Louise Williams

I would ask you to remember my wife, Louise Williams in your prayers. She is scheduled for surgery to remove the upper lobe of her right lung due to cancer. It is being done at Emory Hospital midtown in Atlanta, Georgia on September 14th.

Thanks Henry Williams

You and Louise have our prayers, Henry.

Bill

LaVon DeCrona

LaVon and I will not be attending this year AOM reunion, because she had a stroke on 1 August. It has affected her right side including her speech. The stroke was caused by a blood clot in her brain. There was no damage to her brain, only that part that controls her right side and speech. On 8 August she was moved to the rehabilitation hospital, which is an outstanding hospital.

Since she moved to rehab there has been a world of improvement in her speech. The right arm and leg are not moving too well on their own. She can slightly move her fingers on her right hand. She looks better and her attitude has improved. She gets tired after being in the wheel chair and doing her therapy. She is eating better.

Everyone on her treatment team works together to ensure she gets the best of care for her recovery. She has a Physical therapist, Occupational therapist, speech/language pathologist. She has one hour each day with each person of her team. Nothing on Saturday or Sunday.

She has a long way to go even after she is discharged and comes home. I hope she will get more use of the arm and leg this week.

We estimate that she was on the floor 10 minutes before I saw her and called 911. They started her treatment soon after arriving at the hospital.

Don and for LaVon

Matt Lathrop

I am profoundly appreciative for what you do for AOM. I would like for you to somehow add a few lines on the prayer blog for Matt Lathrop. This is an excerpt from the letter he recently wrote:

.... Myself, a relatively young veteran Navy 78-90, Guard 91-97. Just have finished my fourth service connected surgery in 20 month's ten days ago. Back on active duty Charlie Humbard (Wayne Epps little brother) and Dean Fauber, helped me get along when both my hands were in cast for about six month's. How could a Mineman do his job with both hand's casted. What a site and a challenge for all. Other times different injuries not only to myself but with other too. Coworkers who had emotional, family, substance abuse, work environment, finance, generally other issues were in need of brotherly help. We came together as brothers and sisters to lend a hand. Most Det.'s then were 15 to 30 people. Small enough to care and help each other. Right now I am recovering from surgery where some metal that's been in my right hand since 1981 at Det. 01. VA removed the damaged bone from my wrist. As I look back with my current cast on that right arm. I look back at Charlie and Dean's brotherly help and concern for a young twenty year old kid. Sent back to Det. 01
with two casts on his arms. It was there soon after I helped to avert a shipmat'se attempted suicide in our storage yard. He had just cut his arm(s) and wrist(s) with a box knife. Me, well he chased me in his frustration trying to cut me too when I tried to get the box knife from him. The guys in the Production deck wrestled him down, saving his life. So each Det. or Group for a season or time become brothers with "philios" toward each other.....

Matt is a believer in Christ and his letter to me made a big impact. If you can find the right words for the Prayer Blog I'd appreciate it. This young man really needs to be lifted up to the Lord.

Blessings,
--Derick

Cecil Still Needs Prayer

7/27/2011 - "Just wanted to give you an update on my dad. He is doing
well. Off ventilator, eating & drinking a little. Had him sitting up
in a chair for about an 1.5 hours this morning. Left the hospital for
a while this afternoon so he could get some rest, he was pretty tired
from sitting up for so long. I will relay all your messages to him."

7/30/2011 - "Just wanted to give everyone an update on my dad. He had
a pretty rough day on Friday. Having issues with swallowing due to
ventilator. He was having difficulty with trying to take all the
pills they were giving him. They did a swallow test on him and he
failed it so, they decided to put in a feeding tube through his nose.
Unfortunately, this proved to be quite difficult. He kept telling
them that they would not be able to get it done without knocking him
out. After 4 attempts, they finally had to knock him out to get it in
with the help of a camera. He wanted them to give him a feeding tube
through his stomach, like he had with his throat cancer. We're just
waiting until Monday when all the doctors come back in to see what
they are going to do.

Regina Martin Leuck, Cecil
Martin's Daughter

This is no time to slack up on knee time. Bill

Cecil Is Doing Well

Hi All,

Just wanted to let you know that Cecil had a triple bypass this afternoon. He is doing well. The doctor was very pleased with how he did in surgery and that they did not have to put him on a heart/lung machine during the procedure. He is still sedated, and will be until tomorrow. Hopefully they will be able to take him off the ventilator in the morning.

Will keep you posted on his progress.

Regina (Martin) Leuck

Thank all of you for your prayers for our shipmate Cecil.
Bill

Cecil Needs Prayer

Just thought I would let you all know that I suffered a heart attack on 9 June at Waukegan, IL while attending the PBR Forces Veteran's Association, Inc. (PBR FVA) reunion. Was taken to the hospital where they placed two stents into the right coronary artery. They further stated that I was in need of By-Pass surgery.

Was getting ready to go to the RTC, Great Lakes to speak to the young folks there when I was stricken. (Heck of a way to get out of a presentation!!! :=)

I managed to finally get home yesterday after spending much of last week at my daughter's home, after getting out of the hospital, and having her run me back and forth to the VA in Danville and Indianapolis.

So far doing fine but the Cardiologist told me yesterday that I will be going to Indianapolis VA, supposedly within the next 7 days, to determine if I will need the open heart surgery.

Take care!!

Cecil

You don't need me to tell you what to pry for, just please do it soon and continuous. Use the PUSH system (Pray Until Something Happens).

