Hi,
Oh my gosh, it's Friday again! That means that tonight is the last night of chemo for this round. I am happy to report that Denny had a very good week despite the high dose of temador he takes for five days. He continues to go to the physical therapist on Mondays and Thursdays and follows a very strict regimen here at home each day. His appetite is good and he's sleeping well. I believe he has turned a corner now that he's had nearly two months of slow, but steady, progress.
When we visited the doctor today for Den's weekly blood tests, she(as well as the nurses) commented immediately on his improvement. Mornings continue to be tough for him (he still wakes up exhausted) so it was good for her to see him in the early afternoon.
Denny's napping right now, but will wake up fairly refreshed. We will probably go to the basketball game tonight and he'll be tired when we get back home. Tomorrow we hope to see Connor, Grant, Ryan, and Keira (and their parents, too. of course.) Those four little individuals are the best medicine for both of us. I use the word "individuals" because they are all so different. We are just crazy about them and thank God every day that we can see them as often as we do.
Starting Monday the steroid dose will be reduced again, so I'll keep you posted on how Den does with that. We thank you, again, for all of your prayers. I really can't begin to imagine how those with little or no faith can get through challenges like this. And having friends with even more is clearly a bonus.
Love,
Carla
Friday, February 27, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
February 21
Hi, Everyone,
One would think that being home most of the time and having no social life except for the basketball games we are able to attend, that the weeks would drag by for each of us for different reasons. Thankfully, that has not been the case and despite all of the cold and snow, we marvel at how quickly time is passing. Here we are, ready to start round #5 of chemotherapy on Monday; it seems like he just finished the last round!
Den is still making progress in his recovery. He rides the spinner at least three times each day, now up to ten minutes each time. He has a variety of other strength,
dexterity, and balance exercises that he does faithfully every day and he continues to see the physical therapist twice weekly. He gets a little down once in a while because he wishes things would go faster, but then I remind him that two months ago he couldn't walk at all! His concentration level is almost back to normal, so reading and watching movies are daily activities again. Another very noticeable improvement is his penmanship. All of this bodes well for a gradual return to the classroom!. He is really aiming to be at school during the 4th term. We know it won't be full time, but are hopeful to work out some kind of routine. By then I hope he will be down to a much lower dosage of the dexamethosone, which will make him feel so much better. He's still at 6.5 mg daily until after the chemo when we hope it will be reduced again.
Our thanks and love to all of you for hanging in there with us. Have a peaceful Sunday!!
Love,
Carla
One would think that being home most of the time and having no social life except for the basketball games we are able to attend, that the weeks would drag by for each of us for different reasons. Thankfully, that has not been the case and despite all of the cold and snow, we marvel at how quickly time is passing. Here we are, ready to start round #5 of chemotherapy on Monday; it seems like he just finished the last round!
Den is still making progress in his recovery. He rides the spinner at least three times each day, now up to ten minutes each time. He has a variety of other strength,
dexterity, and balance exercises that he does faithfully every day and he continues to see the physical therapist twice weekly. He gets a little down once in a while because he wishes things would go faster, but then I remind him that two months ago he couldn't walk at all! His concentration level is almost back to normal, so reading and watching movies are daily activities again. Another very noticeable improvement is his penmanship. All of this bodes well for a gradual return to the classroom!. He is really aiming to be at school during the 4th term. We know it won't be full time, but are hopeful to work out some kind of routine. By then I hope he will be down to a much lower dosage of the dexamethosone, which will make him feel so much better. He's still at 6.5 mg daily until after the chemo when we hope it will be reduced again.
Our thanks and love to all of you for hanging in there with us. Have a peaceful Sunday!!
Love,
Carla
Friday, February 13, 2009
February 13
Happy Friday the 13th!
We are happy to report that Friday the 13th was a pretty good day for us. We went to see Dr. Meena, who said she is astounded at Denny's progress. She told him that if had not been in such good physical condition prior to the cancer diagnosis, he would never have survived the blood clot fiasco. Her theory for the tumor maintaining at status quo, is that Den's body is currently concentrating on the recovery from the damage done to his lungs and legs by the clots and the tumor will get more attention later on.
Going forward, she is cautiously reducing the steroids by 1/2 milligram per day, so now he is at 6 1/2 per day and will remain there for a couple of weeks. There still is some edema around the tumor, so she isn't sure just how low we can go on the dexamethosone. We'll just take it slowly and be extremely watchful for the danger signs.
Dr. Meena wants to have Denny go through two more rounds of chemotherapy and then she wants to have him assessed in Madison. That was kind of a surprise to us, because we've been told that the tumor has to be 2 centimeters or less before any stereotactic surgery can be considered. We are happy to have a doctor who is so thorough, so we will do whatever she and Steve Howard tell us to do.
