Today was the big day! Well, actually tomorrow might be the big day...one never knows in the world of cancer. Nate had his MRI scan this morning, and after 5 1/2 hours at the hospital, he was still smiling. The order for the scan was wrong and they decided that they wanted a contrast study, so Nate got to spend an hour drinking Barium Sulfate. The scan only took about 45 minutes, but I guess they say that "Good things come to those who wait", right?
Nate starts his fifth round of chemo tomorrow, and will see our Oncologist about midway through the infusion. We're hoping that the radiologist has had time to compare the two scans and give us some good news! We continue to pray and hope for excellent results. A sincere thank you to all of you who have prayed, fasted, and sent good thoughts our way! We appreciate every bit of it!
Our Family's Journey with Appendix Cancer
Monday, April 30, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Twilight Zone
Time is a funny thing. I feel like we're in the Twilight Zone sometimes! I see life happening all around me but I'm not sure I'm involved in it. I always hated when people used the word 'surreal' because it seems like one of those cliches used in reality T.V. all the time. I'm never sure if the person using it really knows what it means, or if they just think it makes them sound intelligent. So here it goes...Life is so surreal!!! Sorry, I had to say it! What else can I call it? If anyone has a better term, please let me know! I still don't like the word!
Seriously, how have 3 months come and gone already? How have I aged 5 years in only 3 months? How does the last 3 months seem like they've taken a year to pass? Maybe we are in the Twilight Zone...could somebody please yell, "Cut"!? I'm ready to be done now.
Nate is scheduled for his second MRI this Monday morning. We'll use it to compare to the MRI he had when he began his chemo. We're praying for a miracle. We've been praying that the chemo is successfully killing the cancer cells and that the tumors are shrinking. As Sam and Sydney say, "Please bless that Dad does good in his chemo". We're having a special fast this Saturday and Sunday that the scan will show that the tumors are shrinking, thereby increasing the chances for a successful surgery. Anyone who feels inclined to join our family in this petition is more than welcome! The faith of our family and friends strengthens us more than anything. Thank you to anyone who is willing to join us!
Nate continues to power through all of this. I still marvel at his strength and his ability to continue on with everyday life. He's an amazing example to me. He manages his work, his church calling, and his family time so well. I don't know how he does it, and he won't tell me either...he's such a stinker that way!!!
I know that I haven't mentioned our children very much in this blog. Many of you ask about them, and I think many more of you wonder about them. They seem to be doing OK. Of course we worry about them and their willingness to talk about all of this with us, but we try to keep most of the information out in the open. They wear their 'Live Strong' bracelets everyday and they continue to pray for Nate in all of their prayers. Since Nate looks so healthy, we actually have to remind them sometimes that he's still sick with cancer. It's weird. Sometimes I'm tempted not to say anything. Oblivion is bliss, right? But, we realize we need their faith and prayers too. They are good kids and we love them so much. It's just not fair that they have to deal with this. That's my "Boo Hoo" for this post.
As I write this, Nate is on an 11 year old scout camp out. You'd think it was the first time he's ever been away for the night if you saw me right now...why was I born with this overwhelming need to worry and fret? I hope he's having a blast doing what he loves to do! It is only 43 degrees outside and the wind is whistling...stay warm Nate!
Thanks again for all the continued prayers! I'll update again when we get some results. Hopefully we'll be able to make some plans for travel and the big surgery. Keep your fingers crossed! Love to all.
Seriously, how have 3 months come and gone already? How have I aged 5 years in only 3 months? How does the last 3 months seem like they've taken a year to pass? Maybe we are in the Twilight Zone...could somebody please yell, "Cut"!? I'm ready to be done now.
Nate is scheduled for his second MRI this Monday morning. We'll use it to compare to the MRI he had when he began his chemo. We're praying for a miracle. We've been praying that the chemo is successfully killing the cancer cells and that the tumors are shrinking. As Sam and Sydney say, "Please bless that Dad does good in his chemo". We're having a special fast this Saturday and Sunday that the scan will show that the tumors are shrinking, thereby increasing the chances for a successful surgery. Anyone who feels inclined to join our family in this petition is more than welcome! The faith of our family and friends strengthens us more than anything. Thank you to anyone who is willing to join us!
Nate continues to power through all of this. I still marvel at his strength and his ability to continue on with everyday life. He's an amazing example to me. He manages his work, his church calling, and his family time so well. I don't know how he does it, and he won't tell me either...he's such a stinker that way!!!
