Round 2 Is Over!

Nate successfully disconnected himself from his chemo today, and promptly returned the chemo pump to the clinic. He can't get rid of that thing fast enough! He didn't fare as well this time during the infusion as he did for round one. He was pretty sluggish all day Monday and Tuesday. To put it in his words, "I'm just blah". The good news is that he looked tons better when he got home from work today! He met us at Sam's soccer game, and it was great to see my cute, trim, husband walking across the field, (with McDonald's in hand, even better)! He had color in his face, and a smile on his lips. Hopefully he will wake up in the morning feeling even better. Hey, one can hope!

Chemo Round 2

We are officially on the chemo countdown! During our visit with Dr. Whisenant today, we discussed plans for the next five chemo rounds (including this one), and timing for Nate's next surgery. If all goes as planned, Nate should finish his sixth round of chemo the week of November 12 and should be able to have his surgery four to five weeks later. We'll keep our fingers crossed that we can wrap this up within the 2012 calendar year so we can go into 2013 with a fresh start! Not to mention the benefit of squeezing all the big bills into one insurance calendar year! I know what I want for Christmas!

Round 2...still smiling!

Nate did really well with his last round. He survived his trip to Jackson Hole, and I think the change of scenery was good for him. He successfully disconnected himself from his pump and isn't looking back. Unless he needs fluids or IV meds for nausea, he wants to continue to disconnect himself at home. I'm super impressed by his willingness to live his life regardless of this dumb disease.

This past weekend we took our kids camping in our trailer up to Smith and Morehouse near Oakley, Ut. The kids had a great time exploring, the leaves are changing, it was beautiful weather, and we just had a great time! We fished for a little while on the reservoir and caught four fish. Seth took a Polar Bear Plunge in his skivvies, just to prove that he could, and survived. We discovered homemade pizzas cooked over the campfire, and realized that all four of our kids are fire bugs.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
We traveled home on Sunday in time to go to the Brigham City Temple Dedication with Seth and Emma. It was a peaceful way to spend a couple of hours with each other. I'm grateful for the new perspective we've gained during this trial. I'm so much more mindful of the hours and days that we get to spend with our little family, and I appreciate the opportunities we have.

We're looking forward to seeing Dr. Lambert in two weeks when she comes to town for General Conference. I'm still amazed at the way this all turned out. Who would've guessed that we would form a friendship with our surgeon? I couldn't have predicted it, but I'm so grateful that we did!

Thank you for following our story. It's still overwhelming to me when someone tells me that they follow this blog. It's easy for me to write it all down, but hard for me to imagine that anyone would read it! I'm so thankful that so many people love my husband. He is a good man!

Chemo Round One...Again

I've had so many texts and calls today from family and friends wondering how Nate is holding up during his first round of chemo. I'm still amazed when I realize how many of you are thinking about our family. Thank you!

Yesterday was a good day in the Infusion Clinic. Nate tolerated the new drug very well. He did have a bout of dizziness and felt pretty sleepy, but considering the alternatives, he did great! At one point, his eyes were blinking independent of each other, and although it was a little strange to watch, it was pretty entertaining.

When we returned home, some sweet friends brought dinner to our family. It was so nice not to have to worry about coming up with a meal! Nate felt so well that he was actually able to eat a healthy portion before we went to his brother's house for a family birthday party!

Today he woke up feeling a little groggy, but true to his nature, he pulled out of it and got on with his day. He's been blessed this week to have a very noticeable improvement in his pain level. He's been able to go much longer without his pain meds, and I can see that it's been a big relief for him. After breakfast he packed his bags and left for Jackson Hole. I'm happy that he can get a little "normal" back in his life. For all that he's been through, nobody deserves it more!

