Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Too Cold for Me

I dont know where you are as you read this Blog but here in Utah it is way to cold for me. It has been getting as low as the single digits at night and I seem to freeze no matter what I do. maybe it is just because I dont have any insulation on me any more but I dont know.

Any way, I hope you are all looking forward to summer as much as I am. as for my health, I have been feeling pretty good lately, I did have a cold yesterday but was able to get right back to work today. so far it hasnt been to bad.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Night Before Christmas

So it is Christmas Eve tonight and we are sitting watching TV waiting for bedtime. Christmas is very different when you only have one child at home and he is 14. The excitement is just not the same. My guess is that we will be sleeping in. Not like years in the past when we were awake at 1:00am to open presents.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

News from the CT Scan

Yesterday I went to the Doctor's for my CT scan. YIPPY !!! It was as good as I could have hoped for. He said the Liver looks clean and the Tumors in the Lymph Nodes are much smaller than they were before. He was pleased with the results and said that I am good to go for another 3 months.

3 Months of no doctor visits, no hospital stays, no medical crap. Just peace and living.

Here's hoping for a lot more than 3 months.

Also, I found this in the Fox news website today. very promising.

"The complete genetic codes of two human cancers have been mapped for the first time. The move could herald a medical revolution in which every tumor can be targeted with personalized therapy."

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Next Step

Tomorrow, (Wednesday) I go in for another CT scan to see how well the radiation treatments worked that I did. They like to wait a while after the treatments so that they can get a better idea of how well they worked. That is why I am just now able to go in and have the tests.
As for how I feel, well I feel great to be honest. I haven't felt this good in a long time. I am starting to just live life normally and do everything that I want to do without having to deal with any side affects.

I am going to fight this and I plan on being around for a long, long time. !!!!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

A Good Friend

A Good Friend shared this poem with me today.. I thought it was worth passing it along.

DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Joy and Heartbreak

First the Joy....

Matt and JayDee just found out that they are having a BOY!! We are soooooo excited!!! I am crying with joy just thinking about having a little baby boy running around the house. They don't have a name for him yet but when they do, I know it will be perfect. The Doctor says he is a very active little boy and he gave them a run for their money when they were trying to see what sex he was. He is going to be just like his daddy... run... run...run

Now the Heartbreak...

Last night as Evan and I were getting ready for bed, Cody was in the shower singing to the radio. When he got out of the shower he was a little teary eyed and he said that he was listening to the song "Christmas shoes" and it reminded him of what was happening in his own life and it made him cry.

It breaks our hearts to have to see him go through this. No one should ever have to lose their dad, their best friend, when they are still so young. He needs his dad. How do you help your son cope with this? How am I going to cope with this?

Monday, November 30, 2009

My Health

Today is Monday Sept 30th. my health has been pretty good the past few days and I have been able to keep up with the hustle and bustle of life but I feel it slipping. Lately my life has been so busy with trying to keep up at work, home, church, family, Cancer and time for me, that I feel like I am starting to go under water.

Some days I just want to scream and then I realize that no matter what I do, I still have to go on and get things done. Screaming only postpones the fact that I need to do things.

If I could take a stress test today, I am sure I would fail. I am sure I am off the charts. my only hope is that tomorrow is a new day and maybe I will somehow feel less stressed.

Friday, November 27, 2009

ThanksGiving Day

Yesterday was ThanksGiving and we as a family were happy to be able to go to my sister Deb's home for dinner. It was great to see all of my family and visit and eat. There is nothing like spending time with Family.

Today (Friday) we have the day off so we have been putting up our Christmas decorations and getting ready for that great holiday. As I sit and ponder the upcoming season I hope that we all take time to remember what it is really about. The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Remember, life is a gift we have been given and what we do with it is our choice. Make the best of it.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

About the New Photo

We decided that we needed to do a photo of our family for Christmas cards so we went out and took a photo for it. It was so cold but we did it fast so we could get back in the warm truck.

You might notice that our daughter is holding "their" dog Roscoe, he is part of the family but I wanted to let everyone know that is her dog, not ours so there would be no confusion.

Also noted was the fact that my hair is closer to Roscoe's than the snow in the background. Yes, I am going grey. To be honest, the color of my hair is the least of my worries, so I don't mind. I figure it might all have to come off one day and then I will look younger again. (smile)

Monday, November 16, 2009

What A Day !!

