Surgery Tuesday

Myles will have surgery on Tuesday to have another port implanted. We are destroying his veins with too many needlesticks. It's been a hard decision to make especially with it being "our choice". All in all, Myles, Aaron, Tuyet and I have all agreed it is the right/best decision. With much consultation with the surgeon, he is going to put the port near his shoulder blade and shoulder. He feels that this position is the best considering that buggies is going to be in high school (won't get bumped so much). The only down side to this placement is the extened pain for healing. Wow, Myles in more pain, what a concept! You could cut off both my legs if I could take his pain from him. The recovery time could be as long as two weeks but hopefully this will be better for him in the long run. His surgery is at 9 am and he will remain in the hospital for the night (if all is good). I pray that it all goes well and his pain level after surgery is tolerable.
Love to all,
Sherry

The Garden

The vegetable garden is coming along well, delayed by the cold spring that we had. It seems that we went from winter to summer. I got really behind when buggies was in the hospital but with a lot of very hard work, I seem to be catching up. Myles and his friend John started to "work" for me yesterday for a few hours a day. I have them digging some beds and today they will build my green bean tepees. I don't have enough veggies to open my stand yet (lettuce, spinach, and turnips) but it will be soon. Hope, my darling goat, decided that she loves bell pepper plants and ate around 10 of my 35 plants (along with 25 organic strawberry plants). I grew them all from seed so I kind of took it personal. I put up a hot wire fence about 6 inches from the ground, well you get the point, she hasn't been in my garden since, my poor little darling was SO MAD when she got zapped. I need to get going on the shed to finish it off, at least the hard work is over on that (see before and after pix). I also recieved my small freezer so I can sell Italian Gelatto Ice Cream. I told the boys yesterday that they could make frozen chocolate bananas and sell them but they have to be in control of the business on them. We'll see. Well just an update on the garden. Love to all.

Home from Burn Camp

Hey everybody this is Myles,
I just wanted to give an update on how I have been and how burn camp went. Life has been good, I've just been hanging out and being really sleepy because I just got home. Burn camp was so more than what I expected. Last Friday was full of anticipation, I woke up from hardly sleeping and sat around just waiting and waiting. We left for the airport at around noon and my flight took off at around 4 pm. The first day was filled with introductions and meeting new people. I met a friend, named Drake, and we ended up hanging out together all week. We were both the new guys on the trip. Second day was more exciting with rapids and kayaking, mosquitoes were pretty bad. The third day, was even more fun since everyone started to get the camping spirit and playfulness. Rapids got a little bigger and water fights got more crazy. We camped along the shore every night, the food was great (we even had pork tenderloin with halibut) and sat around in a big circle and talked about the day and each other. The fourth day was one of my favorites because it had the biggest rapids and I was one of the first new campers to go on them in a kayak. That day I was really sore because of all the paddling and rowing. We used an Eskimo blanket to fling people in the air, we flipped over the rafts and made a water slide with them, we lined up the kayaks and tried to run across them without falling in the water, and fun stuff like that. The hardest part of the trip was leaving my new friends, but we had a great time and are going to keep in touch. The fifth day was hard because it was the last night that we got to spend together but we made it count by doing all of the fun stuff. We woke up early on the sixth day so we could get on the bus and take the six hour drive to Salt Lake City. Then I flew home. I had a really great trip and can't wait for next year.
Will post some pictures when I get them done. I even had my toenails painted by the girls!
Love to all,
Myles

