radiation is finished! and please pray...

dad had his last dose of radiation yesterday... that's something to give thanks about! he is tired now, and will continue to be for awhile, but he has finished his 17 treatments.

also, several friends have discovered they have cancer over the last weeks/months and i am going to mention only first names and where the cancer was found so that you might pray with us. let's face it -- cancer sucks! but our God is bigger and more powerful than that nasty stuff. so please pray for the following folks along with us, as dad's heart is with them also:

*Mike -- kidney/bladder
*Sam -- stomach
*Judy -- lung
*Karen -- colon/liver

may God continue to bless you in this season of Thanksgiving... and we thank God for life in abundance!

physical therapy and radiation

mom had her first physical therapy appt. yesterday and it went well. she can move her forearm and hand and bend her elbow with little pain. yay, mom!

dad started his second week of radiation today and he's looking good. just a little bit of redness on the area, nothing too noticeable. the kids and i had a nice treat today of having blendeds at the coffee bean & tea leaf in chino hills after his appointment. a nice time for all of us! though the kids did miss grammy :(... hopefully next time she can join us!

photos previously promised

here are some photos from dad's surprise 80th birthday party:

what the...

gotcha!


omg... i can't believe....

grampy and his little buddy ian

the hosts

i just can't believe it...




happy birthday to you!

blow out the candles on my birthday cake






a bounty of blessings: family, friends, and life!

good friends

grampy and 2 of his grandgirls... what a night!

surgery successful

mom's surgery was 3 hours long yesterday and successful. they were able to mend her own bones so no artificial shoulder was needed. if the bone does not heal like it should, the artificial partial shoulder is always an option.

she is home now and doing well. i shall find out more tomorrow when the kids and i visit. thanks again for all the prayers, help and well wishes.

dad is continuing treatment and doing well. please continue your prayers for them both!

today

mom is going in for surgery this morning at 10am. the shoulder is comprised of four parts and she broke 2 parts and displaced all four. they'll be attempting to put it back together with four screws and a plate but if her osteoporosis prohibits them from doing this, they'll have to put in a partial artificial shoulder. so this morning she's on her way to being a "bionic woman" -- complete with sound effects!

as for dad, his first treatment yesterday went well and he will continue for the next 17 business days.

thanks for all of your prayers... may they continue! and thank you for the offers of help.... they are greatly needed!

we need "a little help from our friends"

on tuesday, avery celebrated her 6th birthday. we fished and just played together. she really enjoyed her special day. today, we took her bowling to continue the celebration and it was great until mom fell and landed on her shoulder. we took her to the ER and found out she broke it in 2 places. mom and dad will be returning home on saturday, 11/1.

for those of you who may not know, dad starts radiation treatment on monday to target that spot of MCC on his left cheek. the drs in seattle have been consulted and the oncologist and radiologist have set the course for treatment. 17 consecutive business days starting monday, 11/3.

so, with dad starting treatment and mom with a broken shoulder, we are all going to need "a little help from our friends". whether it's a meal for the folks or taking one of them to an appointment, if you can lend a hand, please let us know. and as you already know, prayer is always welcome!

**can you hear that Beatles song?

vacation

as i write this i am listening to a blustery wind outside my window at our friend's home in Weed, CA. that's right... Weed, CA. brian and i planned a vacation to first drive to San Jose to take the kids to a children's museum there and then head on up here to Weed a stay for awhile at our friend's place where we spent some extended time last year. we asked dad and mom if they'd like to join us and the answer was an emphatic "yes!".

so here we are. San Jose was great. mom and dad got a chance to visit our friend Charles who was the caregiver and "adopted son" to mom's great aunt maryann, as well as visit the site where maryann and her husband carl are buried. up here in Weed, we are in the shadow of Mt. Shasta [which has very little snow on it... surprising for this time of year!]. we've had the chance to see many of the local sites in the "state of Jefferson" and visit Mt. Shasta City and the headwaters of the Sacramento River, McCloud and the reservoir 10 miles outside of town [great fishing... dad and brian caught 9 rainbow trout! mckenna was the official "netter"], and our friends' Dale Creek property. we even took a drive up to Medford, OR, to tour the Harry & David plant and then to Ashland, OR, to visit Lithia Park and walk the town. the fall leaves are so beautiful up here... we all can't seem to get enough of that "eye candy"! it truly shows the handywork of our Creator.