Today was my Therasphere treatment which started arriving at the hospital at 6:30am for my appointment. After all the paper work and checking in and getting to my room they finally had me ready to go down to the Angio room and so I went. Wheeled down in my bed IV hooked up and all.
After getting down there, they let me sit and wait for a few minutes and then came and told me that my Radiation treatment was missing and they didn't know where it was, so back to my room I went. Sitting there waiting, my doctor came in after a while and was telling me how they couldn't find the stuff and in came the staff saying that they had it now and back down I went.

The treatment went fine and then they took me back to my room for recovery and I sat and talked with my wife and ate my lunch. It wasn't long before I was feeling ill and ended up vomiting my lunch. The nurse finally came in and gave me some prescriptions and discharged me and away we went. AT 3:00pm This was all for a procedure that lasts about 45 minutes. What a long day.

I am now home and very tired. But back to work I go. Tomorrow I am expected back.
So now we just wait a few weeks and then I get to go have my CT scan to see if any of the radiation is doing any good.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Last Scheduled Treatment for now

Tomorrow, (Monday) I am scheduled for my Therasphere treatment which is radiation in the form of the microscopic glass beads that are injected directly into my Liver. I have had two of these treatments before so I am familiar with them.

That will be the last scheduled treatment for now. After that, I will wait a few months and then have another CT scan and they will see if there are any more tumors that have shown growth. Treatments will start all over again at that point. I am afraid it is a never ending battle.

but for now, I will just push forward and deal with what I have to deal with.

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers on my behalf. I do appreciate it.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Today's Treatment

Today I finished the last of the 15 treatments that I was scheduled for. It was kind of anti climactic. I just went in, did it and left.

Now I wait and see what they find in two or three months. Time will only tell what happens.

It does get frustrating living on this Roller Coaster that I am on. I guess when it comes right down to it, I will have to stay on this ride for the rest of my life so I better get used to it.

Rats,

Friday, November 6, 2009

12 Treatments Down 3 to Go !!

Well,

I have been doing my radiation treatments now for almost 3 weeks and I have 3 to go. One monday, and then 2 on Tuesday. Once those are done, then I am scheduled to go in for another Therasphere radiation treatment on the 16th. That is the one where they put the microscopic glass beads in my Liver to kill the tumors there.

Once that is done, then I will start the Sandastaten shots and they will be one a month for as long as they are affective. The purpose of those is to stop the growth of the tumors that remain in me. They said it is pretty affective and will work for a while. I will continue to have CT scans most likely every two or three months to see if any new cancer tumors show up.

So there you have it, now you are up to date on my treatments and how I am doing.
Well, maybe not so much how I am doing but at least up to date on my treatments.

As for how I am doing, well Today is Friday and I am looking out the window towards the West and the sun is shining and the sky is blue. it is a beautiful day to be alive...

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Another Treatment Different News

So, welcome to the roller coaster of Cancer. Today I went in for my radiation treatment. I think it was my 6th and I talked to my oncologist while I was there and he said that in his opinion, he thinks that I should start the Sandastation shots as soon as I am done with my radiation. He says Sandastation is a great drug to stop the growth of the tumors that I have. It doesn't kill them or reverse any thing but kind of blocks them from growing.

I asked him what his opinion was on my outlook and he seemed to think 5 to 10 years was reasonable. So, even though one doctor said less, he thinks it will be more. Who knows what to think. I just know I want to be able to enjoy as many years as I have left.

So finally after so many visits to the doctor's office, I have a little bit of hope and good news that I might be around for a while.

Just keeping you all up to date and letting you know what a roller coaster Cancer is. The emotions run high one day and are subdued the next. It is a strange thing to deal with.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Treatment 4 down 11 more to go

Yes, I have had 4 radiation treatments and am doing fine. They said that I would feel it after a while but so far it has been basically like having an xray.. I hope it stays this way.

I did want to share something else with all of you. The other day, a good friend of mine shared a song with me and I couldn't find it on the Internet so I went to the store and bought it. I LOVE IT. I am sharing the website with you all and if you go there, it will start playing the music from the album. The first song is my favorite and the last song is sad but touching. It is about a woman that had Cancer and died. Its called "the robe" it is #10 on the CD The website doesnt ever play it. sorry.

www.mercyrivermusic.com

I hope you love it as much as I do. Remember to Laugh Love and Live.....

