THE NONC ROY

My cousin Reggie has been going through 

a whirlwind, along with his brother, Jude and 

Reggie's wife, Vickie.

Since last Friday, when his Dad, My Uncle Roy,

was rushed by ambulance from our local DTB hospital

Lady of the Sea to University hospital in NOLA.

Heart attack caused by a septic infection in his bloodstream 

caused by his gallbladder stones getting stuck in 

the ducts that go to the liver.

The first night Reggie and I spoke he mentioned his

Dad had began to  turn yellow.

For my nursing mind, NOT GOOD.

I shared with him what he maybe could expect

in the next few days from the simplest of 

problems to the hardest, the big C of Pancreas....

I am so very glad, as sick as he is, looks like Cancer

is not the culprit. Reggie and I have always

been very close as kids, being the same age.

Time and families have had us loose touch sometimes

but when we do see each other, or talk it is like

no time has passed, yep one of those friendships.

Being one of two children, with his brother not

living here, lots of the burden of his parents are his.

Since this illness he and I have texted much, spoke

a few but for lengthy times.

Now that I have set up this long blog, I will switch

to my Uncle Irby Roy, married to my dad's baby sis,

(who he took in and raised when their parent died when

she was a teenager/young adult) Jeanette.

The words Odd Couple come to mind when I think of them.

Years ago, I wrote a blog following their 50th wedding anniversary

party. it is amazing that their differences find them together

so may years later.  

I can try and explain Uncle Roy as being a walking Church,

a walking Bible. He preaches to anyone who will listen

and anytime in any place. I say this with love

as he brings us many chuckles when we speak of him

and his love of God.

Then my Aunt Jeanie, a cussing sailor, she loves her God,

prays I am sure as much as Uncle Roy but in a different way.

As a younger child,

It has always been fun and interesting to visit as

Uncle Roy walked around teaching about the Bible and Aunt Jeanie

is cussing.... lol I say this as terms of endearment.

There are so many aspects to my childhood revolving around

this couple. When I was fighting cancer, these two took in 

my two siblings closest to my age as their own.

Having been in the hospital for 8 weeks without coming home,

they helped anyway they could and the siblings went from

their home to the home of my sister, Veronica.

My sister, Rosie, one of the siblings who stayed there lots

associates Uncle Roy with learning how to truly pray,

every night, she had written, he had them kneel by their bedside

in his home, and pray for their sickly little sister who may die.

While that sounds scary, MY Uncle Roy believed that

I could be healed from a cancer that was incurable through

good doctors and many prayers. He was right, here I am so many

years later......

Now that he is the sick one, No one deserves more prayers  

than this praying man. So, as I sit here writing this complicated

blog, I also ask that you pray.                                                                    

I could sit here and try to write this experience my Uncle

is going through, knowing that once his God heals him

he will have stories to tell us of possibly seeing Heaven,

Purgatory, or anything else his sick body has his heart and

brain thinking. Yet, I decided to write this blog after receiving

a text from Reggie yesterday, an update on his Dad after having

the scare of his life the night before when he was called

to the hospital because his Dad had taken a turn for the worst,

honestly they believed he was dying!

Yesterday morning I woke up to the most beautiful update

written by my dear cousin. Nothing I could write 

could be more beautiful.  With his permission I transcribe

his most touching text:

MORNING UPDATE;

MY FATHER WAS BASICALLY DYING IN MY ARMS

AT 5PM YESTERDAY.

HOWEVER, (i guess all his praying throughout all these years

paid off), THEY SOMEHOW MIRACUOUSLY REPLACED

THE THREE PINTS OF BLOOD HE LOST SUDDENLY

(in a flash). YESTERDAY WHILE BEING VERY PALE

AND MOANING LOUDLY IN HIS BED WHILE GASPING

FOR AIR, WITH HIS EYES CLOSED AND HEAD

COCKED BACK UP AT THE CEILING.

HOWEVER,  OVERNIGHT THEY FOUND

SOURCES OF HIS INTERNAL BLEEDING,  

HIS SMALL INTESTINE AND ALSO HIS ESOPHAGUS.

THE GREAT NEWS IS HE'S FIGHTING THREE MAJOR

BATTLES AT HIS AGE OF 85. HE STILL HAS HIS 

INFECTION, EXPERIENCING SOME HEART FAILURE

AND LASTLY, HIS LIVER, PANCREAS AND GALLBLADDER

ARE NOT WORKING UP TO SPEED. HE IS STABILIZED

THIS MORNING IN ICU. IT IS MY GIFT THAT MY

DAD IS ALIVE ANOTHER DAY AFTER WITNESSING

HIS QUICKLY DETERIORATING CONDITION

YESTERDAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!

YOU HAVE GIVEN MY FATHER ANOTHER DAY

ON THIS EARTH TO THANK THE GOOD LORD AND

ALLOW HIM TO BE ALIVE AND CONTINUE HIS 

TOUGH JOURNEY! THANK YOU....

THANK YOU!!!!

How beautiful is that? 

Prayers must continue as the table is turned and

instead of Uncle Roy praying for so many,

He needs all our prayers, from all those he has prayed for without

ceasing. My Uncle Roy, he can drive you cray cray

with his knowledge of the Bible, prayer but none

of what he is is for show, he truly loves his God

and believes in him. He walks the talk, doing

all he can to help others, one being all he did for 

our family way back in 1968.

As we all fear what will happen to Aunt Jeanie if

Nonc passes as she depends on him for everything.

Her health is not good, and as much as she fusses at him

we all know she loves him dearly and depends on him for 

everything. God has his plans and as I joked with my dear cousin,

Reggie over this hard week,

"If you Dad makes it out of this, think of the stories we will have

to endure of How he saw Heaven, how beautiful it is,

how we all need to pray, etc. he will have stories to tell

when His God heals him, love you"

my Reggie's response?

"Lololol I hate to laugh but darn, u are right!"

Yes my dear cousin, if you can find a reason to laugh a minute,

it's all good medicine.

Continue to pray for my electic uncle 

as he would do the same and does the same for all.

Pray for my cousins, Jude and especially Reggie who

carries most of the weight because he is closer,

he needs the prayers as well, having been sick himself.

Long road ahead but I believe in the power of prayer

and no one deserves that more than this dear,

Nonc Roy.

Blessings and Peace to all.

 Nonc and Taunt 

 Uncle Roy and Aunt Jeanette at their 50th wedding Anniversary

 Uncle Roy in my childhood home (before I was born) 

when courting my Aunt.

( Reggie and I along with his wife, Vickie and their daughter,

Lauren)