I know that I haven't mentioned our children very much in this blog. Many of you ask about them, and I think many more of you wonder about them. They seem to be doing OK. Of course we worry about them and their willingness to talk about all of this with us, but we try to keep most of the information out in the open. They wear their 'Live Strong' bracelets everyday and they continue to pray for Nate in all of their prayers. Since Nate looks so healthy, we actually have to remind them sometimes that he's still sick with cancer. It's weird. Sometimes I'm tempted not to say anything. Oblivion is bliss, right? But, we realize we need their faith and prayers too. They are good kids and we love them so much. It's just not fair that they have to deal with this. That's my "Boo Hoo" for this post.
As I write this, Nate is on an 11 year old scout camp out. You'd think it was the first time he's ever been away for the night if you saw me right now...why was I born with this overwhelming need to worry and fret? I hope he's having a blast doing what he loves to do! It is only 43 degrees outside and the wind is whistling...stay warm Nate!
Thanks again for all the continued prayers! I'll update again when we get some results. Hopefully we'll be able to make some plans for travel and the big surgery. Keep your fingers crossed! Love to all.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The Next "Just Wait and See"
Nate and I are here at the chemo clinic for his fourth round. We saw our Oncologist this morning and talked about our timeline for the surgery and more scans. Our Oncologist is so great. He spends a ton of time with us, is so patient, and answers our questions so thoroughly that I can usually cross off other questions on my list! We're so grateful for good people!
We decided to do another MRI on Monday, April 30. So, we're back to our "Just wait and see". We'll use this to compare to the MRI he had in Omaha to see if the chemo is working to shrink and kill those stinking tumors. We are hopeful! Depending on what they see, we may be able to get the surgery scheduled soon after that. He's scheduled to have his 5th round of chemo on May 1st so the soonest the surgery could be is about the second week of June. He'll need to have a month off of chemo for his blood counts to recover to hopefully decrease complications in surgery and healing time.
It's amazing what can be done with modern medicine! I'm very aware of the fact that 10-15 years ago, Nate wouldn't have been offered any treatment. What a crazy and depressing thought. We are so grateful!
Just received Nate's blood work (labs) back, and he's doing great! His blood counts are all still in normal range. That's huge because as long as his counts are normal, he can continue with his treatment on schedule. I'm praying that he'll continue to tolerate the chemo as well as he has!
As soon as we're done here today, Nate is going back to work. He has Board Meetings again and has presentations to give this afternoon and tomorrow. I'm constantly amazed at his strength. I'm so lucky to have him in my life. He's a wonderful example to me and our kids.
We're also so thankful for our family. My mom is here helping with the kids and the house this week! It's so nice to have her here. I wish I could just transplant our family to Farmington. They all still do an amazing job of supporting us from afar, but I can't imagine anything better than to have Nate's family and my family here in Farmington. Yes, that is a hint! :)
As always, thanks and love to all! We are so blessed to have so many good people in our lives. Praying for a healthy Nate!!!
We decided to do another MRI on Monday, April 30. So, we're back to our "Just wait and see". We'll use this to compare to the MRI he had in Omaha to see if the chemo is working to shrink and kill those stinking tumors. We are hopeful! Depending on what they see, we may be able to get the surgery scheduled soon after that. He's scheduled to have his 5th round of chemo on May 1st so the soonest the surgery could be is about the second week of June. He'll need to have a month off of chemo for his blood counts to recover to hopefully decrease complications in surgery and healing time.
It's amazing what can be done with modern medicine! I'm very aware of the fact that 10-15 years ago, Nate wouldn't have been offered any treatment. What a crazy and depressing thought. We are so grateful!
Just received Nate's blood work (labs) back, and he's doing great! His blood counts are all still in normal range. That's huge because as long as his counts are normal, he can continue with his treatment on schedule. I'm praying that he'll continue to tolerate the chemo as well as he has!
As soon as we're done here today, Nate is going back to work. He has Board Meetings again and has presentations to give this afternoon and tomorrow. I'm constantly amazed at his strength. I'm so lucky to have him in my life. He's a wonderful example to me and our kids.
We're also so thankful for our family. My mom is here helping with the kids and the house this week! It's so nice to have her here. I wish I could just transplant our family to Farmington. They all still do an amazing job of supporting us from afar, but I can't imagine anything better than to have Nate's family and my family here in Farmington. Yes, that is a hint! :)
As always, thanks and love to all! We are so blessed to have so many good people in our lives. Praying for a healthy Nate!!!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Just Cruising Along...
It's been quite a while since my last update, and I apologize. I know there are so many people out there who are concerned for Nathan, and the progress he's making and I feel bad for not sharing his status sooner. I've been in a little funk and haven't wanted to spread any bad ju ju! Only positive thoughts, right?!
