It's a NEW Year!

Super Hero transformation was completed on the morning of December 21st, 2011. Signed certificate and radiation mask to prove it! Congratulations Baby! You did it!! The war is complete. The tumor has surrendered. We'll surly have some cleanup battles - necessary to wrap this one up for the History books - but we're as ready as we can be!
My mom and Carl drove up to our home away from home in order to bring Randy back to the Hobo house. Lucky Carl had the privilege of driving the Camry back - I gave him the car with cruise control - that's the best I could offer! I took the Corolla (no CC) and headed east to Cincinnati, OH. My drive went smoothly, arrived at Tince's around 9:30 and settled in for the night. We took our time packing up the Ford (again, no CC) and on a rainy ugly day drove the 11 hours home. It was a long trip but the conversation flowed easily. It was good to see "our guy's" face when we finally arrived. Unfortunately, Ran's last few days had been much rougher than ours.
Ran got sick on the ride to Neosho, several times, fortunately he was being driven by a nurse and besides her hating that she couldn't "fix it" for him, she wasn't phased by the yuck. On Thursday the yuck continued. All day and all night. On Friday morning it continued. Fortunately, we had called Dr. Craig and let him know we would be finishing treatment and back in town. I made the call. He told us to meet him at the hospital, he'd call and get a room reserved and, as soon as he finished what he was in the middle of, he would meet us there. He did just that. We got the blood work ordered (dehydrated - no surprise there) - so we got the IV set up and the fluids flowing. They continued to flow for the next 48 hours. A strong and steady dose of nausea medicine was administered and it took until Saturday evening to show progress.  Pain became an issue so that was dealt with and sleeping, of course, was the main priority. Thank you, all of you, who offered to help in any way. Those who offered to come to the hospital. We appreciated that everyone went with Randy's request for no guests. He can't talk much and he is so tired - he simply can't do it. His quick visit with Billy was a pleasant surprise and showed that there are certain people that need to ignore Ran - his Billy being one of them! Soon though! Soon.
We came home on Christmas and had a lovely laid back day. On Monday, Billy, Adrian, and Carly Rose came to visit before they headed back to Texas. It was a wonderful visit. We were sad to have missed out on an entire night with them but we would have taken five minutes if that was all we could get!
Monday thru Thursday went very well. A small amout of progress each day. Our Amy came and spent a few days with us. It was perfect - exactly what was needed - for everyone!  She and I made as much "copycat" jewelry as we could, drank, visited, ate wonderful snacks, and stayed up ridiculously late visiting - much needed talking!
We went to IA Thursday for our early morning appointments on Friday. Blood work looked good (a little dehydrated), things felt good, and the scope looked great. Getting the scope, on the other hand, sucked. Lots of gagging, his mouth is so torn up, so burnt, he just can't say AWWWW as easily as he could before. We scheduled another follow up for the end of January. We headed out, excited to get home for a month, but things went south pretty quickly. Ran, for some reason, started to get sick on our way home and this continued for the next two days. As of today our road is still a dirt one with some major potholes. No talking. Not getting sick (nausea) anymore but feels - well, to be honest - terrible. He's sleeping a lot, not talking, and trying to keep up with the water/gatorade and food.The thick mucus is a common and long lasting gift from the radiation. He has this on top of dry mouth as the result of damaged saliva glands, if that makes any sense. It gets unbearable and gags him - resulting in . . . throwing up. Can't seem to win for losing at the moment. I can't fix this and that feels awful.
We know things are going to get better. We KNOW this. All that we were told and that we read is proving to be true. The two - three weeks after treatment ends are proving to be the hardest. We've got a few more weeks of "nothingness" and I know that Ran will take complete and total advantage of his home time.
Happy NEW Year. Those words have never meant quite so much. They are three simple words. Three simply powerful words. Looking forward. . . . the only direction we'll choose to acknowledge.

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!