A Slower Path

Wow, this new path has slowed from a run to a walk! The roller coaster ride of emotion finally stopped and we were able to get off. Now we will be able to walk on the path more slowly and pray and hope that David remains cancer free for the next 4 1/2 years.

This will be my last update for quite sometime as the majority of this is over and David is doing so much better. There is very good news to share with this post. David had his latest pet/ct scans and the results were very good! David will continue to have them at 6 month intervals. He and I both were very happy to hear this report from the Dr. The next step for him is he will be returning to work on Monday, Nov. 9Th. almost one year after he was diagnosed. He is trying to get back into his schedule of working. This also allows me to start looking for work more diligently which I have been doing. My resume has been updated and contacts have been made, interviews hopefully very soon.

Just a note about my trip to my parents farm in TN, it was very relaxing and refreshing. I enjoyed being with my parents, brothers, sister in laws, and nieces. Being able to walk in the woods or just around the farm was very good medicine for me. I want to thank each one of them for being there and listening to me. Thanks family!

This is for Daves family, THANK YOU! All of you are so awesome there are no words that I can use to describe the support that was given to Dave and myself through this past year!

To our friends and neighbors, Thank you for everything we are very blessed to have the neighbors and wonderful friends that we do.

Thank you to Daves union and company for all the help and assistance they have given since the beginning. Thanks guys!

Thank you to all of Daves Dr's. for everything they have done to help ensure his life!

The biggest THANK YOU is to Our Lord Above, Thank you Jesus for keeping David here and healing him.

I sound like we just won an Oscar or something, sorry about that but I just wanted to make sure I got everyone in there.

The next 4-1/2 years hopefully will be a slower walk with David remaining cancer free, we will continue to pray that the Lord will see to it.

I will close this for awhile, thank you for listening, we love you all, God Bless each and everyone of you!

Words cannot express...

Words cannot express the gratitude that I feel for the many blessings that Dave and I have experienced the last 10 months. Thank you to everyone who has supported, prayed and given us the help that we needed. It all seemed to come at a time when we really needed it.
Dave is doing well, the TEP is in place and he is speaking, the speech therapist is happy with his progress. He has yet to put in the other piece for hands free use. That it seems will take some time, as his body is still adjusting to everything.
We have also been to see Dr. Rezaee, he to is also pleased with him and says that Dave is ahead of schedule in his physical recovery. The feeding tube was removed as well on this trip, which really made Dave happy. The Dr. also said Dave could start doing the things he likes with the possibility of returning to work in the next few months, YAY!
Just an update, Daves long term disability was approved and he will be receiving a monthly check, we already received the back pay which also came at a time when it was needed.
I will be going to TN for a week at the end of this month to see my parents and lend a helping hand as much as my mom will let me. She shattered her ankle about a week ago, has pins, a metal plate, and in a cast. She is immobilized for the next 8 weeks.
Thank you for listening, God Bless, we love you all!

Dave has started to talk!

Wow, what a wonderful week this has been! My daughter Shanna married a very nice guy named Daniel O'Coin last Saturday. She was a beautiful bride and Dan was a handsome groom and the wedding was beautiful. I did not cry during the ceremony, but when I got to the receiving line... that was a different story. The reception went well and Dave ate his meal of roast beef, red potatoes and vegetable, including a salad. Dave and I welcome Dan into our family.
The best part of all is that Dave had the implant put in on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. It is a tiny straw looking thing that connects the trachea and esophagus that enables Dave to speak. Plus he sounds a lot like his own voice. He does have some work to do learning how to use it, he will have to cover the stoma (hole in trachea) so as not to allow air to escape through it so that he can speak. One of the first things he said to me was I love you, I am on cloud nine! Those words have only been by sign language since the beginning of July. Then on Saturday while I was at the store he called and asked if I could here him, I said yes and told him I would be home shortly. When I hung up, I almost cried again, the firsts are amazing! He will be able to speak hands free eventually. There will be another piece put on the outside of the stoma so that he will not have to cover the stoma with his thumb.
Dave is feeling good and slowly gaining his weight back and his strength, and he is walking most evenings. Things are starting to look up for Dave as his health improves. I will say this, he is bored to the point of exasperation at times. I found a wood dollhouse kit at a yard sale, everything there. He has already started putting it together, it will take up some of his time for quite awhile. The girls and I will have to start looking for miniatures to put in it.
There are some unfortunate problems that we are facing at this time, his short term disability ran out before the long term disability starts. We have been told that we should hear something by the end of September. Dave could get the approval or not and it could even take another 45 days after that. So please keep this in prayer that he receives these benefits. I have applied at Job and family services for certain benefits and was told that we are $100.00 over the cut off line of eligible income for the month of August, now that stinks, September is another story! Please keep Dave and our family in prayer that we may get through this really rough time. Thank you for listening, God Bless, we love you all.