we are having a great time up here. thanks to all who are praying for us.... keep up the great work!

dad's birthday

my last post mentioned a surprise in store and many of you know what that surprise was... it was a birthday party. SURPRISE! and was he surprised. about 35 of his friends and family came out for the fun. he didn't know what was happening. he thought he was just coming over to our house for a quiet birthday dinner. i will post pictures soon.

so many thanks to all of you who sent cards, letters, flowers, goodies and donated blood. dad said it was his best birthday ever and in all his 80 years, he had never had a surprise party thrown for him!

so happy birthday, dad. you've arrived at 80 with style and class. and we are so glad!

'i feel good (na na na na na na na) like i knew that i would now...'

dad is feeling great! had another blood transfusion yesterday and it went very well. he even went up on the roof twice today without telling mom (b/c she would have told him 'no way!'). so, as the song says.... he's feelin' good like he knew that he would!

can't wait til tomorrow's surprise! hee hee hee

yyyowwww!

another oil change

today dad had yet another blood transfusion. that makes 34 pints of blood to date! whew! i have not spoken to mom or dad this evening, but the kids and i are planning a visit over to their place tomorrow.

and i am thankful that he is having this transfusion so that he can be healthy and feel well enough for the little surprise i've been working up for him.... more on that later.

just keep praying, friends! thanks so much!

an update... finally!

dear friends and family.... my apologies to all of you for not having kept up with the blogging happening here regarding dad's condition. my life has been crazy busy with international students in and out of the house, hubby working, father-in-law living with us and 3 little ones to look after... whew! let's just go with the old adage: "no news is good news."

but i will let you know what has been happening and what the future days will bring. first off, dad has had a couple of extreme bouts of dealing with gout, one of which caused doctors to be concerned, but after much deduction, came to the conclusion that, yes, indeed it was gout, just on the opposite foot than normal. thank goodness for the lightweight wheelchair that mom was able to acquire from Vitas, an in-home care service that has provided dad with many things to make life at home more comfortable when he needs the comfort, like oxygen so that he can get it when he needs it instead of going to the hospital every time he feels short of breath [he has thankfully not had to use it yet -- it's a "just-in-case" measure].

other than that, dad seems to be doing really well. he looks good and says he feels good and i do believe it is true! he has gone to church 3 weeks in a row now after several months of missing that time. and the same is true for going out for dinner with friends. again, for 3 weeks in a row, he has dined at a few of his favorite restaurants and enjoyed that famous cup of joe at the local coffee house. he has his appetite back -- praise God! my girls cannot wait for grampy to take them recycling -- one of their favorite things to do with him!

as for the coming days/weeks, dad will be starting up with the chemo again -- the continuation of the merkel cell treatment -- this thursday, provided the doctor gives the go-ahead. he was supposed to have begun treatment last week but the doctor said that his blood test came back showing low white blood cell count which meant that if he had proceeded with treatment, his body would have been extremely prone to infection. [white cells fight off infection and without them it's dangerous territory].

so, here we are. praying for the future and praising God for the past -- the small ways that he has healed and provided. and dad sends a big THANK YOU for all of your notes, cards, prayers, calls and emails encouraging and sharing love and God's grace. "keep 'em coming!"

as a side note, brian's dad Mike will be heading back to GA in september to meet with drs to see if chemo needs to be continued. please be praying for those test results and that God would be evident to him. also, my brothers' mom Carol passed away 2 weekends ago. please be praying for my brothers and their families through this difficult time.

i promise to make time in my schedule to post more often than monthly! thanks again for everything!

the latest...