Bill

Betty Wilson Update 12/2/10

We got a phone call from David, Willy's brother in Cincinnati, with an update on Betty. She is doing well with rehab and is just about weaned from the ventilator. They supplement this with the oxygen tube thing in the nose bit and she is a little more active each day. She is fully coherent and can converse and all her vital signs are strong. She is deeply saddened by Willy's death, of course...says "she wants to go home, but Willy won't be there." The family is not to happy with the hospital and staff where she is. She had one incident where the "call button" on her bed was not working and she could not get anyone to respond until they came in for a medicine round some hours later. I can hear Betty now!!! All in all, the prognosis is good. I don't know if she will be released in time for Christmas, or where she will spend the holidays at this point. I'll keep you updated as I get word. Toby sends.

Praise Confirmed for Curtis

A CAT scan last week confirms that Curtis Christian is cancer free. PTL!

Bill

John Opocensky

John Opocensky, one of our oldest and dearest Minemen, was put back in hospital yesterday, October 20th, with blood clots in both lungs. This is a result of the fractures he suffered in his leg. I spoke to him today and he is doing well. Wife, Kitty and daughter, Betty Sue, are with him and have confidence in his recovery. A card of cheer would probably be in order. They can be sent to the hospital at:

John Opocensky - Room 324
Trident Health System
9330 Medical Plaza Drive
Charleston, SC 29406

or to John's home at:

John Opocensky
621 Oxford Road
Ladson, SC 29456-6271

John was at our 2010 reunion and afterward, resisted going to the hospital in spite of this life-threatening issue. He enlisted in the Navy seven months after Pearl Harbor and retired in 1972.

Derick S. Hartshorn
Chaplain-AOM

Reynolds (Rey) Becker

Last July Rey visited us for a couple of weeks and he was looking forward to attending the AOM reunion to see many of his old friends. We heard at the reunion that he wasn't able to attend the reunion because of medical problems, so we called him when we got home. He could not make the reunion as he did not have transportation.

For a time Rey had problems swallowing and one night he had to call 911 for emergency treatment. Before they arrived he had passed out and was on the kitchen floor when they did arrive. He had to crawl to the door to let them in the house. Later tests proved that he had a growth in his Esophagus and that it was cancerous. He had a series of radiation treatments and was feeling like a new person at 90 years of age.

Tuesday night he told us that he was to see the doctor about Chemo treatment, which he was not in favor of experiencing. We called again last night (Wednesday) and he will start his Chemo next Wednesday for four Wednesdays at the lowest grade just to be sure that they have removed the cancer. He will not loose his hair.

He said that he feels great. At his last annual physical the doctor said that he had a very strong and healthy heart.

As we learn more about his treatment, you will be updated.

Don and LaVon DeCrona

Radiation Therapy Finished For Mary Ann

I finally finished my chemo/radiation regimen on Wednesday, August 25. But over the last few weeks I've been feeling some effects from it. I'm very tired, sleep a lot, and do not feel much like eating as my stomach is hurting so much. I hope that goes away soon. It's really a pain in my stomach, not intestines, and I'm a bit nauseous, but not sick. It doesn't last all day, just comes and goes depending on when and what I eat. And I've been really depressed because one of the ladies I met when I started doing chemo passed away Saturday the 21st. I had just seen her the Wed. before. I don't know what happened. She had inoperable pancreatic cancer, but I didn't think she was in danger of dying. The nurse at the oncology office couldn't believe it either, it was such a shock.

Yes, the chemo/radiation wasn't really bad except for the daily trip to get it and the pump and line in my arm 24/7. I am so glad to be rid of those but will miss my nice nurses at the radiation office. After that it was a trip to the oncology office in Newport News to get the pack and line out. They took the bandages off (they were replaced weekly) and my arm looked like I had chicken pox. It itched a lot under the dressing and you could see I was having some sort of allergic reaction to it, so I am glad that was the last of it. They took the pick line out then too. I didn't even feel it. The area is healing okay, but still itches even 5 days later. I'm still feeling some of the effects but in the next week or so things should improve. I'll have blood work done and another cat scan in 6 weeks. I am not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination. So keep thinking good thoughts for me.

Thanks again for all of your love, prayers, support, concern and just being there for me. You certainly lifted my spirits in so many ways and I am more than grateful and very blessed.

Have a great Labor Day celebration and upcoming fall! You know I'll keep in touch.

Hugs and kisses,

Mary Ann and Eric

......this does not give license to slow down on the prayers. Remember, it is PUSH...Pray Until Something Happens. The happening we want is a completely clean bill of health. Bill

Lana Hartshorn Doing Fine After Back Surgery

Lana Hartshorn came through her back surgery OK and we would like to thank all for their
thoughts and prayers. Derick Hartshorn

"Chief Zoc "Zygmund Chuhay.

I had a message from Don Jones regarding "Chief Zoc "Zygmund Chuhay.
He's ailing some. A small tumor has adversely affected his hearing in
the left ear. Expensive medications are a burden for him. He's also
having problems getting copies of required medical records from
private physicians. Some records were lost in a fire. If you get a
chance please give him a call or send him a card of cheer.

He is at:
Mr. Zygmund Chuhay
Broadview Assisted Living Center
2310 Abby Lane
Pensacola, FL 32514

If you care to send a birthday card for his 89th birthday, it will be
on February 14th.

He loves to talk on the phone so if you choose to give him a call,
his phone number is: 1-850-505-9908

Derick Hartshorn 1/19/2010 DerickH@charter.net