Waiting

 I waited for Far Guy to have his Pet Scan.  They have these cool cubbies/pods/whatchamacallits with outlets and a charging port.  The Pet Scan took over two hours.  I read my book.  There were several different waiting areas and I was all alone in the area I chose. 

They have a robotic floor scrubber that was having troubles staying on course.  Finally someone showed up with a phone and moved it out of the area. 

Anyways...Far Guy had his Pet scan and blood work. 

We saw the Oncologist yesterday for the report.  Great news on the breast cancer...it is under control and almost gone comparing the June Pet scan to the August scan!!  The Doctors says he considers it a Stage Three now not a Stage Four...good news!!  

We are awaiting an appointment for a biopsy of Far Guy's Thyroid.  It has nothing in common with the breast cancer....so it is NOT a metastasis as the Dr originally thought.  It is something else...and the biopsy will tell the story.  So we wait for an appointment and then after that we wait for about two weeks for the biopsy results.  Then the Dr and Far Guy can decide what the next plan will be. 

We are very thankful for the good news and thankful for everyone that has been praying for Far Guy!

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Good news!

 The oncologist says the tumor is still shrinking, the cancer meds are working.  In two weeks Far Guy will have a pet scan and a Dr visit and the Dr will have a plan. All the prayers are working!

Far Guy has some of his appetite back…maybe that is Andy’s good cooking. Ribs on Monday night and last night was BLTs and green beans. 

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A little good news

 Good news at the Oncology visit!  The tumor shrunk even more!   Dr B is very pleased and encouraged!  

The genetic testing came back...Far Guy has a gene for cancer.  It is the CHEK2 Gene mutation.  However this does not change his treatment.  He is also a carrier for MSH3.   The Doctor explained that folding genes get messed up...I don't understand it all.  I understood the Alpha One Gene Mutation better than this new gene mutation.

Treatment stays the same and in 30 days he will have a Pet Scan for exact measurements.  After that time we might be able to go to once a month visits...maybe.

We got to see Jen and Sadie, Brenton, Maddie and the girls and have pizza with them. Baby K is growing and is the new favorite baby at daycare:)

Peach on the right was just about ready to pull her sister hair in this photo.  The terrible 2's have begun. A bit later she grabbed a whole handful of hair and yanked on it.  It was funny/not funny. 

We slept in our own beds there...comfy as always. We left on Tuesday morning and returned home to the woods on Wednesday evening.

Happy Birthday to Son In Law Andy...he turned 50 on Tuesday!  He was at the Mall of America for a  Tournament.

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Helpers

 Paige, Cole and Savannah came to help us out yesterday.  The house is clean again, recycling done, weeds sprayed, ants sprayed, our car vacuumed out...now we can relax a bit.  My baby brother came by and mowed our lawn again.   We are so appreciative of all the help!

I am feeling better, but I can sure tell when I overdo...either doing too many "things" or walking too much.  I still cannot bend over or twist or turn...and that is really hard for me.  I still have some numbness/pain especially across my buttocks and down my left leg and across to my big toe.  It makes walking a bit tricky sometimes.  I still have pain at the surgical site too...and a tiredness when I overdo.  I am not over my UTI and have asked the Doctor to prescribe a different med.  I saw my Rheumatologist last week...he offers no help for me, he just says "You have failed all the arthritis medications so I cannot help you." Alrighty then.  I asked him about my Ferritin level being so high and he said "We will check it again in three months." So no help for the extreme fatigue or the extra pain in wrists and knees.  I am not sure why I waste my time with him ( he is not a helper).

Far Guy is still struggling with nausea, burning mouth syndrome, acid reflux and tummy troubles. He is a trooper...he ate a bit more yesterday.  Trying to find food that he will eat is a challenge.  He gained a half a pound.  He is awfully skinny...he weighs 137 now. 

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Saturday all day

 Saturday was a day.  I cleaned part of the bathroom that didn't involved bending over, put a few things in their proper place and did some laundry.  I had a long nap in the afternoon.   We had Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for supper. 

Minnesota weather: High was 74F or 24C and the low was 53F or 12C eh!   Far Guy sat outdoors for awhile.  He is still mostly miserable with the side effects from the cancer drugs.

Last Tuesday I took a photo of Jen holding Baby K.  Baby K is growing.

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News all good

 This is a week of medical appointments...six of them.  Three were accomplished on Monday and Tuesday.  We made the drive Up North (2 1/2 hours) for a blood draw for Far Guy on Monday.   During the night a horrid UTI made it impossible to sleep...so I went to Urgent Care as soon as they opened...got meds and I will recover.   Tuesday Far Guy saw his Oncologist Dr B and the tumor has shrunk by 50% !!!  The cancer medication is being decreased in the hope that the side effects will be tolerable and it will still work at decreasing the size of the tumor.  We see Dr B every two weeks, he is very encouraged by the progress in just the last two weeks. We drove back home to the woods after the appointment.

