New Addresses

Dad
23770 Hospital St.
Cassopolis, MI 49031

Esther
Box T-1063
2065 Halfway Rd.
Deerfield IL 60015

Emily
69702 Knottingham Lane
Edwardsburg, MI 49112

Kimi
462 Jones Ave.
South Haven, MI 49090

Let me know if there are any other changes.

We were helping at the KAR Adoption event at PetSmart and decided to have our picture taken with "our dog", Zim, with Santa. Even if it was a fund raiser for Pet Resourse Network.

This coming Saturday Santa will be supplied by Kalamazoo Animal Rescue. If they are desperate I volunteered to be Santa. Lynda isn't thrilled with the idea of me around all those strange animals for 5 hours.

Check Up

Jennifer saw her doctor today for a follow up to her surgery last week. He said she is doing great. The more detailed look at the lymph nodes showed she is in good shape. There were only some random cancer cells which can result fom the surgery itself, but there were no clusters of cells which is really good. The testing that they did following the surgery indicated that the mastectomy was the correct decision. The drainage tube was taken out, and she can use her arm as much as she can. So she called work and told them she would be back Thursday.

Dad's New Home

Dad had fallen down and had been to the hospital several times in the days before he went to the Care Center. He stays in a wheel chair now except when he is doing therapy. His medicine seems to be helping him. Although he is quite confused, he is not nearly as stressed. The food is really good there. Dad is eating much more nutritiously, and they even let him have dessert. There is an alarm on his leg in case he goes out a door, a belt on his wheelchair so he doesn't stand without assistance, and an alarm on his bed so he doesn't get up on his own. So he is in a much safer environment. Today when we got there, he was keeping Pat company while she gave out meds. He was telling me how he had spent the morning working with his dad in the barn. Yesterday I brought him some new shoes and jeans. He was very excited that his long lost brother would do something nice like that for him. :)

Vertigo Again

Kay had a really bad attack of vertigo the day after Dad went to the Care Center. She had been to the dentist and got really sick on the way home. She pulled in the nearest drive which happened to be the new St. Joseph Hospital in Mishawaka. A security guard was able to get her from her car into the emergency room. When Jennifer and I got to the hospital, she didn't look very good. She couldn't open her eyes or move her head without throwing up. The vertigo has continued off and on since then. Fortunately the ER doctor prescribed a medicine for nausea that works well so she hasn't been sick to her stomach since the first night. The attacks are less severe now. But she has to spend most of her days laying in bed or resting. She is VERY bored. Hopefully she will be much better by next Sunday!

Jennifer's Progress

Jennifer and her doggies spent a couple nights here while recouperating from her surgery. But she is beginning to feel better. The only pain medicine she is taking is vikoden in the evening. She was able to go to church this morning and visit Grandpa at the Care Center. Actually the arm on her left side is bothering her the most (surgery was on the right side). When she had her MRI done the day before surgery, some of the dye went out of her vein causing much burning. She may need another antobiotic. Her chemo will resume after the first of the year, just 4 more sessions.

Benson Christmas 2010

Next Sunday at 1:00 will be the Benson Christmas! I have not done well this year at getting things organized. But we are finally have the plans made and are excited for the day to come. Hopefully, everybody's name was given out, and there will be a gift for everyone. Each of us has a name from our own generation and one of the kids to buy for. Dad/Grandpa won't be here next Sunday. But I'm hoping to take a bunch of presents in for him on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. If anyone who won't see Dad before Christmas wants to bring a gift next Sunday, I can deliver it. Ideas I would suggest: Planters Cashews, mini kleenex packs, sugar free cough drops/hard candies, macdonalds gift cert. for take out coffee/sandwich, soft black socks, pajamas L.