Well....it's been such positive and good news since last spring, but....we've hit a bump in the road and we need all of our prayer warriors, friends, and family to help us rally again! What I didn't know when I wrote in September was that one of Lou's blood counts had crept up slightly. It's known as CEA - Carcinoembryonic antigen - it's a tumor marker in the blood - in particular a colon cancer tumor marker! We didn't find out until our appointment in October that this had gone up over 100 (the Dr.'s like to try to keep this number under 100 for cancer patients being treated). And, unfortunately, by our October appointment it had almost doubled from the number in September and it's doubled yet again as of last Thursday! So, the chemo Dr. ordered new CT scans to see what was going on. The sad news is that 2 of the tumors in Lou's liver have begun growing. The tumors are not the largest ones nor the smallest ones - but....both in the last two months have grown by about 1/2 cm each! Of course, this is devastating news to Lou and me! Lou was sick for about 10 days after his October 1 chemo - not sure if it was totally related to the activity of these two tumors or not, but, possibly. The Chemo Dr. wants to leave Lou on the same chemo treatments for the next 4 sessions - meaning the next 2 months since the chemo treatments are every other Thursday. His thought is that since the current chemo treatment has been really successful in keeping all of the other tumors and areas of concern in Lou's liver and spine (and maybe brain - but...chemo doesn't usually effectively treat brain tumors - the chemo doesn't transcend the brain barrier which is good and bad!) - he would like to remain with this course a little longer to try to keep all of the other tumors "in line" and not causing problems. However, these two "renegade" tumors in his liver are a problem! I asked about the possibility of radiation or any other treatments to try to address the problems with these two tumors - but...for now, it seems we have to wait! Of course, waiting and knowing that these two are growing is VERY difficult mentally for Lou and me! We'd like to be able to do something to attack them and try to keep them from growing! Waiting seems like playing Russian roulette to us!!! I have put a call in to the radiation Dr. - just to see what his opinion is on the situation - but.....it's difficult to get a "phone" appointment! We do have an appointment already with him the first week of December for the next set of MRIs for Lou's spine and brain! So.....may have to wait until then - but...definitely would like to see if he has any other thoughts about ways to even experimentally try to do something for these two tumors!
In the meantime, the chemo Dr. has told us that the chemo regiment change he will probably follow in January will include a drug that will cause Lou to lose all of his hair. Needless to say - this is NOT something Lou is happy about! And, while most of you know - I don't even know him without a beard - guess I'll get to know him without a beard! As I've told him - somehow, we have to try to find the humor and or the lighter parts of this whole thing - but.....at times like this - it's sometimes hard to find the brighter spots!
But...we do have a bright spot coming up tomorrow! We are leaving at noon tomorrow - Tuesday, Nov 3 to go to Maui for a week! The original plan was to go to Costa Rica - but....last Friday Lou told me he really really wished we were going back to Hawaii! We thought going to Costa Rica would be easier on him - no time change - and only a 4 hour trip! However, turns out the drive from the airport to the resort we were going to go to is at least 2 hours! Long story short - I got on the phone was able to change the airline tickets and hotel - and we are on our way to Maui tomorrow! Fortunately, since Gabrielle is still living at home - she'll be able to take care of all of our dogs and keep the fort here! Lou is almost like a kid before Christmas just thinking about the beach and ocean air, etc. We truly love it in Maui - so....I hope and pray this will be a time of "renewal" and hope for both of us and that we can come back and face this new struggle with a little more optimism and strength!
We arrive back early morning on the 11th and Lou has chemo on the 12th! We had to push the next chemo up by a day to the 24th since the lab isn't open on Thanksgiving!!! He'll have his take home pump with him for Thanksgiving - but.....I think we'll just be thankful to be together! Last Thanksgiving, Lou was in considerable pain - we had just found out about the colon and liver cancers - didn't know anything about the other tumors - and he was facing the colon resection surgery on Monday after Thanksgiving! We've been down a LONG and sometimes difficult road since then - but.....it's been so much better over the last few months and we're going to try for more of those good months to come!
