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KATHY AND BILL FELLERS write to classmates from JOPLIN

28/05/11

KATHY AND BILL FELLERS

write to classmates from JOPLIN, MO

WHEW … THEY ARE OK!!!

 

June 2011 update written to Linda Williams Burton:

Linda, Thank you so much for your emails and for forwarding my email to the girls.  Bill and I got back from Indianapolis Monday evening.  The surgery was successful and Bill has experienced no pain whatsoever.  The surgery lasted a couple of hours and Dr. Lineman came to the surgery waiting area rightaway and told me that everything went well and Bill would not need the catheter after they removed it the following morning which turned out to be true.  Bill didn‘t want me to come to the hospital early the next morning so I waited for him to call me which he did around 8 a.m. and told me everything was ok.  We are so thankful to everyone for their prayers and emails of support and thankful to Almighty God for his love and grace.  Joplin is gradually getting cleaned up.  I have never seen so many huge trucks carrying what is left of people’s homes and belongings to a dumpster near Lamar, MO which is just one of the places taking refuse from Joplin.  It is heartbreaking.  I have also never seen so many people coming to help people get back on their feet.  Organizations brought food, water, clothing, household items and money to give to people.   Churches are sharing their buildings with those churches who lost their buildings.  People who came to help cleanup,  policemen, doctors, firemen, electricians, came in droves to help and some are still here.  They can’t be thanked enough.  I will have my third chemo treatment next Wednesday.  The week following the treatment is usually the roughest.  The week before the treatment I usually have more energy and feel better.  Bill is semi-retired in that he works two days a week and will work during tax season.  He is also free to go with me for the treatments if I should need him.  Please keep us in your prayers until Bill’s recuperation period (about three weeks) is over and during my treatment of chemo and radiation.  The Good Lord willing,  I am planning to be in KC for our get-together.  Thanks again, Linda, for all you are doing to get it together for us and for forwarding my emails to the girls.  I will keep you posted.  Love, Kathy   

Written to Linda Williams Burton:

Hi Linda!  We came home early this morning from our daughters as they have a basement.  We drove over Sunday night after the tornado hit and all clear was sounded.  We did not realize to what extent the damage was done.   The area hit the hardest was in the central part of our city…..five schools were severely damaged, many businesses, restaurants, medical offices and one hospital severely damaged….not the one where our son-in-law works….but it took in as many of St. john’s patients as it could and sent some to surrounding hospitals…even sent children to hospitals in Kansas City….and did their best to save as many people as they possibly could.  Our son-in-law went to the hospital within 30 minutes after it hit and word started getting around of how bad it all really was.  The best means of communicating was by texting (Bill and I are now learning how to text.)  We couldn’t get through to anyone on the phone or cell phone and got in the car and drove to Cyndy’s.  (Our house was not damaged but we had siding, large slivers of wood, and lots of insulation from other parts of town in our yard.  The houses in our area were plastered with leaves.  The front of our house had so many you could hardly see what color the siding was.  The larger trees in the neighborhood took out out larger electrical, AT&T, and Cable One lines.)  We now have electricity, but no cable or TV of any kind.  We have a radio going and are staying up on the news that way.  There are so many people who are without homes but the city has come together, plus the churches and just people offering rental homes for some to live in awhile.  Lots of charities are helping.  It is heartbreaking to see the areas that were hit the hardest…….homes leveled, no trees, total devastation and to hear of how many died from being caught in the larger businesses shopping and taking cover and being caught in the debris.>>>  I had a chemo treatment appointment at 8;30 this morning.  It is a five hour treatment and usually after a treatment and the followup shot the next day to build up white cells, I feel rough for about four days, but then start getting more energy.  We have to get Bill to a hospital in Indianapolis for prostate surgery next week.  The surgery is scheduled for June 3rd and we plan to fly out June 1st.  Bill was extremely ill from an infection in the prostate area two weeks ago and was put in ICU to get the infection under control.  He was moved to a regular room after a couple of days  and we brought him home after his fever was down for 24 hours, but he is still on strong antibiotics.   He is feeling better and we can hardly wait until he has the surgery and is off the catheter….  I’m hoping to be in KC with all of you.  I will be having chemo every three weeks for 18 weeks.  That will end August 23 and I will have radiation treatments in September and hopefully will be “fit as a fiddle” by October.  Thanks for emailing us, Linda.  Would you mind forwarding this to the girls?  I think of our Oregon trip and how much fun we had and have been looking forward to everyone getting together again.  Sounds like it is going to happen and am hoping to be there.   Thanks for your’s and Donna’s work to make it happen and Susy’s!  Please keep Bill and I in your prayers.  Stay safe.  Am glad you have a basement.  They are life savers.   Kathy   
 
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