Restless natives...

Every Sunday my mom fixes dinner. There is always an open invitation for us to come. Growing up it was the same way. Even if everyone was going a hundred different directions we always had Sunday dinner. It seemed like we often ended up with a few extra “family” members at dinner. Good food, great times, and wonderful memories! I am thankful she continues this tradition.

Sunday Dad enjoyed dinner with the family (minus the Idaho bunch). The grand-kids are good medicine for Papa. Monday Dad started the week off with a trip to The Huntsman for more platelets. The home care nurse visits the house a few times a week and if his “counts” are low Dad, with his ever diligent chauffeur (aka Mom), head down to The Hospital. He had an appointment with Dr. Glen today and she was happy that his white blood counts were slightly higher than they had been…(insert smiley face)! But, his red blood counts were low…(insert frowny face). Rather than give him another blood transfusion they scheduled an appointment for Friday. They will take another look at his blood counts and go from there. If things continue to improve they will give him another dose of chemo next week. One day at a time on this long crazy road!

If there is any good out of this mess it is that Dad’s cancer diagnosis has opened my eyes to just how blessed my family is. Sometimes life catches you off guard but it seems like things always have a way of working out, even if it doesn’t seem right at the time. Nothing should be taken for granted. A co-worker said to me the other day, “Smith and Edwards isn’t Smith and Edwards without Jim here.” Dad is rarely away from the store. It’s just who he is. All his wonderful employees (aka extended family) are doing a great job keeping the ship afloat in his absence. But, one can't deny that there is an underlying feeling of melancholy at the store. He is missed. I will have to mention to Dad that the natives are getting restless and they can't wait for "The Captain's" restored health and return.  

Carpooling to chemo & moving up from here....

Dad and Brock had cancer treatment bonding today. For those of you who may not know, Brock is my older brother Dustin’s darling little boy who was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia almost three years ago. It was time for Brocks monthly visit to Primary Children’s and Dad needed to receive more platelets at The Huntsman. The hospitals are right next to each other so they loaded up and headed out this morning.

Dad went to his Dr.’s appointment yesterday. He was unable to receive chemo because his counts are still too low. They are increasing slowly but they need to be a little higher in order for him to receive the chemotherapy. Dr. Glen assured Dad and Mom that this is normal with his type of Lymphoma.  Dr. Glen would like for Dad to receive another dose of chemo within a 9 to 21 day range from his last dose so, he is still on track.

Mom said Dr. Glen is amazing! Everyone at The Huntsman seems to have the innate ability to be upbeat and positive. It is a very inspiring healing environment. Dad told Dr. Glen he needed to get some important work done before he started to feel too sick and her reply was, “This is as bad as you are going to feel. We are only going up from here. We will get you better”. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Glen but I have to say I think I love her!  

My Grandpa’s cousin Eileen was nice enough to share this poem. Her son is a Leukemia survivor. I like the message of the poem and thought you might enjoy it as well. Love to all!

"What cancer cannot do:

Cancer is so limited --

It cannot cripple love,

It cannot shatter hope,

It cannot corrode faith,

It cannot destroy peace,

It cannot kill friendship,

It cannot suppress memories,

It cannot silence courage,

It cannot invade the soul,

It cannot steal eternal life,

It cannot conquer the spirit."

          -Ann Landers

Spring has sprung...

What a beautiful spring day we are having in Utah.  Makes losing that hour from daylight savings a bit more bearable. Dad is doing great at home. He has felt reasonably good and is in great care with my mom by his side. The home care nurse, who my mom says is wonderful, comes in a few times a week and checks his blood levels. His levels were low Friday so he had to run down to Huntsman’s and receive another platelet transfusion. My mom said there were quite a few other patients in the room receiving either platelets or chemo. A group of nurses surrounded one of these patients and started singing a “congratulations this is your last treatment” song. We can’t wait for them to be singing that to Dad. I know we have only just begun but it’s nice to think of there being an end.

Dad has an appointment Tuesday to see his Dr. and receive his second dose of chemo. He has been lucky so far and hasn’t had many side effects. I hear it sometimes takes a few treatments for those to start appearing. 

A good friend of Dad’s had a poster made for friends and family to sign and express your well wishes. We have it available for anyone to sign at Smith and Edwards. If you would like to participate just ask the service center and they can direct you where it is.

