A new nurse

Monday turned out to be a good day! I realize I now have a new nurse - Bev! No degree, but she is now doing so much for me just like a real nurse. Since Friday, she has been giving me shots, and now today she worked with a visiting nurse at the house and drained me all on her own. As they had put a spigot in my right lung cavity yesterday, we now have the capability to do it at home and not go to the ER or hospital. Not sure if that's the correct way to go but Bev had the process down perfect. She had learned from the Doc who had put in the catheter yesterday. She drained me of almost a couple of liters. The visiting nurse Marlene was a big help and just knowing someone with some experience was here put us both at ease somewhat. Marlene will visit the house at least a couple of more times which will finally cut down some costs being incurred. She checked me out and all my wounds and thought everything is going okay. I also had chemo earlier. Turned out it was a good day. Hope you have a good day whenever you may be reading this!

Weekend Update

We have been all over the board this weekend. Saturday was a great day. Ken felt great. He had a visit from Joyce, Stephanie, Lavon, Bobby and Alex from Oregon. We even went shopping at the mall so that Ken could get some exercise. It was the first day since March 4th that we didn't have to go to the ER or the Cancer Center. It was great.

Sunday, Ken slept pretty well, but he woke up feeling full. We called the pulmonary office and Dr. Wallick called us back. She did not want to drain Ken today as she wanted him to stay full till his procedure on Monday. When we finally made it clear that he couldn't wait, she moved his surgery to 11 am today. We were still a little apprehensive, but she moved forward and inserted the catheter. I am so overwhelmed and nervous about it, but we just have to deal with it now. I hope it is the best for Ken. I still can't help thinking it is just convenient for the docs. Dr. Wallick said she has never seen anyone leak as much as Ken is leaking. I hope they know what they are doing and that it goes well. I am mostly worried about the liquid seeping out of his new wounds. We had so much trouble getting his first chest tube wound to stop leaking and now he has 2 new wounds that are lower and closer to the liquid in his chest. I am going to hope for the best and say some extra prayers tonight. It has been a pretty stressful today.

The nurses taught me how to drain him thru his new catheter. It seems simple enough, just have to keep things very sterile. Ken always told me that as a kid, he had a crush on Dr. Kildare's nurse. Now he is stuck with nurse Bev. Sorry, Ken. It's just me. So far I am giving him his blood thinner shots, flushing his IV that they sent him home with and now I'll be draining his chest. Scary.

We need to hold on for 2 weeks. At that time, we will be evaluating if his Rituxin is working and deciding if he needs additional Chemo. We will be evaluating the drainage and will maybe have surgery if it doesn't slow down by then. Dr. Wallick said the catheter is a short term fix. And at the end of 2 more weeks, we will be evaluating Ken's voice as well. If it is still horse then, they will send him to a throat specialist to check his voice box. She said it may have a paralyzed section in it and they can give it a shot to hopefully fix it. And, as if that isn't enough, his blood clot should be gone by then and they should have Ken on an oral medicine by then instead of his shots. This is good since he gets the shots twice a day and our cost of each shot is $28.o0. Insurance paid an additional $40 some dollars a shot. Really expensive.

We are trying to stay positive. Ken has been amazing. It has been especially hard for me today. I'm so worried about him. Luckily with the surgery and the drugs they gave him, he has slept most of the day and has not seen my tears. I have tried to be very strong for him, but today was the hardest. I just can't get over being scared. I think after I say my prayers tonight and get some sleep, I will feel better. Thanks for saying prayers with me.

Many people have called and let us know that this blog is helping them stay informed. But if ever you have a question and want to know more info, or if we don't quite explain things well enough, please don't hesitate to ask. You can call, email or blog us. But most of all, keep us in your prayers. Thanks for everything. Bev and Ken

Spaghetti

Isn't comfort food amazing? Something so simple as a favorite food can make you feel at home and normal, if only for the moment. My most favorite food is spaghetti. Meat and mushroom sauce. French bread, Italian salad. I can't have all that now but I'm going to eat spaghetti tonight. Today has been a challenging day. I started off with chemo at 8 after waking up at 4. My good friend Bob took me to the CCR. I was having trouble breathing the entire time but I knew the plan and knew a drain was coming after chemo. Bev took me to PVH around 1 for the drains to begin. However, while still at the CCR, my doc had ordered a ultrasound for my arm that still hurt from last Sunday. This would occur at PVH after the drain. My doc at PVH said that he had changed his mind and was only going to drain my right side, which he had just done the night before. This time they pulled 3 1/2 liters off my right side. He also ordered an extra cat scan in addition to the before and after xrays I normally get during a normal drain. So first stop afterward was the ultrasound for my arm. Then the cat scan, then the xrays. During the cat scan, they told me not to leave the hospital until I talked with Dr. Kanard, my Oncologist. Turns out I now have a blood clot in my arm. She had given us this possibility while at CCR and showed Bev how she would have to give me shots in my tummy, thighs or arms. Now we knew this is the way it is, so then we headed off to Walgreens. Once there, they didn't even have more than 1 1/2 days supply in their store. So we bought what they had as I have to start right away. Then they told us the price. Over $280 for a 5 day supply. We asked if that was after insurance and they said insurance paid over $400 toward the cost. $700 for 10 shots. And now I have an outpatient surgery planned for Monday to install a catheter into my right lung so that I can open the faucet and drain at home as needed. The risk of infection is a tossup compared to the risk of infection of continually being drained every 36 hours. Unbelievable. I just hope I can make it to Monday without another visit to the hospital. I can only suggest to do one of two things: don't get sick - or know what your favorite comfort food is! Mine is on the stove now - can't wait!

Double Dip

Hey guys, keep Ken in your hearts this afternoon. The docs are going to drain both lung cavities after his Chemo today. He is about a third full on the left side that hasn't changed since he left the hospital. They are going to try to get it all out today on both sides in the hopes that he will be able to go through the weekend without a visit to ER. He should feel better with both lungs expanded. They drained 3 bottles off his right side yesterday. We have not had a day without hospitals since March 4th. Let's hope today is safe and tomorrow Ken can stay home. We will add more later to let you all know how it went. Bev

Wed, 17 Day Survival Update.