Sadie was happy to see us, Jen and Andy made supper for us on Monday night...burgers and corn on the cob and then Andy made lunch for us before we left.  Andy and Jen are so good to us we are blessed to have them in our family! 

We also got to see Maddie and Baby K for a bit! 

The Clinic where Far Guy had his blood draw. 

Keep praying for Far Guy as all the prayers are working!! He has been so sick the past ten days.

The three remaining appointments this week...two are virtual and then on Thursday Far Guys usual Infusion appointment. 

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Oh my

 Last night at supper..Far Guy said.."look at that."  There were six half grown baby skunks outside of the living room window.  Oh my.  Glad they didn't spray anything. 

Ain't life grand.  Just when you think you have a few things under control...you don't.  I grabbed my camera and got a couple of photos out of the kitchen window. They peeked in all the ground floor windows....so glad none of them were open! 

Oh a lighter note.  I made pork chops and a baked potato for supper.  Jen went back home in the afternoon after we were all stocked up with groceries and supplies. She cleaned the bathroom and vacuumed. AND made us a pan of lasagna and Far Guys famous Italian sausage cheezy dip.

It was a nice day outside the high was 75F or 24C the low was 53F or 12C.  I had a nap in the afternoon. 

Far Guy is still struggling with the Cancer medications.

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Uffda

 Far Guy started his cancer fighting medications on Tuesday evening July 1. Our insurance denied the meds. Luckily the pharmaceutical company has a program that he qualified for. 

Here is $19,655 worth of medication. It is $351 a pill and he takes two a day. Uffda. Thank goodness for the pharmaceutical company program that makes our cost zero.

He is struggling through some side effects.  Sure wish he could catch a break. The side effects could go away after a month or so. Uffda.

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Angel in the Living Room

 There is an angel in the living room, I walk by her a number of times a day.  I am supposed to walk a lot, who really knows how much. I walk, I rest..repeat as needed until I am tired and it is nap time.  I do know what it feels like to overdo.  Yesterday was my fourth day with no pain meds. I take six extra strength Tylenol daily. Two Tylenol every eight hours and one muscle relaxing pill every eight hours and boy I count down the last few hours. Tylenol is all I can take because of my blood pressure. Most of my pain is from the incision down my spine.  My brain is returning from the mushy drug induced state it has been in for the past two weeks. I have some residual nerve pain/numbness across my buttock and down my left leg and over to my toes…it has improved a little and I hope with time it will improve more…if I overdo it let’s me know.

Today I am two weeks post surgery. Yeah me! Far Guy and Jen are taking good care of me. It is hard to remember not to pick up anything from the floor and I try to be very conscious to keep my hips aligned with my shoulders at all times, I am not supposed to lift anything above my head either.  I sit in the shower to wash my now much shorter hair…Jen cut and thinned my hair so it is easier to care for. 

Far Guy is a trooper, helpful at all times! Presently he is waiting for insurance approval for all his cancer fighting medications. He has two personal navigators at the Cancer Center that are working on his behalf. 

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News

 Well..it is not the news we hoped for.

Stage 4 adenocarcinoma in the left chest, with lymph node that is also cancerous.  We cannot attempt chemo because the hearts ejection fraction is 47% and it should be 50% or above. Plan b is hormone therapy taken as pills daily. The Dr will see him every two weeks and he will have blood work and pet scans from time to time. If the tumor responds and shrinks then he will have surgery. If it does not shrink we will have to revisit the plan a of chemotherapy…which may cause death.

We are sad and discouraged, it will take some time for everything to sink in. Thank you for all the prayers.

A rainbow after a thunderstorm on Wednesday night. Photo by Jen

I will be back as I am able.

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Pool day

 Wednesday was pool cleaning day and Sadie helped. 

I stepped outside long enough to get a photo. 

Far Guy went to his Pet scan…results will not be known until late Thursday. Far Guy is feeling scared, I cannot blame him as I am scared for him too. 

I am still having some numbness on my left side (buttock,hip,leg and foot)and some pain from the incision.  I have deep stitches and the a whole bunch of glue holding it all together. The glue is supposed to flake away during the first month. No sitting in water…so no pool for me. I can take a shower…with help. I am walking often. 

Jen and Far Guy think I am doing great. 

Baby K had the procedure that unties the tongue tied. Now she may gain some weight. Maddie said the procedure went well. 