last thursday dad had another blood transfusion receiving 2 units of blood and the infusion went well. he has a bit more energy... enough to come to Ian's first birthday party and socialize a bit! yay!

his gout is gone... and yes, it was gout. he was given some meds for it and he has been drinking the concentrated black cherry juice to keep it away and it has worked. on wednesday last week dad was able to walk through the hospital to the dr's office and back to the car on his own. this is the first time in weeks that he was able to walk any distance without use of a wheelchair. the chills and fevers have subsided, but he still sweats terribly at night. he has also been having terrible itching, creating a hives-type rash on his neck, torso and legs. dad has also had a loss of appetite and mom has been having a tough time trying to make food that is appealing to him. he just does not want to eat. he has lost a considerable amount of weight, so prayer is needed regarding his appetite and desire to eat.

the encouragement you all have been sending and your many prayers have been much appreciated. dad really knows that he is loved [insert warm fuzzy here :) ].

a longawaited update

[sorry it has been so long since i posted... life has been busy for me and my family!]

dad is doing pretty well since his last round of rituxan 2 weeks ago. physically he is a bit tired but he has been able to join mom to go out with friends a few times, which is a big improvement from before.

this past week, he began having a terrible pain in his right foot, so bad that they had to get crutches so he could walk. it has been completely disabling, to say the least. yesterday he went to the doctor to have it checked and, at first he believed it to be gout. but after doing a blood test for uric acid [high levels are related to gout], it was discovered that it is most likely some sort of infection. the uric acid levels were very very low, so he will begin taking antibiotics on monday for the pain in his right foot.

this coming tuesday, july 8, dad will continue chemo treatments for merkel cell carcinoma, as two of the lumps on his face have returned [he only did one treatment for MCC when he was supposed to have had 4 -6].

dear friends, please continue to pray for my father regarding these issues. they seem neverending and it is exhausting to both he and my mom. let us pray without ceasing so that our Lord might be victorious!

father's day and today

dad and mom came over for a nice brunch at our new place yesterday. my brother scott came over as well. it was a very nice time for everyone.

today, dad's having his 3rd round of rituxan. there were little or no side effects with the 2nd round so we all have high hopes for these next two.

thanks for all your prayers and words of encouragement. please post a note of encouragement for him as he could still use some. thanks!

home again, home again

dad went home last night and was happy to be there. he is feeling okay, but still has the fluctuation between hot and cold. he is scheduled to have 2 more courses of rituxan in the next two weeks.

please pray that he will be able to come to a father's day celebration this sunday and that he will be able to remain at home!

rituxan today

just a short blurb about today. dr.p decided to keep dad in the hospital and administer the rituxan there while he was already in the hospital rather than send him home and have him come back tomorrow. at 3pm of so, he changed rooms to a floor where there's a chemo nurse and infusion room. at 9:15p the rituxan started up so he's in process as i write. it's a 6 hour infusion process so he'll be there a while. mom is going to stay with him as it's a comfort to them both to be together, especially since today is mom's birthday. happy birthday, mom!

continue praying for elevated spirits and strength of all kinds for them both. thanks for your prayers and good thoughts thus far. they have been a blessing and a hope.

Philippians 4:

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

an extended hospital stay

dad will have to stay in the hospital until monday [or his next round of rituxan, if he has it] because his white blood cell count is so low. they say he has what is called neutropenia. the doctors think he may come in contact with a bacteria at home that his body may not be able to handle. one's white blood cells attack bad bacteria and dad doesn't have enough WBCs to adequately fight such bacterias.... the hospital is much safer, though he hates being there.

and prayers have worked because his nurses have been angelic... :)

tomorrow, brian, the kids and i will be bringing dad a latte because he just wants a good cup of coffee. it will go well with the cookies a dear friend left on their back step... thanks, sue!

the next post will be on monday.... keep praying!

tests and more tests

dad is once again undergoing tests to figure out what is causing his breathing difficulty. they are going to test for emphysema since he was a smoker for many years in his youth. currently he is undergoing breathing treatments to see if that will help to open up the airways so that he can take a deep breath. the chills, fever and sweating are side effects of the CLL and rituxan.

