Tuesday, December 30
Greetings,
Hope everybody had a Merry Christmas. The day before Christmas we went to the Oncologist for intravenous fluids for Michele. They checked her blood white cell count, which was still very low, but she was feeling okay. We had a nice Christmas day. I managed to surprise Michele with two gifts that she was not expecting, even though I am hardly ever out of her sight. For lunch we had a turkey breast, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie for dessert.
Michele was feeling pretty good by Sunday, so we decided to make our Oncology visit for Monday into an outing. So yesterday we had lunch at Pizza Cottage in Zanesville, then spent some time in Hobby Lobby. Michele's energy reserve isn't very deep, so I pushed her around in a wheel chair, but it was still great to get out. We also spent some time in the mall before heading over to the Oncology suite. They drew some blood, then gave her saline. When the blood results came back, her white cell count was up to 3,600! This is a great encouragement, as it proves her body is doing what it is supposed to do to rebuild. With this good report, they cleared her for the Intrathecal procedure scheduled for tomorrow morning.(Intrathecal is where they inject Methotrexate into her spinal fluid.)
At this point she is scheduled for one more Intrathecal procedure on January 7th. Beyond that, we must wait to see what the Oncologist's plan is for determining if all the cancer is gone. We are anticipating a happy, cancer-free new year, and appreciate your prayers to that end. I am looking forward to getting back to work, although I don't really know when that will be.
Have a very Happy New Year!
With Love,
Tim and Michele
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
Monday, December 22, 6PM
Hello,
We just returned from the doctors office in Zanesville. Michele's appointment was at 1:30 this afternoon. She was so weak and dizzy that I was afraid we weren't going to get her in the van, but we did make it. When they took her vitals, her blood pressure was 100/68 and her heart was beating pretty fast to keep it at that. The doctor drew blood and started saline to bring her blood pressure up. When her blood results came back, her white blood cells were again very low, so they cancelled the Intrathecal procedure scheduled for Wednesday and scheduled her to come in for intravenous fluids instead. They also started her on an oral antibiotic to hedge her against infection.
If she can build back up out of this slump, it should be the turning point for recovering her strength, since there are no more major chemotherapy cycles scheduled. The most important thing at the moment is to keep her from contracting any infection. For those of you who have wanted to visit, this is the reason for the moratorium on visitors. Thanks for understanding. Please continue to pray for the white cell and platelet counts to rebound. For perspective, normal white cell count is 4,300 to 10,800 cells per cu/ML. Michele's were 400 today. When she was hospitalized three weeks ago, they had fallen to 200. If she can rest, and avoid infection, she should be fine.
We can't begin to thank you all for the many ways in which you have ministered to us with gifts and sentiments of encouragement! Bless you all, and have a very Merry Christmas!
With Love,
Tim and Michele
Hello,
We just returned from the doctors office in Zanesville. Michele's appointment was at 1:30 this afternoon. She was so weak and dizzy that I was afraid we weren't going to get her in the van, but we did make it. When they took her vitals, her blood pressure was 100/68 and her heart was beating pretty fast to keep it at that. The doctor drew blood and started saline to bring her blood pressure up. When her blood results came back, her white blood cells were again very low, so they cancelled the Intrathecal procedure scheduled for Wednesday and scheduled her to come in for intravenous fluids instead. They also started her on an oral antibiotic to hedge her against infection.
If she can build back up out of this slump, it should be the turning point for recovering her strength, since there are no more major chemotherapy cycles scheduled. The most important thing at the moment is to keep her from contracting any infection. For those of you who have wanted to visit, this is the reason for the moratorium on visitors. Thanks for understanding. Please continue to pray for the white cell and platelet counts to rebound. For perspective, normal white cell count is 4,300 to 10,800 cells per cu/ML. Michele's were 400 today. When she was hospitalized three weeks ago, they had fallen to 200. If she can rest, and avoid infection, she should be fine.
