Friends of Lauren

News Archive

7/26/2010	Summer is quickly whizzing by us. Ben finished baseball last Saturday. They were the youngins in the 13-14 yr old league and were competitive in most games. They finished 2-0-1 in their last 3 regular season games. Wait until next year. Ben tried his had at detassling for a week this year. He was driven to make money and that he did. His job was shortened as he had the tournament then had to finish getting ready for the Boy Scout National Jamboree. His troop will be at Fort AP Hill starting today then tour DC next week. His troop for this event is made up of scouts from Lincoln and southeastern Nebraska. You can follow them through pictures at http://gallery.me.com/scouterdan#100261 Jill headed a CureSearch walk team which did well again and we attended Lincoln's Relay for Life a week ago. Attendence seemed down. It was a very hot and muggy night but I think they were right at their goal. We continue to see the orange LJ shirts which makes us smile that so many people continue to honor her. Hope everyone's summer has gone and finishes out well. Thanks for stopping by and posting.

2/13/2010	Happy Sweet 16 to you Lauren! Hope you have a sweet car to drive in heaven.

12/8/2009	So did Lauren send Ben and all of her friend a snow day.........Two years and we still miss you as much as ever.

12/2/2009	NET TV tonight.....Andrea Bocelli, The Lord's Prayer, Ave Maria. Thank you Andrea, Thank you Lauren, AMEN.

9/3/2009	Happy Back to School! Ben is in 7th grade, time really does fly by. Ben's football team is off to a great start, won their 1st game 35 - 0! Go Assurity! Then on Wednesday night, he managed to flip off a scooter, bust his chin open. As we wait to get the 8 stitches back in the chin (where 10 years ago he busted the same place open standing up in the bathtub!), he starts to share that his arm REALLY HURTS! Once his name was called, he told me to feel underneath his outer arm, close to his wrist, goose egg type swelling. So once I reached the nurse at the door, I asked her to add a x-ray to my order today.....broken wrist! So, out of football at least 4-6 weeks, OUCH! He may get back for the last game or two. We had his pediatrican look at it today and he thought that no need to go to an ortheopedic dr, he called it a green stick, no chips, no bone displacement. Needless to say, Mom has a few more reasons to color my hair. Hope everyone has a good long Labor Day weekend. Please say some more prayers for my BFF Llama Mama Molly! Send her all the best karma we have! ~Jill

8/27/2009	Very late notice but the 2nd annual Husker Hog Ride to benefit the Tomich and Wistrom Foundations is this Saturday. Tailgate party at the end of the ride will be in Lincoln. Google "Husker Hog Ride" for more details. We will plan on being at the tailgate. Other news alluded to in previous posting, Congratulations to Lauren's former teammates, THE CHAOTIC LLAMAS, for once again winning their league with a very impressive finals win of which Jill & I got to witness. You may recall they dedicated a tree at Wright park a year ago in Lauren's memory. Well that tree decided to join Lauren in heaven so they have replaced it along with a boulder with a plaque to identify its reason for existence. Very nicely done. We appreciate the continued thoughtfulness and hope that this tree will serve teams with needed shade for years to come. BTW, this marks an end of an era. The team will disband due to age limits of the league. What a great ride it has been though! Many memories.

8/23/2009	When I write without notes some things are omitted and this last post I did just that. I promise I'll get to that news.... But tonight I have something MORE important, so the other stuff will have to wait. Our good friend Molly has recently learned that she has cancer and could use our thoughts and prayers. She has a husband and three children who will need to be remembered in those prayers also. Molly will undergo surgery this Thursday and follow with chemo in the near future. Thank you.

8/18/2009	We've been receiving some concerns over the lack of postings. It's not like there has been a lack of things going on. I had a gall bladder attack the end of April and due to minor complications it was the end of June before I got the dang thing removed. I felt better right away as I had been ill on and off again through May and June. Along with my brother Monty, we both sponsored foursomes at the Grant Wistrom Foundation Golf tournament in May. Again I wasn't feeling well that day so Ben filled in for me and had a great time hanging out with the guys. Jill, Ben and I went to the Clapton/Winwood concert in Omaha in June. Ben's baseball team joined up with another team this summer. After a slow start his team finished the season strong. Football practice has started and Ben is pretty pumped up for this year. He's practicing with the B team which is a 2 team jump from last year. He just finished earning the Order of the Arrow in scouts this last weekend. Scout meetings and football practices conflict so his scouting will pick up again late fall. We managed to squeeze in a wk end in KC late summer. That will have to be our extent of a vacation this summer. Ben starts school tomorrow. He will be in the 7th grade this year. This has pretty much covered our summer. We'll try to post again soon.

5/20/2009	Happy Big 50 to Jon today! I hope that his birthday will cheer him up. Jon was supposed to have had his gall bladder removed a few weeks ago and then broke out in shingles the week before, so he has been feellng less than good. Thanks to all that have donated to LJ's Llama Crew for the CureSearch Walk. Here's the link to my page, http://host.curesearch.org/goto/Jill.Johnson. From there you can donate or to any one of the team members. The CureSearch Walk is June 6th, so there is plenty of time if you would like to join us or donate. School is winding down, LPS last day is June 4th. So not sure how much learning will be going on. Congratulations to all of those Seniors that I know that are graduating from High School. It is amazing at how fast you have all grown up. Hope you all have a fun and save Memorial Day weekend!

