Long time no speak!!!!!
So sorry, I’ve been asleep at the switch! For the past several days I’ve been deeply involved in family issues. The short story, is my son Wesley, (above), checked into the emergency room on Friday morning, pale as a ghost and weak. I joined him there and after a morning of tests it was determined he had lost over 4 pints of blood. An immediate series of tests were done to find the point of bleeding, and start transfusions. Some years ago I was in that same emergency room with a GI bleed in almost as bad a shape as Wes. Unforutnately there was no evidence of a bleed, which led to the more feared possibilty of some form of blood cancer. Over the weekend and into Tuedsay, (yesterday), we waited to hear what we feared was going to be bad news. A lot prayers went up and we placed it in God’s hands.
When we met with his hematologist yesterday she said it was a puzzle, in all the tests, lymph node removal, bone marrow extraction, and tons of blood work they could find no sign of Lymphoma. More tests will now follow, but I trust it was an answered prayer, whatever issue casued the loss of the blood, I’m confident will be found and treated. I wanted to post about this and ask for prayers, but Wes insisted we know what were battling before I went public. Well we still don’t know for sure, but your prayers for Wes would be coveted and appreciated. His level had dropped all the way to 3 normal is 15 to 16, after 5 units of blood he was up to 8 and the next day he had gone up another one and half to 9.5! We were all waiting to see how much it would drop! Score one for my Heavenly Father. Stay tuned and I will keep you up to speed!
Sadly our planned night photography workshop in Arches has to be cancelled! Got a note this morning from the Park that they will be doing road construction from March 2017 to November 2017 and the park will be closed in the evening from 7:00 p.m and not open again until 7:00 am. pretty much killing some key shooting times and making night photography from within the park impossible! I am looking at other possible locations and will advise those signed up soon, if we cannot replace the location we will refund deposits.
This brings me to a “potential” decision. In recent years I’ve found it all but impossible to work with many of the parks we attend, fees get higher and the paper work much more involved. One park asks for a detailed plan for waste disposal. I jokingly put on the paper work I use the park provided restrooms, they didn’t find it humorous, I did! All parks now require a financial report at the end of each year asking what my gross income was from workshops. I requested to know the total cost of office supplies from one park, per year, once again, the joke was lost on them! I’m certain that the plans are being laid to charge workshop companies a fee based on what they gross, no thanks, not going to take part in that! Last time I checked the National Parks belong to us, and the people that administer them work for us, the American people. With the exception of the Great Smokies, Acadia and Zion N.P. who all have continued to be very workshop friendly, I’m seriously considering reducing my National Park workshops down to a minimum in the future. In my humble oninion we need to drain the swamp faster, and I’m not talking about the Everglades!
Our numbers for the Old Car City event to benefit St. Judes Children’s Hospital is small. I really want to make a contribution to this great orginization and $595. is a killer low cost for this great location! We will be a small group and obviously you will get lots of personal attention, please consider joining us!
Tomorrow night I will be at the Chattanooga Camera Club, hope to see my friends from that area then!!!
Saturday the 18th all day class at Grace On The Hill in Corbin!
See you out there!!!!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 15th, 2017 at 7:31 pm
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Bill
I will certainly put Wes in my prayers. Please keep us posted.
John
Bill
Prayers for Wes!
Wayne
My prayers and best wishes for Wes. Even before I read your post there was no doubt in my mind he was your son.
Thoughts and prayers for Wes and your family, Bill.
No need to apologize. You were not asleep at the switch. You were taking care of family. You can count on the prayers from a multitude of us.
I hope to see you tomorrow. I’ll be driving in with family from Raleigh and should be able to get home and then head to the program. If you feel you need to stay closer to home, do so. We may be disappointed if you are not at the program but we know you are doing the right thing.
Blessing on you and the family.
God bless you and your entire family right now, especially Wes! You are all in our prayers my friend.
Brad
Praying for your son! God Bless him and heal him.
Wes and your family are in my prayers…
Wes and your entire family are in my thoughts and prayers. Not knowing what you’re dealing with is especially difficult. God bless!
I will post this separately because concerns for Wes stand first.
“For the benefit and enjoyment of the people…:
The preamble of the National Park Act seems to have escaped many contemporary NPS employees. Of course the majority we encounter are dedicated folks passionate about their work. But there has been a drift from the very reason the parks were created — somewhere there must be a rational balance.
I suggest, Bill, giving serious thought to other areas — particular state and local parks. You know I’ve spent a lot of time in the Pacific Northwest which is a gold mine. I’d be willing to work with you and Jack in the PNW, adding some of my spots to your short list. (There are also lavender and tulip farms!) Portland is a good base camp.
You can add Red Rock NRA to Zion and Valley of Fire, too. Custer State Park in South Dakota is a mini-Yellowstone. Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley in West Virginia are good for fall color and, of course, the falls. There’s a place in Kentucky — Corbin — that has more than KFC.
Your concerns are indeed apt, IMHO.
prayers for Wes!
Thoughts and daily prayers for Wes and your family in this uncertain time.
Praying for Wes and the whole family.
Thnaks to all of you for your prayers and great concern, Wes is having better days and we are hopeful we will be past his some day soon!!
Blessing to all of you, nothing like real friends!!!!
Have added your family to our prayer concerns.
Blessings.
Have added Wes to our prayer list. Our best to all.
Bill, how’s he doing? Still praying for the best.
Bill, how’s Wes doing? Still praying for the best.
His next appointment is tomorrow Thursday the 23rd, we will know mor then, bt he has been doing much better!
Any update on Wes, Bill?