Prayer Request: A New Job

We praise our Lord for raining down so may blessings on our family! It is just amazing to see His care and His people care for us. Thank you for everything!
In many ways life is getting bask it's rhythm: not so many doctors appointments, Gerry starting to work, attending our small group study, the registration for school and the beginning of cross country.
The return of "normalcy" has had an evolution. The journey of surgery and the first part of recovery had ups and downs. The cliff-hanging moments, the thrill of God's care and provision.
Now, those everyday issues are back: the leaky kitchen faucet that I can't get the right part for, the lawn mower that won't start (thank you dear friend for your help!).
God is still there, yet we seem to glance away and start getting down emotionally when the thrill of God's care is still ours.The Lord uses those everyday irritations to bring our focus back to Him .Please pray that we will keep holding God's hand as we walk through this journey of life with our Savior.
The return of the facial nerve function is very, very slow. There are days where Gerry is not feeling any change, which can get discouraging. We will not be seeing the nerve specialist until November unless there is a change. If the nerve is not functioning at that time they will start the process of nerve stimulation. If that is not effective, they will do a nerve graft.
Gerry is very deliberate in his speech. He has little feeling in half of his tongue and one side of his mouth. He jokes about speaking out of one side of his mouth.
His vision is good, except for peripheral vision. His eye is extremely sensitive to any environmental change. We should own stock in the eye drop company - he uses a box about every five days!
The physical issues are taxing, so he tires easily.
Gerry met with the radiologist recently. He will have six sessions of radiation at the end of the year. Why not now? There is a possibility of interfering with facial nerve recovery if it is done now. The tumors growth is slow, so there is time to deal with the remaining part of it.
The new MRI looks good! The tumor is very small now. The ventricles are normal size.
In addition to physical concerns, there is another important prayer request.
Gerry has worked two jobs in the past. He has had small disability insurance from them. He is back to work at his longest standing job. He said it felt good to be back, yet tiring.
His second job, where there were going to put him into an administrative position, is no longer there. When it came time to return, he was told that because of the length of time off work , his job was no longer protected, and the position was filled. They welcomed him to apply for other positions open within the company, which he has done. Please pray with us that one of these positions will be right for Gerry, or that God would open something else for him quickly. (It would be ideal if he got a position with enough income so that he could work just one job.)
This job was half of our income, so it is urgent. All disability insurance payments have stopped as of mid July. So we are at another cliffhanging moment, holding our Savior's hand.
Debbie

Back to work!

It's time: Gerry will return to work on Mon., July 16. It will be his first day back since his brain surgery in March.
Gerry and Debbie and their son Paul and daughter Sara spent July 4 in Everett with their daughter Krista and her husband Trevor. On July 8, Gerry preached at his church, First Baptist Church in Forest Grove, on Romans 8: 26 - 39. He preached despite continued paralysis on the right side of his face, but the congregation said it was among his best sermons they'd heard.
The family spent the week of July 8 camping in the Cascade Mountains.
Through everything, Gerry has experienced increased tingling in his face - a sign, doctors say, that his nerves are beginning to recover. He still struggles with balance and fatigue.
On Monday, Gerry will return to work at a group home for boys in an adminstrative capacity. Once he feels he's back in the swing of working, he plans to apply for a job to be a full-time therapist at the home. Gerry was away from work for long enough that his employer could not guarantee his job, but they know Gerry as a valuable asset and have been flexible with his schedule.
Doctors plan to begin radiation on the pieces of the tumor that remain in Gerry's brain. No date is set for this treatment yet, but doctors say it will be soon. They've assured Gerry that the treatments most likely won't exhaust him, and that he'll be able to continue working.
Thank you for your continued prayers for Gerry and the family. Recovery from brain surgery is a long, slow process, but Gerry and Debbie see signs that Gerry is healing every day. They're small signs, but they are there.

Lots of News

Dear Friends,

It has been close to three months since I asked for your prayer support for Gerry and our family. You have been so faithful in allowing the Lord to use you to minister to our family. Thank you! It has been an amazing time, joys and uncertainties. Always knowing our Lord is right there beside us, and you with Him.

I want to let you know where we are today in this process. As with most things in life, this has not gone according to the original plan, but God's plan.

