From the Bottom of Our Hearts...

Thank you so much to Wayne, Deanna, April, Russ, Lauren, Ella, Micah, Paul, Rachel, Brooke, Devin, Ashley and Megan:
Thank you for showing us so much love and support. C was so excited to open this box of goodies and to see how much you all are thinking about us. Thank you to the Heywoods for the fun Halloween box of goodies. The kids thought it was Christmas. Thank you to everyone who has said countless prayers in our behalf, wore a yellow wristband, thought of us on a daily basis. Babysat, called to see how J was doing and those who have left comments on the blog with words of support and encouragement. Thank you to those who have gone out of their way and visited J and brought him something to pass the time or a way of encouragement. We just want you all to know how much we appreciate every gesture big or small it means alot to us, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Birthday

I had a great birthday yesterday thanks to E and all my family and friends. I have been so involved with treatment that I forgot about my birthday until it was upon me. I was not too concerned with my birthday, but thanks to everyone I enjoyed it! E made me a lemon cake (for those who don’t know I’m a lemon junkie) in the shape of “Master Shake”. For those who don’t know who/what “Master Shake” is, he is from a cartoon show called ATHF. E and I had a nice dinner then my family and E’s family came over for cake and ice cream. It was a good time, thanks to all!

Is Your Pink Showing?

Well is it? This month is Breast Cancer Awareness month but not only that it is also Cancer Awareness month. I am by all means not someone who generally would go out and get pink put in her hair but it is for a good cause. All the money goes to supporting cancer research. And it is only $10 for a pink hair extension. (Tantrum Hair Salon: call and get Pink'd: ask for Amy she's awesome.) You are all probably wonder why I'm talking about getting pink hair on here since that has nothing to do with J's cancer... but that's where you are wrong. It has everything to do with J and you and someone you love or know. Everyday around 3,400 people are diagnosed with cancer. Everyday around 1,500 people die from cancer. A lot of the time we think that cancer isn't gonna hit home with us. That it isn't going to happen to me or to someone I love, not going to happen to my brother, sister, parent, grandparent, best friend. But that isn't true. It effects everyone who is sitting here right now reading this. Whether you barely know J or you've known him forever... It effects us all. I know I'm always guilty of thinking well, I don't have $50 to donate so I'm not going to make any kind of difference in cancer research. But that's where I'm wrong; that's where we are all wrong. Even $5 makes a difference. It pushes us that much closer to finding a cure. The link to the left (click on the picture) for Stand Up 2 Cancer is active. (there are a few ways to donate on their web page. Mobile phone, phone or mail or on the website.) Please donate. It doesn't have to be in anyone's name or even that much. You don't have to donate to SU2C. It can be to any cancer organization. Just do it. Because your donation may help save the life... and it may even be your own some day. I hope and pray that no one ever has to go through what J has endured. What our family has experienced... So please make sure that you donate even if it is only a dollar. You can be the one that makes a difference in someone's life.

6.1 Million and Counting

J was able to collect 6.1 million stem cells yesterday which was more than enough. He was to collect 6 million but since the Dr. thought he was collecting so good they had him come in to collect more again today. So he's hooked up to the machine again which is used for apheresis (similar to dialysis). They want to collect as many as possible just for good measure. This is so great that he was able to produce more than enough for what he needs and means that his body is working hard to get those cells produced. J came home yesterday extremely tired and just worn out. The process makes you really tired and he'll probably be tired for the next couple of days since they are taking blood out of him and extracting the cells and putting it back at a high rate of speed. He also came home with a new bandage that now has to be changed daily. The other bandage gave him a terrible rash. Seems he has sensitive skin and the adhesive on these bandages doesn't mesh well with him. He just has to be more careful around the kids since it is more open. J is such a fighter and even though he's had numerous problems with bandages and having to be hooked up to machine after machine he still has that fighting spirit. The next week or so will bring tests to test his heart, lungs, kidneys and other vital organs to see if they are up to what they are going to be throwing at him during the next chemo. Thanks for the prayers that have shown us so much that they are being heard. We just need to pray that all his vital organs will be in working order to move on to the next step.... Getting him CURED!

Harvesting Time

We got a call at 6:15am this morning saying that J needed to come down to the hospital right then because his stem cells are ready to harvest. Due to a lack of communication last night they didn't get us called until this morning. J headed out with his dad at 7:45am. He called me just a few min ago (8:50am) and told me that they may only have to do one harvesting because his stem cell counts are super high as well as his white counts! This process should take about 4 hours and they say it could make him really tired today and for the next couple of days. Once they've harvested the cells it could be as short as 2 weeks before he starts this next journey.

Daily Shots, City of Hope and Bandage Changes... Oh, My!

J's been home a week and I've been telling him that he needs to work on this post but since he worked all week on my computer when he was feeling up to it I guess I'll do it for him.... J's doing pretty good. He seemed to get over things a little bit quicker this round and is working from home this week. He is still neutripinic (low white count) and can continue to drop his whites up to 2 weeks after chemo. Every time he steps outside of the house he is to wear a mask especially if it is windy outside so needless to say we have been staying inside and away from people for the last week.