So, Denny will continue with the physical therapy at the clinic and at home, massage therapy, and as soon as the weather is consistently nice, he'll get outside to do more walking. He's hoping to spend a few hours each week at school, doing enough to keep him connected with the students and his fellow teachers. The one thing he knows he cannot do is to do too much. I think he's learned that lesson!!
Today these are the plans, but we know every day is new and subject to change, so we'll keep you posted as we move forward. Have a wonderful Valentine's weekend!!!
Love,
Carla
We are happy to report that Friday the 13th was a pretty good day for us. We went to see Dr. Meena, who said she is astounded at Denny's progress. She told him that if had not been in such good physical condition prior to the cancer diagnosis, he would never have survived the blood clot fiasco. Her theory for the tumor maintaining at status quo, is that Den's body is currently concentrating on the recovery from the damage done to his lungs and legs by the clots and the tumor will get more attention later on.
Going forward, she is cautiously reducing the steroids by 1/2 milligram per day, so now he is at 6 1/2 per day and will remain there for a couple of weeks. There still is some edema around the tumor, so she isn't sure just how low we can go on the dexamethosone. We'll just take it slowly and be extremely watchful for the danger signs.
Dr. Meena wants to have Denny go through two more rounds of chemotherapy and then she wants to have him assessed in Madison. That was kind of a surprise to us, because we've been told that the tumor has to be 2 centimeters or less before any stereotactic surgery can be considered. We are happy to have a doctor who is so thorough, so we will do whatever she and Steve Howard tell us to do.
So, Denny will continue with the physical therapy at the clinic and at home, massage therapy, and as soon as the weather is consistently nice, he'll get outside to do more walking. He's hoping to spend a few hours each week at school, doing enough to keep him connected with the students and his fellow teachers. The one thing he knows he cannot do is to do too much. I think he's learned that lesson!!
Today these are the plans, but we know every day is new and subject to change, so we'll keep you posted as we move forward. Have a wonderful Valentine's weekend!!!
Love,
Carla
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
February 11
Hi,
While Denny naps before we head out to his physical therapy appointment, I thought I'd write to let you know about the MRI he had this morning. It was a long procedure this time (over an hour in that tube!! I was claustrophobic just thinking of him being in there that long) because the oncologist had ordered more images than in the past. Once he was finished, we went straight to Steve Howard's office and as soon as he was able to get them, he read the results of the MRI. To make a long story short, the tumor is stable, which, given all that Den's been through with the blood clots, etc., is a good thing. It is the same size as the last MRI showed in December, is completely encapsulated with an even smoother edge than before, and appears to be decomposing from the inside out, i.e. there is a mass of dead cells right in the middle of the tumor.
There is no way to predict how this tumor will or will not change as treatment continues. But as long as Denny has only the one side effect (a hand tremor), Dr. Howard is satisfied with the situation. The chemotherapy is obviously working, and as Den gets stronger in general, we hope that the debris within the tumor will go away. If and when that happens, the tumor would most likely be at the right size for stereotactic radio surgery. Now we will have to wait another few months before they can do all of this over again.
We will be seeing Dr. Meena on Friday and she will give us her take on everything, but I can't imagine that it will be too much different. She will continue to monitor the chemotherapy, the steroid intake, and Den's blood work. Dr. Howard was extremely pleased with the strides Den has made in the last month with the physical therapy and said that whatever he's doing he should continue and I'm fairly certain that Dr. Meena will concur. They both encourage him to do as much as he can and wants to do regarding teaching, which they know is his passion. Den has been happy to be doing some tele-conferencing with his students as well as reading some of their papers. As we get into spring he hopes to get back into the classroom a few hours each week. That would be great.
So, the journey continues. Thank you, all, for caring enough to join us. I know it is the prayers of everyone reading this blog, as well as other family and friends, who have made this bearable for us. It is what it is, and we know how much worse it could be. While he has had some set-backs, Den has never had the headaches or seizures that most people with this type of tumor experience. We are deeply grateful for everything that everyone has done to make this New Normal an easier place to be.
Love,
Carla
While Denny naps before we head out to his physical therapy appointment, I thought I'd write to let you know about the MRI he had this morning. It was a long procedure this time (over an hour in that tube!! I was claustrophobic just thinking of him being in there that long) because the oncologist had ordered more images than in the past. Once he was finished, we went straight to Steve Howard's office and as soon as he was able to get them, he read the results of the MRI. To make a long story short, the tumor is stable, which, given all that Den's been through with the blood clots, etc., is a good thing. It is the same size as the last MRI showed in December, is completely encapsulated with an even smoother edge than before, and appears to be decomposing from the inside out, i.e. there is a mass of dead cells right in the middle of the tumor.
