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.

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."

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. !!!!

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.

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?

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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,

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...