Saw the Doc

Carlene had an appointment with her medical oncologist this week. He was very complimentary about how Carlene handled all the treatment that she went through over the last 16 months or so, and he is more than satisfied with the results. Given the clear PET/CT, the doc said Carlene doesn't have to see him for 6 months. We are relieved that she won't have another doctor visit to be concerned with for awhile. Carlene is feeling great, and looks terrific. She is happily sporting her new short hairdo. (Not so much that she will let me post a picture here!!) Thanks for all your prayers, emails, phone calls, and cards.
Happy Thanksgiving

PET Scan Results

Carlene had a PET scan this morning. The nurse navigator just called with the results. NO CANCER!! Praise God!! The PET showed some residual infection in her lung, but that was it. We are just thrilled. We had way too long to think about all this since she had the CT scan in September. We are so relieved. Carlene was praying the she could just have some peace for awhile, without having to worry about scans, or x-rays, or biopsies. Looks like she is going to get her wish. Thanks for all your prayers.
God Bless.

CT Results

Carlene received her CT scan results yesterday. She got good news, praise God. The radiologist's report concluded that the scan was showing an infection and/or scar tissue in her lung. He is recommending that Carlene undergo a PET scan to rule out malignancy, given her history. So her radiation oncology doc is putting Carlene on antibiotics for two weeks to clear up any infection in her lung prior to a scan, as PET scans can show false positives when infections are present. (That's what they tell me...what do I know, I'm just an accountant.) Her scan is scheduled for November 8. Sure is nice to get good news for a change. Carlene and I are very relieved. It's been a stressful month. Thanks for your prayers.
God Bless

Test Results

Carlene recently had a MRI done. The MRI revealed that there is no cancer in her chest wall, which is good news indeed. However, the MRI did show something suspicious in her right lung. The radiologist recommended that Carlene have an x-ray to get a better look. Apparently, MRIs are not very good at looking into the lung tissue. Carlene waited awhile to get the x-ray so she could recover from some congestion. She had the x-ray on Monday, and we got the results on Tuesday. The x-ray shows there is still something in her right lung. It could be scar tissue, an infection, or something worse. Given all the radiation treatments Carlene had over that lung, we are praying that it is just scar tissue. It stands to reason that she would have some damage to her lung from the radiation. The doc now wants Carlene to have a CT scan. It is going to be done tomorrow, Friday. Sharon, our nurse navigator, told us that if a CT scan doesn't give us all the answers, a PET scan would probably be next. We are asking for your prayers regarding the outcome of the next scan. The apple cart has definitely been tipped over once again. But we don't really have bad news yet....so I guess that's the good news. Thanks again for your prayers.

God Bless

July 4

Carlene is doing very well. We went to the mountains with our family for the 4th of July weekend. Saw the fabulous fireworks display in Avon on the 3rd then went to the crazy parade in Vail on the 4th. The famous Vail Precision Lawn Chair Drill Team finished off the parade.
One of Carlene's goals all through her cancer therapy was to be well enough to go up to the mountains for the 4th, and to hike up to Crater Lake in the Maroon Bells wilderness area. It's not a long hike, but it's at altitude and very steep. She was able to hike it with no problems. We sat up there by Crater Lake for awhile, praising God and thanking Him for getting Carlene through her treatment with so few side effects. Her heart and lungs handled the steep hike and altitude just fine. We both have to work on our overall conditioning after so many walks at the mall during treatment, but we couldn't be happier for how Carlene came through this. Exercise is so important during cancer treatment. Carlene kept up with it even when she didn't feel like doing much. She felt that was when she needed to get out and do something even more.
Thanks again for your prayers and support.
God Bless.

A Week After

Carlene is steadily feeling better a week after her final chemo infusion. She is getting stronger and recovering from nausea and "chemo head." Her appetite is good, sometimes ferociously so. When Carlene feels hungry, I gotta get her some food in a hurry. We laugh about it at times. I think her body is demanding fuel to repair the damage chemo does to fast-growing cells. This will probably be my last post for awhile. Life is going to get back to normal for Carlene now. It will be a process, but she's well on her way. Thanks again for your prayer and thoughtfulness.
God Bless

Finish line for chemo

Carlene had her last chemotherapy infusion today. She handled it extremely well, as usual. She is doing well tonight. Carlene is relieved and very happy to be finished. She has one more neulasta injection tomorrow to help with white blood cell growth. Carlene will start on a daily dose of femara in a couple of weeks to inhibit estrogen in her body, as the tumors she had were estrogen receptive. She will have to take femara for five years. At the end of June, Carlene will see her radiation doc to discuss the schedule for follow up scans. It looks like she will receive MRIs and PET scans, alternating every six months. But that hasn't been finalized yet. The docs will also do blood tests looking for telltale markers to keep a close eye on her. We don't know yet what else they may want to do. It feels great to finally be at the end of the treatments. Thanks again for all your prayers and support.
God Bless.

