Information for you

I'd like to say that I am in full force with the school routine at home. Not so! Hopefully ya'll out there are doing better than I am.

The following are the next dates coming up pertaining to cancer world.

MRI (last one was 3 months ago) - Tuesday, October 7
Next doctors appointment (to discuss MRI) - Friday, October 10
Next chemo cycle (Good nap weekend) - Friday, October 17 - 21

Have a good Tuesday,
k-

Tolerable

Praise God from whom all blessings flow...

Last night was my last chemo pills and so far so good on the side effects. Fatigue is the chief complaint at this time. I will take being tired over the other items recently experienced during the chemo cycles.

Yesterday my mom joined me in seeing the oncologist. Dave has been ultimately busy at work and could not attend. Tuesdays are really the prime busy day for him. The doctor & I discussed why I should not come while on the chemo cycle for that defeats the purpose of the bloodwork. Duh. I was wondering why I am seeing him later lately. It is just the way the calendar had scheduled it. I will be having a MRI in early October then see Dr. Needles on the 10th with a follow up. Blood work is always a given. My lab numbers looked good yesterday. My upcoming October chemo cycle is the 17th - 21st.

Off to study Romans at CBS this morning. Whoa is it good!

Have a great Wednesday,
k-

Weekend News!

Stuart & his giraffeCarter with some serious air time.

Happy Stu after slide

Cole ready for the velcro wall.

Our weekend in review:

Friday- Stuart and I enjoyed leisure time at the zoo. He has been neglected with good mommy time lately and I was aware of it. It seems that Carter and Cole got the best of me and Stuart only gets me. At least he gets me though. I wanted to treat him to the zoo for the older boys were given lots of excursions when they were young like him. I haven't done that much for him lately. Go figure! You should have seen his expression when I stated Thursday evening that he was going to the zoo. He was elated. "I want to see the giraffes." "Okay!" Once at the zoo he wanted to ride the train then was changing his mind so often that he didn't know what to do with himself. We took a long walk... long... Did I mention it was long? We enjoyed seeing the ducks at the pond of all things then we went to see the snakes & monkeys ughh. Not my fav. Stuart neither. After walking some more here are the giraffes. They were beautiful and very close up. It was nice to be able to sit on benches and eat snacks often. We were in no rush to be anywhere.

Started chemo this night through Tuesday eve.

Saturday- Cole had a 10 am soccer game in which he assisted a team mate in the scoring of the goal. He was happy even though they didn't win for he had a great smile on his face once home. I did not go to the game for Dave thought it might have been too much for me. I napped thirty minutes in the morning. We had his company picnic to attend from 11 - 3. Loads of fun for the kids. Lots of food, a bounce house and slide not to mention a velcro wall. Ohh was that fun! We are so blessed to have a good company to work for. They have been good to Dave.
**Please pray for my friend, Angie and her husband Colin. She has recently been entubated in a Texas hospital. She has complications from cancer that originated in the breasts. The cancer has spread to her lymph nodes, lungs, liver, bones and most recently the brain. She also has congestive heart failure. This is her second time being entubated in a years time. My heart is heavy for the family. They have been called in (second time as well in a year). So far that is all I know.

Sunday- Good to be at church. Great notes from the sermon. I would love to find the time to write them out. After lunch the older boys went with Aunt Jeanie on a hike to a cave in Franklin county. They have been planning this for some time since last years excursion. It was WAY fun last time. They were giddy going to bed and waking this morning. Aunt Jeanie is a delight to our hearts.

Today marks the 13 year anniversary when Dave asked me to be his wife!

Picture Day Rush

Today at school is picture day. This morning along with last night was a hub bub of sorts. Ironing shirts, shorts, etc. This morning was getting the hair gel in place. Not messing it up with a hoodie was a fiasco for Cole. Stuart will need a bath today due to sticky face & hands from a cinnamon raisan french toast breakfast. He is to arrive at 11:00 for individual pics. He normally attends school on Tuesday & Thursdays. There will be an all school picture at 11:30. No Bible study this morning for me. Too much busyness. I am still in my p.j.'s.

Please take the time to pray for Dave. He is coming down with a virus. He is going to bed earlier than normal due to swollen glands. Work also has been a busy one for him with lots of meetings.

I will have my blood drawn tomorrow morning. My next doctors appointment is Tuesday the 23rd. This Friday starts my chemo cycle. It will most likely run till Tuesday eve if complications do not arise like my migraine last time. Please pray for a non eventful 5 day cycle.

kate

Sleep In Saturday

It seems to be a Sleep in Saturday at our home. Carter is the only one awake with me at 6:55 am. It is nice to have an overcast Saturday morning. The boys went to bed late due to Family nite movie nite. Cole stayed home from school yesterday with a fever. 3pm Thursday at school he was complaining of an intense headache. He cried (I knew it was bad... he doesn't cry in front of his friends) ok the staff walked him personally to me in the carpool line. He laid down in back of the van till home and a temperature was taken 101.4 two hours later 102.4. We will most likely relax at home with him today. He will not be able to go to his soccer game since the fever was still with him as he went to bed last night. We desired for him to have a good 24 hour fever free day but that wasn't the case. Thankfully Tylenol / Advil helps with the fever and pain. He did not wake me up during the night (unlike Thursday night) so I am hoping he is feeling better this morning.

