FROM: Carol
Aug 22 @ 12:08 PM

Larry and Lea: Kathy and Barb have sent me all of the e-mails you have written over the last weeks regarding Lea’s recovery process and I’ve read them all and probably cried a few tears on each one of them. We have a very close family which I am so grateful for. I know living miles apart like alot of our family do, it’s hard to visit each other. The internet e-mails have helped tremendously. I also know even though we are cousins, even growing up as kids, Lea and I weren’t as close as maybe we would of liked to have been, but we still loved each other as family. God does work many miracles!!!! I personally have had a few in my life time.

Living here in Las Vegas has been hard and different, since I’ve never lived anywhere else but in Hannibal all my life, but it has been so nice to finally live with my husband. He has traveled all over the states working for the last 5 years splicing telephone cable. It was a little hard living apart for us but we survived! We felt leaving dad (your Uncle Jimmy) was not a good thing to do since he had his heart surgery and his back surgery and there was no one to care for him during his recovery period with Mom gone and Wes and Jimmy having to work to care for their families. God finally told us in March that it was time to go be together. Dad was doing well for a long period and He made things work out with our house in Hannibal (Sonja lives there), and other things. Now Terry is not subcontracting for Mastec but is an hourly contractor and is installing street lights and cameras and doing splicing on the side when hot jobs occur (which is pretty frequently out here). He loves his work and the people he works with. Mastec has sent him to Phoenix, AZ to school for more training and he will be returning for more training the end of October.

Now for our little miracle!!! Gredin Michael is our grandchild who just turned four years old on August 18th. Terry and I have custody of him. He lives with us here in Vegas and he is the most precious child. As you probably know, he has Downs Syndrome. We had no idea he had it until he was born. It was quite a huge surprise and my daughter (being a single mom) has never really accepted it. He was born physically healthy which was a miracle in itself. Most Downs children are born with severe heart problems and intestinal problems.. (Gredin did have a small hole but it has closed up and the heart murmur is gone). He has great hearing and his vision is perfect. (Downs children usually have to wear glasses even at age two). The eye specialist told us he will never have to have glasses until he reaches an age of 40 or so like everyone else. Gredin is in school. He started preschool at age 3. He loves it. He will always be a little slower learning things than normal children his age but I thank God every day for his good health. Being a new mom at age 50 when he was born was something I didn’t think would happen to me but he has been a total blessing and I love him as if he were my very own and Terry and I have had wonderful experiences with him. I pray God will give me the strength and continued good health to raise him.

Danny and Kathy, and Jim and Gayle will be flying out here to Las Vegas on September 3rd for a few days to stay with us. I am so looking forward to that. I know we will have a good visit. Need to go for now. Gredin is getting up. I will find time to send a shorter note later! I will continue to pray for your recovery. God has blessed our family and I know he is looking out for yours.

FROM: Marlowe
TO: John
Aug 22 @ 9:19 AM

Hi John, Thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to Lance and Larry. You are one of the compassionate Christians Larry is referring to: Those prayers, I think, must surely be the most powerful prayers, because they come from people who don’t even know Lea, but are often offered up because of the love felt for that person for whom they are praying. That is selfless. That is Christian love.

This week’s Sunday readings included one from St. Paul which speaks directly to my point about God’s will and the mystery of why some prayers for healing are answered and some don’t seem to be.(according to our expectations) “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? Or who has given the Lord anything that he may be repaid? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” Romans 11: 33-36

—–FORWARDED MESSAGE—–
John wrote:

Thanks for these updates. We miss you guys. I have sent brief, hopefully encouraging e-mails to Lance and to Larry

FROM: Dave
Aug 22 @ 1:08 PM

Just a reminder to keep Karen’s family in our prayers.

—-Original Message Follows—-
FROM: Karen
Subject: Larry & Lea Update from Dave

Hi, I just read the update from Larry and it sounds better, he is really struggling with this illness and has coped much better that anyone I have ever heard of going thru this type of illness.He is willing to do whatever it takes to get Lea to have a quality of life for years to come, lets all hope and pray that’s what he will get news on today. Today when the dr. returns from his vacation, Larry has lots of questions for him and hopefully he will give him some solid answers and good news…………….

I start a new job today, and will have my cell phone with me. On Sunday Bill, my brother and Glenda my sister will meet in Madison, Wisconsin for a Monday consultation and day of tests to see where we are going with this possible organ transplant in the very near future. So add a extra prayer this week for my family and we’ll hope for the best also. Later

FROM: Jonathan
Aug 22 @ 3:36 PM

Larry – Roxanna has been kind enough to send each day your remarkable updates on Lea. I marvel at her resiliency and your resolve. Rarely do we witness an act of devotion, a belief in faith, and a promise of uncompromising love as you are sharing with us. May the grace of God be bestowed on your both, and may His will be done, so that neither Lea nor you suffer needlessly, but endure with strength of character and clarity of wisdom in His reward of everlasting life.

FROM: Lion Lee
Aug 22 @ 6:48 AM

Larry, Jane and I follow your emails every day. We are so hopeful for Lea’s return to good health. Thank you for including us on the updates. Jane and I visited Joe Stroup yesterday. It was so good to see him. He says he is doing what the doctors say and expects to be in the hospital for 3-4 weeks. He was very complimentary about the care he received in Hartford. He did say the hospital food is better back here in Indiana! Keep your spirits up. We are pulling for you and Lea.

FROM: Julia
Aug 22 @ 4:05 PM

Hi Larry, My thoughts and prayers are with Lea, you and your family. Your daily updates on Lea’s condition are so inspirational and full of love. Thank you for touching my life in such a special way. I, like so many others, am re-evaluating the state of my marriage and my relationships with loved ones, because of your message. I don’t want to be too late in talking about the important things in life. I pray that God will give you peace and comfort.

FROM: Marilyn
Aug 22 @ 8:27 PM

You have been in my head and heart all day as Ray and I tooled in and out of the hospital and doctors’ offices! Nothing like what you are experiencing, but tiring anyway! His PSA is now at 45, more than doubled in last few weeks, and the doctor may consider putting him on a new once a month chemo injection. He goes back in 6 weeks after another CT and other scans. He is pain free because of his intrathecal pain pump, so that’s good. He is a highly anxious patient and hard to read some of the time. He has a permanent catheter and uses a walker or cane 95 % of the time. I am most watchful when he goes without one or the other because the hips are so weak, one from arthritis, and the other with cancer.

We are enjoying a respite from some storms and very warm weather the past few days, a welcome change and I took advantage to cut back the day lilies. Would you believe I had to buy a clipper because I got rid of so many things when I moved to Bloomington, doubted I’d be needing one! Surprise, surprise.

I enjoyed Lance’s web site and the lovely pictures of the two of you in Maine where my middle daughter (Toni) lived for a few years, and at the Alamo where I was a tourist two years ago! Colleagues and I attended a convention in San Antonio, so we did the tourist gig, including River Walk. Last summer we were in Orlando and did the Disney bit. This year I really retired, and did not go to D.C. with them. I will miss the teachers and my buddies with whom I have traveled since being involved in READING RECOVERY (1990-2005) but I just cannot continue managing school schedules and all Ray’s medical issues and appointments if I am to enjoy my family at all. I moved here in 1998 to be near Traci and her little ones, but this 2nd marriage deal has taken up lots of my time! Mercy! Traci’s children are now 9 and 10. (4th and 5th grades this year)

I truly hope things continue to improve, and that Pam’s visit with you has been refreshing. She has been so dear to share your messages and a bit of her personal life. You remain in my prayers daily, and I thank God for his wonderful mercies to each of us.