Had my platelets drawn after church today, and they are 60, still going in the wrong direction. So, no chemo for me tomorrow. I am having a hard time having patience with this, because I feel so good. I am so anxious to get this one done, and have my CA-125 sent in, because if it is normal, it could be the last one for a while. I will talk to the office tomorrow and see if they want me to have the CT scan this week or not. I didn't have to work on Sat., it was slow and they said I could stay home "on call". My parents are up north and they said the colors are just gorgeous!! I so wish I was up there. I have not been up there is a month, so I am now thinking I may try and go up tomorrow for a couple of days.
Next weekend we have our last wedding in Cleveland, so we will not be able to go up then.
This afternoon Stan and I are going to a get together with some PEO couples. Mieke and Aaron are going too. She is anxious to introduce her new hubby to her new PEO friends. It is kind of hard to get these men away from the TV with the Ryder Cup, Tigers, Lions and Packers all on this afternoon.
Thanks for all your prayers for patience for me and for higher platelets. As someone wrote in a comment, this is totally out of my control. I need to " Let Go and Let God". I am trying...
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Boo Hoo, Platelets going the wrong direction
Just found out my lab results. The Platelets are now down to 61. They were 71 on Monday, so they are getting worse instead of better. Guess this is fairly common when you are on chemo for a while, it is hard on the bone marrow which is where the platelets are produced. Time is the only thing that can help. So they want me to have lab work done on Sun. to maybe have chemo on Monday.
I changed the blog picture to one of me on my new "tree seat" up at the Homestead. I had mentioned to Stan and my Dad that I saw this neat tree that was down on the property and I thought it would be fun to lean against the garage door. So a few weeks ago, I was floating in the pond and I heard the big John Deere tractor coming down the road. Sure enough, here it was my Dad with the big tree attached to the front. I was so happy that they brought my tree. The bear broke the bottom of our garage door a couple years ago, and because we don't really need to open that side of the garage, and we didn't want to replace both doors at this time, we put up a decorative "stick" fence in front of that part of the garage. I will post a picture of that.
People are so sweet and still remembering and encouraging me with notes and cards. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. They are all so special, and it helps so much when I get discouraged or sick of this disease I am fighting. This one particular card came from a new friend of mine. On the front of the card is says this: Tough Cookie (tuhr kook-e) - noun.
1. Someone with just the right mix of sweetness and strength.
2. One who doesn't crumble under pressure.
3. A fighter who's too busy kicking butt to sit down and cry, but knows it's okay to do both.
4. A person who doesn't always ask for support, but has lots of friends who would do anything to help
Inside is says, Hang in there Tough Cookie
I guess I am a tough cookie. I told my Dr. that and he said, there are Tough ones and then there are broken ones. He sees both.
I need to go to church now and help Mieke with a kids choir she is starting,. I will finish this later.
I changed the blog picture to one of me on my new "tree seat" up at the Homestead. I had mentioned to Stan and my Dad that I saw this neat tree that was down on the property and I thought it would be fun to lean against the garage door. So a few weeks ago, I was floating in the pond and I heard the big John Deere tractor coming down the road. Sure enough, here it was my Dad with the big tree attached to the front. I was so happy that they brought my tree. The bear broke the bottom of our garage door a couple years ago, and because we don't really need to open that side of the garage, and we didn't want to replace both doors at this time, we put up a decorative "stick" fence in front of that part of the garage. I will post a picture of that.
People are so sweet and still remembering and encouraging me with notes and cards. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. They are all so special, and it helps so much when I get discouraged or sick of this disease I am fighting. This one particular card came from a new friend of mine. On the front of the card is says this: Tough Cookie (tuhr kook-e) - noun.