I am feeling much better since my last post thank you. It is a good reminder to be able to take care of someone else I love who's sick.

Chemo starts next Friday, the 19th and runs till Tuesday the 23rd.

Have a good Saturday...

Stuarts awake gotta go.
k-

Bad to worse

This was written Tuesday night and I deleted it early Wednesday morning thinking it was not of blog material. I have changed my mind. My symptoms have gone from bad to worse.

"Well, it is right on time. School has started and so have the colds in our home. It seems mine is quite a severe one. I am up after midnight after going to bed at 8:30 and not sleeping well. The nostrils are getting a work for their money. I despise colds more than anything. Of course, who likes to be sick? I am hoping that this illness departs quickly before I start my chemo later next week. I am discouraged.

Oh well,
kate


Last week I was wondering why my tongue had sores on each side. Now I know. My immune system is slammed most likely due to last months chemo. To top it off this morning I awoke with a good cold sore on my lip. Great for the dental appointment today. Lovely. Cancer has taken a toll on my body both physically and emotionally. I can still say that God is my portion forever. I don't like this but God is in control. After a good cry this morning I am alright.

k-

Forgetful & Eyes

After just writing the soccer season post at 7:40ish Dave realized that I forgot the Trader Joes groceries from 2:00. You see I went to Sam's, the mall (shoes for Cole) and Trader Joes today after the soccer game. I had two gallons of milk from T.J's in the trunk of the car. I came home and emptied the dry goods from Sam's and Coles shoes forgetting about the groceries in the trunk. After a good nap and Dave cleaning house he realized we didn't see any Trader Joe's bags in the kitchen. We ran to the garage. Ho hum. After dinner I went to Trader Joe's to purchase new milk for our family. This is disheartning for Dave and I. I am taking it pretty hard. I am frustrated that I didn't remember the groceries. I forgot to put away cold groceries in the house last Tuesday. I was in such a hurry to get out the door after Stuart was dropped off with carpool that I totally forgot the cold stuff. Two hours later I realized this accident. Go figure on Wednesday at the mall I left my keys in the car after getting Carter and Cole a special lunch from Chick Fil A for school. Yes, keys in car happen to most of us... Yet it is just the topping on the cake for me.

Also an update on my eyes. On Friday I had my yearly exam. After testing my field of vision. It showed that each eye has difficulty seeing in the upper left quadraint area. More on the left eye. The doctor suggested that there could be a problem with the right temporal lobe. I explained my second surgery in December taking ALL of my anterior right frontal lobe(forgot all about the left sided paralysis...oops thank you, Dave). He said that the surgery could be part of this issue as he wasn't sure how close the temporal lobe is to the frontal. He also said not to worry since I am having regular MRI's. I will be in contact with my neurosurgeon, Dr. Forget to send surgical notes to the eye doc.

Please pray for my forgetfulness and eyes. The Lord is faithful.

." THE LORD, HE is the ONE who goes before us, He will be with us. He will not leave us nor forsake us....so we do not fear nor be dismayed" Deut. 31:8

Soccer Season has begun

Well, yes the soccer season has begun in our household. Cole had his first game this morning. His team lost unfortunately. If you remember correctly, last season the league put his team on the wrong level like the "A". Of course I thought Cole to be an "A" player. They as a whole were placed appropriately hopefully this fall. We will see. Todays game looked good in the first quarter. (I don't know if they have quarters - I am totally not soccer savy.) Carter will not be playing soccer due to his interest in basketball. He is currently on a select league and has been practicing twice a week since early August. I think his first game will be late fall. Dave knows this information. Carter loves it.

The boys have now finished 8 days of school. They went four days had Labor Day break then four more days. Stuart on the other hand had four days due to going only Tuesday & Thursdays. He is loving his teacher and comes home exhausted but content. At dinner you can find a good song that is his welcome and goodbye song for the day. I went early to pick him up last Thursday and had a few giggles from seeing how the three year olds handle school. We never had Carter and Cole in school at this age. It is fun to experience his joy.

Hope all is well with you.

Slow

Internet time has been decreased significantly. Our computer somehow received a virus a few days ago. Nasty pop ups were occuring. Thanks to Dave for fixing this issue.

I am taking most of my time trying to work / concentrate on our home. I am slow in doing things and find that I forget many items. Just today, I went downstairs realizing that I had just been cooking food on the stovetop and left it there without supervison. Duh! Can we say multi tasking is an issue? No wonder Dave has been trying to pick up the slack in the home. Laundry, dishes and the sorts are slow in coming. On top of his full time job he has me as his second full time job. My mom has been coming on a set day during the week to help with the above items. Thanks Mom! (although she doesn't get on the computer as much as she used to)