Posts
WEDNESDAY
So, after getting the kids off to school I came inside and Gary was starting to get ready. As I already told you there were not appointments scheduled for the day so I was curious as to what he was getting ready to do. So I asked.
He was actually getting ready to come with me to run all my errands. What do you think is the next best thing to Gary providing me with transportation? Being iwth me in the car would be the correct answer. You all know how much I hate to drive but for the first time in a very long time I actually did not mind the thought of running all ovedrr town because Gary was going to come with me!
We went to the bank and the post office and the Hallmark Store and the gas station and the pet store and on and on. I actually had a great time and Gary hung in there the entire time. He never got out of the car BUT since he was with me we ALWAYS got a SUPER CLOSE parking spot in HANDICAP! It is so nice not having to hunt for a spot everywhere you go. I was in and out of every place we went very quick and I loved it!
THURSDAY
Gary has another okay day today. He is actually sitting in bed right now eating Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries. He loves his cereal.
We were off and running early this morning to Dr. Fee and Dr. Barth's office. Fee gave Gary clearance to get off of all antibiotics which is great. Not sure what is causing the fevers but I suspect chemo.
Gary's counts were great so no need to go in tomorrow! YEAH!! We have a nice 3 day weekend break from the office.
The kids are excited about Halloween and they are ready to trick or treat. We will go out tomorrow around 6:30 and I am sure the boys will want to stay out as long as possible.
I had our annual 4th & 5th grade Halloween Party tonight. We had a great time together. It was nice to really
spend time with the kids. We have some greta kids at our church! Zach is at a sleepover and the other boys are fast asleep.
As you continually pray for us and for Jeff Spears and his wife please add my friend Sue to your list. She is a friend from Hoag whose husband has been fighting leukemia and he is on a downhill slide right now. She is strong and she and Larry have been together for 46 years. But, she is human and she needs our prayers and well wishes. So, send up a prayer for their family. She has been wonderful to me and we have had hours of conversations and I just adore her.
I am going to lay down and hopefully have a wonderful slumber!
Love to ALL,
Lisa
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
NO DOC OFFICE TODAY
It is so incredibly nice to not have to go to the doctors office today! We do love everyone there and it has become such a way of life for us BUT I like it when I actually have a chance to "miss them". Usually we are out of the house by 8:15 AM and we do not return until around 2:30 PM. You never realize how much of your day that consumes until you have a day or two when you don't have to do it.
Today was an okay day for us. I got a bunch of paperwork done for church and got to Sams Club to buy some of the stuff for our 4th & 5th grade Halloween Party on Thursday night. I even got some of the house cleaned up and I love it when my house is clean.
Gary took a long, hot shower today and then got in his little motorized cart and went to the school to pick the boys up. We have to figure out a name for that dang cart. It has given him the mobility that he so desperately needed. He did not even use the wheelchair today. He walked to the shower and then out to the garage. It is great to see him upright after watching him struggle so much. He moves slow BUT he moves nonetheless.
Zach is very excited to play the violin and he got to speak with Cousin Stuart today about the violin. Stuart is a world renowned fiddle player and he has offered to share one of his violins with Zachary! What an honor for Zach. He had better take care of it!
I am thinking about planning something for Gary's birthday on the 9th which is a Sunday. I was thinking about having an Open House so people could just pop by for a while to say hello and visit. Please hold that date (most likely in the afternoon hours) and I will let you know what I decide. I think it would be incredibly spirit lifting for Gary and after all IT IS HIS BIRTHDAY! We need to celebrate him!
Well, the Kulik's are delivering some yummy Italian food tonight and I have to go and get prepared for that!
Thanks for all of your prayers and all the love you all send our way.
Love,
Lisa
Today was an okay day for us. I got a bunch of paperwork done for church and got to Sams Club to buy some of the stuff for our 4th & 5th grade Halloween Party on Thursday night. I even got some of the house cleaned up and I love it when my house is clean.
Gary took a long, hot shower today and then got in his little motorized cart and went to the school to pick the boys up. We have to figure out a name for that dang cart. It has given him the mobility that he so desperately needed. He did not even use the wheelchair today. He walked to the shower and then out to the garage. It is great to see him upright after watching him struggle so much. He moves slow BUT he moves nonetheless.
Zach is very excited to play the violin and he got to speak with Cousin Stuart today about the violin. Stuart is a world renowned fiddle player and he has offered to share one of his violins with Zachary! What an honor for Zach. He had better take care of it!
I am thinking about planning something for Gary's birthday on the 9th which is a Sunday. I was thinking about having an Open House so people could just pop by for a while to say hello and visit. Please hold that date (most likely in the afternoon hours) and I will let you know what I decide. I think it would be incredibly spirit lifting for Gary and after all IT IS HIS BIRTHDAY! We need to celebrate him!
Well, the Kulik's are delivering some yummy Italian food tonight and I have to go and get prepared for that!
Thanks for all of your prayers and all the love you all send our way.
Love,
Lisa
Monday, October 27, 2008
Stimulators and Survivors
BEANIE SURPRISES ADDRESS CHANGE
GARY SALLEE
C/O Mountainview Church
26131 Marguerite Parkway, Suite B
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
If you wish to send Gary a beanie to celebrate his birthday on November 9th please either send it to our home address if you have it or to our church address listed above. I had originally listed the PO BOX and that is fine but some companies I am told (if you are ordering online) will not send to a PO BOX - so there!
I am sad to tell you that the stimulator has not worked yet. We spent the better part of an hour trying to dial it in and we thought we had it BUT evidently we did not. We were in Dr. Barth's office after we programmed it and one second Gary was fine and just like that he was in excruciating pain - unexplainable pain. He says that the pain is not like the regular pain he has and it is not like the pain the electrical impulses sometimes give him. That is as far as he could pinpoint it at this time. So, we turned it off and gave him IV Dilaudid and have called it a day with the stimulator.
I called Justin (Boston Scientific Rep) and he is at a loss for a solution at this time. I think what we will do is try again tomorrow at a very low impulse and see how it goes from there. It might just take some time to figure it all out. Justin was able to get everything covered as far as the pain goes with the stimulator with the exception of anything below the left or right knee. He can't quite figure that out either but I am hopeful that in a few days time we will get this thing working for Gary to get him some much needed relief.
The Cancer Center was JAM PACKED today! Wow! The most crowded I have ever seen it. We got to see all of our regular friends and Dr. Barth has brought in a new nurse! We are so excited because Rachel is one of our most favorite nurses from Hoag on the 8th floor. She has been so wonderful to Gary and to me and the boys and we were so happy to see her there! Dr. Barth knows a great nurse when he sees one!
Cancer is a bitch (sorry it is). We have met so many people in so many different stages of this awful disease but let me tell you something. You will never meet a greater group of people. The people we meet are courageous and strong. We are like one big family. We all talk and support eachother. It doesn ot matter if you have bladder cancer or lung cancer of if you are Stage IV or Stage I. Everyone in that office - patients and their family members - are all there for the same reason - to be there for one another. Ttrust me when I tell you that I am not a support group type of person. I have never been one to find any comfort or peace from getting together with other people in the same boat. This is different. Everyone simply supports one another and talks and shares stories and we all share our lives! It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of these peoples lives. These people are true warriors and heros!
I often wonder if this is what I should be doing - working with cancer patients. I could go back to school and be a nurse. I hear it is super difficult for people to get into any nursing program but maybe I should eventually try. It is my hearts desire to help people who are sick to smile and laugh and find the bright spots even through the dark days. I know many of the patients and nurses have done that for both Gary and for me. What a wonderful thing. Maybe someday......
So far the kids have gone to so many Halloween parties and Birthday parties over the past few days that I have truly lost track. I do know that Nate went to a party and came home with a big bruise and abrasion on the right side of his face. Jax came home tonight after a kid kicked him in the face at Scooters Jungle and he has a big red mark next to his right eye. So far Zach is in the clear although he has the whole stitches thing going on.
I have a sucher removal kit and tomorrow Gary and I will help Zach remove his stitches. He is super excited that we are "McGyvering" it at home. I guess that would be cool as a kid to be able to tell people that you took your own stitches out! We will see how brave he is tomorrow.
I have Jax's Parent Teacher Conference tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn and I am anxious to see how he is doing. I met a little girl from his class this weekend who told me that Jax was one of the quietest students in the class and that he always gets their group extra marbles because he helps everyone and he is just great! Are we talking about my Jax? He is a great kid and I do see glimpses of this behavior at home but "glimpses" pretty much sums it up for me. All the time? Really? If that is true than Iwe will be setting some higher expectations at home!
Nate was a huge helper today as we "stomached" through Walmart. Get In and Get Out is my motto. If the prices weren't so cheap I would never go there. But, when the price is right, the price is right and so I go kicking and screaming and praying I get a fast checker and get the heck out!
Oh - Gary had 2 of the 4 chemo drugs today. He has the lesser 2 of the 4 evils. He will get them both again next Monday and then the yucky ones the following Monday. So, we hopefully have a break from the hospital for a while and as of right now we do not have to be back at Barth's office until Thursday to check in and get his counts taken! Yeah. I will go to the conference and come home and go back to bed. I need all the sleep I can get. I am playing serious catch up right now.
Well, it is 8 PM and I am off to bed. Gary and I used to do this all the time. We got the boys to bed at 7:30 and then we crawled into bed to experience evenings of peace and quiet - the only time we would get that throughout our day. I do have to get up at 10 PM to administer another one of Gary's antibiotics. Then, if all goes well I can fall into a deep slumber until morning (now that is a wonderful dream!)
The boys are out of school early and I love the light homework load this week.
I hope everyone is planning something really fun for Halloween. There are so many people who are Anti-Halloween and to each his own. I personally love it! It is the only time of year that your neighbors actually open their doors, smile and say hello, give the kids candy, and tell them how cute or scary or awesome they look! I LOVE IT and the kids have so much fun. I can't wait to see their excitment.
Gary has a request. He has a favorite Bible verse that means a lot to him and he wants everyone to read it.
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
While on Bible Gateway I found this verse of the day and I wanted to share it with all of you, too.
Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
I have not had the best attitude lately. I told you all how frustrated and grumpy I have been. I finally got to the point where I asked God to take it away from me because I truly do not want to feel like that. He absolutely took that away from me and then I read this verse which references the attitudes of the heart. I want my attitude to always be in tune with what God wants to see from me. So, it takes these gentle reminders that God has left for us to make you realize what it is that He wants from us. My heart was so full of repentance and I am thankful that I can see these things in myself and try to change them with His guidance.
I bid you all goodnight.
Sleep well and be rested.
Love and Hugs (and Smiley Faces all the way around),
L & G (he gets the nod because he contributed tonight! :) Go Gary!!!!
GARY SALLEE
C/O Mountainview Church
26131 Marguerite Parkway, Suite B
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
If you wish to send Gary a beanie to celebrate his birthday on November 9th please either send it to our home address if you have it or to our church address listed above. I had originally listed the PO BOX and that is fine but some companies I am told (if you are ordering online) will not send to a PO BOX - so there!
I am sad to tell you that the stimulator has not worked yet. We spent the better part of an hour trying to dial it in and we thought we had it BUT evidently we did not. We were in Dr. Barth's office after we programmed it and one second Gary was fine and just like that he was in excruciating pain - unexplainable pain. He says that the pain is not like the regular pain he has and it is not like the pain the electrical impulses sometimes give him. That is as far as he could pinpoint it at this time. So, we turned it off and gave him IV Dilaudid and have called it a day with the stimulator.
I called Justin (Boston Scientific Rep) and he is at a loss for a solution at this time. I think what we will do is try again tomorrow at a very low impulse and see how it goes from there. It might just take some time to figure it all out. Justin was able to get everything covered as far as the pain goes with the stimulator with the exception of anything below the left or right knee. He can't quite figure that out either but I am hopeful that in a few days time we will get this thing working for Gary to get him some much needed relief.
The Cancer Center was JAM PACKED today! Wow! The most crowded I have ever seen it. We got to see all of our regular friends and Dr. Barth has brought in a new nurse! We are so excited because Rachel is one of our most favorite nurses from Hoag on the 8th floor. She has been so wonderful to Gary and to me and the boys and we were so happy to see her there! Dr. Barth knows a great nurse when he sees one!