Hi Everyone, This is Bev. I have decided to give you all a lesson in reading nutrition labels. Here is what I learned this week. Ken is on a high protein, low fat diet, so we are reading labels like crazy. He is supposed to eat things below 20% fat or at least 25%. But when you read a label and it says 5 grams of fat, 17%. Be careful because the fat % listed is actually the total % of fat in a daily allowance, not the % in this particular product. Sometimes the label will say 100 calories and 20 calories from fat. You can use these two numbers to figure the fat % in this product. It would be 20%. But if it doesn't list fat calories, you have to take the grams of fat, say 5, times 9 (always times 9), it would be 45 and that is your fat calories. Then compare that number to the total calories in the product. If it is less than 20%, Ken can have it. So there is your lesson for the day. I am going to let Ken take over now and catch you up on what has been happening since Monday. Love you all. Bev

Okay, this is still Bev. Ken has been so busy answering emails, he's too tired to post tonight. But I want to give you an update. Ken is still doing his Chemo and we have been trying to stay hopeful. Monday was his half way point. So we celebrated by letting him go to work on Tuesday. He loved seeing everyone and had a good day. He worked for about 4 hours. But then we ended up in the ER at PVH at 8 PM to get his usual drain. We had a new Dr., Dr.Petrun and he was great. He used Ken as a training tool for all the students in the ER so we learned a little more about what is really happening. He told the students to look at the bottles of liquid and told them they probably wouldn't see it again, since this kind of leakage is rare. The doc was great to Ken though. He was quick and to the point, and didn't hurt him as much as usual. He was smooth. He said he had been doing these for about 30 years. We asked him his opinion of putting a catheter in so we could drain it ourselves and he said we shouldn't. The risk of infection is more than doing the drains. So we are just going to expect to have the procedure every 36 hours and we can deal with it.

We did have another scare. The oncology called on Tues to say that Ken's blood work showed some liver malfunctions, whatever that means. So we were in the imaging center at 7:30 today, Wed for an ultrasound. We were anxious about it, so during chemo, we had a chance to talk to his oncologist. First, the ultrasound came back great. All his lower organs looked great. No gall stones, no liver problems, they listed about 7 organs and all looked great. We were relieved. Then we talked to Dr. Kanard about expectations. Can we expect or hope that this will be cleared at the end of his 12 treatments? She showed me a pet scan of another patient of hers, before and after the same treatment. Her before looked a lot worse than Ken's and her after looked clean. After only 4 weeks. She is hoping for the same results from Ken. Let's hope. It gave me new hope. Keep praying. We are hearing your prayers.

Also, Ken is happy tonight. I took his mom to the store tonight and came back with fat free ice cream for him. He said it tasted like soft serve which he loves, so he is a happy man. I am happy too because I haven't been able to keep him fed today. He is eating everything I put in front of him. It is nice to see his appetite back. He is drinking water, Gatorade, caffeine free tea and lots of protein drinks. He has been a great patient today.

Ken is expecting to need a drain early on Thurs, and then he wants to go to work. He wants to make the management meeting at 1:30. Which will be great, because I can get back to work too. So that's our plan for Thursday, unless it snows in Winsdor. (That was Ken's inside joke for some gal that lives in Windsor, and it's not our daughter. But she knows who she is.)

And last item.... drumroll.... the correct answer to the current poll....
One treatment of Rituxin, just 1 four hour drip, 1 day, costs $ 7,150. Can you believe that? That is $85,800 for this first round. And it will be at least another $28,600 every 6 months for another two years. We were shocked. Can't imagine how much all these ER visits are going to add to that. But we went there just for fun so you could guess. We aren't really thinking about all that just now. Luckily, we have good insurance that is covering most of it.

Have a great day. Hug a friend today. Tell someone you love them and enjoy the snow if it comes. Bev and Ken.

Spring Break

So let's entertain Ken. Please add a comment and let Ken know what you did on Spring Break. All stories welcome.

Weekend Update

This is Bev, writing to catch you up on Ken's progress. WE ARE HALF WAY. Ken is sleeping at the cancer center right now as they drip benadryl and Rituxin into him. I am sitting with him, waiting to talk to his doctor. Today is the 6th of 12 initial treatments. Yeah. I read his post from earlier today and realize he is trying to stay positive and doesn't want to bore you with the technical stuff. So guess that's my job. If you don't want the nitty gritty, skip this post. But for the kids and the others that want to know, this is what really happened this weekend.

We had a great Sat. Ken rode around with me while I went to the bank, the post office and then we went to Lowes. I put him in the wheelchair and pushed him around. He was very emotional and couldn't quite get a handle on it, but being out together was great. We stopped for a grilled chicken salad lunch and then went home for a nap. During dinner he said he was starting to feel full in his lung cavity. I was hoping we could have 1 day without going to the hospital, but no luck. We were at MCR from 9:00 - 12:00 PM. They drained 4 bottles and he felt better. We thought it would help him feel better like he did on Sat am.

But Sunday, he woke up with his right arm hurting and it was swollen, so we called the surgeon and ended up at PVH by 10 am. Ken was told it was an infection, probably in his surgery site, or his chest tube site, so he had to elevate his arm and put a heating pad on it for 24-48 hours. They gave him an antibiotic and made him stuck to the chair for the rest of the day and it was hard for him to do anything with only 1 arm. But we had a nice visit from Heidi and Xander and Ava. Heidi is a nurse, so she gave us some advice on him headaches and his infections. And it was great seeing the kids. Ava is adorable and Xander was very well behaved. He is a good kid.

But the highlight of the day as Ken said in his letter was the web viewing with Katy, Mark and Norah. It was so fun. Ken and I were both crying and so happy to see her. She has grown so much. We wanted her to just come thru the computer so we could hold her. She won't even know us when we get to see her next. At least now we have figured it out and can see them more often now. It was great. Her first formal pictures are on the way and we hope we get them today. It made Ken very happy to be able to see Norah. Me too.

Then this morning, Ken had to be at MCR for another draining at 7:30 this morning. Dr. Peters took just over 6 bottles of fluid out of him. Then we came here for his chemo treatment. They are running his blood platelets here and told us his protein levels are very low. Go figure. All his protein is going into the bottles they are draining from him. So, I have to push more protein drinks which he really doesn't mind, but he is sick of them. He misses his Coke. He can have Coke, but understands that the caffeine isn't helping him, so he hasn't had much for a couple of weeks. I have been making him decaf tea, but he can only drink so much tea and water and protein drinks. We have tried Gatorade, smoothies, and odwalla chocolate protein drinks. That seems to be his favorite.

We are hoping that he can get some rest today and come to work tomorrow for a couple of hours. His doctors say that if he is feeling strong enough, it will be good for him. So we'll give it a try. I hope he just sits in his office and catches up with his staff.