A pretty good week

Well, this week was a pretty good one. Dave and I went to the Dr. for his checkup. The Dr. is pleased with Daves progress so far, he was able to put the stoma vent (it's flat & flush to skin) in, which is much more comfortable for Dave. The Dr. has told Dave that he can now start eating very soft food, such as jellos, puddings, mash. potatoes and the like. He will have to drink water or Gatorade after each bite till his throat learns to push it down on it's own for awhile yet. He will still have the tube feedings until he is able to eat everything and maintaining his weight. Dave gained 6 pounds in two weeks which everyone likes to hear. The Dr. will be watching the lungs closely as well, to see if the spots grow. We don't have to go back till September.
Later in August the TEP will be placed in the trachea and Dave will be learning how to speak with that and the help of a speech therapist located locally. We are still waiting on the electro layrnx (handheld mic.) from the provider, insurance red tape is ridiculous! We know the ins. approved it, now it's just a matter of getting it. This item will also be used in case of emergency and Dave can't speak. Dave will also be starting physical therapy soon to help with his strength and work out some kinks in his shoulders.
Dave is very bored, and fast running out of things to do as he is unable to do a lot yet. So your welcome to visit, just call before coming by (to be sure its a good day). Thanks to Daves sister Karen and her other half Kevin, they took Tommy and several other nephews out to the lake on Sat. for a picnic and boat ride. He had a really good time with everyone :-) Please keep Dave in prayer for strength and courage as he travels forward. Thank you for listening, God Bless, we love you all.

The Roller Coaster Ride Is Slowing Down

Well this roller coaster ride is slowly slowing down. We came home from University Hospitals on Tuesday the 14Th of July. Dave was only there for 6 days. He is doing remarkably well considering what all he has gone through. He is unable to talk or eat at this time. He gets his nutrition in a feeding tube and believe it or not he is actually gaining weight. The doc. feels Dave should be eating soft foods by the end of July, and hopefully by the time Shanna gets married he will be eating pretty much everything.
We did get the results of the lymph nodes that were biopsied, they were negative for cancer. Dave has been truly blessed with the outcome of all the cancer tests.
We were in Cleveland this morning to see Dr. Rezaee, Dave has gained a couple of pounds since we came home. The doc. also removed the staples and Dave is healing quite nicely. We don't have to go back for another 2 - 3 weeks.
Thank you for your continued support, God Bless, we love you all.

On the road to recovery!

Well here I am again at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio. I was fortunate enough to get a room at the Hope Lodge which is sponsored by the American Cancer Society. I have a very nice room, shared kitchen facilities and computer access. Thank you to the wonderful folks here. We arrived here at 5:30 this morning to start a very long day in the SICU.
On to the update, Dave is doing fantastic. He was only in surgery for 6 hours instead of up to 14 hours that the docs. said it would take. There was no removal of nerves, veins, or skin from his left forearm or chest. They did remove the dysfunctional larynx as well as some lymph nodes on the left side of his throat. They were able to reconstruct his throat with what he has. He will always have the trach or hole in the trachea (airway) for breathing. Dave will put a microphone looking thing up to his throat in order to talk temporarily and the TEP or hands free voice box will be placed in about 8 weeks, that is only when he is allowed to start talking in a couple of weeks. God is good!
Daves mom and sister Julie were here with me through the day, many thanks to them for there support. I will continue to update as I can, thank you all for listening. God Bless, we love you all.

What a wild ride this past week!

We hope that everyone had a nice 4Th of July. We had a very quiet day. Daves sister Julie had the kids come out to her place for her daughter Aprils h.s. grad. party and picnic. His sister Roseann who was in town for the celebration picked them up and Grandma Rosemary brought them home. They spent the day swimming and eating and doing some more swimming. Many thanks to Daves family for helping them have a great time!

With that said, I will start at the beginning which started on Friday, June 26Th, 2009. Our day started out on the rough side with Dave not being able to breathe. I called the ambulance to take him to Akron City Hosp. e.r. I dropped the kids off with their grandparents and went to be with him, Julie came and stayed with us all day. While there a CT Scan was done and they found that the cartilage that makes up the adams apple surrounding the thyroid had collapsed and his throat was not healing properly causing a blockage. There was a risk of this we knew when Dave started radiation. They transferred Dave to University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio in late afternoon, early evening. Julie and I drove up behind the ambulance, while I made several phone calls to let family and friends know what was happening. They admitted Dave to the SICU (surgical intensive care) unit. Daves sister Laura and her husband Steve joined us there and stayed till we all had to leave. Julie booked a hotel room for the two of us and we stayed in Cleveland for the night. I stayed in the hotel on Saturday night and on Sunday my friend Shelley offered for me to stay with her, which I did. I came home on Monday evening to do some laundry and check on things. Shanna was off from work this week so she was able to be here for the kids. She was able to get the kids into camp for the week, they would leave in the morning and return home in late afternoon. I was exhausted from the past three days and did manage to get some sleep. Tuesday was hectic as I had to return to Akron City Hosp. to get copies of the CT Scan disks that the Dr. on Friday would not give us to take to University Hosp.