It is Time

I was not allowed to tell everyone how Myles lived. His name is Dan. He did not want me to tell anyone what he did, how he saved Myles' life, but I think the time is right. With all of the media surrounding buggies accident, he did not want to be in on all of that. Things have calmed down and I think that only friends and family see this blog.
I'm not too sure how to write about Dan. God placed him in the right place, at the right time, for Myles to live and every time I am in his presecnce, I am in total (don't know what word to use). Dan is a wrestling couch here in Nampa. According to his sweet and loving wife, Jennifer, Dan has never missed a wrestling match in years. That day (2/17/07) Dan decided to not go to his wrestling match. Jennifer says that she couldn't believe that he would miss a match but she accepted his decision, but Dan couldn't explain why. They ended up going to the gas station to get gas, their car was in the next bay of where Myles was. When the explosion happened, everyone was looking at the car and the flames. Out of the corner of Dan's eyes, he saw a flash of flames running. He said that the flames were so big that he could not see what was on fire. Myles ran behind a building, in his frantic, and Dan ran after him. He says that Myles was running so fast that he could not grab him so he tripped him to the ground. He layed his body on top of my son to put out the flames. The flames were so big that they wouldn't go out so he took off his shirt and smothered them. Dan received some burns but not enough to merit hospitalization. This is the first time I have told this story, at Dan's request. He is the heroe from God that was supposed to be there (a guardian angel?). No one else saw buggies on fire and with him running behind a building, would of certainly burned to death. My gratitude to God and Dan is beyond anything that I could write. To Dan, no words can describe my gratitude for you being on this earth, my son is alive because of you. My other son was not charged with manslaughter. He doesn't feel that he has done much, little does he know how much he HAS done for us. THANK YOU DAN!

Taking A Deep Breath

Well I just back from the airport........Myles is on his way to Salt Lake City for burn camp. We spent all week with Orthopedic surgeons, hemophilia doctors and surgeons for his up an coming port. Our calendar has been full to the brim and the second I walked away from him at the airport there was this eary screeching halt. Sleepless nights have seem to be the norm for both of us lately, him in utter exitement, and me in "Oh my God, he is going to be in the middle of no where for six days" worry. No hospitals, no hemophilia specialists, no cell phones, No, No, No.... He has been driving me crazy for the last two days. "48 hours till I go, 36 hours till I go, 24 hours"..... I am not sure if he is excited about white water rafting 92 miles in the middle of no where or getting away from me. It has been a lifetime (exageration, a year and a half) since buggies and I have been away from each other (excluding his time at school) for more than a day. Poor kid! Poor me! Trying to figure out all the medical supplies he needs "in the middle of no where" has been tough, factor, syringes, ASEPTIC SUPPLIES, ice packs, extra needles, hope I got it all. His camp counselor met us at the airport, he is from here, and I think I overwhelmed him some with all the motherly instructions. It wouldn't be so bad if Myles wasn't such a daredevil in ALL that he does. Is this a Ganley trait? Doug (his counselor) reassured me that they already have Utah lifeflight informed and waiting.
Myles was very quiet on the way to the airport compared to the last few days of irritating excitement. When we hugged our goodbyes, he just said "Mom, just remember, there is finally something good about being burned". I quickly hugged him (again) turned away and started to cry. How true. I am still crying (half for happiness, half for sorrow).
P.S. Myles just called me to tell me that they have a limousine to pick them up from the airport. My love is never ending to the people that acknowledge the pain and suffering that burn victims go through and want to make it better. Now I am really crying!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthday Weekend

Is August an aphrodisiac month? There are so many birthdays in May! Last weekend was Myles and mine's birthdays. Aaron treated us on Sunday (my birthday) to a wonderful dinner in Boise. The restaurant was right on the Boise River which is in it's glory with all of the snow melt. Monday was a tough day (Myles' b-day) as he woke up with his right elbow bleeding again. We were lucky to find a vein in TWO sticks, yeah!!!!! He couldn't use his right arm so we we were limited at what we could do. We went to Aarons and swam in the pool. We even had one arm races which were a lot of fun. We had Tuyet hang on to Aaron's neck to slow him down as even with only using one arm could beat everyone. Myles, Dave, and I went to the Red Robin after we left Aaron's for a birthday dessert (We so love Dave) and they actually embarassed him which is a very hard thing to do.