We can't begin to thank you all for the many ways in which you have ministered to us with gifts and sentiments of encouragement! Bless you all, and have a very Merry Christmas!
With Love,
Tim and Michele
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Tuesday, December 16th
Greetings,
Michele had her last major infusion of chemotherapy today, her 6th RCHOP.
Fittingly, the nurse who gave her the first infusion, administered her last
today. That nurse, Holly, has been a real treasure and blessing for us. All the
nurses have been great, but Holly is special. Michele got hugs before she left,
and shed a few tears, just because the folks in Oncology get to be like extended
family during trials like this. We will see them again, tomorrow to be exact,
when we return for Michele's Nulasta shot.
Even though the infusions are over, treatment is not. Thursday, the 18th,
she must be in Radiology at 7:30AM for an injection of Methotrexate in her
spine. She has another one scheduled for December 24th, and again on December
31st. It looks like we'll be spending Christmas Eve and New Years Eve days with
our hospital 'family'. Just so we don't forget how to get there, we have an
appointment with her Oncologist to follow up on Monday the 22nd. One additional
item of praise is the current price of gasoline. The price at most stations in
Zanesville today was $2.22 per gallon. I filled the van for $36! Haven't done
that in a long time.
Please pray that:
Michele's immune system rebounds quickly
For the feeling and strength to return to her left arm and hand
That the blood clots in her lungs and left leg would dissolve harmlessly
Once again, we thank you whole heartedly for praying for us and
encouraging us with your concern. We hope each of you have a Blessed Christmas.
Thanks be to God for His precious gift of Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Savior!
Because of Him,
Tim and Michele
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Thursday, December 11th
Hi,
Michele saw the Oncologist today and had another blood draw to check her platelets and white cells. The doctor has postponed the intrathekel treatment scheduled for Monday (that's the shot of Methotrexate in her spinal fluid), but has given the green light for her 6th and last RCHOP treatment on Tuesday! This is good news for a couple of reasons; first it means her blood counts have come back to a safe level, and second it marks the end of the heavy chemo treatments.
Another bit of good news is that Michele will be starting on oral blood thinners beginning Saturday, so I will no longer need to give her a shot each morning. That is a multiplied blessing also, because the oral drug is less than half the cost of the injectable drug.
The sun shone today for a while. It was the first time in a long time, so all in all it was a pretty good day. I hope yours was too.
With love,
Tim and Michele
Hi,
Michele saw the Oncologist today and had another blood draw to check her platelets and white cells. The doctor has postponed the intrathekel treatment scheduled for Monday (that's the shot of Methotrexate in her spinal fluid), but has given the green light for her 6th and last RCHOP treatment on Tuesday! This is good news for a couple of reasons; first it means her blood counts have come back to a safe level, and second it marks the end of the heavy chemo treatments.
Another bit of good news is that Michele will be starting on oral blood thinners beginning Saturday, so I will no longer need to give her a shot each morning. That is a multiplied blessing also, because the oral drug is less than half the cost of the injectable drug.
The sun shone today for a while. It was the first time in a long time, so all in all it was a pretty good day. I hope yours was too.
With love,
Tim and Michele
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Sunday, December 7th
Hello,
Michele came home from the hospital today! She is feeling much better, although still tired. Her blood counts are much improved over the beginning of the week, but there will be no treatments this week. We may need to see the Oncologist at some point in the week, but it is mostly a week for her to recuperate. We came home with a 'starter kit' of Arixtra, the anticoagulant that she will need to have injected each day for the next several months.
