The Class  NEWSLETTER                                                                         3/06/17
         
   

 

 

 

MAIL CALL

Nothing, nada, zillch, zip, zero!

 

MINI REUNION

TJ, Class of '68

Sombrero Mexican Grill banquet room

2095 North Hwy. 69

Nederland, TX

11:00 am until

Saturday, April 1, 2017

 

We would like everyone that can attend to RSVP, if possible.

Please try to come, even if you can’t RSVP.

 

RSVP

Marilyn Jackson Williamson

(409)474-9209

marilynsjw@yahoo.com

             or

Ernie Castaneda Bullion

(409)718-6909

tbull50@sbcglobal.net

 

TJ '68 50th REUNION COMMITTEE

I sent out a request to ask for volunteers to be on our committee that will start in late summer.  I got one reply from Sharon Lewis Forrest:

“I would love to work on the committee planning the 50th Reunion.”

Glad to have you aboard.

 

NEWS FROM THE HOMEFRONT

I got to spend a couple of hours visiting with my sister, Gerry, for lunch.  My niece brought her and we met half way from Spring and Lumberton which is in Dayton.  It takes us both an hour one way.  We laughed and talked.  They got up to go to the bathroom while I watched purses.  As they walked back, Gerry saw me and was so excited to run into me!  Dementia!  It could be worse, though.

 

Dad is hanging in there and enjoying the spring temperatures.  He got several small boxes of chocolate candy for Valentine's day.  I give him a few pieces each time I go visit.  He LOVES his SWEETS! 

 

My physical therapy has started at Baptist Hospital in Beaumont.  I am improving EVERY DAY!  My muscles in my back haven't been used in months and that is what we are NOW working on.  Hopefully, I can do something normal this spring and summer. 

 

Well, you knew it couldn't be ALL GOOD around our house.  Murphy had been experiencing chest discomfort for a couple of weeks when doing an activity.  We finally called his cardiologist and got an appointment.  He scheduled an arteriogram for March 2.  Yep, two more stents.  That makes a total of 8.  Out of all that, he has had ONLY one heart attack (a blood clot formed last September due to being off of his blood thinners for a colonoscopy!) He is doing well but has to start back slow in his normal exercising and piddling around the yard. 

murphyjmcfadden@yahoo.com

7699 Boardwalk

Lumberton, TX 77657

 

SUPPORT

Reed Prejean (husband of classmate, Carol “Canny” Babin)

Reed had surgery February 3 to fuse 6 vertibrae with 2 rods.  He will be in a neck brace for a few weeks.

rprejean2@tx.rr.com

1507 Frontier Dr.

Arlington, TX 76012

 

updates on Gene Ross from wife, Jacque

Feb. 7

Another great doctors appointment.

Dr Griffin, the man that kept Gene alive, was thrilled to see him doing so well. He told Gene,  “Mr. Ross, you just don't know how close you came to the light and how close I came to cutting the arm off. We never knew from day to day if you were going to be able to hang in there. But, to see you doing so well today, I am just thrilled with how well you are doing.”

 

We will continue to do as we have been, since Gene's hospital release, to clean and dress wound at home daily on his arm which has shrunk from the size of taken up most of his arm to now less than half of his arm. The wound is shrinking in size and skin is continuing to grow over. They feel certain now that he will need no more grafting to the arm. Gene will also continue in his occupational therapy. 
Dr. Griffin is referring Gene to a plastic surgeon to see if they can help the wrist get more movement because it is locked in place. Regardless, if they can help his wrist or not, we are so tremendously blessed that he survived and has his arm and is doing absolutely amazing. 
Thanks be to God...

Feb. 22:

Gene had a visit with a new doctor yesterday, Dr. Norbury, a plastic surgeon with a dreamy accent from France. I really had a hard time concentrating on his conclusion of what Gene needs next because I was staring and listening to his accent LOL...