On Saturday morning Dave had surgery to put in a temporary trach (hole in the trachea to breath), feeding tube into the stomach, and the biopsies. Dave was on a ventilator for several hours Saturday to help him adjust to the trach and he slept for a great deal of the day. He was also very tired as he had not been sleeping very much in the days before this happening. He spent a total of 3 days in the SICU unit before they transferred him to a room on Monday morning. We spent 3 1/2 days there while they taught us how to care for the trach. Dave came home on Thursday. He was only released after medical supplies were delivered and here ready and waiting for his care. A home health care nurse had also been arranged and she met with us to show us how to operate the feeding tube pump and the suction pump.
Dave has adjusted pretty well to all of this and is coping with what is to come. The next step will happen on Thursday, July 9TH. He will be having a total laryengectomy to remove the damaged larynx (voice box). This surgery takes about 6 to 14 hours depending on what they do and how they do it. I will be a complete wreck by the time it is done. Dave will be in the hosp. for 10 days and then transferred to a rehab. facility in our area that can help him adjust and learn how to talk with his new voice box. We are both very scared about what can happen during this time.
We did receive some good news about the biopsies on Wed. evening, they were negative for cancer, but the damage that was done to the larynx (voice box) is to extensive, so it is best to remove it, as it will never operate the way it should.
There you have it, the roller coaster ride is almost over, we our on a path that has light at the end, we can see a sliver of it. Please keep Dave in prayer that he will have courage and strength on this ride to face his future with me by his side for always. Thank you for listening and God Bless you, we love you all.

It's a new walk on an old path!

It's a new walk on an old path! We've been here before and are not taking it as slow this time. Dave had his CT scan of his chest and abdomen on Thursday, June 4, he no sooner walked in the door than we turned around and went back to the emergency room. He was having difficulty breathing. They did there tests including an x-ray and discovered that he has pneumonia. They gave him antibiotics and sent him home. The next day we had and appointment with University Hospitals (Cleveland) to see the specialist Dr. Rezaee. Daves sister Julie took us up there to take notes and ask questions, thank you Julie your awesome! We were very concerned about Daves breathing and what was going on with that. He said it could probably be from the pneumonia or some scar tissue blocking his airway from the radiation treatments. He did take a look with the scope and we feel he did not like what he saw. There is a possibility that Dave may have to have a tracheotomy for breathing which would be done when the biopsy is done in two weeks at University Hospitals. Dr. Rezaee also told us that the spots on his lungs could be from the pneumonia, it is to small to even do a needle biopsy on. As for his tongue Dave was probably moving it around during the scans in May. All of the above I just mentioned plus any scar tissue in his throat could cause what they call a false/positive result. When Dr. Rezaee does the biopsy he will be looking at the tongue, throat, stomach and his lungs very thoroughly. We came away feeling a bit better about this but still full of questions.

Dave had a three month follow up appointment with Dr. Simmons, the radiation Dr. yesterday. He is in agreement with Dr. Rezaee about the biopsy that is scheduled and feels that any further treatments given should be at University Hospitals in Cleveland. Just to let you know we live about 40 miles south of Cleveland in the Akron area.

I would like to send my thoughts and prayers to my wonderful friend Linda in Austin, TX. Her mother is in the last stages of lung cancer and Linda and her brother are having a difficult time with her. Please keep her and hers in your prayers.

Dave and I would like to give special thanks to Tommy (Daves Brother) for taking out the old dilapidated concrete steps in the front of the house and to Kevin and his friend Rich for getting new ones built. They are really nice and we thank each one of you for your part in getting them done.

Thank you for listening and God Bless. We love you all.

Now What?

Dave is doing the best he can at this point. Our appointment with Dr. Koenig, the chemotherapy Dr. was not a good one. Dave had the best chemo medication available and he told us there is nothing more that he can do. Once someone has had the cisplatin the other chemo meds. don't work as well. Dr. Koenig did give Dave a pain medication patch to see him through the next couple of weeks till the ride gets really rough. We will be seeing Dr. Rezaee from University Hospitals on Friday, June 12, 2009. We already know that Dave will be losing his larynx (voice box) in the very near future, no one had to tell us that.
We did go to see Dr. Lutz yesterday, as Dave is having difficulty swallowing, his voice is going and in some pain. Dr. Lutz gave him some more steroid meds. to hopefully help with the swelling and get him to Dr. Rezaees office. Dr. Lutz also wrote the order to do the CT scan of Daves chest and abdomen.
Daves brother Tom came by yesterday and visited with him for a couple of hours which was really nice. Dave does enjoy his brothers company.
Yesterday was the kids last day of school for summer break. The kids and I made a fire and roasted marshmallows last evening. The kids were playing in the yard and I was sitting there alone and started feeling really sad. Dave was not there beside me to enjoy the fire, he was in the house. He gets cold really easy. I started to cry and Candi my dog crawled up onto my legs and the kids came to. The kids all hugged me and stayed with me till I got over the moment. I had not so openly showed my emotions to them before. They knew why I was crying and they realized to that Dad should have been out with us as well. We did enjoy our time by the fire, despite a few moments of sadness.
Thank you for listening, God Bless, we love you all.

The Roller Coaster ride begins again!

Today is Friday the 29Th of May, 2009. It is very early as I could not sleep. The house is still quiet as no one is up yet. We are now on that roller coaster ride again and I really don't like roller coasters. This ride is different though it deals with ones life and his loved ones.