I apologize for not updating sooner - I find it very difficult to "share" the bad news! And, until last Thursday, even though the blood numbers were not good - we weren't sure what the problems were - although, we knew it wasn't going to be anything we wanted to hear! It could definitely be worse! Consdering the large numbers of tumors in Lou's liver and elsewhere - to only have 2 problems - while hard to be thankful - the news could have been much worse!
We both really appreciate your prayers and concerns and hope that you will all continue to pray for the Lord to direct the Dr.s and our nurse Teddie to determine the best ways to fight this insidious disease in Lou's body! He has come so very far and has done so well!! I think much better than even the Dr.'s expectations - but...I know and Lou knows it's the Lord's hand that has allowed these things to have been so good thus far! So, we are very thankful and relying on our faith - we want to continue the good fight and we know with the Lord that all things are possible! And knowing we have so many prayer warriors and friends backing us up - well....we're humbled and extremely thankful!
Blessings and Love!
Deb
Monday, November 2, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
PTL - More Good News!!!
We got results today from the chemo Dr. for the CT scans on Tuesday and thankfully, the liver tumors are slightly smaller than the last scan in May - so.....things are still going in a very good direction! Was a long chemo day today - but.....we're both so very happy with the good results from the latest tests!! Thanks to all of you for continued prayers and support! Lou is living a miraculous life!
Blessings to all!
Deb
Blessings to all!
Deb
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Updates on Lou
Sorry it's been a while since I've written any updates on Lou and much has transpired during the last couple of months - fortunately ALL good as far as Lou is concerned. I've struggled emotionally since my Mom passed away and just haven't been able to function as fully - but, am so very thankful and grateful to all of you for the notes, love, and support and your understanding about the circumstances.
We have been so very, very blessed! Lou had his latest MRI screenings of the brain and spine last Thursday - August 27 - and we received the really wonderful news today that these latest tests show that both brain tumors have decreased in size, the spine tumors continue to be stable and BEST of all - no new areas of concern have materialized in his brain or spine! Now we're praying and hoping for additional good news concerning the liver tumors! Before we visited with the radiation Dr. this morning concerning the brain and spine MRIs - Lou had a CT scan of his liver. However, we won't have the results of that test until Thursday when he goes for his next chemo treatment. We'll see the chemo Dr. before his chemo treatment and find out about the CT scan at that time! Although we both try to remain positive about these testing periods - we are always apprehensive / praying and hoping for the best / but, also bracing for possible bad news! Neither of us have slept the last couple of nights in anticipation of what we'd hear today! Tonight, even though we don't have the news about the liver tumors yet, I think we'll be "snoring" the night away!!
Also have to mention how many times we heard from various people at the Cancer Center today about the "miracle" that Lou is living at this point! One of the nurses called him a "miracle child", another absolutely marveling at how well he's looking and doing, another being incredulous that he was "still alive" and not just alive - but actually "living"! He really is living a miracle - a miracle from God - a gift - and we know it and are so thankful for it and we both give God the glory! But....to hear some of the comments from the people who work with and see cancer patients every day - it was overwhelming to hear their comments - just made us realize even more what a gift we've been given!
Since the last posting, Lou and I went to Richmond, VA in July for a weekend to attend his Vietnam Veterans Reunion. We had a wonderful weekend - relating stories with his buddies from the days in Vietnam - and doing some sightseeing around Richmond! What a great group of friends that share bonds from a very traumatic time of life, but one that has cemented them together in an extremely special way. And, about 2 weeks ago, Lou went with me on a business trip to the Philadelphia area. After my business was completed, we drove up to Hazleton - a couple of hours north of Philadelphia - to visit his parent's / grandparent's, and great grand parent's graves and to have dinner with one of his cousins still living in the area. It was a great trip - made even better by visiting with some good friends and family - and lots of laughter remembering events from days gone by! These trips were blessings to both of us - life seemed almost normal - we're just so very grateful to have this time together!