tonight, he also had a CTScan and an EKG to check out his lungs and heart. the EKG looked good, but they won't know the results of the scan until tomorrow.

dad just wants to come home; he's tired of the hospital. please pray that for the remainder of his stay [however long that may be] that he has angelic nurses who treat him with understanding and encouragement and his spirits would be cheered [your notes and words of encouragement have meant so much to him and to mom]. also, a special prayer for his oncologist, Dr. P, that she would answer all of mom and dad's questions [even though they might not know what those questions are yet].

back in the (hospital) saddle again

Rachel took Don to the hospital this afternoon. about noon today, Don's head, neck and chest became extremely flush and he was having trouble breathing; his fever spiked too. evidently the lack of breathing deeply was happening yesterday too but he didn't say anything to her about it.

the doctors are running tests but they all have to be done manually because the machines would be too taxing on his body. Don is also experiencing some confusion [not able to find the words to express himself and being more stubborn than normal :) ] because of his high fever. this aspect of the hospital visit is extremely taxing to Rachel.

please pray that the doctors find out what's happening with Don's body and that Rachel is able to communicate effectively with the doctors and Don.

God answers prayer

yesterday, dad had his first course of rituxan. he got to the infusion room at the hospital by 9:30a and was first infused with saline. the rituxan came at 11:15a and by 12:15p he had intense chills and shaking. he was unable to breathe deeply so he was given an oxygen mask. after another hour, the shaking and chills subsided after they gave his body a break from it. he was ready to go home but his oncologist suggested they try again to do the full course.

so, he completed the full 6 hours of the rituxan infusion and he came out exhausted. when he got home he enjoyed and in-n-out cheeseburger and fries because he was starving and slept the rest of the afternoon!

this morning was remarkable because dad was up before everyone and actually sitting up at the table enjoying his morning cup of joe. that hasn't happened for almost two weeks! he looks good, sounds good and says he feels pretty good. The rituxan seems to have worked and God has heard the prayers of his people!

he is scheduled for three more courses over the next three weeks, so hopefully it will continue to affect him positively.

Thank you, dear friends and family, for your prayers~

monday needs prayer

monday morning at 9:30am, Don will have a new form of chemotherapy to attack the CLL. rituxan is very strong and will be administered intravenously over a 6 hour period. he will be monitored very closely during this period of time because of its potency.

after his last hospital stay, the doctor gave him a five day course of steroids to increase his strength and it has worked somewhat. surprisingly, his sweats, fever and chills have virtually subsided after beginning this steroid treatment. not having this continuing cycle gave him the opportunity to spend some quality time with his kids over the weekend [though they did see the terrible effects of the chills and fever when they first arrived].

please pray for peace as anxiety has been a major mental block for both Don and Rachel, given the intense side effects of the last chemo treatment [even though it was for MCC]. please pray also for Don's physical, spiritual, mental and emotional health and protection [Rachel's too, as they are each dealing with different issues].

photos!

Here are some photos from Dad's visit with two of his sons, Don II and Gregg.

The 2 Dons, Father and Son:

Don with Gregg, Don II and Heidi:

Don and Rachel with Gregg and Don II:

Uncle Gregg with Heidi's kids, McKenna (7), Ian (10mos) and Avery (5):
Dad so appreciated Don's visit (and Gregg's too). Good times. We have always believed that family is important, but in times like these, going the extra mile is so good for the heart, for everyone involved. We are blessed with a loving family.

a special visitor

yesterday, Don's eldest son - Donald Hays II - flew down from Montana to visit with him [and he'll be here til Monday]. Rachel and Heidi didn't share the news with him until an hour before son's plane landed because Don I has a tendency to worry and may have even tried to convince Don II not to come.