That is the nitty gritty of it all. We are taking the steps to get him healed. If you know of any great high protein, low fat (20% or less fat is best), meals or drinks, let us know. We are open to suggestions. We stopped into Supper Supers on Sat and they have some meals that look good, so we may start getting a few of those. Ken never has liked my cooking, or maybe it's me that doesn't like to cook. Maybe both. It is mostly hard to get Ken to eat. He gets distracted and not interested. He is trying.

Well, we are almost done with the 6th Rituxin. We are waiting till tomorrow to find out what the pulmonary experts want to do with Ken. 13 of them are meeting tomorrow to talk about Ken and his leakage. They are talking about putting in a catheter that would allow us to drain him at home instead of going to the hospital every other day. (We actually made 6 trips there in the last 7 days.) The catheter sounds great, but there is a big risk of infection with the chemo Ken is getting. So having a foreign object in him is a little dangerous. The 13 docs are discussing it and hopefully will make the right decision. So we will let you know how the week goes. Hope you are all having a great day. Email us and let us know what you are all up too.

Love to you all, Bev and Ken.

Schools back

This morning brings the start of school again after Spring Break. I hope everyone had a great break. Over the weekend, I wound up visiting the hospital each day for one treatment or another. I have an xray and possible drain early this morning then my half way treatment of Rituxin. Half way, would have not thought this would have come so soon. Of course, my leakage is what my specific problem is. Hopefully, I will slow down as the treatment takes effect, otherwise they will try something new at the end of this round of treatment. My goal is to hopefully be at work for a few hours tomorrow, Tuesday, for the first time in three weeks. I honestly miss the daily life I had before all of this started. But I have had wonderful and unbelievable support from family and friends. I just looked at a calendar and today is Day 15 of being a cancer survivor. One half month! Fantastic!
We finally got our web cam to work with my daughter and son in law in Chicago and saw Norah Grace for the first time since we had seen her in December. They all looked wonderful! What an exciting time we live in to be able to communicate with those we love instantly from anywhere. Have a great day!

Spring

It is a beautiful day outside, springtime in Colorado! I had a not so good yesterday, but the sunrise has brought the look and feel of a great day ahead! On Friday early am, I had to go in for a drain as this was not done on Thursday as scheduled. Thursday and all Thursday night became very painful in both breathing and nerves. After no sleep and throwing up for 2 hours, I asked Bev to take me to the hospital to get drained at 6:30 in the am. I got to see my same Doc Peters who happened to be on call and he wound up pulling off almost 4 liters, over 7 bottles of 500 ea. The most I had ever had drained before was 4 bottles. I knew I was full. I started feeling better but was tremendously tired and weak from no sleep. We then proceeded to my chemo treatment at the CCR. Although late, they worked me in and got everything going. I am so glad they are so nice there. This time I wound up sleeping for the first several hours. Later, I met the two ladies together next to me, one of which was getting treatment. They commented I looked much better now than when I had arrived. Amazing what sleep will do for you! Kathy and Lauren were both from CSU and happened to know Fran in the bookstore so we had things in common. I dozed in and out of sleep the rest of the time as Bev had to run errands. Turns out I had become dehydrated and so they had to keep me overtime to give me extra fluids. I met another Dr. Brown who is on call this weekend and she described more of what is going on concerning the fluids. While I can have Coke and sweet tea, it all has to be decaffeinated to count so now I am changing my fluid intake to better keep me hydrated. Bev has been wonderful in fixing me good meals in high protein low fat diet. This morning I feel great as I got several multiple hours of sleep last night. I was able to eat all my food, shower, shave and get ready to enjoy the day. It's the simple things like that you don't realize you miss until they are not so simple to accomplish, or downright impossible. My wish is if you read this you will have a fantastic day and enjoy all that life has to offer you! Say "I love you" to someone you do! Smile and say howdy to a stranger! Whatever makes you happy. This is a good day!

Small Improvement

Thurs, March 19th, 6:30 PM

Ken is hanging in there. He had a tough day yesterday, couldn't breathe, chest felt full, was very worried that the Rituxan wasn't working. His oncologist talked to him about maybe starting regular chemo because of his chest leakage. They decided to wait and see what happens. But Ken was pretty depressed about it and very emotional. The more emotional he gets the harder it is for him to breathe. Visious circle. So since I have the surgeons wife's personal cell phone, I called her last night and set up an appt at 10 this morning the get Ken drained.

But, he was able to get a couple hours sleep sitting up in the reclining loveseat. He actually woke up and thought he felt better. He still was very short of breath and couldn't talk without coughing, but he wrote me a note that he was going to bet the doc that he wouldn't get the full 2 liters when they drained him. He didn't feel as full and was sure the Rituxan was actually working. So we headed to PVH and had an X-Ray. Doc Stanton and his wife who is his assistant, Susan, came to do the procedure, but showed us the X-Ray instead. It showed that there wasn't much more fluid than the X-Ray after his drain on Tues Night. GREAT NEWS. His left lung actually looked a little better. It is his right that has been filling so fast. They did not drain him today. It was only about 30% full. He will still need to be drained, probably multiple times, but it looks like it is slowing down. Yeah. And he hasn't been leaking from his stitches. Double yeah. No yellow guck squirting out.

However, Ken is still having trouble breathing. Susan gave him something to help him sleep. We are hoping that after he gets a couple nights sleep, he will be stronger and can talk again. I gave him my bunco bell and he is using that if I'm not in the room. The hardest has been getting him to eat. Steph came over today and we went thru the pantry and refrig and sorted all the low fat products so we can see be more organized. Doc Stanton said I can't get to much protien in him, so I am going out tonight to get more protien drinks. They are aware that chewing might be to much for him, so it is ok to have him drink his meals. I did make spaghetti for him tonight and he is at least eating that. A smaller plate, but at least he is eating.

So, we aren't ready for guests yet. He just can't talk. And he is moving very slow. We have gotten a couple of calls from Anna in Indonesia. He has been so touched that she has called, but he just can't talk to her. He didn't even get on the computer much today. We distracted him with a nap and a scarry movie. Took his mind off things for a while. We are heading to his 5th Rituxan treatment tomorrow. 4 out of 12 finished, that means he is 1/3 of the way for this 1st treatment series. We are encouraged that it is working and he will get stronger.

