December 19th, 2011

The Universe took full advantage of our last Chemo together. We checked in around 3:30, new floor, new room (all to ourselves for the first time), and quickly started going through the steps to settle in for the night. This was our fourth sleepover so we had the routine down.
Ran's throat has continued to get worse as the week progressed. The pain medicine that he has been taking just isn't cutting it and we had visited with Peggy One earlier in the day about getting something stronger (she told Ran not to be tough - there was no need for pain at this point in the game). Unfortunately, we had not received any new meds and had to request them from the Dr. on call for the evening. This took a while and many requests. By the time everything was in the system and ready to be administered Ran was at a pain level of ten and not talking at all. He had never been at a ten - ever - and I made sure that the nurse was aware of this. At one point she asked Ran if he was always a quite guy. I told her she was missing out on probably her most polite and complimentary patient ever. He is always full of thank-you's and cheers for a job well done, whether it be an IV on the first hit, a quick response to an alarm, or a prepared room. When the relief finally came it was intravenously administered but I think Nicole, our nurse, felt Ran's anxiety and pushed it through too fast. He immediately got sick. Ran has had a fever each time we have stayed in the hospital - usually short lived. Of course the nurses don't know this but I've picked up on the repetition and really feel it's a result of nervousness and stress. This, of course, isn't a very medical diagnosis so Chemo was put on hold while multiple tubes of blood were taken, pee was analyzed and chest x-rays were taken. We were scared to death they were going to call off the goods and send us home. A few hours and many tests later though his temp had returned to normal and we continued with the juice.
Around one o'clock I started to see Ran make the turn. He started talking again. He was drinking water via a straw and it felt good. We drifted in and out of sleep and we kept on top of our request for the pain medicine and before I knew it Randy, the one who has been gone for over a week, was back. Loopy - a bit high - but it was him and he was gabby! The 196 minutes of Chemo dropped its last drop around three in the morning, the alarm sounded to alert the nurse, and Ran gave me a high-five. I crawled up by his side, we kissed, and gave the moment the recognition it deserved. We just finished our last Chemo treatment and we were smiling.There is a lot to be said for smiles.

• Watched the movie Bridesmaids during Chemo. For those of you who don't know, this was the movie we were watching in the theater when the tornado hit Joplin. The movie was stopped and we never finished it. When I asked Ran how he could stay so calm in the theater when we knew there was a tornado outside he said "I just knew I wasn't going to go out watching Bridesmaids!" I thought it was pretty good timing to reintroduce this movie and finish it once and for all!

We left the 7th floor and headed to the basement for SHR. As soon as we left the hospital we went to Wal-greens to pick up the "good stuff" before heading back to the Hope Lodge for a nap. While at the store Randy floated around looking at items as if with new eyes. The best comment made was in reference to our Miss Emma Doodle. She will be having her tonsils out next week and Randy, out of the blue, came up to me and said "We need to send Emma something." "We should go see her!" I laughed out loud because it looked as if he wanted to fly to her. . .with his arms. He was almost floating. His smile was huge!!
I had to make him go home to hook up to Peggy Two, as he had not eaten for 24hours, otherwise he would have gone out on the town. As soon as we were settled in Rm. 107, blinds drawn, Power Cans flowing, we drifted off to sleep with a feeling of complete contentment. Only one more Super Hero Radiation to go!
We've spent the evening packing, reminiscing, visiting with our Lodge mates, and relaxing. He has stayed happy and feeling pretty well. Tired but. . .who isn't?

Thank You!

We continue to receive letters, cards, flowers, plants, and other goodies at our home away from home. It is no exaggeration when I say that each of these gestures have been the main highlights of Ran's time here at the Lodge. Please keep in mind that we will be leaving this wonderful establishment on Wednesday December 21st. We'll be back and forth to IA for check-ups but the remainder of our healing will take place at the Hobo House. Please feel free to continue sending your notes of encouragement, laughs, and love to our home address (included at the left). You have all done so much for us - we'll never quite be able to express it or thank you enough.

December 17th, 2011

Hello Ye Faithful Blog Followers! So sorry I have slacked on the updates. I'll blame it on Finals week - it's what we teachers blame everything on!

I'd be lying if I said the last two weeks have been easy ones. They haven't been. They could have been better but we also know that they could have been MUCH worse. Nothing has come as a very big surprise thanks to other blogs that we have read along the way. We seem to be right on schedule. The second Chemo really knocked Ran on his butt - well actually his back. Lots of sleeping! He has been exhausted and his steam runs out quickly. Little bouts of nausea that come and go - on a pretty steady does of medicine to help. This past Monday, as if ordered, his throat began to hurt. He has to keep his talking to a minimum. His biggest chore is to swallow, to keep his throat muscles in working order. Pretty much all he can do at this time is sip ice water or coke - and I do mean sip. There have been a handful of attempts to eat "real" food but the majority of them have been unsuccessful. Before, it was simply the taste of everything that made it unbearable - now that nasty sore throat is playing its part. The remarkable piece of this story is that in the last three weigh-ins he has not lost ANY weight. He holds at a solid 168. This means he has only lost about 12 pounds since we started. This is awesome! No matter how he feels he hooks up to Peggy Two and she takes care of him! A few Cans of Power 3-4 times a day, a half bag of H2O and we are doing better than the average bear!

