Whew

While Paul was at the doctors office on Monday, he shared some information with the doctor about some recent headaches he has been having. Well, to make a long story short we hit the local hospital on Monday evening for an MRI of the Paul's brain. Yesterday we got the news that it is NORMAL. (Now I know many of you are thinking of many comments that go here, but I am refraining!) So he is taking some cold and sinus medication and I believe it is helping (he isn't complaining, so I guess it is helping!?)

I guess it is common when you have or have had a disease such as cancer, you tend to worry about every little ache or pain. But this doesn't have to be a worry anymore...Praise God!

I still haven't uploaded the pictures from vacation to my computer, so sorry you will have to continue to wait for those...talk to you again soon.

Chemo #10 Complete....finally!

Well we got in from the mountains late last night and this morning Paul went in for chemo #10. The platelet count was up, so everything proceeded as planned. Don't know if the platelets will go "below the line" again, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. I don't know if you know much about platelets, so I wanted to share some platelet information with you.

Platelets, also called thrombocytes (THROM-boh-sites), are fragments of bone marrow cells that are found in the circulating blood and are critical in stopping bleeding. Platelets, along with other blood components, rush to the site of an injury and work to form a blood clot, which is necessary to stop the bleeding. A low platelet count is referred to as thrombocytopenia.

Thrombocytopenia is a common side effect of chemotherapy. Chemo works by destroying cells that grow rapidly, such as cells in the bone marrow that generate platelets. Other rapidly growing healthy cells are also affected, the most commonly known are the hair follicles which cause hair loss. Another is the GI tract including the mouth, therefore chemotherapy patients may experience mouth sores.

The body is such an intricate piece of work. It is overwhelming to me when I think about how it all works. I leave that to those who have spent many years studying and practicing the medical field.

I am happy that Paul has completed #10 and also excited we were able to spend some time away from home. I plan to tell you more about our trip in the next few days.

Enjoying the mountains

We are enjoying ourselves in God's beautiful mountains. I will post more about our experience when we get home.

I wanted to share a verse one of my friends sent me via text..

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

Ps 57:1

Gotta Go!

Okay, I haven't posted in a couple of days. Here is why...Monday after Paul found out he wasn't able to have chemo, he began to get the itch to leave town. I know it sounds crazy, but even though the platelets are low, he feels great. So he began working on a plan...now it is Thursday and we are enjoying the great mountain air of New Mexico. Nothing better than taking in the great outdoors, the sound of the creek nearby is so relaxing. We may even make it up the 4 wheel drive road to Cabresto Lake, (you may remember me telling you it was one of Paul's favorite places).

So if I don't post again until late Sunday...don't get worried. We are enjoying Paul's break from chemo with a little vacation and it isn't the easiest thing to get cell phone and wireless access here so posting time is limited. Can't wait to tell you all about it!

A note to be found.

I was cleaning Peyton’s room last night and she has a little notepad where she writes some of her favorite verses as she comes across them. The notepad was open to this verse, which she had made note of:

The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:9-10 (ESV)

I’m not sure why she wrote this one down, maybe so I would read it and post it :). This is what I think this verse tells us:
• look for the LORD: if we do this, the LORD will find us!
• trust in the LORD: if we do this the LORD will give us help
• hide in the LORD: if we do this, the LORD will make us safe

Thank you Peyton for writing this down so I could find it, you are such a joy in our lives. We love you!

Chemo #10 Postponed!

Today Paul went to the doctor and had his blood work done. His platelets were too low to do chemo today, so it is postponed until next Monday. I'll admit, it was a shock to us, we hadn't kept up with the blood work so we were unprepared for that news. So he will hold off until next Monday.

So what to do now? What will we do this week? That I don't know, nor do I know about any other week, but hopefully we can enjoy it.

It's Friday and I have been thinking!

It's Friday and Paul goes for chemo treatment #10 on Monday. I have been thinking a lot lately, where we have been in this journey. It was January when it all started, and we thought it was just a pesky kidney stone, never did we expect stage 4 colon cancer and the journey that we had ahead. I'll admit the first 2 months were extremely rough. We didn't know the real problem for a little over a month, and then the doctors had to make a plan. The next month was nearly as difficult as Paul started chemo and began dealing with side effects. The rest of the time hasn't been easy, but there was comfort in the plan and we were beginning to understand what to expect.

Now Paul has 3 treatments to go, we know that. But what then?...there begins the unknown. Will he be finished? Will there be a different chemo regimen? If so, will there be a break? Nobody can answer that. This is when we must trust in Him, which is often easier said than done. As we go into these last 3 treatments, I am believing in Him that this disease will not remain stable, but will continue to shrink.

I want you to continue to pray along with us in this journey. It is such a blessing to have you as our friend. So many things have changed in our lives, I now realize so many things that I took for granted. I treasure all of you, I value your friendship and your caring for me, Paul, and our family!

Back at it!