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Day 1 for Radiation


Today was my first Radiation treatment of the 15 that I will be having. They said that it would be painless and they were correct. It didn't affect me at all, and that was 4 hours ago. They said that after several of the visits I might get tired but we will see.

anyway, I had them take a picture so you could see the machine that they used to shoot the radiation into my body.

14 more to go and then we will see how we are doing. wish me luck !!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Radiation Treatments

Well, I set up my Radiation treatments to start this Thursday and go every week day for 3 weeks. The first day they said I would be there for a few hours as they get everything set up and documented and what ever else they need to do, but then after that, it will be 15 minutes in and out.

I asked them about the side affects and the doctor said that I will likely feel tired, have a little nausea, and get a slight sunburn on my stomach. I told him that sounds just like a vacation to Mexico, so I think I will just wear my sunglasses and Ipod and spray some tanning lotion on me when I go in and it will be just as good as a vacation to Mexico without having to drink the water.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Tattoo's today

Today I went in to have my visit prior to my radiation treatment and the doctor showed me the results of the scans that I had the past two days. It showed that my liver still has 3 dots of Cancer on it. Also it shows a big white dot on a Lymph Node that is right by my spine.
So today they did another CT scan and then gave me 5 Tattoo's that are permanent dots on my chest, tummy and sides. They are only dots so it isn't like it will even be seen if I have my shirt off. Not that I go without a shirt often. I have too big of a scar to bare it.

So the doctor said that he wanted to do the 3 weeks of Radiation starting next Wednesday and then when that is done on the Lymph Nodes, then he wants to schedule another Theresphere treatment for the tumors on my Liver. It will be two days in the hospital. One for the mapping and the next for the treatment. (about 7 days between)

That is the current plan. The doc did have some good news and that was that he was not going to start the sandostatin shots (chemo) so I will wait to see how long I can go without that. He thinks the longer I can wait without symptoms the better off I will be.

He did confirm again that this is terminal and that I shouldn't plan on more than 5 to 10 years. Oh well, I will take what I can get and enjoy them. Remember, you shouldn't worry about what you cant change. I cant change the fact that I have Cancer so I will not worry about it.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Scan again


So today was day two and scan two. They did the scan of my full body with the radioactive stuff in me which shows up on the scan. It was not painful but long and you have to lay there without moving for about an hour and then they did another scan that took another 30 minutes. It was driving me nuts to sit there perfectly still for so long. If you move, then they have to start that segment over so I didn't want to do that.

any way, I had the Lab tech take a picture of me in the scanner so you could see what it looks like. Now I just have to wait till tomorrow and talk to the Doctor about what he see's on the scan.

I did sneak into his office after the scan to ask him a question. I get asked all the time what stage of Cancer do I have. Well to be honest, I never knew, so I asked him. He simply looked at me and with a little hesitation said that I am at stage 4. I asked what stage is next and that is when he told me that there are not any further stages. Ouch !! Well, I guess I will wait till tomorrow and find out what he says and then post the results.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Octreoscan Today

I am scheduled for my scan today but to be honest, I dont know what that means. I only know that they called the other day and said that the stuff they use is coming from Canada and wasnt going to be here in time for my earlier appointment so they changed it to 10:30am. I guess it is really time sensitive stuff so they only ship it right before it is being used.

So, I have to go in at 10:30am then after what ever they do, I have to go back at 2:30pm for the rest of the scan.

It is really an unknown at this time as to what they are going to do but I will add a post later when I understand what it is going to be.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Doctors Orders (not sugar coated)

Today I had my visit with my Doctor to find out what was going to be the best treatment for the new Cancer that has manifested itself in my Lymph Nodes.
As many of you know, doctors are taught not to sugar coat any thing so they tell it as it is and I guess I was just not quite prepared for that today.

So what did he say, well he said that I have some Lymph Nodes that are about 2 inches in diameter and they are normally about ½ inch so they are getting bigger. He was hoping that they would not grow and that my Cancer would just not be an issue. Unfortunately that is not the case and I will need to start treatments to slow the progress.

