October 11, 2011

I came home yesterday sick and not doing too well but Jan took care of me and I am doing better today able to keep food down. I feel better but very tired and I am thankful to be home.  The good news story is that I won’t need to go through 18 treatments as initially thought. I have a total of 12 treatments and I am so thankful for this the treatments have been destroying the cancer and this is the good news. This was an early Christmas gift to say the least. I thank you all for your prayers and kindness.

October 5, 2011

Here I am again sleepless night thinking about the next chemo treatment. So tired yet my mind cannot get away from this next treatment. They are so hard and I would like to run away. But running away would only make things worse and would not solve the problem, something I know and fully understand. I am so thankful that this will only be six days the two days does make a difference. Also I love being home with Jan and the love and support she gives me. The hospital time is a lonely time and it plays with your mind. The staff does the best to make you comfortable and I am so thankful to nurses who have a sense of humor and know how to tease and take it back. The laughs that come from this truly help.

I don’t want to forget to mention how tired I was yesterday and then how blessed I was at the same time. I used to be the one to clean the home and how blessed we were to have two great couples leading the charge in coming to our home to clean it. I was amazed at how dirty it was before and how nice and fresh the house was after they had cleaned it and brought dinner over. Jan had Parent and Teachers Conference last night and again tonight so she does not get home until late. The first thing she mention as she walked into the house was how nice it smells in the house and how everything was so shinning. Duh I guess Dale sure knows how to make a mess while she is gone.

Again, I want to thank everyone for their love and support and the visitors I had yesterday. They give me the support and strength to move forward and hope when this becomes such an overwhelming task I admire all who have gone through it and can support and understand those who chose not to do it. My many thanks to all you good people who support both Jan and I and my two children Lisa and Brian.  

October 3, 2011

I am having a hard time sleeping but felt I should take this opportunity to blog. Yesterday was another great day I felt better and had some energy. One of the best parts of the day was having visitors. Both Jan my wife and I noticed how much this lifts the spirits of the home. The best part of the visits was the laughs and the kind and loving feeling it brings into our home. We get so much strength from our good friends, family members, work family members and neighbors. I cannot say how much strength this gives us in so many different ways. Emotionally, physically, mentally, socially and the spiritual lift also. I want to thank you for the energy and hope that comes each time we see one of you. We love you and could not do this without out all of you. This is a harder journey than I ever thought it would be. I love you all and appreciate you so much. I have learned so much about forgiveness with this disease and please forgive me if I have offended any of you. Thank you so much for being my friend.

October 1, 2011

Just got home from the hospital enter through emergency and I am home. Seem to be getting weaker again sure don’t want to go back to the hospital again. Needed two pints of blood and was very ill when I get there Thursday night. This sure is getting old just wish I could gain some strength and be able to do a few things on my own. I am so thankful to Jan and all she does for me. Not much to say other than I am doing my best to just stay out of the hospital and not be too much of a burden. Being a burden that is a laugh but without all the support I don’t think I would have made it this far. Something I sure cannot do on my own.

September 29, 2011

Wow, I finally have enough energy to blog. It was a long night I had lots of pain and was taking pain killlers all day. This is the first time I could get up and write anything. The good news is I have harvested my stem cells. I have several more months of chemo to go and I am truly beat today did not do a thing. Feel sick to my stomach and very weak, not much to say other than I am thankful I had a good collections of stem cells.

September 28, 2011

Can’t sleep in a lot of pain, still passing blood and lower back pain that won’t go away the lower back pain is something new. On a scale of 1 to 10 I am at a 8 and this is after taking pain medication. I was able to harvest stem cells yesterday. I hope I am lucky enough to do it again to do it again today and continue till we have collected enough for my bone marrow replacement therapy.

I know I could never make this without all the support and kindness I have been receiving. I would have thrown in the towel last week when things were so bad and I was in so much pain and feeling so sick and weak. I need to thank everyone who is advocating for me and following up.

It means more than you will ever know just having visitors and phone calls. I am going to take some more pain pills and I hope it will help me sleep. I hope and pray that I might collect all the stem cells I need in the next few days.

September 27, 2011

This has been another tuff night, I am not feeling better and the pain is still there now I have a new complication I started passing blood through my urinary track. I am afraid my white blood cells will take a hit and I won’t be able to provide my stem cells as a result. I am quite discouraged today and have not been able to sleep all night dealing with the pain and the issue of passing blood. My emotional well-being is starting to take a hit also.  I am so thankful for all the support I have and those that keep showing support without it I don’t know where I would be. I don’t truly know how to face book and that I something I am going to work on later today if I get a chance. I don’t know what they are going to do with me today I am afraid my labs will not be anywhere close to where they need to be. I know I was to start chemo again next week, I think this will be pushed back also. This is a much longer and harder journey than I thought it would be. I get lots of rest sitting around but not much sleep. I am on a mild mood enhancer in hopes this will help my emotional health. I love my wife Jan and all the support she is providing and my two children Lisa and Brian not to include those who support Jan and I at work and in the neighborhood.