Thanks for caring about us and wishing him well. Talk to you soon. Bev and Ken

Survey results

I am so glad everyone likes the surveys! Today is the last day for two of them so I wanted to give you the results:

First, the hospital bill we got not including doctors for the first biopsy was over $13950 for 24 hours. Survey results were:

3 $10,001-$12,500

4 $12,501-$15,000

3 $15,001-$17,500

10 $17,501-$20,000



Second, your favorite cheese results were:
7 Cheddar
4 Monterray Jack
3 Gouda
3 Provolone
2 Swiss

My favorite is cheddar as well.

Can't Leave Ken

This is Bev. Wow, Tuesday was quite a day for us. I woke up at 3:30 am and could tell Ken was watching TV in the living room. So I joined him. He said he couldn't sleep because his lung felt like it was getting fuller. So we watched a couple of old war movies. Peaceful morning. Then I decided to go to work. I get up, got ready, feed the dogs and the fish, I was ready to leave at 7:30. I told Ken to get up and move to the table so he could eat breakfast. (I am always worried about his meals.) He was sitting in the recliner in just his underwear and a blanket. When he moved the blanket and started to get up, he gushed from his right tube site. Wow, we moved fast. I got the gloves on and redressed his site. Everything was soaked, but he said he was ok, so I left for work. By the time I got to Harmony, I was crying. I stopped at Walgreens to get a few things Ken needed and called Linda C. She was great and talked me into staying home. She was right, I still needed to be home.
When I got home, all was well, but Ken said he was leaking a bit more. I had a dentist appt. at 11:30 for a crown fitting and didn't want to miss it, so we decided to wait till I got home to call the doctors. Ken is trying to be brave and wait as long as possible to get drained.
As I was ready to leave at 11:10, I went to kiss Ken goodbye and noticed that he was soaked again, this time thru his clothes. So again I moved fast, redressed him and his wound. He insisted that I go to the dentist. I called the pulmonary doc on my way to the dentist, then called Ken to check on him and called Steph to stand by if we needed her. I was crying and a wreck by the time I went into the dentist. It is so hard to leave him. The dentist hurried and finished in an hour instead of the scheduled hour and a half; ever heard of that?
By the time I got home, Ken had leaked thru 2 towels and was just sitting in his chair. Since the pulmonary doc wanted Ken to wait until Wed morning to come in, we called his surgeon, Dr. Stanton instead. By 4:00, we were headed to MCR to Stanton's office to see what we could do. Luckily, Ken was breathing ok still. I think he was leaking so much, that he wasn't completely filling up.
So, at the doc's office, we waited till almost 7 to get in. We found out we were waiting for Susan, the doc's wife and assistant to get there. She is great and worth the wait. They decided to attack the leakage. Susan took out Ken's old stitches and was preparing to put in new ones, when she made a mistake. She made Ken laugh. Normally this is a good thing, but this time, Ken was shooting yellow milky liquid out his now open wound. She jumped back and we were all laughing. Pour Ken was trying to stop but it was to funny. She said his nickname isn't squirt any more. Now it's gusher. She and the doc got him sewn up and made an appt. at the hospital at 7 am to drain him. But just in the time that he was getting dressed and we were making all the arrangements, Ken started breathing harder. They decided that since he was now not leaking, he probably needed to be drained right away. So we headed to PVH where there was a doc that could do the procedure.
I called Steph to come and feed the dogs. She has been a tremendous help. We were getting drained by 9 PM and home by 10. What a day. There just doesn't seem to be a way that I can leave him just yet. I think he is going to need to be drained every other day. I worry about his lung collapsing so often and then having to re-inflate. I hope this goes ok. It is hard to know the right things to do. But we are in it together and trying to do our best. Keep praying for us. Love all of you. Bev

A new friend

At the CCOR (Cancer Center of the Rockies) yesterday I actually met my first person in a similar situation as mine. Jenny is her name. She sat next to me, looked to be similar in age, kept touching her hair. I introduced myself and we instantly started comparing notes. I was in my first visit, and this was her first as well. However, she informed me she was a cancer survivor of 15 years. She just found out she had lymphoma also presenting in the main vein of her leg. She proceeded to tell me about her hair cutting party she had just the night before. She told of how her kids and family each cut off locks of her hair, evidently which had been past shoulder length. She now had short curly hair barely longer than mine. She also said her boys then went out to the deck and each shaved their heads in her honor. Sure enough, her sister and her son walked in and he was cut very close but with some style rows going front to back. We all started talking as they sat by her while I was on my computer. While the "lounge" is nice with the big fish tank, it does fill up with extra people, nurses, and the six big easy chairs. Her sister works on campus in Las Cruces NM and Jenny and her family live in Greeley. As I tried to do other things, I could hear her sister tell the 16 year old he will be stepping up now, to reach out for support if needed. I could tell Jenny was very nervous and as she started getting her first treatment, she started to dose off. The nurse had to be with her constantly at that point. The same thing had happened to me the first time I received my first treatment while in the hospital. Constant supervision in case something goes "wrong". That's a funny word "wrong". Could be a little wrong, drastically wrong, but if wrong someone needed to be there to fix the wrong. Jenny is using some other type of chemo than mine. She explained that in the past the stuff that had worked for her before is now not available to her as she has already taken a "lifetime" dose of that particular drug. I didn't know that could happen. I am assuming she thinks she will lose her hair. She wound up asleep and her support family walked out. As I watched her and others around me, most of them sleeping, I felt so wanting to help someone. I was awake, feeling good, typing on a laptop, hooked up to my life changing juice yet I was feeling like I wanted to do something for someone. It's amazing the feeling that God can give you strength in the face of adversity. I used to take that so for granted,but now through all the support I have been given from all of you, I have on overflow to share. I wound up leaving before Jenny awoke. Her cycle is 14 days on, 14 days off for the next six months. I hope I get to see her again during that time. I am now looking into visiting a support group possibly this Thursday for the first time. It's a whole new world and I am still scared. Sometimes so bad I have bad thoughts. I looked in the mirror while there and thought wow, I am really changing and aging. I remember visiting people who are sick and telling them they look good. Now I look at myself and wonder what others see. But with your strong support, I want to move forward. Wound up having a great rest of the day with Bev for her birthday. Steph cooked and cleaned, Jeff and Sara came for dinner, then Muzz, Lavon, Stan, Leah and Lauren joined for dessert. A nice finish to a nice day.