City of Hope
This is were J's next 2 rounds of chemo will be. They are called Stem Cell Chemo. He will be hooked up to a machine similar to a dialysis machine where they will extract his stem cells and collect enough for the 2 rounds that he will be doing. He will sit there hooked up to the machine for up to 6-8 hrs over a period of a couple of days depending on how much they can extract at a time. He should be starting this process sometime this week as long as his whites are up and there is a good amount of stem cells built up. He then will have any where from 2-4 weeks before he starts this next phase. He will be in the hospital for 10-12 days. They will completely wipe out his immune system which will make him very sick. The kids will not be able to visit him as he will be confined to his room and so sick he won't be able to move. Anyone that comes in to see him he will have to wear a mask for his own protection from any germs. The chemo should be for about 5 days and the rest of the time is spent giving him some of the stem cells back and building his immune system back up so that he can come back home. The doctors hope to have him home from his 1st round of this chemo by Thanksgiving and his 2nd round by Christmas.



Daily Shots
J has to give himself a daily shot of neupogen. This is to increase the stem cells that are needed to be extracted for the next stage of this chemo. We decided to go with the whole stem cell chemo because although the Salvage Chemo has a good shot of curing J the Stem Cell Chemo gives him a 15-20% better chance of curing him for good. J gives himself this shot every morning and C sits next to him and watches him as he fills up the shot and injects it into his belly. These shots give him some serious headaches and bone pain because they are doing their job: building stem cells. He can't take regular meds like Tylenol but is on heavy narcotics. Not his choice but the only thing he is allowed to take.

Bandage Changes

I am now officially the Caregiver to J... I'm solely responsible for making sure on a daily basis that his new PICC line (which now includes three lines and is much closer to the aorta) is flushed with Heparin everyday and on Sundays and Wednesdays his caps are changed (the blue things) and once a week that his bandage is changed. This means some serious sterile mask and glove wearing going on. I think I'm more nervous about keeping everything sterile the whole time I'm changing his bandage. I was supposed to practice the bandage change on Friday on Chester (the dummy) but since J's bandage needed to be changed due to having blood under it, I was the one who had to do it. I was so nervous... the nurse said the hardest part is getting the gloves on without contaminating them; otherwise you start all over again putting the dang things on again. J and the nurse said I did a really good job for my first time and J says that's because I'm a scrapbooker and so meticulous. I just think its cause I didn't want to screw up. Once J has started collecting (stem cells) I have a special caregiver class that I will be going to. They will give me a huge book that goes over everything I have to do to the house to make it safe for J to come home to. The class is for 2.5 hours! That is a lot of info...

Please continue to pray that J's whites/stem cells will continue to increase so that they are able to collect enough and maybe more than what they need this week. Thanks for the love and support. We really appreciate everyone and all you do for us.

Also a special thank you to the Heywood’s for sending that awesome package. The kids loved it. It was like Christmas to them and got them so excited for Halloween. We were able to open it up with Jeff at the hospital that last Friday 9/19. Thank you so much!

How Sweet It Is...

J is finally home... Hooray! We are all so excited. I was able to pick him up from the hospital around noon after dropping C off at school. We came home and he had his first meal which he has been able to keep down so far... Knock on wood. K came walking in the office after J had been lying down on the couch for a little while. She stood in the doorway holding her blanket and saying "Dada". When I asked her if she wanted to lay down she shook her head yes. I picked her up and she again said "Dada" so I asked her if she wanted to lay by J and she shook her head yes again. I took her out into the family room where J lay and she said "Dada" and he woke up and I told him that she wanted to lay by him. She just lit up. She was so excited and laid there for a few minutes so still and quiet. She even has the same blanket on her from when she was just 3 days old. Its hard to believe that these photos were taken only 18.5 months apart. She still is his little sweet heart...
This picture is from when K was just 3 days old. J had come home from his 1st day of his 3rd round and they took a nap together. (this was also a Monday.) (I'd just post just the picture but my computer is DOA and my computer tech is crashed out on the couch.)

C came home from school and the first thing he asked J was how the hospital was... He's pretty extatic to have his dad home and so am I... That means no more having a 5 yr old insist on sleeping in my bed and no more driving back and forth to the hospital... at least for a little while.

Day 5 of Chemo

I thought I'd update you all on J. He is finishing up day 5 of chemo tonight probably around 11pm. We all wish he could pack up and come home at that time but he has chosen to stay and have them continue an IV to keep him hydrated through the night and through Monday morning. He hasn't been able to keep much down and as much as we'd really like to have him home we'd rather him feel better and be hydrated so we don't have to go back a couple of days later. He's been really tired this round and with all the nausea meds they've given him to try and keep him from throwing up he says he always seems dazed. Although when I've taken the kids to visit him he is pretty with it which is good because the kids love going to see him and C especially loves playing on the computer in the lobby where we meet J. Yesterday he was playing on it looking at Google Earth like he always does and asking J what certain places were that popped up on the screen. I walked over to look at the screen after C had closed out the program to see that C had changed Google Earth to his name. That kid defiantly takes after his dad. I told C who has been telling everyone who would listen that his dad would be home on Sunday, that J wouldn't be home till Monday and thinking he'd throw a fit he was more than understanding and was ok that J would still be in the hospital one more day. Before J went into the hospital this time he sat C down and explained to him that he had to go back. C said yeah, because your back hurts really really bad. (this is why he thought J was in the hospital the first time. We didn't know how to explain what cancer was to a 5 yr. old) This time J told C that his back was better but that he had to get special medicine for the cancer that was in his body. Without hesitation C piped up and the special medicine kills the cancer. That kid amazes me... we have never talked to him about cancer and how the medicine kills cancer. I believe he is so in tune with the spirit that it helps him to understand things that even some of us adults do not. Please keep J in your prayers that he will be able to get hydrated and keep food down so that he can come home and stay home until his next round. Thank you for all your love and support.

We Never Knew ...

a Real Hero...

until our Daddy became One...

Often times we think that a hero is someone who fights fires, patrols the streets for our safety or sometimes wears a cape and flies through the sky.... every once in a while there is a hero right in our own homes...