Side Stories:

• There has been this one little ugly requirement hanging over Randy's head - keeping him from graduating from Nursing School. . . two Psychology credits. . . yes, two credits!  Now, if you look at Ran's transcript one would think he has enough Psychology classes to have minored in the subject (which he cares little for - everyone knows he's the scientist and this is much more my department)! We tried every way we could think of to get around this block but Excelsior just wouldn't budge. I finally got online and ordered him the CLEP book; Human Growth and Development. Since he arrived in IA he has been studying in small increments and taking the practice tests. He scheduled the test at the University for December 7th, crammed the last week, and PASSED! He is officially done. Just yesterday he received confirmation from New York that his transcript has been updated and a congratulations notice for having completed all the requirements for nursing school. One small step left. . . the NCLEX. With an entire Crowder Nursing Department and my mother behind him we know he'll clear that last hurdle with ease!
• Ran was in the community kitchen a couple weeks ago attempting a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerio goodness. Kim, one of the wonderful ladies who works at the HL full-time walked through with a package. She stopped and commented to Ran that no matter what she can always eat Cheerios, if she doesn't know what she wants that is her go-to food. Ran and Kim proceeded to have a 15 minute conversation about the magically fulfilling cereal. As Kim got up to leave she remembered that the package she had brought back had actually arrived for Ran. She handed it over to him to open and the unbelievable happened. He cut open the box and found an entire case of individual serving size Cheerios! They could hardly believe it - what timing!!! A big shout out to Dave, Corrine and the Boys for the tasty love.
• The HL hosted a wonderful speaker the other evening. Justin, a young man who is a former guest of HL and a survivor of brain cancer. He, 14 other survivors, their 15 caretakers, and Dr. Leming completed a three week trip to the Mt. Everest base camp (completely funded by and/or funds raised by Dr. Leming himself). Justin and Dr. Leming told of and shared pictures from their experience, their struggle, their emotions, and the highest ever American Cancer Society Relay for Life walk. After stringing 350 flags made by loved ones for loved ones each lap was successfully walked and celebrated. It was brutally honest, moving and motivating and exactly what Randy and I needed at this point in our Journey. The timing could not have been better. We needed a final push and a push is what we got! I would like to encourage each of you to check out the American Cancer Society homepage. Please consider making a donation in honor of or in remembrance of a loved one this Holiday. What an amazing gift. The research that has been done and is being done is beyond amazing. Unfortunately, there is much more to do.

I'd like to say there are more stories to share but I'd be making them up! We've entered the part of treatment that revolves around rest and nutrition and not much else. Although that may sound a bit boring in writing it quickly fills our days! Oh, and I chopped my hair off yesterday.

December 3rd, 2011

Is it really already December? How did that happen? Were we not just walking out of the Joplin airport (missing one bag) in a rainbows and stardust type glaze after an uninterrupted four weeks on an island. If we knew then what we know now. . .
This week lived up to all the hype. It was text book - very much like everything we had read in preparation for this road trip. In summary "things will start to get rough around week five - after the second round of Chemo." We were prepared - but are you ever really prepared?
We both know that things could have been worse. Peggy Two stepped up and single handedly saved the week! Ran simply had no appetite. Eating was way out of the question - I was band from even talking about food (which apparently is harder for me to do then one would think!). Ran continued to drink water and Gatorade as much as he could stand and today, at 4:26pm, he ate his first bite of solid food since Monday. Can anyone guess what it was? Very good Sarah . . .  Cheerios! Though not eating via his big loud mouth (Crowder folks know I speak the truth on that one!) he has been diligently feeding himself the high calorie, high nutrient, high everything shakes via Peggy Two. Much to our surprise, when we weighed in on Friday, he had not lost ANY weight for the week! We were thrilled. But, that didn't touch the best news we were given. During our visit with Dr. Sun she used her tiny flash light (with a camera this time) and stuck her tiny fingers down Ran's throat. She then stepped back and shared that the tumor is evidently smaller - she could both see and feel a difference! That is the kind of news that gets you through vomit, and exhaustion, and 24 hour nausea. So, they say we've got two and half more weeks of this? We say. . .Bring it!

November 30th, 2011

Today. . . today was a sleepy day.
Woke up and did a light workout. Randy on the treadmill so that he could read and walk - I on the bike (padded shorts and all!). Ran fell asleep as I got my shower. Hated to wake him but we had to go to SHR and our second Tens Unit meeting. We were back at the HL by 10:30, Ran had another Can of Power via Peggy Two and then laid down for a nap. I took my computer to the dinning room and started catching up on all of the work that came poring in from my students over the Holiday.
I decided to wake Ran again a little after 2:00. We left around 3:00 to do some antiquing. It's inside and warm, it allows us to be up and moving, and it saves us money (everything is too expensive or big to buy!). Exhaustion started to set back in so we headed back to HL around 5:30. He curled up in our warm little room, had the 4th Can of Power for the day and called it a night.
So overall, not sick - just a little queezy (which I rub his hand to fix) - and very very tired. I'm glad we're here. I'm glad he is away from all of the temptations that would keep him from resting when that is what his body tells him to do.

