January 2024 Update

Happy New Year!

 

To finish up recounting our Christmas activities since I wrote you last, my barbershop chorus does an event every year we call Soup and Caroling, where we walk around the neighborhood of our rehearsal hall and sing to people.  There’s some homes and even businesses that plan for us every year, and have cider, hot cocoa, and snacks for us when we stop by.  We also invite friends and family to carol with us, and this year my daughter, Ella, and her family joined us, so that was really fun for me.  Truman didn’t quite make it the whole night outside (he got too cold), but he was a big hit with my fellow chorus members!

 

On Christmas Eve Day, my family had a special visitor who stopped by and read the kids a Christmas story.  Here's some pictures of them enjoying his visit.

Can you tell who our visitor is by his pants?!?!

 

In Sports, I just have to say:  Go Bills!  When we were 6-6 at the end of November, I was sure we’d be having to watch other teams in the playoffs.  But wow, what a run since then!  No losses!  And we actually get to play Kansas City in Buffalo instead of going there as we have for the playoffs and regular season for the last several years.  Hopefully, that will be the difference in us finally getting past the Chiefs!  I know they’re a tough team, and some of my readers are Chiefs fans, so I’ll just leave it at that.

 

After Christmas, we were delighted to have Amelia and Ben here to visit us from Kentucky.  We had lots of family get-togethers in different groups while they were here, and I hope they got to enjoy enough Rochester garbage plates to hold them over until they are able to come again.

 

Finally, I want to update you on my appointment with the thoracic surgeon.  Her name is Dr. Carolyn Jones, and she is actually the Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Strong Hospital, so nothing but the best for me.  She IS the best, because she said I was too young to have to live with my messed up digestive system.  Anybody that tells me I’m young is a good one in my book.

 

Anyway, she showed me the images from my swallowing test I had back in November, and told me that about half of my stomach is above my diaphragm (large hiatal hernia) and distorting my esophagus which is causing my swallowing difficulties.  Our next step is a couple of tests with her team to determine exactly what surgery they recommend.  Those tests should happen within a couple of weeks, and then we’ll probably do surgery within a couple of months to put things back where they belong, and hopefully keep them there.  Thanks for your continued prayers for me!

 

Until February!