Sunday January 31st

What a wonderful weekend this turned out to be! We had a houseful for the KU/K-State game on Saturday night .....lots of good food and great friends......Sunday brought friends as well..it was so good to see Keith and Judy....Gary and Heather from Olathe stopped in on their way back from Oklahoma. Gary and Dave were roommates at Emporia State, and I really think if it had not been for Gary and Heather, Dave might not have ever asked me out for the first time...Dave was really shy back then.....
Dave has really been hobbling around today..his sciatic seems to be acting up....poor guy...if it is not one thing it is another.....
We go in for blood tests tomorrow and then a body scan on Wednesday, this is in prep for his treatment that begins on Thursday. Hopefully the side effects will not be too bad, I can't help but think that after what he went thru before with the Interleukin, (maybe) this will be a bit easier to tolerate. Beth from Hospice will be here in the morning to take off his pain pump. We will replace that med with Ibuprofin....I will be sad to see her leave....Hospice has been such a source of strength and support to Dave and to me as well.
Thanks to all who continue to follow this blog......Some of you who pray are friends of friends...from miles away, ........you lift us up with your kindness.....
Blessings to all...have a great week.......

Friday January 29th

We went to the Oncologist here in Wichita. He was very straight forward with us on the results of the scans. Dave's cancer has progressed and there is liver compromise in the form of lesions. He also has a 1 cm. nodule on an adrenal gland. Although that is not what we wanted to hear, it was the truth and it was presented to us in a very compassionate way, his honesty put our minds at ease.
He did suggest a form of chemo that has had some good results. Dave is willing to try and is entering into it with a very positive frame of mind. He will receive 3 weeks of treatment and then have 1 week "off". He will be closely monitored for positive results. If he does not respond and is only "maintaining" he will have the option of continuing or not.....At the moment he feels very good...very little pain, no nausea, and we are able to go places and enjoy our friends. We have Hospice to thank for that, however we will have to give them up as of Monday in order to pursue this path. Dr. Reddy is pleased with the drug protocol and does not want us to change anything unless we feel that it is no longer effective. We both feel very good about this.....we continue to find strength in the relationship that we have with one another.
Blessings to all!!

Thursday January 28th

Beth, our Hospice nurse, came by this morning and "reloaded" Dave's pain pump. They have worked miracles....I am determined to "pay forward" the kindness that they have given to us!
I want to thank all of you for the support, phone calls and e - mails....they are the answers to the "what can I do"....
Some of you have been concerned enough to suggest web sites...don't please. Some of them, although fairly accurate are very blunt and certainly offer no comfort at all. I am not sure that you would have suggested them had you first read them for yourselves. It leaves me with the task of watching Dave's heart in his throat and that makes me very angry .......
His cancer came back in the spine, it skipped the soft tissues and organs initially, so it does not follow the "typical" tumor malignancy that can be easily measured.....I am not going thru this with blinders or uninformed. I have a wonderful doctor that goes thru every report, sentence by sentence, until I understand, and we have Curt Pickert, our friend and a very informed doctor who has been with us since this was first diagnosed.
My purpose in "blogging" has been to inform accurately Dave's journey, and blogging also helps me put things in perspective each day. I read the messages and we have both appreciated the strength that friends and family have given us. Please respect our wish to gain information on our own.

Wednesday January 27th

This morning when I woke up and went into the kitchen, Dave was sitting at the table eating his cereal and reading the paper. He had started my coffee and the kitchen smelled warm and cozy....for just a moment it was as if life was normal...I hope that the options that Dr. Reddy has for us can offer more of those moments....

Tuesday January 26th

Today was another day without much pain.....the pump has been good for Dave. He is eating better too. I called Dr. Reddy's office this morning and we have an appointment on Friday at 12:45. We are considering this a consultation. Dave wants him to go over the test results from his last scans in detail, and we both want to hear options.
Beth our Hospice nurse comes tomorrow, it gives me so much peace of mind to have someone checking on him, and they have been wonderful to us both. They have been a real source of strength .
Blessings to all....

