What a difference a few weeks at home can make. Fred recovered from his injection in about a week this time and has felt pretty good the rest of the month. I was especially worn after this trip. The whole trip was filled with extra struggles that were very wearing on me. I can't believe, that I can honestly say I am feeling rested physically, mentally and spiritually now. I am reminded of that verse that says God will never give us more than we can bear.
The bright spot on our last trip was getting to spend a week with Carrie and Misty plus family before heading to DC. The plan was for us to babysit the kids while Misty & Peter went out of town for a few days of rest and to celebrate Misty's 30th BD. Well, to make a long story short the whole family ended up on antibiotics instead. Praise the Lord Fred and I did not catch that bug. Lizzy is getting to be such a big girl going to preschool and the twins are walking and talking. We had a lot of laughs that week. Nothing like the Grandkids to lift your spirits.
Tomorrow morning we head for the airport again. Fred and I, believe it or not, are really looking forward to this trip. The biggest reason is that our oldest son, Shane, will be traveling with us. I think that last time we had Shane to ourselves for 5 days was before his little sister was born. And we will not say how many years that has been. We appreciate his willingness to give us this precious gift of time. We especially want to thank his wife for her willingness to share him with us, as she will be left at home with 3 small children. Thank you Shane & Kristi!
Thanks again to all of you for your prayers and words of encouragement. We are so blessed by all of you. God is good.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
New Numbers
The good news is that Fred's liver numbers were very near normal today. That ment he could have a treatment this afternoon. The bad news is that the PSA is up. The Doctors told us that sometimes it takes 4,5, or 6 treatments before the PSA drops. Fred has only had 2 treatments close together. Fred is also starting to have pain in his leg again but is able to control it with Ibeprophen. He is scheduled to have body scans next month, so they will re-evaluate the tumar then.
We enjoyed Sunday afternoon with Sandra and Skip, plus friends that gathered to celebrate the Super Bowl. Fred and I left early to head to Bethesda and got to our room in time to see the last quarter. It was a fun game to watch..... the only football game we watched this year.
Once again we are headed home on Wednesday. We here it's cold up there humm.......
Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers.
We enjoyed Sunday afternoon with Sandra and Skip, plus friends that gathered to celebrate the Super Bowl. Fred and I left early to head to Bethesda and got to our room in time to see the last quarter. It was a fun game to watch..... the only football game we watched this year.
Once again we are headed home on Wednesday. We here it's cold up there humm.......
Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
A Maryland Morning
My it has been awhile since I updated everyone.....
We had a restful time at home watching the snow fall and feeding the fire. I even did a little closet cleaning. Fred recovered quickly from his injections. I know that he has been feeling better because he keeps thinking of things that I should do.
The last week that we were home I spent my time cleaning and reorganizing the basement because we had a new boarder moving in. Nickolas moved in just a couple of days before we left. I talked to him the other day and he was asking where a few things were in the kitchen. He seems to be settling in. We are so greatful to have someone living at the house and taking care of things since we are gone so much.
This morning I am sitting in Maryland at Skip and Sandra's kitchen table watching a flock of blackbirds coming and going around the neighborhood. I can't believe how many there are. I woke up to their chater this morning. We had good flights yesterday from Boise to Seattle to DC.
As many of you know, we went to Boise to help out with the kids so that Misty and Peter could run away for a few days. Feb 1 was Misty's 30th birthday. Well, to make a long story short the whole family went on antibiotics the day after we got to Boise and no one felt well enough to go anywhere. Sorry Misty, maybe another time. We did enjoy our visit with all of them, espcially when they all started to feel better.
So far, Fred and I are well. We all worked very hard at hand washing and sanitizing around the house to keep the bugs away. We enjoyed sleeping in our camper in the back yard. According to the family in the house, they did not get the full nights of sleep that we did.
Tomorrow Fred is back at NIH with blood work and Dr appointments. We will let you all know what we learn as soon as we can. If all goes well, our tickets home to Alaska are for Wed the 6th.
Happy Anniversary Wade and Annadeidra. Five years and counting...... God bless you both.
We had a restful time at home watching the snow fall and feeding the fire. I even did a little closet cleaning. Fred recovered quickly from his injections. I know that he has been feeling better because he keeps thinking of things that I should do.
The last week that we were home I spent my time cleaning and reorganizing the basement because we had a new boarder moving in. Nickolas moved in just a couple of days before we left. I talked to him the other day and he was asking where a few things were in the kitchen. He seems to be settling in. We are so greatful to have someone living at the house and taking care of things since we are gone so much.
This morning I am sitting in Maryland at Skip and Sandra's kitchen table watching a flock of blackbirds coming and going around the neighborhood. I can't believe how many there are. I woke up to their chater this morning. We had good flights yesterday from Boise to Seattle to DC.
As many of you know, we went to Boise to help out with the kids so that Misty and Peter could run away for a few days. Feb 1 was Misty's 30th birthday. Well, to make a long story short the whole family went on antibiotics the day after we got to Boise and no one felt well enough to go anywhere. Sorry Misty, maybe another time. We did enjoy our visit with all of them, espcially when they all started to feel better.
