Don: Karen is in the hospital and Don in no longer working at the Bay County Association of REALTORS®. Yep, that’s the facts.

Karen is doing fine and we hope she will get out today. Her last note told you all how great she was doing. It was true. This turns out to be a reminider that we are not out of the woods yet, prayers are constantly needed and we need to take one day at a time. Her liver enzymes got high and her white blood cells got low. This was the day after we got permission for her to go back to Panama City with me for a couple days as I was to return to work on August 2. What a difference a day makes. They made a change to her medication and we went back on Friday (two days) and the levels moved back in the right direction. Just not enough. We went back the next day and things were still not right. They wanted to see if the medication was going to have the desired effect so Karen was scheduled to go back on Monday. The same Monday I was to turn to work, she would not be able to come home for a couple days after all. That was a little disappointing for both of us but the risks versus rewards of trying to squeeze in the trip were too high. Monday things had not changed enough to keep the Shands staff happy so Karen went in the hospital. They take such great care of you at Shands both in the outpatient clinic and if you are admitted. Obviously it is easier for them to spoil Karen with their kindness if they have us 24 hours a day. Karen has let them pamper her for two days. We are still dealing with an unknown issue in regards to her liver so they did a biopsy late yesterday. We should have more information today. That’s where the prayers need to focus, please. We need to get results that identify the true issue she is having and that God’s hand be on her and the staff as they fix her up!

What about Don not working at BCAR? I left Karen in Gainesville on Sunday night, went to work to return to my job, was offered a different job (that’s OK, I would have enjoyed that change) at 56% of the hourly rate I was making when I was granted a leave of absence to be with Karen during the longest and most dangerous portion of her leukemia treatment. After a short discussion, I gracefully left the building. No getting mad, no yelling. I would like to still go back but for today I am starting day three of no longer being an employee at BCAR because of the pay scale change.