Good-night, Sweet Prince

Dearest Loved Ones,

It is with a heavy heart that I say to you tonight, that Scott has left the building. He passed peacefully this morning, at home, surrounded and loved by those closest to him.

Services will be held this Saturday at 10:30 AM at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac, MD. A good ‘ol Irish wake will follow at the Urbana Volunteer Fire Station 23.  We hope that you can join us.

In lieu of flowers, we hope that you will consider donating instead to the Montgomery County Fire Department Pipes & Drums Band or the Don’t Panic Foundation.

Thank you for all of your continued love and support.

We love you.

Home

Today we moved Scott home. Well, not “home” as in our house in Frederick, but to his parent’s farm in Berkeley Springs. We have decided that the best place for Scott right now is with us. Poor Scott 😉

We would like to thank Citizen’s for the outstanding care of Scott, and us. We’ve made many friends there and they will be missed.

I also wish to thank all of you for your continued & loving support. We are grateful for your prayers, visits & help.

Once we’re settled, I will write again. Until then, sweet dreams!

 

To the Many Friends of Scott

We wish to convey our heartfelt thanks to all who have supported us in numerous ways over the last few months. Your assistance has enabled us to cope with the tragedy that befell Scott on May 10th in Idaho. As word spread about Scott’s condition the response from the Firefighter, Piper and Jumping Communities, as well as many other friends and relatives, was immediate and overwhelming.

The sheer number of individuals stepping forward to help was astounding. The spontaneous cooperation between the Boise and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services helped immeasurably in our ability to handle the situation in the early days. While we were in Idaho the Boise Fire Department provided emotional support and many of our daily needs. Fundraising activities in Idaho, Maryland, and California have provided significant amounts of money to help cover expenses not covered by insurance. Firefighters at home volunteered their time to ensure Scott is still receiving a paycheck. You have been absolutely amazing and we are so grateful to all of you.

Your prayers, visits and communications are very important to us . We appreciate them and hope they will continue in the future. Again, we thank you for all of your contributions to Scott, and to us, in so many ways.

Sincerely,

Steph, Eda and Dave Doyle

 

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For some of you, dear friends, we do not have your addresses.  We would have preferred to send you a personal note, but unfortunately cannot. We do wish to name you, however. Many thanks to:

Richard Edwards	Gregor & Christine Weeks	Robert W. Evans
LeRoy Oettinger	Carrie Sosnowich	Arthur Rabeau
Andrew Johnston	Valerie Duffy	Audrey Deputy
Shelley Wheeler	Elliot Barstow	Joseph Bell
Shannon Gale	Taryn Surman	Wayne Troxel
Benedikt Klees	Johanna Solbak	John Tippett
Mike Baltrotsky	Chris Johnson	Corey Evans
Morgan Boyd	Dan Friz	Dan Rothermel
Richard McKernon	Jerry Fleming	Mike Schultz
Brian O’Conner	Jason Hoffert	Ben Kaufman
Matt Carrigan	Ivan Browning	Tracey Nauman
Beth Sanford	Russell Blinkhorn	Matthew prince
Autumn Henderson	Steve Wiseman	Alex Capps
Brendan Richardson	Fire Station 18 “A” Shift	Adam Pegler
Jay Blake	Fire Station 8 “A” Shift	David DeVore
Dave Wilt	Beth Feldman	Ron Devine
Chris Maple	Lisa Morris	Sue Wiseman
Phil Baker	Tommy Henry	Susan Stambaugh
Jeanne Smith	Gamunu Wijetunge	Richard Barstow
Kelly Wilson	Bill Lippincott	Kevin Younkins
Tim Beatty	Don Kinna	Brett Livingston
Sam Villani	Vannessa Ridgely	Brian Fowler
Mike Skidmore	Shereen Blanton	Keith Dominick
Andrew Wilson	Becki LaPorte	Joshua Walty
Amanda Lippelt	Armin Aniol	Todd Supple
Jeremi Arroyo	Sergey Viter	Michelle Van Duzen
Anne Snodgrass	Daniela Bigott	Rick Blandford
Andrew Harriman	Cynthia Reiffen	Lisa Kelley
Frank Snodgrass	Angelique Nowocin	Stephanie Hobbs
Jason Kurtz	Steve Birnbaum	Carlos Berciartu
Virginia Snodgrass	Laura Fitzgerald	Tommy Henry
James Wade	Chris Jeffery	Marie Lebaw
Helen Snodgrass	Peggy Miller	Denise Deimler
Robert Leinhauser	Justin Meyer	David Rager
Mark Fortin	Jennifer Galbraith	Marde Ross
Steve Laughman	Rob Furst	Tracey Logsdon Dieter
Ryan Loher	John Peppel	Jennifer Blair
Scott Kitner	Sefako Seshibe	Joseph Laposta
Dave Newman	Jeff Ewart	Maile Jacobsen
Keith Burns	Seth Miller	Diane Zuspan
Kevin Henley	Dan Walters	Gary Cooper
Tom Cummins	Mo Newnam	Vicky Ferguson
Victoria Freund	Peter R Gillis	Kathleen Pessagno
Carol McKernon	Carla Myers	Mason Dixon Candles and Crafts
Amy Dant	Michael Kelley	Susan Mills
William Delaney	Geoffrey Lewis	Kelly Fisher
Michael Doherty	Kevin Frazier	Michael & Kristen Carpinello
John Weeks	Gregg Gellman	Louise Burgdorf
Catherine Ross	Jane Knopfmacher	Darren Federroll
Fun Stuff	Sky-Frogs	Constance Clark
Lisa Eckman	James Wood	Katherine Farrar
Darryl Robb	Amy Vanderryn	Joyce Fox
William Zettler	Martha Aparicio	Leslie Mitchell
Karie Seekford	Steven Akkala	Andrew Carver
Russell McMullin	Curtis Meyer	C. B. Melton
Heather Strosnider	Fire Station 1 “A” Shift	Jacqueline Clark
Rev. Monica Giordano	Michael R Marcopulos	Mary Burgee
Suzanne Harrington	Fire Station 40 “B” Shift	Cathi George
Villamor Asuncion	Ralph Taliento III	Terry Arnold
David DeWolf	Nancy Farkas	Daniel & Stephanie Reamy
Mark Krasinski	Kyle Scully	Randy & Tracey Carter
Antoinette White	Brian Brendel	William Powell
Andrea Heithoff	Yana Babii	Margaret Barnes
Queenstown VFC	Joshua Lebenson	Lisa Anderson
Daniel Ballantine	Jason Zengerle	Wendy Jones
Rhonda Van Duzen	Todd Sniffin	Mauricio Viega
Robert Furst	Troy Lipp	Ann Macuch
M J Caro	Shawn Goodbrod	Melanie Sanders
Donna Jernigan	Charles McKenna	Cynthia Miranda
Erin Barstow	Fire Station 24 “A” Shift	Charmion Wood
Aerial Delivery	Paul Barron	R. Brian Butterhoff
Sheri Weisgerber	Fire Station 31 “B” Shift	Kevin & Jennifer Schmidt
Robert Atkins	Mitch Nagaraj	Catherine & James Mazzara
Jeremy Shaffner	Peter Leong	Arthur & Mary Murray
Matthew Nuckols	Kenneth Berman	Dome Poonjumnern
Eric Ramacciotti	Linda Arentowicz	William & Yvonne Hill
Leigh Halstad	Kenneth Seth	Joel & Donna Wilson
Brian Hagberg	Robert Khoury	Rueben Bajaj
Amy Roberts	Taylor Cole	Marty Askari DMD
Fire Station 8 “A” Shift	Evie Bell	Terry Killen Inc.
Fire Station 29 “C” Shift	Christopher Hernandez	Laytonsville District VFD
Kim Mitchell	Autumn Henderson	MCVFRA Auxiliary
Michael McCarty	Michael Chindblom	Fairfax County Local 2068
Robert Walty	Byron Honeywell	The “Geezer” Bowling Team
Innovative Waste Solutions	Maile Jacobsen	Fire Station 18 “B” Shift
Stephen D’Alessio	Melanie Sanders	Fire Station 6 “B” Shift
Donald Simmons	Marc Worton	Fire Station 4 “C” Shift
Chris Cramer	Christopher Vincent	Frederick County VFA
Renee Crainer	Kimberly Webb	FEMA National Training Center
Helen Swann	Christopher Vincent	The Fire Brigade P&D
Michael Johns	Robert McCurdy	Greg Knott
Christine Gwinn	Clinton Kraft	DC Regional Police Pipe Band
Jon Glaudemans	Joseph Hayunga	Kenneth & Nancy King
David Frost	Charles & Rebeca Johnson	Emerald Society Pipe Band
Gerard Murtha	Madison & Helen Stevens	Drums Washington DC
William Kissner	David & Marlene Spadoni	Applied Sciences for PS
Adam Wenchel	Lowell & Nancy Davis	Anne & Tony Snodgrass
Alex Gardiner	Allison Roberts	Andre Hamrah
William Kissner	Shelly Zemrose	Steve Lamphier
Joe Caulfield	Pamela Everett	Greg DeHaven
Emilie & Monty Crown	Angela Rand	IAFF Local 1605
James Macgruder Sr	Scott McKernon	Sakura Narita
Bob Wooldridge	Gillian Goldthwaite	Laura Paletto
Waleska James	Sally Familton	Melanie Macuch
MCFRS Family Support	Steve Nickles	Wendy Jones
Nicholas Shmel	Paul, Parker, Kendra & Tracy	DFRS
Bob Hough	Brad Nicholson	Beverly Hagburg
Jonathan (PT from Kernan)	Brian & Vicki	Chris & Cathi Estes
Adam Copeland III	Mark Kessler	Jim Wade