November 29th, 2011

Back at the Hope Lodge. Ran is doing great. Not nearly as "out of it" as he was after the first Chemo.  Brushing teeth and washing off a night in the hospital. Closing the blinds and hoping for sleep. Officially over halfway done. . . 2/3 Chemo and 19/35 Super Hero Radiation treatments OVER!

November 28th, 2011

We are back in Iowa after a wonderful four day hiatus in Neosho. We left as soon as we could last Wednesday. SHR #17 and a quick check-up by Nurse Peggy and Dr. Sun. Everything looks great - everyone is very complementary of both the inside and outside of Ran's neck. If they're not careful they might have the additional problem of figuring out how to cure cancer and deflate his head at the same time! Ran participated in the first of three Tens unit treatments which went very well. We all began to officially poke a little fun at Ran's new "Radiation Haircut." The radiation caused his hair to fall out about halfway down the back of his head. It's like a reverse receding hairline! Kinda looks like he's got "the mange!" Oh, stop it! I can hear all of you sweethearts out there. That's funny stuff! We've got to laugh. . .and do often!
We took a nice slow drive home - the trip being much more interesting with company. We sat in "our" living room in front of "our" fireplace and continued to visit for about thirty minutes or so before we decided to call it a night in "our" bed. There is truly no place like home.
As our Thanksgiving was planned for Saturday in AR we decided to take care of some chores on Thursday and get a little exercise in - something neither of us have done very much of as of late. We took my car to Wally World and had the oil changed and the tires rotated. You have to take extra special care of these old cars and our Pearl Girl (97 White Toyota Camery from Adrian & Billy) has had over 6000 additional miles added in the last month. We dropped off the car (saw Kirk Roelfsema for just a moment - quick update about IA - what a great smile he has to motivate the rest of our day!) then we walked to Crowder. Ran got caught up on work while I walked back to get the car and do a little grocery shopping. He pretty much lives on Honey Nut Cheerios (as it's one thing that doesn't taste horrible . . .yet) so we had to stock up! Matt, Nancy, Logan and Kels all came over to visit for a few hours that evening. So good to see familiar faces!
Friday friends came over to watch college and high school ball and hang out for the day. It was a wonderfully normal day - we both loved every minute of it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Saturday we brought a little lunch out to Jim and Kate Rhoades and got to visit for a about 30 minutes (not nearly long enough) before heading to AR. Kate looks wonderful! Her recovery from knee replacement surgery is going very well. Apparently, she follows her Dr.'s instructions to a T because her range of motion shocked both of us. Dinner in AR at my Grandmother and Uncle John's house was such a treat. Everyone seemed to have brought something although our Carl went above and beyond the call of duty - as always! It was such a great gathering of wonderful people that we too rarely have in the same room. Unfortunately, Ran was not able to eat much. Nothing tasted "good" to him. Each day is different - sometimes food tastes great - or at least normal - and on others everything is awful. Things started out tasting like they had been soaked in salt - now they taste soapy. We had our fingers crossed but this just ended up being a not so great food day. The camaraderie more than made up for the disappointment and of course I'm always willing to do my part by eating for two. Keeping the world in balance - one yam (ok, geesh, three) at a time!
Because I was able to work my magic and move Ran's Monday appointments to later in the day we had the entire day Sunday to just do. . . whatever! So, we decided to sleep ridiculously late, sip coffee for an extra-long time, go to to the Y and walk on the treadmill (instead of run), then watched the Eagles game with Matt (uggg, really Jackson, COME ON!) When we returned home Ran was able to get all caught up with Hazim as they watched KC fight a good fight. To bed a little later than expected and neither of us could sleep. Alarm was set for a little before four a.m. but I don't think either of us needed it - already awake.
MONDAY:
DING, DING! Round Two (if only we had a hot ring girl to walk through the room - all would be right in Randy's world!)
As I type, Ran has already had SHR #18, met with Dr. Wehbe to review blood work, and is almost through the first bag of fluids. One more to go, then 192 minutes of Cisplatin, and more kidney flushing fluids. If we don't sleep tonight we'll tuck ourselves into our cave in the morning after radiation and sleep away the day.

