Mary Gronde

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your concern and want our friends and family to know how Mary is doing. You may leave messages for Mary here, directly to her via her email or FB, or to any family members. 
Here's the basic background of her brief illness: 
Mary started having painful swallowing on January 5th. It progressively worsened and by January 9th, she was admitted to Emory University Hospital. Since then, we found out that she has a tumor in her esophagus that blocks her stomach. She had surgery to place a feeding tube on January 13th, and has been in intensive care with assorted complications since. In the past 24 hours, she tolerated getting off the ventilator and is doing well breathing on her own. She's found her voice and a little of her sense of humor today, however, her vital signs aren't yet stable, she's got a fever from an infection, and pain from the tumor. She is showing progress and has been happy to see 6 of her 8 grandchildren the past 2 days. John is in Atlanta for a few days as well. We are watching, watching, and praying, and ensuring that she is comfortable.