Tuesday

It’s been awhile, friends. I apologize for not posting recently.

Scott’s still hanging in there, but I’m afraid I don’t have anything new to report. He continues to be pretty healthy physically. We’ve had some ups & downs with blood pressure & heart rate, but nothing that’s really worriesome. Scott’s ST thinks his swallow has gotten weaker which is a bit concerning. Scott has his eyes open for several hours a day, but it’s not terribly predictable. You can ask his visitors who have experienced a wide range of “wakefullness”!

“His eyes are always open!”
“His eyes are never open.”
“He closes his eyes the minute I start talking.”

Don’t worry folks, he often closes his eyes the minute I start talking, too. 🙂

Jenny & Pat’s wedding was lovely. We had sunshine (a crap shoot for mid-October in Michigan!) a gorgeous bride and a gracious groom. There were no serious hiccups during the ceremony and we all made it through the receptions toasts and first dances with poise. Then we honored Jen’s request to get thier money’s worth out of the bar!

It was a fabulous trip for me all in all. It was super-busy and hectic, but I was honored to be part of Jen & Pat’s day and so happy to see and spend time with my family.

More later! Until then, be safe and be happy!

Always Home

Hello friends!

Since I’ve last updated you Scott has gone to see two more neurologists. Both are here in Frederick. The first offered a diagnosis, but said he would like to see some more information from Dr. Makley from Kernan. The second said that he would like to take some more time to learn more before delivering a prognosis for Scott.

We wait some more…

Kaiser & Elsa are doing well. They accompanied me this weekend to the dropzone. It’s been since May that we’ve been there. We’ve missed our DZ friends (human and canine) so much!

Next weekend my niece is getting married, so I’m busy planning for my trip to Michigan. Eda & Dave will be holding down the fort while I’m gone. They actually have double duty with trips from Berkeley Springs to see Scott and puppy sitting.

I’ll pop in next week with an update. In the mean time, feel free to stop in and visit Scott. He’s always home! 🙂

Last Week

Hello Everyone!

Last week Scott turned 35. We had a small celebration for him. Friends & family joined us throughout the day and we shared cupcakes & Scott stories. While we wished we were celebrating another way, another place, it was still nice.

The day after his Birthday Scott visited his new neurologist, Dr. Rafiq. His opinion varies from that of Dr. Makley’s from Kernan. That means we are gearing up for another opinion with a new neuro in early October.

My weekend was non-stop busy. With Jen coming to visit I knew I’d have some free labor! 😉 She was a blessing, doing everything from helping me get organized with financial paperwork to helping me tear out old carpet. Being a nurse, she provided some good medical advice. Being a wonderful niece & friend, she provided a strong shoulder.

Scott continues to be stable medically and has long periods where his eyes are open wide. He is still receiving therapy as well. Unless I have something exciting to report, I think I might only blog again after Scott’s next neuro appointment.

Speaking for Scott’s family, we would like you to know how much we appreciate all that you are doing for Scott. We love seeing your faces when you visit, reading the notes you leave behind when we miss you and knowing that you are still hoping & praying with us.

Until next time, God bless!

The Scott is Falling

This week started off with a little excitement. Scott managed to get out of his wheelchair. I was picking up my car from the shop when I got a phone call from Ramona at Citizen’s. She made sure to start the call with, “Scott is fine”, but then she had to tell me that he rolled out of his chair. (Poor Ramona. I wouldn’t want to have to call me to tell me that!)

Anyway, you all know how tough Scott is. Other than a pink elbow, he was just fine.

