So sorry Joie. I saw the news earlier and had been hoping everything was ok for your family.

12/7/2010 10:01:06 PM

^thank you. very much.



also for page 3



so, my grandparents had pictures of the grandkids as babies in their bedroom.
all of us.

when i went in there all of the pics were either covered with soot or knocked down....except for mine.
it was a little eerie. (surely just coincidental...is that the right word?).

12/7/2010 10:04:41 PM

cool and creepy

12/7/2010 10:12:29 PM

one of the back bedrooms



[Edited on December 7, 2010 at 10:28 PM. Reason : chgfc]

12/7/2010 10:28:45 PM

While the material things are not nearly as important as your family, I can only imagine what valuable and old things that were lost in the fire. Family heirlooms and such.

12/7/2010 10:40:18 PM

^yeah :/

my grandparents have lived at that house for 50+ years. so weird its gone.



however.....today when i was wandering through the house i noticed that bar was still standing....
i pushed all of the bar stools aside and was slightly making a scene trying to get to a cabinet underneath.
the insurance guy was there and must've thought i was nuts. my mom knew exactly what i was doing....

when i opened it i was in tears.



the cake platters that i told grandma we want to use for the wedding (and she was so STOKED about me even wanting to use them) were still there





i am so happy that we still get to use them.
i think grandma will be too

[Edited on December 7, 2010 at 11:17 PM. Reason : fdsfd]

12/7/2010 11:12:19 PM

^ that is *REALLY* awesome, joie.

12/7/2010 11:19:16 PM

joie i know you said the fire was underneath your grandpas chair, i was curious if anyone knew how it started. Such a terrible accident

12/7/2010 11:19:52 PM

(I'm about to go to bed and on codnachos puter)

They think it was an electrical fire from my papas dialysis machine although no one is sure.
I didn't mention this in the beginning but grandpa was in the kitchen when it all started....

12/7/2010 11:39:25 PM

one of the bedrooms in the BACK of the house. complete opposite end where the fire started

12/8/2010 10:00:44 AM

That's some crazy shit. I'm glad they got out ok. I don't know you at all other than on TWW but if there's anything another t-dubber that's 200 miles away could do for you or your grandparents, let me know.

12/8/2010 12:11:19 PM

update.

they wanted to take my grandma off of the ventilator today but decided against it because her lungs are blistering :/

and they said grandpas are worse....


so we'll see....

12/8/2010 7:51:13 PM

My thoughts and general prayers are with your family joice.

<3

12/8/2010 8:03:48 PM

http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2010/12/09/1054047

Quote :

"When Carlie C. and Joyce McLamb were hospitalized after fire destroyed their Dunn home this week, that was big news in a community that reaches into Harnett, Cumberland and Johnston counties. Why such a huge response? The couple behind those Carlie C's IGA grocery stores don't swagger and throw their weight around. They've been known to spread money around, but they do it without fanfare and target those who need it. This outpouring of concern comes from an unusual customer base: people who appreciate not only the McLambs' personal touch in the business but also their personal interest in them."

thats my papa and grandma &hearts

12/9/2010 11:13:11 AM

and as an update...i havent heard much.

same old stuff as the past few days.

ill be going up there either tomorrow morning or afternoon....

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 11:19 AM. Reason : rewas]

12/9/2010 11:19:17 AM

Are they going to move them to the same room? Are the still sedated? Blistering Lungs sounds pretty painful

12/9/2010 11:20:29 AM

from my understanding still in separate rooms, still sedated.
my grandma is doing much better than grandpa.


im still a little lost on the details, which honestly (i hope this doesnt sound bad) i kinda want to be.
i just want to know the broad picture and keep it at that, otherwise ill analyze and think and ponder and drive myself nuts.

when i see them tomorrow i may have a better feel for things.


my poor mom is still an absolute WRECK.
i can barely talk to her without tearing up

12/9/2010 11:23:39 AM

Yeah, right now I believe them getting healthy is more important than the details. Regardless of where or how it happened, it happened. Luckily, your grandparents are strong and will fight. I'm sure they'll be back to their old selves in no time!

12/9/2010 11:33:14 AM

thanks


im pretty sure theyll bounce back as well.

12/9/2010 11:39:54 AM

Best of wishes to you and your family, Joie.

12/9/2010 1:00:09 PM

my grandpapa may be taken off the ventilator today.

12/10/2010 9:16:31 AM

oh my god Joie! My thoughts are with you and your family-- hopefully they will be out of the hospital, on the road to recovery and having a very happy holiday season very soon!!!!

12/10/2010 10:03:41 AM

^^ Yay!!!

