Happy Tuesday!
Our weekly visit to see Dr. Howard resulted in another cautious reduction with the steroid meds, so now Denny will be taking 1mg in the morning and another 1mg in the afternoon. Steroid-wise, he's at the dosage he was taking when he was told to stop taking it. That was on September 9 -- needless to say, it's been a long couple of months.
The good news is that at the lower dosage he's been on the last week, Denny has been sleeping very well. That will surely continue and even be better with now going to 2mg/daily. Den feels pretty good, considering all he's been through, and Dr. Howard is very pleased with the recovery process. Going forward there will be even more caution because of the complete adrenal shutdown Den experienced in September.
Those steroids are nasty little pills that tear apart the large muscles in the arms and legs, so Denny's strength is still compromised and that's what makes him so tired. Short naps do revive him considerably, so now he just has to be patient as those muscles redevelop. Walking and light weight lifting are the two best exercises for him, so that's what he'll be doing!
More good news is that for this term at school Denny will only have to teach two classes full time. Connor McKnight has agreed to stay on and will be teaching the creative writing class that is Denny's 4th block class. Just like when Connor took on Honors English during the first term (and did an excellent job,) this relieves Den of the worry that I know he would have if a stranger would have had to substitute for him. Plus, it allows him to stay semi-involved but he won't have the papers of those 29 students to correct, etc. The 59 he has in British Lit is quite enough.
When Connor first told his mom that he would be returning home when his last job ended, Ann said she felt in her heart (and even told her husband) that Connor was coming back for Denny. That was weeks before Den's set-back. It's just another affirmation, to me at least, that God has a plan for all of us.
Tonight Den will begin another round of chemotherapy. Through Saturday he will be taking 460mg of temodar every night. This is the dose he will be at each month for at least the next year. Please pray that every bit of it gets to what is remaining of that tumor!
Again, on behalf of our entire family, I thank you for your care and concern. Many people have told us that they read this blog and that they've told others about the site. Knowing that Denny is loved by so many former students and their families helps us all be optimistic that he will be able to continue his passion of teaching for years to come. God bless each and every one of you.
Love,
Carla
P.S. For those who have asked, our home email is doudenhoven@new.rr.com
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2 comments:
Denny and Carla,
You remain in our daily thoughts and prayers. We truly hope that all the news you receive continues to be positive. We will always be grateful for all you did for the girls at Xavier. You made their college years so much easier. Mr. O, you were and continue to be a blessing to so many students. May that continue for years and years and years to come.
Love,
The Frassetto Family
ps- Jana recently found out she works with one of your cousins at Notre Dame Elementary in De Pere. It really is a same world.
Carla & Denny,
Hello from Jane...I am Denny's first cousin (one of Norb's many daughters - you know, the ones whose names all start with "J"). Anyway, I am sure that you remember me, after all I am the cute one!!! ha ha
I only recently found out about this blog but have been finding myself checking it often for updates. I want you to know that I am sending warm thoughts and prayers your way. I hope and pray for Denny's full recovery.
Please take care and thank you for the blog. It is so helpful to keep up-to-date on your progress.
Lots of prayers going your way...
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