3/29/2009	Hello all! We are fresh back from a great Spring Break vacation. Jon, Ben and I went on a Carribbean cruise last week and had a great week full of fun, relaxation, beach and sun. Ben may have had the most fun on the ship. The cruise line had a great kids group for tweens and to be honest, we didn't see him much. He spent most of the week with kids his age and they did all types of fun activities. He made new friends from all over the US and Canada and met the captain, the cruise director stopped by to visit them often and met some of the performers that were on the ship. This did allow Jon and I to dine together and see some shows. Now back to the real world. Some upcoming events to take note of, the CureSearch Walk will be held the June 6th at Village Point Mall in Omaha. I will be getting the LJ'l Llama Crew team set up and emailing those of you who participated last year, as well as giving others the opportunity to join us this year. As we got off the plane in Omaha last night, I was proud to see a large sign for CureSearch in the same hallway as Warren Buffett. The Omaha, Lincoln and surrounding communities have really supported this orgainization and are making a differerence. This year's walk goal is $200K and if we meet that mark, the Omaha walk will have raised over $500K in four years. That is pretty amazing! The Wistrom Foundation Golf Tournament is not on the same weekend this year (which should make our lives a bit easier). The Pre Tournament Party is May 29th with the Golf oun Saturday, May 30th. We will again sponsor a team in Lauren's memory, she had such a blast on these trips. Not a day goes by that we don't think of Lauren, I know on vacation when asked, 'a table for 3', I always feel that we are missing someone, which we are. A sweet gentleman on the flight home asked Ben if she had any brothers or sisters and he answered No and you could tell that bothered him. It is just too hard to share with everyone over and over that you have lost someone you love. I hope everyone is looking forward to spring. My daffodils were a very nice way to be welcomed home.

2/13/2009	Happy 15 LJ. I so wish we could be helping you work on that learner's permit today. I wonder if Grandpa J has found a gray truck for you to drive today? With the snow coming, Ben and your friends are getting a day off from school today. Makes me wonder if you have some involvement with that. Miss you.

1/1/2009	Happy New Year 2009! We are preparing for the Gator Bowl and wishing for a Husker victory today! We have had a good Christmas and New Year's Eve and are hopeful for a good 2009. I am quite happy that 2008 is behind us. It was certainly a year of change, new beginnings and healing for our family. I am certain that will continue for us in 2009. Jon continues to do well with his new kidney and we are certainly thankful for that gift. Ben will be playing in a basketball tournament this weekend and has camped with the Scouts over break. He has some new toys that he has certainly enjoyed from Christmas. He learned this year that some of the best gifts come in small packages (ipod). We could not have gotten through this year without the support and care from our family and friends, we are very grateful that you are part of our journey. Blessing and health to you in 2009!

12/8/2008	We want to thank all of you for the support and notes today, but also for the past year as well. We could not have gotten through all of the last year without the support of our family and friends. We have been blessed with such a wonderful support system. We were all so lucky to have Lauren touch our lives, we are better for that.

12/1/2008	Happy Belated Thanksgiving! We had a good Thanksgiving with the Hueftle side of the house. As always, we had plenty of delicious food. It is good to be with my sisters and had some laughs with the nieces, waiting to see Emma's house that looks like a panda bear head, windows in the ears. We have much to be thankful for, a kidney transplant was not on the radar this year and continues to be a blessing. Jon continues to do well and is back in the work groove and the transplant team seems to be taking a proactive approach to ensure he keeps this kidney working. We are very aware that we are nearing the year anniversary of Lauren's death, but at the same time I am excited about the holdiays. A friend said to me the other day, 'I know this may sound like a cliche, but Lauren would really want us to enjoy this time of year.' And I know she would. We got the tree up yesterday and decorated. I realize what a fog that I was living in last year during this time as I found some decorations that I bought on after Xmas sales, and did not have any recollection of them until I opened that container of Christmas items. The other item that I found that I have been reflecting on all day was the personalized ornament that I bought Lauren one year, it is of an angel with brown hair, long before cancer ever came to be in our house. Just one of those things that make you stop and go, Oh! We do not have any organized event to mark this day, we will most likely light a candle, look at photos, etc. I would rather mark her birthday with an event rather than her death. I want to remind you that are hospitals that have children battling pediatric cancers everyday, it doesn't stop for holidays, bad economies or a change in Presidents. The battle continues and the families and Children's hospital can always use your help. Please consider Children's Hospital Hematology/Oncology Clinic, Children's Child Life, CureSearch, or any other organization that helps these families during these times. We did get to enjoy the NU/CU football game in person on Friday, thanks to the Wistrom Foundation! It brought back the faith that the Big Red will reign again! Thanks Bo! Have a Happy and Safe Holiday Season! - Jill