12/10/2010 10:07:23 AM

that's great news Joie

when punchmonk's grandma was in the hospital a few months ago (although for scheduled surgery not emergency operations) she took a turn for the worse and looked awful, but ended up making a full recovery and was back to her bustling little self on Thanksgiving. it really is amazing the resiliency of the human body

12/10/2010 10:11:20 AM

^

12/10/2010 10:13:19 AM

so grandpa did not get taken off of the ventilator yesterday. his dialysis machine broke and he retained fluid all night.

luckily he's ok and they got rid of the edema, and i think today is the day they taken them both off.


bad news kyrstal, my nephews mom (she has cystic fibrosis) was taken to the hospital yesterday for what they think is a collapsed lung.

[Edited on December 11, 2010 at 10:34 AM. Reason : seriously? man oh man. ]

12/11/2010 10:33:30 AM

hang in there, I'm praying for you and your family.

12/11/2010 11:15:32 AM

12/11/2010 5:25:23 PM

hang in there

12/11/2010 5:27:48 PM

luckily krystal will not have to have a tube put in her lungs...there thinking they caan inflate it via another way....


good news


and grandma and papa are not intubated anymore and have the tube in their trachea.
they are still very much sedated and more or less sleeping, but can hear us. :/

baby steps.

12/11/2010 5:43:23 PM

i'm glad to hear they're doing better joice,

My heart goes out to you and your family

12/11/2010 6:16:22 PM

soooo, im making necklaces out of the crystals from my grandmas chandelier (actually right now there are a few soaked in jewelry cleaner to get the soot off)


but i made up a poem i want to include with it when i give to my family.

its against everything in my head to post it on here but im going to...
be prepared...uber sappiness to follow


"grandma's chandelier"

so much more than family meals
whispers and baby squeals
hearts learn to love and feel
underneath grandmas chandelier

little princesses with ambitions bound
and little boys with little king crowns
all because of the jewels found
in grandmas chandelier

and when life's plans go awry
and before i sit down to cry
i think about the love that lies
underneath grandmas chandelier

and when the fire grew so tall
and when everything previous seemed so small
but along with our faith that did not fall
was grandmas chandelier

and when the worst heat had passed
sifting through the wood and ash
we found memories trapped in the glass
of grandmas chandelier

and with the grace from up above
our souls uplifted with unburnable love
blessed to clean the soot from the crystals of
grandmas chandelier

so when i feel that first steadfast tear
and when the walls are drawing near
i know theres nothing i should fear
i know that i can persevere
and all because it lies here
in part of grandma's chandelier.



so far this is it
im probably gonna change a few things before its over with



[Edited on December 11, 2010 at 6:43 PM. Reason : and]

12/11/2010 6:42:09 PM

sounds good so far

I wish I was a good creative writer sometimes.

12/11/2010 6:53:01 PM

the truck got broken into last night


seriously? SERIOUSLY?

12/12/2010 2:16:45 PM

12/12/2010 2:21:31 PM

12/12/2010 2:23:58 PM

was anything important taken ?

12/12/2010 2:31:47 PM

nah. everything important was in the house.

12/12/2010 3:35:55 PM

that's a pretty scummy thing to do

12/12/2010 3:37:59 PM

Sooooooo. i saw grandma, grandpa, and krystal today.
Uncle MT was sent home today (he's my great uncle, was admitted last week and is OK )

Krystal is GREAT. we played apples to apples with her, her first time too! she'll probably be home next week.

then i saw grandma.
oh.my.lord.
it took cody and me both all of our mights not to tear up.
she was moving!!! and she lips words and smiles and is basically fully functional! she even got out of her bed today.
i looked at cody and could tell he was holding back.
i showed her pictures, and talked to her about wedding planning, and told her my grades (which she wasn't too happy about), and she held our hands, and she teared up, and she smiled, and she shook her head at my hair color (ive gone back brunette-she hates it) and how high my heels were .

she's here! she's back! i tear up thinking about it.

especially since the last time i saw her when she was awake her eyes were tearful with fear.
jeez i wish i could get that picture out of my head.
this time they were tearful, but with frustration....and it makes me happy. shes healthy enough to be frustrated. dear god it makes me happy.

she was supposed to see a speech specialist today to look over her and maybe take her trach out....but they couldnt make it, so it will have to be tomorrow.

when she gets it taken out and they give her the OK-she gets to go see my grandpa.
you can tell she anxious to get it out.
really anxious.

my grandpa is conscious but he can't really move.
his eyes are open and when i came in i said hey and his eyes watered up and he tried to smile and move.

i instantly started bawling.