Monday January 25th

This was another good day for both of us! Our nurse came this morning and tweaked Dave's meds a bit, nothing major... she hooked a pain pump to his port and for the first time in 5 months Dave says that he is nearly pain free. That makes me so happy....He has eaten well today and no nausea.....
Our KC Oncologist called us tonight and after careful consideration Dave has decided that he has had enough of the Interleukin. He was able to withstand 24 treatments in all and I can't begin to share with you the strength that it took for him to do so. He has shown such courage. My love and respect for him has grown with each passing day. Dr. Reddy, our Oncologist here in Wichita contacted us this weekend and asked that we consider other options. I am going to contact his office first thing in the morning for a consult to see what he has to offer in the way of treatments. We are seeking honest answers......
Once again thank you for your constant support and prayers....blessings to all!!

Sunday January 24th

Today was a good day..pain and nausea is under control.....thank goodness. The nurses will be out tomorrow to check on him..it is always good to see them walking in the door.
We are supposed to hear from Doolittle tomorrow...that will determine where we go from here. Dave is not giving up nor am I...so tomorrow will hopefully bring answers. I will feel a terrible let down when Hospice leaves us (they cannot be involved as long as we are undergoing treatments) Their involvement has taken so much stress off of me....
I did practice giving injections today. The oranges in my kitchen are now abundantly full of saline solution. Cayte said that I did well.....I can definately save fruit in a crisis situation!

Saturday January 23

This has been a day of ups and downs. Dave's nausea and bone pain is under control, but he has been in a great deal of pain from the pic line that was in his arm. I did all that I could do here at home but had to call the Hospice nurse twice. She came out and gave him an injection both times and that helped ease the pain somewhat. I have now had a couple of lessons in giving an injection, Cayte is going to come over tomorrow and I am going to practice so that I can give Dave injections myself.
Hospice has been such a great help to Dave and to me as well.....their support makes every day seem better......blessings to all.....

Friday January 21st

The meds continue to keep Dave's nausea under control and he is eating "better"...that is of course relative to Dave...... Hospice added some meds today and we now use a "big gun" in the morning and at night. The meds for the most part are keeping him comfortable, and for that I am so very grateful!
We are able to go to the Maize South game last night...you did have moments of greatness boys....!!!
The nurse from our KC doc did call us back Friday afternoon. I guess the 3rd call is always a charm......Doc is out of town...we are to call back first thing Monday AM....they share our concern...hummmmmm
Blessings to all of you.....enjoy your weekend!!!

Thursday January 21st

Dave's new meds continue to keep the nausea under control. He was able to go to a basketball game with John Blazek and Chris (our son) in Valley Center this afternoon .....GO MAVS...congratulations on your win!
We turned off the phones this evening so that we could both enjoy the peace and quiet and watch a movie! I hope he continues to be able to do some fun things.....
I am still waiting to hear from our Doc in KC....hummmm
Our Oncologist in Wichita called Dave personally this evening and told him that he would like to see us, there are still some optons available to us IF the Interleukin is not any longer an option.
We will continue with Home Health and Hospice until this is all decided upon. Their presence in our lives has been such a help and support to me.....They are certaily willing to "move in and out of our lives" as treatments are tried....... Blessings to all!!

Wednesday January 20th

This has been such a good day. The new meds have given him some real relief...hope it continues! We ran errands this afternoon and this evening we went out for a bite to eat.
Kip, Isaah and Brandon brought over a basketball that the team signed as well as a football that had been signed. They came over after practice along with the team!! Hopefully he will continue to feel well because he really wants to go to Valley Center tomorrow and watch them play. Dave deserves better days than what he has had...I am so thankful for the support that hospice has given us!