The very special Healing Hands Prayer group continues to come to our home every Saturday for prayer time - they're a rock for us with their steadfast prayers and love - lifting Lou and me up - we can never thank them enough for the joy and light through Christ that they bring to us! And, we now are also going to a Christian Reiki practitioner on Sunday afternoons. The Lord has provided for us so abundantly in the prayer warriors, doctors, nurses, friends, family, and others that have helped us find many other ways to fight this insidious and evil cancer! What a loving and mighty God we serve and how magnificent are his ways of bringing such unique and wonderful people together to serve His purposes!
Blessings to all of you! Will write more when we have the CT results on Thursday - praying we'll have additional good news at that time!
Deb
We have been so very, very blessed! Lou had his latest MRI screenings of the brain and spine last Thursday - August 27 - and we received the really wonderful news today that these latest tests show that both brain tumors have decreased in size, the spine tumors continue to be stable and BEST of all - no new areas of concern have materialized in his brain or spine! Now we're praying and hoping for additional good news concerning the liver tumors! Before we visited with the radiation Dr. this morning concerning the brain and spine MRIs - Lou had a CT scan of his liver. However, we won't have the results of that test until Thursday when he goes for his next chemo treatment. We'll see the chemo Dr. before his chemo treatment and find out about the CT scan at that time! Although we both try to remain positive about these testing periods - we are always apprehensive / praying and hoping for the best / but, also bracing for possible bad news! Neither of us have slept the last couple of nights in anticipation of what we'd hear today! Tonight, even though we don't have the news about the liver tumors yet, I think we'll be "snoring" the night away!!
Also have to mention how many times we heard from various people at the Cancer Center today about the "miracle" that Lou is living at this point! One of the nurses called him a "miracle child", another absolutely marveling at how well he's looking and doing, another being incredulous that he was "still alive" and not just alive - but actually "living"! He really is living a miracle - a miracle from God - a gift - and we know it and are so thankful for it and we both give God the glory! But....to hear some of the comments from the people who work with and see cancer patients every day - it was overwhelming to hear their comments - just made us realize even more what a gift we've been given!
Since the last posting, Lou and I went to Richmond, VA in July for a weekend to attend his Vietnam Veterans Reunion. We had a wonderful weekend - relating stories with his buddies from the days in Vietnam - and doing some sightseeing around Richmond! What a great group of friends that share bonds from a very traumatic time of life, but one that has cemented them together in an extremely special way. And, about 2 weeks ago, Lou went with me on a business trip to the Philadelphia area. After my business was completed, we drove up to Hazleton - a couple of hours north of Philadelphia - to visit his parent's / grandparent's, and great grand parent's graves and to have dinner with one of his cousins still living in the area. It was a great trip - made even better by visiting with some good friends and family - and lots of laughter remembering events from days gone by! These trips were blessings to both of us - life seemed almost normal - we're just so very grateful to have this time together!
The very special Healing Hands Prayer group continues to come to our home every Saturday for prayer time - they're a rock for us with their steadfast prayers and love - lifting Lou and me up - we can never thank them enough for the joy and light through Christ that they bring to us! And, we now are also going to a Christian Reiki practitioner on Sunday afternoons. The Lord has provided for us so abundantly in the prayer warriors, doctors, nurses, friends, family, and others that have helped us find many other ways to fight this insidious and evil cancer! What a loving and mighty God we serve and how magnificent are his ways of bringing such unique and wonderful people together to serve His purposes!
Blessings to all of you! Will write more when we have the CT results on Thursday - praying we'll have additional good news at that time!
Deb
Monday, June 8, 2009
Mixed Blessings
The trip to Vegas was great - Lou had a good time, was able to visit with many friends and had a scooter and was the "speed demon" of the hotel I think at times! But....was very good to be out of the house and away from everything here for a couple of days!
After my last update - we did go to visit with Lou's radiation Dr. concerning the latest MRI findings. While, of course, we want to hear that they're all gone, etc. - the news was all good - just not quite the complete wish list that we have for Lou!!! :) The larger brain tumor is definitely smaller - and hopefully will continue to shrink in MRIs down the road. The smaller brain tumor is considered to be stable - it is still about the same size it was BEFORE radiation - but...it hasn't grown - so....that's good. The spine tumors are all considered stable too - no larger - but difficult to determine evidently if they're actually dead or just sitting there! But....at least NOT larger! AND...the best news - nothing new is showing up! Overall - definitely a very good report! AND...Lou continues to get a little stronger all the time and is feeling good - so....we're just very thankful and happy for his continued progress! And....we know it's because of all the prayers from all of you - otherwise just wouldn't be possible for the good news we're getting at this point!