Cancer is a bitch (sorry it is). We have met so many people in so many different stages of this awful disease but let me tell you something. You will never meet a greater group of people. The people we meet are courageous and strong. We are like one big family. We all talk and support eachother. It doesn ot matter if you have bladder cancer or lung cancer of if you are Stage IV or Stage I. Everyone in that office - patients and their family members - are all there for the same reason - to be there for one another. Ttrust me when I tell you that I am not a support group type of person. I have never been one to find any comfort or peace from getting together with other people in the same boat. This is different. Everyone simply supports one another and talks and shares stories and we all share our lives! It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of these peoples lives. These people are true warriors and heros!
I often wonder if this is what I should be doing - working with cancer patients. I could go back to school and be a nurse. I hear it is super difficult for people to get into any nursing program but maybe I should eventually try. It is my hearts desire to help people who are sick to smile and laugh and find the bright spots even through the dark days. I know many of the patients and nurses have done that for both Gary and for me. What a wonderful thing. Maybe someday......
So far the kids have gone to so many Halloween parties and Birthday parties over the past few days that I have truly lost track. I do know that Nate went to a party and came home with a big bruise and abrasion on the right side of his face. Jax came home tonight after a kid kicked him in the face at Scooters Jungle and he has a big red mark next to his right eye. So far Zach is in the clear although he has the whole stitches thing going on.
I have a sucher removal kit and tomorrow Gary and I will help Zach remove his stitches. He is super excited that we are "McGyvering" it at home. I guess that would be cool as a kid to be able to tell people that you took your own stitches out! We will see how brave he is tomorrow.
I have Jax's Parent Teacher Conference tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn and I am anxious to see how he is doing. I met a little girl from his class this weekend who told me that Jax was one of the quietest students in the class and that he always gets their group extra marbles because he helps everyone and he is just great! Are we talking about my Jax? He is a great kid and I do see glimpses of this behavior at home but "glimpses" pretty much sums it up for me. All the time? Really? If that is true than Iwe will be setting some higher expectations at home!
Nate was a huge helper today as we "stomached" through Walmart. Get In and Get Out is my motto. If the prices weren't so cheap I would never go there. But, when the price is right, the price is right and so I go kicking and screaming and praying I get a fast checker and get the heck out!
Oh - Gary had 2 of the 4 chemo drugs today. He has the lesser 2 of the 4 evils. He will get them both again next Monday and then the yucky ones the following Monday. So, we hopefully have a break from the hospital for a while and as of right now we do not have to be back at Barth's office until Thursday to check in and get his counts taken! Yeah. I will go to the conference and come home and go back to bed. I need all the sleep I can get. I am playing serious catch up right now.
Well, it is 8 PM and I am off to bed. Gary and I used to do this all the time. We got the boys to bed at 7:30 and then we crawled into bed to experience evenings of peace and quiet - the only time we would get that throughout our day. I do have to get up at 10 PM to administer another one of Gary's antibiotics. Then, if all goes well I can fall into a deep slumber until morning (now that is a wonderful dream!)
The boys are out of school early and I love the light homework load this week.
I hope everyone is planning something really fun for Halloween. There are so many people who are Anti-Halloween and to each his own. I personally love it! It is the only time of year that your neighbors actually open their doors, smile and say hello, give the kids candy, and tell them how cute or scary or awesome they look! I LOVE IT and the kids have so much fun. I can't wait to see their excitment.
Gary has a request. He has a favorite Bible verse that means a lot to him and he wants everyone to read it.
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
While on Bible Gateway I found this verse of the day and I wanted to share it with all of you, too.
Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
I have not had the best attitude lately. I told you all how frustrated and grumpy I have been. I finally got to the point where I asked God to take it away from me because I truly do not want to feel like that. He absolutely took that away from me and then I read this verse which references the attitudes of the heart. I want my attitude to always be in tune with what God wants to see from me. So, it takes these gentle reminders that God has left for us to make you realize what it is that He wants from us. My heart was so full of repentance and I am thankful that I can see these things in myself and try to change them with His guidance.
I bid you all goodnight.
Sleep well and be rested.
Love and Hugs (and Smiley Faces all the way around),
L & G (he gets the nod because he contributed tonight! :) Go Gary!!!!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
GARY'S BIRTHDAY
A quick thank you to all the nurses and doctors at South Coast Hospital.
The nurses were so wonderful and amazing at South Coast this weekend and we are just so happy that they took such good care of Gary! Thanks to Dr. A, Dr. J, Margaret, Mike, Karen and everyone else who helped us and made everything go so smoothly! We are so grateful. :)
SHHHHHHHH........... BIRTHDAY IDEA
Okay. I was talking to my friend Tyra today and I was trying to figure out something great to do for Gary's Birthday - November 9th.
So, she had this idea and I think it is more than great!
Seeing is that Gary's head is TOTALLY bald right now I think it would be AWESOME if everyone that was able to could send him a cool beanie for his birthday! He wears the 2 beanies he has ALL the time and I am sick of washing them.
Sooooooo............
What do you all think? I think it would be super special and it is something he could really use! I remember when my dear friend Lynn was going through breast cancer our MOPS group had a hat and scarf party for her and it was awesome!
So, if you feel so inclined to celebrate Gary's birthday with us here is what you can do.
GARY'S 43rd BIRTHDAY
November 9, 2008
You can send him a cool beanie either to our house if you have the address or you can send it to the church office.
I will have the kids give the beanies to Gary on his birthday!
Send to
Gary Sallee
C/O Mountain View Church
PO BOX 2058
Mission Viejo, Ca. 92690
Gary is sleeping and resting. We will have the neurostimulator turned on Monday at 10 AM. Please keep us in your prayers and hopefully this will provide Gary with amazing relief from his daily pain!
Love,
L
The nurses were so wonderful and amazing at South Coast this weekend and we are just so happy that they took such good care of Gary! Thanks to Dr. A, Dr. J, Margaret, Mike, Karen and everyone else who helped us and made everything go so smoothly! We are so grateful. :)
SHHHHHHHH........... BIRTHDAY IDEA
Okay. I was talking to my friend Tyra today and I was trying to figure out something great to do for Gary's Birthday - November 9th.
So, she had this idea and I think it is more than great!
Seeing is that Gary's head is TOTALLY bald right now I think it would be AWESOME if everyone that was able to could send him a cool beanie for his birthday! He wears the 2 beanies he has ALL the time and I am sick of washing them.
Sooooooo............
What do you all think? I think it would be super special and it is something he could really use! I remember when my dear friend Lynn was going through breast cancer our MOPS group had a hat and scarf party for her and it was awesome!
So, if you feel so inclined to celebrate Gary's birthday with us here is what you can do.
GARY'S 43rd BIRTHDAY
November 9, 2008
You can send him a cool beanie either to our house if you have the address or you can send it to the church office.
I will have the kids give the beanies to Gary on his birthday!
Send to
Gary Sallee
C/O Mountain View Church
PO BOX 2058
Mission Viejo, Ca. 92690
Gary is sleeping and resting. We will have the neurostimulator turned on Monday at 10 AM. Please keep us in your prayers and hopefully this will provide Gary with amazing relief from his daily pain!
Love,
L
Surgery
HI everyone.
Surgery went better than expected and Gary is getting ready to come home now.
The surgery was about 1 1/2 hours and he was awake right away.
He has a beautiful room in ICU with a perfect panoramic view of the ocean!
He is in excruciating pain right now as to be expected but hopefully with lots of drugs and ice we can get him more comfy.
LOVE TO ALL,
Lisa
Surgery went better than expected and Gary is getting ready to come home now.
The surgery was about 1 1/2 hours and he was awake right away.
He has a beautiful room in ICU with a perfect panoramic view of the ocean!
He is in excruciating pain right now as to be expected but hopefully with lots of drugs and ice we can get him more comfy.
LOVE TO ALL,
Lisa
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A Better Day
Ahhhhh.........the dependable and wonderful Suburban. Charlie had to come get Gary's car again. His car starts and I can drive it but sometimes it just dies. The battery is totally drained and it always happens at the most inopportune times. So, the battery was bad (it was BRAND NEW from Walmart) and he replaced it again and hopefully it will be reliable this time.
SIDEBAR: I shop at Walmart but I honestly can't stand that store. Everytime I am there I swear I will not go back again. What is it about that store?
Back to the car issue. I wish I could just sell the thing (Gary's Suburban) and get a smaller car that had much better gas mileage. Both of our cars have over 145,000 miles and that is somewhat scary. I have tried to sell the Suburban but it is the wrong time and besides I KNOW what's up with the car. If I were to sell it and buy another "used car" that I knew nothing about I think I would be inviting a whole new set of possible issues. So, for now we hold on to the gas guzzler and feel very fortunate that we have 2 cars that run.
Today was a great day for Gary. It would not have been considered a great day for you or me but it was for him. He has been so weak and tired. The labs that were drawn show that Gary's adrenal functions were kinda screwy. Dr. Barth gave him steroids and a new prescription and it was so much better today.
Our neighbor Bette gave Gary a motorized chair and he not only walked to the chair today but got in and drove that thing to school to get the boys this afternoon! It was so cool and the boys were so happy to see him at school. Even though he is driving under the influence he actually drove the thing pretty well. I think he had a great time and it was awesome to see him out and about for the first time in a very long time!
We had our pre-op and everything is ready to roll tomorrow. We check into the hospital at 8AM and the surgery is scheduled for 10 AM. The surgery will take 3-4 hours and then Gary will go into recovery and then to ICU overnight. If all goes well Gary will come home Saturday! That would be ideal and great but we will wait and see.
I got a phone call today from Mary Davis. Mary and her husband Al used to go to our church and they moved to Arkansas. Anyhow, she called to talk to me about her son. Her son Brad plays baseball for the Florida Marlins in the minor league and he would like to work with the boys on their hitting, catching and pitching! Gary and I were so excited to tell the boys. During the off season Brad and his wife live in RSM and he is a private baseball coach. We told the boys and they are so excited. Zach said, "Are you kidding me?" "Seriously?" HUGE SMILE - BEAMING!! What a special thing! The boys are so looking forward to that. I am really happy for them and so thankful to Brad. I guess I need to call him this week and get the ball rolling. I know he is always looking for new clients so if any of your kids need some private lessons let me know and I can get Brad's information for you.
I took 2 Tylenol PM and I am ready to hit the sack.
Please pray for Gary tonight and tomorrow morning.
He is a little nervous and edgy and his anxiety is always an issue before anything major. He will be awake for the first part of the surgery so that they can make sure the neurostimulator is in the right place and controlling the pain sufficiently. Then, they will put him completely under. He is nervous about the first part.
Gary has a hard time recovering from anesthesia. He becomes temporarily depressed and despondent. He also has a hard time waking up and it takes him the better part of a week to recover fully. He is just now recovering from the surgery last Saturday on his kidney.
Zach's leg is getting better but it is still painful. He is still swollen and his knee is bruised. I told him it would take time and time isn't something Zach understands.
Speaking of time I need to cut out and get some sleep. I have to get up at 2 AM to hang another antibiotic.
I will give you an update tomorrow.
Happy Hearts Make A Happy Home!
Love,
Lisa
SIDEBAR: I shop at Walmart but I honestly can't stand that store. Everytime I am there I swear I will not go back again. What is it about that store?
Back to the car issue. I wish I could just sell the thing (Gary's Suburban) and get a smaller car that had much better gas mileage. Both of our cars have over 145,000 miles and that is somewhat scary. I have tried to sell the Suburban but it is the wrong time and besides I KNOW what's up with the car. If I were to sell it and buy another "used car" that I knew nothing about I think I would be inviting a whole new set of possible issues. So, for now we hold on to the gas guzzler and feel very fortunate that we have 2 cars that run.
Today was a great day for Gary. It would not have been considered a great day for you or me but it was for him. He has been so weak and tired. The labs that were drawn show that Gary's adrenal functions were kinda screwy. Dr. Barth gave him steroids and a new prescription and it was so much better today.
Our neighbor Bette gave Gary a motorized chair and he not only walked to the chair today but got in and drove that thing to school to get the boys this afternoon! It was so cool and the boys were so happy to see him at school. Even though he is driving under the influence he actually drove the thing pretty well. I think he had a great time and it was awesome to see him out and about for the first time in a very long time!
We had our pre-op and everything is ready to roll tomorrow. We check into the hospital at 8AM and the surgery is scheduled for 10 AM. The surgery will take 3-4 hours and then Gary will go into recovery and then to ICU overnight. If all goes well Gary will come home Saturday! That would be ideal and great but we will wait and see.