One of the other developments this past week occurred on Friday. I had gone home to tend to the cats, collect the mail, take a shower, do some laundry, etc, etc. Just as I was getting ready to leave the house and go back to the hospital for the night, I was in the kitchen taking some vitamins, when I heard something in the basement that seemed out of place. I stood by the cellar steps and listened. All I could hear was the gentle rumble of the clothes dryer. Then I heard it again; the slap of a water drop falling onto concrete. I headed down the steps and began to hear the hiss of a water leak. Sure enough, water was running out of a section of insulation on a hot water pipe. I tore off the insulation and there was a spray of water shooting out of a pin hole in the old steel pipe. I isolated the pipe, drained it, and shut down the water heater. I took a quick look around to be sure there were no other surprises, then left for the hospital.
Now I want you to know that I put this event in the 'Blessing' column! I had been in the basement several times earlier in the day and that pipe was not leaking. If it had waited 5 minutes more before starting to leak, I would have returned to a flooded basement on Saturday. I firmly believe this was a gift from God, and am very, very thankful. As it is, it only took me about 2 hours to replace the old section of pipe with new copper, so it was a minor glitch instead of a major catastrophe.
Another blessing I should mention occurred at the hospital Thursday night. I had been sleeping on the floor in Michele's room each night, much to the consternation of the nursing staff. They offered recliners and sofa accommodations in other rooms, but that kind of defeated the purpose of why I was there. Besides, the hospital recliners feel like a rock recliner out of the Flinstone cartoons. The floor wasn't that bad. What I didn't know was that three of the rooms on the 7th floor used to be double occupancy, but now had a pull-out couch instead of a second patient bed. When one of the rooms went vacant, the Charge Nurse assigned it to us. They made housekeeping come up and clean the room at 10:00 PM, and I spent the last 3 nights in a fair amount of comfort.
The hospital staff at Good Samaritan Hospital has been just terrific to us each time Michele has been there. The last nurse she had today told her that she had seen Michele on the floor throughout the week and was hoping she would get to have her as a patient! Other nurses who had Michele previously would stop in just to say "Hello". Many came in to give her a hug when they knew they were going to be off for a few days and might not see her when they got back. We honestly feel like we have made friends there. Thank God for people who have a heart to serve.
Of course, a constant source of blessing is you folks who read these updates and pray for us. Jesus said that we shouldn't worry because our Father knows what we need before we ask for it, but the scriptures still exhort us to "Pray without ceasing". To be honest, I don't get it, but I don't have to. This is how God wants it to work, and it does! So, "Thank you" for praying, and please don't stop!
With grateful hearts,
Tim and Michele
Hello,
Michele came home from the hospital today! She is feeling much better, although still tired. Her blood counts are much improved over the beginning of the week, but there will be no treatments this week. We may need to see the Oncologist at some point in the week, but it is mostly a week for her to recuperate. We came home with a 'starter kit' of Arixtra, the anticoagulant that she will need to have injected each day for the next several months.
One of the other developments this past week occurred on Friday. I had gone home to tend to the cats, collect the mail, take a shower, do some laundry, etc, etc. Just as I was getting ready to leave the house and go back to the hospital for the night, I was in the kitchen taking some vitamins, when I heard something in the basement that seemed out of place. I stood by the cellar steps and listened. All I could hear was the gentle rumble of the clothes dryer. Then I heard it again; the slap of a water drop falling onto concrete. I headed down the steps and began to hear the hiss of a water leak. Sure enough, water was running out of a section of insulation on a hot water pipe. I tore off the insulation and there was a spray of water shooting out of a pin hole in the old steel pipe. I isolated the pipe, drained it, and shut down the water heater. I took a quick look around to be sure there were no other surprises, then left for the hospital.
Now I want you to know that I put this event in the 'Blessing' column! I had been in the basement several times earlier in the day and that pipe was not leaking. If it had waited 5 minutes more before starting to leak, I would have returned to a flooded basement on Saturday. I firmly believe this was a gift from God, and am very, very thankful. As it is, it only took me about 2 hours to replace the old section of pipe with new copper, so it was a minor glitch instead of a major catastrophe.