Here We Go Again

It's official...summer is over. I'm still not sure how I feel about that. One might think that we would be thrilled to get this summer behind us, but I'm actually a little sad to see it go. I wouldn't say that it ranked anywhere near my top 10 summers, but it did have its value. We had some amazing experiences that forever changed us, and I'm grateful that Nate and our family made it through in one piece...well mostly in one piece. I tried to get Nate a shirt that said, "I left my gall bladder, spleen, and omentum in Massachusetts", but the gift shop was sold out.

Since our summer with the kids was cut so short, I wasn't ready for them to start school last week. I miss them! Seth started Junior High, Emma's in 5th, Sam's in 2nd, and our baby Sydney started Kindergarten! Before school started, we were able to squeeze some fun into what summer we did have. We took our trailer out camping to the Uintas over Labor Day with some friends and had a great time! We cooked over the fire, rode bikes, and all the kids caught fish! Seth's taken up a new hobby of knife throwing (gulp), Emma practiced her archery skills, Sydney finally learned how to ride her bike without training wheels, and Sam got addicted to fishing. Nate and I are grateful to share our love of camping and the outdoors with our kids. 

This moose wandered into camp for a closer look.

Last Tuesday, Nate had a CT scan and an appointment with his Surgical Oncologist. The scan looked really good. It showed that Nate's abdominal cavity is healing well, his organs are settling into the void spaces where his gall bladder and spleen used to be, and his abscess was gone! Because of this, his surgeon was able to remove his wound drain. Nate said it was pretty painful, but he was so relieved to have it out! It's good to see the equipment go...one less thing for Nate to worry about.

Since the drain was removed, it's time for the systemic chemotherapy to begin. Yeah! Can you hear the enthusiasm in my voice? It's weird to have something like chemo to look forward to, but I'm learning to look at it as one more step closer to being done with treatment. Nate is, of course, ever the optimist. He isn't worried about the chemo or the side effects, and still has a sunny outlook. In fact, he's planning to drive to Jackson Hole tomorrow for a work conference (yes, I agreed...against my better judgement and high levels of anxiety). I actually think it will be really good for him to do something by himself, even if I have to go through withdrawal! You can't blame me though, I got to spend an entire summer with my best friend and now he thinks he can run off to Jackson? I knew this day would come :). In all seriousness, he's an amazing example to me, and I continue to learn from his example. I can only hope that if I'm ever faced with something like this, I'll be able to endure as well as he does.

Nate is still bringing home the bacon. We remain grateful for a supportive work situation.

So, here we go again. We're back in the Infusion Clinic at IMC starting Nate's first of six rounds of chemo. The chemo is another colon cancer regimen and is similar to the Folfox he was on before. One drug is switched out for another and has some different side effects. Abdominal cramping, dehydration, and hair loss are what he's trading for the numbness and tingling with the Folfox. The timing will be the same. Every two weeks (Mondays for now), Nate will start a new round. We stay at the Infusion Clinic for 4 to 5 hours while the anti-nausea meds and two of the three chemo drugs infuse. Before we leave, they hook him up to a pump that will continue to infuse the third drug over the next 46 hours. Since Nate will be in Jackson when the infusion is complete, our nurse will show him how to disconnect himself from the pump, and flush his port line. Chemo and a new skill, what a deal! 

The kids and I pray daily that Nate will be able to endure the chemo as well as he did last time. He still has quite a bit of weight to gain, but he's getting stronger every day. He's tired of taking pills all the time, but true to his character, he remains compliant. He really is a model patient! I love this man. He's the bright side to my day, and I'm grateful for the blessing that he is.

I'm also grateful for our good friends and family who stand at the ready in case we need anything. From an understanding employer, to friends who watch my kids, bring us dinners, send texts of encouragement, and put up with my spaciness, I know we are blessed beyond measure. I'm grateful for my ever changing perspective, and recognize that there is no way we could do this alone. I'm learning to rely on other people, and am thankful for the blessings I have. There are miracles all around us, and I'm glad my eyes are open to them. I only wish I'd learned to recognize them before all of this began, because now I realize that they happen every day. Here's to our miracles, and to yours!