Check out  our photos from Thanksgiving Day at Rob and Diane’s cabin in Lake Arrowhead.

PHOTO GALLERY

I have had a fascination for the young female pilot all my life.  She perished more than ten years before I was born; but her adventures and achievements caught my attention early on.

Now we have a grand-daughter named Amelia.  I’m quite certain that her parents were not thinking of the aviatrix.  Maybe “Amelia Bedelia” had a bit more influence.  In any case, the name finds its roots in the Latin, and speaks of hard work and industry.  For me, I just like the sound of the name.

Amelia.  Makes me smile.

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Our kids put together an amazing photo album as an Anniversary Gift.  You can take a look.  Enjoy!  Click on the photo or the link and then be ready to provide:

ALBUM ID: S2723438  | PASSWORD: 2750420

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With all of this talk about the health care crisis in the air and the acute need for reform, I suppose it is that much more likely that we will take the cynical view of doctors and nurses who get paid to help us get well.  We are quick to conclude “incompetent,” “negligent,” “frustrating,” “annoying,” “indifferent,” “uncommunicative,” “inability to listen,” “distracted,” “the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing,” “cost slashing,” “out of touch,” when we talk about our experience in the hospital or the clinic or the emergency room or the doctor’s office.  And if you’ve walked through the system lately, chances are pretty good you found evidence to bolster your case.

Maybe it is a nation-wide malady, fueled by talking heads and media shorts that make the doctor/patient relationship increasingly adversarial.  Throw in the insurance companies and the bean counters and the Hippocratic Oath gets lost somewhere in a footnote on the spreadsheet.

But then, along came Yolanda.

When we held our new little Rachel in our arms, with all the awe and wonder of new brothers and sisters and dad and grandma and grandpa all in that state of glory that shines and fills the room in the first few hours that follow the high level achievement of Mom’s delivery of a healthy baby, Rachel cried out.  At the time, we just thought she knew how to let us know that she wanted something.  We did not know that her sharp cry was a response to a piercing pain just under her neck towards her right shoulder.  We soothed her and sang to her and stroked her soft cheeks and informed her of her spectacular beauty and sweetness and laughed about her size and Kristyn’s amazing work birthing a nine pounder.  We took lots of pictures and posted them in the Internet for the world to see.

But nurse Yolanda noticed something.  Little Rachel’s lips had a bluish tint that just did not seem right.  She mentioned it to Kristyn.  We need to check this little girl more closely, she said.  Kris nodded.  “OK,” and handed the little bundle over to the nurse.

Yolanda convinced the powers that be that our little girl should be photographed by X-ray; and as they scanned the image over the lit board, they noticed that one lung was not filling up like the other.  As they looked more closely to find a cause, they found something else.  There, just under her chin.  A broken bone.  Unmistakable.  During that high-speed, high-powered exit passing through her mother’s birth canal (Kristyn called it “shot from a cannon”), little Rachel broke her right clavicle.

That not only explains the shrill cries, but it also explains the shortage of oxygen.  We know that her injury had the effect of slowing her breathing, decreasing the oxygen supply.  As oxygen level drops, breathing slows more.  We do not even want to think about the possibilities had Rachel’s broken bone and breathing difficulties had gone undetected.

As I left the children’s intensive care unit where Kristyn fed her newborn, I passed by the sink where I had earlier performed the mandatory scrub-down toward the exit and a nice nurse smiled and asked me if I enjoyed seeing my grandchild.  “Yes, indeed,” I replied.

Then I stopped.  “Do you know nurse Yolanda?” I asked.

“Yolanda on the day shift?”

“That’s the one.”

“Sure, we know Yolanda,” she nodded with a knowing smile.

I told her about the blue lips and the skilled observation and the ready testing and the broken bone and the trouble breathing.  And I said, “You are looking at one very grateful grandpa.”

She seemed to sigh one of those sighs that affirmed the Hippocratic Oath she affirmed way back there on graduation day.

“Would you please deliver a message to Yolanda?  Tell her that there is a Grandpa out there looking forward to delivering a warm thank you in person one day soon?”

“I certainly will.”

Early this morning we learned that Rachel’s clavicle was broken during he delivery. This explains why she cried that first visit. It hurt! She’s getting the best of care… Kristyn stays in the hospital unti Saturday.

UPDATE:  All’s well.  Rachel is home, healthy, active and growing, surrounded by brothers and sisters.  We are thankful!

While Barb and Heidi stood by, the physician called informing Mom that she would be released. She is at home now, resting comfortably. We are all praying that she gets a good night’s sleep.

