This was a crazy day. I could not sleep, chest pain and headache. Was given morphine and steroids and finally fell into alpha range of sleep from about 4:30 to 8:30 AM. been awake since. Have several visitors and teams of doctors. Not too aware of what is going on.
(Dale's writing is trailing off here...basic thoughts are something like this: he is grateful to visitors he has had and "I am feeling the effects of the chemo and I am not too coherent today. Thank heavens for spellcheck. This process is one you never know from day to day.")
Friday, July 29, 2011
7/28/2011
Once chemo started and about one hour later I felt like I had a migrain. Cold chills set in which lasted about an hour then I ran a fever and broke into a good sweat. I slept until morning. I feel very rested and thankful. Sure do want to shower! I hate these sweaty hospital clothes. They are so generic and don't fit.
Just got off the phone With Jan, my wife. She was driving home and hit another car. Thank heavens she is okay! It was very hard for her to tell me she totaled my Hyundai Tucson. Sad for her, it must have been a real insult to injury. We all learn these lesons. I had an accident at age 16. Since then I have tried to leave at least one car length for every ten miles of speed. On our crazy Utah roads, people don't let you do that. They don't respect that rule. So I try to see what other cars ahead are doing and this has helped.it is important for these crazy drivers who change lanes and fail to signal. Two of my biggest grips have been following too closely and failure to give the three second signal before changing lanes.
So far I am handling chemo okay, but it is only 10:00 AM. The one dose they give me is the real challenge.
I talked with Darrin at work. Man! I love that man! I miss Brent, also--you never know what is going to happen with Brent, he is so spontaneous.
Just got off the phone With Jan, my wife. She was driving home and hit another car. Thank heavens she is okay! It was very hard for her to tell me she totaled my Hyundai Tucson. Sad for her, it must have been a real insult to injury. We all learn these lesons. I had an accident at age 16. Since then I have tried to leave at least one car length for every ten miles of speed. On our crazy Utah roads, people don't let you do that. They don't respect that rule. So I try to see what other cars ahead are doing and this has helped.it is important for these crazy drivers who change lanes and fail to signal. Two of my biggest grips have been following too closely and failure to give the three second signal before changing lanes.
So far I am handling chemo okay, but it is only 10:00 AM. The one dose they give me is the real challenge.
I talked with Darrin at work. Man! I love that man! I miss Brent, also--you never know what is going to happen with Brent, he is so spontaneous.
7/27/2011
Just arrived at hospital. I have been here two hours and my anxiety is sky high. Have met with my nurse and one doctor. Both have asked several questions, many are the same. I will have a pick line. WOW Here I go again. I just want a sedative and sleep time! Just ordered food from a great menu. It is time to get this show on the road. I just want to be a good patient. Chemo will start as soon as the pick line is in.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
July 27,2011
Another new day and such a beautiful one up and getting ready to leave for the hospital and I am counting the numerous blessings I have. Friends, family, work associates a great wife and a several teams of good doctors and nurses. The real journey begins today and this was the day I was going to have my first meeting with a cancer doctor until I called the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Calling Huntsman has allowed us to move forward by not less than two weeks and maybe four. I admit I am nervous not about the out come but some of the procedures that will be performed today, in order to get things started. I think after today my nerves will calm down for a while. Take care as I sign off.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, 26 July 2011, another amazing and wonderful day. I knew it would be my last day at work and usually this is the hardest saying good bye to friends who are like family. However we had fun and I was able to be myself. I had more energy than usual and was in a teasing mood. Joked around about whom was going to be my bone marrow donor and read some things related to this. We had great fun laughing about who would be the one well as luck had it Brent Hoskins who I think is okay with me using his name played right along with it. Noticed the boss needed to wash her car and wrote a note telling her that her SUV needed to be clean a few laughed and then I wrote a person name on it and it was oh you better not put it on her car. Well I did not put it on her car but have a couple of fellow workers who are going to alert her and then she will bring it up in tomorrow’s staff meeting and say my SUV truly appreciated the little note about getting clean. This will be a shock and done in the right manner all should get a good laugh out of it. I also have my donor treatment team with their pictures and made a copy of these professionals and wrote a note on top saying we are smiling because we are going to get this particular persons fresh virgin bone