November 19th, 2011

Wednesday November 17th, 2011

• SHR and a great visit with the morning crew! One lady, who just started treatment, said "I expected to come down those stairs and see a bunch of quite people, lost in their own thoughts, sort of feeling sorry for ourselves but instead every morning everyone is smiling. Everyone is so happy to see each other! I actually look forward to coming!" She and her very sweet husband drive a little over an hour each way - five days a week. Her cancer is located in her nose. It still wrinkles up when she smiles.
• We ate breakfast (Ran’s stuck on Cheerio’s at the moment) and then bundled up for a walk before heading back to IUHMC. We walked the same path Ran had taken on Monday. He couldn't wait to show me the houses. So, down to the river and then up the hill we went – passing very unique homes on the right that overlook the water. Most, very Frank Lloyd Wright in their architectural style. Our favorite was the same. "The leaves on the trees are falling to the sounds of the breezes that blow". . . today that breeze is a rock band and I have a feeling the trees will be bare by the end of the week.
• We packed our bags for the evening. We were off to meet the new lady in Ran’s life, Peggy 2 Peg Tube. We checked in and met with Dr. Cullem, who would be inserting Peggy 2. Very calm, approachable, and positive. I was given a pager and shown where to wait. The procedure only took about 30 minutes. We were joking earlier in the day - making guesses about how they know where to insert the tube. I said they probably stick a light down your throat and wherever it glows is where they cut. I swear. . .that is what they actually do!! 
•  The Peg Tube, otherwise known as a feeding tube, was placed for precautionary reasons only. This is not a mandatory part of treatment but everything that we've read explained the positive aspects! Ran likes to think of Peggy 2 as his back-up parachute - she's there when he needs her! The hard part about losing your appetite is just looking at food. The site of food is almost worse then the actual eating. Using Peggy 2 will allow Ran to be in complete control of his diet instead of it controlling him. He is still able to eat (whatever he wants - whenever he wants) and is actually encouraged to continue to drink and use his throat muscles for as long as possible.
• Once I was beeped I was able to go back and be with Ran as he "woke up". One of the Docs that was with him told me he was the most polite patient she has ever had. From the beginning he was very agreeable and every time they would explain what they were going to do next he would say "Ok, yes ma'am, thank you." "Thank you." Thank you." He kept saying it throughout the entire surgery!
• There is nothing like being seen through the eyes of the love of your life as they come out of a drug induced state! Ran's eyes always look the same. He makes contact with mine and then his mind makes contact and his eyes smile before his mouth does and he holds his hand up for me to touch and says "Hey Margie, how are you?" Always thinking about how someone else feels first.
• Favorite after surgery quote: "I love drugs. They just cut a hole in my stomach and I can't even feel it!"
• An up and down evening - loud rude roommate - a little fever - a little nausea - came out of it though with the help of a wonderful night crew (Nicole and Sara), a glass of sprite and three Popsicles. Thursday morning now, went straight to SHR after being discharged and then back to the HL to spend the day catching up on sleep and work. Miso soup sounded god for dinner so we found a place, shared some edamame, fried rice for Ran and Sushi for me. He didn't have a great appetite but didn't feel bad. Ate what he could and that's the new way of our world.

Friday November 18th, 2011

• We were determined to be outside today. Ran woke up feeling great! We headed out the door to go watch Regis on his last day of the show with the morning crew at SHR. Checked in with Peggy (told her about her new namesake, no weight loss or gain this week (for either of us!) :), saw Dr. Sun and her famous flashlight, and were free for the next few days!
• We spent the entire day going from one thrift store to the next antique shop is search of the perfect chair for Randy's dream reading nook. No luck finding a chair but it was a wonderful day. Our last stops were in Mount Vernon (every state's got one) which is about 20 miles from Iowa City. Beautiful farm land with rolling hills the entire way. Home of a very old and ornate Cornell College. 

  Saturday November 19th, 2011

• We did very little today. Spent the morning working online and then Ran took a nap while cozied up in front of the fire watching college ball. When it hits him it hits and he has to rest. We only left to go to a movie - we chose the funny one- and then hung out in the bookstore for a bit afterwards. You've gotta love a book store - stimulates conversation from one extreme to another! The weather has changed considerably throughout the day, the wind picked up and the temp has dropped. It's going to be another cold night in IA.

November 17th, 2011

Ohhh, WOW, it's already been a week since we wrote. I think the treatments are making Ran's fingers hurt because he can't seem to keep up with you guys :)
Let's see, the easiest way to get you all caught up with my Super Hero may be by using a bullet type format. Put on your vests. . . .


Friday November 11th, 2011

• A visit with Dr. Sun after going through her famous ray gun. All looks good on the bright side of the moon. Lost 7 pounds last week. . .while eating donuts and pie. . .how does that happen? I gained two without eating any of that yummy crap.
• Ran was asked to be part of a study. Jen is doing research to determine if the use of a tens unit directly after radiation can help reduce the pain and therefore the need for pain meds. Ran was excited to be a part of this as he's tried to back off of the meds as much as he can. Too many side effects on top of all of the others.  Jen is a young lady who is working on her Doctorate. She went to war with cervical cancer five years ago and won! A skeptic at first, she was asked to be a part of similar studies using acupuncture and reiki. She said to her surprise (not to mine though!) they both worked. She became immune to the acupuncture after some time but continued with reiki after each treatment. (Chris, you know what I'm thinking?! Wish you guys were going to be home at Thanksgiving to give this a try!) 
• Saw Dr. Wehbe a little early and could have escaped that joint but we had to wait on blood work - which ended up being mixed up - and no time was saved. Kidneys look good and we got on the road! 
• Happy Veteran's Day!
• Happy Birthday Denton! Had a great ride to Hermann (well, I did, Ran slept most of it!) Had a wonderful dinner, stimulating conversation, music never sounded better, slept more soundly and later than we had in weeks in a wonderful brand new bed given up by DA and Lisa. Spent the morning walking around, visiting, having a bit of vino (we were in wine country after all!), some coffee and donuts and then drove a very slow ride back to Iowa. Stopping at antique stores to stretch our legs and look for hidden treasure. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making our little escape a memorable one. We love you all. (Ruth and Tom. . .everyday. . .each and every day!)

