-ranging and swift. My best wishes to you all, and I hope that your return to your home is restorative for you on all fronts.
So glad you could go home and we will continue to send prayers for your daughter’s continued recovery.
We miss your post… butt family comes first. WeLCOme Home!
Thank you for ALL you DO.
Thank you, Judy, Justine and Ellen. It’s good to be home!
Welcome home!!!
Glad to know that Shannon is stable enough that you can be back home. Looking forward to your posts whenever you are able to resume. Please continue the status reports on Shannon, too. I hope you’ll be reporting lots of good milestones along the way to her recovery.
Glad you’re home, Ron – I’m with you on the heat and humidity. Is good Shannon’s mother is there for support for all. Hopefully Shannon will continue to improve and you will have a break from it all even if it will always be on you mind.