11/4/2008	Hello Everyone! Yes it has been a long time since we've posted. Slowly I am seeing improvement and at present time my creatinine and hemogloblin levels are the best they've been since the transplant. The bout with c dif apparently never went away with the initial treatment. I'm nearing the end of another 14 day period of treating with a different med and it shows promise of doing the trick. A steady course of epogen has helped with the hemoglobin levels raising. So I am doing pretty good. As we sailed through October it brought back memories of our last vacation with Lauren. We went to Orlando last fall break and created some memories that will forever be with us. Lauren was bound and determined to ride the Incredible Hulk at Universal and The Tower of Terror at MGM. We saw the shuttle launch, from Orlando, which was an incredible sight. Lauren still had not been diagnosed but was having alot of pain in her legs. So we pushed her around in a wheelchair which at Disney gets you special priviledges of no lines. We enjoyed that. As this fall progressed we witnessed Lauren's friends moving on to year as Freshman at Southwest. It is exciting to see their accomplishments and we know that Lauren has to be smiling with approval. Ben's football team finished out the year at 3-4-1 a couple of weeks back. They did okay this year and were competitive in all of their games. Basketball practice starts this week and games will start by the end of this month. Ben did well with his Scout popcorn sales. He has the knack for going out and knocking on doors. The break from sports has allowed him some time to work on Merit Badges. He has decided that when he practices his trombone he enjoys playing it. He spent some time with Grandma and Grandpa H's place over some of his Fall break last week. Reports are that it was a good time had by all. That pretty much gets the news about us up to date. Thanks for checking on us.

9/25/2008	Hi there! I think I'm making progress. There seems to be some improvement with the C-dif which after 2 weeks of it I was ready for some normalcy. With that my chemistries seem to be headed, slowly, in the right direction again. Last Friday I had to go in for some more fluids but have been well enough that I've needed none since. Creatinine has a ways to go yet but the Potassium is within range now. I've returned to the office this week. I had planned on going part time starting out just to make a dent in things and by coincidence I've felt better so it has all worked out. Ben's football team pulled out a victory Sunday....it was a nailbiting tie until the final seconds. Ben's team punched in a touchdown as time expired to win 6-0. Some acquaintances played on the opposing team and Ben says there has been some discussion as to which team is the better team. I told him to simply say "scoreboard" and leave it at that. Parent/Teacher conf. have been this week and it is always interesting to hear of news that doesn't make it home. Most of it was good and then there were some comments that this time around it's about a boy and not a girl. Most of it doesn't surprise me but Jill having grown up in a household of only girls, well you know. Thanks for stopping by.

9/17/2008	Hello! I've been home a week and have been catching up on sleep but found out a couple of days ago that I have C-Dif. I'll just tell you that it's caused by antibiotics killing good bacteria in the digestive tract and then the bad bacteria sets in. It hasn't been fun. I've had to go to the hospital twice for fluids. Some days I wake up and feel like I'm going to have a good day only to be completely worn out by late morning. Ben's mid quarter grades were straight A's.....he's really digging middle school and it shows. Weight lifting is offered after school and he has been really pleading his case for participating in this. He envisions himself as being the tough guy on the football field who throws the opponents blockers out of the way. You go Ben. Jared Tomich's Husker Hog Ride is a poker run this Saturday. We sent information out to many of you because there is a party from 1 to 10 for those of us who won't be riding (riders go to the party too). Jill and I will most likely attending in the afternoon. Let me know if you need information. Jill and I will be going to BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY with the Hartmans Saturday night, all in celebration of Brad's birthday. That's it for now. Thanks for the support.

9/10/2008	Jon Johnson is a free man! He is back in the city of Lincoln and seems very happy to be home.

9/9/2008	I'm on my way back home. Or soon to be. I'm finishing an IV drip, moving over to the Leid hotel tonight, taking labs in the AM then heading out. WOW.....just short of 3 weeks. These guys will do anything to keep me from going back to work early. The cental line (for those of you who have seen me....the access in my neck) comes out tonight. The heart monitor electrodes come off. I'm pretty damn excited. These last few days, with me feeling so much better, I've grown pretty antsy to blow this pop stand. The thought of uninterrupted sleep tonight is going to be so great! Jill is planning on coming down in the AM to get me then I'm free until Friday when I have to return for labs. I'll continue with labs in Omaha until they get my Prograf levels set then I'll switch back to labs in Lincoln. I just ordered my last supper for this experience and am ready for a change of pace. I've ate almost every entree on the menu at least twice. It too is getting old. I've been meaning to mention for some time that those of you that want to help, GIVE BLOOD PRODUCTS. Never in my life had I needed red blood cells until now. To date I've taken 6 units of blood and 28 units of plasma. Please help replenish what I've used. It's nice to know it was there when I needed it. That's it for now. See you soon.

9/9/2008	Jon is actually getting released to freedom today. He will spend the night at the Lied Transplant Hotel tonight, have labs done in the morning, wait for results, then I'll run to Omaha and bring him home. He will need to go back on Friday am to have labs drawn and wait for results. I think having a night without vitals taken and lack of any beeping will be a big treat for the first night out.

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