Regarding Scott’s health, in general, he is still rock solid. He opens his eyes (when he wants to) and makes the funniest faces. My favorite is the one Eda has dubbed his “petulant child” face. Therapy continues on and we have enjoyed many visits from family and friends.

Next week is shaping up to be a busy one. Scott’s turning 35 (he is officially an old man! 😉 ), we have an appointment with the new neurologist, and my niece, Jenny, is coming into town for a visit.

I will talk to you soon. I wish you all a good night and sweet dreams!

Comfy

Good Evening!

Scott is doing well, friends. He had some blood pressure issues early this week, so Dr. Aziz made the decision to take Scott off of his Strattera. You may remember that strattera is commonly used for ADHD, but it is also a neuro-stimulant. Dr. Aziz feared that it might have been contributing to his high blood pressure, however.

He seems to be doing fine without it though. He may be a little sleepier (again) but he still opens his eyes quite a bit. His arms & legs seem to be relaxing more as well. He almost always looks incredibly comfy. So much so that I’ve been tempted more than once to join him for a nap!

We’ve had some wonderful visits and gotten some nice treats this week. Thanks, everyone, for dropping by!

Talk to you soon!

Sunday

Hello everyone,

Just a quick post to let you know we are doing well. Scott still seems to be comfy and content at Citizens. The staff has impressed us and I feel like he’s in great hands.

The residents are delightful and take good care of us, too. Mary peeks in on Scott at night and says prayers for us daily. Joe has given both dogs toys and has checked on me to make sure I’m doing okay. TJ just shows up randomly in Scott’s doorway, but always has the biggest smile. Lloyd wants to know, always, “When are you bringing those dogs back?”

Speaking of dogs, Kaiser & Elsa have spent a few days at Daveda Farm. That’s Dave & Eda’s llama farm; A.K.A. summer camp. They will return home tomorrow afternoon. I will get a week’s worth of doggie kisses in about 2 minutes. I can’t wait!

This week we have received some wonderful visits. I’m reminded by each of them just how special & important Scott is to people (other than me!) It was so good to see you all, by the way, and we look forward to next time! We have also been getting to know our staff and our neighbors a bit better. We are surrounded by good people.

Speaking of good people, (segues a little weak tonight 😉 ) thanks again to all of you who are keeping Scott in your thoughts & prayers and are going out of your way to help us out. We are forever grateful.

I will talk to you again soon. Good night!

Missed You

Hello Friends. I missed “talking” to you this week!

Scott’s been well. He’s  still getting his low-key therapy and incredible care from the nursing staff. It seems to me that he’s beginning to open his eyes more and more over the last week or so. Staff reports that there is more movement from his arm & legs and especially his toes. We’ve also seen tons of crazy facial expressions. We don’t know exactly what it all means, of course, but maybe he’s beginning the adjustment to the Baclofen’s sedating effects.

We’re still trying to get Scott the right wheelchair. (Or his wheelchair right.) He seems to want to slide out of the two he’s had so far. As you can imagine, that would be disastrous! Little adjustments are being made here and there by therapy staff and I’m sure we’ll get it all hammered out…

Scott’s more popular than he realizes. Not only does he have a huge network of family and friends, he now has some fans. Some of the residents at Citizens have expressed how nice it is to have special visitors like Kaiser, Elsa and the MCFFP&D. They think Scott’s pretty special. Wait until they actually get to meet him!

So, what  if you’re not a dachshund or a piper? Don’t worry, you are welcome too! As a reminder, Scott’s now at:

Citizen’s Care & Rehab
1900 Rosemont Ave
Frederick, MD 21702
Room D-1 

If you’re wondering what to do when you visit, here are a few ideas:

• Talk to him! (I know. Duuhhh…) Bring all of your good stories and best gossip! Or just tell him how much he’s missed at the _____. 
• Read to him. Juicy love stories are his favorite. (Just kidding, of course!) 
• Bring him a change of tunes. Scott has a CD player and an iPod dock in his room. Feel free to bring in your favorites to share. 
• Show him your pictures. When Scott’s eyes are open, he seems to focus well on, and be interested in, photos. 
• Touch him. Nothing is more comforting or healing than human touch. Just don’t tickle. Or touch his feet!  Not only does he not like it under normal circumstances, but it seems to aggravate the excessive muscle tone in his legs.

You can really drop by at any time. Please just keep in mind that if you stop in before 4pm, you might have to wait for a therapy session to be over. If you come by after 8pm, keep it down to a dull roar. Scott’s roommate, Floyd, loves his sleep!

Thanks so much to those of you who have been visiting. It does us all good to see and hear from you!