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.  ~Anne Bradstreet

Headed home...

We have just returned from getting Dad safely back home. Yep, that’s right, he is home. They put in a picc line, gave him his first dose of chemo, overloaded him and mom with a barrage of info. and pills, and sent him on his way. He is doing great, ready to be home. 

Unfortunately, we ask that he have no visitors while he is receiving his treatments. Chemotherapy drugs work by killing the cancer cells, the downside is that they can also damage healthy white blood cells, which are normally the backbone of your immune system. His white blood cell count is already at a reduced level. His reduced immunity will make him very susceptible to infections. Nobody wants him to risk getting another infection.

He appreciates all the support he has received. He is blessed with wonderful family and friends. He feels obligated to answer every phone call and try to talk to everyone who is thoughtful enough to call. They anticipate that he will not feel his best during these chemotherapy treatments so he has asked me to let everyone know that he is going to be putting all his energy into fighting and recovery so he will not be answering his phone. He looks forward to when he is healthy and feeling better to let you know how much he appreciates your support. 

Faith is the Key to any Miracle...

What a difference a night can make. Dad had a restful night and got some much needed uninterrupted sleep. This morning he was off for the highly anticipated PET-CT scan. The result from the scan was pretty good news. They found a few “hot spots” where there may be some skeletal involvement but overall, they were optimistic with the outcome. It has not progressed as far as it could have but they are still considering it stage 4 Lymphoma. They are discussing starting treatments as early as tomorrow! We know he is up for a fight but at least he can begin that journey. He will beat this. 

He is up, off of IV’s, and in a chair in his room able to enjoy the beautiful day. The sun seems to be shining a little brighter today. If you happen to see me I may just give you a big fat hug.

Whew…that’s a load off all our shoulders. The waiting and not knowing has been difficult. Our prayers are being heard.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
         For His mercy endures forever.  Psalms 107:1

One step at a time...

Nothing new to report. Dad is feeling well and had a good day today. I know this is because of all of you who fasted and all of your prayers. Your love, concern, and prayers are keeping him strong. 

We still do not have the results of the biopsy. The Dr.’s at Huntsman are in possession of the test results but have requested an actual sample from the previous hospital so they can do their own testing. We are hoping this means good news. The PET-CT scan is scheduled for the morning. Blood counts remain low.

There are a lot of things I have learned in the short time we have been on this journey. Here are a few I would like to share;
Patience is a virtue (and, quite honestly we are getting a little tired of being this virtuous). We are surrounded by wonderful, caring family and friends and don’t know what we would do without all of you. I'm tired of talking about my Dad having cancer and would like to pretend life is “normal” again.  There are a lot of people who have been impacted by this awful disease and I wish they hadn’t. The Huntsman Cancer Institute has been a blessing to many families and I am thankful for their ongoing research so that one day there will be a cure. And, last but not least, Cancer is not funny, but laughter is pretty good medicine. So if you talk to Dad keep it light and share a laugh. Don’t dwell on the depressing negative side of all this. He will beat it!  

Blog smog...

This blog is no longer private so anyone who wishes to should be able to view it and leave a comment. Sorry, I am not a "blogger" so I am stumbling through this. :-) If you have any problems or you would like to send Dad your regards my e-mail is misti@smithandedwards.com

Hope

A wonderful message that I thought I would share.

 

Its a new day...

Happy to report Dad is doing well. The infection is clearing up. Blood counts are slowly moving up and temperature is back to normal range. He is in good hands. The staff is very helpful to him and the family. The nurses told him "you look too good to be here". He was assessed by the attending Dr. today. We will meet his primary attending Physician on Monday.

The entire staff has been very helpful in trying to keep us informed on what is going on. We are waiting for the previous hospital to send the bone marrow biopsy results before they can give us a more accurate diagnosis of what stage the Lymphoma is at. They are also planning a PET-CT scan which will also help with the diagnosis. He continues to get blood and platelet transfusions which will hopefully help to raise and sustain his counts. Can't wait to get past all of the unknowns and move forward.

Mom is doing well. She has always been Dads rock. I know he is in as good of place as we can get him right now. We will all sleep a little better tonight. It’s going to be a fight but we’ve proven that together  we, including all of you, can do this. Our little Brock is reaching the end of his three year battle and treatment for Leukemia. He is a strong little boy and is doing great. If he can do it, so can Papa!