We heard from Dr. Simmons (radiation Dr.) on Wednesday with the results of the pet scan and ct scan. David still has cancer in his throat and possibly his tongue. The most worrisome part is that they found spots on his lungs in the upper area of the lungs. We saw Dr. Lutz yesterday (Thursday) and he went over this information with us. Daves sister Julie was with us for support and to take notes. We will be seeing the chemotherapy Dr. on Tuesday, June 2, and appts. for Dr. Rezaee at University Hospital are being made. It has also been recommended that Dave have a ct scan of the chest area and another pet scan.

Dave and I hoped for the best outcome and that did not come, your continued prayers and support are needed to get us through this part of our ride. Thank you for listening, God Bless. We love you all.

A Beautiful Weekend

We had some absolutely beautiful weather this Memorial weekend. Dave and I celebrated our 11Th anniversary on Saturday the 23rd, can you believe it? Seems like just a few days ago that we said our vows. The kids went to visit there grandparents and a cousin that was home from Florida with their new little one. Dave chose The Outback for dinner and he ate his steak every bit of it and smiled from ear to ear! We then rented a movie to watch at home, but before we did that Shanna joined us for an ice cream over at the local DQ. She then went to her girlfriends for the night. It was a very nice evening being able to spend time with 2 of my 4 favorite people.
On Sunday we joined the rest of the family at Julies for a family picnic, good food and fun once again.
Dave has been having trouble with a sore throat and swelling and his voice is gravely. We went in to see the ENT in early May and was checked out. He gave him steroids for the swelling and an antibacterial mouth rinse. Dave is also coughing so I think he may have just caught a cold and with his immune system low it is just taking a while to get over it.
Dave went for his pet scan and CT scans on the 18Th and 19Th of May, we will be seeing Dr. Lutz on Thursday for the report. I will update again at that time, until then please keep him in your prayers. God Bless you and thank you for listening. We love you all.

Looking forward to returning to work!

Thought I would send out an update on how Dave has progressed since his appetite and taste has started to make a comeback. Things are going very well, Daves taste buds seem to be awakening, slowly of course and he is eating very well. He eats pretty much everything he did before his radiation treatments started. He has even started eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, woohoo! Dave is still not able to eat some foods, they just don't taste right or it's to spicy or dry. He keeps trying though.
Dave has also been busy outside to, we had bought a shed last fall to put up and that was not done. I can say that it is up and the overflow from the garage has started moving in (with help from us). I am hoping that I am able to pull my truck in the garage next winter, that would be nice :-) He has also started mowing the yard, maybe not as fast as he used to do it, but he is doing it. These are just some of the things that he is doing and not exhausting himself lately. He still gets tired, but is able to do more as the days go on.
We celebrated Daves 50Th birthday at the end of April. We had a party for him with family and a few friends at his sister Julies home. There was lots of good food, cake and fun. She has a pool and the weather cooperated (80 degrees), the kids were able to swim and a good time was had by all.
Thanks Julie & Don.

Dave hopes to return to work on May 20Th, he says he is ready. He is stir crazy here at home and he keeps doing things to help build his stamina up. I love him dearly and have enjoyed this time together but I to am ready for him to go back to work.
Dave will be having a petscan and a ct scan before he goes back to work. He will see the ENT the end of May and the radiation dr. in June. Lets hope that the treatments dissolved the tumor completely.
On Sunday I had made a delicious meal of marinated grilled chicken (he grilled), stuffing (stove top), gravy, green beans and salad. He ate it all! While we were cleaning up he walked over to me, kissed me on the cheek and said dinner was good! Dave then turned and went outside to continue working on the shed. It took me a moment to realize that he had tasted his supper. I started to cry, the kids saw this and realized it to. I was so very happy to hear him say that after not hearing it for almost 3 months.
Thank you for listening. God Bless, we love you all.

The Futures looking bright (food & appetite anyway)!

Hello again everyone. Dave went to see Dr. Simmons, the radiation dr. this morning. Dave has maintained his weight, not lost or gained since his radiation ended March 18Th. Dr. Simmons liked the way his skin on his neck healed and the inside of his mouth looked great. Dr. Simmons will not try to get the scope down until his 3 month checkup in June, when Dave is completely healed. Dr. Simmons was impressed with the things that Dave is eating, he is starting to eat lasagna, garlic bread, small salad, and he ate ham on Easter with gravy, mash. pot. and veggies. These are all in small portions but he is very glad to be eating more solid foods. He still eats the cream of wheat in the morning but is also eating a pop tart or danish of some kind with coffee later in the morning. So he is beginning to eat more breaded type foods. He has eaten a couple of strawberry cupcakes that I made for Easter. Dave is snacking on fruit, pudding, sherbert and it seems like whatever he can eat, he's eating. He still drinks the Ensure for weight and the one to help gain his muscle strength back. He still has trouble with chicken, and pork chops because they are dry. His mouth is making saliva and getting better every day. He says some things still taste funky, salty, or no taste at all, although he is beginning to taste some things. He is wanting to make himself a pb&j to see if he can eat his favorite midnight snack, the day this happens will be one to rejoice!
Dave asked about when he could go back to work, Dr. Simmons said it's really up to you and how you feel. Dave says not yet, as he hasn't got his strength or stamina back. I totally agree, I see him everyday and he is not back to his old self yet. He does try to do things at home, but after a couple of hours or so (depending on what he's doing) he tires out and stops to rest. Sometimes he even takes a nap. He is going nuts being home all the time (and driving me crazy also). Hopefully for him he will feel up to going back to work sometime in May, but we'll see.
He will be getting the pet/ct scan sometime the week of May 18Th, and seeing the ENT at the end of May.
As he improves I will send updates. God Bless everyone, thank you for listening. We love you all.