I got a phone call today from Mary Davis. Mary and her husband Al used to go to our church and they moved to Arkansas. Anyhow, she called to talk to me about her son. Her son Brad plays baseball for the Florida Marlins in the minor league and he would like to work with the boys on their hitting, catching and pitching! Gary and I were so excited to tell the boys. During the off season Brad and his wife live in RSM and he is a private baseball coach. We told the boys and they are so excited. Zach said, "Are you kidding me?" "Seriously?" HUGE SMILE - BEAMING!! What a special thing! The boys are so looking forward to that. I am really happy for them and so thankful to Brad. I guess I need to call him this week and get the ball rolling. I know he is always looking for new clients so if any of your kids need some private lessons let me know and I can get Brad's information for you.
I took 2 Tylenol PM and I am ready to hit the sack.
Please pray for Gary tonight and tomorrow morning.
He is a little nervous and edgy and his anxiety is always an issue before anything major. He will be awake for the first part of the surgery so that they can make sure the neurostimulator is in the right place and controlling the pain sufficiently. Then, they will put him completely under. He is nervous about the first part.
Gary has a hard time recovering from anesthesia. He becomes temporarily depressed and despondent. He also has a hard time waking up and it takes him the better part of a week to recover fully. He is just now recovering from the surgery last Saturday on his kidney.
Zach's leg is getting better but it is still painful. He is still swollen and his knee is bruised. I told him it would take time and time isn't something Zach understands.
Speaking of time I need to cut out and get some sleep. I have to get up at 2 AM to hang another antibiotic.
I will give you an update tomorrow.
Happy Hearts Make A Happy Home!
Love,
Lisa
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Wednesday Night
Gary is home. We have him on another antibiotic to fight these fevers and he will have the surgery on Friday. He has a pre-op appointment tomorrow at 10 AM.
He has been super exhausted and has slept most of the day. I think he is trying to catch up on his sleep!
I am going to bed and taking advantage of the fact that everyone in the house is sleeping.
I hope Zach's leg feels better tomorrow. He came home from school early today in pain.
Good Night.
Love, L
He has been super exhausted and has slept most of the day. I think he is trying to catch up on his sleep!
I am going to bed and taking advantage of the fact that everyone in the house is sleeping.
I hope Zach's leg feels better tomorrow. He came home from school early today in pain.
Good Night.
Love, L
Wednesday Early Morning
Most of you are sleeping. I am up with Gary who has 102.4 fever. Tuesday Morning at 1 AM began the fever cycle once again. We just got him off of all of the antibiotics (which were causing the C Diff) and now the fevers come back. This finally confirms for me that the fevers this time are not chemo related and are not tumor fevers. It is too coincidental.
I am sure when we get to Barth's office today he will want Gary back in the hospital. I spoke with Dr. Fee yesterday and I am thinking that will be the consensus betweeen the two of them. Dr. Fee is Gary's Infectious Disease Doctor.
My Mom arrived safely to 3 very happy little boys. Zach is doing a little better although the pain gets much worse at night and he had a very hard time falling asleep.
Well, there it is. I am so sick and tired of Gary going in and out of the hospital. It is so hard to see him in such agony. He has not slept now for 2 nights and he barely sleeps during the day - maybe 2 hours.
Through all of this middle of the night hours I continue to pray to our Father and He always comforts me and gives me peace.
I need it now more than ever. I love having Gary home. It is way easier for me. When we are at the hospital we face the dreaded protocol and night nurses and this doc and that doc and uncertainty and the irritation of "you can't give him a bath now" or "take the covers off with 100.00 fever". Just simple stupid stuff that is probably not that big of a deal BUT becomes a HUGE deal when you have been doing it as long as we have. It also makes it harder because we are so self sufficient.
I have had so much frustration this past week and I really do not want it anymore. So I ask you all to pray that I can give this frustration to God and not have it anymore. I REALLY AM READY TO GIVE IT UP! It is hard to function day in and out with such heavy feelings of anger and frustration.
I will let you all know what unfolds at Barth's office today.
Love and Hugs,
Lisa
I am sure when we get to Barth's office today he will want Gary back in the hospital. I spoke with Dr. Fee yesterday and I am thinking that will be the consensus betweeen the two of them. Dr. Fee is Gary's Infectious Disease Doctor.
My Mom arrived safely to 3 very happy little boys. Zach is doing a little better although the pain gets much worse at night and he had a very hard time falling asleep.
Well, there it is. I am so sick and tired of Gary going in and out of the hospital. It is so hard to see him in such agony. He has not slept now for 2 nights and he barely sleeps during the day - maybe 2 hours.
Through all of this middle of the night hours I continue to pray to our Father and He always comforts me and gives me peace.
I need it now more than ever. I love having Gary home. It is way easier for me. When we are at the hospital we face the dreaded protocol and night nurses and this doc and that doc and uncertainty and the irritation of "you can't give him a bath now" or "take the covers off with 100.00 fever". Just simple stupid stuff that is probably not that big of a deal BUT becomes a HUGE deal when you have been doing it as long as we have. It also makes it harder because we are so self sufficient.
I have had so much frustration this past week and I really do not want it anymore. So I ask you all to pray that I can give this frustration to God and not have it anymore. I REALLY AM READY TO GIVE IT UP! It is hard to function day in and out with such heavy feelings of anger and frustration.
I will let you all know what unfolds at Barth's office today.
Love and Hugs,
Lisa
Monday, October 20, 2008
In Stitches
So, let's talk about our very action packed and interesting day today. It is 12:30 AM on Tuesday morning and 3 outta 5 family members are WIDE AWAKE right now and I am most unfortunately one of them!
To have a full understanding as to why we are awake at this late hour and on a school night let me explain.
Woke up late this morning which means crunch time. Hadn't packed lunches because I was too tired last night. The kids were dragging and it was tough getting everyone out by 7:30. With that all being said, we made it with no tears or yelling!
I get ready. I get Gary's bedroom ready for his arrival. I leave the house and get to the hospital at 9:00 AM.
Gary's counts were great Sunday and continue to be great today. We are waiting and ready to split and get home.
10 AM, 11 AM, Noon, 1 PM.............. needing 3 doctors okay to leave and have none at this point.
I have to leave to get the kids from school. I get home at 2:15 PM. I tell Gary to call me when he is GETTING CLOSE to being discharged.
Kids get home. Jax needs new shoes for school and I need to get to Sprint to get a new phone for the new number. I got rid of Gary's old number to prevent the bizillions of work related solicitations he gets daily. I give the phone to the kids when we are away from them so that I can ALWAYS get a hold of them and visa versa.
Get the phone. Get the shoes. Get a phone call from Gary.
He is ready to come home NOW (what happened to when you are getting close?)!! It is about 4 PM at this point. So, I am heading home to get Zach who by the way is with his good buddy Jackson riding bikes at the park.
I hang the phone up and notice that I missed a call from Jen (Jackson's Mom). So, I call cause I have to get Zach anyhow so we can go get Gary.
Uh oh.................there is a problem. Zach and Jackson were riding bikes "off road" and Zach hit a large rock and went down on his bike.
So, I get to the park and Zach is bawling. Thankfully there is a Dad there that carried Zach to the car.
Nate and Jax pile in and off we go to our house. Poor Jen. She felt so bad and I felt bad that she felt bad.
What to do? Zach needs to get to the doc ASAP and Gary is ready to go NOW! So, I run across the street to Chuck and Jeanne's and Nate and Jax are able to hang there until Bonnie can get there to get them. Zach is still crying hard at this point and he has a 2 inch gash right across his left knee that is pretty stinking deep.
I had a hard time calming him down in the car and I am trying to communicate with Gary on the phone to let him know what needs to be done so that when I get there things can happen quickly.
We drive to Newport and I get Zach in a wheelchair and into the ER at Hoag. I figure this will be the most efficient way to get both the boys squared away (Gary out and Zach in & out). Steph and Jake meet me at the ER. Jake stays with Zach while Steph and I quickly go upstairs to the 8th floor to get Gary.
Things move rather quickly once we get to Gary. We hook him up to everything, undo some things, grab his crap and go!
We head down to the ER and we find Zach and Jake in a room waiting to see the doctor. (It didn't really happen that quickly because Hoag has 2 ERs and we kinda got lost and had to move cars and so on). Thank God Steph isn't blonde anymore! :)
Gary and Zach are both sporting lovely matching wrist bands from Hoag! Gary sits for a few precious photo ops with his boy and gives him some words of encouragement before heading home with Steph and Jake so that I can stay with Zach (who is still crying after his buddy Jake leaves the room).
Suzi is waiting in the wings to help if we need it when Steph gets Gary home. Chris and Otto couldn't have picked a better night to deliver dinner to us and it was waiting when Steph, Jake and Gary arrived home. YUMMY meatloaf!
So, Zach ended up getting stitches in his knee and has to be careful with no sports for 10 days. He couldn't have cut himself in a worse place as far as movement goes. His knee is most likely bruised as well and he is swollen.
He has an ace bandage thingy from mid-calf to mid-thigh. His leg is throbbing and that is why he is wide awake right now. I am waiting for the Tylenol to kick in before I head back down to get Gary situated.
Gary is all cleaned up, drained, IV medicated, fed, and anything I can think of at this point. I guess it is a matter of getting him relaxed and comfy. He had a stressful afternoon and he just needs to mellow a bit. He is getting IV Antibiotics to fight off the C Diff 3X a day. He will have pre-op at South Coast on Thursday nad surgery on Friday. He will be in the hospital over the weekend.
Gary and Zach will stay home tomorrow so that I can give them both a little TLC. I hope Zach's left leg and Gary's left leg feel better in the morning.
As I am forced to be awake I have accomplished much this evening. I have done 4 loads of laundry, washed dishes, packed lunches, shaved my legs (AMEN), and watched The Hills (much more interesting than my own life).
I have not checked E-mail , VM or anything else so if you are waiting to hear from me I will play catch up tomorrow (or I guess technically today).
What a day. I hope tomorrow is SUPER BORING! I need it. We all do. My Mom is coming to the rescue tomorrow night and it will be a relief to have some help even though I can do everything because I am Super Woman (ha ha).
We are so happy that Gary is home again. 6 days is a short stay and it is so nice seeing him in his own bed. Hobie is happy, too! Please continue to pray for his leg pain and for his anxiety. Thank God that he is home.
We thank God for all of you.
All our love,
L
To have a full understanding as to why we are awake at this late hour and on a school night let me explain.
Woke up late this morning which means crunch time. Hadn't packed lunches because I was too tired last night. The kids were dragging and it was tough getting everyone out by 7:30. With that all being said, we made it with no tears or yelling!
I get ready. I get Gary's bedroom ready for his arrival. I leave the house and get to the hospital at 9:00 AM.
Gary's counts were great Sunday and continue to be great today. We are waiting and ready to split and get home.
10 AM, 11 AM, Noon, 1 PM.............. needing 3 doctors okay to leave and have none at this point.
I have to leave to get the kids from school. I get home at 2:15 PM. I tell Gary to call me when he is GETTING CLOSE to being discharged.
Kids get home. Jax needs new shoes for school and I need to get to Sprint to get a new phone for the new number. I got rid of Gary's old number to prevent the bizillions of work related solicitations he gets daily. I give the phone to the kids when we are away from them so that I can ALWAYS get a hold of them and visa versa.
Get the phone. Get the shoes. Get a phone call from Gary.
He is ready to come home NOW (what happened to when you are getting close?)!! It is about 4 PM at this point. So, I am heading home to get Zach who by the way is with his good buddy Jackson riding bikes at the park.
I hang the phone up and notice that I missed a call from Jen (Jackson's Mom). So, I call cause I have to get Zach anyhow so we can go get Gary.
Uh oh.................there is a problem. Zach and Jackson were riding bikes "off road" and Zach hit a large rock and went down on his bike.
So, I get to the park and Zach is bawling. Thankfully there is a Dad there that carried Zach to the car.
Nate and Jax pile in and off we go to our house. Poor Jen. She felt so bad and I felt bad that she felt bad.
What to do? Zach needs to get to the doc ASAP and Gary is ready to go NOW! So, I run across the street to Chuck and Jeanne's and Nate and Jax are able to hang there until Bonnie can get there to get them. Zach is still crying hard at this point and he has a 2 inch gash right across his left knee that is pretty stinking deep.
I had a hard time calming him down in the car and I am trying to communicate with Gary on the phone to let him know what needs to be done so that when I get there things can happen quickly.
We drive to Newport and I get Zach in a wheelchair and into the ER at Hoag. I figure this will be the most efficient way to get both the boys squared away (Gary out and Zach in & out). Steph and Jake meet me at the ER. Jake stays with Zach while Steph and I quickly go upstairs to the 8th floor to get Gary.