The doctor then said that this “is not curable” but that he can slow it down and try to give me some good years. I don’t know how many that is and he didn’t know either but he said he was hoping to work with a 20 year plan and now he is looking at a 10 year plan for treatment.

Basically that means starting with some radiation (Monday through Friday for 3 weeks) and then after that treatment stops being affective then they will start Chemo and do that to slow the progress as well. He did mention that there are some new drugs that are coming on the market that might be able to help in my Cancer but that they are not available yet. Maybe in a year or so.
The key is that as long as they can slow the cancer the better chance they will have at finding better treatments.

Yes, this was a shock to Julie and I and we are not going to just lay down and die. We are going to fight the battle and win. If I have 10 years to live, well then I am going to live those years the best I can. If I live longer, then I didn’t waste the first 10 years.

You don’t always get a chance to know your own mortality but when you are told that it looks like it is going to be cut short, then it does change your outlook on life. The good news is that I am going to live like I am dieing. (like the song). That way, I can make the best of every day and not sweat the small stuff.

I hope you all know that I am really okay with what ever happens, I don’t want to spend time worried about what might happen but rather on what I can do to make life the best.

I am sorry this Post was as long as it was but I had a lot to cover and will keep you posted on what the schedule is for treatments when I start them. I know that my first step is to have a Octrioscan on Oct. 13th and 14th and then the 15th I am supposed to go in for my first visit for the Radiation so I don’t know if I will get a treatment that day or just a visit for the setup of the treatments.

Remember, God is looking over each of us and I know without doubt that he has been watching over me. I have been blessed beyond what I deserve and if he see’s fit, I will be around for a while. If he wants me back, I will go when he wants me.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Oct 1, 1966

This is my favorite day!!

Why, you ask??

Because it was the day that my sweetheart was born.

I am the luckiest girl in the world because of this day!! To take a famous line from a movie "you complete me" pales in comparison to how much you truly mean to me.

You are my hero!!

Happy Birthday Tweetie, I hope you have the best day ever!!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Finally heard from the Doctor today

So I finally heard from the Doctor today and it was uh to say the least, not informative.
He basically said that I have a couple of options, I can do Chemo, but he doesnt suggest it. I can do Radiation but he isnt sure now is the best time to do it, or I can wait a few months and see where we are. Maybe do radiation at that time.

It was like, well, tell me what is best and lets do it. He said that there is no right and wrong way to treat my cancer. It just isnt that easy. It isnt going to hurt to wait but if we do Radiation now, then he said we cant do it again in that area later if we need to.

So he said he was going to be talking with my other Doctor next week and decide what they think is best and then I have an appointment on the 5th to go in and discuss what they want to do.

Not a lot of news for an update but that is the way I feel as well. I still dont know what is going to happen. It is all up in the air right now and I will just have to wait and see.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Bucket List

Okay, so most of you have heard of the movie where the guy creates a bucket list of things that he wants to do before he dies.

Well, to be honest I haven't seen it so I don't even know what the movie is called but any way, we got talking about that camping the other week with some friends and now with the news that I have more Cancer it really made me think about what would be on my bucket list.

After thinking about it for a long time, really there are only a few things that I would put on that list.

obviously one of the things I would like is to live longer but this list is supposed to be things you can do and say you have done them. so I came up with a few.

1. Take my wife on a cruise
2. Catch a big fish deep sea fishing
3. Go to a NASCAR race
4. Travel to Greece for a Vacation


I have placed those 4 on my list and I really don't think I will get to do more than maybe one of them due to finances even if I live 20 or 30 more years. but those are the things I would love to do.

Possible H1N1

Well as I mentioned before I was sick over the weekend with the Flu and when I was watching the news today they said that all of the Flu cases in Utah have all been H1N1... Not good, especially if you have Cancer. I seem to have gotten over what ever I had so I guess that is good.

I also called my Dr. today to see why I havent heard anything from him yet about treatment and it turns out he is on vacation this week so they contacted him and called me back and said that the Radiation panel is meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) and they are going to discuss my case and then make the recomendation of what treatment I should do. This will either be Radiation of Chemo, they will let me know and I will keep you updated.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Update or not

So I was hoping to have an update from the doctor by now but I called Friday to see what he would say and he was off. So I guess I get to wait till Monday or maybe Tuesday for an update.