Future home away from home

I am now writing this as I am getting my third chemo.
Today, I actually had my first shower in over a week. Not that I was stinky (LOL!) but had been using those cloths they give you at the hospital. They even had one for the head which had the soap and water in a cap so all you had to do was rub in around and you were done. Great for camping.
I am at the Cancer Center of the Rockies to receive my treatments from now on. Not a hospital but a clinic type setup. People here are nice as well. There are two areas you can sit at, I choose the area by the huge fish tank. The other area has a nice flat screen. There are six oversize huge leather recliners in each pod. Very comfortable. They started an IV and I'm just off to the races. The prelim drugs make me drowsy. In the hospital I would have been asleep by now but here I am still taking it all in and writing this. I was early because of all the paperwork but now others have joined the room and hooked up. Everyone just does their own thing. I now can appreciate what all of these other patients have or are going through. A select club of humans who never thought they would be in this particular club. But with one common purpose: to live! One issue it seems is that when you come often to a place like this for treatments your veins seem to learn what's going on and they start hiding. Several people here have ports which makes instant access easy. I had decided to not have this yet so they have to IV me each time. My nurse is going to try to leave in this IV today for next time as well for ease and comfort. Hopefully that will work which will be nice. Can always go for a port later if needed, or if harsher drugs are needed.
The billing office talked to me first before starting. We talked about my financial situation and insurance. I am now so lucky that I work for CSU and have good insurance. Many of you know that I did not vote for our current President, but at the costs involved in health care, I hope he can get this industry changed. I can not imagine those that do not have insurance or can meet deductibles and thus forgo care. Someone is making some money somewhere because they sure charge, but the technology that we have in this field is amazing so I think it is worth it. I just hope all will have access to this level of care somehow.
Later, some family is coming over to the hacienda for Bevs birthday. Should be fun! I feel good today since I have been drained. I am hoping it will last at least until tomorrow. Just glad I'm not leaking or squirting. It's a mind game!
I have just met my first friend here named Jenny. I will write about her later if she is okay with that. She too has lymphoma.
Hope you have a great day!

Road trip

So I wound up lasting about 5 hours before I had a road trip took me back to the ER at PVH. I knew I was getting a full lung and started leaking profusely at my tube site. We called Dr. Peters, a young Pulmonologist and he was on call at the hospital anyway. We had done my first tap two weeks ago. He met me in the ER and after a xray he proceeded to do another drain. In addition, he was nice enough to put in another stitch on my side. We made it back home and I felt a lot better all with no leakage. I ate well and watched TV with Bev. We ran into Larry the tech at the ER. He was the guy that ran into get me on Monday afternoon while I was still laying on the gurney. Bev was all freaked thinking something was wrong but come to find out he was in a race to deliver me to my room at the same time as one of his counterparts was trying to get another ER patient into the room adjoining mine. Needless to say, he was determined and we won! We were talking about that yesterday in the ER again and all had a good laugh. Students came in while Dr. Peters was doing his thing because I guess this leakage isn't all that often seen. It's amazing how many students have watched over me. Working on campus you know that is expected. But still teaching in the hospital was a great feeling. My hat is off to anyone who has joined this field to help others. They have all been so friendly. It's like going to see Ben (my nephew who is a Pharmacist in NC)for a prescription. I am older, they have all been young, but my total care and trust are in their hands. It's a wonderful feeling to know the youth of today are doing something so great as this.

Home

On a beautiful Colorado Sunday, I am finally home. Felt very emotional getting into the car, riding home looking at the sites. Then when my friend Bob across the street shouted welcome home as I walked into the door, emotional again. There was honestly a point in time the last two weeks that I never thought that this day would be here. But it is and I thank God for it. Not all is peachy just yet. They pulled my right chest tube out of me yesterday and put a humongous bandage over it. Even though stitched up, there is so much pressure in my lung cavity that I can occasionally feel it leak out of the stitches. So we have had to change the dressing often. It actually is kind of working like the faucet I wanted installed but with less plumbing involved. Once it finally closes, my cavity will fill and I will have to have a drain (done professionally of course!). I just realize this might all sound kind of gross, so I apologize. I am trying not to overexert, laugh to much, or cough and sneeze as this causes me to "squirt" out my side. My back hurts a little as the fluid is settling back into the cavity but at least I can breathe while I sit and write, read, watch tv for now.
My third chemo is tomorrow at the actual Dr.'s office. Three times a week, four weeks then we will see where I am.
I have been on quite the roller coaster ride of emotion for the past two weeks. But I am now a 7 day cancer survivor, and so are you! One nurse described it as being accepted to an exclusive club that I did not want to join. Another said we are all dealt a hand from a deck of cards, and instead of coming up aces, I got the jokers. All wild and crazy. When I was on the Oncology unit, I saw a framed signed book and jersey from Lance Armstrong. What an amazing story he has. I thought I should not complain about my issues when he and countless others have gone through far worse. But sometimes I could barely hang on to myself, it was hard to think I have the same chance to make a recovery like others with BCell follicular lymphoma. My mental status didn't allow me to see past the moment. Then it would clear. The last few nights have been the roughest, not much sleep yet not really tired. Weird.
Bev has worked so hard to keep me going, and now at home she even has to change my dressing. Please tell her happy birthday on Monday 3/16. We were supposed to be at Disneyland in California for her birthday. Instead she has to take me to my appointment and then go to work to catch up.
I want to again thank each and everyone of you for your caring and prayers. This is truly what got me to this point. I am forever a different person now than two weeks ago, as are you. Such is life, always changing yet always the same. Live life to the fullest each moment you can, and hug or tell someone you love them today!

Still Here

It is Saturday night and Ken and I are still in the hospital. We had an eventful day. The surgeon removed Ken's right chest tube early this morning. It was painful for Ken, but at least it is out. The tape they have used on him has been brutal. Pour guy says if he ever comes in the hospital again, he is going to shave everywhere. The nurses gave him his 2nd rituxan treatment at noon. It took about 5 hours all together and they put it thru his IV. He did great today, no issues at all. We were excited. We thought he might get to come home tonight, but after talking to the nurse about everything, Ken decided to stay another night. We will be home by noon tomorrow if his chest doesn't need to be drained in the morning. We are looking forward to being home again.
We have been walking around the hospital and have gone to the baby nursery window four times. We finally got to see a little girl this afternoon on our forth visit. She was naked and very cute. She had a ton of dark very curly hair. It was fun to finally see a baby in the window. We keep hearing the lullaby played over the intercom every time a new baby is born. We finally got to see one and her proud papa was standing over her holding her hand. It was special and lifted Ken's spirits.
Ken is still talking with a low voice. He is getting better at talking on the phone and talked to Katy and my dad today. He lights up when someone calls or stops buy to see him. But it makes him tired. It is still a chore for him to talk. Tessa called when he was asleep during his treatent. Linda and Gunnar came to see him again today. They brought him some pictures Gunnar painted for Ken's wall. Gunnar is 4 years old and laughed when Ken talked about his urinal. He said it was gross. Then he had a blast when Ken put him in his bed and folded him up by moving the bed flat then up like a V.
Just wanted to keep you updated on his progress. Hope you are all having a great weekend. It was a glorious day and I hope you were able to enjoy it. God Bless you all. Bev and Ken

