A note to our friends...
May 28, 2020
Re: Yellow Dog Home-Joe Dumas
Dear Friends,
We hope you are well and have weathered this pandemic with few problems. As you know, Joe does the stone and steel furniture. And if you have no idea who is writing you, my name is Jan, Joe’s wife. Many of you have met me at shows with Joe. I have not been present for the past 4 years as Joe’s mom moved in with us at that time and I had to be home with her. She passed away in December.
While Joe is a social butterfly and talks with everyone he meets, he does not type letters, does not update Facebook with new posts, is not on Instagram, Twitter and the many other social media sites out there. So this is left up to me.
I’m writing to let you know about Joe. In late September of 2018, he had a heart attack. Did not have any classic symptoms and basically “pushed through” the pain and continued on with his work. The end of October, he had another one and he ended up in the hospital, had a stent placed and was placed on blood thinners. His heart function is down to 38%.
He has dealt with this fairly well. Until it comes to coming to shows. Once upon a time, he could unload those big heavy benches, move them around the booth, load them, deliver them to fairly hard locations in a yard. Well that has had to be modified quite a bit.
Before Joe went to Ohio last June, he had a blister on the side of his foot. By the time he got home 8 days later, it had become infected. He did not feel well at all. I took one look and got him to his orthopedic doctor and that Friday, he was admitted to Outpatient Surgery to deeply debride it. It looked good on Monday’s follow up. He had an appointment with Wound Care on Thursday. In 4 days, his toe had gone gangrenous, he had sepsis and he was admitted to the hospital. They amputated the 5th toe and part of the foot. Since then he has been on a PICC line for every 8 hours IV antibiotics, a wound vac, and appointments with Wound Care, Home Health, Orthopedics since last July. He has had to sit a tremendous amount of time with his foot up and if you know Joe, this has not been pleasant. I did, at one point, think a blow dart with an anesthetic on the tip might be the way to go, but I didn’t…
So he is healing, planning his return to work shortly and as we all get our lives back in order, we’d really love to bring orders your way. Please know that driveway delivery (or wherever he can safely back his truck) is going to be strictly adhered to now.
He has had driveway delivery for the past couple of years, but would help place an item if he had the help available. Delivery will now absolutely have to be driveway (or wherever he can back the truck to safely) only. I’m sorry if this is a major inconvenience, but 38% heart function is 38%. He is trying different ideas to lighten up the furniture, we’ll keep you posted on this.
If there is a piece of furniture that you would like made, please send an email to us at: yellowdog023@comcast.net.
We’re looking at August for delivery, depending on foot progression. And we will certainly keep you apprised. Now, if you would like a piece of furniture and want to visit sunny Alabama, we will do a discount. Please contact us for this option.
Joe is working on new stuff in his head, planning stuff out and when he can get back in the shop with a shoe on his foot. Some of the things??? An all metal bench with cushions, bird baths, potting benches and rocking chairs. (I have one that he made and it is awesome).
So let us know what you’d like and we’ll see what we can do!
Looking forward to August. See you then,
Jan and Joe Dumas
Re: Yellow Dog Home-Joe Dumas
Dear Friends,
We hope you are well and have weathered this pandemic with few problems. As you know, Joe does the stone and steel furniture. And if you have no idea who is writing you, my name is Jan, Joe’s wife. Many of you have met me at shows with Joe. I have not been present for the past 4 years as Joe’s mom moved in with us at that time and I had to be home with her. She passed away in December.
While Joe is a social butterfly and talks with everyone he meets, he does not type letters, does not update Facebook with new posts, is not on Instagram, Twitter and the many other social media sites out there. So this is left up to me.
I’m writing to let you know about Joe. In late September of 2018, he had a heart attack. Did not have any classic symptoms and basically “pushed through” the pain and continued on with his work. The end of October, he had another one and he ended up in the hospital, had a stent placed and was placed on blood thinners. His heart function is down to 38%.
He has dealt with this fairly well. Until it comes to coming to shows. Once upon a time, he could unload those big heavy benches, move them around the booth, load them, deliver them to fairly hard locations in a yard. Well that has had to be modified quite a bit.
Before Joe went to Ohio last June, he had a blister on the side of his foot. By the time he got home 8 days later, it had become infected. He did not feel well at all. I took one look and got him to his orthopedic doctor and that Friday, he was admitted to Outpatient Surgery to deeply debride it. It looked good on Monday’s follow up. He had an appointment with Wound Care on Thursday. In 4 days, his toe had gone gangrenous, he had sepsis and he was admitted to the hospital. They amputated the 5th toe and part of the foot. Since then he has been on a PICC line for every 8 hours IV antibiotics, a wound vac, and appointments with Wound Care, Home Health, Orthopedics since last July. He has had to sit a tremendous amount of time with his foot up and if you know Joe, this has not been pleasant. I did, at one point, think a blow dart with an anesthetic on the tip might be the way to go, but I didn’t…
So he is healing, planning his return to work shortly and as we all get our lives back in order, we’d really love to bring orders your way. Please know that driveway delivery (or wherever he can safely back his truck) is going to be strictly adhered to now.
He has had driveway delivery for the past couple of years, but would help place an item if he had the help available. Delivery will now absolutely have to be driveway (or wherever he can back the truck to safely) only. I’m sorry if this is a major inconvenience, but 38% heart function is 38%. He is trying different ideas to lighten up the furniture, we’ll keep you posted on this.
If there is a piece of furniture that you would like made, please send an email to us at: yellowdog023@comcast.net.
We’re looking at August for delivery, depending on foot progression. And we will certainly keep you apprised. Now, if you would like a piece of furniture and want to visit sunny Alabama, we will do a discount. Please contact us for this option.
Joe is working on new stuff in his head, planning stuff out and when he can get back in the shop with a shoe on his foot. Some of the things??? An all metal bench with cushions, bird baths, potting benches and rocking chairs. (I have one that he made and it is awesome).
So let us know what you’d like and we’ll see what we can do!
Looking forward to August. See you then,
Jan and Joe Dumas