Looking forward

Thought I would update a bit on how Dave is doing. His appetite is very slowly improving, he still eats a lot of cream of wheat (everything tastes really bad) He has successfully eaten some very, very small meals. He has started to eat the pudding and jello cups again, he even tried to eat some cookies and a donut to no avail. He experiences dryness of the mouth when eating. He said he will wait for those. He still drinks the ensure for weight gain three times a day, sometimes four. I am seriously thinking about buying the one to help with the muscle strength. Everything that Dave eats for the time being has to be soft, and he eats something every few hours.

Tommys birthday was April 1st, we got him an ice cream cake from DQ, Dave had a small piece of it and did OK. He says chocolate has a really off taste (he says he doesn't know how to describe it), the coldness did not bother him though. He will be trying more ice cream in small amounts, just not chocolate!

Daves energy level is still very low as well as his strength and stamina. This is slowly building up and he says he is going to start doing some very light workouts to help get his strength up.

Dave changed the oil and oil filter on his bike Thursday, it was a beautiful day here, in the mid 60's. He even washed it! I took my truck in to the shop for some work that day and it had to have the brake lines to the rear wheels replaced and a sensor of some kind. Dave picked me up on his bike and brought me home to wait for the repairs to be done. Later that evening he went for a very short ride. I do believe that he needed that after all of whats happening. He came back refreshed. Although the next day though he did take it very easy and relaxed.

We just learned that a good friend of ours is not doing well. We pray that he will be OK. Thank you for listening, God Bless each and everyone of you. We love you all.

The drs. are starting to sing!

Well things are looking up. For the last week Dave has had difficulty sleeping in anticipation of one of the several checkups that he will be experiencing. On Monday we went to the ENT - Dr. Lutz, he was able to do an exam and things looked good. Very swollen in there (from the radiation), but the dr. did not see any sign of the tumor, like I said it is still very swollen around the vocal chords so lets pray that it is gone or very small and hiding behind the swollen areas. Dave and I were never so relieved as to see and hear this news. We can handle whatever is there. We will be seeing Dr. Lutz in 6 weeks and the radiation dr. in mid April. Dave will also be having another pet/ct scan in about 8-10 weeks.

Dave had his blood drawn to check his white blood cell counts today also. There will be no chemo. Dr. Koenig has said that he is finished with it. The chemo and radiation are to be done together for the treatment to be effective. He will not be seeing him again unless recommended by the other doctors.

Dave is still eating very soft foods but beginning to eat a little more as each day passes. I can see his strength coming back a bit at a time. He is a strong man and hopefully will be riding his bike by May. I will update when he goes back to the drs. or when I see more improvement. I want to thank everyone for there continued support and prayers. Each and everyone of you are a blessing, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Dave still has a long road ahead with many doctors visits and tests till he hits that five year mark, as for now we will take one day at a time.

God Bless each and everyone of you, thanks for listening. We love you all.

It's not over till the dr's sing...

Today was supposed to be Daves last chemotherapy, not so! The day did not start out well, around 8:30 am or so the hospital called to tell us not to show up at 10:00 am as they did not have a bed for him. So we just took it easy this morning and about noon I called to see if there was a bed for him, yay, there was. They told us to be there around 1:30 pm. So we get there and they check him in and his blood pressure is really low, they draw blood and start his IV to help bring his BP up. An hour later they come back and say sorry, no go today, come back next week. Dave will have to have his blood drawn again on Wednesday to be sure his white cell have come up enough to do the chemo. Dr. Koenig had Dave stay to do the one bag of sodium chloride to increase his blood pressure, it brought it up considerable.
Dave is feeling tired but pretty much in good spirits. He goes to see the ENT, Dr. Lutz on Monday, don't know if he will be able to do an exam (down the throat) or not. Dave eats soft food and drinks Ensure, so he is trying.
We were talking with his mom the other day about when he will be able to eat right again. He says he can't wait, as we are going out to the Outback to celebrate with a nice, juicy steak!!!!
God Bless everyone and thank you for listening. We love you all.

The end of the path is near.