So far, Fred and I are well. We all worked very hard at hand washing and sanitizing around the house to keep the bugs away. We enjoyed sleeping in our camper in the back yard. According to the family in the house, they did not get the full nights of sleep that we did.
Tomorrow Fred is back at NIH with blood work and Dr appointments. We will let you all know what we learn as soon as we can. If all goes well, our tickets home to Alaska are for Wed the 6th.
Happy Anniversary Wade and Annadeidra. Five years and counting...... God bless you both.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Yes!
| After much study, Fred passed his liver exam today and got a long awaited treatment. The first thing this morning Fred went to the lab to donate his blood for the day. It was only 20 vials this time. We went to see Dr G and were in her office waiting for the lab results and listening to all the possible tests they were considering if the numbers did not come down this time. And there it was on the compuer screen.....they are not all totally normal yet ...but definitely going in the right direction. Everyone was doing a lot of smiling the rest of the day. Doctors even greeted us in the hall with their congratulations. It was a long day at the hospital but well worth it. We don't have another appointment until Feb 4. About Wednesday at 5pm, we should be walking in the door of our home in Alaska. The time since we left has gone very fast with all the holiday travel but it will be good to be home. |
Friday, January 4, 2008
Happy New Year!
What a wonderful holiday season we have had! We flew from DC and spent about a week with Wade, Annadeidra and kids. We spent our time enjoying each others company with a lot of laughter, playing card games, dominos, and loving on the grandkids. Kyrstin and I baked a cake and Papa rode the little 4 wheeler around the yard with her. Ashton reminds us a lot of Wade at that age, always on the move with a cute grin and a twinkle in his eye.
After Christmas it was off to Kansas. Mom's car broke down on the way to pick us up so Rodney and Steve came to the rescue. They were having their big family Christmas dinner that afternoon....but we ate in shifts by the time the cars got towed and shuttled around. Fred and I sleep in the recliners in the middle of the livingroom while all the family of 9 visited around us. It was a long day, that morning we had to get going at 3:30 am to catch our flight in Nasville.
We saw a lot of family and friends in our week here. It was great to spend the night with Laila and family. The whole family got in a game of Hand & Foot. Lewis and Elaina did a great job of keeping up with us. I think they focus on the gamve better than we do, we are distracted by the visit we are having. It is wonderful to have a game that everyone can enjoy playing.
No one enjoys playing games more than Mom. She especially loves picking up 7 cards in Hand & Foot and saying, "There are just so many possibilities." It was amazing how many times she pulled it off & won.
We find ourselves at the Wichita Airport this morning on our way back to DC. Rodney and Mom brought us in and we had a nice breakfast at IHOP on our way to the airport. Laila and Elaina came by and saw us. We have internet hook up here at the airport so I thought I would catch you all up.
The next couple of days we will be at base housing remonising about the good times we have had in the past couple of weeks. Monday Fred will be back at the hospital. Our plans at this time are to fly home on Wednesday.
Thanks everyone for a great holiday.
After Christmas it was off to Kansas. Mom's car broke down on the way to pick us up so Rodney and Steve came to the rescue. They were having their big family Christmas dinner that afternoon....but we ate in shifts by the time the cars got towed and shuttled around. Fred and I sleep in the recliners in the middle of the livingroom while all the family of 9 visited around us. It was a long day, that morning we had to get going at 3:30 am to catch our flight in Nasville.
We saw a lot of family and friends in our week here. It was great to spend the night with Laila and family. The whole family got in a game of Hand & Foot. Lewis and Elaina did a great job of keeping up with us. I think they focus on the gamve better than we do, we are distracted by the visit we are having. It is wonderful to have a game that everyone can enjoy playing.
No one enjoys playing games more than Mom. She especially loves picking up 7 cards in Hand & Foot and saying, "There are just so many possibilities." It was amazing how many times she pulled it off & won.
We find ourselves at the Wichita Airport this morning on our way back to DC. Rodney and Mom brought us in and we had a nice breakfast at IHOP on our way to the airport. Laila and Elaina came by and saw us. We have internet hook up here at the airport so I thought I would catch you all up.
The next couple of days we will be at base housing remonising about the good times we have had in the past couple of weeks. Monday Fred will be back at the hospital. Our plans at this time are to fly home on Wednesday.
Thanks everyone for a great holiday.
Friday, December 21, 2007
The best news....
Yes, it was a very long day. Fred was at the hospital at 7:30 am and we left the hospital at about 6pm this evening. We were so glad we had left overs that we could just heat up in the microwave in our room for supper. It was a day full of tests, waiting, MRI, doctors and more waiting and more doctors.
Everyone wanted so bad to give us good news and give Fred a treatment. His liver enzyme numbers have come down, but not as much as was expected or needed before he could have his vaccine treatment. He is the only one one this trial that has had this problem and they are very cautious about putting any more stress on his liver.
The best news is that Fred is still in the this drug trial and his treatment has just been postponed until his liver heals. So....we have postponed our trip home from January 6 to January 9. Fred will have blood tests and hopefully a treatment on January 7.