We will know more about our options with Myles' arm next week. After much talking with Salt Lake City, I have decided to let him go to burn camp (yikes!!). The nurse that is going on the rafting trip has promised to take him under her wing. Myles is great at reconstituting his factor and can guide her to the best veins to try. This camp is going to be so great for him as he has stopped wearing his pressure garments so talking with other teenagers about their experiences in High School will be something that he can not learn any where else. I am so excited about him going and so nervous.

Love to all

Acceptance

I layed awake most of the night pondering the true meaning of this word, Acceptance. It seems to be in the forefront of peoples lives including ours. Accepting the price of gas, the destruction of our earth, the things that we see on the six o'clock news. Is accepting life a good thing or a lazy way of not doing anything about it at all? As Myles' mother, accepting is something that I have been teaching him all of his life. Accepting the fact that he has hemophilia, accepting the fact that he has to get weekly shots, accepting the fact that he got burnt and had to go through unbelievable pain, and that he has many scars (which are very beautiful to me now), accepting that he has an absent father in his life. I try to show him that in accepting these realities it will free him up to see the wonderful things that he is. His unconditional love for all things, his humor, his generosity, how there is not a baby in the world who doesn't light up when they look into his eyes, that he can still golf. We came home from the hospital yesterday, IV's and all. He is not suppose to use his right arm for three weeks and get daily injections for a week, that is something we both can accept. Late last night I received a call from his doctor saying that he got the results of the MRI that Myles had yesterday before we left the hospital and that there is some permanent damage to his elbow joint and his arm may not ever straighten again. Acceptance, I don't think so. I have not told him of the results as I can not give my son strength unless I have it. Telling Myles that he might not be able to golf is not like all the other things that he has had to accept in his life, it will be taking a piece of his soul away. The whole time in Salt Lake City, the want to golf helped him endure. The painful physical therapy and wound care that followed was accomplished because of the want to golf again, golfing has always let him feel free of all of the other things that he has had to accept. We all have something that gives comfort to our souls, cooking, running, gardening, something that makes us feel good and takes us away from everything else on our minds. I am praying that this is not something that he has to accept, but if it is, I need to start working on my part (as his mother) now. When you don't have acceptance you will either feel despair and depression or anger, I am choosing anger right now, anger over all that my son has to accept. This will pass and I will again find strength to help Myles be the phoenix that he is and rise out of the ashes.

Back in the Hospital

Myles is in the hospital. He went in last week for an uncontrollable elbow bleed. We tried to drain the blood in the joint (tap) but it kept coming back and the procedure is terribly painful. They have him on a constant factor IV to try and get it under contol. Hopefully he will be out some time next week. He is doing fine and has no pain unless he tries to straighten his arm. We are all praying for no permanent damage (GOLF!) Our great friend Daini came by to visit us and always brings tons of candy. We are going to have a hospital room picnic tommorow for Mother's Day! Back to the hospital...........Happy Mother's Day.

Canada Geese

Myles and I had to go to St. Lukes hemophilia center today. We seem to still have a very hard time securing veins on him to treat him with factor (he had an ankle bleed) and after more than twelve times trying to find a vein I brought him to the hospital. Even they have a hard time. There is a large park by the hospital and buggies and I like to go there in search of baby Canada geese and boy did we find some. We could sit for hours just watching them as it takes all of the stress away. Myles finished his golf classes and won the award for best all around golfer! The assistant Pro who taught the class is recommending him for Varsity golf. He says that a Freshman has not been in Varsity in over five or six years. Go Bugs!!!!

Is it Spring yet?

Another below freezing night, old man winter doesn't seem to want to go to sleep. Normally I wouldn't mind but when you have hundreds of seedlings in your office (No greenhouse yet) it is getting a little crowded. I now have a neighbor to supply me with farm fresh eggs as my chickens are free roaming and every day is like a Easter egg hunt. My cat Tina has decided to be my gopher cat and eats them head and all, that is after torturing them for about an hour (yuk). Myles is doing great and is excited about the last day of school (of course) on May 30. I can't believe that he is going into HIGH SCHOOL this year. Kids are like puppies sometimes, you just wish that they could stay little for a while longer. We got some new additions to the farm yesterday, the ones with the puffy heads are the polish chickens with the funky hairdo's. It sure is wonderful not having ANY dark clouds hanging over our heads, just beautiful sunrises!

