Update 12/20/04 from Gina and Lori

12/20/04

Dear Friends & Family,

I'm passing on an update Lori sent last week, and just want to add a note to say that our weekend visit with Gerry for Christmas went very well. Lori and the girls, myself, my parents, my sister Carla, nephew Tony and brother Steve were all there, so it was great to be all together. Sunday Lori and the girls, myself and my parents arrived early to take Gerry to church, and the service was excellent! It was also wonderful to meet the good people of this church who have so welcomed Gerry, Lori and the girls.

Sunday was a very full day for Gerry, complete with the whole Marinucci clan...noise and all! After church, we took him out to lunch, and then went back to his apartment where we met the rest of the clan. Gerry opened up several of his presents for Christmas, and he played his guitar while we sang Christmas carols. At this point we realized Gerry had much too much stimulation, and needed a break. We are learning that we can enjoy times together like old times, but we need to allow breaks inbetween for Gerry. Today Gerry was very alert, and Lori reported that he went to pick out his new glasses which will greatly help his vision. When we left, Gerry was quite emotional while saying goodbye, especially to Dad & Mom. It's good that he is aware of his feelings, and able to express them. Please keep him in your prayers over the holidays while he is away from family, as we will not be able to visit him until after the 1st.

Lori met with Gerry's case manager who said that they would not be able to fully evaluate Gerry's prognosis until sometime in January, however, at this time Gerry does still require one-on-one supervision (not for medical needs, but for safety reasons and to be cued for basic tasks and self care). She strongly recommended that Lori start to look now for someone to supervise Gerry after he returns home...to prepare for the worst case scenario. We ask for your prayers specifically that in the next few months as Gerry continues his treatment at CNS that he would surpass expectations and not need constant supervision. I know this is a great concern because the ramifications are great. However, we trust that God is in control, and that His will be done.

Your prayers are also appreciated for Lori and the girls as they move to Aguanga the week after Christmas. I will be sending out our holiday greeting after New Years, so I want to say now that we wish you all a Blessed holiday with your family! You are all in our hearts this Christmas season as we celebrate Jesus birth!

Love,
Gina


----- Original Message -----
From: Jonathan Hoos
To: Marinucci -Lori's email list
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 10:15 PM
Subject: Marinucci No. 69


Dec 14, 2004

I had my monthly conference with CNS and the insurance company today and I
thought I'd pass along some of the good news. As a result of his visit with
the neuro-ophthalmologist, Gerry has been prescribed glasses with a prism to
assist with the double vision. Continue to pray that Aetna would reconsider
their position of "experimental treatment" and agree to pay for further necessary
treatment.

Ger's meds have been adjusted and he is sleeping better, but more
importantly, he has not had any incidents of hearing auditory voices. Gerry
has expressed to me "it is good to be back in the land of the living" and seems
more coherent. He saw a ENT physician who confirmed no damage to his vocal cords
or ear drums. Gerry's voice is still hypo-nasal and he doesn't sound like his old
self which bothers him a lot. I'm told they will work with his soft pallet,
breathing and relaxation exercises during speech therapy. Pray that his
memory will allow him to get the most of this treatment. Gerry seems enthusiastic
about working on his voice and is very cooperative, especially when they sing.

He continues to have orientation problems and confusion, but we are seeing
progress in this area. As he begins to verbalize his adjustment to his
disability and has more understanding, it is difficult to accept. He is
very concerned about how he is perceived by others and they are working with him to admit his deficits and accept help. The counselors don't see Gerry evidencing the
normal expected depression as they tend to see in others during this stage.
His counselor attributes this to Gerry's faith. Gerry has told him, "it is God
who gives me my lot, so you get what you get, I'm going to deal with it in
grace." When asked if this trial is a challenge to his faith, he responds
"no, no, it has made it stronger." I am grateful for this fact! May God
continue to encourage him in his position in Christ.

Gerry's physical and verbal aggression has increased, however this is to be
expected because they are "challenging" him in his deficits. He has had a
few outbursts, and twice refused to board the bus from the clinic to return home. He has thankfully calmed down rather quickly. They consider these outbursts relatively minor with 94% compliance. The goal is no outbursts at all.

At the apartments he is making cold meals, beginning to cook on the stovetop
with verbal instruction and prompts. While friendly, he is not initiating
interaction with other clients. He does initiate a lot of his self-care but
needs to work on planning ahead and expecting what activity will come next.
Because of his vision problems, the check list system is not working well.
We are hoping the glasses will assist him in following a written schedule. He
enjoys receiving e-mail, which are read to him and he orally responds while his
aides type out his messages. He is playing his guitar and electric piano
and can pick-out a song when requested to do so. He generally is eager to go on
outings and has only refused a few activities.

On another note, Gerry's primary care physician terminated his care of
Gerry. I sought to select another physician within the same group, who I was
informed had room in his practice, and now I'm being told his practice is
closed. I will attempt to get a physician within the same group to accept him as I
want his current treatment plan to continue as promised. If I were to go with
another group, I would need to re-qualify his current placement at CNS all
over again. Please pray that Gerry will not be "blackballed." I realize the Hemet
Group wants Gerry off their dime, however, they are obligated to provide him
a physician. With everything going on, I would rather not fight this battle
right now.

Gina, Carla, Ger's parents, the girls and I intend to visit Gerry this weekend
for our Christmas celebration. Lord willing we will be able to go to church
together Sunday morning. I must get home for a midweek work commitment,
then Christmas and then we are planning on moving the Monday following Christmas.
It will be a whirlwind! I'm thankful for all of those who are helping to make
this move happen. I couldn't do it without loving friends and family.

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends! May Christ be glorified in
all things.

Love, Lori