1. Someone with just the right mix of sweetness and strength.
2. One who doesn't crumble under pressure.
3. A fighter who's too busy kicking butt to sit down and cry, but knows it's okay to do both.
4. A person who doesn't always ask for support, but has lots of friends who would do anything to help
Inside is says, Hang in there Tough Cookie
I guess I am a tough cookie. I told my Dr. that and he said, there are Tough ones and then there are broken ones. He sees both.
I need to go to church now and help Mieke with a kids choir she is starting,. I will finish this later.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Bummer, No Chemo Again
My platelets were too low today, so no chemo again. They want me to keep taking my premeds, have my blood rechecked in Holland on Wed. at noon, and if it is OK I could have my chemo on Thursday. So please pray that it all works out. I saw Dr. Downey today and he said, if my CA-125 was normal this week, then maybe I would be done with treatments for now. That would be two treatments past normal. Then he tells me that we could do the reversal surgery in 6 wks. instead of waiting 8 wks. I can't quite figure it out?, and I hearing them wrong the first time, or are they changing their minds?? Anyways, I might be having the surgery sooner than I thought. This is fine with me, but I do have to get rid of some work commitments that I signed up for in November.
This weekend we had a surprise visit from a friend David and his dog Benson. He had made some meatloaf for us hot out of the oven. It was delicious! We also got to see Benson's tricks. He picks up things you drop on the floor and he shuts the door. Amazing! David's daughter Emily is a quadriplegic and she taught him to do those tasks.
Also, a big thanks to my neighbor Kay. She lives in Chicago and comes to her house across the street from us occasionally like her cottage. She brought me a couple of bottles of Chardonnay from Trader Joes. So sweet of her.
I have lots of pictures to post from Labor Day, the wedding reception in Detroit and others, but I have to figure out how to do it. I am going with Mieke tonight to a make up party in Fennville.
Tomorrow, Ross and Rumy are coming to Holland. Ross has to play at a funeral and we are going to go to Artprize. We saw some of the pieces on Sat. night before the symphony. So fun to see so many people roaming around GR.
This weekend we had a surprise visit from a friend David and his dog Benson. He had made some meatloaf for us hot out of the oven. It was delicious! We also got to see Benson's tricks. He picks up things you drop on the floor and he shuts the door. Amazing! David's daughter Emily is a quadriplegic and she taught him to do those tasks.
Also, a big thanks to my neighbor Kay. She lives in Chicago and comes to her house across the street from us occasionally like her cottage. She brought me a couple of bottles of Chardonnay from Trader Joes. So sweet of her.
I have lots of pictures to post from Labor Day, the wedding reception in Detroit and others, but I have to figure out how to do it. I am going with Mieke tonight to a make up party in Fennville.
Tomorrow, Ross and Rumy are coming to Holland. Ross has to play at a funeral and we are going to go to Artprize. We saw some of the pieces on Sat. night before the symphony. So fun to see so many people roaming around GR.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Been a while
Stan here:
A few people who follow this have asked for the update. Well, the update is that there have been a few computer problems of late and it has been hard to keep everything up to date. That is getting fixed. So back in action in a day or so. Even if this thing was working good there is not all that much new to report. Deb's chemo date is the 24th and I am sure she will update at that time. As time has gone by it seems she is feeling better and things are going in the right direction. She was warned that she would lose her hair again and slowly but surely she became annoyed that whenever she wore anything fall like or dark it would be littered with reasonably short grey hair at the end of the day. So she took the measure of taking that down to the short and she now has a reddish (auburn) new wig that she looks rather different in. I have always thought that she deserves some red tint in the deal. Somehow, knowing her like I do, it seems like red is a color that fits her quite well. I have always heard stories about redheads. Something like they are opinionated and can be kind of resilient. So now she has a color that fits her quite well.