I can't believe that Nate will start his fourth round of chemo on Tuesday. The time between rounds goes way too quickly. His third round was over Spring Break, and thankfully, Nate did awesome! I really don't know how he does it. He did so well this last round that I got a little nervous, and irrational, thinking that maybe they weren't giving the right amount of chemo. I know, I'm crazy! The "pre chemo" drugs they've been giving really seem to work for Nate. He hasn't been very nauseous, and hasn't lost anymore weight. He does experience pretty severe cold sensitivity when he drinks anything cold, or when he's exposed to cold weather. That side effect has gotten worse with each round. His sleep is also a little messed up. I've decided that I should come up with a chore list and a shopping list for him when he wakes up at 3:00 a.m. and can't sleep. So, if you see Nate out mowing the lawn in the middle of the night, just know that he hasn't gone crazy!
The day Nate was disconnected from his last round, we packed up our trailer and went camping! We headed to Idaho, to City of Rocks. We met my sister and her family there. Despite the cold weather, our kids loved it! We're thankful for the opportunity we have to create family memories. There's just something about being out in nature as a family that changes attitudes and even the way we treat each other. I loved watching Nate doing something that he LOVES. He's always loved nature and being outdoors, and I fall in love with him all over again as I watch him share this love with our kids. He's had an amazing attitude through all of this, but I still couldn't believe how well he did on our camping trip after just finishing his chemo. He's amazing!
Nate's employer continues to show such patience and understanding. They've been very flexible and so loyal. We're blessed to have amazing people behind us!
Unfortunately, we still don't have any plans for his upcoming surgery. We're back to the waiting game. We may know more after we meet with Nate's Oncologist on Tuesday about when they plan to do more scans. I'll definitely let everyone know what we find out.
As always, I want to tell everyone how grateful we are to all of you who think about us and pray for us. It's the best service anyone can do for us right now! I know that Heavenly Father is mindful of us, and I know that we've been blessed by all the prayers given on our behalf. Just this last week I was in a pretty bad funk, feeling alone and not wanting to deal with life, and I received two calls from sweet friends who just wanted to let me know they were thinking of me and my family. I'm betting that they probably don't know how much those calls meant to me, but I took them as a little hug from Heaven.
Please continue to pray for a full recovery for Nathan. It's a difficult thing for me to ask, but I KNOW it will make a difference!
Love to all!
I can't believe that Nate will start his fourth round of chemo on Tuesday. The time between rounds goes way too quickly. His third round was over Spring Break, and thankfully, Nate did awesome! I really don't know how he does it. He did so well this last round that I got a little nervous, and irrational, thinking that maybe they weren't giving the right amount of chemo. I know, I'm crazy! The "pre chemo" drugs they've been giving really seem to work for Nate. He hasn't been very nauseous, and hasn't lost anymore weight. He does experience pretty severe cold sensitivity when he drinks anything cold, or when he's exposed to cold weather. That side effect has gotten worse with each round. His sleep is also a little messed up. I've decided that I should come up with a chore list and a shopping list for him when he wakes up at 3:00 a.m. and can't sleep. So, if you see Nate out mowing the lawn in the middle of the night, just know that he hasn't gone crazy!
The day Nate was disconnected from his last round, we packed up our trailer and went camping! We headed to Idaho, to City of Rocks. We met my sister and her family there. Despite the cold weather, our kids loved it! We're thankful for the opportunity we have to create family memories. There's just something about being out in nature as a family that changes attitudes and even the way we treat each other. I loved watching Nate doing something that he LOVES. He's always loved nature and being outdoors, and I fall in love with him all over again as I watch him share this love with our kids. He's had an amazing attitude through all of this, but I still couldn't believe how well he did on our camping trip after just finishing his chemo. He's amazing!
Nate's employer continues to show such patience and understanding. They've been very flexible and so loyal. We're blessed to have amazing people behind us!
Unfortunately, we still don't have any plans for his upcoming surgery. We're back to the waiting game. We may know more after we meet with Nate's Oncologist on Tuesday about when they plan to do more scans. I'll definitely let everyone know what we find out.
As always, I want to tell everyone how grateful we are to all of you who think about us and pray for us. It's the best service anyone can do for us right now! I know that Heavenly Father is mindful of us, and I know that we've been blessed by all the prayers given on our behalf. Just this last week I was in a pretty bad funk, feeling alone and not wanting to deal with life, and I received two calls from sweet friends who just wanted to let me know they were thinking of me and my family. I'm betting that they probably don't know how much those calls meant to me, but I took them as a little hug from Heaven.
Please continue to pray for a full recovery for Nathan. It's a difficult thing for me to ask, but I KNOW it will make a difference!
Love to all!
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