The Important stuff...

As Christmas quickly approaches and the end of another year draws near I can't help but have a deep sense of appreciation.  So many things to be grateful for.  One being that we will spend another Christmas together with family.  

 

Dad has been doing great.  His doctors are happy with his progress and although they still detect cancer cells they are very positive about where he is at.  They are talking about giving him another “boost” of his donor’s cells and have started weaning him off of the anti rejection medication.  They want those good cells to work a little harder.

 

He has been coming into the store and has been helping me out in the afternoons by picking Kwade up from school.  Something time wouldn't have permitted him to do before he was diagnosed.  We have all learned a little about time and the importance of it.  I don’t know who looks forward more to their afternoon drives, Dad or Kwade.  Dad has even talked about having his hearing checked because, “sometimes Kwade is hard to hear.”  I am sure he gets an ear full of the days adventures from an imaginative seven year old's perspective.  These are priceless moments.

You hear people talk about a person’s legacy or how to create their own.  I've always associated the term legacy with a persons passing.  I have come to understand that legacy isn't about death and dying.  It's about life and living. It's about making connections and sharing precious moments with the special people in your life.  Thank you, stupid cancer, for the life lessons.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and an amazing 2013! 

Pressing onward...

Hello! Is anyone out there? Yep, it’s me the slacker, a.k.a the Jack of all trades, the master of none. Yep, I’ve been neglectful of this little blog and I apologize. It’s not that I don’t care, I just run out of time. And, quite honestly, not much changes from day to day.

So here is the short of it. Dad is doing well. At a 100 days post transplant he received more tests, scans, biopsies, blood draws etc. etc. They are still detecting the “abnormal cells” that were present prior to the transplant but feel confident that he has fully engrafted. That is good. Hopefully those healthy donor cells will engage a little warfare on the bad cells.

His counts have been good and his immunity has stayed up. All steps in the right direction. He still needs to avoid large crowds, the sun, dust etc.….basically, he needs to stay in his little bubble. He has a hard time with that. 

Cancer is no party…but being a fighter and surviving is something to celebrate!

Blessings...

Dad is home. He made his great escape on Father's Day weekend. A very nice surprise for all of us. The Doctor’s orders are that he stays in an apartment close to the hospital. So much for Dr.’s orders. He finds comfort in being at home and Mom keeps vigilant watch over him.

His counts continue to grow and build. Things look good. He doesn't feel 100% and still tires easily. Other than being a little thin he looks great and the color returned to his cheeks much faster this time around. 

Life is good, we are blessed. 

Bratwurst anyone?

It will be two weeks tomorrow that Dad received his infusion. He is doing as good as can be expected. He is unable to keep much of anything on his stomach; his head feels like someone is trying to drill a steel rod through it and the hospital walls seem to be closing in on him. Yep, as good as can be expected.  

The great news is that today’s blood tests revealed that engraftment has begun.

Long story short…it’s working. Short story long…the donor stem cells have traveled to the bone marrow and have begun to produce new blood cells.  New healthy, cancer free, blood cells.

We won’t be told the identity of Dad’s donor until a year after the transplant. However, they did tell Dad that the t-cells came from Germany. If he starts to develop a strong desire for Bratwurst I will happily oblige him with a full plate.

A letter of thanks...

As I head into this next transplant I wanted to take a moment to say thank you.  Thank you for all the support, cards, prayers and well wishes.  I am very blessed to have the support that I do and know that I couldn’t have made it through all this without you.

It was great to see my Worldwide Distributors family at the last show.  Gus and Mark help keep me up to date with news from the board and keep me going with encouraging phone calls.  Deb and Mark were a tremendous help supporting me in my trip to the Drs. in Washington.  Nancy Barta is a dear angel with weekly cards of encouragement.  Jon, Steve, Sue, Donna, Kathy and Karen it was great to see you along with all the member stores.  All the “good to see you”, pats on the back and supportive hugs meant the world to me.  I count myself lucky to have you all in my life. 

Thank you; (please excuse my “chemo brain” for any I forget)

Steve H., Harvey and all in my Wednesday night group.

Larry C. and Jerry M. for the e-mails, letters, offers to help and words of encouragement. 

Wynn for the weekly check ups.

My church family and wonderful neighbors.

My Smith and Edwards family for all that you have done to keep the store going.  You have made me proud.

My siblings Sherma, Ruthann and Steve for all your support and willingness to be tested for stem cell donation.  Your unselfish support is appreciated. 

Aunt Georgia and Dave for the laughs, cartoons and family updates.  Your humor and support always seems to come at just the right moment.

To Misti and Kyle for all the time she puts into updating the blog when she doesn’t even have time for herself and for Kwade, Kolt and Kwincee.

Craig and Mikka for putting in extra hours at the store and for my beautiful Ari.

Dustin and Julee for managing the ranch and for Brock, Trey and Tate.

And, last but not least, thank you to Paula who keeps everything and everyone going.  She has worn her car and herself out taking me back and forth to appointments.  She is my greatest blessing.

You are all greatly loved.