Things move rather quickly once we get to Gary. We hook him up to everything, undo some things, grab his crap and go!
We head down to the ER and we find Zach and Jake in a room waiting to see the doctor. (It didn't really happen that quickly because Hoag has 2 ERs and we kinda got lost and had to move cars and so on). Thank God Steph isn't blonde anymore! :)
Gary and Zach are both sporting lovely matching wrist bands from Hoag! Gary sits for a few precious photo ops with his boy and gives him some words of encouragement before heading home with Steph and Jake so that I can stay with Zach (who is still crying after his buddy Jake leaves the room).
Suzi is waiting in the wings to help if we need it when Steph gets Gary home. Chris and Otto couldn't have picked a better night to deliver dinner to us and it was waiting when Steph, Jake and Gary arrived home. YUMMY meatloaf!
So, Zach ended up getting stitches in his knee and has to be careful with no sports for 10 days. He couldn't have cut himself in a worse place as far as movement goes. His knee is most likely bruised as well and he is swollen.
He has an ace bandage thingy from mid-calf to mid-thigh. His leg is throbbing and that is why he is wide awake right now. I am waiting for the Tylenol to kick in before I head back down to get Gary situated.
Gary is all cleaned up, drained, IV medicated, fed, and anything I can think of at this point. I guess it is a matter of getting him relaxed and comfy. He had a stressful afternoon and he just needs to mellow a bit. He is getting IV Antibiotics to fight off the C Diff 3X a day. He will have pre-op at South Coast on Thursday nad surgery on Friday. He will be in the hospital over the weekend.
Gary and Zach will stay home tomorrow so that I can give them both a little TLC. I hope Zach's left leg and Gary's left leg feel better in the morning.
As I am forced to be awake I have accomplished much this evening. I have done 4 loads of laundry, washed dishes, packed lunches, shaved my legs (AMEN), and watched The Hills (much more interesting than my own life).
I have not checked E-mail , VM or anything else so if you are waiting to hear from me I will play catch up tomorrow (or I guess technically today).
What a day. I hope tomorrow is SUPER BORING! I need it. We all do. My Mom is coming to the rescue tomorrow night and it will be a relief to have some help even though I can do everything because I am Super Woman (ha ha).
We are so happy that Gary is home again. 6 days is a short stay and it is so nice seeing him in his own bed. Hobie is happy, too! Please continue to pray for his leg pain and for his anxiety. Thank God that he is home.
We thank God for all of you.
All our love,
L
Saturday, October 18, 2008
2ND SATURDAY POST - SURGERY UPDATE
Gary made it through surgery fine. He is just getting out now and went in about 12:30.
Dr. Bellings reported that Gary's left kidney presented with hydrophrenosis (swelling) but his right kidney was perfect! This means only 1 stent which is better news than expected!
He will be in recovery for about 2 hours - enough time for me to see Jax's game! I will go back up to Hoag to see him around 5:00.
His white count jumped from .7 (700) to 5.5 (5,500)! YEAH! No more neutropenia.
His hemoglobin is at 10 (11-17 normal) so that is great.
His platelets went from 18 (150-400 normal) to 34 this morning and he had a 3rd transfusion this morning before the surgery so they should be even stronger tomorrow!
He will most likely be home on Monday barring any further complications. Now that his white count is up the ID Doc should take him off of the majority of the antibiotics (after all the antibiotics are waht is contributing HEAVILY to the C Diff Infection).
So, good news all the way around so far.
Have a wonderful Saturday!
Love,
Lisa
Dr. Bellings reported that Gary's left kidney presented with hydrophrenosis (swelling) but his right kidney was perfect! This means only 1 stent which is better news than expected!
He will be in recovery for about 2 hours - enough time for me to see Jax's game! I will go back up to Hoag to see him around 5:00.
His white count jumped from .7 (700) to 5.5 (5,500)! YEAH! No more neutropenia.
His hemoglobin is at 10 (11-17 normal) so that is great.
His platelets went from 18 (150-400 normal) to 34 this morning and he had a 3rd transfusion this morning before the surgery so they should be even stronger tomorrow!
He will most likely be home on Monday barring any further complications. Now that his white count is up the ID Doc should take him off of the majority of the antibiotics (after all the antibiotics are waht is contributing HEAVILY to the C Diff Infection).
So, good news all the way around so far.
Have a wonderful Saturday!
Love,
Lisa
Mixed Bag
Have any of you read the newspaper lately? There is a story in several of the local papers about a teacher at SCHS. He has been diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer. Not only does he have cancer BUT his wife has been battling Breast Cancer and I believe she is in somewhat of a remissive state. This couple has 3 small children at home to take care of as well.
My heart broke when I learned of this story. I can hardly imagine going through what they are going through. It just doesn’t seem fair that both parents have been stricken with cancer almost simultaneously.
There have been many fundraisers for the family and the community has rallied around them much like all of you have rallied around us. I can’t even begin to tell you how much your love and support and prayers mean to our family. We would never be able to go at this alone. We have friends and family helping us with everything in our lives. Shopping, carpool, baseball, walking to school, doing laundry, cleaning out cupboards and fridges, taking trashcans in and out, watering plants, paying bills, babysitting Hobie, spending the night at our house and I could seriously go on and on and on. It is taking an entire village to raise our family up and we would be lost without you.
When you are praying for our family I ask you to please keep this family in your prayers. Pray for their marriage and for their kids. How truly devastating for them and they need all the prayer we have to give and then some. I only partially know what they are going through and it absolutely hurts my heart.
Well, I have GREAT news mixed with complicating news. The GREAT news is the results from the CT Scans. Gary’s cancer is not causing any of the pain in his abdomen or back. The liver lesion has shrunk approximately 20% at this point and we are only about 1 month out from radiation. The chemo is working.
I will bullet point the not so good news to make it easier to understand.
1. Gary’s renal function (kidneys) is at 1.7. He needs to be at .9 to 1.0 at the most. So, Dr. Barth and Dr. Phan agree that Gary needs to have nephrostomy tubes placed in both kidneys to keep the kidney function at a premium level. Gary needs his kidneys for the chemo regimen. He will have to go under general anesthesia to have these drains placed on either side of his back. They are proposing to do this SATURDAY MORNING assuming his platelets are at an acceptable level.
2. Gary’s abdominal pain is being caused by a nasty bacteria called C Diff. His CT showed that his small and large intestine were inflamed and compromised at this point. C Diff is prevalent among patients who receive high volumes of antibiotics. The good bacteria in the intestines is destroyed in essence by the antibiotics (which are ironically used to fight bacterial infections) giving way for the bad bacteria (C Diff). Imagine C Diff as a bacteria that causes the worst case of Montezuma’s Revenge one could get after either drinking the water or eating roadside tacos in Mexico. It is awful and painful and messy. So, Gary is on a drug called Flagyll to combat this C Diff. We will pray that the bacteria is not resistant to this drug. This should take upwards of a week or so to clear.
3. Gary’s white count is still very low and he is still in Neutropenic status. Please do not visit if you have been sick or are recovering from something or your kids are sick or recovering from something. Gary has had 7 blood transfusions in the past week and 2 platelets transfusions in the past three days.
4. Gary is scheduled to have his surgery for his sciatic nerve on Friday October 24.
I laid down last night to say a prayer for Dr. Barth and his family. I can only imagine how hard it must be on his family when he pulls super long hours in his practice and at the hospital each week as Chief of Staff of the entire facility. His kids may not understand now but he is truly changing the face of cancer. Dr. Barth ALWAYS gives every single patient 110% of his energy and time. Every doctor should be like Barth. I understand his job is seriously time consuming but we owe so much to him. He is the first doctor who has not treated us like a chart number. If Gary’s urologist would have taken the time Barth takes with Gary in the first place then it is highly probable that we would not be fighting Stage IV cancer right now.
Thank you Barth Family for sharing your Husband/Dad with so many people who desperately need him each day. We are so blessed and fortunate that he is such a wonderful physician who cares so much about ALL of his patients. Our three sons will grow up knowing what a great doctor he is and how wonderful he has been to their Dad!
The boys and I went to California Adventure for the Annual Trick Or Treat event. It was extremely crowded but the boys had a great time.
I am going to bed now and sleeping as long as I can. The boys will be with friends tomorrow and I have to spend some time at Little League Registration before heading to the hospital unless I get word that the surgery will be first thing in the morning.
The boys tired. They were at home with Suzi last night and I have a sneaking suspicion that they did not make their 7:30 bedtime. Hmmmmm…….Pretty suspect! I know they had a super fun time last night and they had a great night with Wendy and her boys the previous night!
My Mom had to postpone her trip because she is sick. So we will wait and see when she is able to get out here. Hopefully she will be here by the end of next week.
Love to all and please keep the family I spoke about as well as Dr. Barth’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
Lisa ☺
My heart broke when I learned of this story. I can hardly imagine going through what they are going through. It just doesn’t seem fair that both parents have been stricken with cancer almost simultaneously.
There have been many fundraisers for the family and the community has rallied around them much like all of you have rallied around us. I can’t even begin to tell you how much your love and support and prayers mean to our family. We would never be able to go at this alone. We have friends and family helping us with everything in our lives. Shopping, carpool, baseball, walking to school, doing laundry, cleaning out cupboards and fridges, taking trashcans in and out, watering plants, paying bills, babysitting Hobie, spending the night at our house and I could seriously go on and on and on. It is taking an entire village to raise our family up and we would be lost without you.
When you are praying for our family I ask you to please keep this family in your prayers. Pray for their marriage and for their kids. How truly devastating for them and they need all the prayer we have to give and then some. I only partially know what they are going through and it absolutely hurts my heart.
Well, I have GREAT news mixed with complicating news. The GREAT news is the results from the CT Scans. Gary’s cancer is not causing any of the pain in his abdomen or back. The liver lesion has shrunk approximately 20% at this point and we are only about 1 month out from radiation. The chemo is working.
I will bullet point the not so good news to make it easier to understand.
1. Gary’s renal function (kidneys) is at 1.7. He needs to be at .9 to 1.0 at the most. So, Dr. Barth and Dr. Phan agree that Gary needs to have nephrostomy tubes placed in both kidneys to keep the kidney function at a premium level. Gary needs his kidneys for the chemo regimen. He will have to go under general anesthesia to have these drains placed on either side of his back. They are proposing to do this SATURDAY MORNING assuming his platelets are at an acceptable level.
2. Gary’s abdominal pain is being caused by a nasty bacteria called C Diff. His CT showed that his small and large intestine were inflamed and compromised at this point. C Diff is prevalent among patients who receive high volumes of antibiotics. The good bacteria in the intestines is destroyed in essence by the antibiotics (which are ironically used to fight bacterial infections) giving way for the bad bacteria (C Diff). Imagine C Diff as a bacteria that causes the worst case of Montezuma’s Revenge one could get after either drinking the water or eating roadside tacos in Mexico. It is awful and painful and messy. So, Gary is on a drug called Flagyll to combat this C Diff. We will pray that the bacteria is not resistant to this drug. This should take upwards of a week or so to clear.
3. Gary’s white count is still very low and he is still in Neutropenic status. Please do not visit if you have been sick or are recovering from something or your kids are sick or recovering from something. Gary has had 7 blood transfusions in the past week and 2 platelets transfusions in the past three days.
4. Gary is scheduled to have his surgery for his sciatic nerve on Friday October 24.
I laid down last night to say a prayer for Dr. Barth and his family. I can only imagine how hard it must be on his family when he pulls super long hours in his practice and at the hospital each week as Chief of Staff of the entire facility. His kids may not understand now but he is truly changing the face of cancer. Dr. Barth ALWAYS gives every single patient 110% of his energy and time. Every doctor should be like Barth. I understand his job is seriously time consuming but we owe so much to him. He is the first doctor who has not treated us like a chart number. If Gary’s urologist would have taken the time Barth takes with Gary in the first place then it is highly probable that we would not be fighting Stage IV cancer right now.
Thank you Barth Family for sharing your Husband/Dad with so many people who desperately need him each day. We are so blessed and fortunate that he is such a wonderful physician who cares so much about ALL of his patients. Our three sons will grow up knowing what a great doctor he is and how wonderful he has been to their Dad!
The boys and I went to California Adventure for the Annual Trick Or Treat event. It was extremely crowded but the boys had a great time.
I am going to bed now and sleeping as long as I can. The boys will be with friends tomorrow and I have to spend some time at Little League Registration before heading to the hospital unless I get word that the surgery will be first thing in the morning.