Don I was so surprised and totally blown away that his son would come down to visit with him. Don I's youngest son Gregg and his wife Cindy picked Don II up from the airport and came along too. It was really a great reunion as Don II got to meet Heidi's kids for the first time. It was a fun time of reminiscing and laughter filled the house many times. This visit has lifted Don I's spirits greatly! We'll post some pictures of this visit soon.

Don is home

Don came home last night because the doctors agreed that there was nothing more they could do for him there. He has no bacterial infection, he had two units of blood and won't receive anymore unless his blood tests on Friday say he needs one.

He came home a bit weak and disoriented because of his high fever. He continued to have chills, sweats and high fever throughout the night despite doses of Tylenol. The doctor of internal medicine said that what Don is suffering from is likely "tumor fever" -- his body is wanting to get rid of the cancer in his blood. He is obviously tired from the toll his body is taken and so has been sleeping quite a bit.

Rachel is keeping track of Don's fever spikes/drops as well as doing what she can to make him comfortable [though she's had to remove his blankets and apply ice packs a few times to keep his fever down, much to his chagrin!] Please be praying for Rachel's stamina and Don's healing.

today

This morning, Don had no fever and was feeling pretty good -- it must have been the antibiotic IV. His fever did come back this afternoon along with chills, but he has ice packs anyway. After his blood test this morning, his platelet count was low [31... normal is 300-400] but they are going to wait until it reaches 23 before the next blood transfusion is done.

the nurse from hell and God's goodness

last night dad had the nurse from hell -- "rita". if his fever didn't go down she was going to "rip his clothes off and cover him in ice". her bedside manner was less than desirable but mom encouraged him to be sweet as honey anyway.

"rita"'s antithesis was "mae", a sweetheart who was a gentle breeze with a wonderful bedside manner. "mae" put ice on him anyway, but at least she was nice about it.

mom was there til 3am making sure that dad was comfortably settled in his room and that his fever was going down.

this morning we called and he is scheduled to have an antibiotic IV drip every 12 hours, a CTScan [b/w], and a blood transfusion. his temp has gone down and his chills are gone for now.

thank God for "mae" and blessings to "rita" anyway... God is good.

the past week and today 5/26

Don's condition has gotten progressively worse over the past week -- chills, high fever on/off, sweats, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, weakness. His leukemia has kicked in and the MCC is no longer of concern [though the bumps on his head and face have been drastically reduced in size].

Today, he experienced a shortness of breath, chills and shivering for most of the morning, and suddenly in the afternoon being so hot he could not stand it, having a fever of 103*F. He also seemed dehydrated. The shortness of breath and loss of appetite disconcerted him, so he asked Rachel to take him to the hospital.

After running a series of tests, it was discovered that his WBC [white blood cell count] was high, the fever is due to his body fighting some sort of infection, and the possibility of a blood clot somewhere either in his lungs or legs. A CTScan cannot be done because it would need to be in contrast and his kidney [he only has one] would not be able to handle such a thing after chemo last week. It may cause renal failure.

So here we are -- Don was admitted to the hospital; his doctor will see him tomorrow; they will wait for blood test and other scan results and we shall see what happens from here. We ask that you pray for him. We, in our humanness, may not know what to pray but God certainly knows what Don needs. We must only be faithful.

May 19 - Chemo begins

chemo was scheduled for monday, tuesday and wednesday. after treatments on monday and tuesday, dad was tired and would get dizzy when he stood up. on wednesday before he went in for the third round, he showed me his hands and they were completely white. under normal circumstances, one's hands are pink in color from blood circulation. in dad's case, anemia had set in so instead of a chemo treatment, he got yet another blood transfusion [this makes 28 pints over the past year].

April 2008

in april, don's merkel cell bumps returned. he had had chemo treatments a year ago to kill the MCC and it worked, though obviously only temporarily. when he noticed the bumps again, he went into the dermatologist for a biopsy which turned out to be conclusive for MCC.

after talking with a dr. from dr. ngheim's team at UofW, a radiologist and his oncologist, it was decided that don would have chemotherapy again to rid his head of the MCC. radiation was not an option due to the extensive sun damage on his head and 'fragility' of the skin. His chemo would begin May 19.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma - What is it?