Sunday November 13th, 2011

• Worked on work in the morning.
• Fed the wild turkey some of the deers corn! He is one big boy, he better start hiding!
• Got cleaned up, drug my feet, packed my bag, drug my feet, cleaned up the room, drug my feet. . .Sunday used to be known as Sunday Funday but since that's the day I have to leave it sucks some of the fun away.
• Ate lunch at the Vine and watched the Eagles. (huh, looky there, we may have discovered another reason Sunday is loosing it's "Funday" title!!)
• I brought Ran back to HL where we hugged and gave a high-five good-bye till Tuesday night. I set the cruise, plugged in my book, and headed south. Ran took a nap, ate some more, and watched football with the guys.

Monday & Tuesday:

• The weather was beautiful so Ran got out after Super Hero Radiation (SHR) and did some exploring both days. 
• Monday he went for a walk in a neighborhood we had spied a few days earlier, ate as much as his stomach and throat would allow, watched Monday night football with Walace.
• NOTE: Now whenever Randy eats he announces what his food tastes like. Since his taste buds are changing as a result of both the SHR and Chemo some things no longer taste the same and others do. So, if something does still taste the same, he feels the need to say so. Ex. "Hey, this coffee tastes like coffee. This potato tastes like a potato. These nachos taste like nachos." You get the picture. I can't help but think of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory each time he does this. Remember the part where they are all licking the wallpaper and Wonka declares "the snozberries taste like snozberries!"Click here for a memory lane!
• NOTE: His smells are also changing and the scent that I have worn for the last 10 years (white tea and ginger) now smells awful to him - can't stand it - very chemically (which Dr. Schade pointed out it IS indeed a chemical!) Gotta admit, this one made me a little sad, he's always complemented my sent as I walk in a room or get in the car. Billy suggested I just wear Windex!
• NOTE: Throat starting to hurt a little bit more. Ran, in true Randy style, said he kinda liked it at the moment. The "hurt" lets him know that it's working! 
• Headed back after a whirlwind of work on Tuesday (always great to see everyone though and be with my students - whether they know it or not they help with my perspective!) Perfect driving weather. Biggest problem I ran into was that the door to my gas tank wouldn't open. In the middle of nowhere so I had to have the guy behind the counter help me pry it open!  Needless to say, it no longer closes!
• Ran was waiting outside for me upon arrival. Home really is when and where we are together. 
• As soon as I got inside the room Ran handed me a pile of cards and postcards he had received.We would like to take this little part of our update to say Thank you. These notes, both sincere and funny, have a great power behind them! I like how he stated it best, "I will never again take for granted the power of the written word, a small note, a card." He is emotional, not because of what is going on, he always has been - one of the qualities I love best - and he fills up with tears from all the love that he is constantly being sent his (our!) way. Silas, your Super Hero card was PERFECT and Ran has it framed on the dresser. It will remain a part of our decor once home! Carly Rosebud - your artwork was beautiful and made Grandpa smile from ear to ear! We know it takes time and that everyone is so very busy. Please know, although the HL is a home away from home it is NOT home and that can weigh on a guy.  Each note reminds us where we come from, what's important in life, and how lucky we truly are. What's it all for without friends and family?

November 10th, 2011

Happy Marine Corp Birthday! My Dad called us at 8:00 this morning (9:00 ET) and was awake, pretty happy, and alert. I never hear from him that early and at first thought something must be wrong - because that is the kind of person I am - always the worrier! Instead, he was ready to tackle and celebrate his day. Ran talked to him a bit later in the day and was caught off guard by the closing OHH-RAH. His ooh-rah response back was a bit weak and dare I say. . sounded like it came from corpsman!
Today Super Hero Radiation resulted in a little bit of a sore throat. It's to be expected though - a 'sun'burned throat can't be all that comfortable. This did not, however, affect his appetite. Donuts, pumpkin pie, milk, and cookies (and that was just breakfast!)
We worked at "home" today and Walace, our new entertainment at the Hope House, cooked lunch for all of us. It was amazing. Really. Oh - my- goodness - good. Randy drove LeeAnn to the renew her Truck Drivers License since it will expire shortly and she is headed straight for CA when done with treatments. Unfortunately, she needed a Birth Certificate and has to devise a  new plan. I continued to grade while Randy blogged and hung out in the lounge. He was a little tired today, didn't sleep as well as you would expect and also hadn't napped ;) We laid down for about 6:00 for 30 minutes or so to "rest our eyes" as Pop-pop would say, and then went to pick up a few cards.
Speaking of cards, Randy has received mail both yesterday and today and I can't quite explain his glow. Lots of love coming to him from the Crowder family, our creek family and our actual family! The cards, the cookbook and books, the letters, the care packages - reiterate that we have a million blessings to count each day. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Good-night.