The boys tired. They were at home with Suzi last night and I have a sneaking suspicion that they did not make their 7:30 bedtime. Hmmmmm…….Pretty suspect! I know they had a super fun time last night and they had a great night with Wendy and her boys the previous night!
My Mom had to postpone her trip because she is sick. So we will wait and see when she is able to get out here. Hopefully she will be here by the end of next week.
Love to all and please keep the family I spoke about as well as Dr. Barth’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
Lisa ☺
Thursday, October 16, 2008
A Special Place in Hell
I spent a better part of the night absolutely SEETHING under my covers at the hospital. First of all I am more than upset that Gary is back here. It truly is bittersweet because the vast majority of the staff is amazingly wonderful and they take such great care of Gary.
The problem – the BIG problem – is the protocol here. For example, if Gary’s blood pressure dips low at home NO ONE is freaking out. It eventually goes back up and he is always responsive. But, when that happens here words like “septic” start flying and for some reason it just pisses me off. I guess I am sensitive to it because I have taken care of him for so long and I know him better than anyone despite that obvious fact that I am NOT an MD.
Do you all remember the blog I wrote with regards to the one nurse that I was not too thrilled with? She is a very nice and pleasant person but for some reason we clash and she annoys the HOLY HECK out of me.
I get back the hospital last night after spending some time with the boys and guess who is on the board as his RN? This particular nurse. Immediately my blood boils!!!!! She proceeded to tell me that Gary had been given a particular shot yesterday and she was not going to give it to him. I argued with her and told her that he was not given the shot. This shot is important because it is specifically designed to raise his white counts which are totally in the toilet. Hello! I think I would know that! Anyhow, I called Dr. Barth’s office this morning and spoke with his nurse and found out that she DID NOT give it to him in the office! So, once again I find myself fighting protocol and managing his care. It is so much easier at home even though it is more work. We love having him home and the goal is to get him out of here ASAP!
Up until this point there are only a hand picked few of my baseball friends who have a very special place reserved for them in hell as they are extremely “enthusiastic” baseball moms. After last night, I have joined them and I think I actually have sunk deeper than they have in the pits of hell.
I spent the better part of the morning asking God to forgive me although I do not think I am ready to be forgiven because I seem to be holding on to my ANGER! So, you should all pray for me because this is not a pretty side of me. I will eventually really want the forgiveness and then I will feel it BUT don’t expect me to go to her and give her due restitution for the mean and aggressive things I mumbled under my breath and to my Dad.
Gary had a platelet transfusion last night and his platelets have gone from 8 to 34 this morning (normal is 150-400) so we are on our way up! His white count is still super low at .3 (4000-11000 is normal) so we have a little ways to go with that one. He will probably have to have another blood transfusion today and we are waiting for the results of the CT Scans that were done last night. This should give us a better picture as to why he has such terrible back and abdominal pain.
He had a double cheese omelet this morning with bacon and toast. I think I will pick up something equally as yummy for lunch for him. He had an okay night last night and was only awake for a few hours. Some voluntarily and some not! Once again, the insane protocol of the hospital is so obnoxious. I am going to ask that his vitals not be taken every single hour and I will ask that they do not wake him to give him medication in the wee hours of the morning. JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE AWAKE DOES NOT MEAN HE SHOULD HAVE TO BE! I don’t do that to him at home. When he is asleep, LET HIM SLEEP! (I guess I still need to work on that anger issue I have).
The boys are covered by all of my dear friends until my Mom gets here on Saturday. Gary’s parents are planning on coming as soon as the doctors figure out what seems to be wrong with his Dad’s back.
It is a beautiful day in Newport and we are in the BIG corner room overlooking the ocean. Catalina looks beautiful today and I bet it will be a warm one once again.
Pete is coming today so that I can get home and get some things taken care of. We are starting Winter Camp registration this weekend for our 3rd through 5th graders at church and I know Zach is so excited to go even though it isn’t until February! I have E-mails to return, phone calls to make and bills to pay online and I do not have internet in this room.
Well, as Gary sleeps I guess I will get ready for the day. Hopefully the doctors will be in this morning and we will get some information. If everything looks okay in the abdomen and back I think we will be going home sooner than later for once! Keep up your prayers!
We love all of you and hope you continue to pray for us as we go down another road less traveled and figure out where to go from here. (Remember to pray for my attitude because it does need to change).
Back to paying the insane cable bill and sitting dormant all day!
Love from Hoag,
Lisa
The problem – the BIG problem – is the protocol here. For example, if Gary’s blood pressure dips low at home NO ONE is freaking out. It eventually goes back up and he is always responsive. But, when that happens here words like “septic” start flying and for some reason it just pisses me off. I guess I am sensitive to it because I have taken care of him for so long and I know him better than anyone despite that obvious fact that I am NOT an MD.
Do you all remember the blog I wrote with regards to the one nurse that I was not too thrilled with? She is a very nice and pleasant person but for some reason we clash and she annoys the HOLY HECK out of me.
I get back the hospital last night after spending some time with the boys and guess who is on the board as his RN? This particular nurse. Immediately my blood boils!!!!! She proceeded to tell me that Gary had been given a particular shot yesterday and she was not going to give it to him. I argued with her and told her that he was not given the shot. This shot is important because it is specifically designed to raise his white counts which are totally in the toilet. Hello! I think I would know that! Anyhow, I called Dr. Barth’s office this morning and spoke with his nurse and found out that she DID NOT give it to him in the office! So, once again I find myself fighting protocol and managing his care. It is so much easier at home even though it is more work. We love having him home and the goal is to get him out of here ASAP!
Up until this point there are only a hand picked few of my baseball friends who have a very special place reserved for them in hell as they are extremely “enthusiastic” baseball moms. After last night, I have joined them and I think I actually have sunk deeper than they have in the pits of hell.
I spent the better part of the morning asking God to forgive me although I do not think I am ready to be forgiven because I seem to be holding on to my ANGER! So, you should all pray for me because this is not a pretty side of me. I will eventually really want the forgiveness and then I will feel it BUT don’t expect me to go to her and give her due restitution for the mean and aggressive things I mumbled under my breath and to my Dad.
Gary had a platelet transfusion last night and his platelets have gone from 8 to 34 this morning (normal is 150-400) so we are on our way up! His white count is still super low at .3 (4000-11000 is normal) so we have a little ways to go with that one. He will probably have to have another blood transfusion today and we are waiting for the results of the CT Scans that were done last night. This should give us a better picture as to why he has such terrible back and abdominal pain.
He had a double cheese omelet this morning with bacon and toast. I think I will pick up something equally as yummy for lunch for him. He had an okay night last night and was only awake for a few hours. Some voluntarily and some not! Once again, the insane protocol of the hospital is so obnoxious. I am going to ask that his vitals not be taken every single hour and I will ask that they do not wake him to give him medication in the wee hours of the morning. JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE AWAKE DOES NOT MEAN HE SHOULD HAVE TO BE! I don’t do that to him at home. When he is asleep, LET HIM SLEEP! (I guess I still need to work on that anger issue I have).
The boys are covered by all of my dear friends until my Mom gets here on Saturday. Gary’s parents are planning on coming as soon as the doctors figure out what seems to be wrong with his Dad’s back.
It is a beautiful day in Newport and we are in the BIG corner room overlooking the ocean. Catalina looks beautiful today and I bet it will be a warm one once again.
Pete is coming today so that I can get home and get some things taken care of. We are starting Winter Camp registration this weekend for our 3rd through 5th graders at church and I know Zach is so excited to go even though it isn’t until February! I have E-mails to return, phone calls to make and bills to pay online and I do not have internet in this room.
Well, as Gary sleeps I guess I will get ready for the day. Hopefully the doctors will be in this morning and we will get some information. If everything looks okay in the abdomen and back I think we will be going home sooner than later for once! Keep up your prayers!
We love all of you and hope you continue to pray for us as we go down another road less traveled and figure out where to go from here. (Remember to pray for my attitude because it does need to change).
Back to paying the insane cable bill and sitting dormant all day!
Love from Hoag,
Lisa
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Hoag HOSPITAL
Hi everyone.
Unfortunately Gary is back in Hoag. He is in Room 828. His counts are in the toilet and he is having severe abdominal and back pain. They are running tests tonight and I will update tomorrow when I have more info.
I need to get back to him after saying goodnight to the boys. Wendy is with the boys tonight and Pete is watching over Gary right now.
Love to you all,
Lisa
Unfortunately Gary is back in Hoag. He is in Room 828. His counts are in the toilet and he is having severe abdominal and back pain. They are running tests tonight and I will update tomorrow when I have more info.
I need to get back to him after saying goodnight to the boys. Wendy is with the boys tonight and Pete is watching over Gary right now.
Love to you all,
Lisa
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
TUESDAY
Today was an okay day. Gary had a transfusion in the morning at the day hospital and then we were off to Barth's for a Neupogen Shot (to boost white cells) and to have the second part of the MRI. Gary's white count is 300 today and Gary is really tired and once again spiked a fever of 104 this afternoon but he managed to eat a late lunch and he seems to be resting somewhat comfortably right now.
The boys and I had a talk tonight about Gary. They asked so many questions about cancer and chemo and sickness and death and statistics and how many people die or live and on and on. I was very honest with the kids and we had a great conversation. I am really following the advice of this Grief Recovery Handbook and I want to make certain that Gary and I give the kids exactly what they need - we want to be open and honest without giving away TMI. I think we are on the right track. At least I hope we are.
I think I am going to get some sleep right now because I have to be up around 10 PM to administer the last of the antibiotics for the day. We are off and running once again to the day hospital in the morning for another transfusion. THANK YOU to everyone who has donated blood for Gary. He has certainly needed it this time around. I know there are many people who donate that we do not know personally and we thank you and want you to know what a gift it truly is. The nurses and doctors are always so blown away by how many of you have come to the donor center to give for Gary. Please know that before your blood expires and we are not able to use it within the specific time period they ask permission and then give it to other patients who need it. Having extra O+ and O- blood is HUGE for the bank!
Need Sleep. Gotta Go.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams,
Lisa and Gary
The boys and I had a talk tonight about Gary. They asked so many questions about cancer and chemo and sickness and death and statistics and how many people die or live and on and on. I was very honest with the kids and we had a great conversation. I am really following the advice of this Grief Recovery Handbook and I want to make certain that Gary and I give the kids exactly what they need - we want to be open and honest without giving away TMI. I think we are on the right track. At least I hope we are.
I think I am going to get some sleep right now because I have to be up around 10 PM to administer the last of the antibiotics for the day. We are off and running once again to the day hospital in the morning for another transfusion. THANK YOU to everyone who has donated blood for Gary. He has certainly needed it this time around. I know there are many people who donate that we do not know personally and we thank you and want you to know what a gift it truly is. The nurses and doctors are always so blown away by how many of you have come to the donor center to give for Gary. Please know that before your blood expires and we are not able to use it within the specific time period they ask permission and then give it to other patients who need it. Having extra O+ and O- blood is HUGE for the bank!
Need Sleep. Gotta Go.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams,
Lisa and Gary
Monday, October 13, 2008
BLOG
Okay. I really had no idea how many people read this blog. I really think you all need a life for sure! There are so many blogs out there that are funny and uplifting and hilarious. I don't think this is one of them although Gary has been the "butt" of many jokes of mine! Like I said, thank God he does not read this EVER!
I just can't believe how many people tune into our life every single day. I feel so honored that you all want to be a part of this journey we are on. I can think of many other lives I would like to tune into - the girls on The Hills (IT IS REAL I TELL YOU!) or some of those brats on the Sweet Sixteen Show (Where do these families come from?).
Many of you know me and you know I am what I am. I am not a private person when it comes to our life. I went through a time when I wanted to be because I needed to be. I needed to be still and quiet and I needed to take direction from the Lord as to what I needed to be doing for not only Gary but for myself and our children.
I have been reading these wonderful books about grief. I have learned so much. The Grief Recovery Handbook and How Children Grieve are great resources for ALL OF YOU. Grief is not just from death but from jobs, a break up, divorce, loss of a pet, a move, etc.... It is informative reading and is also a great tool to have if any of you have friends or family members who have experienced a loss of some kind that is personally devastating to them.
Our hearts of full of love as you all help us through this most difficult time in our life. We are comforted by your prayers and thoughts and well wishes and love. Just knowing you are keeping up with the blog is so honoring. Like I said, there are many more interesting people you could be keeping up with - Gene Simmons or The Kardashians possibly :) !
We pray for you and we thank you. I promise to keep up as much as I can with the newest developments!
