Great week

Having the girls here this week has been great. (I include Allison in on the "girls")  We've been to the zoo, had a sleep over, celebrated Lillian's 4th birthday, gone swimming twice and we still have the rest of the week.  I had an appointment with my LP nurse today and she asked me how my fatigue level was.  I thought for  a bit. I should be very tired, but I'm not.  Doing these things with the girls actually energizes me.  I can't help it, but every time I do something with those girls I pray that it is not the last time I'll be able to do it.  This gives me the energy to keep going.  Now, I'm not saying that after the day is done that I am not tired, of course I am.  It's like the runner who keeps running as fast as he can and collapses after crossing the finish line.  There will be plenty of time for me to rest when the race is over.  For now,  I will do anything my grand daughters want to do.  I love it!!

I did have blood work today along with my consultation.  I seem to be in a holding pattern with almost everything.  My liver function is good, my platelets are still low and my tumor marker went down by only 1 point.  Again the good news is that nothing went the wrong way.  I'm constantly reminded that no movement is better than bad movement.  I will be getting my chemo infusion tomorrow and after I get home from the hospital I will enjoy another great night.  You know why?

Lillian and Caroline will be coming over for dinner and stay the night.  I'm looking forward to playing make believe, maybe building a fort with blankets, reading stories and just snuggling.  Again, thank you Lord for these moments and I pray for many more.

New numbers, old numbers

I had a good day at the hospital yesterday, everything went well.  My numbers came back with no real changes.  My platelet count stayed about the same at 78.  My liver function numbers were all unchanged.  My calcium was the only number that showed low, but not a problem.  My tumor marker also stayed where it was last week at 21.  As the nurse said, "Your numbers stayed the same, which is better than them going in the wrong direction."  So, I got that going for me.  Have a great weekend everyone!

August 2012 home stretch

The busy month of August is coming to a close, but not without a flurry of activity.  As usual, I will be going to the hospital for treatment today.  I will post my numbers later as I get them.  What else?  As I am writing this blog, Sammy is at the oral surgeon having his wisdom teeth removed.  Based on my own experience, Sam will need some TLC during his recuperation.  I will be making him a variety of food that is easy to swallow with minimum chewing involved.  I'll be glad to take care of someone, as opposed to having them take care of me.  But, that is not what will keep me busy for the rest of the month.  I'm so happy to say, Allison and the girls are here!!  They came in last night and spent some time with us before going to Allison's parents.  We have a full schedule planned with the girls.  We will be going to the zoo, swimming at great grandma and great grandpa's pool, celebrating Lillian's 4th birthday (Aug 27th) and just general goofing around. Having these girls around me, giving me hugs and kisses, is the best medicine I could ever have.  I just love having them here!  Please say a prayer for Sam's recovery and continue to pray for me.  Lillian asked me if her prayers are working.  Just by being here and being able to answer her question is proof that the power of prayer is real and working in our lives.  Thank you all and God bless.

8-22-82

It was the title placed on a picture from a Polaroid Land Camera, 8-22-82.  The picture was of my 1st born son Matthew and it was prominently displayed on my desk at work.  Hard to believe that was 30 years ago today.  That's right, it is Matt's birthday today and he is 30.  I remember the pride I felt when he was born and that feeling of pride has never gone away.  Matt has been the son everyone would love to have.  He was always a good student.  He was always a great athlete.  But, the thing that I feel the most pride about is that Matt is a great person.  He has always been kind and caring and 30 years later he is still the same.  He has shown me that he is a wonderful father to my grandchildren and a good husband to my daughter in law.  The one thing I have learned over the past 9 months is that out of everything you have in life, the love of your family is the only thing you can count on to be there forever.  I know Matt believes this and it is this attitude that makes Matt the best father and husband he can be.  It's been a great 30 years and I ask everyone to join in and wish Matt a Happy Birthday and say a prayer for him and his family's continued happiness.

Numbers update

Just a quick update on my numbers from Friday.  Things are going well.  My liver function numbers are good.  My platelet count is low again at 70 but, that is normal for me.  My tumor marker did come down again to 20 from 27.  All things considered, my energy level is good and I'm taking advantage of this by staying very active.  Everything seems to be working, so we will continue with the current treatment......good medicine and lots of prayer.