I will be back as I am able.

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Day by day

 One day after another.  My pain is less now that I am taking some muscle relaxers. I walk many times a day. Yesterday’s goal was to get dressed…as the day before I just wanted to be in a nightgown all day.

I am writing on Tuesday night, Sadie goes to daycare on Tuesdays to romp with her friends all day. Supper was Mexican. Maddie and baby K visited in the afternoon. I got to feed baby K a bottle but she does not burp easily …so Jen took over. Baby K is tongue tied so she is having a procedure soon…poor little gal.

Far Guy and I had a quiet day tending to some phone calls etc and I crocheted a bit. 

Today (Wednesday) Far Guy has a scan in the afternoon..a Pet Scan but no real dogs or cats are allowed.  The results will not be known until late Thursday afternoon.

My new crochet project it is called Apache Tears…each row is a different color..a good way to use up yarn!

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Chest cancer

 Let’s go back to a few weeks ago. 

Far Guy had a funny (not ha ha funny)looking spot on his chest.  We had numerous conversations about it…make an appointment soon.  He refused to have it looked at until I had a date for spine surgery.  Once I had a date…he had a biopsy.  He thought it was a cyst, I hoped it was a cyst. Results would take 7-10 days.

As I was coming out of surgery last Tuesday June 10th Far Guy’s phone rang.  It is CANCER. CHEST CANCER.  Far Guy and Jen are together when they get the news. They decide not to tell me right away…good decision as I have to have the simplest of things repeated many times. They shoulder the news alone but together. Decisions are made when and where to see Doctors. They made decisions exactly as I would have.

Grand Forks ND is a no brainer as Jen and Andy live close by. The Oncologist can see Far Guy on Friday. We head North. We met the oncologist on Friday June 13th, he seems like a kind man…Dr B.

The CHEST CANCER is Stage three because it has come through the chest wall.  More testing will be done this week on Wednesday and Thursday with a Dr B appointment on Thursday afternoon…to make a plan.

Prayers are appreciated. We trust that God is in charge. BUT it is still hard. We are scared, discouraged and mad all rolled into one emotion.

I will return as I am able.

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Time

 Is it the times or our age? 

Many people that we know are struggling with health problems.

My cousin Sam's wife Kathy died on Friday from Gallbladder Cancer, she fought the good fight and had Doctors from Mayo Clinic taking care of her.   The year that they gave her to live quickly became weeks then days.  She was 58 years old. 

Far Guy's sister remains at home with Hospice care.  Far Guy facetimes with her every day, sometimes I pop by and wave and say Hi or hold Sadie up so she can see her...she needs to talk with her brother.  She has Leptomeningeal carcinoma a result of Metastatic Breast Cancer.    February 17 she was given a few weeks to a few days and she is still hanging in there. 

We have other friends...with medical conditions...Granular Glass Fibrosis, Mylelofibrosis, Follicular Lymphoma.  Big bad words. 

Time...time to build your own ( pine box) coffin, write your obituary,  plan your service and wrap up loose ends.  Some people are greatful for that extended time to get their house in order and prepare.  

On a side note if the building you store the pine box in is for sale you should move it or explain to prospective buyers beforehand!

Prayers for comfort for all those struggling with health issues.

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The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

Sad week

 It was a sad week, we missed a funeral on Wednesday...it was a longer drive and we thought about going to the closer cemetery on Wednesday but did not go.  I sent off a card to his wife Judy after I messaged her on facebook.  Ernie was a great guy, he just turned 65, he was a local kid...he was on the fire Department with Far Guy and I.  He woke up one morning sat down at the breakfast table and died.  No extended hospital stays and more importantly no nursing home stay.  He would have probably laughed and said "Now thats the way to go."

We attended Mary Ann's funeral yesterday, she was 76 years old.  We sat in the back of the church behind my parents, we did not stay for the lunch as soon as the service was over we left.  The service was lovely...I probably liked it because for once they did not read the entire obituary. ( Some ministers read the whole obit as part of their sermon...like we cannot read for ourselves.)

Another old friend (Brian) that we have known since about 1978 has been through chemo for pancreatic cancer, is now on hospice.   Far Guy worked with him for 20 plus years. 

One of my cousin's had a heart attack, then bypass surgery and after a week in the hospital has finally come home to recoup.  He just turned 60 years old this spring.  His father died at home of a heart attack when he was 59 years old.

Seems like many people are getting cancer diagnosis lately... a blogger with bladder cancer/liver cancer and another with pancreatic cancer.  My prayers for comfort and healing go out to them all.

As we get older the losses/ bad news become more frequent, not easier.

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