Love to you all (whether we know you personally or not),
L
I just can't believe how many people tune into our life every single day. I feel so honored that you all want to be a part of this journey we are on. I can think of many other lives I would like to tune into - the girls on The Hills (IT IS REAL I TELL YOU!) or some of those brats on the Sweet Sixteen Show (Where do these families come from?).
Many of you know me and you know I am what I am. I am not a private person when it comes to our life. I went through a time when I wanted to be because I needed to be. I needed to be still and quiet and I needed to take direction from the Lord as to what I needed to be doing for not only Gary but for myself and our children.
I have been reading these wonderful books about grief. I have learned so much. The Grief Recovery Handbook and How Children Grieve are great resources for ALL OF YOU. Grief is not just from death but from jobs, a break up, divorce, loss of a pet, a move, etc.... It is informative reading and is also a great tool to have if any of you have friends or family members who have experienced a loss of some kind that is personally devastating to them.
Our hearts of full of love as you all help us through this most difficult time in our life. We are comforted by your prayers and thoughts and well wishes and love. Just knowing you are keeping up with the blog is so honoring. Like I said, there are many more interesting people you could be keeping up with - Gene Simmons or The Kardashians possibly :) !
We pray for you and we thank you. I promise to keep up as much as I can with the newest developments!
Love to you all (whether we know you personally or not),
L
Time Flies By
Hi everyone. I have loads of updates. I will condense things.
1. Gary has been having very high fevers. So, he is on 3 antibiotics via IV at home 4X a day to combat any infection he might have.
2. Gary is neutropenic - His white count is only 200 and the normal range is 4000-11000. If you are sick or have been sick or have family memebers who are sick please do not come over to visit Gary.
3. Gary is struggling with pain still in his sciatic. He had Part 1 of 2 for his MRI today on his spine. Tomorrow he has the other part.
4. Gary had more blood transfusions this weekend and he will have 2 more tomorrow and Wednesday to raise his hemoglobin hopefully.
5. Gary feels very sick from this round of chemo. His joints are painful and he basically feels like hell.
6. Gary is utterly exhausted and extremely weak.
So, basically the majority of people suffering what Gary is suffering through would be in the hospital right now. Dr. Barth is ready to hospitalize Gary at any time.
I feel very fortunte that Dr. Barth is allowing me to care for Gary at home. Gary requires so much care and there are so many things to do for Gary from hydration to antibiotics to wound care to bag drainages to tube feedings and on and on. The Hoag nursing staff trained me very well and I am very confident in my abilities to care for him at home as long as I can.
We will have repeat scans soon to determine whether or not the cancer is responding to the current regimen of treatments. Also, Gary will have the sciatic nerve surgery probably next week barring anymore complications.
So, we have been very busy and I have not had a chance to blog.
I want to thank ALL of my girlfriends who have come to my house and helped me to take care of Gary and the kids while I worked or ran errands! Thank you for doing my laundry or cleaning up my house. Thank you for loving on our kids! I love you all and thank you sooooooooo much!!
We have lots of doctor appointments this week and I will update probably on Wednesday. My Mom is coming Saturday and that should be a huge help.
Gary just finished a Famous Star and Milkshake! He gained 5 pounds last week! He is hanging in there and trying hard to be positive.
Please pray for the following things for Gary:
1. Pray that Gary stays focused on the here and now. Pray the his counts rebound and he is able to have the surgery next week so that his pain can be alleviated.
2. Pray that Gary gets lots of deep rest and pray that he does not become sick with such low white counts.
3. Pray that he finds some peace while he deals with unimaginable pain day in and day out.
4. Always pray for healing!
I am off and running! Look for a blog Wednesday night.
Love and Kisses,
Lisa
1. Gary has been having very high fevers. So, he is on 3 antibiotics via IV at home 4X a day to combat any infection he might have.
2. Gary is neutropenic - His white count is only 200 and the normal range is 4000-11000. If you are sick or have been sick or have family memebers who are sick please do not come over to visit Gary.
3. Gary is struggling with pain still in his sciatic. He had Part 1 of 2 for his MRI today on his spine. Tomorrow he has the other part.
4. Gary had more blood transfusions this weekend and he will have 2 more tomorrow and Wednesday to raise his hemoglobin hopefully.
5. Gary feels very sick from this round of chemo. His joints are painful and he basically feels like hell.
6. Gary is utterly exhausted and extremely weak.
So, basically the majority of people suffering what Gary is suffering through would be in the hospital right now. Dr. Barth is ready to hospitalize Gary at any time.
I feel very fortunte that Dr. Barth is allowing me to care for Gary at home. Gary requires so much care and there are so many things to do for Gary from hydration to antibiotics to wound care to bag drainages to tube feedings and on and on. The Hoag nursing staff trained me very well and I am very confident in my abilities to care for him at home as long as I can.
We will have repeat scans soon to determine whether or not the cancer is responding to the current regimen of treatments. Also, Gary will have the sciatic nerve surgery probably next week barring anymore complications.
So, we have been very busy and I have not had a chance to blog.
I want to thank ALL of my girlfriends who have come to my house and helped me to take care of Gary and the kids while I worked or ran errands! Thank you for doing my laundry or cleaning up my house. Thank you for loving on our kids! I love you all and thank you sooooooooo much!!
We have lots of doctor appointments this week and I will update probably on Wednesday. My Mom is coming Saturday and that should be a huge help.
Gary just finished a Famous Star and Milkshake! He gained 5 pounds last week! He is hanging in there and trying hard to be positive.
Please pray for the following things for Gary:
1. Pray that Gary stays focused on the here and now. Pray the his counts rebound and he is able to have the surgery next week so that his pain can be alleviated.
2. Pray that Gary gets lots of deep rest and pray that he does not become sick with such low white counts.
3. Pray that he finds some peace while he deals with unimaginable pain day in and day out.
4. Always pray for healing!
I am off and running! Look for a blog Wednesday night.
Love and Kisses,
Lisa
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Transfusions, MRI's and more.......
I am so happy to be blogging right now. It has been a very long day from sun up to sun down and beyond. I am actually sitting down for once. Don't get me wrong. I do sit in the doc office but it is not the same. There is always something to do there.
We were running late today and Gary was getting hydration and he was done so we got him into his wheelchair and proceeded to ask Kristen to unhook so we could run. We thought we could escape without blood work. We were wrong and now we have to be at Hoag tomorrow morning (bright and early) to get blood transfusions. His blood count fell fast this time. I was a little shocked only because he looks so great. He must have what we call the "chemo tan". Chemo sometimes gives you a flushed appearance.
So, blood transfusions and then back to the Birch office by 10:45 for an MRI of Gary's spine that should take upwards of 2 hours. Needless to say it will be another long day for both of us.
The boys are looking forward to the weekend. They LOVE Fridays and so do I! No lunch packing and clothes washing and homework for 2 hours every day. No waking them early and rushing out to doctor appointments. It will be a nice break. Just pray that we stay out of the hospital this weekend.
Gary has a 103 degree fever right now. I gave him Tylenol and am watching him. I hope he does not start shaking because I did not even think to ask Dr. Barth for steroids to stop the shaking. When he was in the hospital he had to have the steroids all the time for the shaking and they worked beautifully.
We had an appointment with Dr. Ashkenaze on Wednesday. He is the Neurosurgeon that will implant the pain management system. He was so nice and so caring and we both instantly liked him. He ordered this MRI that will be done in Barth's office tomorrow and we will proceed from there. Gary will be in the hospital 1-2 days following the procedure. In the meantime we will keep him doped up on all of his pain meds in hopes to keep him somewhat and sometimes semi comfortable.
I am going to go get Nate now and bring him downstairs so that I can go to sleep hopefully. The boys take turns sleeping in our room downstairs but I don't like to get them until I am close to turning the lights out. They go to bed at 7:30 each night and hopefully we do not keep them awake too much during the course of the night hours.
Nate did something that brought tears to my eyes. Quiet little Nate. Reserved is sometimes how I perceive Nate. Picture this. I am driving and the boys are all in the backseat. It is quiet and out of nowhere Nate busts out in TRUE RAPPER STYLE - the movement, the voice, the tone, the everything. You have to say it to yourself anunciating the words, sharp and hard.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. How I wonder what you are. Yo Yo.
Is Nate part Brother or what? It was just what I needed. Where in the world did that come from? Is that a Guitar Hero thing or a Rock Band thing? Whatever it is IT WAS FUNNY!
On that note, Goodnight and Sleep Tight!
Remember to say your prayers!
Love,
L
We were running late today and Gary was getting hydration and he was done so we got him into his wheelchair and proceeded to ask Kristen to unhook so we could run. We thought we could escape without blood work. We were wrong and now we have to be at Hoag tomorrow morning (bright and early) to get blood transfusions. His blood count fell fast this time. I was a little shocked only because he looks so great. He must have what we call the "chemo tan". Chemo sometimes gives you a flushed appearance.
So, blood transfusions and then back to the Birch office by 10:45 for an MRI of Gary's spine that should take upwards of 2 hours. Needless to say it will be another long day for both of us.
The boys are looking forward to the weekend. They LOVE Fridays and so do I! No lunch packing and clothes washing and homework for 2 hours every day. No waking them early and rushing out to doctor appointments. It will be a nice break. Just pray that we stay out of the hospital this weekend.
Gary has a 103 degree fever right now. I gave him Tylenol and am watching him. I hope he does not start shaking because I did not even think to ask Dr. Barth for steroids to stop the shaking. When he was in the hospital he had to have the steroids all the time for the shaking and they worked beautifully.
We had an appointment with Dr. Ashkenaze on Wednesday. He is the Neurosurgeon that will implant the pain management system. He was so nice and so caring and we both instantly liked him. He ordered this MRI that will be done in Barth's office tomorrow and we will proceed from there. Gary will be in the hospital 1-2 days following the procedure. In the meantime we will keep him doped up on all of his pain meds in hopes to keep him somewhat and sometimes semi comfortable.
I am going to go get Nate now and bring him downstairs so that I can go to sleep hopefully. The boys take turns sleeping in our room downstairs but I don't like to get them until I am close to turning the lights out. They go to bed at 7:30 each night and hopefully we do not keep them awake too much during the course of the night hours.
Nate did something that brought tears to my eyes. Quiet little Nate. Reserved is sometimes how I perceive Nate. Picture this. I am driving and the boys are all in the backseat. It is quiet and out of nowhere Nate busts out in TRUE RAPPER STYLE - the movement, the voice, the tone, the everything. You have to say it to yourself anunciating the words, sharp and hard.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. How I wonder what you are. Yo Yo.
Is Nate part Brother or what? It was just what I needed. Where in the world did that come from? Is that a Guitar Hero thing or a Rock Band thing? Whatever it is IT WAS FUNNY!
On that note, Goodnight and Sleep Tight!
Remember to say your prayers!
Love,
L
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
DAY IN REVIEW
Tonight Jax had an extra credit assignment to write a letter to someone. He wanted to write to our neighbor Bette who is also struggling with cancer. The boys love spending time at her house. It is loaded with trinkets and all sorts of interesting stuff. So, he wrote the letter and we delivered it today. He wrote and thanked Bette for being such a nice lady. It was super cute and it was so awesome that it was all his idea.
Nate is a DS hog! That kid LOVES playing his DS and the Wii. Trying to get him to do anything else once he is fixated on one of those things is literally impossible. When I tell him that it is time to put it away he really has a hard time doing it. He can be such a booger but he always has a smile on that cute face of his!
Zach has been bugging me to go to Sport Chalet or Chicks or Sports Authority. He does not let up either. "Mom, can we go?" "Mom. When can we go?" "Mom. You said we could go." "Mom, we don't have baseball today." "Mom, what are your plans this afternoon?" OMG - It goes on and on. I finally cave and tell him that I will take him today and then ask why he wants to go so bad.
His exact response was as follows:
"Can't a man just go to a store like Sport Chalet and just look around and shop sometimes? Is that too much to ask? There are so many things to look at and do unlike when we go shopping with you. You take forever and never buy anything. Men just like to go to stores like this and this is where we do our shopping."
Are you kidding me? A man I ask? HE IS 9 YEARS OLD. He cracks me up!
Sure enough I took all three kids and he looked around just like he said he would do. I guess he needed his "man time".
Gary had a long day today. We were at the Birch office by 8:30 and home at 2:30. He had a full dose of chemo today. To make a long story short Gary had an allergic reaction to the Celebrex he was on. After reading the warning online and contacting the pharmacy it finally made sense to me why he has been having so many odd symptoms over the past 4 days. I thought he was going crazy. Come to find out that people who are allergic to Sulfa should not take Celebrex. Gary is always going to be the one who reacts to things adversely.