Lou had chemo on Tuesday after we returned from Vegas on Monday night! It all went well - but...in order to get back on his regular schedule - he has to have chemo again this Thursday, June 12. So, we'll be heading down again on Thursday for another round!
In the meantime, our very sad news is that my Mom very unexpectedly passed away yesterday - Sunday - morning. Many of you know that she had a debilitating stroke Thanksgiving Day 2007 and has had some very difficult times since then. However, she had a really good week last week - Lou and I visited with her for quite a while on Friday afternoon and I was there with her again on Saturday afternoon. She talked a little with Lou on Friday and of course, talked with me too both days. But, she had some kind of "event" when the caregiver was getting her dressed and out of bed yesterday morning- she became non responsive and never regained consciousness. She passed very quickly and quietly - and fortunately, even though she wasn't awake to know I was there and her heart and respiration were quite low - I was with her when she died. I'm thankful for her peaceful passing - but...will miss her very much and am quite sad that she's no longer here! However, I did picture her yesterday in heaven with Jesus, her beloved sister Opal, her Mom (my sweetest Grandma!), meeting her Dad (he died when she was 2 years old!), and a host of other family and friends that she had loved here on earth. I'm sure they were all there with open and welcoming arms and Mom's infirmed body was no longer infirmed - she was free at last! Praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy on all of us!
Blessings to all of you!
Love,
Deb
After my last update - we did go to visit with Lou's radiation Dr. concerning the latest MRI findings. While, of course, we want to hear that they're all gone, etc. - the news was all good - just not quite the complete wish list that we have for Lou!!! :) The larger brain tumor is definitely smaller - and hopefully will continue to shrink in MRIs down the road. The smaller brain tumor is considered to be stable - it is still about the same size it was BEFORE radiation - but...it hasn't grown - so....that's good. The spine tumors are all considered stable too - no larger - but difficult to determine evidently if they're actually dead or just sitting there! But....at least NOT larger! AND...the best news - nothing new is showing up! Overall - definitely a very good report! AND...Lou continues to get a little stronger all the time and is feeling good - so....we're just very thankful and happy for his continued progress! And....we know it's because of all the prayers from all of you - otherwise just wouldn't be possible for the good news we're getting at this point!
Lou had chemo on Tuesday after we returned from Vegas on Monday night! It all went well - but...in order to get back on his regular schedule - he has to have chemo again this Thursday, June 12. So, we'll be heading down again on Thursday for another round!
In the meantime, our very sad news is that my Mom very unexpectedly passed away yesterday - Sunday - morning. Many of you know that she had a debilitating stroke Thanksgiving Day 2007 and has had some very difficult times since then. However, she had a really good week last week - Lou and I visited with her for quite a while on Friday afternoon and I was there with her again on Saturday afternoon. She talked a little with Lou on Friday and of course, talked with me too both days. But, she had some kind of "event" when the caregiver was getting her dressed and out of bed yesterday morning- she became non responsive and never regained consciousness. She passed very quickly and quietly - and fortunately, even though she wasn't awake to know I was there and her heart and respiration were quite low - I was with her when she died. I'm thankful for her peaceful passing - but...will miss her very much and am quite sad that she's no longer here! However, I did picture her yesterday in heaven with Jesus, her beloved sister Opal, her Mom (my sweetest Grandma!), meeting her Dad (he died when she was 2 years old!), and a host of other family and friends that she had loved here on earth. I'm sure they were all there with open and welcoming arms and Mom's infirmed body was no longer infirmed - she was free at last! Praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy on all of us!
Blessings to all of you!