Tomorrow Skip is coming to pick us up and we will spend a couple of days with them. We are going to the crab shack for lunch. Fred and Skip usually make a run to the book store too. We always enjoy our time with them. I think it is time to teach Skip & Sandi to play "Hand and Foot", don't you?
Then we are off to see family for the holidays. It is time to spend time thinking about something besides cancer. It is very important to Fred that everyone treats him like he is normal. He is....this is our normal life now. It makes Fred uncomfortable when anyone hovers over him and tries to protect him. He is still able to make good choices for himself. We all need to let him do that.
It was great to hear the excitement in the air this evening as we watched the staff leaving the hospital for the holiday weekend. Everyone was greeting each other with Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday greetings, sharing holiday plans and excitement.
Fred & I want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year too.
Remember the best news - Jesus is the reason for the season.
Everyone wanted so bad to give us good news and give Fred a treatment. His liver enzyme numbers have come down, but not as much as was expected or needed before he could have his vaccine treatment. He is the only one one this trial that has had this problem and they are very cautious about putting any more stress on his liver.
The best news is that Fred is still in the this drug trial and his treatment has just been postponed until his liver heals. So....we have postponed our trip home from January 6 to January 9. Fred will have blood tests and hopefully a treatment on January 7.
Tomorrow Skip is coming to pick us up and we will spend a couple of days with them. We are going to the crab shack for lunch. Fred and Skip usually make a run to the book store too. We always enjoy our time with them. I think it is time to teach Skip & Sandi to play "Hand and Foot", don't you?
Then we are off to see family for the holidays. It is time to spend time thinking about something besides cancer. It is very important to Fred that everyone treats him like he is normal. He is....this is our normal life now. It makes Fred uncomfortable when anyone hovers over him and tries to protect him. He is still able to make good choices for himself. We all need to let him do that.
It was great to hear the excitement in the air this evening as we watched the staff leaving the hospital for the holiday weekend. Everyone was greeting each other with Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday greetings, sharing holiday plans and excitement.
Fred & I want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year too.
Remember the best news - Jesus is the reason for the season.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Christmas choirs, trees, trains, and flowers.
Just had a call from Dr G and Fred's liver enzymes are still high. Yesterday he had blood work and today they did a liver sonogram. Tomorrow he will be at the hospital all day with blood work, tests, Dr appointments and hopefully a treatment. We will see what all the doctors decide tomorrow.
What a great surprise today..... at noon we were at the hospital when the NIH Chamber Singers put on their annual Holiday Concert. They sang 20 songs, all Capella, in an hour. What a treat to hear that concert. The group of 15 was made up of employees and friends of the National Institute of Health. The atrium area where they were singing is a big open area with about 50 palm trees in giant pots. This month they all decorated with red poinsettias at the bases of the pots and a huge Christmas tree plus several tree shaped poinsettia displays. It is a wonderful Christmas display and then fill it with music. What a treat.
More Christmas tradition.... the first Christmas season we came to DC (4 years ago, I think) Fred and I went to see the National Botanical Gardens Christmas display. That year it was a 1950's theme with electric train, displays of Alpine Villages, flowers, decorations everywhere. Today we took the metro and went back to see what the Christmas display was this year. There were poinsettias in white, pink, old fashioned red and red with rose shaped centers. The main colors were light pink and white poinsettias and bright midnight blue balls decorating the tree. Also tucked in among the all the plants and flowers were a collection of models of historic buildings of the National Mall and Capital Hill. Maybe I can put up some pictures I took of some of them.
More about the train display... the garden railway features three islands, more than 800 feet of track and a 45 foot suspension bridge. You can stand and watch the trains for hours, winding up the mountains, through villages, past rustic cabins and across the bridges.
We are so blessed to be in DC during the holiday season.
What a great surprise today..... at noon we were at the hospital when the NIH Chamber Singers put on their annual Holiday Concert. They sang 20 songs, all Capella, in an hour. What a treat to hear that concert. The group of 15 was made up of employees and friends of the National Institute of Health. The atrium area where they were singing is a big open area with about 50 palm trees in giant pots. This month they all decorated with red poinsettias at the bases of the pots and a huge Christmas tree plus several tree shaped poinsettia displays. It is a wonderful Christmas display and then fill it with music. What a treat.
More Christmas tradition.... the first Christmas season we came to DC (4 years ago, I think) Fred and I went to see the National Botanical Gardens Christmas display. That year it was a 1950's theme with electric train, displays of Alpine Villages, flowers, decorations everywhere. Today we took the metro and went back to see what the Christmas display was this year. There were poinsettias in white, pink, old fashioned red and red with rose shaped centers. The main colors were light pink and white poinsettias and bright midnight blue balls decorating the tree. Also tucked in among the all the plants and flowers were a collection of models of historic buildings of the National Mall and Capital Hill. Maybe I can put up some pictures I took of some of them.
More about the train display... the garden railway features three islands, more than 800 feet of track and a 45 foot suspension bridge. You can stand and watch the trains for hours, winding up the mountains, through villages, past rustic cabins and across the bridges.
We are so blessed to be in DC during the holiday season.
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