Gerry had to return to ICU at one point for a temporary drain for the excess fluid in his brain. Now the body is absorbing the fluid naturally, and he does not have to have a permanent drain.

Two weeks ago Gerry returned to the emergency room with swelling in his face. The salivary glands had become inflamed. The lack of muscle movement in his face caused the glands not to be stimulated as usual. So we now do facial message to help and have not had anymore inflammation.

At the last visit to the nero surgery office, we were told that they had expected Gerry's facial nerve to have come back before that visit. In talking to other doctors about his case, Gerry's surgeon said they still fully expect a return of the nerve's function, it is just going to take 6 months to a year or more. Now is the time to bring in some other doctors to help this happen.

During this time, Gerry is experiencing pain in his eye. It feels like he has sand in his eye, or someone is poking him in the eye all the time. He has not been able to read, or do much because of this condition. Covering the eye is not an option because the eye could go to sleep. Yesterday, seeing the ENT doctor ( ear, nose, throat, specializing in facial nerve rejuvenation), Gerry was given a new drop which seem to help better then the others he has tried. He spent some time studying with GREAT joy!!

Also, on June 19, the doctor will surgically tighten his lower lid and put a gold weight in his upper lid. This should enable Gerry to close his eye, and help ease the pain. Hopefully with this Gerry will be able to return to work. Nerve endings grow about 1mm a day. The facial nerve is not one strand, but like a large root system. So he is looking at six months to a year for this to come back. If for some reason it does not, then at a years time, the doctors investigate doing a nerve graft.

Gerry has also seen a speech pathologist. This doctor is very encouraging. He sees some slight signs of muscle movement in Gerry's face. He has given Gerry some exercises to do. In doing facial exercises, Gerry need to be careful to keep each muscle movement isolated, so the growing nerve does not connect different movements together. Gerry's speech is clear, yet different, because he is speaking out of one side of his mouth. He is using more of his mouth and lip movement than before. There has been improvement!

We are encouraged that it will all come back in God's time. As of now the doctors have said possible back to work time is mid July. It depends on how the procedure of June 19 works out. We have had a little glitch in the disability insurance, but that should be back on line soon.

God has been so faithful! All of our needs have been met. All bills are current. The fridge is full. The van is running. Thank you ALL for your part! There has been much sacrifice on your part for us. I pray for blessings to be showered down on you. This journey would have been rougher without you. Your love, care, meals, cards,and gifts mean so much to us.

Thank you!
Debbie

Grilled Meat and Cabin Fever

Gerry has been navigating a winding road to recovery, with many twists and turns and steep climbs along the way. Gerry and his family keep in mind the path to recovery is not a sprint - it's a marathon with many ups and downs along the way.

His spirits are high, and his voice is nearly back to normal. When he speaks, his voice sounds like he has a small piece of cotton in his mouth, due to the partial numbness in his face. Gerry has slowly regained some of his strength back since his surgery. During a typical day, he sleeps through the night, and he gets up in the morning to see the kids off to school and after eating breakfast, he goes back to bed for a 2-3 hour nap, and he is up for the remainder of the day.

Pain is intermittent, although he is now off the narcotic pain-killers, despite some early withdrawal from the drugs. Now, Gerry takes Tylenol to dull the pain. Sometimes he feels flashes in his face, as though the feeling is coming back but the feelings subside. Gerry occasionally suffers from headaches that are triggered by environmental stimuli like bright light.

Perhaps one of the biggest hurdles for Gerry has been his cabin fever. He is anxious to read, but it is painful to coordinate the movement of both of his eyes, since he cannot blink one of his eyes. Reading is a painful experience. Gerry is able to think clearly and articulate his thoughts, however he finds that more a couple of minutes of conversation is exhausting for him.

Saturday night Gerry bit into another much-desired milestone. He enjoyed his first grilled post-surgery meat. The night before the surgery, Gerry ate steak. In March, he was unsure if the brain surgery would cause damage to the nerve that allows him to swallow, so there was a possibility that he might not be able to eat meat again. Last night he retreated to his grill and then he enoyed a small fire in the backyard with his wife.

In the past 6 weeks, Gerry and his family have been awed by the generosity of many people who donated their time, talents and money to help them get through the recovery. Although the recovery is still far from over, they would not have been able to make it this far without the assistance of many people, who have helped pay their mortgage, some bills and made meals for them while while Gerry was still in the hospital.

