Little tougher today

It seemed like things were going along almost too good and sure enough we had little setback starting last night. Late last night some evidence of a low grade fever crept in to the picture and as the night went on it became more severe. Rumy stayed last night to help and did a nice job but then as the morning went on the fever became worse to the point that another scan and x-ray were needed to check for a blood clot or fluid in the lungs. Deb now has some oxygen on and her breathing is a bit more shallow and we are awaiting the results of those test. We will keep you informed. Right now no great alarm but it does get your attention. Talk to you all later.

Rainy Day and More News

Today brings a couple of walks up and down the hall and a steady flow of clear liquids for a diet. Overall things areO going well. She certainly feels better than the last time. Not so much from the physical side but the fact that we have some better news sure does help with the spirits. The doctor was in this morning and again affirmed the news we reported yesterday. Some people we talked to maybe did not understand that the chemo will need to continue after the surgery is healed. This will be administered by her interparetaneal port which was surgically implanted during the procedure yesterday. So along with the long incision is one more of to the side. With this port they can administer the medication to the spots most affected. The way I understand this is the the adominal cavity will be be filled with the chemo drugs thereby reaching any organ affected. This will be used along with existing port they used for the previous chemo. The room she has is a little smaller than last time but at least it is private and the bed that we use when we stay to help is comfortable.

Wild Swings and Other things

Stan Here:

Some of you have heard that the surgery today had the outcome of a very much better report than anything we have had before.  I just drove home and I wanted to give a little more detail to what we learned today.  Many of you know that when Deb was first diagnosed that we were not left with many reasons for optimism for a life that extended much beyond a very short time. The first surgery was was supposed to be 4 hours and when we were called to the room after 2 hours we were told that the cancer was so widespread that the only option was to attempt chemo therapy with the effort of prolonging life to the best of medical ability.  Deb has endured those treatments and dealt with the situation.  As time has past she has reached the conclusion she wanted to do all within her power to fight her way through this and in this past 7 months she has done so.

As this was going on we started to notice that all "the numbers" were pointing in the right direction. At the same time the rigors of chemo were something that you can only experience but you cannot describe.  My take on it is that Deb has endured this in a special way.  She has always handled medical procedures without fear.  With the help of many friends, many appointments, many expressions of concern, and many prayers she has purged through the procedures and events with a confidence that for me has been very special.  If it is was me I would have spent a sleepless night last night.   I had to wake her up this morning and tell her it was time to go.  Something I thought was interesting is that when we arrived at Spectrum a little early she wanted to take a tour of the new childrens hospital.  And that is what I wanted to communicate.  Over these past several weeks I have noticed that the normal Deb was back. It is for this reason that I thought that she had a good chance for a good day.

After the normal delays finally the surgery start around 1:30 PM.  After about 3 hours we were called to the room. Shortly thereafter the Dr came in. The first thing he said was that he had some news that we were going to want to hear.  Deb's body had had a very positive reaction to the chemo at a level that was higher than normal.  In fact most all of the internal organs had a normal look and the large tumors that were present before were gone.  There was a cord like structure near the pancreas about 4 inches long that was removable. Once it was removed the pancreas appeared and felt normal.  There were white specs in some areas that were remnants of the small tumors that once dominated her midsection.  They took biopsies  
of these and he suspected that the reports would come back that some cancer was still present.  At the same time the impact that the chemo had on the disease would lead him to think that some further treatments could further impact the disease and that there existed the chance that the cancer could be put in remission.

So the long and the short of the thing is that for the first time in some while we have some really good news. Not out of the woods yet but some real reason for hope and optimism.  I will keep you posted but I think she really has the chance to whip this thing.

I am tired now but let me give a couple of more things.  She has been placed in a double patient room. (As we speak she just called me and just got transferred to a single room).  Because they did so much work on her  this time her midsection feels more sore than last time.  I think what is smart is to tell you that if people do wish to visit it might be good to give Mieke ( 616-566-8545) a call and see she is ready. Or call or text me ( 616-293-1274) .  The plan right now is that Mieke is staying with her tonight and me on Friday night.

She loves all her friends so much that she will always want to see them.  We will try to appraise what is best
and let you know what is going on.  In the meantime rejoice with us in the good news and many thanks for your concern and care as this whole thing has transpired.  It will never be forgotten by any of us.