(J is doing ok... He's feeling pretty blah and is looking forward to coming home soon. So far he has gotten sick a few times and is hanging in there. Thank you for all your prayers. He is willing to have visitors and just needs you to find out how he feels before going down and to get the room #.)

An Attitude with a Heart of Gratitude

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. It's all about attitude... it can make or break you. J is such a great example of a strong and upbeat attitude. He tries to keep his spirits up and have a good attitude with all of this even when he is feeling sick and just wants to feel somewhat normal again. I try to have a good attitude about all this and often think that no matter what we may be facing there is always somewhere out there that has life worse; that is struggling with their own personal things and it makes us feel like if people can make it through their rough spots we can too. We are also so grateful for so many things... We are so grateful that we have such awesome insurance that is willing to cover everything from here on out because we've met our deductible, J has a great employer and boss that are willing to work with him on his time away and are so understanding of his situation. We are grateful for people who go out of there way to leave a kind word, a note of encouragement. We are grateful for people who think only good thoughts for us, say a prayer for us even if they've never met us before and all because of a story that I wanted to share with K someday about her dad...Grateful for people who take time out of their daily lives to sit and read about us. To keep up on us to see how we are doing. People who are willing to sit with my kids while I go and visit J for time alone together. We are grateful for those who show their support by sporting their yellow wristbands. (you can still get one if you'd like... they are free to whoever would like one just leave a comment and we will get you one.)
We are grateful to those who have brought us meals, babysat, family that has time and time again supported us. Friends who have come to visit called or sent a little note.(thank you to my Utah family for putting this together ↑ it meant so much to J.) It's little things like this that really touch us and make us feel loved and like we can make it through. And especially grateful for the nurses and doctors who do their best to take care of J. (he started chemo again yesterday at 6pm, I'll try and get him to update.) Things that make us want to have an attitude that we came make it through all this and a heart full of gratitude. But, most of all I'm grateful that we have each other.... No Matter What! Thank you to everyone. We love you and are so appreciative of your love, prayers, and constant support.

Time for round 2! DING DING!!

Well, this week is round two. We thought that I was going to start today, but the hospital did not have a bed in the oncology wing for me today. They will have a bed tomorrow. So I get one more night at home then I'm in the hospital for five days. I saw my Oncologist today and he is very pleased with my progress, he is adjusting the chemo to help with my neuropathy and he thinks this round will be a little easier. I will try to keep posting from the hospital. Good night.

U + Me =

...Forever...For Always...No Matter What...

Top 10 Reasons It's Good to be Bald....

10. Huge savings on shampoo.
9. Combs are no longer needed. Just dry and go.
8. No longer a need for hairspray, mousse or gel in the medicine cabinet.
7. There is no such thing as a bad hair day.
6. Bald Goes With Everything.
5. Shaves seconds off my swim time
4. Rubbing my head = good luck.
3. Haircuts take less time.
2. Believe it or not, many women like this look. Sean Connery was voted sexiest man alive - at age 73, bald as a billiard ball.
And the #1 reason it is good to be bald....
cause God only made a few perfect heads; the rest he covered with hair.

This is Where the END of CANCER Begins

THIS IS WHERE THE END OF CANCER BEGINS

I was watching this program tonight and they talked about how in the 1930's that a radio station said if everyone donated just 10 cents that 50 million people would raise $5 million dollars to find a cure for polio. People donated and they found a vaccine for polio.... By today's equivalent that is only a $1.50. If you only even donated a $1.50 you can still make a difference. We will be able to find a cure for cancer someday. Cancer touches everyone...
(You can even make a donation to honor someone close to you or in memory of a loved one.)
If you'd like to make a donation to honor J please feel free to contact us for our address:
SU2C will send an acknowledgment card in recognition of your honorarium donation.
(If you'd like to donate in J's honor just click on the link it will take you to the donation page and you check the box for honorary donation. This area will let you fill out the person's name and address to send them a card letting them know you donated in their honor.) You can choose any amount...

We used to have such crazy dreams.
The kind of dreams that brought us together, made us not mere mortals, but a movement.

We used to dream we'd get to the moon.
And we were crazy enough, fanatical enough, relentless enough, to get there.

We dreamed we'd split the atom.
Make smallpox and polio whispers from forgotten history books.
Make technology infinite, individual.
Connect the world.

All the unbelievable and the impossible,
all the can't do and the never will, we overwhelmed them, we overpowered them, we conquered them.
They said no and we, well,
We said yes.
We stood up.
We stood up and changed the world.

Stand up when everybody else sits down
Stand up when it's easier to turn away
Stand up for everyone who can't rise anymore

When the answer seems impossible, stand up
When the dream is right within our reach, stand up
When the powerful refuse your call, stand up

The moment is now and the time has come to stand up.
One out of every two men
One out of every three women
will face these diseases we call cancer.

Our sisters, our brothers, our fathers, our mothers,
our husbands, our wives, our children.
Our very best friends and those we've yet to meet.

One person every minute, one person in a moment gets lost, gets stolen, gets taken away.

We are a tapestry of lives touched and brought together by a terrorist we can actually find. And in the time it's taken to read this, three more Americans have died.

Unforgivable.

This is where the end of cancer begins.

When together we become a force unmistakable.
A movement undeniable.
A light that cannot dim.

When we take our wild impossible dreams
And make them possible
Make them true

When together we rise as one
When we stand up
When we Stand Up To Cancer.

Please Donate... Even if it is only a $1.50.

