To my Karen: I love you.
To her followers: Thank you. The funeral services were this morning and I have stayed busy ever since and it is almost midnight. I wanted to get home to and write this message to thank everyone. And I do mean everyone. Those that were there and those that were thinking of us. It was an amazing service from where I sat. Some people didn’t have seats at all. The chapel was filled to capacity. People were standing along the walls. Even more were in the hall looking in. I have video but have not had a chance to watch it yet. I have still shots, too. Special thanks to my brother Darrell and his wife Holly for helping with that. Thanks to our pall bearers; Darren McIver, John Sprague, Gene Cornelius, Mike Giese, Keith Furbee, Bill Fitzgerald and Carlos Isaziga. Jack Reese of Jenks Avenue Church of Christ led the service. He has known Karen for a long time and extended family (Randy Wright) and her children Randy and Heather still go there. Jack did a great job and delivered a wonderful eulogy that honored Karen’s life but mostly her strength through the past 15 months. He remembered, as well did I, that when Karen was being taken on a gurney to surgery on September 23, 2009, both he and Carlos Isaziga caught up to us in the hallway before we made it into the surgery area. The transporters stopped and gave the four of us a moment to have a prayer. Surgery went well but two weeks later we found out that there were Leukemia cells in the tissue they had removed. He also recalled seeing Karen and I as we joined church service one of the Sunday’s that we were able to be in Panama City after her treatments had been going on a few months. What he noticed the most was not the colorful scarf but her smiling face as many of her old church family gathered around her, letting her know how much they loved her and were praying for her. That happy, smiling and beautiful face is what most people tell us they will always remember. Her family and I are very pleased that so many of you think of her that way because it is how we will always remember her, also.

There was a very heavy rainstorm happening at the end of the service which I felt was perfect! Seriously. It meant that rather than load up and go to the grave site, we were able to stay at Southerland. This gave people one more chance to see our sweet Karen and then talk with the family in the lobby. Another blessing for our family. We would like to let every single person who attended the service know what your presence meant to us. Whether it was because they knew Karen personally or were just there to show how much they cared for one of the family and felt the sadness that comes from losing a loved one, we were very touched by your support and love. I wish I could stand in front of each of you one more time, look into your face and hug you again. Especially the people who I did not actually get to greet last night or today. Wow! It was so crowded!!

If you don’t mind I would like to recognize three other specific groups that many of our guests belonged to. Eastgate Christian Fellowship is another church family that Karen has belonged to and still had ties to. Jacob, Dylan and their Dad Dennis Gallagher still go there. It is a fantastic church and their pastor, Rob Woodrum, was at the service as well. Karen’s parents have been part of the church family at Youngstown Baptist Church for a few years. There were many from there that came to see us as well. We were blessed to have Campus Pastor – Joe McLendon, there, too. The local Realtors turned out in mass. I had been a Realtor myself for 11 years and then worked at the Association office for 5 years prior to Karen’s diagnosis. Karen was able to attend one or two events a year with me for about 4 years. Not that many times when you think about it, but she had met many of the members with me. Both members that knew her and those that did not attended to offer me words of encouragement, understanding and support.

There were over 40 beautiful floral arrangements and plants. Thank you all so much.

A memory page has been created with a slide show with Karens song. The link to the Memory page is

https://karensday.com/?page_id=828

Visitation services will be on Tuesday, December 4, 2010 from 4:00 – 6:00PM.
Chapel service will start promptly at 10:00AM on Wednesday, Decemeber 5.
Please come early if you did not make it to Visitation. We will start arriving around 9:00AM.

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Don: New Years Eve Karen went to the emergency room at BMC. We went around 10:00pm. She was feeling weak and felt like she needed oxygen and also maybe her sugar was low. Some where around 12:30am we said “Happy New Year” and she remarked that she made it to 2011. After they did some lab work and took xrays and did a CT with contrast of the lungs, they decided to admit her. Shortly after getting into her room her heart stopped. They revived her with chest compressions and she is now on a ventilation tube and doesn’t respond to anything. She does swallow once in a while, that is good. Prayers are needed for her to fully come back to us. We are not really sure why the heart stopped. Basically it seems to have just slowed down and stopped. It may have had something to do with electrolytes being low, compounded by the many other issues that have been brought on by the treatments for the Leukemia. We may know more later.
– Dear God. Karen’s work here is not yet done. Please give her the time to complete the tasks that you have set before her. Please let her wake up so we can all tell her one more time, how much we love her.

Don: We are home, after all. The kids joined us Wednesday night and we had our Christman on Thursday. Friday they went home and we went in to clinic. They ran their labs on her blood and everything was within exceptable rangees. She sometimes needs plateletts but not this time. Since it was Christmas Eve they gave her some anyway and sent us on our way to Panama City. We have an appointment on Tuesday but we are in PC today!! Great to be home after 60 days. We went to Shands week before Halloween. Think about all you have done in that amount of time. For all of that but the last week, Karen was in Shands. That is a real drag…. but we are home for Christmas and that is a blessing! So once again, Merry Christmas. Don’t forget the reason for the season. Amen.

Don: OK, it isn’t Christmas Day for real but it will be the day we get to celebrate it with the kids and Karen’s parents. They will arrive tonight and stay all day tomorrow and leave on Friday. Karen is very excited to she her babies! Last year we had our celebration a whole week early in PC because we were going back to Shands before Christmas. It was wonderful. This year we are celebrating at the Red Roof Inn. We are rejoicing at having the family together, even if it isn’t at home or on the right day. It is going to be great! Merry Christmas to you all. Thanks for coming by.

Don: On Monday, Karen told the Doctor she wanted out of the hospital. He said, “OK. You can go on Wednesday.” Guess what? It really happened. It didn’t go real smooth and took ALL day but we got out. Things have improved on some points and still need improvement on others but none of that matters at the moment. She is out! This really helps her spirits a lot. We don’t know what is going to happen for Christmas. We may be able to run home for a short break. If not, Dennis and the kids are putting together a plan to have the kids here for about two days. Either way we do plan on having some time with the family. Merry Christmas to you all.

I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and had a descent nites sleep last night.  I got to speak a little with my Heather about some Christmas planning and all the children seem okay with lack of “presents” and some quality time together.  I love my family.  I am really looking forward to making some gifts and decorations and just worshiping our Christ as a family.  I would never let my babies do without, and Praise God, he has always provided in this family.  Thank you Jesus.

It is possible we may get discharged on Wednesday if my GI tract continues to improve.  Oh I just can’t wait!!!!!

Please continue to pray for my dear friend Sofia/sister thru Christ,  in treatment for brain cancer, and all the other people on your prayer lists.  If they are better, prayers of thanks.   And have the most Merry Christmas ever!

Hi everyone.  Well, I can think of better things to do than dealing with a small bowel obstruction, but the nurses and docs have been real good to me and I hope to see the light at the end of of the tunnel soon.  I want you all of you to know that I love you very much and especially my children.  Even though you may not get to hear from me daily, you 4 are always at the front of my mind and I am working hard to get home or at least to the camper by Christmas.  Remember that Jesus Christ our Savior, and God’s gift of him, IS, the true meaning of Christmas.  I would love to give each one of you all every gift you could possibly imagine, and my heart so bad wants to be with you.  Pray that mommie will get home soon and maybe we can have Christmas stockings and movies and games and family and fun just like old times! Maybe even a little tree (not our big one at home like at home that barely fits in the house, he he).  love karen