Dampened hopes

The leakage of kyle? (the fatty remains handled by the lymph system) into my right lung at a high rate continues to have my doctors moving the line in the sand back a little. Our plan this morning (Friday the 13th) was to remove the tube, then have my second Rituxin treatment tomorrow and sleep in my own bed tomorrow night. They have decided it best to leave it in tonight and try to remove it in the morning before the Rituxin treatment begins. There is no science to this they say, just a feeling considering me, the amount of leakage, advantages and disadvantages. I certainly know I am too much a black and white person to ever be able to be a doctor. I like to go on green and stop on red. Never have done good on yellow. They are at yellow. But we are still moving forward.

Today was the first day I walked out of my room here on the Oncology floor. We came in so fast Wednesday afternoon the surroundings never really sunk in. Bev was gone and I was ready to venture out. Immediately upon seeing all the books, pictures and pamphlets about cancer I was overwhelmed with emotion. I was finally on my own standing in my new surroundings, my new life. My emotions went all over the place. I didn't want to break down as the nurses station was just down the corridor. Luckily, the newborn section is on the same floor, so in Norah's honor that is where I headed. Things got better as I found the first Coke machine I have seen since our trip to the basement. When I finally made it to the nursery however, no babies were there to watch. So I walked the entire floor, eerily with all the big empty halls on this the 13th, then came back to my section and started to read all the pictures and pamphlets. When I told Bev, she said we are both still in a period of denial and I believe that is probably somewhat true. I told my doc Susan about this. She has been very helpful walking me through this journey of acceptance. She says she can see a drastic change in me from last week when I was first inundated with all the information. She thinks my mind is headed in the right direction which made me feel more comfortable.

So tonight, while Bev's playing bunko, I'm watching scary movies! In room 13! LOL!
Tomorrow the sun will rise again giving us all a new day to live! God bless each one of you!

Cheese

Prayers continue to be answered! The first treatment went better than I could have hoped. Rituxin is made of part human and part mouse stuff. The greatest fear was for the initial start and possible reactions to fight off the mouse part. I did have a little swelling of the tongue and throat but they slowed down the process, waited, then sped it back up again and all went well. Took a little over 5 hours to complete including all the preliminary drugs they gave to head off the possible allergic reactions. It all went through a regular IV drip through a normal vein, not any special connections needed for larger access. This drug is mild enough it won't burn the veins in the arm like regular chemo. The only side effect I have noticed is an increased desire for cheese! Coincidence?

Dr. Stanton, my Physician, visited me last night and said he thinks he wants to go ahead and remove my right lung tube today which is great news. I continue to leak at a good rate, but he has to way infection against the advantages and thinks that we will just draw a line in the sand and close it up. Then I will have to get drained through my back. I asked for a faucet back there which I think would just make it easier. Actually it would just be an outpatient procedure as needed. Once this tube goes out I only have the two small IV's left holding me here. I am hoping I might even get out of here today, or after tomorrows treatment. Today would be nice, Friday the 13th, full moon, I'm in room 13, and I keep getting telephone calls from some guy named Jason who I don't know!

I want to thank everyone for their prayers and concerns. I am not used to attention but the emails, flowers, cards, calls and visits have been great! My voice is still hoarse, and I still have uneven air flow so I talk a little broken and quiet. Imagine that! Bev and I were starting to get a little concerned about this but am told not to worry, that it will heal over time.

The plan is to start treatments as an outpatient at Dr. Kanard's office, my Oncologist. Her office is located very close to our house which is nice. I will go MWF for about 5-6 hours each day. Since this drug does not make people ill, that means I should be able to start to work again on TR. As this upcoming week is Spring break on campus, and I was planning on being out of town anyway, my first day to work will hopefully be a week from this coming Tuesday. While I have always loved to work and keep busy, I have "enjoyed" the time to sit and reflect on all of this these past two weeks. Amazing, two weeks! I would have never imagined. Time still flys, even if you're in a hospital.

Bev has been amazing staying with me in the room, then getting up early to do the paper route, then coming back to spend the day. I am so blessed to have her by my side. My student managers have been doing an amazing job in holding all of their venues together and preparing for break, my peers have been visiting and everyone has been making me laugh. Life is short, laugh a lot.

I hope Bev takes a picture when I leave. I'll say cheese! American, Cheddar, Monterrey jack, Colby, Gouda. Sounds good doesn't it!

1st Rituxin Treatment

Thursday, 1 hour into Ken's Rituxin therapy. He is doing great. We have had a tough 24 hours, but we are now on the road to recovery. Ken was pretty sick after his cat scan, so he wasn't able to eat at all yesterday. He was pretty miserable, we think from the contrast they made him drink before the scan. So he went to bed early and woke to a meeting with his oncologist. She told Ken that from the looks of his scan, his lymphoma is more spread than we thought. If we care about a stage, she says it is at least stage 3. She can't tell if it is stage 4 unless she does a bone marrow test. She said there isn't a reason to do that test because the treatment would be the same. She still thinks the Rituxin will work great and do it's magic. Let's hope so.

The Rituxin is a designer drug in that it targets only bad cells, kinda like a sniper. There are no side effects once the drug is finished dripping. They do watch pretty close the 1st hour for an allergic reaction. And we are happy to say that he is almost into his third hour and we haven't had any problems. So hopefully, we are clear sailing from here. The plan is to give him the treatment today, another on Saturday, and send him home on Sunday. Monday will start treatments in the harmony office.

Hugs to all of you. Bev and Ken

Fantastic Oncologist Report

Written Wed., right after lunch:

This is Bev. Ken is off having a cat scan. They are checking him out to see how wide spread his lymphoma is. We are hopeful that it is just around his lungs.