i told him im sorry for crying but this is the first time ive seen him awake in almost 2 weeks and i was just so so so sosososo happy. he tried to smile again and his eyes watered even more.

i proceeded to talk about random things to keep both of our tears at bay. wedding stuff, the pictures in his room, how i can't wait when he's fully awake and how its going to be really really soon.
funny enough he fell asleep while i was talking
guess i did good.

i found out that right before i got in there my mom was in there and broke the news that grandma may not be able to see him that night. mom said he full fledge frowned and teared up and it absolutely broke my mom's heart.

i really hope they get to see each other really, really soon.


i told my grandma that im coming tomorrow, and sunday, and monday and tuesday.
and i plan on it.
(except for sunday-i forgot im doing crap allll day...but itll be ok )

ill keep ya'll updated




[Edited on December 17, 2010 at 7:35 PM. Reason : ]

12/17/2010 7:33:46 PM

soooooo

i don't know how many people are still reading this but i figure id write anyway.

my grandma is home! and a solid 10 days or so earlier than what we expected!
she's staying at my house.
she has a sassy new short haircut and if you saw her you would have NO IDEA that she was burned.

she looks so good

and shes constantly telling everyone how much she loves them and she tears up.
she's still sad and at the same time happy.
but shes here.
SHE'S HERE.

today my mom was in the hospital with my grandpa (ill tell more about that in a minute)
so my dad took care of my grandma.
we laughed about this because while my grandma and dad love each other they don't have a very good history (theyre both very hard headed lol)

when i came in he told me she was taking a nap.
within minutes she came out smiling and gave me the biggest hug ever.
she told me how proud she was of me with tears in her eyes.
(oh yeah-shes talking now which is another story i may put in here later on, wow i tried my damnest not to bawl)
she told me how good my daddy is taking care of her.
how if she's hurting anywhere he will give her meds, fix her bandages (gently too!), do whatever. and about how he made her soft scrambled eggs in the morning. and about how he lets her sleep in the master bedroom and if she naps on the couch he turns off the tv (or at least turns it low).
she then bragged about the clothes she was wearing b/c my little brother bought them for her and they fit her PERFECTLY.
it broke my heart.

she hugged cody and told him how much she loved him.

she looked at jane and kelsey (codys mom and sister) and apologized for not being as lively as normal and also.....that she didn't cook.... ahaha, i swear that woman is amazing. she told kelsey how pretty she was. she was happy to see both of them.

krystal (my brothers ex) came over and brought my nephew (malaki)
Krystal hasn't seen grandma since the accident because shes been in the hospital herself and she told her she loved her.
she cried because she hadnt been able to see her.
they must have hugged for at least 7 or 8 minutes.

after she left we sat there and talked.
and talked and talked.
she smiled with tears in her eyes the whole time.

and she posed for every single picture.
every one.
thats not like her.
once again i felt my heart at my feet, but at the same time i took advantage of it

it was amazing.
my grandmas home.
SHE IS HOME.
i've always loved on her and sat in her lap and put my head on her shoulder but i did it moreso tonight that ever.
my cousin too.
man oh man. i can't describe the feeling.






now if your still reading (if so bless your heart) then lemme tell you about grandpa.
this morning we were sitting on my living room floor (codys fam and i) and opening presents.
my mom called to wish us a merry christmas.
she was with my grandpa.
i asked her to put the phone to his ear.
i yelled that i loved him and merry christmas.
my mom told me "oh no i think hes gonna cry"
i SCREAMED "no no no grandpa. we;re gonna see you soon and have christmas because it does NOT matter what day we celebrate it"
she had put the phone to his ear and he heard it and (at least from what she told me....)he stopped.
i didn't though.
i bawled.
i can't wait for him to be up.

but yeah. this is where we stand.


sorry it was so long

[Edited on December 25, 2010 at 11:09 PM. Reason : earlier]

12/25/2010 11:09:01 PM

and oh yeah

12/25/2010 11:14:32 PM

12/25/2010 11:16:55 PM

Glad everything is looking up

12/25/2010 11:18:23 PM

awesome christmas gift glad she's home, and hope your grandpa will be home soon.

12/25/2010 11:23:41 PM

I actualljust saw something on the news about a house fire and came on to see how your fam was doing. Glad to hear things are looking up

12/26/2010 11:40:38 AM

grandmas back at chapel hill.

blood clot in her lung :/

12/26/2010 9:51:20 PM

12/26/2010 9:51:49 PM

12/26/2010 10:00:52 PM

I hope the situation with your grandma buffs out

[Edited on December 26, 2010 at 10:13 PM. Reason : wrong thread for that mess, EMCE]

12/26/2010 10:11:27 PM