Visitors today included Rob, Diane, Susan, Dale, Dennis Griggs (with a bouquet of flowers), Barb and Heidi (there for the better part of the day. In addition, Gloria’s daughter, Nancy Lanning (staff director, RN) was most helpful.

More tomorrow. posted via iPhone

We did it.. here are some photos from an amazing day.  The Duncans welcome their new little sister, Rachel Christine.

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Mom’s at Placentia Olinda, after two long nights of congestion and coughing spells.  They admitted her yesterday (Monday) at about four o’clock.  Lori is in town from Thousand Oaks, and spent the night monitoring the process.

She had a difficult night; which makes us all thankful she is in the hospital with careful monitoring. The doctors are sorting through tests.  We’ll post more as we learn more.

She’s been told about Rachel.

Please keep praying for relief.  This morning, she picked up “another cold,” which tells us her immune system is low.  She’s in a weakened state, and needs rest.

More later today.

From Memo on the weekend…

As you know, Mom had a tough weekend.  Rob and Karin worked together with Mom’s physician to admit her to the hospital with chest pains and a lingering cough and irregular heartbeat on Friday afternoon.   She was there for twenty four hours – Rob and Karin stayed close.

After thorough testing, it was determined that she did not have a mild heart attack, as we feared.  But she did have atrial fibrillation, a kind of cardiac arrhythmia, which will be treated with Coumadin (blood thinner) and another drug which helps regulate her heart.  In addition, tests indicated that Mom’s congestion is pneumonia.

While the doctor prescribed an antibiotic, Mom didn’t get an inhaler for relief of her cough until today.  When we met with her GP, we got the prescription and a referral for a pulmonary specialist.  Mom will meet with her in a couple of weeks.  The doctor said it would be best for the chest to clear up before pulmonary testing, which may give us some indication as to why she is vulnerable.

Thanks to Susan and Vera for standing by most all of Sunday.  Heidi for Monday, along with Barb in the evening.  Then tomorrow, Lori will be stopping by from Thousand Oaks.  Karin is up in Mammoth with Eddie while Terry and Bryan are fishing in Cabo.  (see post script)

Mom is still uncomfortable.  She’s been up for two nights straight with coughing spells.  She is short-winded, and tires easily.  We are all on alert…

It’s a girl!  Rachel Christine Duncan.  Nine pounds, four ounces.  Born about 5:15AM on Wednesday, September 2^nd.

Here is some of the detail.  I got a call a little after three o’clock yesterday afternoon – Ben said the contractions were getting strong.  Carolyn was busy finishing up her day over at Biola.  (Lori was gathering things up, getting Mom [Grandma Lorry] ready to head over to the emergency room at Placentia Olinda Hospital – see POST.)

I packed up fast and jumped in the car for Fontana.  Carolyn was behind me by about an hour.  We arrived to a family excited about the delivery.  Kristyn had been working on the treadmill for about an hour, then for a long walk with Grandma Carolyn just to be sure.  We had a ceremonial farewell on the driveway, and Ben and Kris were off to the hospital.  We all went back inside and watched a classic kid-flick, “Gooby.”

About nine o’clock, the front door opened just as the movie hit the big finish, and in walked Ben with Kris behind.  The doctors turned them away, and sent them home.  But not before they scheduled an appointment for Kristyn to have her water broken at eight o’clock the next morning just to get things going.

The kids all went to bed.  Ben said they would leave about seven the next morning.  I dropped off to sleep.

When I got up about at six, all was quiet.  I picked up my iPhone and turned it on.  A text message popped up.  “It’s a girl!   Nine pounds four ounces.”  I wasn’t sure my eyes were working right.  I looked again… sure enough, the message was sent only minutes before.  I called Ben.  He was in line at the McDonald’s drive-through, picking up a quick breakfast.  He filled me in.

Kris woke up with strong contractions somewhere around two-thirty or three.  By three thirty, they were in the car.  She was admitted about four, and Rachel was born shortly after five.  All natural.  No epidural.  The doctors barely got there in time.  “Don’t push!” they said.  “Let us get ready!”

Kris let them know in no uncertain terms that waiting was not going to happen.  Ben said she pushed hard three times, and boom.  Rachel was born.  “Wow!” Kristyn said to Ben.  “That HURT!”

Safe and sound.  Mother and child.

We are getting the crew ready to head over and meet Rachel.  Stay tuned for more stories, corrections and additions… and you can guess, photos, too.

Way to go, Dale. We’re all proud… Wheaton made a great pick.

Wheaton’s Announcement