Greetings All,

Sorry, I didn't manage to get this posting out before Christmas as I had promised, but Myron's health took a turn for the worse and he was having difficulty breathing and we rushed him to Emergency early in the morning of the 24th. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and immediately put on oxygen and admitted into the hospital. The good news is that he has responded well to the antibiotics, and he is going to be released and come home tomorrow morning. God is still looking after the Dennis Family. While the pneumonia will take quite some time to be completely gone, the medical staff believe that he will be fine at home. We are just so happy that he is coming back home, and that we can be together again.

Myron in Emergency early on Christmas Eve morning

 

 

Visits from the family at the hospital Christmas Eve

 

Myron and I are so fortunate to have such a wonderful family as we do. There was not a word of complaint from anyone that our Christmas plans all had to be changed. Everyone just wanted the best for their father/grandfather. All of the kids and grandkids went to the hospital and spent some time with him, both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We all met here on Christmas morning, everyone opened their gifts (except for me, I'm saving mine until Myron is home and we can celebrate together) because Myron didn't want them to have to wait for their gifts. Following that we had breakfast and then I went to the hospital to spend the day with my Myron. Chris and family cooked Christmas dinner here and brought a plate up to the hospital for me later in the day - Myron didn't want any, but he can have a turkey sandwich tomorrow when he returns home.

 

 The Christmas tree on Christmas morning

Heidi, emotional over her gift of a photo of herself with her Dad

 

We are currently doing some furniture rearranging in the house to make things easier for Myron. Because of the pneumonia and also the chemo, Myron's breathing difficulties make getting around a split-level house very difficult. As a consequence, we are taking both a bed and a table and chairs to the family room level, so Myron can both sleep and eat there, on a level that has a bathroom, and yet he can still be a part of family life and not shut away in a bedroom. He can spend all his time there, and yet still be a part of things. Life is definitely not easy for Myron these days, but with his unbeatable spirit and sense of dedication to his family, he is still hanging in there doing everything he can to enjoy his time with his family.

 

Chris and his family visit their Dad/Grandpa at the hospital on Christmas Day

 

During the last couple of weeks prior to Myron's medical emergency, we had many visits from both family and friends. Myron's brother Larry and his fiancée Linda were down from Cambridge, his niece Shirley and her husband Jim from St. Thomas, his niece Leona and her other half Roddy from PEI, and most exciting of all, Myron's brother Phonsie came from Yellowknife for a few day's visit.

 

Myron with his brother Phonsie

 

While this year was not exactly the Christmas celebrations we had hoped for, we are just all so thankful that Myron is still with us, and is coming home tomorrow. Telephone calls, text messages and Facebook messages between members of both the Dennis and Sanderson families, and our many friends have kept the wires busy over the past few days as everyone has rallied in support of our beloved Myron. We thank you all for your love, your support, and your prayers for Myron and our family. It means the world to us. I will try to write again within the next few days after Myron has settled in, back at home. Right now I need to go finish my laundry and get the bed downstairs made up and readied for Myron's return home tomorrow morning. Then it's sack time for me, I need to be up and at the hospital before 8 am tomorrow to meet with Myron's oncologist before she leaves on vacation for a week. Once again, thanks for everything and love to you all.

 

Wendy