Don: We are home, after all. The kids joined us Wednesday night and we had our Christman on Thursday. Friday they went home and we went in to clinic. They ran their labs on her blood and everything was within exceptable rangees. She sometimes needs plateletts but not this time. Since it was Christmas Eve they gave her some anyway and sent us on our way to Panama City. We have an appointment on Tuesday but we are in PC today!! Great to be home after 60 days. We went to Shands week before Halloween. Think about all you have done in that amount of time. For all of that but the last week, Karen was in Shands. That is a real drag…. but we are home for Christmas and that is a blessing! So once again, Merry Christmas. Don’t forget the reason for the season. Amen.
Don: OK, it isn’t Christmas Day for real but it will be the day we get to celebrate it with the kids and Karen’s parents. They will arrive tonight and stay all day tomorrow and leave on Friday. Karen is very excited to she her babies! Last year we had our celebration a whole week early in PC because we were going back to Shands before Christmas. It was wonderful. This year we are celebrating at the Red Roof Inn. We are rejoicing at having the family together, even if it isn’t at home or on the right day. It is going to be great! Merry Christmas to you all. Thanks for coming by.
Don: On Monday, Karen told the Doctor she wanted out of the hospital. He said, “OK. You can go on Wednesday.” Guess what? It really happened. It didn’t go real smooth and took ALL day but we got out. Things have improved on some points and still need improvement on others but none of that matters at the moment. She is out! This really helps her spirits a lot. We don’t know what is going to happen for Christmas. We may be able to run home for a short break. If not, Dennis and the kids are putting together a plan to have the kids here for about two days. Either way we do plan on having some time with the family. Merry Christmas to you all.
I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and had a descent nites sleep last night. I got to speak a little with my Heather about some Christmas planning and all the children seem okay with lack of “presents” and some quality time together. I love my family. I am really looking forward to making some gifts and decorations and just worshiping our Christ as a family. I would never let my babies do without, and Praise God, he has always provided in this family. Thank you Jesus.
It is possible we may get discharged on Wednesday if my GI tract continues to improve. Oh I just can’t wait!!!!!
Please continue to pray for my dear friend Sofia/sister thru Christ, in treatment for brain cancer, and all the other people on your prayer lists. If they are better, prayers of thanks. And have the most Merry Christmas ever!
Hi everyone. Well, I can think of better things to do than dealing with a small bowel obstruction, but the nurses and docs have been real good to me and I hope to see the light at the end of of the tunnel soon. I want you all of you to know that I love you very much and especially my children. Even though you may not get to hear from me daily, you 4 are always at the front of my mind and I am working hard to get home or at least to the camper by Christmas. Remember that Jesus Christ our Savior, and God’s gift of him, IS, the true meaning of Christmas. I would love to give each one of you all every gift you could possibly imagine, and my heart so bad wants to be with you. Pray that mommie will get home soon and maybe we can have Christmas stockings and movies and games and family and fun just like old times! Maybe even a little tree (not our big one at home like at home that barely fits in the house, he he). love karen
Don: Karen’s counts are on the rise again. They had leveled out and even dropped a little. Now they are 1500. Her white blood cells are part of the formula that comes up with that number. Yesterday they made it up to 1.4 and today they are at 1.9. On Dec 3rd I posted a note and mentioned that Karen had a bone marrow biopsy and we were waiting for the results. We got them that evening. No leukemia cells, small clusters of red cells and small clusters of white cells. Cancer is officially in remission again. Let’s pray that they can keep it that way this time!!
We do have an issue or two that is keeping us in the hosptial but we can talk about those later. I mentioned that main one in the last message.
Don: A couple of weeks ago Karen was going to need a CT of her tummy and digestive area and they needed her to be clear as possible. That means she had to drink Go Lightly. A whole gallon. There was really no way she was going to be able to drink the amount they wanted her to have. She asked for an NG tube so they could put it into her belly without having to swallow it. Good thing she went that route because the one gallon the first night was not enough. She had to do it again the next night to be ready for the procedure.
A couple of days ago I got to see the NG tube in action (sort of) again but this time it was for evacuating the tummy as she currently has an obstruction just pass the belly. Pressure was building up so much that each morning she would throw up and then would feel better. Her little tummy was really distended because it was not relieving her of all the discomfort. Another good use of an NG tube.
You might think that they are simple and foolproof. They almost are. The biggest problem, especially for evacuating, is that the tube must be the right distance into the tummy. They measure from the nose to the ear and then down to the tummy on the outside and use that as a guide. After placement they pump some air into the tube using a big syringe and listen to see if they hear bubbles in the tummy. Then they hook you up to the suction device and see what happens. If it doesn’t completely place well, then they get an xray and put in a little more or pull it out some. Let’s just say that the first night it didn’t work well, the next day and night weren’t much better and on the next day they pulled out the first tube to put in a bigger tube. Things started moving, then stopped. They did an xray and found they weren’t deep enough. 15 cm needed to go in. Started working, then stopped. Finally did another xray and found out that the hose was too long and looped up and must have pinched off. Pulled it out a little and things started working real well!
Wait! We aren’t done yet. During the early morning hours the tube came out of the tummy and out to the throat area. We had to push it back in. At least they had a mark on the tube so they knew where to put it without having to get an xray. Karen is understandably in a lot of discomfort in her nose and throat from all of this in and out movement of the tube. She does feel better in regards to the pressure though.
That wasn’t too much information for you all, was it? Prayers for comfort today please. She really needs an easy day after so many in a row of discomfort.
Don: This cancer battle – being in Gainesville for most of 14 months, in Shands this time for more than twice the number of days we had to be in after Bone Marrow Transplant, missing the kids, our lives on hold and the list goes on – stinks. On so many levels we are frustrated because we are not in control. We are troubled about the one step forward, followed by the two steps back. We all feel it. Madeline and Ken feel it. Dennis, Dylan and Jacob feel it. Ma, Big Randy, Randy and Heather feel it. Karen’s sisters, my brothers and Dad feel it. Don’t even try to list all of the friends, nurses and others who also know just how much this stinks. They feel it, too. That’s the honest truth.
I just got off the phone after having a conversation with Dennis. It reminded me that you all need to hear from us, even when things aren’t great and especially when they are. From where you guys sit, not knowing may be worse than knowing. Well, here is some more honesty. We are scared. When I say “we” I definitely mean every one of us. Yet we have a peace. The peace comes from the prayers that are said, over and over, for Karen by all of us. If you believe in Jesus and you believe in prayer, then you must feel a peace when your prayer ends. Madeline found a new song on YouTube that sums it up for all of us. Listen and see if you agree.
Don: Karen had it a little rough on the day of Dec 1 and then rougher still on the 2nd. It is the morning of the 3rd and she really had trouble during the very early morning hours. Lots of tests yesterday. The last one was a CT of the lungs and where she only had a little in one lower lobe, she now has some in both. Her heart rate runs high, usually over 110. The monitor starts beeping if it goes over 125. Later evening it was beeping a lot as she stayed right around the border. With the issues she was having this morning, they have decided on more tests. She had a surprise bone marrow biopsy yesterday and we should get some results this afternoon. We need those before they can make a complete game plan. There is a lot to take into consideration but we must know whether we have leukemia cells trying to come back before we make any decissions.
Please Pray for comfort, peace, healing and that the doctors make the best decission for Karen.