Gerry will have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday to discuss his recovery. Although surgeons originally predicted he might be ready to work by June 1, that might be an overly-optimistic date. We ask that you pray for continued recovery and healing. God has been good, as he has provided the family with the financial means to pay their bills along the way. Pray that Gerry's cabin fever eases, and he is able to return to work soon.

A Good Pain

Gerry has recently begun to feel pain in the areas of his face that have been paralyzed since the surgery. Though it's uncomfortable, the fact that he's feeling anything is a good sign.
The feeling comes and goes, but is lingering longer each time.
Gerry is getting out and about, and moving without the aid of a walker.
The family is dealing with (yet another) vehicle breakdown, but Debbie is hopeful that it can be at least partially repaired soon.

Here's Lookin' at You, Kid

Due to partial facial paralysis doctors say is temporary, Gerry is experiencing lots of pain in his right eye. He can close it if he focuses and works hard, but otherwise he relies on Debbie to administer eye drops to ease the discomfort.

Doctors say it's normal to have some form of temporary paralysis after brain surgery. Before Gerry went in, they said they expected that his optic nerve would be bruised. We think this is stil the case, and it will probably be some time before his eye is fully functional.

Other than that, Gerry is getting some cabin fever. Due to his eye, it's uncomfortable to read, so his entertainment forms at home are limited. He's visited some neighbors and has gone out for scenic drives. The good news is that he's moving about without the aid of a walker.

There are improvements every day. Your prayers do make a difference!

Overnight Improvements!

Last night, Gerry noticed some extra swelling at the back of his head, on and around the wound created by last month's brain surgery. If it didn't go down by this morning, Debbie was planning to take him back to the hospital - not a pleasant option, considering the many days Gerry spent there last month.
Debbie propped Gerry up overnight, and this morning saw that the swelling had subsided.
Gerry also had increased pain last night and was worried that he might need stronger pain medication. This morning, the pain was all but gone. As of 10:30 a.m., he hadn't taken any pain medication at all.
It's just one more step along the way to recovery, but we're pleased that another hospital visit isn't in the cards, at least right now.

Little by Little (and a prayer request)

For more than week, Gerry has been resting at home.
By Easter, he was able to make it to Sunday morning services, where he was thrilled and encouraged to see so many supportive friends. Once he arrived home he slept most of the rest of the day, and has been sleeping quite a bit each day.
But every day, he sleeps a little less and is a little more awake. Slowly but surely, he is recovering.
Now, he's moving about without his walker. He's able to write his name, and is more alert now than ever before.
Daughter Sara, however, complains that some things never change: he still inadvertantly steals the serving utensils at dinner each night. She is jokingly frustrated, but admits that it's (in a strange way) a comfort.
Today, Gerry noticed some swelling on the back of his head. Debbie immediately called doctors. They decided together that Gerry should stay home tonight and see whether the swelling subsides by morning.
If it doesn't, he'll most likely be headed back to the hospital to get a permanent shunt placed in his brain to handle drainage.
Please pray tonight that the swelling goes down and that Gerry's pain will be eased.
Thank you for your continued support.

Rest at Home

Gerry has been home since Monday, when Debbie received a surprise phone call asking for a ride.
Since then, he's slept - a lot. He's gone out for ice cream and a drive around the lake. Today, he plans to visit Forest Grove High School to watch Paul's 1500m run. There have been visitors and quiet times, and he's enjoyed both.
He is slowly recovering full use of his face, and his voice is returning to normal. Doctors initially predicted a 4-6 week at-home recovery period, so he's right on track.
Thanks for your continued prayers!

"Can you come pick me up?"

It's a question Debbie usually hears from Paul or Sara, when they call her from school or youth group or track practice or snowboarding . . . but on Monday morning, it was Gerry calling instead.
He was moved from ICU to a regular hospital room on Sunday afternoon - a welcome change. By 10 a.m. on Monday, doctors told him he could go home.
More details to come soon!

