Hello all,

I'm sorry for not updating this in a while, I have been busy at work and on vacation.  Brittney has added several updates which I have included in this post.  Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers and support for Daisy!

God bless!

Tommy

In case you don't have the link to Brittney's site:

David | CaringBridge

June 10, 2021

Hi everyone. I hope you're all doing well.

We finally got a diagnosis for Dad's stomach issues yesterday. Dr. Yates, a gastroenterologist, came by to tell us that Dad has gastroparesis, a condition common in diabetics that causes paralysis in the muscles of the stomach. Without the function of those muscles, the stomach can't push food out for proper digestion, which causes nausea, vomiting and weight loss. They were able to reach this diagnosis via an endoscopy performed on Tuesday.

This morning, Dr. Yates performed a short procedure to re-route Dad's feeding tube (which previously went directly into his stomach) into his small intestine. This way, Dad will still receive nutrition via his tube but it will bypass his stomach and, if all goes according to plan, alleviate his nausea. Already having a feeding tube in place made this a simple, painless procedure and Dad is already back in his room sleeping.

Dr. Yates said that we would discuss next steps once Dad regained some strength and weight, and that we would figure out a plan for him to begin eating normally again. Gastroparesis has no "cure" but can be treated with various medications and/or small surgeries. Right now, we are all just thrilled to know that Dad will finally get relief from his nausea - when he got the news yesterday, he gave the doctor one of the biggest smiles I've seen from him in weeks!

Please accept our sincere thanks again to everyone who sent Dad videos, cards, gifts and well wishes for his birthday. He was able to watch the full video compilation yesterday (he'd felt too sick on his actual birthday to watch it), and feeling the love and support of his friends and family put another big smile on his face (and may have inspired some happy tears, too). We're already looking forward to June 6, 2022, when we can celebrate Dad's 64th birthday outside of a hospital and with all of you!

We still don't have a discharge date for Dad, but once we do I will post here. In the meantime, thank you for your continued love and support.

Hi everyone. Happy Friday!

A few quick updates on Dad. He is still at Memorial and we do not have a discharge date yet. When he is discharged, he will move to Soddy-Daisy Healthcare Center, where we will focus on getting his bedsore healed and getting him back into good shape for physical therapy. My cousin Nicole is a speech language pathologist there and she has already told the entire staff that Dad is coming, and they're looking forward to having him and caring for him. We're so grateful that she will be there and for all of the help and information she's given us! I'll post here when we find out when Dad is moving.

Dad is still making slow but positive progress at Memorial. His stomach is beginning to settle and he's trying to resume eating regularly again. His UTI is healing and his energy level has improved. His bedsore is healing, too, though his care team has let us know it will be a long time before it fully heals. A wound care doctor came to see Dad earlier this week to work on the wound and also updated orders for dressing and medicating the wound. He believes it will take several months for the wound to heal fully and that will be a major focus of our efforts to get Dad well.

Finally, thank you so much to everyone who has submitted birthday videos for Dad. We would love to get as many as possible, and I will be collecting them through end of day tomorrow (Saturday, 6/5). You can upload your videos here - https://www.tribute.co/david-daisy-mckenna/

If for some reason the web site doesn't work for you, you are also welcome to film a short (15-30 second) video on your phone and text it to me at 423.580.0825 - just let me know your name when sending the video in case I don't have your number saved. Please pass the link along to anyone you think would like to send Dad birthday wishes - the more videos we can get, the better! Dad really needs as much positivity and motivation as he can get right now, and your participation means the world to all of us. And for anyone who would like to mail a birthday card, you can send them to the address at the bottom of this post.

Thank you for reading and for your continued support!

David McKenna

6506 Prestwick Lane
Hixson, TN 37343

Hi everyone! I hope all of you are having a good week.

As I mentioned in my last post, Dad's birthday is this Sunday. It's likely that he will still be in the hospital on his birthday, and to make the day more special we are collecting video messages for him via Tribute. All you have to do to participate is click the link below and record a short message using your phone or computer. I will compile all of the individual videos into one big video and give it to him on his birthday.

The deadline to contribute is this Saturday (6/5), which I know is short notice. If any of you would like to pass the link along to friends and loved ones who aren't on CaringBridge, we would appreciate it so much! Let me know in the comments on this post if you have any questions.

Link: https://www.tribute.co/david-daisy-mckenna/

Thank you all very much! Let's make Sunday an extra special day for Daisy!