Thanks   Stan and Deb

Great News!

We just met with the surgeon. He came in and said, "This went very well." It was followed with a whole list of things that we wanted to hear. The best news that we could have received. Her cancer has shrunk and there is very little sign of tumors or any frosting like last time. Her organs look healthy. There is no visible cancer. Praise God! I think we have a miracle. I videotaped the whole thing so I will write more details soon. Bottom line....it is GOOD! So good! Prayers are answered. Keep praying that she recovers quickly and has little pain. Much much love, Mieke

Delayed

Hello all, Mieke here. I'm writing on Dad's fancy shmancy iPad. I said goodbye to mom about an hour ago in the pre surgery room and it says she still hasn't gone into surgery. I'm not sure why but it might have something to do with the epidural. She knows that it worked well last time for pain stabalization and would like it again this time. I got a feeling from the Dr. that he doesnt usually like to use them but they will do it anyway. So for now the sign says "in surgery intake" and I will write again when she is in surgery. They said it would be about two or three hours in surgery. Thank you for every prayer, email, text, card, fb message, etc. When I asked her if she was nervous she said no, but was just anxious to hear some news. They also asked if she would like to be under for the epidural and she replied, "No, I think it is interesting, I'd like to be awake." She is a brave woman. I am so hoping for good news. Much love, Mieke

Mello Yellow Jello

Just heard from Spectum that surgery is scheduled for 10:55am. You know what that usually means when you are not the first one on the schedule?? Delays, that is what that means. Oh well, at least we don't have to be there in the dark. We have to be there at 8:55am. Can't they just round it out to the nearest half hour?

Just had my yummy yellow jello for lunch. I can look forward to my broth for supper.

My Last Meal....

Got home safe and sound from Hilton Head last night around 9:30pm. It was good to get home and see the beautiful flowering trees and blooms in the yard. Went to the hospital to have lab work done this am. Stopped up to the floor to say goodbye to some co-workers, see you hopefully in 8 wks. Did lots of laundry today and trying to get ready to be "out of commission" for a while.

Stan, Mieke and I went out to Salt and Pepper for my "last meal" before surgery. Tomorrow is clear liquids only. We also went to see Aaron in action. He is now working as a server there, does a great job, and is enjoying it so far.

Stan was the guest speaker in Mieke's 4th grade class today at Lincoln Elementary in Zeeland. He talked to the kids about poetry and told lots of stories.  According to Mieke the kids loved him!! and talked about it all day after he left. She had the kids write letters to thank him for coming and she put it in a book form. It is so cute!! They really had lots to say. Hopefully some of you can see it some day. He was anxious to see Mieke in action and was so impressed with her ability to work with the kids, she is a "natural" according to the teacher she works with. Mieke was also very proud of her Dad, and his ability to relate to the kids. Wish I was a little mouse in the room, and could have been there.

Thanks for all the kind words,calls and cards of well wishes from so many of you. I am not anxious about the upcoming surgery, I am more ready to have it behind me and to get on the mend.

Thanks to my friend Karen for the visit, hug and meals in the freezer. Have a great time in Florida.
Tomorrow I find out exactly what time I have to be at Spectrum. I hopefully will be the first case of the day. Stan or Mieke will post some news after surgery on Thursday. 

Sunny Hilton Head Island

Sorry that it has been a while since I posted a blog. I have been down in Hilton Head Island for the past week with my parents and my sister-in-law Nancy. The weather has been absolutely perfect, the nicest it has ever been since I have been coming down here. I know it has been crazy warm back in Holland since I have been gone, but the ocean, lush green and colors are so nice down here. The azaleas are about two weeks early and gorgeous in color.
My parents have a time share at the Marriott Grand Ocean for two weeks. I kind of decided not long ago to play a bit before my surgery next week. Nancy also decided at the last minute to join us. I drove down with them and I am flying back next Monday. I would have stayed longer, but I need lab work done and I need to do clear liquids on Wed. and start my "bowel prep" that afternoon. I didn't think it would be a good idea to miss my surgery if my flight was delayed or something.

Here we are riding bikes on the beach today.

 We enjoyed a wonderful meal at Truffels last night.