So, here is where things are with Gene's arm. The wound that once took up the majority of his far arm is now the size of a large hand print on the top of arm. What is happening is because they had to remove so much of the soft tissue and beefy material in initial first surgeries that the scar tissue has begun to really adhere to tendons and leaders in arm. This is causing his hand to pull upward and has frozen his wrist so not much movement is left. This is also happening around his elbow. 
The wound is hyper granulating and will take forever to heal. This doctor is saying in order to free up his wrist an elbow where it is freezing up will need a few more surgeries and the grafting will be needed with the wound that's left. 
They will be going in to remove the top layers of the wound to get back to the healthy tissue and good blood flow to do the grafting. This will give Gene a secondary wound on his upper leg where they will take his own skin to graft with. They feel that this will have a good outcome and give Gene much more mobility and use of his arm. Although Gene was anxious for his wound to heal and now getting this news of starting over is tripping him up a little,  we both know and understand that this is what's needed to be done for the best possible outcome. 
Gene will be in great well experienced hands of a most qualified doctor and we're blessed to have had such great doctors working with him. He will start all the procedures next week and will last over the next few months. This is just a small set back but once done Gene will continue to amaze.

maling2@sbcglobal.net

7752 FM 365

Beaumont, TX 77705

 

Loretta LaLonde Myers

Linda, you were so right! I was sitting around complaining about my hip pain, that I am still having 11 weeks after my surgery to clean the joint out! Then I read your newsletter and I know that my pain is nothing in comparison to some of my classmates!

I have an appointment on Monday to consult with a Pain Management doctor for possible targeted injections. I will let you know how that goes.

I would love to attend a mini reunion and will be waiting to hear when it might be. Glynn and I will be attending the All Catholic Reunion in March.

Keep those newsletters coming and I hope to see you soon!

Update on Loretta:

On February 22, Loretta got a nerve blocking injection in her lumbar area. 

lorettamyers@verizon.net

522 Beacons Hollow Rd.

League City, TX 77573

 

Ricky Bradley has been recovering from influenza B2 and pneumonia. 

rbradley73064@yahoo.com

9221 SW 99th St.

Mustang, OK 73064

 

Pat Trahan Knox is going to therapy to try to help her since her shoulder surgery in January.  She is still troubled by numbness in her arm and fingers. 

She praises her husband, Ray for being a prince.  He has been tireless in helping around the house doing all those wifely chores.  Pat has really been struggling since her injury is on her dominant right arm and hand. 

patknox@hotmail.com

925 Brandywine Dr.

Beaumont, TX 77706

 

CONDOLENCES

death of yet another classmate gone too soon

George Nolan Thomas

02/08/50 - 02/12/17

married to Becky Baker '70 and brother-in-law to classmate, Steve Baker

bat-tx2974@sbcglobal.net

Becky Baker Thomas

2633 Saba Lane

Port Neches, TX 77651

 

Terry Watson

(death of his mother, Mary Elizabeth Watkins Watson)

fwatson726@gmail.com

4717 Ravendale

Richardson, TX 75082

 

Lana Oliver Baker

(death of her daughter, Cassandra “Candy” Baker Atkins)

 

Candy was a beacon of light in an otherwise dim world. She brought love and joy into everyone’s life and made a lasting impact on anyone that had the pleasure of meeting her. Not ever shy or concerned with how people perceived her, she was always one to stand out in a crowd and march to her own drum. Candy enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, hiking, traveling, and simply living every day to its fullest. She was the Energizer bunny of people, and if you ever had the amazing pleasure of being someone she loved, knew, or even met for the first time, your life was immediately changed for the better. The world has lost one of its best resident’s and the human race itself is a little quieter without her voice. The only thing that has ever come close to matching her energy was her tenacity. Candy would go to the ends of the earth to defend a friend or loved one, or if you were ever in a debate; her point. Her sense of humor, while sometimes a little dark, was also extremely comforting, especially for a time like this, she would immediately make a funny comment just so she could share some of your burden and pain of a loss.

lanbak@yahoo.com

8813 S. 92nd E. Court

Tulsa, OK 74133

 

It looks as if we won't have a winter down here in SE Texas.  So much for having a fireplace.  My arms are all cut up pruning my knockout rose bushes.  I had gloves but didn't think about a longsleeve shirt.  It looks like a trac hoe went up and down my arms and blood was everywhere.  Didn't loose any weight, though.  Figure that.

 

Please contact those named in the SUPPORT and CONDOLENCE sections.  Consider volunteering for the committee for our 50th reunion. 

 

                                 Stay in touch and contact a classmate,

                                 Linda DeCuir McFadden

                                 lindadmcfadden@yahoo.com

                                 www.tjhs1968.com

 

     


                      

 
 
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