The following information was taken from a flyer created by merkel cell patients. This grassroots effort is to make people aware of a disease that can often go undetected/ignored until it is too late. To see this graphic flyer, download it at the merkel cell carcinoma website [under "News - April 2008"] from the University of Washington, Seattle. A big thanks to Dr. Paul Ngheim and his colleagues there for their research efforts and commitment to finding out more about this cancer and, ultimately, a cure.

What is Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC)?

MCC, also referred to as neuroendocrine carcinoma, arises from uncontrolled growth of Merkel cells in the skin. It is a rare skin cancer with an incidence of about 1500 US cases per year, and this number is continuing to increase. MCC will prove fatal in roughly 1/3 of patients and should receive immediate treatment. MCC primarily occurs on highly sun-exposed skin such as the head/neck and arms, but it can occur anywhere on the body, including sun-protected areas.

What does MCC look like?

MCC usually develops on sun-exposed skin as a firm, painless, flesh-colored to red-violet bump. The initial small bump tends to grow rapidly over weeks to months.

Who gets MCC?

Individuals over the age of 65 are far more likely to develop MCC. Fair skin and a history of extensive sun exposure also increase the chances. MCC is associated with weakened immune function, such as in patients with HIV or organ transplants. However, most people who get MCC are not immune suppressed.

What makes MCC so deadly?

MCC is different from other skin cancers in that it grows rapidly over a few weeks or months. it often spreads to regional lymphnodes and to the liver, bone, lungs and brain. The best treatment for MCC is still controversial and often times involves a combination of radiation, surgery and in advanced disease, chemotherapy. Half of patients with advanced MCC will live only 9 months. The disease recurs in about 50% of patients.

AEIOU features of MCC:

• Asymptomatic (non-tender)
  
• Expanding Rapidly
  
• Immune suppression
  
• Older than age 50
  
• UV exposed/fair skin

CLL

CLL is otherwise known as Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and it is one of four types of leukemia. There are more people living with CLL than any other type of leukemia and it affects people who are at least 50 years old. You can read more about it here.

March 19, 2007

this was the first email sent out by me regarding my dad's condition -- a little over one year ago. This is to give a bit of history regarding it....

dear friends--

i am writing on behalf of my dad (Don) to ask for prayer. about 2 months ago, he had a lump show up under the skin on his temple. not thinking anything of it [it didn't hurt and wasn't discolored], he let it go. now 2 months later he has about 20 of those bumps, mostly on the left side of his head. the doctor removed the original lump and one other, biopsied them, and discovered there were cancer cells within the lumps. his doctor [and several others that he had been seeing for various other reasons] was baffled by what type of cancer this could be. he had several tests, including ct scan and an mri, to determine what it was.

after several "educated guesses", they narrowed it down to merkel cell carcinoma, a very rare cancer that tends to appear in caucasians between the ages of 60 and 80 on skin that has sun exposure. my dad spent all of his working life out in the sun with no hat or sunscreen, as it wasn't known back then the harmful effects of the sun. they are continuing to run tests to see if it has spread to any other part of the body [ie. the brain/lymphnodes].

anyway, this is a less intense form of cancer than they had originally thought it could be [thank God! as the other there was no cure] so the treatment[s] could be one [or all] of the following: surgical removal; radiation; chemotherapy.

as you may already know, my dad was diagnosed with CLL [adult onset leukemia] two years ago, managing it pretty well through homeopathic treatment [diet, etc.]. the doctors say that the CLL is now no longer of primary concern but this is.

please pray that:

• he keeps his spirits up [he can be prone to depression, esp. when it comes to health related concerns],
  
• that the doctors are wise in their diagnoses and choices of treatment[s], and
  
• ultimately that he would be healed!
  
• also for my mom [Rachel] that she would show strength through this difficult time and and they would both lean on Jesus for that strength.

thank you in advance for your prayers. i feel blessed to have such friends. i will keep you updated as i know more.

heidi