Good morning, hope that everyone is having a great day. Dave is now down to one chemotherapy and four radiation treatments left. March 18 will be his last radiation and his last chemo is scheduled. When we saw Dr. Simmons (radiation dr.) on Monday, he said Dave is doing well. Dave does have a pretty serious sunburn going on with his neck, and says he is now an official redneck, lol. There are some places that could be second degree burns, and silvadene was prescribed if it gets to that stage. Dave has started taking the pain meds. that were prescribed, (Advil wasn't working as well). He did awesome up till this past week with his radiation. Unfortunately, Daves voice is gone for now. He speaks in a loud whisper, this is expected to improve after his treatments are done. I am sure the kids don't mind, although I am the one doing all the yelling now :(
We saw Dr. Koenig (chemo. dr.) this morning. He is also happy with Daves progress. Dave has lost about 15 pounds since he started his treatments in January. Dr. Koenig said this is good and glad that it didn't start earlier in his treatments. We talked about his eating, and decided to keep trying food and also nutrition supplements. It has become a hit or miss on food that he can eat. Sometimes he can and sometimes he can't, food just tastes horrible! Dave is not a big guy to begin with, but he can put the food away :) So this experience has been hard for me to see, knowing how he enjoys eating. He has started eating cream of wheat for breakfast and sometimes lunch. If he is unable to eat supper, he has one of the supplements and the cream of wheat or soup. We went to Paneras Sat. evening and he got a bowl of there Chicken Noodle soup, which he ate the whole thing (except about 5-6 spoonfuls). Rachael was sitting across from him and was grinning from ear to ear watching him eat. She was very happy that her daddy ate almost all of his supper (so was I). On Sunday morning I made sausage gravy and biscuits with eggs. He ate one grands biscuit and two eggs. We were all glad to see this. As you can see it is hit or miss here. Dave especially has trouble eating after his chemo treatments for about a week, then his eating starts improving a bit.
Dave will see Dr. Lutz this month for a checkup and he will determine if we need to see Dr. Rezaee from University Hospital. We are hoping that these treatments destroyed the tumor on his larynx (voice box) so that no other procedures or treatments need to be done. God bless you and thanks for listening. We love you all.

Half way there!

Well the 2nd round of Chemotherapy is done. We were preparing to leave for Daves 21st round of radiation when they called to say the radiation machine was down. Dave let them know that he would be in the hospital for his chemo treatment and they could come and get him when the machine was fixed. So we were off with a quick stop at McDonalds for an egg Mcmuffin for him and a bagel for me. We arrived pretty much on time and they immediately got his hydration started about 10:30 am. I had a busy day so I left and picked Felicia up from school for her appt. and then she and I stopped by for a short visit. While we were gone they took Dave down to radiation (machine was fixed). They had not done his chemo yet. Felicia and I left to head home (laundry was calling) and to get Rae. Tommy was on a camping trip with the entire 5th grade. He was not due back till Friday afternoon. The girls and I had a nice evening (girls night), and also a nice visit with Dad.
On Friday morning I went to pick him up, he was not feeling the greatest. He did not even want to get some lunch when we left the hospital. We came home and he laid down. I told him to take the anti nausea meds and he did not. He waited till he was getting nauseated before he did, he ended up not feeling well at all. The doctor has said to take these when he gets home, he can be to stubborn for his own good.
Saturday was not to bad, but bad enough, he was taking the meds. and sleeping most of the day. He did not eat or drink.
Sunday I had him get up to shower and try to eat something, he did not feel well at all. He ate a bit but very little.
Monday was pretty much the same as Sunday. Dave and I went to radiation and he also sees the doctor. Dave had blood drawn to make sure his white blood cell count is still good to take the radiation treatments. His blood pressure was on the very low side, but still OK. They were very concerned about him not eating or drinking. The nurse told him the dr. just may send him upstairs to be hydrated by IV. Dave did not like that idea so said he would eat and drink. When we got home he did try to eat some soup and drink some Gatorade. Not much success, although he did drink an Ensure with success.
Tuesday I had errands to run so after his radiation I had him go with me. We grabbed a sandwich, and apple juice with some success. We walked around Sams Club so he got some exercise as they are pretty big. We took our time and looked at a lot of things. We did buy what we went in for and nothing extra. I had made homemade chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner last night, he had no success there. He is supposed to be taking the nausea meds but hasn't been, so I had him take one and he did drink an Ensure without getting sick.
It is Wednesday morning and he is doing better, he drank an Ensure and went off to radiation. I asked if he would like me to make him some breakfast when he gets back, but he said he would rather eat oatmeal. It's not heavy and that's what he wants.
When Dave started this he weighed about 165 lbs, he is now about 150lbs. His weight does fluctuate between 150 and 155, but that was before he quit smoking in November. He will start eating better in a few days, even though everything taste like sh**. I pray that he does not lose any more weight. If he does he will have to have that feeding tube, he does not want that either. I am thinking of things to do as the weather improves here, maybe I can get him to walk the dogs around the block!
Here is a note about me, I smoked my last cigarette on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009, so that means I have been smoke free since Feb. 15. I am very proud of myself and Dave is proud of me to! God Bless you and thank you for listening, we love you all.

No chemo today

Today was supposed to be the day for Daves 2nd round of chemotherapy. We arrived at the hospital and got settled in. We ordered Daves meals for today and tomorrow. The nurses came in and took his blood and started his IV. Daves lunch came and shortly after that Dr. Koenig came in and said no chemo today. Daves white blood cell counts were way to low and that is not good for chemotherapy. Dave is more susceptible to infection now. Dr. Koenig wants Dave to come to his office next wednesday for a blood test and if his white blood cells are up then he will have his chemo on thursday. The radiation treatments are what is causing his white blood cell count to be low. So we will try for next week.