Sincerely, Jim


My thoughts and prayers are with my friends Wayne and Wynn who are dealing with their own medical issues. We will get through this.

Round 2...

A donor has been found, contacted and is scheduled to donate.  Dad will start his second t-cell replacement therapy this Thursday, May 10^th.  The stem cell infusion will begin the following Thursday…day 0 once again. 

Dad and mom have spent the better part of the last couple weeks hanging out at The Huntsman while Dad was, once again, put through a barrage of tests. They received some great news at his last appointment with his Oncologist.

PET scan was clear.  It appears that the “hot spots” that were present at the last scan were no longer visible.  The back poke indicated that cancer was still present but was beginning to have the appearance of Leukemia.  I am not sure what this means but do know that the Drs. said that this does happen and they are very confident that the planned therapy is the next step that needs to be taken.

Dad is doing great.  He has all his beautiful black hair back and seems to be feeling pretty good.  Because he has already been through this once before he knows what to expect and knows that it is going to be a rough few months, to say the least.  He also knows that after this treatment he will be cancer free.

As he prepares to start this next chapter please don’t let your praying knees get lazy.  He needs you more than ever.  And, while you are at say an extra prayer of thanks and blessings to the amazing donor that is going to be responsible for saving Dads life.  I can’t begin to express in words what this incredible person means to us.  There are angels among us.  

And we wait...

Whoever said patience is a virtue wasn’t a cancer patient.  There have been many times throughout this whole ordeal that our patience has been tested.  Once again we wait.

I have hesitated to post until we had more answers, but the answers seem to be a bit elusive right now and I know Papa’s Army is wondering how he is doing.  Dad has not started the t-cell replacement therapy as originally planned.  He is waiting for a donor to be scheduled.  I guess getting everything lined up takes a little time.  Nobody appreciates time more than a cancer patient.

Dad will see his Oncologist tomorrow so we hope to have more answers.  Until then, we will try our best to be...well, patient.  

Warriors = Angels

Sorry, I've been away. All is well.

Dad is doing great. He and mom traveled up to Washington and discussed Dad’s case with one of the remarkable Doctors there. Dad really liked the Doctor and was impressed with the care that they would offer. But, after a long deliberation he has decided to receive the second stem cell transplant in Salt Lake City at The Huntsman.

The treatment at either hospital would essentially be the same. Both Doctors have been great to provide him with information and have agreed to stay in touch with one another to insure he is receiving the best care possible.

His support system is here. We would do whatever we could to help Dad wherever he decided to go. But, I think more than anything, Mom needs us around. Nothing like having grandkids around to remind you how much you are loved and needed.

They have started with the barrage of tests to prepare Dad for the transplant. Although his siblings were not a match…Dad jokes that he must be adopted…The Huntsman was able to find matching donors. They have begun preparation for the transplant which should happen the first part of April.   

Through all of this my incredible Mom remains the foundation that keeps Dad steady. Cancer and it’s treatment thoroughly disturbs the balance of life. Its easy to get consumed with it. But, life must go on in order to remain sane. Often the caregivers of cancer patients are somewhat forgotten. They are the true warriors in this battle. My Mom is one of these. She is simply amazing and we are forever grateful for the example she is to all of us.

What a year...

It’s been a year. A year since we got the horrible news. The lump wasn’t “just a lump”.  It was cancer…a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Suddenly things weren't so simple and our lives changed. Its odd how one year can feel like a lifetime ago.  

Those first few months were the hardest. The not knowing and waiting was agonizing. The horrible (that’s putting it nicely) Oncologist in Ogden was nothing but a hindrance. But then there was renewed hope and the move to The Huntsman. Things started looking better. We all had a common goal…living.

   

Dad went back for his 100 day (post t-cell therapy) check-up few weeks ago. Initially the Drs. were happy with what they saw but as they looked a little closer they discovered some “abnormal” cells. His transplant Dr. was reluctant to call them cancer cells but they are something that he would like to keep his eye on.

They discussed a possible second transplant where his siblings, if they were a match, could be the donors. My Aunt’s and Uncle are amazing. They didn’t give it a second thought and was quick to respond and be tested. None were a match. Fortunately, The Huntsman has a registry and has found matches if needed.

So, we are back to waiting and seeing what lies ahead. Cancer has a way of throwing curve balls. No two cases are the same so you never know what road you will be headed down next. 

Dad has some wonderful friends in Washington that have connections with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. He has made arrangements for his case to be reviewed by their highly skilled team of Doctors. The Huntsman is a wonderful institution and he has full faith in his care. He felt like it would be helpful to get a second opinion. Dad's transplant Dr. at The Huntsman was supportive of this decision.

Dad has been doing great. He was a little down when he received the results from the tests. He was hoping for a little different outcome. His overall health has been good and his counts are building without aide. This has enabled him to be out in public more. He even traveled to some merchandise markets for the store. I think it was good for him to get out and see all his retail buddies.  

  

Now I think its time that he and Mom travel somewhere exotic and relax…easier said then done.  Is Washington considered exotic? ;-)