Funny, in my last post, I mentioned that I was feeling better than ever and was doing great and then it hit me. I got sick with what I can only imagine was a flu. It hit me Friday night and I was up all night with the shakes and could not get warm no matter how much I tried so finally Julie filled the tub at about 1:00am with some really warm water and I got in and that helped. I have been home in bed all day Saturday and Today (Sunday). it has been a real bummer of a weekend because Cody and I were planning on going fishing with a friend from my work and couldn't go.

On to better news,

Our daughter and son in law have announced that they are pregnant and will be having a baby in the middle of April 2010. Yes, that means we will be Grand Parents. Yippy !!!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

No News was supposed to be Good News

Well, so much for wishing. I had my 3 month check up today (CT Scan) and they said my Liver looks fine but some of my Lymph Nodes are growing in size and they are recommending some Radiation.

I was really hoping to be out of the woods but with Cancer, I should have known better. Any way the Dr said that he would be getting with my other doctor and discussing what the best way to treat me is and then call me in a day or two.

I should know what they are going to do soon and will update everyone on here. Sorry for having to share the news but on a side note, I feel better than ever, I don't feel sick, I am working hard at work and playing hard at home. I cant think of a better time of my life than right now. Don't feel sorry for me. I am fine. I WILL be fine. I am not going any where. I am too stubborn...

Thanks

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Monday Ride !!


Well, since Monday was a holiday and I had the day off, I went for a bike ride with a few of my friends from work and we did about 350 miles. We ended up in Wyoming for lunch and then drove down the Mirror Lake Hwy on our way back. Great ride !! We had 5 of us riding and the weather was perfect.

any way, here is one of the pictures that were taken at the top of the mountain.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Camping with my sister

A couple of weeks ago, Cody and I went camping with my sister and her kids. Yes, it was just me and Cody, Evan drove the trailer up and dropped us off. Evan is so sweet to accommodate my need to go camping as often as possible. Evan rejoined us in the morning for breakfast and some fishing time with his son.

Cody discovered how much fun it was to go fishing and he spent every minute at the waters edge. He was so cute when it came to gutting his own fish because he wouldn't touch it so I had to get him some rubber gloves. He was very proud of his little fish and even prouder that his Aunt Neenie wanted to eat it for dinner.

Cody's cousin, Eric, also caught a couple of fish so my sister was well supplied for her dinner treat.

Grandpuppy



This is the picture that Evan took with his phone the day that Matt and JayDee come home from Colorado Springs. As you can see, they have a new puppy and they named him Rosco Jenkins Jones. They aren't ready to give us a grandchild yet so we will just have to make due with a grandpuppy. :o) He is pretty cute.

Here is a video clip I took of him chasing a laser light in our living room.


Sunday, August 23, 2009

Ward (Church) Campout





This past weekend we went camping with our ward, it was great fun and a lot of families came.
We camped at Rockport lake campground. It was about 100f HOT during the day but the evenings cooled down.

I thought I would post some pictures for everyone to see.

We will be camping again next weekend and again, I will post more pictures.

Monday, August 17, 2009

All is Well

So it has been a while since I posted on here but just wanted to update everyone. Things are going fine with my health. I have gained my energy back and feel great. We have been busy trying to get out and enjoy our summer so we go camping almost every weekend and have many more camping trips planned over the next couple of months.

So for updates, I guess there really isnt much to say other than I am healthy and doing great. Even my apitite is coming back and I am able to eat more and more.

As you know, I am not much of a writer but I will try and post some pictures of our camping trips when we get back.

Take care

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Dr Visit

Well, last week Julie went in for surgery on her feet to remove some nerves that were causing her feet pain when she would walk a lot. They did both feet and she is pretty tender now. She has been staying down a lot but every day she gets better and better, in fact today she returned to work.
She still has to wear the funny shoes that they gave her for another couple of weeks but then she will be back to normal.

Well, when she was in surgery, I took the time to go visit my doctor (same location) and asked him how the results looked from my last test that they had me take. He said that everything looked great and normal and that there is nothing more that needs to be done. We just need to do check ups to make sure things stay that way and I am good to go.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Sad News-- In Memory Of Chris O'Connor

I have been deeply saddened by the news that a friend that we had met online through my Cancer who shared the same Cancer has passed away Friday night. He left behind a young wife and son who will try to move forward with their life.