Love to all

IT'S FINALLY OVER

Court is finally over. It was an emotional and stressful day yesterday in court, but it's OVER!
This is an excert from the news:

You don't see this very often - a victim and defendant walking out of court arm in arm. But that's exactly what happened in Canyon County Monday.
The two are brothers - one set the other on fire last year, but no one will go to prison over this crime.
A Canyon County judge decided that Marc Sogoian, 27, and his family have suffered enough, and now an emotional case spanning more than a year is finally closed.
"Relief, total relief, they're happy it's over and I’m happy it's over for them because they have been through hell this last year," said Sogoian's attorney D.C. Carr.
The sentencing hearing was marked by emotional family testimony. Sogoian's mother spoke to the judge on her son's behalf; and the victim, Sogoian's younger brother Myles Ganley, begged a judge to be lenient in the sentencing of his big brother.
In the end, the judge sentenced Sogoian to three years probation, 100 hours of community service, and $1,150 in fines - but no prison time for burning his younger brother.
It was back in February 2007 that Sogoian flicked a lighter while filling up his car at a Nampa gas station. The fumes ignited and seriously burned his younger brother, Myles Ganley. He suffered second- and third-degree burns and is still in recovery.
In addition to family testimony, Sogoian also offered his remorse for the decision that changed his family forever.
"Honestly I look back on that day and I don't even recognize that person who chose to do that. I was such an idiot and it was that idiocy that severely injured my brother. It was that idiocy that brought great emotional turmoil to my family, my mom, my fiancée, myself, everyone who loves my brother," said Sogoian.
Because this case is so unique - involving the victim and the perpetrator in the same family - the judge ruled if Sogoian follows his parole guideline, the charges of injury to a child will be withdrawn.

Spring is such a busy time, for the birds, the bees (ha, ha) and for us. Myles is in golf at school and goes to the golf course twice a week. He loves it, probably because he is the best one. I have always been in awe at what a natural golfer he is. Even when he was four years old he seemed to have such a comfortable swing (unlike his mother, Ganley gift). His coach (pro assistant) is even impressed. Wouldn't it be great if he could make something of this and give hope and confidence to all kids with burns and hemophilia to achieve their dreams. Oh, by the way, he is officially taller than me now and just keeps getting better looking every day. We still go round and round over the hair issue but at thirteen I have to back down. I so miss seeing his face!

Love to all.......

Wow

It's been a while. Where do I begin? Myles is doing great and is definitely thirteen (all mom's know this age, ugh). He had the week off for spring break and has kept really busy golfing, movies, spending the night over at friend's houses. We just finished all the necessary paperwork so he can go to burn camp in June. Six days of rafting down a river in Salt Lake City, fifty two rapids (yikes) and the company of other teens who have been burned. This will be so great for him, being able to talk to other kids and them really knowing how he feels. We try to understand but I truly believe that unless you go through it, you really don't understand. My concern is him being out in the middle of NOWHERE on a raft with his hemophilia. The good that this will do him is outweighing the fear (at least that is what I am trying to convince myself).
We have also been busy with getting letters to the judge for Aaron's sentencing on April 21. Trying to explain to the judge, in a letter, about the love my two boys have for each other is very hard, a book could be written on their bond. We are all keeping a very positive outlook on the final sentencing and getting this behind us.
I have been, in the meantime, getting my organic gardening adventure together. I decided on the name "Garden Gate Farms". Ordering seeds, starting plants indoors, truckloads (and I mean truckloads, my pick-up is tired) of organic compost, disking the field, fixing up the shed out back for my vegetable stand, yeah I'm tired and sore. I am so excited about this, my love of gardening and cooking will definitely put a lot of love into this effort. Well I'm sure there is something I need to be doing (smile) an will keep updating as to all of our progress.

