Journal entry by Sam Joynson —
Hi Everyone!
This is the first journal post of hopefully many! Firstly, I want to thank everyone for reaching out to my father. The outpouring of support has been overwhelmingly great to see.
I'll give an update as well as mention a few things towards the end I'll ask you to please read:
Today, George got up in the morning and we worked on the puzzle that we've been hacking away at for too long now! His appetite is as good as ever - we had Mama Leone's (his favorite Italian place) for dinner while watching the NY Giants play the Steelers. He also got to have his favorite coconut pineapple (yep, apparently that's real) mixed with mint chocolate chip ice cream.
A lot of people are reaching out with questions on how they can help, asking for updates, and sending their well wishes. Please read the following information/FAQ.
Donts!
1. Below are some examples of what not to send George:
"Hey! I've heard you're not doing so well, how're you feeling today?"
"I read something on the internet about mixing essential oils with goats blood and it will totally cure your cancer! Let me know when a good time to talk is"
"My Aunt Betty had Stage 62 Cancer that spread to every part of her body and she lived for 15 whole years! If she can do it, you can do it!"
Essentially, don't ask him questions or obligate him where he feels the need to respond. If he wasn't a very social person it wouldn't be an issue, but he's accrued quite the fan/friend base over the years and being inundated with so many questions and a lot of info is tiring and stressful.
2. Please, do not show up unannounced, he needs his uninterrupted rest. Reach out to me (I'll leave my contact info at the bottom of the page). At this point everyday is different - some are good and some are bad, so it's hard to give a concrete schedule. For a general guideline, he is usually up for an hour or so around 9am and for a couple hours around 4pm.
Dos!
1. If you do want to write (text, email, physical mail) to George, please write the message in a way where it's intention is to reach out and say hi with words of encouragement. Old stories and memories are great to share! He loves reading them. Sharing about how you're doing is good as well. Here's an example:
"Hey there! I was thinking back to the time where we whooped those *insert 2 players from the night owls league here* and got a few beers after that, good times!"
"Hey! I'm still up in New Jersey hanging out with the old friends. Things are well and I might retire soon, if I stop through Florida maybe I can come over for dinner! Best wishes"
How can I help?
-Plan a visit! Contact me and we can set up a time for dinner or swing by to say hi for some time.
-Bake something! George has a solid sweet tooth and he likes banana bread, cakes, breads, etc...
-Offer to run some groceries for him - I have to fly back home to Arizona from September 23rd to around October 5th and it would be great if some local people would be able to pitch in lend a hand from time to time.
My contact info:
Cell: 732-320-0130
Email: samjoynson@gmail.com
Please funnel any questions through myself, thanks!
Best Regards,
Sam
This is the first journal post of hopefully many! Firstly, I want to thank everyone for reaching out to my father. The outpouring of support has been overwhelmingly great to see.
I'll give an update as well as mention a few things towards the end I'll ask you to please read:
Today, George got up in the morning and we worked on the puzzle that we've been hacking away at for too long now! His appetite is as good as ever - we had Mama Leone's (his favorite Italian place) for dinner while watching the NY Giants play the Steelers. He also got to have his favorite coconut pineapple (yep, apparently that's real) mixed with mint chocolate chip ice cream.
A lot of people are reaching out with questions on how they can help, asking for updates, and sending their well wishes. Please read the following information/FAQ.
Donts!
1. Below are some examples of what not to send George:
"Hey! I've heard you're not doing so well, how're you feeling today?"
"I read something on the internet about mixing essential oils with goats blood and it will totally cure your cancer! Let me know when a good time to talk is"
"My Aunt Betty had Stage 62 Cancer that spread to every part of her body and she lived for 15 whole years! If she can do it, you can do it!"
Essentially, don't ask him questions or obligate him where he feels the need to respond. If he wasn't a very social person it wouldn't be an issue, but he's accrued quite the fan/friend base over the years and being inundated with so many questions and a lot of info is tiring and stressful.
2. Please, do not show up unannounced, he needs his uninterrupted rest. Reach out to me (I'll leave my contact info at the bottom of the page). At this point everyday is different - some are good and some are bad, so it's hard to give a concrete schedule. For a general guideline, he is usually up for an hour or so around 9am and for a couple hours around 4pm.
Dos!
1. If you do want to write (text, email, physical mail) to George, please write the message in a way where it's intention is to reach out and say hi with words of encouragement. Old stories and memories are great to share! He loves reading them. Sharing about how you're doing is good as well. Here's an example:
"Hey there! I was thinking back to the time where we whooped those *insert 2 players from the night owls league here* and got a few beers after that, good times!"
"Hey! I'm still up in New Jersey hanging out with the old friends. Things are well and I might retire soon, if I stop through Florida maybe I can come over for dinner! Best wishes"
How can I help?
-Plan a visit! Contact me and we can set up a time for dinner or swing by to say hi for some time.
-Bake something! George has a solid sweet tooth and he likes banana bread, cakes, breads, etc...
-Offer to run some groceries for him - I have to fly back home to Arizona from September 23rd to around October 5th and it would be great if some local people would be able to pitch in lend a hand from time to time.
My contact info:
Cell: 732-320-0130
Email: samjoynson@gmail.com
Please funnel any questions through myself, thanks!
Best Regards,
Sam
Patients and caregivers love hearing from you; add a comment to show your support.
Help George Stay Connected to Family and Friends
A $25 donation to CaringBridge powers a site like George's for two weeks. Will you make a gift to help ensure that this site stays online for them and for you?