Another blessing I should mention occurred at the hospital Thursday night. I had been sleeping on the floor in Michele's room each night, much to the consternation of the nursing staff. They offered recliners and sofa accommodations in other rooms, but that kind of defeated the purpose of why I was there. Besides, the hospital recliners feel like a rock recliner out of the Flinstone cartoons. The floor wasn't that bad. What I didn't know was that three of the rooms on the 7th floor used to be double occupancy, but now had a pull-out couch instead of a second patient bed. When one of the rooms went vacant, the Charge Nurse assigned it to us. They made housekeeping come up and clean the room at 10:00 PM, and I spent the last 3 nights in a fair amount of comfort.
The hospital staff at Good Samaritan Hospital has been just terrific to us each time Michele has been there. The last nurse she had today told her that she had seen Michele on the floor throughout the week and was hoping she would get to have her as a patient! Other nurses who had Michele previously would stop in just to say "Hello". Many came in to give her a hug when they knew they were going to be off for a few days and might not see her when they got back. We honestly feel like we have made friends there. Thank God for people who have a heart to serve.
Of course, a constant source of blessing is you folks who read these updates and pray for us. Jesus said that we shouldn't worry because our Father knows what we need before we ask for it, but the scriptures still exhort us to "Pray without ceasing". To be honest, I don't get it, but I don't have to. This is how God wants it to work, and it does! So, "Thank you" for praying, and please don't stop!
With grateful hearts,
Tim and Michele
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Thursday, December 4th
Good Morning.
Michele is still in the hospital. They have been giving her at least two different antibiotics to get the infection under control, and they seem to be working. She has not had a fever since they began the second antibiotic yesterday, although she did have the sweats, followed by chills last night. The Oncologist told us that her white blood cell count is coming back up, which is a good thing. The red blood cells and platelets tend to lag behind, but at least it has turned around. In our conversation with her doctor yesterday, he indicated that Michele will not need to endure another Methotrexate treatment, which was originally scheduled for next Monday. We are grateful that he knows when enough is enough. We still expect one more RCHOP and at least two Interthekel treatments (where a small dose of Methotrexate is injected into her spinal fluid).
She is allowed to walk around a little bit, so that is a relief from the monotony of being restricted to bed. Michele has not eaten a whole lot this week, so she is trying to increase her intake to regain some strength. I think if her vitals remain stable today they may consider letting her go home soon, but I'm not making any predictions.
I'm fairly certain we will need to give her anticoagulant injections at home for the blood clots. I had to do that when she had knee surgery, so I know what to expect, although I'm not looking forward to it. (I'm sure she isn't either!)
That's all I can think of for now, so I'll close and get going on some household chores before heading back to the hospital.
As always, thanks for your continuing prayer support.
With love,
Tim and Michele
Good Morning.
Michele is still in the hospital. They have been giving her at least two different antibiotics to get the infection under control, and they seem to be working. She has not had a fever since they began the second antibiotic yesterday, although she did have the sweats, followed by chills last night. The Oncologist told us that her white blood cell count is coming back up, which is a good thing. The red blood cells and platelets tend to lag behind, but at least it has turned around. In our conversation with her doctor yesterday, he indicated that Michele will not need to endure another Methotrexate treatment, which was originally scheduled for next Monday. We are grateful that he knows when enough is enough. We still expect one more RCHOP and at least two Interthekel treatments (where a small dose of Methotrexate is injected into her spinal fluid).
She is allowed to walk around a little bit, so that is a relief from the monotony of being restricted to bed. Michele has not eaten a whole lot this week, so she is trying to increase her intake to regain some strength. I think if her vitals remain stable today they may consider letting her go home soon, but I'm not making any predictions.
I'm fairly certain we will need to give her anticoagulant injections at home for the blood clots. I had to do that when she had knee surgery, so I know what to expect, although I'm not looking forward to it. (I'm sure she isn't either!)
That's all I can think of for now, so I'll close and get going on some household chores before heading back to the hospital.
As always, thanks for your continuing prayer support.