A big storm is brewing outside my window.

"We did not inherit the earth from our ancestors, but borrowed it from our children".

I don't know who wrote that, but I like it!

New Adventure

My hundreds of tulips and daffodils are coming up! We have all been real busy now that the snow is gone. What a winter, not that cold, just lots of snow. Myles is doing really good and continues to grow at an alarming rate. He golfed 18 holes last weekend with Aaron, Tuyet, and his best friend Dave (Dave's first time) and he continues to beat Aaron (ha, ha). I have been busy starting up my new buisness, ORGANIC GARDENING. Just starting with about a third of an acre to see how it goes. So much to learn as it is highly regulated but I got my 100% Organic certification. I still need to go to some more classes. Hopefully I will have a vegetable stand on my property and will also sell at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays. The field is plowed and waiting for me to start planting when it warms up.

Having trouble coming up with a name, my choices so far are:
Stella's Farm (my mom's name)
Our Side Farms (in reference to our side of the lake)
Fence Post Farms
Any ideas?

It's been a year

Wow, it's been a year ago today that our lives changed. Working so hard on the day to day, the complete year in it's entirety is hard to comprehend. The ER, lifeflight, the nightmare is all behind us now. Wow, it's only been a year? I can hardly remember when buggies wasn't burnt, when I wasn't washing pressure garments daily, physical therapy, wound care. How weird. It seems that I have been taking care of Myles' hemophilia and burns since the day he was born. Life is funny sometimes. All I know is that he is with us, loving us, inspiring us, telling us that he loves us, we are blessed. I won't allow myself to relive this past year, once was enough. We have all grown, learned, loved, and listened to what is really important in life, and I thank the strong and unbelievable sons that have been given to me. Like I said, I am blessed. To Myles: you give us the strength when there is none! I love you baby.

Myles is Growing Up

I can't believe how much Myles is changing now. Toby, our quarter horse, was full of mud so we decided to take some cool pictures.

A Visual Song

More Beauty

I can't help but share the beauty. Lot's of snow and it is gorgeous. Myles wants more snow days (hee, hee). We have been dealing with quite a few bleeds lately (and court) but we are doing well. It's not the best but it HAS BEEN WORSE. I want to bring all our animals in the house; horses, donkeys, goats, chickens, to get them out of the cold but can't. They seem to be handling all this OK. It truly seems to bother me more than them that they are out in the cold. The next court date is 2/19 and I can't wait for this to all be over. The stress of court seems to have a direct effect on buggies bleeds.

Beauty

I was driving home from taking Myles to school yesterday and was crossing over the lake. The sunrise was so beautiful. I took this picture with my cell phone but it doesn't do the majesty justice, the lake is partially frozen.

Myles is doing great. He has pretty much got over the hump as far as scar contraction and now his graphs are softening. His range of motion is back to normal as far as we can tell. He will still need to stay in his pressure garments for another six months to a year but he seems to find comfort wearing them. I can't believe how much he has grown lately as he is about a half inch shorter than me (I know, that's not saying alot!). His self-esteem is higher than ever, amazingly. He is truly wise beyond his years.

I hope that everyone has had a chance to catch a snowflake on their tongue this new year.

Fun!

They got him in the end!

Winter is Here!

Finally getting some snow!

To Susie

It's been a year ago today that we lost you Susie. Thank you for watching over us and giving us the strength to go on, a strength that you couldn't seem to have when you were here. You should of let us know of your pain. We have strength beyond words. We could of saved your soul, if you had only let us know. Your nephews and I miss you very much. Myles is really turning into a wonderful young man and Aaron is an unbelievable man, thank you for the influence that you gave them. I see a lot of you in them.

Can you, mom and dad, continue to watch over us for a little while.

Miss you so much,

Your little sister

A NEW YEAR!!!