Great month so far....more to come

Wow, this has been a great month so far. August has always been a busy month for our family because of everything that's going on.  This year I have really been looking forward to enjoying August more than ever, due to the fact I was told I may not be here.  Well, by the grace of God, I'm still here and I'm feeling good enough to participate.  What has happened so far?  I've been cleared to re-start my chemo treatment and it's going well.  I was able to walk and eat my way through State Fair.  I spent a day at the lakefront watching the Milwaukee Air Show.  I got out on the golf course and shot pretty well. I celebrated Vic's birthday.  We finally got rain and I was able to cut my grass.  These are the things I've done so far this month and it is only half over.  What's coming up?  Zoo Ala Carte starts today and I will be going to that.  There are more birthdays to celebrate,  Matt's 30th and Lillian's 4th.  Allison and the girls are coming to visit and this will include birthday parties, zoo visits and anything else the girls want to do. (Because PaPa said so.)  The best part of this is that everything I am doing has included my family. Not only my wife and kids but brother and sister in laws, nieces and nephews, grandchildren and more.  It is definitely not the event as much as it is who you are sharing the event with that makes it  special.  I have two choices, feel sorry for myself and withdraw from everything or have some fun and enjoy what I have left.  My family allows me to put aside my illness and have fun.  So, for the second half of this month I challenge all of you to put aside your problems and have some fun with your family.  I know I will.  Keep praying everyday.  

Happy Birthday Vic

What a perfect event to kick off my newly named blog, the celebration of my wife's birthday.  I have been truly blessed to have Vic in my life.  She has always been a great wife and a devout mother to the boys, but my illness has allowed her true colors to come through.  When I was diagnosed with cancer in November, not only did my life change but, Vic's life was turned upside down also.  She has been by my side every step of the way.  She has been with me for every doctor and hospital visit plus she is still working full time.  I know this whole thing has been very overwhelming for her and I just want her to know that I would not be here if it was not for her.  She has given me the strength to keep going and I cannot thank her enough for everything she does for me.  Of all the blessings God has given me, having Vic as my wife and best friend is on the top of the list.  Vic, I thank you for everything you do and I love you very much!  Have a great birthday and let's plan on celebrating many more together.

BLOG NAME CHANGE REMINDER

Just a reminder, the name of my blog has changed.  I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused, but I needed a name for this blog to accurately portray how I feel.

Still here

I'm sorry I have not posted since last Friday.  I guess I was living up to the name I had on this blog "writers block".  I really had nothing to report.  It  seems like sometimes everything just stays the same, no ups or downs.  I was having a hard time coming up with something interesting, I was truly having writers block.  Every time I would open this site to write something, I would look at the title and my mind would go blank.  So what I did was change the name of the blog to something that really describes how I feel.  I changed the name to "Blessed".  Now, when I look at the title, I know why I'm writing this blog.  It's not just for me.  It's not just to give numbers.  This blog is my proof, to everyone who reads it, that even in the most dire circumstances God's blessings are all around us.  I use the term "us" because I've also come to the realization that it is not just me who is affected by cancer.  I may possess the physical signs of the disease but, all of you are affected in one way or another due to my illness.  I want this blog to be a source of inspiration, as well as information, to all who read it.  This battle cannot be won without God's help and the support of all you, so keep praying and count your blessings everyday.

I did have blood work and treatment today. The numbers are looking good.  My platelet count has gone back to being low again, but it is normal for me during chemo.  The good news is the tumor marker number went down to 28 from 41.  Everything seems to be going in the right direction.  For those who are keeping score, yes my face rash went away when I was off chemo and yes it is back, but not as bad as it was the first time.  That's a blessing.

Scan results

I met with the oncologist today and we reviewed my latest PET scan and blood work.  First the blood work numbers.  All of my liver function numbers look good.  My liver is doing what it is supposed to do with very little problems being caused by the tumors.  My platelet count stayed at a high level for me with a count of 110 and the all important tumor marker number came down to 47 from 63.
The results of the PET scan did show some increased tumor activity but we expected some increase due to the fact I was off treatment for 4 weeks.  The doctor did admit that we lost some ground but he feels we should be back on track now.  I have to watch my fingers very closely for any infection.  If I can go a while with no infection we will increase the Erbitux dose back to 100%.
I feel good because the doctor said we should set up our next scan for the usual 6 weeks out.  Anytime a cancer patient hears the doctor setting things up for 6 weeks out, it gives you a good feeling about what's happening.  Thanks for all the support, I could not do this without all of you.  

Important next two days

It  has already been 6 weeks since my last PET scan.  I am scheduled for another one tomorrow.  Just as a re cap, this scan shows the tumor activity.  I am infused with a radioactive solution that makes the tumors light up on the scan.  The brighter the tumor the more active it is.  My last scan was very promising because the bright spots were very scattered and much smaller than in the past.  In my first PET scan my entire liver was one big bright spot.  It really shows how well the treatment has been working.  I will meet with the oncologist to review the scan on Friday morning and discuss how my treatment will be handled in the future.  This is always a big appointment for me because it gives an actual visual account of what is truly going on with my cancer.  I'll let you know the results.  Keep praying.