Love,
Deb
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Vegas Trip
Sorry for the very late notice - but, I just finally booked the hotel this afternoon for the JCK show in Vegas! We'll be staying at The Venetian instead of TI! I think Lou is excited - he's packed and ready to go! :) So, hope we'll see many of you there! Safe travels to all!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
MRI Updates 5/27/09
Lou finally was able to stay in the machine for the 4 hour testing on Monday, May 18 - but...only after having 2 Valium capsules! And...right before the test, he found out about some relatively new "glasses" (at least at this facility!) that he was able to use while he was in the machine allowing him to see "outside" of the machine! The glasses along with the Valium definitely helped he said!
We did hear back on Thursday last week from the chemo Dr.'s office - but....details were kind of "slim" - the news was basically that things looked "good and stable and no new areas of concern". Of course, that was good news - BUT...we really wanted more details. So, we made an appointment with the radiation Dr. since the MRI is dealing more with the brain tumors and the spinal tumors - and those are the areas that he radiated! We saw him yesterday - almost evening - appointment was at 3:30 but...we didn't get in to see him until 5:30! But...he did review all of the films - compared them to the originals, etc. and overall - the news is quite good. The larger brain tumor has shrunk and appears to be stable the smaller brain tumor hasn't really changed in size - didn't get any larger - but isn't any smaller either - so....the "assumption" is that it's not alive any more - but...of course, all of these areas will continue to be watched every three months! The spinal tumors of concern are smaller also and / or the same - again meaning "stable" - and hopefully dead - but...again - just have to watch to make sure they continue to remain same size or get smaller over time! AND....confirmed again that there are NO new areas of concern showing up anywhere else! We both thanked God and took deep breaths - sighs of relief for the good news!
The trip to Vegas is still on! Hope we will be able to see many of you there! I still haven't booked a room yet! So....not sure if we'll be at Venetian or Treasure Island! Will try to post which one before Friday! Please get in touch with Lou - he'll have his cell phone on and with him and I think he'll be hanging at the pool much of the time!! 972/839-8271
A huge thanks again to all of you for your continued prayers and support! Lou IS a walking miracle right now!
Blessings!
Deb
We did hear back on Thursday last week from the chemo Dr.'s office - but....details were kind of "slim" - the news was basically that things looked "good and stable and no new areas of concern". Of course, that was good news - BUT...we really wanted more details. So, we made an appointment with the radiation Dr. since the MRI is dealing more with the brain tumors and the spinal tumors - and those are the areas that he radiated! We saw him yesterday - almost evening - appointment was at 3:30 but...we didn't get in to see him until 5:30! But...he did review all of the films - compared them to the originals, etc. and overall - the news is quite good. The larger brain tumor has shrunk and appears to be stable the smaller brain tumor hasn't really changed in size - didn't get any larger - but isn't any smaller either - so....the "assumption" is that it's not alive any more - but...of course, all of these areas will continue to be watched every three months! The spinal tumors of concern are smaller also and / or the same - again meaning "stable" - and hopefully dead - but...again - just have to watch to make sure they continue to remain same size or get smaller over time! AND....confirmed again that there are NO new areas of concern showing up anywhere else! We both thanked God and took deep breaths - sighs of relief for the good news!
The trip to Vegas is still on! Hope we will be able to see many of you there! I still haven't booked a room yet! So....not sure if we'll be at Venetian or Treasure Island! Will try to post which one before Friday! Please get in touch with Lou - he'll have his cell phone on and with him and I think he'll be hanging at the pool much of the time!! 972/839-8271
A huge thanks again to all of you for your continued prayers and support! Lou IS a walking miracle right now!
Blessings!
Deb
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The BEST News Thus Far!!!
Since the last posting, Lou went for a CT scan and we "tried" to do his 4 hour MRI but.....he just couldn't go in and stay in the MRI!!! I gave him some medicine to try to help for anxiety - however....it just didn't work and he had to come out of the machine - he literally crawled out at one point!!! Unfortunately, for the tests they need on his brain and spine - the Dr. wants / needs the MRI scans to be in the "closed" not "open" MRI! Even though Lou has had several of these to date - with same medication for anxiety - it just didn't work! So....next Monday, we'll attempt to have those scans done again - this time with Valium ahead of time to try to help him relax and be able to tolerate the 4 hours in the machine!
