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
Sunday, December 7, 2014
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
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Wednesday, November 26
Greetings,
Monday, Michele had Methotrexate injected into her spine. The procedure went well, and the doctor performing the deed allowed her to leave after a mere 20 minute rest period. Some, if not most doctors require 2 hours of lying still, so we were pleasantly surprised. Another surprise, not so pleasant, was the discovery that she must have two more of these injections in her spine.
Tuesday she had her 5th RCHOP treatment. The drugs infused during the RCHOP protocol not only kill the Lymphoma, but they also boost her metabolism, so she ended the day feeling better than when she went in. We asked the doctor if he had anything for nerve pain, since Michele has been suffering a lot of stabbing pain in her left hand and arm since the last full-body Methotrexate treatment. He sent us home with a drug commonly used in the treatment of seizures. She took one before bed and it really helped! She slept better than she has in a long time and her hand and arm have been relatively pain free all day. We are hoping it's not a fluke, but will be repeatable. The doctor is fairly confident that the problem with Michele's ankle is a side effect of the chemo, and will hopefully disappear when treatments are complete.
Today we went back for her Nulasta shot, but unlike previous trips, she had enough energy to dress up for the occasion and eat at Bob Evans afterwards. We even stopped at Jo-Ann fabric and shopped a tiny bit. So this has been a good week, and much better than I had expected.
We got the schedule for her remaining treatments. She will be admitted to the hospital on December 8th for her final full-body Methotrexate treatment, typically a four day event. On December 15th she will receive the second shot of Methotrexate in her spine, then on the 16th she will receive her final RCHOP treatment. That leaves one more Methotrexate shot into the spine, which is scheduled for December 26th. We were hoping to have all the treatments wrapped up by Christmas, but missing it by one day isn't too bad.
Beyond that, the schedule is uncertain. At some point the Oncologist will order a battery of tests to determine if they got it all, but that probably won't happen until the end of January. We'll keep you posted.
Have a great Thanksgiving, and thank YOU for praying!
Gratefully with Love,
Tim and Michele
Greetings,
Monday, Michele had Methotrexate injected into her spine. The procedure went well, and the doctor performing the deed allowed her to leave after a mere 20 minute rest period. Some, if not most doctors require 2 hours of lying still, so we were pleasantly surprised. Another surprise, not so pleasant, was the discovery that she must have two more of these injections in her spine.
Tuesday she had her 5th RCHOP treatment. The drugs infused during the RCHOP protocol not only kill the Lymphoma, but they also boost her metabolism, so she ended the day feeling better than when she went in. We asked the doctor if he had anything for nerve pain, since Michele has been suffering a lot of stabbing pain in her left hand and arm since the last full-body Methotrexate treatment. He sent us home with a drug commonly used in the treatment of seizures. She took one before bed and it really helped! She slept better than she has in a long time and her hand and arm have been relatively pain free all day. We are hoping it's not a fluke, but will be repeatable. The doctor is fairly confident that the problem with Michele's ankle is a side effect of the chemo, and will hopefully disappear when treatments are complete.
Today we went back for her Nulasta shot, but unlike previous trips, she had enough energy to dress up for the occasion and eat at Bob Evans afterwards. We even stopped at Jo-Ann fabric and shopped a tiny bit. So this has been a good week, and much better than I had expected.
We got the schedule for her remaining treatments. She will be admitted to the hospital on December 8th for her final full-body Methotrexate treatment, typically a four day event. On December 15th she will receive the second shot of Methotrexate in her spine, then on the 16th she will receive her final RCHOP treatment. That leaves one more Methotrexate shot into the spine, which is scheduled for December 26th. We were hoping to have all the treatments wrapped up by Christmas, but missing it by one day isn't too bad.
Beyond that, the schedule is uncertain. At some point the Oncologist will order a battery of tests to determine if they got it all, but that probably won't happen until the end of January. We'll keep you posted.