There is no way to predict how this tumor will or will not change as treatment continues. But as long as Denny has only the one side effect (a hand tremor), Dr. Howard is satisfied with the situation. The chemotherapy is obviously working, and as Den gets stronger in general, we hope that the debris within the tumor will go away. If and when that happens, the tumor would most likely be at the right size for stereotactic radio surgery. Now we will have to wait another few months before they can do all of this over again.
We will be seeing Dr. Meena on Friday and she will give us her take on everything, but I can't imagine that it will be too much different. She will continue to monitor the chemotherapy, the steroid intake, and Den's blood work. Dr. Howard was extremely pleased with the strides Den has made in the last month with the physical therapy and said that whatever he's doing he should continue and I'm fairly certain that Dr. Meena will concur. They both encourage him to do as much as he can and wants to do regarding teaching, which they know is his passion. Den has been happy to be doing some tele-conferencing with his students as well as reading some of their papers. As we get into spring he hopes to get back into the classroom a few hours each week. That would be great.
So, the journey continues. Thank you, all, for caring enough to join us. I know it is the prayers of everyone reading this blog, as well as other family and friends, who have made this bearable for us. It is what it is, and we know how much worse it could be. While he has had some set-backs, Den has never had the headaches or seizures that most people with this type of tumor experience. We are deeply grateful for everything that everyone has done to make this New Normal an easier place to be.
Love,
Carla
Saturday, February 7, 2009
February 7
Happy Saturday!
It seems hard to believe that it's been a week since I last wrote. I had to work full-time this week so Beth could take a well deserved vacation after working for me part of November and all of December. So the week flew by, as we worked in the physical therapy appointments and some family visits.
Yesterday was an especially full day for Den. He did his morning exercises and then had lunch with three of his friends from work. After doing more exercises and napping in the afternoon, we went to the Xavier basketball game (the Hawks are currently undefeated in conference!) Then, for the first time since June, we went to a party and were out past midnight! (A major big deal.) The party was our belated staff Christmas party - a pre-Mardi Gras party at Ann and Mac McKnight's beautiful home and nearly the entire faculty was there. Everyone had such a wonderful time; I have a feeling that a new tradition has been started and we have a new time and place for future mid year parties.
Although he was very tired, being with all of our friends, (the most generous, supportive, and funny people in the world,) was very therapeutic for Den. He woke up today feeling better than ever. His massage therapy was this morning and Natalie (his therapist) said she can see major improvement. From there we went out for lunch with Bob Perl, a friend from Michigan who attended the seminary with Denny. Bob has been a wonderful friend through the years and especially during the ups and downs we've endured these past few months.
Needless to say, he slept away the afternoon and is currently watching the GB basketball game. Tomorrow will be a quiet day for us, and we will anxiously await Wednesday, when Denny will have an MRI to find out the status of the tumor. We are praying that the chemotherapy has accomplished its purpose and the tumor has been reduced in size and is still encapsulated with a smoother edge. Please keep your fingers crossed and say an extra prayer for Denny that day.
We hope you have a restful Sunday enjoying the springlike weather. I'll let you know what we find out on Wednesday! Until then,
With love,
Carla
It seems hard to believe that it's been a week since I last wrote. I had to work full-time this week so Beth could take a well deserved vacation after working for me part of November and all of December. So the week flew by, as we worked in the physical therapy appointments and some family visits.
Yesterday was an especially full day for Den. He did his morning exercises and then had lunch with three of his friends from work. After doing more exercises and napping in the afternoon, we went to the Xavier basketball game (the Hawks are currently undefeated in conference!) Then, for the first time since June, we went to a party and were out past midnight! (A major big deal.) The party was our belated staff Christmas party - a pre-Mardi Gras party at Ann and Mac McKnight's beautiful home and nearly the entire faculty was there. Everyone had such a wonderful time; I have a feeling that a new tradition has been started and we have a new time and place for future mid year parties.
Although he was very tired, being with all of our friends, (the most generous, supportive, and funny people in the world,) was very therapeutic for Den. He woke up today feeling better than ever. His massage therapy was this morning and Natalie (his therapist) said she can see major improvement. From there we went out for lunch with Bob Perl, a friend from Michigan who attended the seminary with Denny. Bob has been a wonderful friend through the years and especially during the ups and downs we've endured these past few months.
Needless to say, he slept away the afternoon and is currently watching the GB basketball game. Tomorrow will be a quiet day for us, and we will anxiously await Wednesday, when Denny will have an MRI to find out the status of the tumor. We are praying that the chemotherapy has accomplished its purpose and the tumor has been reduced in size and is still encapsulated with a smoother edge. Please keep your fingers crossed and say an extra prayer for Denny that day.
We hope you have a restful Sunday enjoying the springlike weather. I'll let you know what we find out on Wednesday! Until then,
With love,
Carla
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