marrow to transplant. There were a few other things we did and what fun I am so thankful it was not a glum and depressing day. I feel the Lord’s hands in this process and still want his will this gives such solitude I cannot explain. I came home and we have had friends over and shared some very good and most important spiritual experience and serious blessings in our lives. Well t is getting late and I need to pack my new clothes and get ready for my first’s weeks’ vacation. This is going to be far harder on others than it is on me sure wanted to talk to the children and my grandchildren today maybe I will get to do so tomorrow. Times is flying fast I will say my prayers and get a good night’s sleep. I don’t edit this so I must be forgiven for any grammatical errors. I will update my blog when I get home next Wednesday or just come home and sleep.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, 25 July 2011,
What a great day. I have one of the greatest bosses a person could ever hope for she has been a real blessing to me and has given me hope. Today she presided over a good-bye luncheon and I cannot help but see the light of Christ in her. She is truly a shaker and baker. Cathy, forces you to be all that you can be and when you are down and out she is there to carry to the place you need to be.
I had a chance of meeting with the Colonel over our organization today he is the father of our Group and wants the best for his work family. I love his values it is God first, family second and country third. I expressed to him my gratitude for being able to work in his organization and for the leadership provided by Cathy. We are becoming a very close family and my fellow employees will never know all the strength they provide for me. I have enjoyed the things they have shared with me. They are great people from all walks of life and a rich variety of religious backgrounds. They bless me daily with their understanding and care.
Two more days and I enter the hospital. I am very solemn at this time feeling like I know the answer. They will take care of my job while I am gone and in doing so things will be in better hands than mine. This is a terrific group I have been blessed to work with. They have stayed close though some difficult work situations and wow how they have grown. Myself I can’t keep up with all the good things they are doing. My peers are truly my salvation at work. I would mention names but I need to protect the innocent. They know who they are and I am going to miss them. How blessed we are when those we work with are just like family.
I had a chance of meeting with the Colonel over our organization today he is the father of our Group and wants the best for his work family. I love his values it is God first, family second and country third. I expressed to him my gratitude for being able to work in his organization and for the leadership provided by Cathy. We are becoming a very close family and my fellow employees will never know all the strength they provide for me. I have enjoyed the things they have shared with me. They are great people from all walks of life and a rich variety of religious backgrounds. They bless me daily with their understanding and care.
Two more days and I enter the hospital. I am very solemn at this time feeling like I know the answer. They will take care of my job while I am gone and in doing so things will be in better hands than mine. This is a terrific group I have been blessed to work with. They have stayed close though some difficult work situations and wow how they have grown. Myself I can’t keep up with all the good things they are doing. My peers are truly my salvation at work. I would mention names but I need to protect the innocent. They know who they are and I am going to miss them. How blessed we are when those we work with are just like family.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
What a day! I have been pondering all the blessings I have been given along with prayers. I could not help but think of a blessing I was given that I would be healed. Little does this person know my cancer is not the greatest illness I have. I have a relationship issue that is far greater and with this disease a blessing of being reunited with those who I love has taken place. This was the real sickness and the blessing I was given has been fulfilled. I see things from a different point of view and can move forward with the blessing of this dreadful disease. I can’t help but thank the Lord for two special people in my life Lisa and Brian and all the joy they bring to me with their expanding families.
Yesterday, I visited a couple who live near me, Jordan and his little family. To protect them I am not going to share the rest of the family member’s names. They brought me to tears with their great love and compassion. Words were not needed to feel their love and concern. During the visit their three year old son amazed me, he quietly walked up to his Dad and said, "I am going to time out and when I am done I will come and talk to you about it." Then he quietly walked away to ponder his time out. It seemed like a self-imposed time out. When I left I told this little and very wise tike that he is the best three year old I have known in my 60 years of life. What a great blessing this was.
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