Comment Help

I know some people have told us or others that they are having a hard time being able to leave comments on the blog. So I thought I'd give a little run down on how to do it:
At the bottom of any post you will see this:Click on the ( LIVESTRONG Comments) and it will bring up this window:You can select name/url and just type a name or choose anonymous. You don't have to have a
google account to leave comments. ( once you have left a comment click publish your comment and it will send us an email to have it moderated. We try and publish the comments a few times a day.) We'd love to hear from everyone who wishes to leave words of love, support, and encouragement.

Back to work

Well I am back to work today (half day) and so far so good. Just feeling a little tired. I've got just under 2 weeks until my next round so I hope to make the best of it.

Nurse Emily?

Everyday J needs to have his PICC line flushed out to keep it clean and ready to use at a moments notice. Therefore I have become his PICC line nurse who ONLY flushes the line nightly. I clean each line (he has 2 lines) and each line gets a syringe of saline first to flush it and then is followed up with Heparin to prevent the lines from clogging. I never have wanted to be a nurse and since this doesn't involve blood I can handle doing this part. I'm thankful that J has had so many wonderful nurses that have been there to take care of him. I have so much respect for those nurses who do so much. My part is so small compared to what they do. I will be forever grateful for them.

Feeling a Bit More Normal

Today is my first full day home from the hospital and I'm feeling a bit more normal. I've worked on the computer for a while, I had lunch with a friend and have only had to rest on the couch a few times. So as the days go, hopefully my strength and stamina will improve and I can try to go back to work next week.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

J came home from the hospital just after noon today and while I was out running errands he called me and told me to bring C home before his play date. His hair was falling out fast and we wanted to buzz his head in front of the kids so that it wouldn't be so traumatic when he is completely bald. (his hair started falling out on Tues. and we thought he'd have at least another week before it happened. C seemed to be ok with it and joined in even if he was only pretending to shave J's head. He didn't want to have the buzzer turned on. C's scared of it. K whimpered a little not really knowing what was going on but seemed to be ok with it. Once I was done, J went into the bathroom to take a look and C followed him in. He says to J "It looks pretty good" so we know he was ok with it. As J would say "at least I have a good head and look decent bald". I think he should do a post about the best reasons to be bald...

He's coming home...

The dr. says J's white blood counts are up and everything looks great. They've cleared him of everything and are releasing him this afternoon! I asked C if he prayed that his dad would be able to come home and he told me yes. So with the faith of a little child and all those of you who prayed that J's whites would come up quickly, thank you. The kids are so excited. Everytime I asked if they were excited about J coming home, K shooked her head yes and had a huge smile on her face. We will have the next 2 weeks together!

White Cells Are Improving!

My white cells are up again, we are now waiting on ANC counts to go up. ANC are mature white blood cells that fight infection so they are critical. If they can go up then maybe I can go home tomorrow or Friday. I know E and the kids are missing me so I hope it goes up today and I can come home tomorrow. I should know early tomorrow morning. Lets keep it in our prayers!

Better Days

Today was a harder day. For me, for the kids... We all felt the missing hole in our family today. K didn't want me to put her to bed and C didn't want me to leave to go visit J. He struggled with that fact and held back his tears which for him to do that you know he is really hurting. He usually is so open with how he feels. As I was driving home from the hospital one night this song Better Days by the Goo Goo Dolls came on (on the top left is where you can hear the song). I was drawn to the lyrics:

(Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings And designer love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
So take these words
And sing out loud
Cause everyone is forgiven now
Cause tonight's the night the world begins again
I need someplace simple where we could live
And something only you can give
And thats faith and trust and peace while we're alive
And the one poor child who saved this world And there's 10 million more who probably could If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them)

It made me think about the power of prayer and how much it can change so much, that there will be better days. I think often times we get caught up in life and daily things and forget about the simple things in life. And that a simple prayer can make all the difference in someone's life in our own lives. I'm grateful for all of the prayers said in our behalf and to be able to have that peace of mind that there will better days. We just have to make it past the hard days first.

Improving

I just spoke with the doctor and my white blood counts are improving and hopefully I should be out of here within the next 2 days! The doc also said that the time table will stay the same so my 2nd round should start on Sept. 15th. So hopefully I will be out of here quickly to enjoy some time with my family before it starts again. Thanks for all the support for me and my family!!!!

Enduring Till the End

As I was getting the kids ready for bed Sunday night I just kept thinking to myself that I didn't want to keep playing this role of single mom, I didn't want to continue on facing this trial. I was ready to just say I quit, throw in the towel. I just didn't see how I could be everything and more everyone needed me to be for the next few months. Things were really weighing down on me that whole day... as I put C to bed I turned on his cd player. He listens to primary music every night as he goes to sleep. The first song on the cd is I'm A Child of God. C started belting out the words to the song and I sat there not really listening to him but as I walked down the hall to put K to bed I all of a sudden heard the words... "celestial glory will be mine if I but endure". I thought to myself, this is what it is all about this trial, life, things that happen that we can't control... I just need to endure this to the end because at the end of all this at the end of my life if I've endured then celestial glory will be mine and that's the best reward I can get. Even though life is tough and hardships and trials come I just need to remember that simple phrase from such a simple song and I 'll know that things will be ok...and if I forget that then I'll just let the innocence of a child belt that song out and snap me out of that slump. So I'm gonna try my hardest and endure this all to the end...no matter how hard it is.

Hello From the Hospital...Again!

So here I sit in the hospital, trying to keep my spirits up. I did get a bit off "off the record" news from one of the nurses here. The CT they did this morning to examine my abdomen shows a decrease in some of the lymph nodes! So that's good to hear! I have a bit of neuropathy in my fingers and its makes it hard to type, I will try to update more later.