Dave is doing well considering all that is happening. I have noticed that he has lost some hair in his beard, I did not say anything to him, he told me. I suggested that he shave his beard off so it won't be so noticible to him. I don't believe he has started losing his hair yet but I may be wrong in that thought. He has also lost about 5lbs. This is not to bad, but Dr. Koenig says he can't lose anymore.

I think we were both a bit disapointed today when Dr. Koenig came in and told us the news. I know that Dave just wants to get this overwith. We will try again next week. Thank you for listening and God Bless you. We love you all.

How am I feeling?

Well I thought I would write about how I am doing at this point. First I would like to say that Dave is doing OK. He has completed 7 of 35 radiation treatments and 1 of 3 chemo. treatments. He goes to his radiation treatments by himself, except on Mondays, I go with him cause he meets with the doc. He also has to have his blood drawn weekly. He still has a good appetite although he says food is beginning to taste funny. His hearing is getting weird also, different sounds are louder and a bit annoying. There are days that he feels out of sorts, not himself. I can tell because he is even more quieter than usual. His spirits are good and hopefully they will stay like that.

Now about me, I am doin! I try to keep things as normal as I can, kids, house etc.... I have my moments of sadness and happiness. I try to keep a smile on my face so that I can see one on Daves. There are times I look at my husband and see the man without cancer and wonder why him Lord? He is such a good man. I should not question his plan for him or our lives together. I have come to accept this and pray daily that he will heal my husband and give him strength to get through this. I also ask for strength to handle all that has been put on my plate.

I contacted Job & Family Services this past week to see if we qualify for any programs (food stamps, medicaid). We do not, even with Daves pay being cut in half while on short term disability. I have not said anything to him as he does not need to worry anymore than he is. He discovered that our roof is leaking again over our enclosed front porch. We had to have our living room redone 2 years ago, because of this. He has a bucket in the space above the porch trying to keep the living room dry. I am going to have to contact other agencies to see what they help with. We are in need of a new roof, so that is something else I have to look into. Oh boy! Thanks for listening, and God bless each and everyone of you. We love you all.

Yesterday was hell, today was better

Yesterday was hell, today is better. Just wanted everyone to know that the new medication for nausea that the doc. called in yesterday has worked. Dave was able to get up this morning and shower, he ate a bowl of cereal, and 2 cups of coffee. He is eating and drinking, not a lot but a good amount. He says he feels a bit weak and tired, but slowly recovering. He has been downstairs watching TV and is now watching Pittsburgh beat Arizona in the Superbowl. I think he has become a permanent fixture on the couch, that's OK I'll take it. I was able to get out of the house for a couple of hours to go to the grocery store and visit with a friend for a bit. I picked up the kids from there grandparents, so they are now home. They have been pretty quiet and understanding of there dad. I just spoke to Shanna and she is safely on the ground in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Dave said that if that's all the worst its gonna be then he's ready for the next two chemo. treatments, I pray that it's not worse than what he has had to experience this weekend. God bless you and thanks for listening. We love you all.

The walk down the new path has begun

The walk down the new path has begun. Dave was admitted to the hospital this week to begin his chemotherapy and radiation. He checked in and got settled in for his overnight visit. They started what they call a pre hydration about 10:30 (sodium chloride drip), then about 1:30 they administered the nausea meds and then the Sisplatin (chemo meds). This only took about an hour or so. After this was done they did a post hydration drip. The Sisplatin is a very toxic chemo med and can do damage to the kidneys if not hydrated well. He had his first radiation treatment shortly after the chemo. He took a shot of adavan before he went to radiation. He did well there. He had his second radiation on Friday before he came home. He did not take any meds. before this treatment. He did well without the adavan, and says he should not need it again during the rest of the radiation treatments. Dave did say the food was pretty good, I would have to agree as I made a trip to the cafeteria myself.
We returned home Friday afternoon to quiet, we watched a movie before the kids came in from school. After the kids did their chores and packed a weekend bag, I took them to their grandparents till Sunday. Dave and I are both glad they are not here as he has been very ill. The nausea meds. the doc. sent him home with were not working very well for him. I called the doc. and asked for them to prescribe something else and explained that he is not wanting to eat or drink. The doc. prescribed another med. which seems to have helped. I did get him to eat a piece of toast and drink a 12 oz Gatorade as well as some water and sprite. He is sleeping on and off and feels terrible. I pulled the muscles in my lower back on Thurs. so I have been trying to take care of me and him. He knows I hurt my back and does ask if I am OK. I am feeling much better today (ice/heat and Advil).
Dave will be returning in about 21 days for his second chemo treatment and overnight stay. He now has 33 radiation treatments and 2 chemo. treatments left. Thank you for listening and God bless you. We love you all.