Have a great Thanksgiving, and thank YOU for praying!
Gratefully with Love,
Tim and Michele
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Tuesday, November 18th, 9:30 AM
Good Morning,
The Oncologist's office called a few minutes ago. The results of the
MRI's Michele had yesterday showed nothing wrong! Thank you for praying. This
is good news, but still leaves the ankle problem unanswered. For now, we are on
schedule for Michele's treatment Monday the 24th. Please continue to pray
for:
- Restoration of motor control in her right ankle
- Peace for the upcoming procedure
- Return of strength in her left arm
- Strength for the RCHOP treatment on Tuesday the 25th
We will not be feasting on turkey this Thanksgiving, but we do
have lots to be thankful for. We hope you have a blessed and enjoyable
Thanksgiving!
With Love,
Tim and Michele
Monday, November 17, 2014
Monday, November 17, 7:15 PM
Hello,
Some time ago I speculated that, with regard to blog postings, no news would constitute good news. That turns out to be not entirely true. Sometimes no news posted simply means there are things going on that are unresolved. Other times it can mean there are personal struggles going on that we really don't want floating in the public realm. The past week has contained ample supplies of both those conditions.
Right after I posted last week's update, Michele began exhibiting symptoms of a mild virus. She had a runny nose, some dizziness, and a bout with diarrhea. We went from the constipation battle to the use of Immodium. The quest being to find the happy balance, without swinging the pendulum too far in either direction. Fortunately, it didn't last too long, and she seems to be recovered from that.
Last Wednesday night I was just about to doze off to sleep when Michele called me into her bedroom. Her right foot had gone numb and she could not bend her ankle upward, toward her. We moved her leg around and massaged things, but nothing really helped. We speculated that perhaps she had been sitting and lying too long. so she tried to move around more on Thursday, but it didn't help. Friday we called the Oncologist and reported the development. They responded with ordering an MRI of her brain, so we drove to Zanesville and had the procedure done. We waited for radiology to read it before leaving, and were relieved to hear that the scan showed nothing new in her brain. We got home a little before 9 PM. The Oncologist put her on a low dose steroid to see if that would help.
This morning, Monday, the Oncologist office called to see how she was doing. We had to report that the ankle was not really any better, and her left arm was still mostly useless since the last Methotrexate treatment. The Oncologist ordered an MRI of her entire spine: 3 views without contrasting dye, and 3 views with. So, back to Zanesville we went. Michele endure another 2-1/2 hours in the MRI machine. This time we didn't stick around for the radiology department to read them, we just came home, arriving a little after 5 PM.
So what does all this mean? I wish we knew. It seems unlikely that the cancer has spread, since the results of the PET scan were good, but everyone seems puzzled by the new symptoms. This is where you come in. Please ask the Lord to sort this all out for His glory. Obviously, we would love to have Michele wake up tomorrow completely healed of all her physical problems, but that is not our expectation. Wherever God is taking this, in His sovereignty, we just need enough grace to keep moving through the minutia of it all. I believe He will honor that request.
We will let you know what happens. Thanks for being there. It is a comfort!
Tim and Michele
Hello,
Some time ago I speculated that, with regard to blog postings, no news would constitute good news. That turns out to be not entirely true. Sometimes no news posted simply means there are things going on that are unresolved. Other times it can mean there are personal struggles going on that we really don't want floating in the public realm. The past week has contained ample supplies of both those conditions.
Right after I posted last week's update, Michele began exhibiting symptoms of a mild virus. She had a runny nose, some dizziness, and a bout with diarrhea. We went from the constipation battle to the use of Immodium. The quest being to find the happy balance, without swinging the pendulum too far in either direction. Fortunately, it didn't last too long, and she seems to be recovered from that.