So Far...

The Dr. seems optimistic that we were able to catch anything before it happened. Meaning it looks like I ;) got him to the ER before he actually caught anything that could cause an infection. We are still awaiting results of the cultures and that could take anywhere from 24 -48 hours. He still will be in the hospital for a few days until they can get his white blood count up. He is allowed out of the room and has to wear a mask. Anyone can visit if they are 12 and older. If you think you are sick or are coming down with something you must wear a mask while in the room with him. They have to keep his room door closed to protect him since he is a neutripinc patient and there are to be NO Live flowers, plants, fresh fruits or vegetables allowed in the room with him due to bacteria. We all wish he was home and the kids haven't asked about him. I don't know if it is because they just assume that he was at work since we left last night when they were sound asleep. The dr. probably won't post pone his second round which means he'll only have a few days home before he is hospitalized once again. Please continue your prayers and pray that his white blood count will go up quickly so he can come back home and be with us.

101.7°

Well we are back at the hospital. J is lying in a bed in the ER waiting for his blood to be drawn. He spiked a fever at 101.7° and we called the on call dr. He was able to look up J's hospital records and saw how extremely low his white blood count is and said because it is so low we needed to take him to the ER and have him admitted for antibiotics. We are awaiting having his blood work done up and then they will work with the on-call oncologist and most likely admit him and send him back up to where he was just a few days ago... well it's 1:58am and the dr. came in and said they are starting him on antibiotics. Really strong ones to fight off the infection (they don't know what size it is until they get the cultures back). He has what the dr. called neutripina this is what the dr. called it (not sure of the spelling) he has 0.4 white blood count which basically means he is at a 40 when the average person should have 5.0 which is like 500. He is currently quarantined until they have a bed upstairs for him. No live plants or fresh fruits are allowed near him. His regular dr. will come see him in the morning. We aren't sure yet but he may have to stay awhile until his white blood count gets up. Its 3:30am and I'm finally home... the nurse said he could be in the hospital up to a week. At least until they can get his count up and his fevers under control. They had taken his temp in the ER just before they took him upstairs and it was at 98.7 but by the time he got up there and they took his temp again his fever had spiked to 101.5. He also has lost an additional 4 pounds since he left the hospital Thursday. I'm gonna try and get some sleep and I'll update when I know more. Dr. will see him in the morning.

Back in the Hospital

J hasn't been able to keep food or fluids down since he was discharged Thursday afternoon. He talked to the on call Dr. and he told him to see if he could keep Gatorade down but still wasn't able to keep that down. We left our house at 11pm and now we sit here waiting on an x-ray of his PICC line so they can give him fluids and naseau meds. The nurse just walked in and they grabbed him as he was walking back from the restroom and he is being taken to x-ray. I'll update more later. They just took blood, gave meds and he has now started his IV at 12:56 am. The nurse said it wouldn't take long but who knows what that means. Well we are just now leaving the hospital at 4:30am. Time to go home get J something to eat, hopefully he will keep it down and we will all get some sleep. I should hopefully get at least 2 hrs. before K wakes.

He's Home!

J is finally home. I was able to pick him up around noon after having to leave and come back for him since I had to run C to school. He came home and commented that he felt better already just from leaving the hospital. He was able to take a shower and has been sleeping most of the time since then. He still doesn't feel great and that probably will continue for a few days until his body has completely flushed the chemo out. Until then he is constantly on nausea meds. He has lost 10 pounds since going into the hospital 9 days ago. He just hasn't had an appetite. K was so excited to see him and has stopped what she was doing just to go and snuggle with him. Her daddy is home and she couldn't be anymore happy. We are so glad to have him home and know he's glad to be home even if he still doesn't feel well.

J vs. Cancer

Round 1

J: 1
Cancer: 0

He is done! First round is finished; the nurse just unhooked his chemo and is changing his dressing on his PICC line. He will be on fluids the rest of the night to finish flushing his system of the chemo. J will be coming home sometime tomorrow morning and we can't wait. We are so excited to be done with round one.

The Battle's Only Just Begun...

Our battle against all this has only just begun. Even though J has one round under his belt we still have a battle ahead of us. Lots of work ahead. Time to have 2 weeks to recoup and start over again. This 8 day/9 night battle has been hard. But thanks to all those that have helped us out, babysat, brought food and gifts, visited J, said countless prayers in our behalf and left words of encouragement the battle has been a little easier to bear. Thanks to the people in my ward who gave of their time so I could spend one on one time with J. I think one of the hard parts of this battle is admitting and asking for help. I try to do everything myself, I try to be wife, mother and everything else these kids and J need me to be but the truth is... with out outside help, I don't know that we'd have survived this first part of the battle. So to those of you, I'm am forever grateful for. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Love,

J, E, C & K

The Wristbands Are Here...

If you'd like a wristband still they are here. Just let me or J's mom know how many you'd like and if you'd like an adult or youth. Thanks so much for the love and support. K has even been sporting 2 of them today. She was more than thrilled to get one of her own and C thinks they are pretty cool even if he doesn't understand what they mean.

