A Special Request from a Special Lady . . .

A lot of you know Connie Williams.  If you don’t know her, but have ever attended a rubber stamp convention in the eastern U.S., you owe her a debt of gratitude – because I think hers was the first.  As I understand it, Connie went to a convention in California with Judi Watanabe (Judi-Kins) back in the early 90s, and came back to Cincinnati with a dream to start one of her own. 

Over the years, Stampaway USA grew and grew and grew – people came from 500 miles away, and I can remember lines going both ways all around the Sharonville Convention Center before the show opened.

Connie “retired” after the 25th Stampaway in 2017, but I think she will always be around the second weekend in August.  She and her husband Bob wanted to spend more time with their daughter in Atlanta and at their winter golf home in Florida.  But sometimes life gets in the way.  I got a message from her earlier this week . . .

Could use as many prayers as I can request. Greg, on November 8 Bob went in for a brain tumor surgery. It was successful and benign. The only problem, which the doctor felt could be corrected, was a nerve was stressed. The nerve affects vocal cord and swallowing. He was off to rehab and two days later back to hospital for a reaction to the steroids. Adjusted medication and a few days later back to rehab. Two days later tried to get out of bed and fell. Back to hospital and in ICU with pneumonia. Now a feeding tube through nose because food was going into lung. Then put on a ventilator, removed tube from nose and surgically put it in stomach. Two weeks later. . . yeah back to a hospital rehab facility. Lasted three days and sent to ER. Fluid draining through scar area. He is back on a ventilator and has MRSA. Tomorrow back to surgery to put a shunt from head to stomach to decrease pressure on the brain and then put a trach in to get him off the ventilator. It has certainly been a roller coaster ride these last 41 days! Hoping you can send prayers his way. Doctor has confidence that he’ll come out of this ok but full recovery may take 6 months.

Doctor said Bob would have died within a year if the tumor hadn’t been removed. It was massive. Discovered it two days before we were to leave for Florida only because in a doctors office I mentioned that I thought his tremor was a little worse. He sent Bob to get a CAT scan. Thanking God for that other doctor, too.

I’m getting a lot of reading and knitting done! Would rather have been in Florida.

So this Christmas season, as you are counting your blessings, please take a moment and ask for some blessings for Connie and Bob.

Thanks – and a very Merry Christmas to all of you.