The beginning of a new path

Well Dave is on vacation this week so that he can get some of the tests done and start his chemo this week. He follows up with the dentist tomorrow for his partials. Thanks again to the ones who helped in getting this done.
We went to the radiation doc. this morning so they could make a mold or mask for Davids head and shoulders. This is to hold his head in place during radiation treatment, he will have to hold completely still. He also had another pet/ct scan. Dave started having some anxiety about the process and they gave him an injection of xanax. The nurse came out to let me know why it was taking so long, and I had a bit of a panic attack, I went outside so that I could better deal with it. We were there for about 3 1/2 hours, an hour longer than we should have been there. Dave was very pale when he came out of there (he wasn't able to eat before the test).
When we arrived home to let the dogs out at 1:00, he decided he wanted to eat out. We went to a local eatery. He wanted breakfast, he ordered pancakes but they did not serve pancakes or french toast after 11:00. He said OK and ordered something else. I was expecting him to say lets go because he couldn't get what he wanted. He didn't even get upset, I like that medication, he was very calm most of the afternoon.
When we finally got home, he decided to go play on the Playstation 2. He has a game that he can play war and fly airplanes. He seems to really like it. So I left him there and ran some errands for about an hour. He was still quite calm from the earlier medication. I hope that he will be ok going through all of this. It's just a matter of getting it started and getting it over with. Thank you for listening and may God bless you. We love you all.

The time has come!

Hello everyone, hope that your all doing well. Felicia has been home for the better part of this week due to no heat at the high school, she finally went back today. Shanna has left for TN this morning to visit her grandma. She is going to be making her veil for her wedding in August. Shanna will be returning on Monday and then on Feb. 1, leaving for Vancouver B.C. Canada for 3 months. Dave has been doing OK so far.

Dave has had his teeth taken care of, thanks to a very understanding oral surgeon. He had his most recent extractions done for free. Our friend Sherry Z. is his assistant and spoke to him about Dave and he helped out. Thank you so very much Sherry and Dr. Kimberly. The only thing left to do is get his partials made. Our dentist will be doing this on Tuesday. Thank you to everyone who assisted in this area.

Dave will be taking some vacation time next week to cover the dentist appointment and to get another pet/ct scan on Monday. He will also have the mold made to hold his head in place during his radiation treatments.

Dave will also be starting his chemotherapy treatments this week. He will be admitted into the hospital for a 24 hour period. He will also be starting his radiation treatments. The treatments will be intense for him and I hope that this will shrink the tumor to non existent so that he will not have to have surgery to remove his larynx (voice box). If this doesn't work, his larynx will have to be removed.

Please keep him in your prayers that the treatment will work. I will update when I can. God Bless you and thank you for listening, we love you all.

It's a snowy day out and were just chillin!!!

OK, here I sit on a very snowy day out, were watching a video and just plain chillin! Shanna was supposed to lifeguard at the YMCA today, and they closed so she is home. Felicia and I went out earlier to shovel the drive, my wonderful neighbor Dick came with his snow blower and did it all. Thank you and may God bless you, hope you drank some hot cocoa as Felicia suggested? I know that we all will be out later to do it all over again! I took a walk out to the back of the yard where we have a picnic table that had not been put away and measured the snow at approximately 12:30 we had 8 inches of the white stuff and it is still coming down. Felicia, Tommy, and Rae all got hot cocoa with their lunch. They will be going out soon to play and have fun in the snow. I see a sledding trip in their future.
Now down to the visit with the Radiation doc. on New Years Eve. That visit was not such a good visit. Dr. Simmons is nice and very understanding and very infomative. He wanted to examine Daves throat but the numbing medication that he used did not work on Dave. That did not go over well with Dave and he refused the exam. Dave can have a very nasty temper and he let the dr. know it. Dr. Simmons did not know what to say or do, he told us he has never had this problem before and that is the usual stuff they use. Dr. Simmons is going to have to get something else if he wants to do the examination.
We got through that problem and were able to discuss the radiation treatment and when it should begin. There again laid another problem, Dave has to have 4 teeth removed so off to the dentist he goes. Dr. Simmons got his appt. moved up for the extraction, Dave got there and did not have the teeth removed and rescheduled the extractions for a week later. He told the dentist we couldn't pay for it. We are getting help from his family to help with the cost of this, but Dave is worrying over it. When all this is done he will have to have 7 teeth put into his upper and lower partials. That is another cost of about $1300 to do, which he will need his teeth before treatment and during his early treatment. The dentist did explain to him that it will become difficult for him to wear them during the radiation treatments. This also means that his treatments will probably not begin till mid February.
Dr. Simmons told us that the first couple weeks of treatment will be ok, but as the teatments go on, it will be rough. Daves neck is going to get burned, like the worst sun burn you have ever had. I do believe they give a lotion to help with the burn. His mouth is going to change, saliva will not be made like it is now. Then there is the swallowing, Dave will have to swallow, swallow, swallow, to keep that reflex in shape. Swallowing could become difficult, his diet will change, no meat, I could see that didn't set well with him. He will also have to have a feeding tube at some point if he starts losing weight. I hope that when all of this is over that he will be able to eat like he does now. My husband loves to eat, especially meat and potatoes with gravy.
I certainly hope that I got this information as close to right as I can. I did not have my notes to go by this time. I'm waiting on them and will add or make any corecctions. My sister in law Roseann who lives in WI went to the dr. with us that day. Her oldest son joined the Navy and graduated from boot camp the first of January and she had to be there. I know how proud she is of him as we are to. If I have left anything out let me know. May God bless you all and thank you for listening. We love you all.