Getting Restless

Contary to popular belief, cell phones do not interfere with ICU monitoring equipment.
Gerry discovered this Saturday, after Debbie conducted her own subversive form of interrogation on the ICU nurses. By the time she was through, the nurses softened just enough so that Gerry could pull a curtain around his bed and make contact with the outside world.
He wished his daughter in Washington a happy birthday, and spoke to his son and daughter (who were visiting in Washington), as well. That was late Saturday morning. By about 9 p.m., he was bored enough to make another illicit phone call.
It brought some much-needed encouragement.
He's more alert than some other ICU patients, and knows he's in recovery. That makes the ICU walls - enclosing what has been his residence for the past five days - all the more suffocating.
Doctors have clamped the temporary shunt that has drained fluid from his brain, and they're waiting to see whether he'll need a permanent shunt.
More ICU secrets coming tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Casting Crowns and Mark Driscoll

The band Casting Crowns and a CD-stack of sermons on Genesis by Mars Hill Church pastor Mark Driscoll have been two of Gerry's more constant companions in recent days as he continues to rest in ICU.
But it's questionable just how restful the unit really is.
Sources close to ICU staff at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center say the 24-hour use of fluorescent lights and constant beeping of medical equipment, coupled with the severity of the situations of other patients in the unit, can drive some ICU patients to distraction.
Fortunately for Gerry, he's been upgraded from what can, in polite conversation, only be called a delicate blend of your favorite fruits and vegetables (one can never tell WHICH fruits and vegetables, but that's beside the point, well-intentioned hospital cooks say) to real food -- food almost fit for a man who treasures his rib-eye steaks and, well, his rib-eye steaks. Almost.
So he's biding his time in his small, curtained-off area, accepting frequent visits from Bernie and the other nurses as they check a temporary brain shunt and offer pain medication.
Still, the medication that works best for him is to have his wife, Debbie, nearby. She drives to the hospital each day, needlework in tow, to sit in Gerry's corner of the ICU. She reminds him that he's recovering, even when it doesn't feel like he is. He takes comfort in hearing that from someone he knows and trusts.
We're not sure how long Gerry will remain in the ICU, or at the hospital.

More Tests

Doctors say they'll clamp off the tube that's draining fluids from Gerry's brain today. If it doesn't cause swelling in his brain, Gerry will be one step closer to recovery. If swelling does occur, doctors say they'll consider implanting a permanent shunt.
Debbie has been visiting Gerry for many hours each day at the hospital. Paul and Sara, Gerry and Debbie's two children who still live at home, are benefitting from the generosity of many people who have volunteered to deliver meals to the Schaffner home during this time.
It's Gerry's second stay in ICU - an area of the hospital that isn't always pleasant. Though his doctors and nurses have been friendly and encouraging, Gerry is surrounded 24 hours a day with people who are in the unit for various reasons. The atmosphere is intense and often discouraging.
If you'd like to encourage Gerry by sending him a card or in any other way, please email gerryschaffner@hotmail.com.
Thank you for your continued prayers.

Slow but Steady

Gerry's still in ICU at Kaiser Permanente's Clackamas hospital, but he's recovering. Doctors say he may need a permanent shunt - or drain - implanted in his skull that will direct fluids elsewhere in his body to avoid what's known colloquially as "water on the brain."
Despite his return to the hospital, Gerry continues to recover at a rate expected by his doctors.
A big thanks to everyone who has supported the Schaffner family through this time. We'll continue to update this blog with new information as it is made available.

Back in ICU

Throughout Monday Debbie noticed that along with increasing disorientation, swelling had begun where the tube which had been installed in Gerry's ventricule. She called the hospital and they recommended that she bring Gerry in... this was around midnight Monday night.

Gerry's surgeon, who happened to be on call, immediately called in his entire team who ran a CAT scan among other tests. Their fear was that infection had begun to set in.

Gerry will be in ICU for at least a couple of days as they continue running tests to make sure that everything will be okay. Gerry may need to have a permanent drainage tube implanted in his brain.

Thank you for praying.