November 7th - 9th, 2011 (Redo)

Like Kate wrote, last nights entry was lost so I'll give the condensed version of this week.  I arrived back at the lodge on Sunday evening.  The drive was easy as I was supplied with a great book on tape "Charlie Wilson's War" from Mary (thanks Mary). Those books really make driving go by fast and this one in particular, revolving around Americas involvement in the Soviet/Afgan war of the late 70's to late 80's, was of particular interest to me.  So interesting in fact I have continued to listen to the book in the room on the portable CD/clock radio provided. 
Woke up early Monday ready for treatment but feeling somewhat tired and nauseous.  Returned to the room after radiation and just felt like resting and that's what I did.....for the rest of the day.  I guess I had no idea how tired I was from the weekend, driving, playing Leaf Champion of the World while walking to the UnderCliff with Matt (the champ) and Kate (former champ), Sat. night college football on TV (Alabama vs. LSU), then the drive back on Sunday.  Anyway I just sort of vegged that day, only up a few times to eat and then I settled in front of a TV in the lounge to watch Monday Night Football. 
Felt much better when I woke up Tuesday.  There is a small workout room here so I hit it about 0730 to ride the stationary bike and some light calisthenics. Treatment at 0915 and then I wanted some eggs and toast, over easy, con tocino (a shout out to my awesome Spanish teacher Richard Wallace), hash browns and some OJ.  Still feeling great I headed out to the bookstore, which is attached to the mall.  After a few hours of online work, internet surfing, book reading, and book browsing I decide that I'm going to join that elite group of exercisers known as the Mall Walkers. To my surprise it was not so bad.  I put away my things in the car and returned to the mall and begin to walk - as close to the edge of the halls as possible, going down every hall, and walking a little faster than I normally would.  Oh ya, you would not mistake me for a casual shopper. Oh no, it was obvious what I had on my mind, some intense training....in the mall.  So after two laps and a small personal finish line celebration I headed back to the lodge.  After listening to a little more of my book I started to get hungry.  Hunger is a funny thing now.  When it happens I have to eat.  If I wait it sometimes goes away.  Also, if I get hungry for something, like Buffalo Wild Wings, that is all that will satisfy me....or so I think.  So I have this hankering for BWW and on my drive over there I see a Chili's and all of sudden BWW sounds awful and Chili's classic nachos is all that will work.  So, into Chili's I go and the nachos were great.  It's still Tuesday and really all I'm doing is killing time till Kate gets here which won't be till around 11 that night.  It's raining out and I know the drive is probably rough on her and the few times I call her I could tell she really didn't want to talk and drive at the same time (which is nothing like her) so the weather must have really been bad.  Once she arrives though all is good again and my life seems to be back to normal.  We spend Wed (it actually snowed all morning here) getting treatment and going back to the bookstore to work and walk the mall. Upon our arrival back at the lodge I attempted to blog and you know how that ended. 
I just want to tell you a little about this fantastic team of medical professionals who have attended to me since I began coming up here a little over a month ago.  I have two medical doctors.  My radiation oncologist is Dr. Sun (I like to call her Dr. Sun with the ray gun).  She was born and Educated in China, sees my scans daily as she monitors the treatment, physically examines me weekly, and has made herself available to me anytime I feel like I might need to talk to her.  Her enthusiasm for what she does is (to use a medical term) infectious and if we were on a sandlot picking medical teams I would pick her first. She just looks like someone you would want on your team.  My other doctor is the medical oncologist; he is in charge of the Chemo.  His name is Dr. Wehbe, educated in the Middle East.  If you have ever sat in a room with a professional of any vocation and felt a sense of competency, then you know the feeling I had when I was first introduced to Dr. Wehbe.  He was honest and open about the diagnosis and what his role in the treatment was going to be.  I look forward to my visits with him because they're fun, I enjoy his bedside manner.  He has also made a point to let me know that he is only a phone call away, anytime, if needed....and he means it.  These two doctors are always on time, always in great spirits, and always followed by at least one fellow/resident/or medical student.  I can't tell you how eager these (I'll collectively call them students and pardon if I have insulted any of the medical professionals out there) students are.  They have the biggest smiles on their face as the doctor and I engage in our dialogue and they look as if they just can't wait to get their hands on you, finally, a real live patient they can go over with a fine tooth comb, find all the abnormalities, figure out what should be done and report out to the doctor.  They are all extremely attentive and bright and have been held in the starting gate for so long that finally practicing must be an overwhelming feeling.
Everyone knows that in any organization there is a cadre of people without which it just simply will not work.  In this huge medical complex set on the picturesque campus of Iowa University, that group is the nurses.  I have one assigned to me, ya, one assigned to me.  I'll have her for the duration.  Her name is Peggy.  Again I can call her anytime, see her anytime, and she usually calls me every other day or so.  She knows more about how I'm supposed to look than I do.  If she detects anything that she thinks might not look right, she's on it.   She coordinates all of my visits throughout the hospital clinics, attends all of my meetings, ensures that my prescriptions are called in or delivered to me and is just the overall go to person if there is a question on the minds of anyone on the team.  She was meant for this and she never lets up.
The ditch diggers and dirt slingers as I like to call them are the technicians on the front line of all this care.  They are in the labs, pharmacies, radiation monitors, and radiation room where I get my treatment. They have been fantastic.  There are four that attend during my daily treatments.  One comes to the waiting room with a smile and eye to eye contact.  They walk me past the vast array of monitors where my scans are being readied, and into the room where they ask "in any pain today Randy", "not today" I say. The other techs are readying the machine making casual conversation with me and they get me all ready.  They get me comfortable with a warm blanket from the oven, get the favorite radio station on Serious radio, then with a firm hand on my shoulder one asks, "ready to rock", "lets rock" I reply and the music gets loud as they get to their stations and do their extremely delicate work.
To the teachers out there I want to say that this all comes together because students listen. Yes, they're listening, and I'm glad.

