Disneyland - Don't Bother

OMgosh! Disneyland was an absolute zoo! We left the structure before even getting out of our cars. We have been there so often and know when crowded is crowded! So, don't bother attempting Disney this week unless you want to fight the crowds!
Instead, we went fishing and ate a picnic lunch together. We are off to bowl now and Gary is coming with us! YEAH!
Love, L

Disneyland

Hello everyone. Going to Disneyland with the boys and my Dad. Gary's counts look AWESOME! and there is no need to visit the docs today. We are so excited to have the day off!
Have a wonderful Monday! Spring Break Rocks! I love this get up whenever, eat whatever, no packing lunches or doing homework! YEAH for me!
Love, L

Weekend Update

Gary is sick. He is sick and tired or feeling sick and being sick. Please keep him in your prayers. Pray that he can find the strength to move through this and press on to fight this cancer. I can only imagine how tiring it must be for Gary to be sick day after day after day. Everyday going to sleep sick and waking up sick. My heart breaks for him.
Although he is sick he looks amazingly good! His coloring is great and he looks super healthy. Now that his "accidentally baldness" is no longer (it still has not totally grown back in) people who have seen him can't believe how great he looks! Too bad he doesn't feel as good as he looks.
For the first time in months Gary actually got dressed today and we went to a funeral. Our friend's grandmother passed away at 97 and they had a touching service honoring her life and legacy. We were near Gary's brothers grave and we would have tried to find it but Gary said they have removed so many trees we would have had to comb the cemetary and every plot in that area trying to find Tim. Trust me when I tell you - that was not going to happen.
OUr family came in from San Diego and La Quinta today and we had a nice dinner at Lucille's. They have excellent Bar B Que. We are now winding down and going to bed.
Gary has to be at the doctor Sunday around Noon so I am hoping it will be a quick check - assuming his blood levels have remained strong and stable!
I will touch base with all of you either Sunday or Monday. We will have the results of the scand on Tuesday morning!
Love,
L

Scan Schedule

I wanted to tell you that Gary will have his CT Scans of his chest and pelvis tomorrow at 1:45 PM at Hoag. We are truly looking forward to finding out why Gary is experiencing so much less pain and why he is able to walk more often and longer.
Could it be that the cancer is responding to all of his treatments? Could be. We will wait and see!
Please keep us in your prayers as we move through the events of tomorrow. Gary is pretty sick from the chemo so pray that his numbers stay strong and that his nausea passes!
Good Night.
Lisa

no transfusion

Magically and just like that Gary's blood counts climbed over night! His platelets are up and his red blood count is up as well. How awesome is that for Gary! We are so excited.
We think his scans will be this Monday.
Have a great evening everyone!
Love, L

Tranfusion Thursday............and Friday

I guess the title says it all. We went to the docs today thinking all would be well and left there uncertain once again. I have learned never to get my hopes up too high and just to live in each day. Things seems to change on a dime for Gary.
His hemoglobin (red blood cells) took a dramatic drop today - from 11.5 to 9.4 (12-16 is normal). Usually this happens on the 5th day following chemo (it has been like clockwork since chemo started) but this time things sharply dropped a little early. Because it is uncharacteristic for Gary the doc is a little concerned that Gary might be bleeding internally. I say not likely and I believe it is due to the cumulative effects of chemo. So, we will go with my gut feeling and pray that there is no bleeding. We will know tomorrow hopefully. I will also let you all know when we find out a firm time for his scans.

Gary has been fairly sick today. He is extremely fatigued and nauseated. All to be expected.

I wanted you all to know that he will be receiving blood over the next 2 days and I would like prayer that we have no further complaication from these transfusions. Last time he had transfusions he ended up in the hospital for 5 days. Hopefully this will not happen this time around. The docs have his blood levels finally where they need to be and we will not have to give him shots in his stomach 2X a day anymore! YEAH!!!!

Off to bed. Sleep tight.

Love to you all,
L

Carlsbad Flower Fields

I don't know if any of you have had the chance to visit the Carlsbad Flower Fields off of Palomar Mountain Road but those fields are truly magnificent and Nate gets to go there today on a field trip. I hope that he enjoys the beautiful flowers. Just because he is a boy does not mean he can't enjoy the flowers. I told him that he needs to appreciate the beauty of nature and flowers. I am trying to help his future wife out here!
Gary is holding steady. His counts (whites, reds and platelets) are holding strong so far. We are still trying to thin our his blood and Dr. Barth has just increased his coumadin dose to hopefully accomplish that.
He is going in today again to get hydrated. It is good to get hydrated right after chemo so that his kidneys can continue to flush out all of the poisonous chemo. It is really hard for Gary to drink 80 ounces of fluid each day. I guess that is why all of the chairs at the Cancer Center are filled with people being hydrated each day we are there.
We are on our way to the school to watch Zach give his first ever oral report in class. Yesterday, we watched the Imagination Machine act out Nate's story on stage and that was exciting, too.
Nate has a game tonight if it does not rain. It better not! Jax and Zach have games Thursday night.
I had so much fun last night. Monica, Jenn, Michele, Stacy, Kendyl and I went to Taco Tuesday on the Lake and enjoyed tacos and great conversation! I love getting together with my girls! It makes me feel refreshed and not so distant.
Off we are. Gary is actually going to watch Zach! How exciting! He will be so stoked!
Love to all,
L