December 29, 2011

Yesterday we were at the hospital meeting with the bone marrow team and I will enter the Hospital tomorrow for more chemo which they said would be more of a challenge than any chemo treatment I have received. Then they will start the bone marrow replacement process. I will be in the hospital for at least 21 days the longest stay yet. With this in mind I won’t blog after today. This has been quite the process and I am so thankful for all the support from friends, family, co-workers and all the medical personnel I would not be here without all the support and love that has been shared and given to both Jan and I. I wish everyone a very Happy New Year and hope it is the best New Year of your life.  My next blog should be on or about January 20, 2012.

December 28, 2011

Yesterday was another great day Lisa my daughter and her family came over and we had a great visit her children are truly the best. It was a most delightful visit and we hated to see them leave. All four of Lisa and Clay’s children are just great and the oldest Caylor, a 13 year old has matured so much since we last saw him. Brodie, is 12 and what a mature 12 year old. Then Houston once he has his mind on something he just sticks with it he is seven and as solid as a rock. Then Eden the six year old girl, as beautiful as a summer sunset with a slight over cast and as bright as Einstein she is one amazing little girl.   

December 27, 2011

Well yesterday was my lazy day just did not do too much just rested a great deal and wanted to prepare for today. Lisa and her family will be coming over and I want to be able to spend some time with them. Lisa and Clay are ideal parents and have done a great job in raising their children. I think they could write a book on it and start their own talk show. I do feel a bit stronger than I have in the past and we went to the mall for a short while today to see what good sales they might have. Well we did not see a whole lot but picked up a few things.

December 25, 2011

Yesterday was a good day, had an increase of energy and helped Jan clean the house I vacuumed the floors both upstairs and in the basement. We had dinner at Jan’s Mom’s and with her sister, her husband and son. It was a very pleasant and most enjoyable day. What is nice is the days are getting longer and in three months we will have the first day of Spring.

Decembere 24, 2011

Today is a good news day the results of the biopsy of the colon showed that the tumors we pre-cancerous and one more chemo and I will be on my way to the bone marrow replacement program using my own stem cells. We feel a feeling of relief what good news that was. The tumors are not something the doctor was familiar with.

December 23, 2011

Just got up and I am on my way back to the hospital for a series of tests for the bone marrow replacement therapy program. Jan gave me the shot this morning for the blood clots will be taking them twice a day every 12 hours. Slept well last night going without food and all the prep for the colonoscopy took its toll. So I Christmas Eve, Eve day Jan and I will have a most uneventful day.  

December 22, 2011

This has been a truly different day. Yesterday I got a phone call telling me to be at the Huntsman hospital one hour earlier so we get there at 7:00 A.M. and then I was told I had been bumped to 10:00 A.M. finally at 11:00 they take me in for my colonoscopy. When it was done the doctor said some of the growths in the colon looked normal and he removed them and others looked cancerous. Oh well not that much of a surprise so I go to get the dressing on my chest changed and the nurse thought I should get my labs while I was there. When the labs were complete my cancer nurse came to tell me the results and looked at my neck and thought I had a blood clots in my neck and sent me to the University of Utah to have it looked at oh well they verified that I had a blood clot in my neck and back to Huntsman we went. I am now taking shots every 12 hours in hopes it will get rid of the blood clots in my neck.

I am still thankful for life and all these experiences. There is always hope and I have been blessed so I will keep on the path and try to make a full recovery. I will know more next week on Wednesday or Thursday. Finally we got home at 6:30 P.M.

December 21, 2011

This is the good news day. Yesterday I had the privilege of having two of my children here for a Christmas visit with their children and all six of the grandchildren ranging in age from one to thirteen got along very well. I know they were more excited about seeing each other than seeing Grandpa and Grandma. They were great and we hated to see them leave.

The next good news story is that this is the shortest day of the year and it won’t be long and Spring will be here. I always look forward to the days getting longer. It is always good news to me.

The next good news story is tomorrow I will have completed my colonoscopy and won’t need to do it again for a while. Finally the last good news story is I have less than a month to wait until I have been married to Jan for 20 years. Not something I have looked forward to I have enjoyed 99% of the 20 years with her Jan has been an amazing wife!

December 20, 2011

Yesterday I was just plain worn out and did not blog. Today is going to be a great day Lisa and Brian are bringing their families to the home at the same time so we will have six beautiful grandchildren ranging from the age of one to thirteen in the house at the same time. Jan has been planning the food for the day and is just as excited about it as I am. They bring so much joy into our lives. This will be like Christmas day for us.