But Ken wanted me to tell you all the good news we got from the oncologist. She said that she has had very good luck with a new chemotherapy drug (out about 8 years) that will treat his type of lymphoma. He is being moved this afternoon to the 3rd floor oncology area. They will start giving him the chemo tomorrow in a 5 - 8 hour IV drip. As long as he doesn't have any allergic reactions, he shouldn't have any side affects outside of the time they do the IV. He won't loose his hair or be sick to his stomach. We are so excited. He will have the chemo 3 times a week for 4 weeks. So this week will be Thurs and Sat, then Mon, Wed, Fri in the following weeks. Since next week is spring break, he will stay home to rest on Tues and Thurs, but he should be able to be back to work the following Tues after spring break. GREAT NEWS. He misses you all and is so happy to finally have a plan. Then, if all goes well, he will get booster treatments every 6 months which will be one day a week drip for 4 weeks. This will go on for about 2 years. If it doesn't work like they expect, they will insert the port and go for stronger chemo. We still have that option.

By starting the chemo tomorrow, they are hoping that after a few treatments they will be able to remove the second tube and send him home. Yeah! He may be home in time for my birthday. We are so excited that he won't need the stronger chemo and the radiation. They say he has Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, B Cell, Follicular type. And to our kids that are googling for info, the doc said to only go to these two reputable sites. www.cancer.net and mayoclinic.com. She said there is alot of invalid info on the net, so these two sites will give us reputable info. His chemo is called Rituxan which will target only the bad lymphoma cells.

Ken couldn't be happier. We immediately had to walk down to the cafeteria and celebrate with a coke. Celebrate with us by hugging all your families tonight.

Talk to you all soon. Bev

Ups and Downs

Ups and downs. Good news! One lung cavity drainage tube the size of a garden hose was removed last night. For the first time, I was able to sleep on my side a bit, although mainly still on my back. The current plan is to let it keep accumulating drainage and have it tapped off as needed. All good last night, but this morning the back of left lung has started hurting again similar to before I arrived. Right lung cavity continues to drain at a higher rate. They explain that I am losing protein through this so I am on a high protein but low fat diet. The nurses asked if I was losing weight before I came and I laughed because I was gaining weight. Now all of the sudden, I don't seem to be hungry which is starting to freak me out. One funny story was just this morning, I ordered 2 low cholesterol fake scrambled eggs. When the tray arrived, I took off the cover of the plate and I had never seen so many eggsi on one plate in my life. They filled a 9" plate and were folded over like a omelet. And there was two of them. They looked like four huge grilled chicken breasts stacked on top of each other. The smell of so many eggs was so overwhelming and I had to immediately slam the cover back down. I only opened them once more to show Bev. Don't think I will order eggs tomorrow.
I appreciate all of the kind emails and all of the jokes. Words of encouragement have been fantastic. A hard thing for me to process is all the stories of people that have gone through this before and are normal now. I sit here and try to envision that point in time but can't always focus. That's when the pain and the "why me" and the "I can't do this" come over me. Then I look at the the nice notes people have sent and they ease my mind. God knows I have always suffered from "middle child syndrome", trying to just keep going and avoiding conflict. Okay, maybe some at work would disagree with this analysis (LOL!) but it's true, it's true! This is by far the greatest mental challenge I have ever faced. Why are all the survivors always smiling? Are they stronger then I am? Can they just handle it better than I? Makes me feel somewhat inadequate at times. I have a great family and friends as a support group, and although you might not realize it, you as well are cancer survivors by just knowing me. I just read that yesterday and it hit home. I feel for all who have been through this before or those that are on this journey for the first time as well. I would not say I was as close to my parents and siblings as most have been in their life. My dad lived to 90 but died of some form of skin cancer. That was the only cancer in my family I knew of except all my uncles died of lung cancer because they smoked. They were in and around the Chicago area, one even a politician, but my dad said they were all crooks! In Chicago? Who would have thought! LOL! I even have a picture of me as a kid standing in front of DeVault Elementary School somewhere there!
I am waiting for the first visit of my Oncology doctor and my surgical doctor together in about thirty minutes. Fear is setting back in because I'm still leaking at a pretty good rate, which seems to be my complication. I can see it in their eyes. But I will hope for the best. Ups and downs!

Thank You for the Gifts

Thank you all for the gifts that have been sent to Ken's room. The yellow bouquet with the lemon in the water is from Ken's kids. The card said to "Make Lemonaide". The red wagon said to keep rolling on. The balloon and coke is from Steve Railsback and his family. Ken has received another balloon from Gunnar and his mom. The cards are great and the picture of our baby girl, Norah is the best. Thanks for thinking of him.

Ken is getting one tube out this afternoon. Yeah. And they are starting steroid therapy today to try to get the leaking slowed down. Ken thinks he will be all buff from the steriods. He can't start the chemo till they can get both tubes out.

Day 1 Cancer Survivor

Katy (My Oldest daughter) sent me an email of support. Her words flowed out like an author. We talked about one day her living in a lighthouse writing and I would operate a 6-8 top restaurant in it for tourists. I cannot share my words as eloquently, but I will try.

I have cancer. I can’t believe I am saying that – or that it is true. I think I am telling everyone I meet, see or write so that it will sink in. When I met with my manger staff last Wednesday I could barely get the words out of my mouth. Now sometimes I feel I can’t wait to tell someone. Very weird. When Uncle Stan and Aunt Leah came to visit and pray, Stan said it would be okay to ask for help myself. I can not believe the amount of support and prayers that have come my way from family and friends. I believe to this day that my 50th surprise birthday was one of my top 10 days in my entire life. Now those same friends who shared in such a secret are giving me support when I am told I have cancer. It is unbelievable to me that they would do this for me. I did pray for myself asking God to change my life and use it in whatever way he chooses. If I get well, great, if I don’t have much time, make it as beneficial to others as possible. Prayers are answered sometimes out loud, sometimes quietly, sometimes we think never but just in a different way. It’s amazing but this prayer was somewhat answered when I read an email from Joyce, who basically said I have brought back what is truly important. “I thank you for giving all of us the opportunity to realize, once again, what's really important in life is the people we love and the people who love us”. That is what I prayed for. This stuff really works. I had attended church all through life but lately had fallen out of the “religious” process, but have always believed. Whatever your higher power, I have begun thanking mine each day I have awaken.