On the resilient side she has been working a little more lately. Last night she got called in on the 7-11 shift and this morning she had to teach a birthing class to expectant parents. So she rolled in at 12 last night and the alarm went off at 6:30 this morning to get up and teach this class. The only reason I tell this is to let people know that things are more normal than they have been in a long time. There are times when the energy level is in question and she becomes disappointed that the get up and go has got up and went. As long as the ability stays to put one foot in front of the other she seems to have the ability to do it, no matter how she is feeling. We are planning to attend the GR symphony opening this evening to see our son Ross and hear the concert. So to give you some feel for things a normal person would want to rest after teaching a full day class. But her parting words this morning to me were to have the car warmed up because if we got going at 4.00 we could take in art prize before the concert. I am not sure why I am boring you with this story other than to welcome you to my life. Also, to tell you that things are seeming to be a little more like old times around here. I am quite certain that at 4 I will load a redhead in the car and shortly thereafter we will be walking the streets of GR looking at some form of art that some person thought would meet the eye of a 60 year old guy that is on his first date with a redhead.
So what we have is a date with chemo on the 24th. Another one in three weeks. And then the potential of a reversal surgery. Of all the things that have been a problem this has been the thing that Deb has at the top of her list. If all goes well this would take place at or near the Christmas holiday season. You know the song " All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth." I am not sure sure I could write that good of a song about our issue but I think you get the idea.
Otherwise life is OK. Romney is tanking, the Tigers are going to still win this thing, I am going on a a date with a redhead tonight, a bunch of people are going to learn how to have and take care of a baby today, and the potential for the life that Deb deserves is seeming like a higher probability.
So long:
Stan the Man
A few people who follow this have asked for the update. Well, the update is that there have been a few computer problems of late and it has been hard to keep everything up to date. That is getting fixed. So back in action in a day or so. Even if this thing was working good there is not all that much new to report. Deb's chemo date is the 24th and I am sure she will update at that time. As time has gone by it seems she is feeling better and things are going in the right direction. She was warned that she would lose her hair again and slowly but surely she became annoyed that whenever she wore anything fall like or dark it would be littered with reasonably short grey hair at the end of the day. So she took the measure of taking that down to the short and she now has a reddish (auburn) new wig that she looks rather different in. I have always thought that she deserves some red tint in the deal. Somehow, knowing her like I do, it seems like red is a color that fits her quite well. I have always heard stories about redheads. Something like they are opinionated and can be kind of resilient. So now she has a color that fits her quite well.
On the resilient side she has been working a little more lately. Last night she got called in on the 7-11 shift and this morning she had to teach a birthing class to expectant parents. So she rolled in at 12 last night and the alarm went off at 6:30 this morning to get up and teach this class. The only reason I tell this is to let people know that things are more normal than they have been in a long time. There are times when the energy level is in question and she becomes disappointed that the get up and go has got up and went. As long as the ability stays to put one foot in front of the other she seems to have the ability to do it, no matter how she is feeling. We are planning to attend the GR symphony opening this evening to see our son Ross and hear the concert. So to give you some feel for things a normal person would want to rest after teaching a full day class. But her parting words this morning to me were to have the car warmed up because if we got going at 4.00 we could take in art prize before the concert. I am not sure why I am boring you with this story other than to welcome you to my life. Also, to tell you that things are seeming to be a little more like old times around here. I am quite certain that at 4 I will load a redhead in the car and shortly thereafter we will be walking the streets of GR looking at some form of art that some person thought would meet the eye of a 60 year old guy that is on his first date with a redhead.
So what we have is a date with chemo on the 24th. Another one in three weeks. And then the potential of a reversal surgery. Of all the things that have been a problem this has been the thing that Deb has at the top of her list. If all goes well this would take place at or near the Christmas holiday season. You know the song " All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth." I am not sure sure I could write that good of a song about our issue but I think you get the idea.
Otherwise life is OK. Romney is tanking, the Tigers are going to still win this thing, I am going on a a date with a redhead tonight, a bunch of people are going to learn how to have and take care of a baby today, and the potential for the life that Deb deserves is seeming like a higher probability.
So long:
Stan the Man
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