December 18, 2011

Had a good night’s sleep and yesterday was a very restful day. Thankful for all my many blessings friends, family, employment and all the good people in my life. I have so many things to be thankful for even the hard time and the times I am put down and told I have not been the best at numerous things. Life has its challenges but the greatest ones are the ones I have chosen. I am thankful for this time of year and all that Christmas is about.

December 17, 2011

Jan was sick yesterday and stayed home. It was a very quiet day and we were blessed to have five visitors. I had two individuals I work with that drove all the way from Hill AFB to see me and gave me a gift something I will cherish for a long time.

Well the good news is that the PET scan and bone marrow biopsy both looked very good now I am in hopes that my colonoscopy is good this time they found cancer last time in my colon so I have my fingers crossed. If it all looks good only one more chemo before I go to the bone marrow replacement team.

So it this all works out what a Merry Christmas this will be I am ahead of schedule and might see and participate in a beautiful Spring my favorite time of the year. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.   

December 15, 2011

Yesterday went well the best I have felt in a couple of weeks. I am still very weak but encouraged by the way I was feeling. I don’t have a lot of energy but have several things I want to accomplish. I am thankful to still be here and look forward to completing all the medical treatments that are ahead.

Today I go back to the hospital for someone tests and will find out the results of the PET scan and the bone marrow biopsy. Hope all goes well and then next week I complete the colonoscopy what fun.  But it has been six months since I was told I have cancer and to think I have made it this far. I have not done it alone I have had the support of a number of great people including friends, family, co-workers and those in the medical arena.

December 14, 2011

I am so thankful to have the tests yesterday over with. I see the doctor tomorrow to find out the results and I hope they are good. If so I only have one more chemo treatment if not I will have three more. I was so tired when we got home I went right to bed and slept for 12 hours.

Hard to believe it is December 14, 2011 already so many things I wish I could do but things are what they are. Still very thankful for friends and family.

December 12, 2011

Today was another day of going to the Huntsman Cancer Hospital. We made it home and tomorrow I will be going to IHC in Murray for a PET scan in the morning and then at 3:00 P.M. I am scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy at Huntsman. I know I will be all worn out by time I get home then one more test on December 22, 2011 and I will know the next step in the process. Yesterday it was the 19^th anniversary of my mother’s passing a couple of days of reflection.

December 11, 2011

My life is so full of blessings and I am so thankful to still be here. I am thankful for family and friends who call and support me through this process. I know I have said it before but the strength and courage I get from them is second to none.

I am thankful for mentors I have had many good one and have been carried by them in my life both at work, school, church, community at in the home. Life is good and better when we see the beauty around us.

Oh I forgot to talk about my health, I feel a little stronger today and it is going to be another beautiful day.

December 10, 2011

It has been an exciting week no energy and then being admitted to the hospital again. This time I was in having labs drawn when I passed out and when I came to talk about a whole bunch of people standing around waiting for the next thing to happen. I ended up with some serious blood issues and another infection. I am home am feeling very weak and sure hope I don’t wind up back in the hospital again.

This has been one exciting ride just when I think I am doing okay the cancer horse starts bucking and I have a hard time staying on. Oh well I am back on the horse and hope to be doing better. Sure glad Jan stayed home with me on Wednesday who knows where I would have been if she had not been here.

December 2, 2011

I just never know how I am going to feel, yesterday was a hard day and I felt sick most of the day could not sleep.  Today I am week and sick to my stomach no idea what is going on sure was in hopes this was behind me. Very weak and tired also my legs are numb and feel like I have pins and needles in them. With a little luck this should all turn around I hope in the next 24 hours.

I am so thankful to Jan she keeps pulling me though the tough times like this. I don’t have any energy and I hate doing nothing all day she helps me accomplish the things I need to what a great wife and I am so blessed. I can’t wait to get well so I can be of some help to her.

December 1, 2011

I think I may have completed my last chemo treatment. I won’t know for sure until the 23 of this month. I have several tests left to be administered and then I will know the status. If not I will have two chemo treatments left to go. I am looking forward to getting the stem cell replacement started. It sure is getting old and I have cabin fever and truly want to be of some value.

I am so thankful things have progressed as well as they have and getting rid of the infections was truly a great blessing. The infection complicated things so much I thought that it was just part of the chemo. I am looking forward to the Christmas Holidays and it is good to be back home again.