Last Wednesday night I was just about to doze off to sleep when Michele called me into her bedroom. Her right foot had gone numb and she could not bend her ankle upward, toward her. We moved her leg around and massaged things, but nothing really helped. We speculated that perhaps she had been sitting and lying too long. so she tried to move around more on Thursday, but it didn't help. Friday we called the Oncologist and reported the development. They responded with ordering an MRI of her brain, so we drove to Zanesville and had the procedure done. We waited for radiology to read it before leaving, and were relieved to hear that the scan showed nothing new in her brain. We got home a little before 9 PM. The Oncologist put her on a low dose steroid to see if that would help.
This morning, Monday, the Oncologist office called to see how she was doing. We had to report that the ankle was not really any better, and her left arm was still mostly useless since the last Methotrexate treatment. The Oncologist ordered an MRI of her entire spine: 3 views without contrasting dye, and 3 views with. So, back to Zanesville we went. Michele endure another 2-1/2 hours in the MRI machine. This time we didn't stick around for the radiology department to read them, we just came home, arriving a little after 5 PM.
So what does all this mean? I wish we knew. It seems unlikely that the cancer has spread, since the results of the PET scan were good, but everyone seems puzzled by the new symptoms. This is where you come in. Please ask the Lord to sort this all out for His glory. Obviously, we would love to have Michele wake up tomorrow completely healed of all her physical problems, but that is not our expectation. Wherever God is taking this, in His sovereignty, we just need enough grace to keep moving through the minutia of it all. I believe He will honor that request.
We will let you know what happens. Thanks for being there. It is a comfort!
Tim and Michele
Monday, November 10, 2014
Monday, November 10
Hello,
Last week was busy but good. Michele felt good through the week, but her energy began to fade over the weekend. To be fair, the Prednisone that she takes for 5 days after an RCHOP treatment artificially boosts all her "systems", so that was probably the biggest factor for her feeling good. Over the weekend she had a hard time feeling warm, even though we have the house temperature turned up and she is dressed warmly. Today, she felt light headed, so we took her temperature and sure enough, she is running a slight fever. The oncologist has been consulted and feels that she has some viral infection that will run it's course. We gave her Tylenol around 3 o'clock and she broke into a sweat around 5 PM, so I think she is over the hump. She still feels light headed when she stands up, but I'm hoping that is gone tomorrow.
The last treatment really took a toll on the progress of her left arm. This is somewhat expected, but still discouraging for her. Just to refresh: The issue with the arm is that it never really had a chance to heal from the surgery before she started getting chemo. At the time, I asked the surgeon how chemo would effect her recovery, and he basically said that we needed to pick our battles, and the most important thing was to get rid of the cancer first. So progress with the arm is like a yo-yo. We just need to keep reminding ourselves that the arm will come back when the cancer is gone. Needless to say, pray for patience.
Thanks for traveling this road with us.
Tim and Michele
Hello,
Last week was busy but good. Michele felt good through the week, but her energy began to fade over the weekend. To be fair, the Prednisone that she takes for 5 days after an RCHOP treatment artificially boosts all her "systems", so that was probably the biggest factor for her feeling good. Over the weekend she had a hard time feeling warm, even though we have the house temperature turned up and she is dressed warmly. Today, she felt light headed, so we took her temperature and sure enough, she is running a slight fever. The oncologist has been consulted and feels that she has some viral infection that will run it's course. We gave her Tylenol around 3 o'clock and she broke into a sweat around 5 PM, so I think she is over the hump. She still feels light headed when she stands up, but I'm hoping that is gone tomorrow.
The last treatment really took a toll on the progress of her left arm. This is somewhat expected, but still discouraging for her. Just to refresh: The issue with the arm is that it never really had a chance to heal from the surgery before she started getting chemo. At the time, I asked the surgeon how chemo would effect her recovery, and he basically said that we needed to pick our battles, and the most important thing was to get rid of the cancer first. So progress with the arm is like a yo-yo. We just need to keep reminding ourselves that the arm will come back when the cancer is gone. Needless to say, pray for patience.
Thanks for traveling this road with us.
Tim and Michele
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