Home (and a major miracle)

Doctors hinted Friday that Gerry might be ready to go home today, and Debbie panicked.
It was up to three days early, based on the doctor's initial estimate, and four days after brain just seemed too soon.
Yet a neurosurgeon cleared him to leave, and a speech pathologist said that although he's still having difficulty moving the right side of his face, he's on track to fully recover.
So at about 3 p.m., a "transport team" wheeled Gerry out to the family minivan, and Debbie and Gerry drove home.
On the way out, Debbie stopped by the cashier's desk to settle the bill. She expected a 20 percent copay to add up to many thousands of dollars -- and a payment plan that could last years.
Instead, the cashier informed her that at some unknown point in the past, the family's insurance plan had been changed. There was no copay. The entire hospital stay was covered.
Praise God!
Gerry is settled in a bed set up on the main floor of the house. He's able to walk with the aid of a walker, and can make it up and down stairs. He said that he's happy (but only on one side of his face, he joked). He's able to carry on normal conversation and seems to be fully awake, after days of being affected by anesthesia.
Visitors are welcome to stop by. Gerry would love to see you!

A Change of Scenery

After more than a day in the Intensive Care Unit, Gerry's nurses moved him to a regular hospital room on Thursday afternoon. Instead of a 24-hour view of the nurse's station and a battery of monitors, Gerry can now see outside. Instead of a curtain separating him from other patients, there is an actual wall. Most importantly, he's now in a more relaxing environment, and is no longer surrounded by other patients in various stages of intensive care. It's a refreshing change of scenery, and a good sign of recovery.
Gerry stood for the first time since walking into the hospital early Tuesday morning. He's shaky and has unsteady balance, so doctors say he'll begin physical therapy soon - that's a normal practice after such an intensive surgery.
A speech therapist stopped by to check on Gerry's facial mobility. Though he is still suffering from partial paralysis on the right side of his face, the therapist said he's on track to recovery.
One family member overheard nurses commenting that Gerry is much more relaxed and appears to progress more rapidly when his wife Debbie is at his bedside. She has spent many hours at the hospital since the surgery began.
Today, she brought with her a discman and a collection of cd's, including Gerry's recent favorites Casting Crowns and Jeremy Camp. The music provided some relaxation for him.
We'll let everyone know as soon as Gerry is able to receive visitors. At this point, it's important that he remains calm and gets as much sleep as possible.
Thanks for your continued prayers!

Into Recovery - A Long Road Ahead

Day 2 brought soft sliced peaches and custard to Gerry's bedside. He was able to hold the bowls in his hands and sip water, and joke with nurses as they checked what must have felt like hundreds of monitors attached to his body.
He's still in the Intensive Care Unit, but he's recovering at a rate expected by his doctors. Though there were phases of elevated blood pressure due to pain, his facial nerves are already beginning to strengthen. The weak right side of his face began to move during the day Wednesday, and by 9 p.m. he was able to move his eyelid.
Gerry recognizes that he is confused at times because of his medication (this is a common side effect), but he's able to carry on normal conversation. At one point, he began humming a familiar worship song.
"His body is slowly waking up," Bernie, Gerry's nurse, said.
After a full eight hours or more under deep anesthesia, "waking up" can take several days, Bernie said. In many ways, Gerry remains partially asleep.
Before family members left the hospital for the night, Gerry asked if they could all pray together, behind his curtained area in the ICU.
We expect Gerry will be able to receive visitors in a few days, when he's in a regular hospital room.
Thank you so much for your continued prayer and support. The hurdles and pits on this road we're traveling are smoother because of the many friends who stand beside us now.

Success!

Dear Friends:
We're praising God tonight for gifting the surgeons with great skill. Everything they hoped for - and more - was accomplished today in surgery.
Gerry arrived at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. and went into surgery promptly at 8 a.m. By 5:30 p.m, two neurosurgeons, assisted by a nerve monitoring team from Oregon Health Sciences University, had removed an estimated 98 percent of a golf ball-sized brain tumor that has been impacting Gerry's daily life for more than a decade.
The pieces of tumor that remain are located along the facial nerve and in the canal. Once Gerry has recovered from surgery, the doctors intend to treat those pieces with radiation.
We prayed that God would protect Gerry from facial paralysis - one of the risks of the surgery. Today, at the end of the procedure, surgeons stimulated Gerry's facial nerves and found that they responded. The nerves were weakened during the surgery, but doctors expect that they'll return to full strength as he recovers.
We were able to see Gerry at around 8 p.m. this evening. The long procedure left him disoriented, but even with slurred speech, he exhibited his trademark wit.
He also spoke of the things that weighed on his heart in the days leading up to the surgery. Even through a cloud of anesthesia, it was clear that it is not the things of this world that he values most.
"I just want to be a hero for God," he said.
Gerry was taken to the Intensive Care Unit after the surgery (a standard practice), and doctors say he'll remain there for the next three days.
After that, he'll be transferred to another floor, where he'll continue to recovery for several more days.
Gerry is heavily medicated right now, and is being monitored closely by hospital staff.
We're not sure when he'll be ready to receive visitors, but we know he'll be thrilled to see the friends and family members who have supported him during this time.
In the meantime, please pray that Gerry's facial nerves will recover as the doctors expect they will, and that Gerry will experience minimal pain.
Thank you for your prayers and support. We will continue to update you as Gerry continues his recovery.