With love,
Tim and Michele
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Tuesday, December 2, 1PM
Hello,
I have been up since Monday morning, so bear with me as I attempt to relate the events of the past 48 hours.
Sunday was a balmy day here, with temperatures in the mid-60's, but in the evening Michele couldn't get warm. We lit the gas fireplace in the living room and must have had it over 80 degrees in there, but even with three blankets, she felt cold to the touch. At 10PM she got ready for bed and took her new drug, Gabapentin. Around 12 o'clock she was still awake, so she took a sleeping pill. At 4:30AM she was having discomfort in her left arm, so she took a Zanex to calm the nerves. She got up around 8:30 and felt a little unstable, but we got her downstairs and fed her some tea and Cream of Wheat. About 9:30AM her Oncology Pharmacist called to see how Michele was doing on the Gabapentin. Michele reported that it had been working nicely, but the past night it didn't seem to work very well. The Pharmacist authorized her to take a second pill per day, so Michele ate some applesauce and took another Gabapentin, along with her normal supplements.
A half hour later I accompanied her to the bathroom because she felt a little unstable. I got her situated and reached for something in the linen closet when suddenly Michele went limp and fell backward off the commode, hitting her head on some chrome and glass shelves, and ending up pinned between the commode and the bathtub. My mouth began crying out to God, while I tried with all my might to lift Michele up, but she was wedged. I begged her to wake up, and momentarily she did. Between the two of us we got her sitting upright, just as she passed out again and looked like she was choking. I held her up with one hand and pushed her forehead back with the other to get her airway open. After a few moments, she regained consciousness and we worked to get her off the floor and out of the tiny bathroom.
She made it to the couch in the living room and laid down for a few minutes. I called the Oncologist's office and they speculated on what may have caused the fainting. I was to watch her closely and call if she got worse. After maybe 15 minutes, Michele said she needed to get to the toilet urgently. I walked her back to the bathroom and once again got her situated, only this time I placed myself between her and the tub. She had diarrhea, then said she felt like she had to throw up. I dumped the contents of the trash can on the floor and put the can in her lap just in time for her to fill it. Then she passed out again. This time it looked like she was choking on vomit, so I got her head back again and she regained consciousness. We stayed there for a while, until she felt like she could stand and get cleaned up. We got through that, thankfully, and started her back to the living room. She said she felt woozy, so I locked my arms under hers just as she passed out again. With God's help, I dragged her to the couch and got her on it. When she came to, she begged me to let her lay down, but I wouldn't because I was afraid she would choke if she threw up again, which she promptly did.
She finally regained enough strength to support herself long enough for me to get a telephone in my hand. I called the Oncologist's office, then 911. They took her to the Emergency Room at Good Samaritan Hospital in Zanesville and began the diagnostic process. It turns out there are more issues than just medication, and therein lies the blessing. The ER doctors take her history into account, but run diagnostic tests based on the symptoms exhibited, not the history.
She is running a temperature, and her blood platelets are low, as are the white blood cells. That is a 'normal' complication of the chemotherapy; being susceptible to infections. What was unexpected was the discovery of two small clots in her lungs, and a blood clot in her left leg. She will be in the hospital until her blood work returns to a more normal level, and the signs of infection abate. The clots will be handled by anticoagulants administered over several months.
Once again, God knew there were dangerous things going on in Michele's body that needed to be discovered, and He saw to it that they were. I must admit that His methods have a habit of shaking my world. This episode was very traumatic for me, leaving me with images I won't forget, and a renewed compassion for my wife of 36 years. Thank God, her head did not hit hard enough to break the skin, or even raise much of a lump! That strikes me as a genuine miracle, since I fully expected to see much worse.
So pray, pray, pray for: Renewing of her blood's vital components, effectiveness of the antibiotics being administered, dissolving of the blood clots, and encouragement as she endures an unplanned hospital stay.
Thank you so much! I'll let you know how things progress.