Wednesday January 20th

Yesterday was a very productive day. I made an appointment with our family doc, and he was very helpful and as usual VERY supportive. I left his office at 11:30 and by 1:00 home health care was calling saying that and they had contacted Harry Hynes Hospice. I now have new and wonderfully strong people on my team to help us through this!! Hospice came out first and they changed some of his meds...we will give it 24 hours or so to see if they make a positive difference in his nausea and pain, if not we may look into the pain pump....Home Health Care will come out today to appraise the situation. I feel so much comfort in all of this! Should Dave return to KC for more treatments, hospice will bow out of the mix, they are there for us whenever he is no longer undergoing treatments.
When we left KU Med this time, although I feel all of Dave's physical needs were met, we both felt as though we were kicked to the curb because we never were able to see our own Oncologist. The weight of that was very oppressive to me....I am to call his Kansas City office today...but those thoughts I will keep to myself.....
Once again the kindness of others and the strength from friends, have made such an impact on both of us. I don't know how anyone could go through all of this alone. To my "California doc" you are such a strength to me ....Blessings to all......

Friday January 15th

Wow it is good to be home!! Thanks to everyone who made this birthday so special....Not a day goes by but that I don't thank my lucky stars for friends like you!! Denny, Dave was so glad to read your message. He would love to hear from you and Dave...I am sure your memories are right on target...haha.....to all of the guys (and Joyce and Dina)....it was really great to see you tonight. This has been a really hard week for us, and I was feeling pretty weepy tonight...but you lifted my spirits and made Dave some good birthday memories. Gage and Mav...we loved the "welcome home sign"...Lee as usual...you were so very thoughtful...the balloons and cookies were great. Chris...Dave liked the ice cream cake....thanks.....
We will take each day one step at a time and hopefully Dave's strength will return. It is up to him as to whether he takes more treatments, we will consult with Dr. on it Wednesday....
Blessings to all.....

Thursday January 14th

Dave and I are going home tomorrow. It is his birthday....so glad we will be home!!! He is better but they agree with me that he is not strong enough to withstand another treatment course right now. I will get in touch with Dr. Doolittle next Wednesday and we will review the situation. Hopefully with the nausea under control he will start eating and gaining weight.
I turned my phone off this AM and will probably do the same this evening. I am very tired......
Thanks for all of your support....Genelle, yes we did get your message...thanks it was good to hear from you....Denny, Dave remembers you two as being two of the "best"...hummmm ??? Patty, way to go on the lights!! We are anxious to see you and the new car...Sheri....sure miss Mark and Rita!!!
Love and blessings to all!!!

Wednesday January 13th

Today was a bit better for Dave. He is on a liquid diet (YUMMY) and they give him Zofran IV before he eats...it is for nausea. They are going to consider giving him something IV tomorrow to boost his appetite. He has kept everything down today. He and Chris walked a lap this afternoon and he and I walked 2 laps between the WSU and KU bbgame.
Dave and I talked last night and today. He too has reservations about the Interleukin treatments at this point. He is weak from weight loss and loss of appetite, It is certainly not that we are giving up, but the side effects are severe and in the past have put his heart under so much stress that we have to weigh the benefits against the risks...the doctors are going to take our concerns into consideration as they decide what course of action to take. If I don't get answers tomorrow, I will call Dr. Doolittle's office myself and request a consult. I am growing very tired of living in a holding pattern. Maybe tomorrow your prayers had better be for the doctors!
Blessings to all...your support is as always....so very appreciated.

Tuesday January 12th

Happy Birthday to my wonderful son in law Matt. We love you and wish that we could be with you to do a bit of celebrating!!

This has been a hard day for both of us. Dave is still not keeping anything down for any length of time. The pain meds are causing his intestinal tract to slow way down so they have given him two "treatments" for that this evening. It has helped some but the pain and cramping has been awful. He is very weak.....I have serious reservations about the next interleukin treatments. I had the nurse leave a note for Dr. Doolittle to stop by tomorrow. I have respect for the knowledge that these doctors have and in their ability to diagnose and heal. But I have lived with Dave for over 25 years and I know his body...I am very worried. Hopefully he will rally tomorrow.....it could be a very long night.....keep him in your prayers......blessings to all!