November 7th and 8th

Ran just spent 30 minutes typing a blog on Monday and Tuesday and something . . . happened. Poof, it was gone. We won't push our luck! He said he'll do it tomorrow after the morning session!

November 4 - 6, 2011

Yesterday Ran ate a McDonalds fish sandwich (in between hiccup sessions) and said it was the best thing he had eaten in his whole life! Really, those were his words!!
We were at the hospital by 9:00, as always, for the 9:15 Super Hero Radiation treatment. After only one week the receptionists greet us and check Randy in before he even makes it down the stairs to the desk to say "Good Morning." We are beginning to be on a first name basis with the other early morning radiation patients , enjoying our first cups of coffee over what seems to be our new topic of conversation; where, how big, how long have you had, how much treatment, how often, how far along, how are you feeling today? We then turn to where are you from, how far is your drive, kids, jobs (although many are retired!), vacations? See you tomorrow. Be careful driving home. Have a great weekend! See you on Monday! Next week we hope to walk there a little more often - as the aftermath of Chemo begins to fade away -  and get a little more exercise which is highly recommended.
After meeting with Dr. Sun, our Radiation Doc, for the regularly scheduled Friday appointment we quickly hurried back to the HL, grabbed our dirty clothes, packed the duffle bag, and were on the road home for the weekend. I drove a bit over the limit as Randy drifted in and out of sleep.
We found a crock-pot of warm soup and chicken breasts cooked in wine waiting for us at home. Although Hazim, our house guest for the remainder of the semester, had to head to OK before we got there he left us a big hug via food! We were in town just in time to say "Hi" to Matt and tell him our pending plans for Saturday. If Ran was feeling up to it, 'if' being the key word, we planned a walk to the UnderCliff, meet up with Oney and Sheff and then hitch a ride home with them. The weather was going to be perfect and we needed some slow movement and Vitamin D! Surprisingly, he asked if he could walk along with us. For those of you who don't know my brother Matthew, he is one of our very favorite people. When he is around you are happy. That's just the way it is! We almost never pass up an opportunity to be around him. I thought he was kidding at first when he expressed an interest in walking with us - as he walks for a living - but he wasn't. If it is possible to love him any more then we did - we do. It meant a lot to both of us that he wanted to spend his free time with us and was willing to do our normal in order to do so. That's some real love - 10 miles worth in fact!
Despite a rough evening Randy woke up feeling well on Saturday and it was a perfect day. . . great lunch, continuous conversation, lots of laughing, lovely evening in our own home. The HL is wonderful but nothing beats home. Randy felt great all day. Thanks guys!
This morning we worked on getting caught up on work, laundry, and tying up loose ends. Ran didn't sleep well so he snuck in a little nap before leaving for IA this afternoon. Should make it by around 11:00. He's been checking in along the way - so far so good. I must say, nothing about him leaving alone seemed right. That was a bit hard. The next couple days will be rough but I've vowed to work my tail off and see him shortly.
The biggest concern at this point is what we expected from the beginning - eating. It just wasn't appealing for the majority of the week. You think you know what to expect but there just isn't a way to know it all. We have a better idea now and our strategies have changed. Next time, we feel we'll have the upper hand!
ONE WEEK DOWN. . .SEVEN TO GO!

November 3, 2011

Who would have thought that the worst part about the first 48 hours after Chemotherapy would be Chemo hiccups? Hard, long-lasting, nothing makes them go away hiccups! I thought that Ran had read everything there was to know about what we were headed into. We've heard very little so far that we hadn't already read at least a little about. But, NOBODY mentioned this little side effect! When we visited with Peggy after Super Hero radiation this morning she said it was normal. One nausea medicine should help it (although the other one, as Nurse Ran was convinced, may be what is causing it!)
It's a rainy cold day in Iowa City and a nap was in order.
After the sun came out we ventured to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum - if not exercising at least we would be standing and learning! It's rather funny that Randy has wanted to visit several Presidential Libraries in the past and time just didn't allow us to stop. Now, as life has forced time upon him, Herbert Hoover will be the first! It was a very well done museum. Can't think of anything more fitting at this venture than to read, watch and hear about Hoover's humanitarian centered life. A bumpy road as the President but an otherwise unwavering personal mission.