I gave him Benedryl tonight along with all of his other drugs and he has to be at Dr. Arata's office tomorrow morning at 9 AM for another attemp at a nerve block. We have an appt. with the neurosurgeon in Laguna tomorrow at 2:45 PM to plan his surgery for the neuropathic receptors (Precision Plus System).
He is sleeping right now and I am trying to play catch up on laundry, dishes, making lunches, and taking a shower. Hopefully we will get some sleep tonight.
I will update tomorrow after our appointments.
My friend Kathy has the greatest license plate. It says PRACTICE RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS. I try to remember that every day when I am out and about and I am so proud that Jax did that today and doesn't even really know what a huge impact it had on Bette!
Love and Hugs,
Lisa
Nate is a DS hog! That kid LOVES playing his DS and the Wii. Trying to get him to do anything else once he is fixated on one of those things is literally impossible. When I tell him that it is time to put it away he really has a hard time doing it. He can be such a booger but he always has a smile on that cute face of his!
Zach has been bugging me to go to Sport Chalet or Chicks or Sports Authority. He does not let up either. "Mom, can we go?" "Mom. When can we go?" "Mom. You said we could go." "Mom, we don't have baseball today." "Mom, what are your plans this afternoon?" OMG - It goes on and on. I finally cave and tell him that I will take him today and then ask why he wants to go so bad.
His exact response was as follows:
"Can't a man just go to a store like Sport Chalet and just look around and shop sometimes? Is that too much to ask? There are so many things to look at and do unlike when we go shopping with you. You take forever and never buy anything. Men just like to go to stores like this and this is where we do our shopping."
Are you kidding me? A man I ask? HE IS 9 YEARS OLD. He cracks me up!
Sure enough I took all three kids and he looked around just like he said he would do. I guess he needed his "man time".
Gary had a long day today. We were at the Birch office by 8:30 and home at 2:30. He had a full dose of chemo today. To make a long story short Gary had an allergic reaction to the Celebrex he was on. After reading the warning online and contacting the pharmacy it finally made sense to me why he has been having so many odd symptoms over the past 4 days. I thought he was going crazy. Come to find out that people who are allergic to Sulfa should not take Celebrex. Gary is always going to be the one who reacts to things adversely.
I gave him Benedryl tonight along with all of his other drugs and he has to be at Dr. Arata's office tomorrow morning at 9 AM for another attemp at a nerve block. We have an appt. with the neurosurgeon in Laguna tomorrow at 2:45 PM to plan his surgery for the neuropathic receptors (Precision Plus System).
He is sleeping right now and I am trying to play catch up on laundry, dishes, making lunches, and taking a shower. Hopefully we will get some sleep tonight.
I will update tomorrow after our appointments.
My friend Kathy has the greatest license plate. It says PRACTICE RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS. I try to remember that every day when I am out and about and I am so proud that Jax did that today and doesn't even really know what a huge impact it had on Bette!
Love and Hugs,
Lisa
Monday, October 6, 2008
CHEMO X4
Good evening. I realize it is late so I will be brief.
Gary had one chemo drug today and will have three more tomorrow morning. The drugs tomorrow are the wicked ones and they are the ones that wreak the most havoc on his system.
WE WILL NEED BLOOD DONORS THIS WEEK AT HOAG'S DONOR CENTER.
Usually on the 8th day from the start of chemo Gary needs blood. So, if anyone that is 0+ or 0- and is eligible to give blood could do so then that would be more than awesome! 764-5621 is the number to the Hoag Blood Donor Center and as long as you give it before the weekend it should be ready to go for him by next week. REMEMBER to donate for Gary's personal bank when you go in. How great is it that so many of you have taken one for the team and shed your blood for Gary! We are so grateful!!!
Gary's pain is being managed by the fentynl drip and the "button" that delivers an extra 50 mcg. every 10 minutes. It is just an insane amount of drugs and we are hoping that as soon as this stimulator is in place that he can back off of these drugs. We know it takes time to dial the program into the machine that will control his pain. We are having to wait a little longer than expected to have the surgery because of the chemo schedule. His counts (white, red and platelets) will drop harshly around the 8th day and in order to have the surgery he has got to be strong. So, the cancer takes the front stage and the pain will have to continue to be treated with meds in the meantime. I guess we have to prioritize the battles at this stage in the game.
We will most likely plan to have the surgery sometime during the week of Oct. 20.
Gary had a decent day. He is in loads of pain but managed to eat 3 meals and smile a little. We even snuggled while he received chemo today at Barth's office. We don't get to do that very often. I miss that and I will take it anytime he is comfy enough to give it!
It is Nate's turn tonight to sleep on the floor in our room. I love that the boys love to be in here. It is a little challenging getting around them but I will manage.
Love, Hugs and Prayers to you all!
Goodnight
Lisa :)
Gary had one chemo drug today and will have three more tomorrow morning. The drugs tomorrow are the wicked ones and they are the ones that wreak the most havoc on his system.
WE WILL NEED BLOOD DONORS THIS WEEK AT HOAG'S DONOR CENTER.
Usually on the 8th day from the start of chemo Gary needs blood. So, if anyone that is 0+ or 0- and is eligible to give blood could do so then that would be more than awesome! 764-5621 is the number to the Hoag Blood Donor Center and as long as you give it before the weekend it should be ready to go for him by next week. REMEMBER to donate for Gary's personal bank when you go in. How great is it that so many of you have taken one for the team and shed your blood for Gary! We are so grateful!!!
Gary's pain is being managed by the fentynl drip and the "button" that delivers an extra 50 mcg. every 10 minutes. It is just an insane amount of drugs and we are hoping that as soon as this stimulator is in place that he can back off of these drugs. We know it takes time to dial the program into the machine that will control his pain. We are having to wait a little longer than expected to have the surgery because of the chemo schedule. His counts (white, red and platelets) will drop harshly around the 8th day and in order to have the surgery he has got to be strong. So, the cancer takes the front stage and the pain will have to continue to be treated with meds in the meantime. I guess we have to prioritize the battles at this stage in the game.
We will most likely plan to have the surgery sometime during the week of Oct. 20.
Gary had a decent day. He is in loads of pain but managed to eat 3 meals and smile a little. We even snuggled while he received chemo today at Barth's office. We don't get to do that very often. I miss that and I will take it anytime he is comfy enough to give it!
It is Nate's turn tonight to sleep on the floor in our room. I love that the boys love to be in here. It is a little challenging getting around them but I will manage.
Love, Hugs and Prayers to you all!
Goodnight
Lisa :)
THE PAST * THE PRESENT * THE FUTURE
I grew up in Mission Viejo by the Lake. Gary grew up in Missouri and then moved to El Toro when he was 9.
I grew up next to the Marsh Family. They had 2 boys and one of them was a good friend of Gary's. When I was Zach's age I used to ride my banana seat bike in our cul-de-sac. I had the coolest bike. It had a basket and a horn on the front.
During that same time I had the greatest collection of barbies complete with the Dream House! I used to make my barbies get married and have babies (they just had them and I did not even know how to make THAT happen at that age)!
I can remember spending hours sitting in my Yellow Holly Hobby room and dreaming about my wedding and my babies and my future.
I was going to meet my knight in shining armor and have a grand wedding with the perfect dress (which I did) and live in a house with a picket fence (I like my house but it has no fence). I wanted 2 kids (thank God I got my 3) and to live in complete and utter marital bliss forever and ever (have the marital bliss but am uncertain as far as the timing goes).
I pictured myself growing old with my spouse and spoiling our grandchildren. I often had images in my head of us holding hands and walking down the beach. We would have a house near our kids and our kids would be super duper rich and support us as we traveled around the world! (BTW - they don't know our intentions yet. We'll ease them into that!).
Well, back to when I was Zach's age. In that same cul-de-sac that I mentioned above my future knight in shining armor used to drive up in his AMC Ambassador to my neighbors house as I rode around on my bike. Gary was 16 at the time and I was 9. He was a rowdy teenager at El Toro HIgh School and I was just learning my multiplication facts and looking forward to my recess at Del Lago Elementary.
My Knight was right there so many years before we even met. I saw him all the time and had no idea who he even was. How lucky I am that our paths crossed once again and my dreams came true when we were married February 16, 1996.
As I fast forward to the present I think about the latter part of my day dreams. The part where we grow old together and live off of our kids! The part where we have an empty nest and we take long walks on the beach and travel to the most amazing parts of the world.
I truly hope that my dreams that I have for Gary and for me come true. This is the way I WANT my life to go. However, does God have different plans for the two of us? Are his dreams for my life the same as my dreams and desires for my life? I do not know the answer to that question but I do know this much............
I am going to be okay no matter what. I have surrendered my life to God and I put everything in His hands. I have a peace that transcends understanding. Do I wish things were different for the two of us? Of course I do. Do I ask God to heal Gary? Every single day.
We all have things we wish were different.
Some of us wish we would have had a better childhood. We wished our parents would have payed more attention to us. Some of us wish we would not have been abused or the person that we so desperately loved wouldn't have let us down or left us. Some of us were/are victims of abuse or exposed to violence. Some were exposed to parents with drug or alcohol addiction. Some had verbally abusive parents or family members.
Maybe you feel like your life is crumbling all around you. Some of you have lost your jobs or have been trying for a long time to get a job. Some people have come dangerously close to losing their homes and are fighting with their spouses. There are so many negative scenarios and I could go on and on but I won't.
I do want to say that we all have choices to make. We can hide behind our circumstances and the pain of what we have all been through. We can make excuses for behavior related to our pain and suffering and we can allow ourselves to become depressed and saddened about how things have turned out for us.
OR
We can choose to embrace our past, present and future and find the goodness and sunshine in every set of circumstances we face. I am a true believer that you can pull a positive out of every single negative no matter how great the negative might be. The glass is either half empty or half full. We can be sad that things have not gone OUR way and we can pout and stomp our feet and let this prevent us from growing and moving forward and learning and changing OR we can rejoice in ALL of the blessings that have been bestowed upon us by God and focus on the good!
Our lives are not perfect and noone ever promised they would be. You have to gain perspective.
I am scared. I do not want to be alone and raise 3 boys by myself. I do not want to be a widow and lose my best friend. I could pull so many negatives out of what Gary and I are going through right now. Even though I think about these things I do not allow them to paralyze me or control my heart and mind. Instead I really try to focus on the great things that are right in front of my face each day. The small moments. The things that are seemingly insignificant to most of us. A smile. A laugh. A stupid joke.
No matter what has happened to you in your past, in the present, or what you think might happen in your future always remember to look for the positives in every situation and take time to smile and laugh. For some it can happen during the toughest of times and for others it might take a long time for that to manifest. Whatever the timing is it is always God's perfect timing and not our own.
Don't focus on the what coulda, shoulda or woulda been for you. Focus on what is and how you can make your life the very best it can be in everything you face!
I hope noone is confused. I have all these thoughts and I want to share them. Life is so precious and wonderful. I want everyone to have life to the fullest here on this earth until it is time for us to go home and be with our Heavenly Father.
We want you to learn from our experience. Learn through our mistakes and gleen what you can from our victories!
Love to all of our family and friends who are doing life with us! Thank you for accompanying us on this journey.
We will pray for you and ask for you to pray for us.
Love,
Lisa
BTW - Gary is hanging in there and I will give you a detailed update tomorrow. Too much information for me to write tonight.
BTW2 - This was not meant to be some Tony Robbins Rah Rah!
I grew up next to the Marsh Family. They had 2 boys and one of them was a good friend of Gary's. When I was Zach's age I used to ride my banana seat bike in our cul-de-sac. I had the coolest bike. It had a basket and a horn on the front.
During that same time I had the greatest collection of barbies complete with the Dream House! I used to make my barbies get married and have babies (they just had them and I did not even know how to make THAT happen at that age)!
I can remember spending hours sitting in my Yellow Holly Hobby room and dreaming about my wedding and my babies and my future.
I was going to meet my knight in shining armor and have a grand wedding with the perfect dress (which I did) and live in a house with a picket fence (I like my house but it has no fence). I wanted 2 kids (thank God I got my 3) and to live in complete and utter marital bliss forever and ever (have the marital bliss but am uncertain as far as the timing goes).
I pictured myself growing old with my spouse and spoiling our grandchildren. I often had images in my head of us holding hands and walking down the beach. We would have a house near our kids and our kids would be super duper rich and support us as we traveled around the world! (BTW - they don't know our intentions yet. We'll ease them into that!).