Kristin sadly had to watch her husband suffer with this terrible disease for such a long time and I can only imagine what it must be like to watch a loved one suffer so much.

Kristin and Shane with be in our thoughts and prayers for a long time as they move forward with memories of Chris and the love that he had and still has for them.

If you would like to read about him and their family you can link to their blog on my blog under the "Blogs I read" it is the one called O'Connor family blog.

Kristin, we hope you will still stay in touch and keep us up to date on how you are doing.

In Memory Of Chris O'Connor

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Nauvoo

We took our first family vacation in about 4 years and we chose to go visit the Church Historical sites of Nauvoo.

It was an amazing trip starting with a wonderful visit with Matt and JayDee in their home in Colorado Springs. It was great to see our kids again and they were so sweet to let us stay with them in their home Sunday night.

Monday we took a tour of the Denver Mint then we were on our way again making a stop at Liberty Jail just outside Kansas City. After a good night’s sleep, we took up our journey again and visited Adam-Ondi-Ahman and finally arrived in Nauvoo around 6:00pm.

We spent all day Wednesday visiting the historical buildings/homes in Nauvoo then Thursday morning we went to the temple then finished seeing more homes.

Friday we packed up and left the hotel but before we started for home we stopped in Carthage to see the Jail.

I can't post all of our pictures but here are some highlights.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Better late than never

Okay so it's been a month since Fathers Day and I am just now posting. Sorry :o)

Evan is still struggling to keep up his energy levels and mowing the lawn just about wipes him out for nearly the whole day after he mows. Yes, I know that Cody is old enough to mow and he does, but there are times when it needs to be done and Cody is not available.


For Fathers Day, a day early, Evan got a riding lawn mower and now he and Cody fight over who gets to mow the grass.
It is just nice to know that Evan can now get the lawn mowed without it putting him down in bed.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

All is well

Great news!!! We went to the doctors yesterday and he said that the blood work was actually better than he had ever seen it. When the nurse told Evan that his numbers were elevated, she didn't know that it had been higher in the past. Normal is about 50 and Evan is at 53 but prior to this test it had been in the 80's.

The Doctor said that the problems Evan has been experiencing were a result of his pancreas not creating enough digestive enzymes. Evan is now well on his way to feeling fantastic.

I love modern technology... Evan had his CT scan of his liver yesterday as well and we were able to immediately see the results. His liver has never looked better!!! The tumors are continuing to die even the small ones that were not specifically targeted by the radiation treatments.

We couldn't possibly have received better news!! Evan is going to be around for many years to come. This is a direct result of your prayers and the Lords will. Thank you for the many sustaining prayers you have offered on our behalf, there are no words that could fully describe our gratitude.

Julie

Thursday, June 18, 2009

News from the Doc

So, I went in and they ran a blood test on me and found that my numbers are slightly elevated but they aren't to bad. They are not sure what is causing this so they want to do a CT scan on June 23rd to see if there are any new tumors in my liver that have started growing.
We are confident that all will be taken care of. The Doctors are doing what they can and the Lord is doing the rest. Rest easy knowing that I am in the lords hands.

Here is a video that you might like. it shows just what the lord can do with his hands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_vCqSebVEw

cut and paste that into a web browser and then it will play from YouTube.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Medical News

So, I have been doing fine lately but a few weeks ago I started having some symptoms that had me concerned and after talking with a couple of doctors they both had the same thing to say. "it looks like your liver is having issues" so with that I called my doctor and talked to my specialist and she said that she wants me to come in and have blood drawn and see what it shows. she then said to watch and see if I start turning yellow and if so to let her know.

Well, that night my wife turned to me and said that I looked yellow. So, I am going in today (Wednesday) and having blood drawn and also they might do a CT scan and we will see what is going on. Not sure at this point but I guess we will find out.

I will update when I get news back.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Farewell my sweet cousin

My heart is breaking as I have recently been told of the passing of my sweet cousin in-law, Jolene Davidson.
Jolene married Ronnie when I was a young teenager and I have always looked up to the sweet person that she is. I was never close to Ron and Jolene due to our age difference but that didn't diminish my admiration of them. Cancer took her home to her Heavenly Father last Wednesday and she will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her.