Well my couple of days off of work are over (bummer!) and the kids went to Dumas last night to spend the night with Paul's parents. Are you ready?...They slept until 10 am this morning. How come they never sleep that late at home??

Paul is doing well, as I mentioned before he gets exhausted due to the hear. The air conditioner at his work has been on the blink, so it has been tought for him to find a comfortable temperature. Other than that the side effects are the same as before.

Please keep praying, we want to cancer cells to continue dying through the final 3 chemo treatments!

You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the
peoples.

Psalm 77:14

A couple of days at home

I have taken off Monday and Tuesday this week to just spend some time with the kiddos. Nothing very exciting just a couple days at home (I know I can't hold a candle to the exciting days that their grandmas always have planned). Monday was "jammie day", yes you heard it right. The plan was to for the kids and I to stay in our jammies as long as we could! We had a great time just hanging out and doing different art projects.

Unfortunately Paul had to work and wasn't able to join in our day. He is feeling pretty well, just seems to take a beating from the heat. The rest of the week is supposed to be mid-nineties instead of the mid-one hundreds like last week. Both are hot and they seem to take a toll on his body. He has done really well this round, he was able to keep the nausea under much better control than last time. Seven days until chemo #10, hopefully he will feel well and can enjoy every one of them!

Change

Paul having chemo on Monday this week definitely changed things up a bit. Day 4, which had always fallen Saturday - is now on Thursday. So the extreme fatigue started then. But he is doing well and, as always, trying to fight his way through the fatigue. He often amazes me with his strength and how much he is able to do. Maybe the fatigue will be over soon, I hope so, I'm looking forward to a great weekend!!

Day 4 Chemo 9

Paul is doing well. Yesterday nausea hit, so after a discussion during pump disconnect there has been a little change in the medicines. Nothing new, just a little different combo of thos he already has. Whew! No new prescriptions!

We are in reocrd heat conditions here in Amarillo. I actually saw a weather advisory for heat; warning to be careful of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wow! Since Paul started chemo the cold made his hands hurt and the heat just exhausts him. I think it is difficult for him because he knows he can't do what he could before - chemo is such a tough thing on the body. If you know me, I try to tell him he is doing too much. I even tried to get his doctor on my side. But it didn't work...if he wants to do it and can do it, then he does! So that was a good lesson for me to STOP NAGGING. So Paul does what he can when he can!

Independence Day Recap

As Independence Day came and went, I think back on the many celebrations I have attended on this holiday in the past. Most include a cookout of hamburgers or hot dogs, homemade ice cream and watching a fireworks display. At some point as a child I even enjoyed my own fireworks display! (The only day of the year I was actually allowed to play with fire!)

Some cities have big elaborate displays, some even let the citizens of their community light fireworks in the residential section of town. All in celebration of our Independence. One thing I want to say is ... THANKS! Thanks to the thousands of men and women who have served and continue to serve our country. Thank you for our freedom and Independence. These men and women are owed great respect for serving this country. Nothing I can say would express how much I appreciate what they do for us.

The weekend was great for us. Paul got in a round of golf as well as a few great cookouts and a phenomenal fireworks display. It was a fabulous time!

Yesterday was chemo #9. This was fairly uneventful, because there wasn't a doctor visit preceding. Paul was able to get that out of the way last week. As for today...a few checks and then chemo. Since Paul has been a Wednesday chemo guy, he was able to see new faces in the chemo room (new patient faces that is!) Everything went well, and when it was over he didn't waste much time getting to work!

This treatment cycle we are trying to keep Paul from the nausea and vomiting. I hope a proactive approach will be the answer. One of the most difficult things about this journey is when I think I have everything figured out...it changes!

Keep Paul in your prayers, the next 7 days are rough and hopefully the new proactive approach will stop the nausea.

God Bless America!

I will post more later, but here are a few quotes I found!

"The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity...I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God." -- John Adams

"[The Bible] is the rock on which our Republic rests." -- Andrew Jackson

"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We've staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity...to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God. -- James Madison

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible." -- George Washington

"To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian." -- George Washington

Yankee Doodle

We have been enjoying the last couple of days without chemo. The kids have had a wonderful summer. Since it is summer we are a lot more relaxed with them. I have been letting them stay up and it's funny because they all want to sleep in the same room. For me, it has been a little weird going to bed when the kids haven't gone to sleep yet, but hey that is what summer is for right?

I have been thinking about this all week. Last Saturday when bringing the kids back from Oklahoma, Kesleigh kept singing Yankee Doodle. Trevor was asleep (he may have made it three minutes out of town!), Peyton was listening to music with her headphones on, and Kesleigh....singing Yankee Doodle Dandy. I don't even know the song, but she does. You would think that I could remember it after hearing it repeatedly for 2 1/2 hours. Seriously she sang it the entire way home! I loved it! I even tried to get it recorded on my phone, but she wasn't singing quite loud enough for my phone to pick it up.

It is a festive song with the 4th of July coming up. If you want to sing it and don't remember the lyrics...call Kesleigh, she does!