So this is Ken's third week of his 7th round of chemo. This is supposed to be his easy week, the time when Ken is most healthy. So what is up with yesterday? He had the stupid hiccups all day. And just like in his first week, they were worse during the evening. They came so quick last night he was loosing his ability to breathe in between and he finally got violently sick. I hate that. He hates that. Vomiting is just an ugly side effect of this whole thing. We spent some time talking about the emotional side of things. We are both so tired of this. We just want it to be cured so we can get on with things. We decided that he has probably been overdoing it with work being so crazy and our trip last weekend. We decided he will call in to work tomorrow and stay home and get some rest. If he wakes up with the hiccups, he is staying home. We'll see if that happens. He needs the rest. But he hates to miss work.
We did have a great weekend. Emotional, but great. We left Friday for Chicago. Ken's daughter Katy and our granddaughter, Nora, picked us up at the airport. Right away, Nora, didn't like us. She actually let me hold her for a few minutes, but poor Ken, she cried every time he looked at her. Things slowly improved and she warmed up to us over the weekend. By Sunday, race time, she would let us hold her and walk with her for a while. But she is a real Mommy and Daddy's girl. Wish they lived closer so we could see them more often. This stupid cancer has kept us from visiting them this year. Can't wait till Ken is better.
The Race... It was fantastic. I'll have Ken add all the stats, but Mark did a great job. His goal after last years time of 3 hours and 15 minutes was to come in under 3 hours. He finished at 2 hours and 56 min, 19 minutes faster than last year. He did great. We were very proud of him. The banquet and the race were very emotional for Ken and me. We heard lots of stories from other racers and their families. We were very glad that we could be there and be a part of it.
Thank you to all the Chicago Team in Training for supporting Ken and sharing your weekend with us. We loved it.
I am worried about Ken. I hope he can get back to feeling well after his rest today. He is so sick of being sick. He is loosing faith, so lift him up in your prayers and send him strength.
Coming up, we have a big weekend planned in between a hopefully restful weekend. Today, Sept. 3rd. is our daughter Stephanie's 30th birthday. No, it's the first anniversary of her 29th birthday. At least that's what she says. Happy Birthday Steshi. We Love You. We are celebrating at a dinner for her and her friends on Friday night. Our other kids, Jeff, Sara and Tessa are all joining us. It will be fun to see them.
Sept. 14th is Tessa's birthday. She asked for her dad to take her to the Rocky Mountain Showdown to celebrate her birthday, so they will be doing that on Sunday. Ken's girls all went to CU and since Ken and I work at CSU, it is always a friendly family competition. I'm sure they will have fun. This year it is at CU in Folsom Field, so Tessa will enjoy being back on campus. Happy Birthday Tessa. We love you too.
Thanks to all of you that are still reading our blog. Ken is overwhelmed at the moment. And so am I. We are so thankful that you are still keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We hope you are all in good health and that you can take a moment this weekend to be thankful it. Hug someone close to you. We love you all. Bev and Ken
Ken,
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me, but I was part of the Team in Training and saw you during the dinner party we had. Being a journalist, I'm usually pretty good with words, but in these situations it's always hard to say anything when I honestly don't know what you've been / are going through. However, I will say that you have been in my thoughts and prayers, as I imagine you have been in those of many others. Please don't lose faith in this fight. God has a plan for you, as difficult as it is to see sometimes. My girlfriend has been battling leukemia for over 2 years, and is still fighting to keep it away. I heard somewhere once that cancer is a test, not a final. She seems to like that statement. Please keep that in mind during this fight. You are doing an amazing job, and I can guarantee that everyone who knows you thinks the same thing. Best of luck, Ken, and keep up that hope.
Adam Rahn