More surgery for Harold McElroy

While Paula and I were on a 3-day trip to Canada, BJ Alums received these emails about BJ business department retiree Harold McElroy, who lives with wife Linda in Pawleys Island, South Carolina:

UPDATE: (Wed. morning) just got off the phone with Mom. He had progressed enough to where they were gonna send him home tomorrow or Friday but he had a setback today and was transferred back to I.C.U. They think he may have a touch of pneumonia. He is on a breathing tube and antiboticsl. They feel that thay may be able to remove the breathing tube tomorrow.

UPDATE: (last night) more prayers are needed. I just spoke with Mom, and they have taken him back to surgery. They have found a small hole in the area of the removed lung that is filling up and causing infection. The Doctor felt that it was urgent that they fix this tonight. Which will put us back at square one in the recovery process. There is a small amount of pneumonia, but they feel this other issue is of main concern.

UPDATE: Mom left me a voicemail overnight. He pulled thru the surgery. My understanding is that the next day or two are extremely critical. I will touch base with her this afternoon and forward any update that I get.

UPDATE: (today) I was able to get in touch wit Mom this afternoon. He is holding his own, and is semi-coherent. There are a few risks involved in this procedure so basically it is a waiting game to see if it works. But they are sure that this was the problem. We just have to hope and pray that it works. He is looking at up to 2 weeks in I.C.U. at this time. Then more rehab, once he recovers enough to do so. So basically it will be touch and go for a few days to see if this works. So continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Our family definitely knows the power or prayer. I will continue to provide updates as I get them. But at this point my feeling is, if I am not getting constant updates, then things are going positive. He is aware that he has people all over the country pulling for him. And on his behalf, I will say that means the world to them.

(an hour ago) as of 5:00 they took him off the breathing tube so things are going in the right direction.


Harold had surgery June 15 to remove his cancerous right lung. BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall has been forwarding the emails from Sheryl Scott Sheinin.

Click on the headline for earlier reports on Harold's situation.

Report on Harold McElroy's surgery

BJ Alums got this email about Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy's surgery to remove his cancerous right lung. It came by way of Sheryl Scott Sheinin, who forwarded it from John Scott.


UPDATE on Harold.
From John Scott: just got off the phone with Mom. everything went great. It took 9 hours and they did find some more cancer, but were able to remove all of it. The Doctor is very pleased.

They feel that this has been the root of his problem all along. The tumor was larger than a baseball and was growing into the ribs.

Thank You to all for the thoughts and prayers. Keep em coming as he recovers from this.


Click on the headline to see an earlier story on the situation for Harold, who lives in Pauleys Island, South Carolina.

Update on Harold McElroy

BJ Alums got this email about Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy's surgery to remove his cancerous right lung from BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall.

Her son John said the surgery was 9 hours and he did fine. Had to remove 4 ribs because the cancer had gone into a rib. Dr. said he was pleased with the surgery and felt they got it all. He was being fed by IV because he was having trouble swallowing.

Janet Hall forwarded the email from Sheryl Scott Sheinin.

The McElroys live on Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a block from retired BJ printer Dick Latshaw and wife Pat and a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. Both families have been there for at least a decade.

Click on the headline to see a previous posting on Harold's surgery.

More details on Harold McElroy

BJ Alums got this email about Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy, who had surgery to remove his cancerous right lung, from BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall, who forwarded it from Sheryl Scott Sheinin.

Just got off the phone with Mom.

As of last Friday, (Harold) has been moved to a rehab facility. The original plan was for 1 or 2 weeks. Waiting to hear an update and prognosis from Doctors.

He is improving, and regaining strength. May have to keep the feeding tube for a few months, as his throat muscles are not strong enough to swallow even water, without fear of it making it into his lung.



Click on the headline for earlier reports on Harold.

Setback for Harold McElroy

BJ Alums got this email about Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy, who had surgery to remove his cancerous right lung, from BJ Circulation Department retiree Janet Hall.

Harold had a setback and heart rate went sky high. Dr. said it was due to "bad air" not leaving his body as it should have.

Now they did a procedure and it went well. Linda has been at hospital and hotel and is exhausted and not eaten well so tonight she is going to eat and go to bed. He should get off the ventilator tomorrow.

UPDATE: just got off the phone. the procedure went well, and they are planning to remove the ventilator in the morning. doctor says he is back on track. Mom is exhausted and hasn't had a decent meal in days, so she was on her way to eat, then back to the hotel to sleep.

-- John Scott


Janet Hall forwarded the email from Sheryl Scott Sheinin.

Click on the headline for previous BJ Alums items on Harold.

update on sid sprague

 

CATCHING UP WITH

Retired BJ printer Sid Sprague

 

Retired printer Sid Sprague, who lives in Loveland, Colorado, will have cataract surgery next month.

 

Sid will be 85 in March. And he keeps getting cancer-free test results after his prostate surgery a few years ago.

 

Sid says second wife Nancy “is doing well,” too. Nancy, who is from Canton, was neighbor and friend to Sid’s late wife, Sandra. After Sandy passed away, Sid and Nancy married and moved in 2005 from Pawleys Island, South Carolina to Loveland.

 

They’ve been back to the Carolinas 3 times since.

 

Nancy’s sister moved from the Carolinas to Virginia.

 

Sid’s granddaughter will be married in Connecticut in July. Sid hopes to make it for the wedding, depending on the pandemic and other things.

 

Sid had joined the late Dick Latshaw and Harold McElroy, also BJ retirees, in Pawleys Island.

 

Sid’s daughter, Suzanne Sprague Rutherford, lives in Costa Mesa, which is 37 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Sid’s son, Jeffrey Sprague, lives in Greenwich Township, on the southwest tip of Connecticut. Another son, Steve, passed away in Middleburg, Virginia at the age of 38 in 2010.

 

Sid’s phone number is (970) 613-1914. Call him and have a remote BJ reunion.