Thank you for all the prayers, cards, e-mails, comments, and general support. I’ve always known my dad is amazing but, to see the impact he has made on others’ lives has been truly inspirational to me. If only we could all be as generous and kind hearted. 

On a side note, The Huntsman’s Institute is a beautiful hospital. When we got off the elevator to Dad's floor the first thing we saw was a beautiful Remington statue of John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. I believe that is a good sign this Cowboy is where he needs to be!

A fresh start...

He is at The Huntsman Institute!

We got him moved and settled and feel relieved. We left him in good hands and will be back in the A.M. to find out a treatment plan. 

One day at a time...

The family FINALLY got to meet with Dad’s Oncologist’s tonight. It seemed like we always missed him when he did his rounds so we scheduled a time to visit with him. If we were relying on him to rally the troops we were sadly mistaken. But, we are thankful for his knowledge and impressive schooling...(one thing my Dad has taught me is if you can't say anything nice...use sarcasm) :-).

All tests have been postponed. Dad’s temperature is subsiding but he is still fighting the infection. Nothing can be done until the infection is cleared. So, short term goals…get rid of the DANG infection & stay positive…precise, and hopefully highly effective.

Dad is a little on the fence about going to The Huntsman’s Cancer Institute but the family feels very strongly that he needs to be there. He needs to have faith in whoever is treating him so we need to help him feel comfortable with that decision. He is a numbers man so if any of you have any impressive stats on what an awesome hospital it is send them my way. LDS Hospital was also suggested.  We know there is a specialist in the type of Lymphoma Dad has at Huntsman’s. Kind of seems like a no brainer. The Mayo clinic would be the best case scenario, or a Hospital located in Seattle. But, his compromised immunity wouldn't permit that kind of travel right now.  

In times like these it is nice to be reminded how truly blessed we are to have the support system that we do. Your love, support, and many prayers are keeping us all going. We are forever grateful. 

Hurry up and wait...

Not a lot of concrete answers to report tonight but I am trying to stay true to my promise in keeping everyone up to date. Thanks for all the cards, well wishes, prayers, and comments. He read the comments tonight and appreciates everyone’s thoughtfulness and loves you all. 

Dad finally had the bone marrow biopsy this morning. From my limited understanding this test will reveal if it is affecting his bone marrow and will help to determine what stage the Lymphoma is at. Then they will be able to determine a course of action for his treatments.

His fever has gone down slightly so hopefully by tomorrow the fever and infection will be under control and he will be discharged and have the PET-CT scan done. Even more hopefully, by tomorrow, we will have him down to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. We have been working on getting him there and are hoping for a phone call letting us know they have a bed for him. With the help of Dads friends at the Primary Children’s Hospital this is looking more like a reality. His charitable work with the Hospital has allowed him the opportunity to meet and work with some really great people. Sharon Goodrich is one of these wonderful people. She made some phone calls and we were able to get Dad’s records looked at by one of the specialists. Hopefully we are headed in the right direction. What a blessing!

Everyone reading this blog is a blessing too! Through your love, support, and prayers we will keep Dad strong and he will win this battle. I do not doubt this for one minute! We are planning a fast this Sunday (3.6.11).

It feels like a turtles pace but at least we are moving in the right direction. 

The beginning...

Dad noticed a lump under his arm. Dr. suggested he have it removed. Biopsy came back...malignant. He was scheduled to have a back poke on Monday (2.28.11). Instead of the back poke they decided to admit him because he was running a fever. The area where the lymph node had been removed had become infected.

Found out today (3.1.11) he has a Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma called Angioimmunoblastic T-cell Lymohoma. We will not know the course of treatment until they do further testing. First they need the fever to subside.

He is in good spirits, keeping the nurses and us laughing...doesn't want anyone worrying about him, classic Dad. His immunity is compromised so it is best to keep the number of visitors to a minimum. Especially with all the sickness that is going around. 

If you would like to leave a comment I will make sure he gets them. Send me e-mails of family and friends who would like to view this blog and I will send them an invite.

I have set up this blog to try and help keep everyone informed. Don't expect Shakespeare, just facts written with a whole lot of love! <3