He's Had Better Days

I'm sitting here next to J as he sleeps and I type this up on my phone. Tonight has been a different kind of visit. I walked in to find him looking like he'd been hit by a truck and from the sounds of it he feels that way too. They gave him more meds for the nausea and the size 8 headache he has and he's drifted off to sleep. He gets his last dose of 24 hr. chemo tonight. He just keeps saying one more night over and over again. He's ready to come home and we are ready to have him home even if it means he lies on the couch most of the time. The kids have been able to see him and should be able to continue to see him as long as his white blood cell count stays up. C seems to be pretending that things are normal and doesn't want to talk to or visit J. I'm sure its just his way of coping with things. At times he becomes emotional over the littlest things which makes life a challenge but we get through it. K is always wanting to go see her daddy and eagerly awaits him to walk through the double doors but is soon scared off by the machine and IV's that J is constantly attached to. I think she thinks that he won't be hooked up each time she sees him. She took one look at him today and whimpered. When J tried to put his arm around her she pulled it off and pushed him away. I could tell that hurt J. It broke my heart to see the Daddy's girl scared to be near cause of all the tubes. I know things will be better once he is home and life will seem normal to the kids with dad home. Even if it is for a short while.

Tuesday Update

It's Tuesday and I'm doing alright. The last few days were a bit hard, being tired and a little sick. Today is better, partly due to some pain pills (my body is sore from the bed), my appetite is better today. They started giving me small insulin shots to offset the extra sugar from a steroid that they have me on. They are also going to give me a shot to prevent blood clots due to the stay here. My doc came to see me and was very pleased with the reduction in the Lymph Node on my neck. So just one more full day then I can get out of here!

On a side note I would like to thank Kristen & Freeman for the DVD they gave me and the food. I would also like to thank Kent for the magazines. I also need to thank the Roberts for the goodies and magazine they brought as well. Thanks for all the support from everyone!

He's Ready to Get Out Of There

I got back from seeing J a couple of hours ago. He says he feels so Blah, mainly. He's getting tired from the chemo and now because of the steroids he had to have an insulin shot while I was there due to his blood sugar being high. He is so ready to be done and over this. He's tired of lying in a hospital bed and frankly I don't blame him. I want him to be home too. He should finish up his chemo sometime Wednesday night but they won't release him till Thursday. Only 3 more nights and 2 days. It seems like a lifetime but we will get through it. It'll make the next round seem so short compared to his 8 day and 9 night stint there. His pulmonary (lung) doctor came in and saw him today and said that he wanted to follow up with him in 6 weeks. J is ready to beat this cancer once and for all. Thanks to my sister who brought a fun goody basket and words of encouragement he now sports one of those roadside cones on his IV cart that says "Keep Going". That's what he needs to hear for the next couple of days just to keep going and that the end of this round is in sight. Thanks Amy for the fun stuff you gave him. I read him all the jokes and got a little laugh out of him. Thank you to all of those you fasted for him or just thought of him or said a little prayer for him. Say a little prayer for him that these next few days will fly by.

Saturday Update

Well, another day in the books. Doing well, all the visitors helped, thanks!!!

The doctor came in and gave us the official results that it is the same cancer I fought last time. He also said that I am category 3a which means that the cancer has not reached any vital organs! So things are looking good and we will get this beat!

I appreciate all the comments on the blog. Well... that's all I can think of for now. Good night and I will update tomorrow.

One Day Down Four to Go

J's chemo started around 8pm last night and so far he is doing great. His spirit seems to stay strong and I can tell he appreciates all the visitors. It really helps him to pass the time. We love reading all the comments and support that everyone has shown us. That has really helped us get through all of this. He has such a good attitude about it all that people comment how upbeat his despite his current situation. He wouldn't be doing good if he didn't keep up his spirit and everyone has helped with that so much. The kids are doing good. K seems to be affected the most by all of this just because of J being gone and then me leaving her from time to time. We have a lot of little prayers with her which seems to help her be strong. Its hard for a toddler to understand what is going on and not feel like everyone she knows is leaving her. C seems to understand that J has to be gone so that his back will get better and seems to be coping with that fairly well. Anyone who would like to join in on the fast is more than welcome to. We appreciate every prayer and good thought. The more positive energy out there the better so thank you.

Friday Update

Well the order for the chemo to start has come. This means that the biopsy showed that the cancer is the same testicular cancer as before. If it had been anything else the Doc would have called me. This is good as we know testicular is the easiest to beat. I got the PICC line (a semi-permanent line to a major artery) put in so no more poking! They will start hydration at 4 and then the chemo drugs at 8. I can have visitors at any time.

I would like to thank DTR and SOCO for the nice flower arrangements they sent! I would also like to thank those who are doing the special fast for me. I love and appreciate you all.

Fasting

For anyone interested there is a fast for J scheduled for starting at 4pm Saturday 8/16 and ending Sunday 8/17 at 4pm.

Thursday Night Update

Well, its Thursday night and the tests are all done. I've done a Pet/CT Scan, X-Rays, Biopsy, MRI, Blood work and Pulmonary tests. The Pet scan showed what the doc already figured. The Cancer is back and in my Lymph nodes. Now we wait for the biopsy report to confirm that it is the testicular cancer and not some other type. I will post when I know.

I have been moved to a private room and can receive visitors older than 12 and in good health until 8 P.M. If you are sick or think you might be you cannot come into the Oncology ward. Contact me, E or my parents for room number and directions.

Thanks,
J

Saying Goodbye

J's doctor told him that once he starts the chemo that he will probably be restricting the kids from visiting him and that he should probably see them today. K got a special treat and got to see J while C was at school. She got so excited and I haven't seen her smile that big and be so happy since he left for the hospital. She really does miss her daddy and knows something is up.

After I picked C up at school we headed back to the hospital and picked up a cookie and some Propel for a snack and headed up to meet J. C told him that the "doctor said" J couldn't drink any soda because it wouldn't make his back all better and that he needed to drink special water and whatever else he wanted but not soda. J told C about his surgery on his neck and told him that he'd have a scar there just like C's arm surgery and C's reply was "Oh, Cool!"