Well, back to when I was Zach's age. In that same cul-de-sac that I mentioned above my future knight in shining armor used to drive up in his AMC Ambassador to my neighbors house as I rode around on my bike. Gary was 16 at the time and I was 9. He was a rowdy teenager at El Toro HIgh School and I was just learning my multiplication facts and looking forward to my recess at Del Lago Elementary.
My Knight was right there so many years before we even met. I saw him all the time and had no idea who he even was. How lucky I am that our paths crossed once again and my dreams came true when we were married February 16, 1996.
As I fast forward to the present I think about the latter part of my day dreams. The part where we grow old together and live off of our kids! The part where we have an empty nest and we take long walks on the beach and travel to the most amazing parts of the world.
I truly hope that my dreams that I have for Gary and for me come true. This is the way I WANT my life to go. However, does God have different plans for the two of us? Are his dreams for my life the same as my dreams and desires for my life? I do not know the answer to that question but I do know this much............
I am going to be okay no matter what. I have surrendered my life to God and I put everything in His hands. I have a peace that transcends understanding. Do I wish things were different for the two of us? Of course I do. Do I ask God to heal Gary? Every single day.
We all have things we wish were different.
Some of us wish we would have had a better childhood. We wished our parents would have payed more attention to us. Some of us wish we would not have been abused or the person that we so desperately loved wouldn't have let us down or left us. Some of us were/are victims of abuse or exposed to violence. Some were exposed to parents with drug or alcohol addiction. Some had verbally abusive parents or family members.
Maybe you feel like your life is crumbling all around you. Some of you have lost your jobs or have been trying for a long time to get a job. Some people have come dangerously close to losing their homes and are fighting with their spouses. There are so many negative scenarios and I could go on and on but I won't.
I do want to say that we all have choices to make. We can hide behind our circumstances and the pain of what we have all been through. We can make excuses for behavior related to our pain and suffering and we can allow ourselves to become depressed and saddened about how things have turned out for us.
OR
We can choose to embrace our past, present and future and find the goodness and sunshine in every set of circumstances we face. I am a true believer that you can pull a positive out of every single negative no matter how great the negative might be. The glass is either half empty or half full. We can be sad that things have not gone OUR way and we can pout and stomp our feet and let this prevent us from growing and moving forward and learning and changing OR we can rejoice in ALL of the blessings that have been bestowed upon us by God and focus on the good!
Our lives are not perfect and noone ever promised they would be. You have to gain perspective.
I am scared. I do not want to be alone and raise 3 boys by myself. I do not want to be a widow and lose my best friend. I could pull so many negatives out of what Gary and I are going through right now. Even though I think about these things I do not allow them to paralyze me or control my heart and mind. Instead I really try to focus on the great things that are right in front of my face each day. The small moments. The things that are seemingly insignificant to most of us. A smile. A laugh. A stupid joke.
No matter what has happened to you in your past, in the present, or what you think might happen in your future always remember to look for the positives in every situation and take time to smile and laugh. For some it can happen during the toughest of times and for others it might take a long time for that to manifest. Whatever the timing is it is always God's perfect timing and not our own.
Don't focus on the what coulda, shoulda or woulda been for you. Focus on what is and how you can make your life the very best it can be in everything you face!
I hope noone is confused. I have all these thoughts and I want to share them. Life is so precious and wonderful. I want everyone to have life to the fullest here on this earth until it is time for us to go home and be with our Heavenly Father.
We want you to learn from our experience. Learn through our mistakes and gleen what you can from our victories!
Love to all of our family and friends who are doing life with us! Thank you for accompanying us on this journey.
We will pray for you and ask for you to pray for us.
Love,
Lisa
BTW - Gary is hanging in there and I will give you a detailed update tomorrow. Too much information for me to write tonight.
BTW2 - This was not meant to be some Tony Robbins Rah Rah!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Precision Plus Pain Management
Good Morning. We had a VERY long night last night. Gary was up ALL NIGHT LONG with pain. It seems that the Precision Plus Device is not completely working at this time.
I asked Gary to try to explain to me how this pain was different than the original and it leaves me a little confused.
The original pain was sciatic nerve pain.
Then he got relief with just some minor irritation from the electrical currents.
Then, he started feeling an overwhelming sensation of tingling and numbness (like when your leg wakes up from being asleep and causes you to cramp).
Now, he has both the original pain as well as this tingling/numb sensation so the pain has become unbearable.
I have loaded him up with valium and xanax all night with the hopes that he could relax but it did not work.
So, I am calling the Rep this morning and we are meeting at Barth's office at Noon to have the leads taken out. Hopefully he can shed some light as to why this is happening. After all, this is only suppose to be a trial run and I want all the kinks worked out before we do anything permanent.
I will keep you all updated!
Love, L
I asked Gary to try to explain to me how this pain was different than the original and it leaves me a little confused.
The original pain was sciatic nerve pain.
Then he got relief with just some minor irritation from the electrical currents.
Then, he started feeling an overwhelming sensation of tingling and numbness (like when your leg wakes up from being asleep and causes you to cramp).
Now, he has both the original pain as well as this tingling/numb sensation so the pain has become unbearable.
I have loaded him up with valium and xanax all night with the hopes that he could relax but it did not work.
So, I am calling the Rep this morning and we are meeting at Barth's office at Noon to have the leads taken out. Hopefully he can shed some light as to why this is happening. After all, this is only suppose to be a trial run and I want all the kinks worked out before we do anything permanent.
I will keep you all updated!
Love, L
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Insensitive
Please forgive me for being insensitive and not giving you an update sooner. Many of you have called and texted and left messages all trying to find out what is going on with test results and pain management and I have totally been inundated with busy work and I am so sorry. I would like to give you an update now - better late than never.
We met Bob and Dr. Barth at the Day Hospital at Hoag today. Dr. Barth changed out Gary's wound dressing and removed the suchers. I think this will be much better for Gary. Dr. Barth briefly touched on the results of the CT Scans. He does not have much information for us at this time. The CT was done without contrast and therefore is not the most accurate of tests when you are searching for the slightest of changes.
Right now it would not be beneficial for Gary to have a CT with contrast until we can cleanse his kidneys and lower his creatine level. Dr. Barth did say that he did not see anything "too evil" and I guess you can look at that statement any number of ways. But the bottom line is that we don't really know anything from the scans other than the fact that Gary's lungs are clean and even this small victory is something to celebrate. So, we wait and are patient just as God would want us to be. We have no anxiety or worry. It is really cool to have such peace.
Gary has had zero pain in his leg! The neuro transmitter is working and we are so excited! Tomorrow they will take the transmitter out and within a 2 weeks period of time he will have the surgery to permanently implant the pain system! He will just have to endure another two weeks of pain - I say just but I don't mean it so flippantly. I told Gary that for the first time there is a light at the end of the tunnel with hope of so much less pain and suffering. It is an answer to patience and prayer and we can't wait.
I have to get the kids down but wanted to touch base with everyone.
Happy October!
Love,
Lisa
We met Bob and Dr. Barth at the Day Hospital at Hoag today. Dr. Barth changed out Gary's wound dressing and removed the suchers. I think this will be much better for Gary. Dr. Barth briefly touched on the results of the CT Scans. He does not have much information for us at this time. The CT was done without contrast and therefore is not the most accurate of tests when you are searching for the slightest of changes.
Right now it would not be beneficial for Gary to have a CT with contrast until we can cleanse his kidneys and lower his creatine level. Dr. Barth did say that he did not see anything "too evil" and I guess you can look at that statement any number of ways. But the bottom line is that we don't really know anything from the scans other than the fact that Gary's lungs are clean and even this small victory is something to celebrate. So, we wait and are patient just as God would want us to be. We have no anxiety or worry. It is really cool to have such peace.
Gary has had zero pain in his leg! The neuro transmitter is working and we are so excited! Tomorrow they will take the transmitter out and within a 2 weeks period of time he will have the surgery to permanently implant the pain system! He will just have to endure another two weeks of pain - I say just but I don't mean it so flippantly. I told Gary that for the first time there is a light at the end of the tunnel with hope of so much less pain and suffering. It is an answer to patience and prayer and we can't wait.
I have to get the kids down but wanted to touch base with everyone.
Happy October!
Love,
Lisa
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
10 hours
Can you believe we spent 10 hours in Dr. Barth's office today? Gary is so incredibly whipped and he is totally unresponsive right now. He is snoring after eating a piece of Round Table Pizza and he looks rather comfortable for once. He does look better tonight. HIs coloring is better and he does not look twisted in pain. Maybe we are taking a turn for the better finally.
I am super tired and I can hardly imagine how tired Gary is. I didn't do anything today and I am still tired.
We got to the office at 8 AM and they placed the receptors in his spinal space. The stimulus worked and we programmed it. Within about an hour his pain came back FULL THROTTLE in the left leg and the stimulus worked only in the right leg where he does not need it! So, at 3:30 this afternoon they put him back into the procedure area and readjusted the receptors. When they hooked him up to the CT they discovered that the receptors had slipped about 2 CM. They think this is due to his weakness and atrophy in his muscles. So, they placed it very high to offset the mere fact that it would probably slip once again. It seems to be working and if all goes well then they will remove the receptors on Friday and do the permanant placement/surgery 2 weeks from today. They have to wait to clean out the spinal space to prevent infection.
After meeting with Dr. Barth we learned that he was somewhat concerned with Gary's urine output as well as the amount of bile secretion he has been having over the past 24 hours. His creatine levels are off as well so he ordered CT scans TODAY on his lungs, pelvis and abdomen. Thaty is the procedure that ended our day today.
The office outfitted him with a 3 litre bag of fluids and a pump to keep him hydrated for the night. That machine coupled with the noise from the feeding tube is so stinking loud. I hope to get used to the sound.
We go to the day hospital tomorrow at 8:30 am for wound care and removal of the stitches and retention suchers. Dr. Barth and Bob will replace the retention suchers with a thing called Montgomery Laces. This will hold the wound together as it heals without compromising the skin like the other ones do.
I am not looking forward to 8:30 AM. I am a little concerned about the CT results. Gary has had chemo and radiation all to combat the cancer and to try to reverse the cancer. It is a little scary not knowing what is going to come next. I am not worrying but I am nervous to find out where we stand. I told you all last night that I have been gravely concerned with his functionality and awareness and I have hoped that it is just from exhaustion and treatment and not that his body is shutting down. Only tomorrow will tell.
Please be praying for us in the morning.
Good night and Sleep Tight!
Love,
Lisa
I am super tired and I can hardly imagine how tired Gary is. I didn't do anything today and I am still tired.
We got to the office at 8 AM and they placed the receptors in his spinal space. The stimulus worked and we programmed it. Within about an hour his pain came back FULL THROTTLE in the left leg and the stimulus worked only in the right leg where he does not need it! So, at 3:30 this afternoon they put him back into the procedure area and readjusted the receptors. When they hooked him up to the CT they discovered that the receptors had slipped about 2 CM. They think this is due to his weakness and atrophy in his muscles. So, they placed it very high to offset the mere fact that it would probably slip once again. It seems to be working and if all goes well then they will remove the receptors on Friday and do the permanant placement/surgery 2 weeks from today. They have to wait to clean out the spinal space to prevent infection.
After meeting with Dr. Barth we learned that he was somewhat concerned with Gary's urine output as well as the amount of bile secretion he has been having over the past 24 hours. His creatine levels are off as well so he ordered CT scans TODAY on his lungs, pelvis and abdomen. Thaty is the procedure that ended our day today.
The office outfitted him with a 3 litre bag of fluids and a pump to keep him hydrated for the night. That machine coupled with the noise from the feeding tube is so stinking loud. I hope to get used to the sound.
We go to the day hospital tomorrow at 8:30 am for wound care and removal of the stitches and retention suchers. Dr. Barth and Bob will replace the retention suchers with a thing called Montgomery Laces. This will hold the wound together as it heals without compromising the skin like the other ones do.
I am not looking forward to 8:30 AM. I am a little concerned about the CT results. Gary has had chemo and radiation all to combat the cancer and to try to reverse the cancer. It is a little scary not knowing what is going to come next. I am not worrying but I am nervous to find out where we stand. I told you all last night that I have been gravely concerned with his functionality and awareness and I have hoped that it is just from exhaustion and treatment and not that his body is shutting down. Only tomorrow will tell.
Please be praying for us in the morning.
Good night and Sleep Tight!
Love,
Lisa
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