For us both,
Tim
Hello,
I have been up since Monday morning, so bear with me as I attempt to relate the events of the past 48 hours.
Sunday was a balmy day here, with temperatures in the mid-60's, but in the evening Michele couldn't get warm. We lit the gas fireplace in the living room and must have had it over 80 degrees in there, but even with three blankets, she felt cold to the touch. At 10PM she got ready for bed and took her new drug, Gabapentin. Around 12 o'clock she was still awake, so she took a sleeping pill. At 4:30AM she was having discomfort in her left arm, so she took a Zanex to calm the nerves. She got up around 8:30 and felt a little unstable, but we got her downstairs and fed her some tea and Cream of Wheat. About 9:30AM her Oncology Pharmacist called to see how Michele was doing on the Gabapentin. Michele reported that it had been working nicely, but the past night it didn't seem to work very well. The Pharmacist authorized her to take a second pill per day, so Michele ate some applesauce and took another Gabapentin, along with her normal supplements.
A half hour later I accompanied her to the bathroom because she felt a little unstable. I got her situated and reached for something in the linen closet when suddenly Michele went limp and fell backward off the commode, hitting her head on some chrome and glass shelves, and ending up pinned between the commode and the bathtub. My mouth began crying out to God, while I tried with all my might to lift Michele up, but she was wedged. I begged her to wake up, and momentarily she did. Between the two of us we got her sitting upright, just as she passed out again and looked like she was choking. I held her up with one hand and pushed her forehead back with the other to get her airway open. After a few moments, she regained consciousness and we worked to get her off the floor and out of the tiny bathroom.
She made it to the couch in the living room and laid down for a few minutes. I called the Oncologist's office and they speculated on what may have caused the fainting. I was to watch her closely and call if she got worse. After maybe 15 minutes, Michele said she needed to get to the toilet urgently. I walked her back to the bathroom and once again got her situated, only this time I placed myself between her and the tub. She had diarrhea, then said she felt like she had to throw up. I dumped the contents of the trash can on the floor and put the can in her lap just in time for her to fill it. Then she passed out again. This time it looked like she was choking on vomit, so I got her head back again and she regained consciousness. We stayed there for a while, until she felt like she could stand and get cleaned up. We got through that, thankfully, and started her back to the living room. She said she felt woozy, so I locked my arms under hers just as she passed out again. With God's help, I dragged her to the couch and got her on it. When she came to, she begged me to let her lay down, but I wouldn't because I was afraid she would choke if she threw up again, which she promptly did.
She finally regained enough strength to support herself long enough for me to get a telephone in my hand. I called the Oncologist's office, then 911. They took her to the Emergency Room at Good Samaritan Hospital in Zanesville and began the diagnostic process. It turns out there are more issues than just medication, and therein lies the blessing. The ER doctors take her history into account, but run diagnostic tests based on the symptoms exhibited, not the history.
She is running a temperature, and her blood platelets are low, as are the white blood cells. That is a 'normal' complication of the chemotherapy; being susceptible to infections. What was unexpected was the discovery of two small clots in her lungs, and a blood clot in her left leg. She will be in the hospital until her blood work returns to a more normal level, and the signs of infection abate. The clots will be handled by anticoagulants administered over several months.
Once again, God knew there were dangerous things going on in Michele's body that needed to be discovered, and He saw to it that they were. I must admit that His methods have a habit of shaking my world. This episode was very traumatic for me, leaving me with images I won't forget, and a renewed compassion for my wife of 36 years. Thank God, her head did not hit hard enough to break the skin, or even raise much of a lump! That strikes me as a genuine miracle, since I fully expected to see much worse.
So pray, pray, pray for: Renewing of her blood's vital components, effectiveness of the antibiotics being administered, dissolving of the blood clots, and encouragement as she endures an unplanned hospital stay.
Thank you so much! I'll let you know how things progress.
For us both,
Tim
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