November 2, 2011

It was a long day. A long day that did not clearly separate from yesterday and today. As the saying goes, you don't go to the hospital to get rest. We were in a shared room - which means double the buzzers and beeps. I was thankful; however, no one said a peep about me leaving. My chair was pulled as close as it could get - we held hands - and the nurses were nice enough to see I had no intentions of going anywhere.
I made a fresh pot of coffee around six. Ran saw a commercial for food and the nausea officially began to kick in. The Dr. was there at 8:05 this morning - we were his first stop just as he had promised. He ordered the new variety of meds and pushed through the paperwork for dismissal.
Straight downstairs for the new norm - 9:15 Super Hero Radiation treatment. Stomach upset but felt better as we walked around. Afterwards, we waited to meet with Amy, our dietitian. Very nice. Shared her formula for figuring out just how many bottles of Ensure Plus someone Randy's size must drink in order to be considered properly nourished. Ends up Ran is a "seven can a dayer" (which I know is not a real word)! Gotta love science! Of course, this is only if he is not eating anything else. Also gave me some sites to look at for recipes. We were both hoping for something a little more cut and dry, like. . .Day 1 - Eat this. Day 2 - Eat this. Day 3 - if you can't eat that then try this. No such luck. It's just all about calories, protein, and hydration.
A quick visit with Peggy about future Dr. appointments, meetings and such (note to self - get a white board for a visual calendar) and then out the door for our slow walk back to the Hope Lodge. Seemed like forever since we'd been there.
Dropped our stuff off and took a quick inventory of what was needed at the store before dropping off prescriptions and getting a few items to get through the week. Within the next 30 minutes the exhaustion set in which added to the bellyache - not to mention some very hard uncontrollable hiccups. Without eating Ran went to bed. We woke around 5:30 and I went to grab the magic pills so maybe Ran could eat. Made a few good attempts but really not feeling up to it. We watched the Blind Side and Randy drifted in and out of sleep in the recliner. Oh, did we mention that every room in the HL has two leather recliners? Needless to say - it won't be long before the Hobo House finally has one. There will need to be some rearranging but the battle has officially been lost!
Tid Bits:
On Tuesday each week Panara and another local bakery donate breads, bagels, and baguettes - you've never seen so much bread.
As I returned the dishes to the kitchen at 10:30 this evening I met LeeAnne. A woman who just spent the day making at least three dozen cinnamon rolls from scratch. She was just getting the last batch out of the oven to ice. She suggested I take one as they would disappear quickly in the morning. One tray was off limits she said, as it was for her husband, her reason for making them. She stated that she can't eat them anymore (due to where she is at in treatment) - but she sure loves smelling them!
We are humbled a bit more each day.

November 1, 2011

Here we go!
We overslept this morning in our dark cozy room. We had the best intentions of getting up early and going for a long walk but . . . we went to Micky Dee's instead! Direct orders from Coach Bill Dunn (thanks for breakfast Billy, Adrian and Carly Rose)!
The first radiation went off without a hitch. The most painful part was the five minutes of embarrassment that came with walking around with a waffle face caused from the Super Hero mask! They have Pandora and offered to play any songs that Ran wanted to hear during the 15 min. treatment. Suggestions for a playlist or artist for future visits are welcome.
We left the hospital for lunch and a walk downtown. Refusing to admit for the evening before we absolutely had to. We requested a window seat at the Atlas Grill as Iowa City has proven to be a great town for people watching on a 70 degree Tuesday afternoon (rain and snow on tap for tomorrow).
We parked at the Hope Lodge, packed an overnight bag, and decided to walk to the hospital - a short 1/2 mile away.
It was a little chaotic at first but things soon settled down and Ran was changed and ready for treatment number one. We had all kinds of visitors for the first few hours: doctors, nurses, a pharmacist, Mike - our roommate! The chemotherapy process seems to be as follows:
Check in; find a vein (this may take few attempts); two hours of fluid to make sure hydration is at an all time max; a few different types of nausea medicine and steroids; 192 minutes of chemo fluids; followed up by additional fluids to protect those pretty kidney's.
We are an  hour into the chemo and so far so good. No complaints from Randy at all! We're just watching the late night shows that we NEVER stay up late enough to watch. Is it just us or does Jay Leno not age - ever?

Pre-op October 31, 2011

I know that Randy gets sick of me saying "make a wish" with every 1:11, 2:22, 3:33, 1:23, 12:34, etc. that I see on the clock. But, he squeezed my hand and wished along with me as we left Holly's house in KC to head to Iowa City at exactly 4:44 a.m.
We arrived early, attempted to move into our new home, the Hope Lodge, but they weren't ready for us. We went to get. . .you guessed it, coffee! The one thing that reminds me that our life has not changed -  Randy is still our same funny, energetic, determined, sweet man who has a not so healthy relationship with coffee - we have merely been interrupted.
11:00 Dry-run with the radiologist. You should see the net mask (aka Super Hero regalia) that Ran will be slipping into five days a week for the next seven weeks. We're hoping we get to take it home when it's all said and done - kinda like a cast! A pretty cool piece of memorabilia for our wall. There are about five people outside the room sitting at computers showing every possible angle - looks like the high tech bat cave!
Met with Peggy, our nurse. A wonderful woman who makes us believe we are her only patients in the world.
12:30 A trip up to the dentist but too late. Waited a bit but had to head to get blood work done.
1:00 A room buzzing with activity. We both had to stop - look around - and take note of how many people were in the large waiting room with us - how many people are affected by cancer. The young lady that drew Ran's blood was from Thailand and, as usual, Ran made her feel more comfortable than she made him with his pleasant conversation and interest in who she was and where she was from.
1:40 We met with Dr. Wehbe. A great guy who holds no punches. Young and energetic - he says it how it is with not much cushion. Thankfully, Ran has an awesome outlook. You can't ask for much better then 90% cure rate! He's strong and therefore he'll have everything "plus the kitchen sink" thrown at him but at the end - we'll be stronger than ever.
We left the hospital around 3:00 and headed to grab a snack. Went and got settled in at the Hope Lodge, making our room look as close to home as possible.
Room 107, shelf 107, and fridge 107!