We have been grilling and enjoying meals in the condo too. We were hoping Michigan State would have gone a little longer in the tournament, but we are having fun watching the other teams. Mom and Dad LOVE basketball games.
I was quite proud of myself when I managed to play 18 holes of golf last Tues. It had been 6-7 yrs since I golfed. I broke my wrist, then had my two thyroid cancer surgeries and then that stupid furniture store business, I never got the ol' clubs out. But, it was really fun, and I had some good shots. I was very sore and tired by the end, and glad we were done, but I am looking forward to playing this summer.
Here is where you can usually find Mom and Dad:

They have both read so many books already down here. We also love dips in the hot tubs.
This is a sampling of the colorful azaleas at the resort:

I am thankful for the chance to spend some quality time with my parents before my surgery. I am also thankful that Nancy could be here to take long walks on the beach, bike, and enjoy a drink at "Pool Bar Jim's" with. Stan says he is loosing weight without anyone to cook for him, and he is a bit lonely. He says he hopes I stick around for a while yet. I saw pictures of the flowering trees and flowers in Holland (thanks Karen), and I sure hope they are still there when I get home next week..........

Genetic Testing Results are Back

Had return appt. today with the Genetics Dr. at Spectrum Health. Good news, the BRCA 1 and 2 came back negative. There is no Mutation Detected. That means my kids (and my siblings and nieces and nephews) don't have to worry about any increased risk of breast or ovarian cancer. They said this applies to boys too because they can get breast cancer. Now lets just hope the insurance company covers the whole cost for the test. There is only one lab in the US that does this, because it has the patent for it, and it is in Salt Lake City, Utah. The test costs $3,500.00 and they strongly recommended I have it done. They investigated very hard if there was any connection between my thyroid and fallopian tube cancer. They found none. I received lots more information, but I will not bore you with that.

Sunny Florida

Stan Here:

I think my vision of Florida was for everyday having some sunshine but at least for today that is not true so far.  It gives me a chance though to update Deb's blog which she asked me to do a couple of days ago.  We are here for a conference for my business and we decided to stay a couple of days longer to take in some of  the Disney stuff. We bought tickets for this long before Deb knew she could work again and we were doing the "enjoy every moment" phase.  It does bring back some good memories because this is the place we came 37 years ago for our honeymoon. 

 Believe it or not there are a few things that have not changed.  Those bears are still singing every 15 minutes at the "Great Bear Jamboree" they are looking a little more tired and they seem a little sick of the same songs. Anyway there are a number of things that just don't change all that much.  They do a good job down here and the place is amazing but I must tell you that after a few days in those lines I start to feel like a cow in a stanchion.  So today we are just in the room. It is raining and I am writing and I am not standing in line listening to a tape of how long it is before something starts. 

I think many of you tune in to these posts to see how Deb is doing so let me give an update.  Some of you know that 6 weeks without chemo have to take place before a surgery scheduled at the end of March.  It seems like with the absence of the chemo somewhat of a reprieve from normal cancer health feelings and lack of energy has taken place.   The way I can tell this is when the park tickets are purchased Deb quickly notes that the place will be open on this day till midnight.  What that has always meant when you travel with Deb is you arrive when the park opens and you do not think much about going home till the place closes.  Then on the way home you take an extra lap on the monorail in case some fireworks duds might ignite as the park closes.   I said to Deb on one occasion that I thought she was doing pretty good.   She also seemed surprised by her stamina. She was somewhat concerned that with the absence of chemo that the cancer cells might have a chance to rejuvenate but for now we have to worry about that later.

In the conference one of the presenters talked a little about Disney and how the place works.  It takes 60,000 employees to run this place.  Their big moneymaker though is when they have a hit movie.  The parks and the movies kind of feed each other. We did have a real nice dinner last night at a place  called the "Flying Fish'. Here is a picture of our dessert, banana napoleon, it was good! Thanks Lori for the suggestion for this place, the steak and scallops were wonderful.

Then a return trip through Epcot for the fireworks.  There was a surprise concert going on done by Jose Feliciano whose most famous song is "Light My Fire".  He does a good job of entertaining  and it brought back memories of past years.  He plays the guitar real well and did several numbers solo with no singing.  Pretty amazing and something we really enjoyed.