The kids were able to spend about an hour with him and say their goodbye's. It makes me sad that they can't see him but it is for the best.

Reality Stinks

I don't know where to begin... I feel exhausted. I'm just trying to keep the kids lives as normal as possible. I think it helps to take and pick C up from school just so he knows that I'm there for him and that life is trying to stay as normal as possible. I'm just trying to keep life upbeat as best as I can, going to the gym every morning and coming home and keeping routine is all I can do right now without totally feeling like my world is crashing down all around me. J's doctor said today was the day the kids needed to see their dad because after chemo starts they may be restricted from seeing him because of the drugs. C seems to be doing ok with the fact that his dad is gone. He does ask if his back is better but seems to be hanging in there. K however, has problems at night sleeping. She cries whenever I walk towards the crib and after a family prayer on the phone she (which she asked for) she seemed to be ok with the fact that daddy wasn't home and went to sleep and slept all night. C has wanted to sleep with me and that's ok given the circumstances. I guess its his way of knowing that I'm ok at night and doesn't have to wake up and feel scared. Although it is only day 3 it seems as though its been 20. I'm not even really sure what day it is anymore. I'm sure J feels the same way after all the poking and prodding they did to him yesterday. They just took him back for his MRI to see what is causing his sciatica pain. I think that is the worst part of it all. That constant pain for him and being given pain meds all the time for it keeps him out of it at times. He is really going to need visitors over the next couple of days just to help keep him from being bored out of his mind so please don't hesitate to contact us and see if he is up for a visitor. He'd love it. This all seems like a bad dream that I can't wake from. I woke up from a dream this morning where it seemed so real that we were all together as a family just doing everyday stuff that we all seem to take for granted until that's taken away in a matter of minuets. Nothing every prepares you for this. There isn't a guide book on what to expect or what is going to all happen because every case is different. I'm just going to keep taking it one day at a time and I know things will get better. The doctor came in and spoke to J and told him that he wasn't starting chemo until the pathologist has looked at the lymph node they took out yesterday which could take anywhere from 2 -4 days. I'm really hoping that they can start tomorrow just so J can come home and be home for C's b-day next week. We will see. Thank you for all your prayers and good thoughts.

On His Way to Recovery

J's surgeon just came and talked to J's mom and I. The surgery went well and he is now in recovery. We are waiting to see him in his room in about 15- 30 min. The surgeon removed half of the lymph node which was the size of a golf ball and he said he could tell that it was malignant. He said he has removed enough of them to know that it was cancer and that he couldn't remove more than that with out extensive surgery and removing neck muscle and tissue. Also knowing that the cancer was in other areas like the lungs he saw no good reason to remove the whole lymph node. The results will be back in 4 days but we are pretty sure the doctor will start chemo right away knowing the cancer is there. They should have the results of the PET scan by tomorrow if not sooner and we will know exactly where the cancer is. I will update more as info comes about.

Surgery & Testing

I just got off the phone with J. He just told me that they will NOT be doing a local anesthesia and biopsying the lymph node that is a golf ball sized. Because of where it is they have to do surgery and put him under and take a chunk out to biopsy it. The surgeon however said that nothing else makes these lymph nodes that size other than cancer so that 5% chance that it wasn't the cancer is pretty much confirmed. The surgery will be between 4:30 and 5pm this evening. He doesn't know how long the surgery will be and he will have a 2 inch scar where they cut it out. He also has his PET scan today at 1:30pm and will NOT be allowed around little children for 6 hours afterward so the kids probably will not be able to see him today. He wanted me to update you all because he is on pain killers because of his sciatic nerve that has been hurting him these last couple of days. He will try and update after his surgery. We are hoping to get the results of his tests by Thursday which means he would start the chemo on Thursday but most likely for sure on Friday. I'm not sure but I think the lung specialist will also be into see him today to check out his lungs and see if it is the cancer on his lungs. The PET scan will also confirm if it is cancer on his lungs. Please keep him in your prayers as he under goes the surgery and tests today.

I'm Here...

Well, here I am! Only blood work tonight. Tomorrow brings a PET scan, lung exams, surgery consult for the biopsy of the lymph node that's swelled on my neck. I'll post updates as I can. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes!!!!

Bed for One Please...

J has finally gotten a bed. They called us at 6:20pm and said he needed to be there within 2 hours. We finished up dinner and got the kids ready for bed, played games and had a family prayer before heading to the hospital to get him admitted. My mom was able to stay with the kids so that I could go with him and get him settled in. He is in a semi private room right now with no roommate and they said they'd try and keep it that way tonight until they can get him his private room some time tomorrow hopefully. They took all his vitals and when I left they were getting his blood work done. Tomorrow they will hopefully be able to get his PET scan done and some of the other orders. We aren't sure when the PET scan will be done because he has to be put on the hospital list. Anyone is welcome to visit him. Children ARE NOT allowed to visit inside the Oncology ward but he can come outside into the lobby which is good because C is looking forward to being able to at least see his dad at the hospital and know that he is ok. I was a little heartbroken when I heard that just because we had heard that kids could come inside. But as long as they will be able to see him in the lobby it will be alright. That is the update for tonight. J is going to try and post more updates when he can from the hospital. Thanks again for all the love and support and your prayers. We love you all.

Still Waiting......

J here, just heard from my Doc's office that the hospital is short staffed and thus its taken a while to get me a bed. They say it should be within the next hour. The hard part is by the time I get in it will probably be too late for tests, but I can't risk loosing the bed so I have to go.

