07/23/04 - Terry Brown

Update David 7/23/04

David spiked another temp last night to 102. They took him this morning for exploratory surgery to try and locate the source of his infection. With the assistance of the Chief Radiologist and a guided CT they were able to locate two very small pockets of fluid that had managed to "pool" in David's abdominal cavity. They drained them with the assisted CT scan and we hope that this was the source of David's infection! I called his nurse when I got off from work tonight and she said call me back in 10 minutes and I'll let him talk to you on the phone in his room...his words to me were: "I love you babe, and I miss you terribly"...I think that's all he had the strength to say tonight but I'm so grateful for even a few words from him!

I stayed up very late last night...my Jewish mother in CA Lori G. called to check-in, as well as my dearest friend Pamela in TX. I was up reading through every card that David had ever sent me...I must have a box of a couple of hundred! It was ironic because the movie "Jerry McGuire" was playing on TV last night...remember the part where Tom Cruise tells her "you complete me" and she tells him that "you had me from hello"...I thought about the two of us and what a wonderful love and life that we have shared together. We definitely complete each other....David once wrote me in a letter that if and when he ever got married, it would have to be to another sweepstaker...I was just so nice remembering all of our special times and trip wins...I think the next thing I may do is to watch some of our trip win videos...David and I are both sentimental fools...I always recorded every trip we took together from the very beginning with my camcorder...David would always play "tour guide"....he was such a "ham" on camera...probably a side of him that you guys have never seen! It's silly that I always remember how much he loved the two of us watching old convention videos together...sweeping was definitely his life...just also wanted everyone to know how comforting it is to always come to the board and feel the love that generates from this board, and the many prayers that I know are said each and every night for David...I am truly blessed to have all of you

Terry