 We got stuck on a couple of the rides. I think that some of these rides have gone around so many time that they get stuck a little more that they used to. Really no problem but my rides always seem to get stuck watching some robot with clothes running a printing press or something.  Another new thing around here is that they show a lot of these 3-D movies.  At some point a dog or elephant or something has to sneeze and the chair in front of you squirts some water on you right when this is happening.  By the end of the day I was getting pretty wet and felt like telling somebody that I was getting the idea and they could turn off the squirters on the chairs. 

Deb finishing up this blog. We are looking forward to Stan's cousin Steve and his wife Rhonda coming to have dinner with us tonight. They live not too far from here near Lakeland. I enjoy meeting up with old friends at these conferences. Here we are after a wonderful spouse brunch. See you next year girls!! It was fun spending a few days with you again.

Probably Reflux

Had my Barium Swallow test today. Have not heard from the ENT dr. that ordered it yet, but the PA who administered the test said he saw reflux, and thought that was probably what was causing the sore throat at night. It does make sense, I sleep on my left side most of the time. I said, I never have heartburn and he said 70% of the pts they see also don't have symptoms of heartburn. Sooooo, I am going to sleep a little elevated on pillows, let gravity help, lie on my right side and keep taking the Prilosec twice a day.

Saw the surgeon yesterday. We are all set for surgery on Thurs. March 29. They are going to try for the first surgery of the day, but they never confirm that until the day before.
I need to have lab work done a few days before that. He said they will remove my uterus, the area they saw in the left upper quadrant by my spleen and any other areas that they can remove. I will be in the hospital 6-7 days again. I said will the incision be as long as the last time and he said, at least if not more. Oh great. He said I would be a good candidate for a peritoneal port to be put in my abdomen for intraperitoneal chemotherapy. He would only do this if I didn't have too much scar tissue. If there is a lot of scar tissue, the chemo fluids would not be able to bath the organs well and it would not be of any use. I saw women getting this treatment, and they have them lay for so many minutes on each side, keep having them turn to get the fluid all around inside. I would have this plus regular chemo every 3 wks.

We leave for sunny Florida tomorrow. Will do a post from down there. Doesn't it figure that when the weather gets nice here, we go away? It was 66 degrees here today!

Another test....

Home from ENT dr. appt. Liked Dr. S. Sprik a lot. Phil, he says hi! He looked down my throat with a scope, didn't really see much. He reviewed the MRI I had done, and he found that they had totally missed that my left sinus cavity was completely full (of who knows what)? Probably an infection, and that could be the reason for the sore left side of my throat. He couldn't believe they did not report that on the findings. I am loosing faith in radiologists. He ordered antibiotics for 4 wks. and he also wants me to have a Barium Swallow test. I am having that done next Tues. am at Blodgett. I also have to take my Prilosec two times a day, instead of one, in case it could be reflux causing my painful swallowing. He didn't think so. He also saw (and showed me) that the MRI showed a "thickening" of the glottis area on the left side of the throat.
 
I sure hope the antibiotics clear this up. I have had a constant runny nose for months now, but I thought it was a side effect of chemo. I thought about buying stock in Kleenex, because I go through them. He said that the sinus problem is probably the cause of that.

I couldn't work today because of the Dr. appt. I can't work Monday because of the Dr. appt. I can't work Tues. because of a test.   I am teaching class again tomorrow. Stan helps me set up and take down, which is a big help. Stan has a conference in Orlando for a few days, so I am going along to keep him company (and to catch some sunshine). I will say hi to Mickey and Minnie, we are staying at the Contemporary Resort which has the monorail running through it.

We are going to the Hope men's basketball game tonight. They are in the play offs. GO HOPE!!

Mieke and I picked up her dress yesterday. She is beautiful in it! Their engagement announcement is in the Sentinel next Sunday. So please save me a few copies friends.

Mary has again kindly set up the take-a-meal schedule. Many of you have asked if we were going to do that again with this next surgery. It really was nice not to have to worry about shopping and meal prep for a while. We are cutting it down to three meals a week. Here is the link:
http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=AETW2601
Stan has been in the kitchen a little bit more, but there is room for growth. Wish he enjoyed cooking as much as he loves writing. Hope  you have checked out his latest.

Congrats to Chris and Lynn Malik and grandparents Ken and Joan on the birth of little Aliana in Arizona. We are so happy for you all!!

Hi Aunt Dorothy!! Thanks so much for your nice note. Say hi to your whole family for me. I have such fond memories of you all. Thanks for following my journey.