Life Altering

We saw the doctor yesterday afternoon. The news is that the cancer is back. He is 95% certain that it is. This is called recurrence testicular cancer. He is being admitted to the hospital when they call us today that they have a bed for him to start the tests. He will have a surgeon to biopsy the lump, a lung specialist to look at his lungs because he has spots on his lungs and they aren't sure if it is the cancer again or the result of a drug called bleomioson(not sure of the spelling) from his last treatments. They will also run a pet scan in which they inject radioactive sugars into his body and the cancer cells eat up the sugar and glow allowing them to see where the cancer is and allowing them to stage his cancer and course a plan of action. The reason the doctor is admitting him right away is because his blood markers are showing up normal and that is puzzling the doctor and so if he admits him to the hospital they will get the tests done sooner and get him started on what is called salvage chemotherapy. This is a constant drip of chemo for 24 hours straight 5 days on and 2-3 weeks off. This is a more aggressive chemo and this is why he has to be hospitalized for it. The doctor seems to feel that since he responded so well the first time that he'll have a good response to this too. There is a 70% chance that it will work and that is more than any other cancer out there so that is a good thing. We were thinking we'd have a week to get everything in order and now we have less than 24 hours to get our lives together and to be able to run with out him. The hardest part is seeing C so sad. He was sad as he went to bed last night and just wants J's back to feel better. We told him last night that J had to go to the hospital so that the doctor could give him special medicine to feel better. He then wanted me to say a special prayer for J and C climbed up on his lap and placed his hands on his head. Kids certainly learn by example. J was able to get a special blessing from his dad with help from his cousin, bro in law and uncle last night. We were able to have that peace of mind that everything will be ok. That his body will be able to rid itself of the cancer and that he would be around to help raise our family. That in itself is a blessing. We are so grateful for every one's support and love and appreciate all the thoughts and prayers. I'm still trying to get my head around all of this and trying to figure out who I need to talk to and what needs to be done. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. I will keep this updated on his progress and if anyone is interested in seeing pictures of the process as we go along I will be posting these on my private blog. Because we wish to keep some stuff like pictures of the kids and J private. If you don't have access to it and wish to be able to see that please leave a separate comment with your email. These comments are moderated and will not be published with public info.

Nervousness

I can't help but have that nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach today. I don't know if it is a combo of things seeing as C starts school today and as soon as that is over we find out the truth. What's gonna be happening in the next several months. How our lives are gonna change again. I know we've been down this path before but this time is a little different. There are 2 kids involved; they are older, more to deal with. I'm nervous if I can handle all of this. Am I strong enough for all of us? Can I be the mom and wife that I need to be and handle the added responsibilities? J seems to have total faith in me. I know he's scared, nervous, not wanting to do this again. I don't blame him. I know he's trying to be strong right now so the kids don't see it. We are playing a game of pretend. Trying to keep the kids happy and not letting on that their world as they know it will change to some sort of degree. I'll try my best to keep things on schedule and as normal as possible. C is just more receptive to people; how they feel and making sure that they are ok. I know with J's attitude of lets just do this and get it over with we will be ok. That we will make it. It still makes me nervous just because we don't know all the facts yet. I'm just gonna try and keep myself busy try and keep my mind off of all of this. One of my fears is just bursting into tears in the middle of a public place and having people stare at me. I don't want people to feel sorry for us. Things are gonna be ok. He beat it once and he can do it again.

Kids Are Very Perceptive

J said that C seemed a little sad last night as they said prayers together and he had him bless everyone. The first time everything happened C was 3 years old and knew something was up but we never sat down and talked to him about it. C will be 5 in a matter of weeks and I know we will have to talk to him about it all. It just makes me sad to see him sad. K also seemed to know what was going on. She woke up around 1:30am and wouldn't go back to sleep. When I asked her if she wanted to go see Daddy she shook her head yes with her sad little lip pouting and I took her into the bed to see him. She lay on his chest for a moment and when he asked if she was ready to go back to her crib she slid off and snuggled next to him. Almost as though she didn't want to leave him. I think she senses something is wrong too.

Today is Supposed to Be Lucky...

So many people say that today is a lucky day. That 8-8-08 is the luckiest day and won't happen again for another 100 years. I don't know if I believe in luck anymore. At least not after this morning. J went in for his regular doctor appointment and they had the results of his CT that he took on Monday 8/4. They results should preliminary findings that the lump on his neck is a lymphatic tumor. Which more than likely means that the cancer is back. J came home and having left hoping that maybe it was just his thyroid came home disheartened and wasn't sure if he wanted to tell me. Once he told me I just couldn't believe it... this wasn't supposed to happen again. This wasn't supposed to come back. The pumped him with so much chemo so fast and hard that it was supposed to get rid of it all. My world was crashing down and I had to hurry and finish getting ready for J's cousin's wedding. I had to put on my happy face and pretend that I hadn't heard bad news. I think it is harder for someone to tell you that they have cancer or that the cancer is back than having to hear those words. I don't know how to explain to a 5 year old that his daddy has cancer again or how to make a 17 month old understand that daddy is sick and doesn't feel well. I'm sure the kids sense that something is wrong. I just don't want to say too much until we know everything. We will find out what is the next step on Monday. Until then we are just trying to act like everything is normal that our world is stable and not falling apart. At least we have each other. I guess that does make today a little lucky...

A Lump on the Neck

J found a lump on his neck this morning. He was able to get into the doctor and they gave him some strong antibiotics and changed his CT to include his neck which he will have on Monday. We should know the results of that when he goes to see the Oncologist on Monday the 11th.