Monday January 11th

OH MY...it has been a very long and tiring day. I called KU Med first thing this morning and they said that they had a bed in ICU at noon. After arriving and
visiting with doctors it was decided that Dave is not strong enough at this point to undergo treatments, so they have moved us to Oncology and will try giving him fluids..he will be evaluated again tomorrow and Wednesday.
He has been unable to keep food down since Thursday....it has been difficult too keeping fluids down for the past 24 hours. He is certainly dehydrated and very weak, hopefully this will be what he needs to turn the corner and begin to feel stronger. His weight (134) is of great concern to me, I am anxious to visit with Dr. Doolittle.
As usual Dave is slow to complain....I know that the past 2 days have not been good ones for him...we continue to find strength in one another and the goodness of friends and our family....thank you so much...blessings to all!!

Sunday January 10th

We are still in Wichita. I called KU Med today and they were not 100% sure that Dave has a bed available to him tomorrow. We are to call at 6 or 7 in the morning and they will let us know, they will hold it for us until we get there. Once again this is a test of patience....we are packed and ready to go.....

Saturday January 9th

It is almost noon and we are still waiting to hear when we are to check in KU Med. We got the blood draws yesterday and they were faxed to the Cancer Center in Kansas City. The nurse there that coordinates all of this is waiting to hear when a "bed will open up". We are down for 9:00 Monday AM, but that is not been verified......
All of the numbers looked good for Dave, but he is very tired and has not eaten since Thursday. Once again everything that goes in comes out in a hurry. I am doing all that I can to keep him hydrated, but not having much luck with food. This cancer takes on a "life of its own" and dictates everything to the extreme. I know now that what happens in the morning does not necessarily have any bearing on what happens the same afternoon.
I am trying to control what I can for him (pain....nausea......and comfort here at home)...but the rest is very unpredictable. This way of life is so very different for both of us, who are used to planning our days.....
I will keep you posted as we get more information.....blessings to all.....

Wednesday January 6th

The last couple of days have been good ones for Dave. He and Curt have had some time together to visit and get caught up on news...and of course they have watched football.....
Curt has been good medicine for Dave. I know that he gets really tired of being around me all of the time.
We go in for blood draws on Friday and those results will be faxed to KU Med for our treatment data on Monday. ( He will begin round #3.) Hopefully the weather will be cooperative for travel, but it looks as if we are going to have a heatwave of 35+ weather the first of the week.

Stay warm and blessings to all!

Monday January 4th

Today was a good day for Dave. He went to school for awhile to get things organized in his room. He is looking forward to coming back at least on a part time basis..he misses everyone at MSMS!!
Curt got here safely and it was great to see him walk thru the door!! He will be here for most of the week. We will gladly share him with his sister Karen....Our hope is that we can all get together this week sometime..it has been a long time ,and all of the Pickerts are special to us.
We went to the Dr. this afternoon and he went through the test results with us.....(the same results that Dr. Doolittle went over in KC), but it was good to hear it from another source. The IL-2 treatments seem to be keeping the cancer at bay for now. The next 2 rounds will be very telling. We will know that the treatments were a success if Dave's energy and appetite increase, and by his overall pain level. I feel cautiously optimistic about the last 2 rounds because it seems that his nausea is better and he has a few more good days than before.
Dave continues to be a source of strength for me .....he has yet to complain, he worries more about me than he does about himself.....
Blessings to all....keep praying.......

Sunday January 3rd

The past couple of days have been good ones for Dave. He went with Patty Ruzich to look at cars in Cheney and it was a bonus to see Jack Thomas and Keith McMahan .
Dave had not seen Kip and Leeann's house since they moved in (furniture/carpets...) we went to their house and had a good visit with them on Saturday night. It makes me so happy to see him doing things that we took for granted only a few months ago.
Today was a downward spiral. He was in bed all day, and just did not feel well. He was nauseous most of the day, but that has subsided tonight. His entire life is like a roller coaster...and I have to add neither one of us has ever liked roller coasters!! One of his best friends is coming in from California tomorrow. Curt (Pickert) and Dave have been friends since they were kids....I know that Curt being here will lift Dave's spirits.... I hope that he has some good days so that they can maybe go somewhere...if not I know that the time that they are going to spend together will be good for them both.
Blessings to all....keep warm....and continue your prayers......