I don't think that I can come up with the words to describe the ending of this year. I know that it will not be one of those uneventful years that you really don't remember anything "that happened that year". It almost seems that a lifetime has existed in 2007 with every emotion that one can have in a complete lifetime. Fear, pain, sorrow, joy, love, hate, faith, hope, helplessness, despair, compassion, hopelessness, strength....................there is more I'm sure. If we have ever felt that we have survived and succeeded it is now. I truly believe that if Aaron, Tuyet, Myles, and I have triumphed over 2007, we can survive anything that comes in our path in our futures (excuse me, I had to knock on wood). We know that we could not of done this without all of you, your love, prayers, support, and strength, that everyone has given us will never be forgotten. We are all healing in body, mind, and spirit. To a NEW year. May it be a very uneventful one for all of us.

Merry Christmas 2007

Hey All,
Yeah, it's that busy time of the year. Hope everyone had a loving and joyful Christmas. We enjoyed a small and loving time. It was just Aaron, Tuyet, Myles, and myself, we were blessed to be together. We had a little bit of snow on Christmas day, but OH BOY, today is making up for it. Words can not explain the beauty and the feel up here. I applied for a really great position for a job in Idaho, Medical FDA regulations, right up my alley. We will keep our fingers crossed as it is right across the street from Aaron's apartment and very close to Myles' school. We still have some big issue's on infusing buggies through his grafts but we are working to resolve that problem. Aaron's court is coming up soon and weighs very heavy on our minds and souls. Let His will be done! We have survived this far and I am amazed and hopeful that we can continue our strength to the finish of this journey. WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS!
To the New Year!
With love, as always,
Sherry and Myles

December 3 2007

Winter is definitely coming! I have removed all of the flip flops from the wicker bin by the door and filled it with hats, gloves, and scarves. It has snowed a few times already but none has really stuck to the ground. We had a real foggy day last week with 20 degree temps and it sure awakens the sleeping ice crystals. Everything had crystals on it, the horses wiskers, every blade of grass, even the horse hairs that hang from the arena (the picture above). Only God could create such beauty in it's perfection. What a difference from southern California, I love the beauty that each season brings, it's own beauty that no other season has.

We have all been sick around here with the flu's and colds. Aaron, Tuyet, Myles, and I have been ever so lovingly sharing all of our viruses with each other. Myles and I are trying to get our animals ready for Christmas but as you can see in the pictures, that they don't have that Christmas spirit YET. Love from us.

I think Myles has him beat!

Myles met and spent a lot of time with Matt Damon at a fund raiser for Hemophilia five years ago in California. It is so strange to me now to see Myles' arms and hands without the burns.

I think buggies is cuter don't you?

Thankfulness

I have been pondering how I was going to feel about Thanksgiving this year. This year, it sounds like such a short time for all that has happened. I have come to realize that I am truly more thankful this year than any of my past years. What a revelation and a calmness to the pain and scars that this year has left. I would like to share what I am truly thankful for:

Myles is alive.

My sister Sue is in Gods arms and her pain is gone.

The acknowlegement of how amazing the power of prayer is.

That through pain and suffering we grow and truly appreciate lifes every moment.

That my FAMILY is larger than just my two sons.

That things truly do happen for a reason that we may not ever understand but faith will help you accept that fact.

How love can help you bear all burdens.

That my family has become stronger, closer, and wiser.

That when you think that you have no more strength left, God gives you a shoulder to lean on, her name is Mona.

For all of the wonderful people who went through this with us, you shared our pain, sorrows, milestones, triumphs, and gave us strength. THANK YOU!

This Thanksgiving, from our family, is for all of you.

The sunrise pictures where from this morning at my house.

Halloween

Myles thought that this would be an appropriate costume this year. Things are going well but we might have to have another surgery to implant a port in Myles. His hemophilia is really acting up lately maybe due to the fact that he is growing so fast. It took me eleven needles sticks to secure a vein in him the other day for an ankle bleed. It's so hard to find veins through his grafts. Will keep you posted.

With love.............