I am a cancer survivor. Even though it has been one day, I was notified for sure 3/9, I now consider myself a survivor. I’ve known for a week this was the probable outcome, and I still struggle with how I have been able to accept it so readily. I used to say “we’re all dying so quite bragging” when I would talk to someone before in pain. We all are. But now that I know my eyes are opening to what’s truly important like Joyce said. I always have tried to work hard and would push off the “on your deathbed you won’t wish you could have worked more” comments because I felt I had to support my family because I loved them. Now they are supporting me in unbelievable ways and the feeling is indescribable. I am so lucky to have the family and friends that I have. The Buick Brigade, dancing at reprom, card playing at our house or theirs, sitting at a lake BBQ, life goes on and sometimes I would forget all those little things that would bring a smile. Something like this happens and now I find myself pulling from the strength and happiness that those moments in time brought me. I have always thought that you have to live for the moment. If you are lucky, you might remember your great grandparents like I do. Most will know their grandparents and parents. Now I have my own kids and have been lucky enough to become a grandparent as well. I don’t think it matters much what the future will bring or what the past has brought, what’s important to me, especially now is what I do now. I will dance at Norah’s wedding. And hopefully she won’t get married at an early age. LOL!

Reality sets in. I watch commercials for the upcoming breast cancer walk and look into their eyes when they say I am a survivor. I watched peoples eyes when I told them I have cancer. Everyone is different, even nurses. Some have compassion, some are fearful, some are glad its me not them, everyone is different. The whole mental aspect of acceptance and moving forward is an amazing journey. When I was younger, I used to look at “old” people and bosses thinking what do they really know. Now that I am “old” I realize how mistaken I was. My body is old, I can’t do what I used to do as well, but in my mind I am still young, maybe 30. I want to share stuff that is pertinent and relevant. I want to be open to new ideas and not languish in the past. Although I do have a few good stories of the past, LOL! Time will go on, the instant drama and struggle this put into my life and those of my family and friends will be replaced by other events in life. I will hopefully get better, back to work, travel and see all my kids. But for one week, we were all brought together amazingly and shared in a common communication of prayer, concern, support. It is something I can not describe to you what that feels like.

Day 1 cancer survivor. They say if will get tougher before it gets better. I have an amazing wife to go with on this journey, along with unbelievable family and friends. Thank you so much for touching my life as you have. It will mean more to me than I can ever express. God bless you!

Good News within Bad News

Bev writes: So we have news...Finally...The following are Ken's words. The first paragraph he was writing to a friend just before the doc came in. The rest tells the news.

Ken Writes:
Hi! Sometimes I am doing okay (with the drugs they are giving me) and sometimes I am having some problems. The other day the pain meds made me sick as hell for all day. In addition, I have a tube coming out of each lung cavity for drainage. That’s usually were the actual pain comes from. When I try to breath deep, I can actually feel the liquid still in my chest, very creepy. When I went home on Tuesday, they said they might have to try for a different biopsy depending upon results. Sure enough, he called me on Wednesday and said the result was non informative, so he scheduled me again for Thursday to go after a bigger biopsy, but in a harder location. A lymph node is supposed to be the size of a pea, I hear, and the one they wanted a biopsy from they estimated at 2 inches. They said they got a good biopsy, but I must not have heard the part where I would wind up with the two tubes in my chest. Go figure!


The doctor just walked in with the results I was waiting for. I have Bcell non Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He said it is common as cancer can be, but is treatable. They should be able to treat it with chemo and radiation therapy. They are going to try to remove one tube tonight or in the morning. It’s an inch wide and he said they just pull it out. Who would have known. I might have to have drainage for the other side until the therapy starts working. The good news is now we know what I am dealing with, so we are both happy.



The hardest thing for me has been the whole mental aspect. You come into the hospital thinking you might have pneumonia, then you leave having cancer. When someone looks you in the eye and says what do you want to have happen if your heart stops, you know this is real, even though it seemed so unreal. And when they say you have cancer, and you grow up always hearing about it and you know the possible results, all I could do was to hear it but as if I wasn’t really there. I thought at first I only had five years and thought shit, what can I do by 57. I thought what about my kids, will they have this, on and on. Finally reality sets in and you start learning about it and survival rates, on and on. Now that I know what it is, the fight is really just beginning. But at least I know who my opponent is now, and can plan for battle. I am instantly feeling uplifted, and while cancer, at least I have a chance. My mind has gone from depression at some points to hope, fear and anxiousness to acceptance. I honestly believe I have started a new chapter in my life, and now I just must get well from this surgery to go home and rest up for the battle ahead. I hope to be out of here maybe in another day or two. I would enjoy visitors, but I just can’t talk or breathe very well and conversation is sometimes challenging. I had never stayed in a hospital so its not that I hated them, I was just scared. I had always told Bev I didn’t want to go to stay in a hospital because I had a dream I would not leave. My dream is actually coming true, but in a different way. I am not leaving as the same person I came in as, but as a changed human being with a totally different outlook and determination. Now in six months, maybe I will be better than before. At least I probably will have spent 6 million dollars to get better at the rate they are charging! LOL! thanks for letting me share, especially since I just found out. Off to talk with the rest of the kids. Please stay in touch!


Bev again. So while the news that Ken has cancer is so sad, we are celebrating that it is a very common and treatable version. So praise God and thank HIM for that. Our journey has begun. The doc estimates that it will take about 4 weeks of chemo and radiation for the leaking to stop. So Ken may come home with a tube still in his chest, and he will have to be drained a few times a week on his other side. That is the biggest challenge we are facing first. I expect Ken to be here the rest of the week. We'll know more after we talk to an oncologist and get this started. We'll keep you posted. Keep those prayers and jokes coming. It was great for Ken to have a distraction today and catch up on his email.

Thanks again for all your support. Bev and Ken.

Still Waiting

It is Monday morning and we are waiting for the doctor to show up and give us the test results. Ken is still in the hospital. They can't seem to get the draining on his lungs to stop. He is doing better, but still has the chest tubes installed. He is going to be here for at least a few more days.

Last Monday and Tuesday, Ken was in a bigger hospital room with a little TV. Since Thursday, he has been in a little room with a big TV. Today they moved him to a big room with a big flat screen TV. Jackpot. So he is in room 4679. He is calling it the Texas Suite.

It has been a little tough to wait so long for test results, but Ken is hanging in there. He is ready to fight the fight. He has his moments of strength and his moments of great emotions. We are just anxious to know what we are really up against.

Ken has been overwhelmed with all the well wishes. Thank you for thinking about us. Look to this sight later today. When we get the results and more information, I will post it here.

Talk to you soon. Bev

Opening

The Beginning

This is an experiment. These blog things are very popular, and we are hoping it will help Ken and Bev through some of the announcements. We really appreciate the caring, visiting, and compassion. We are setting this site up so anyone and everyone can come and find the latest status of Ken's recovery.

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