- The Schaffner Family

Monday Night - 10 1/2 hours until surgery

Gerry was told by his doctors that he shouldn't eat anything after midnight, so he ate two dinners Monday night: the first with his family, and the second when friends from church stopped by, bearing lasagna. He blamed his usually goofy nature on his medication. It was a busy day taking phone calls from friends and family, who wished him well and prayed with him.

He will arrive at the hospital at 6 a.m., and go into surgery at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

Gerry is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and prayer from so many friends, both for himself and for his family. Friends from church stopped by and spent time praying for the surgery, a healthy recovery, and most of all, that it would manifest God's glory, and His compassionate love for His people.

How can I financially help the Schaffners?

Gerry will be out of work for an extended period of time and extensive medical expenses will be accrued (a portion will be covered by insurances, but not sure of exact amounts as of yet).

So First Baptist Church of Forest Grove (Gerry and Debbie's home church) has set up a special fund for Gerry and Debbie through the church. If someone would like to donate to this they can send a check, but they must do the following:

• Make the check out to First Baptist Church Forest Grove, but do not designate on the check who or what it is for. Instead...


• Send a note with the check that it is for the special fund for Gerry and Debbie. (Apparently, money sent to the church on behalf of someone cannot be designated as such on the check itself. Apparently this is some IRS tax code/law for churches. The individual needs to include a seperate note for its intended purpose.)

Church Address:
First Baptist Church Forest Grove
2224 15th Avenue
Forest Grove, OR 97116

The check can be sent to the attention of Gretchen Brown, their bookkeeper.

Tuesday (03-13) Update

Dear Family and Friends,

Today, Gerry's appointment was full of details - here are a few:

• The name of the tumor is acoustic neuroma (schwannoma)
• Possible surgery date is Tues, March 20. We will have this confirmed Tues. or Wed.
• Surgery will be at Kaiser Sunnyside Hospital
• Dr. Polin, chief of neurosurgery at Kaiser, and Dr Ono, the most experienced neurosurgeon in this sort of tumor in the Portland area, will be the team for this surgery.
• There will be a nerve monitoring team from OHSU for the surgery.
• Some radiation after surgery to remove any remaining tumor.

3 major concerns (prayer requests) about surgery:

1. Damage to the facial nerve causing paralysis. 25% - 33%
2. Damage to the swallowing nerve
3. Damage to a major artery causing a massive stroke - slight

Thank you for praying with us. Gerry and I treasure the love and support you are showering upon us. We praise God for His comfort.

Debbie and Gerry

Dear Friends

Dear Friends,

We come to you asking for prayer as our lives take an unexpected turn.

Many years ago Gerry ws diagnosed with Meniere disease, characterized by vertigo, hearing loss, abnormal eye movement, etc. There is not a cure for Meniere, so Gerry has been living with this and managing symptoms.

Lately symptoms have escalated. Gerry went back to the doctor looking for a way to manage, as symptoms were interfering in basic living. After seeing a neurologist Tuesday and having a MRI Wednesday, Gerry ws informed that he does not have Meniere disease, but a brain tumor. Most likely, it is not cancerous, yet it is large- 39mm, and pressing on several nerves affecting hearing, speech, swallowing, and respiratory. It is too large for radiation, so Gerry is on the fast track for surgery.

We ask prayer for several things:

• Gerry's health


• Doctor's wisdom in treatment decisions


• Doctor's skill in surgery


• Family's spiritual and emotional health


• Loss of income for close to 3 months with small disability insurance


• Making good decisions

God is faithful! We rejoice in knowing He will work ALL of this out.

Please pray with us as God carries us through this time.

Praising Our God,

Debbie and Gerry