H1N1 Flu, Hawaii Conference, Spanish Fork Cleaning

Ahhh, January, the beginning of “getting everything ready for the tax guy…”

Actually, January this year was a little more exciting than normal. Dave and Cole left for home on January 1st in the afternoon after Keira and John’s adventure on Jazz, and John went to lie down because his shoulder was sore and he had developed a little cough. Forward to Thursday morning, the 2nd. I was helping some international missionaries at the MTC when my phone rang (most of the time, I don’t turn it on because our reception in the basement of 11M is not very good). The caller ID showed John’s number, and when I said “hello,” I heard a very faint voice wheezing, “I collapsed and am in the ER at Park City.” I arrived at the hospital an hour later, John was hooked up to an IV, his vital signs were irregular and he was delirious and severely dehydrated (the doctor told me his lactate levels were so high that they were worried about muscle damage). He needed oxygen to breathe. He was admitted to the hospital, and the next morning, was diagnosed with H1N1 flu (swine flu). He was one sick man!! When I was able to bring him home, he had to be in isolation and I wore gloves and a mask whenever I entered his room. He still needed to use the oxygen machine, and was very sick. It took him three weeks to “get better,” and he is still a bit more tired and run down than usual.…..(message here for everyone—GET YOUR FLU SHOT, especially if you are regularly in contact with many people)…

John’s winter medical conference was on the Big Island of Hawaii again this year, and the weather and easy lecture schedule aided his recovery. As always, I loved getting up before the sun came up to run and exercise, and we enjoyed a couple of afternoons reading poolside under the umbrellas. We snorkeled a few times, and on Saturday before catching the ‘red eye” back to the mainland, spent most of the day at Hapuna Beach, where the surf was higher than normal and the waves were wonderful for body surfing.

We were able to participate in an endowment session at the Kona Temple during the week also, something we always look forward to.

Sunday morning, our flight arrived an hour before Stake Conference began. Dave and Marianne and Thomas were waiting for us at the airport while Megumi saved seats in the chapel of the stake center in Heber. We had time to shed our traveling clothes, don Church clothes, and thanks to our great family, were sitting in our seats before the meeting began at 10:00am.

It’s great to be home. It’s great to be part of an eternal family. It was good to see Bob and Ruth before they returned to Connecticut, and to be able to help a little with the refreshing (cleaning out) of the Spanish Fork Gardner home. We loved sitting with family in the Tabernacle and listening to Lillian play beautiful music on the violin with the Utah Youth Symphony. Heaven will be like that, only better because ALL of you will be there, too.

Happy Valentines’ Day, favorite people!

Love,

Uncle Johnny and Aunt Carole