The VERY EXCITING / BEST news we've had since this whole odyssey began though was from the CT Scan last week! The Dr. informed us today that the tumors in Lou's liver have shrunk by 50% since the scan done in March! The Dr. was very excited and of course, we're elated with the news!! With this good news, the course of action with his chemo treatments will shift for now and he'll be off the Oxaliplatin for at least a while!!! This is the chemo drug that really is aggressive in fighting the metastatic colon cancer to the liver and elsewhere - but....it is also the one drug that creates several negative side effects that accumulate over time. Lou's main side effects have been the neuropathy to his hands and feet, ultra sensitivity to cold (no ice in drinks, nothing directly out of refrigerator, etc.), hair thinning, and a tightening in his jaw that bothers him for chewing, etc. Hopefully, these will all improve while he's off this one particular drug!
We Praise and Thank God and give HIM the glory and honor for this miracle!!! And we thank all of you for your love, support, and prayers - we couldn't and wouldn't have made it this far without you! And, a very special thanks to the Healing Hands Group from our church who continue to faithfully come to our home every Saturday to pray and lift Lou and his health up to the Lord. It truly is a highlight of the week for us each and every week as they come and pray with us!
Lou will continue to go for chemo every other week - we're not through and may never be through - but.....for now, everything seems really good! With continued prayer, we hope to have additional good news next week after the MRI tests that the brain tumors are dead and shriveling and that the spots on his spine are either gone or shrinking! And...of course, we pray for NO new tumors to be found anywhere!
If nothing changes in the next two weeks and if swine flu is not still on the rampage - Lou is going to leave home for the first time to go with me to the Las Vegas Jewelry show the weekend of May 29th. For those of you who may also be going to Vegas, I hope you'll get in touch with me or Lou - we would love to see you! He has really enjoyed hearing from so many of you - having the opportunity for a face to face visit would be great!
In the meantime, we again cannot thank all of you enough for your prayers and support during this extremely difficult time! We hope you will continue to lift Lou up in prayer - we're looking for more miracles to come!!
Blessings to all!
Deb
The VERY EXCITING / BEST news we've had since this whole odyssey began though was from the CT Scan last week! The Dr. informed us today that the tumors in Lou's liver have shrunk by 50% since the scan done in March! The Dr. was very excited and of course, we're elated with the news!! With this good news, the course of action with his chemo treatments will shift for now and he'll be off the Oxaliplatin for at least a while!!! This is the chemo drug that really is aggressive in fighting the metastatic colon cancer to the liver and elsewhere - but....it is also the one drug that creates several negative side effects that accumulate over time. Lou's main side effects have been the neuropathy to his hands and feet, ultra sensitivity to cold (no ice in drinks, nothing directly out of refrigerator, etc.), hair thinning, and a tightening in his jaw that bothers him for chewing, etc. Hopefully, these will all improve while he's off this one particular drug!
We Praise and Thank God and give HIM the glory and honor for this miracle!!! And we thank all of you for your love, support, and prayers - we couldn't and wouldn't have made it this far without you! And, a very special thanks to the Healing Hands Group from our church who continue to faithfully come to our home every Saturday to pray and lift Lou and his health up to the Lord. It truly is a highlight of the week for us each and every week as they come and pray with us!
Lou will continue to go for chemo every other week - we're not through and may never be through - but.....for now, everything seems really good! With continued prayer, we hope to have additional good news next week after the MRI tests that the brain tumors are dead and shriveling and that the spots on his spine are either gone or shrinking! And...of course, we pray for NO new tumors to be found anywhere!
If nothing changes in the next two weeks and if swine flu is not still on the rampage - Lou is going to leave home for the first time to go with me to the Las Vegas Jewelry show the weekend of May 29th. For those of you who may also be going to Vegas, I hope you'll get in touch with me or Lou - we would love to see you! He has really enjoyed hearing from so many of you - having the opportunity for a face to face visit would be great!
In the meantime, we again cannot thank all of you enough for your prayers and support during this extremely difficult time! We hope you will continue to lift Lou up in prayer - we're looking for more miracles to come!!
Blessings to all!
Deb
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