Jolene Heywood Davidson
Jolene Heywood Davidson 1960 ~ 2009 Jolene Heywood Davidson, 49, passed away peacefully in her home on June 10, 2009 after a battle with cancer.Jolene was born March 25, 1960 in Phoenix, Arizona to Evans and Sylvia Heywood. She was a school teacher. She taught at Jackling Elementary, John C. Fremont Elementary and Fox Hills Elementary. Later she became a Library/Media Specialist at Evergreen Jr. High and Skyline High School. She had many callings in her LDS Ward. She was the Young Women president, ward missionary and Relief Society teacher. Her favorite calling was as a visiting teacher to other sisters in the ward. Jolene was very athletic, she ran in two half-marathons and a mini triathlon in her last year. In high school she played volleyball and softball. Jolene is survived by her husband, Ron and two daughters, Savanna and Marie. She was preceded in death by her older brother Clarence and her grandparents. Services will be held Monday, June 15 at 11 a.m. at the LDS church on 2450 West 10400 South in South Jordan, Utah. A viewing will be held Sunday night from 5-7 p.m. and one hour prior to the funeral at the same church. Jolene wanted to thank everyone for their support and generosity: family, neighbors, friends at Skyline, fellow librarians. More information may be found on her blog: davidson4fun.blogspot.com

Friday, June 12, 2009

Camping in May




So we decided to get out in May and do some camping because we just needed to get away. here are a few pictures from that fun trip. We took Cody and his friend Lawson so he would have someone to hang out with. Fun Fun Fun...

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

To Everyone

I would just like to say Thanks for everything everyone has done for me. Thanks for the prayers that have been on my behalf, Thanks for the help with the Sod, Thanks for caring for my family, Thanks for helping us move to our new home, Thanks for the love we feel from all of you, Thanks for your friendships, Thanks for letting me be a part of your life.

Monday, May 25, 2009

GRASS, WHOO HOO!!!!


Thank you so much Burt for spending your time and talents in helping us in so many ways.




Evan had a blast driving the tractor


3 of our neighbors showed up at 7:30
Of course they were 2 hours early but the two of them finished the front and side yard in one hour. We had to send them home so that the rest of the group coming at 9:30 would have something to do. :o)





Taking a break





After our yard
was done, we went next door to the church parking lot to help my brother load up his grass pallets for the trip to Bountiful.


A good days work

Cody's B-day

Cody turned 14 on March 5th but because it was a cold spring, he wasn't able to have the party he wanted at that time. He wanted to go to Boondocks so we had to wait for warmer weather, so a couple of weekends ago, he invited his cousins, Eric and Kody for a sleep over. They stayed up all night playing video games and had a blast.



The following morning it was difficult for them to get up but they were excited to go to the park and have a ton of fun!!





Then came cake decorating and eating time. Just as a side note... In the picture where they are getting ready to light the candles, there are the two boys, Cody and Kody. Kody is on the right and he is only a few months older than my Cody. Kody is 14 and at 6' 3", towers over their other cousin, Eric, who is 16.







Sunday, May 17, 2009

Fire Ride 2009












































Yesterday Evan & I, along with some of our good friends went on the Fire Ride that consisted of approximately 250 motorcycles. We started out at the Bountiful Fire Station with a nutritious breakfast of donuts.


The noise of all of the bikes together, was incredible!!



We were escorted by a police bike as we left the Bountiful fire station and went to the airport. At the airport we watched as they lit the practice plane on fire and put it out.


























Of course they couldn't resist spraying the bikers (fellow fire fighters). We had some very soggy bikers, but we were lucky and stayed clear of the water.







This is our group....




Julie, Evan, Guy, Angela, Dennis, Kim, Amy and.... hey what happen to Tyler???

We stopped for lunch at the Willard Bay area Fire Station.... yummm and boy did my butt need a rest.. OUCH!! :o) Those of you that have ridden on the back of a bike for an hour at a time will understand. Major TB!!!


Hi Angela and Guy!!!
Oh, so here's Tyler and Amy.... :o)
Dennis and Kim bought a new bike just for this ride. :o)
We had the time of our lifes!!!!! I can't wait to do it again next year!!