Feeling great

Carlene is feeling really good now. She has shaken off most of the things that were slowing her down. She is still feeling fatigue in the evening, but, hey, we ain't getting any younger!! We've been walking quite a bit over the past week or more. She has been handling hills just fine. Today we walked in our neighborhood, with all the steep streets. It was nice to see all the yards with such beautiful flowers, green bushes and trees. We went to Santa Fe for a couple days last week, just before the busy Memorial Day rush. The weather was great. We relaxed, walked some, visited a beautiful gallery recommended by Dan and Scharlotte, and ate lots of great Mexican food. Yesterday we all met up at Kevin and Lori's for a barbecue. We had a great time with everyone. The grand kids are a hoot. They kept us busy. It was a wonderful day. Carlene's last treatment is this Thursday. Tomorrow she sees the doc and has blood drawn. She is definitely ready for this to be over with. Ten days or so of not feeling well after the last infusion, and hopefully she will be done with this forever. That's our constant prayer. God has it under control. We're just trusting Him. Thanks for your prayers and support. God Bless.

Feeling better

Carlene is not quite back to normal but she is getting there. She has developed a couple sores in her mouth. The nausea has been about the same this cycle....it kind of comes and goes. Carlene's taste for food varies daily. Sometimes she surprises me re: what she likes and doesn't like. She is still taking long walks even though she has felt weakness and fatigue. She has been sleeping well though, which is really good. We're looking forward to this weekend. The weather should be great at the same time Carlene is feeling better. Her last infusion will be 6.03. Praise God, it will be over. Thanks again for your prayers, cards and phone calls. Carlene gathers great strength from your support.
God Bless.

Weekend

Carlene is having a few struggles this weekend, but nothing unexpected. She was fighting nausea yesterday and didn't have much of an appetite. She had only part of a bagel for lunch and mac and cheese for dinner last night. I got her through a slow 3-mile walk at the mall yesterday followed by an afternoon of rest. She still feels a little nauseous today but not as bad as yesterday. Her "chemo head" isn't as annoying for her as it was after the first few infusions. The chemo nurse slowed down the drip on one of the drugs by about thirty minutes, which seems to help with that. The weather today is shaping up, finally. We might head to the Broadmoor for a walk around the lake. I think she will really enjoy seeing the trees, flowers, and waterfowl out there. If this cycle follows the usual pattern, Carlene will be feeling much better by Thursday or so. She seems to be up and down the first few days of the week after the infusion, then she suddenly gets past it. We're both disappointed that we have to miss going to church so much. But all the handshaking and coughing is something she has to avoid. And we miss seeing the grand kids. Oh well....only a few more weeks of this. You gotta do what you gotta do. Thanks for your prayers and kind wishes. We're claiming Psalm 91..."He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty...He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge.."

Five Out of Six

Carlene is doing well this evening after infusion number five. I think she is ready to handle whatever uncomfortable side effects are coming her way over the next few days. We followed our usual routine after the treatment - a walk and then dinner. She is relaxing now and feeling fine, considering all the drugs that she just took in. I'm amazed at her courage, faith, and strength. We are both excited about the fact that only one treatment remains. We can now think about getting on with our lives in another month or two. But for now, I have to help Carlene get through this weekend and the next few days after that. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
God Bless.

One Week to Go

Carlene is getting through her cold well. She is getting better each day. Her next treatment is a week from today. I expect she will be healthy and ready to handle it just fine. She has decided to go ahead and take the third day of steroids, the day after the treatment. The nausea she had last time was just too much. She has trouble sleeping with the steroids, but she has decided to just deal with that rather than feel sick for multiple days. Always trade offs in this process. I'm holding up OK. My job is to just get her though this any way that I can. Springtime is helping us both. We might try to take a little weekend trip before the final treatment, if Carlene feels up to it. Maybe Santa Fe for a few days. We feel so blessed that Carlene is getting through this so well. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
God Bless.

Setback

Carlene is experiencing a difficult patch. She caught a nasty cold. Hopefully it will be a minor setback, but I'm always concerned when she picks up something like this because the chemo takes such a toll on her white blood cells. But that's why they give her the neulasta injections, so I just need to trust that Carlene will shake this off. Please pray that she will get through this cold without it turning into something worse. I pray that she can get over it before her next infusion on 5.13.

Saturday update

Hi everyone. I got Carlene to the mall again to walk about 3 miles. The weather wasn't conducive to a walk outdoors, with all the dust and pollen blowing around. Her energy level hasn't been very good this week. The four infusions have sapped her reserves. But she got through the walk OK. We then went out for an early lunch, then a drive for an hour or so. She's napping now. Tonight we are meeting two other couples for our "dinner club." Seems it's been awhile since we've done that. I hope Carlene is up to it; I think she's looking forward to it. I wouldn't say that Carlene is discouraged at this point, but she sure is ready for this to be over. I think she's fighting off a cold. Please pray that it will just go away. Who knows what kind of shape her immune system is in right now. Her spirits are good, and she is trusting in God's plan. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

Carlene's week

Carlene is making her way through the week after chemo. Her "chemo head" has abated this time. However, she has been more nauseous and tired this week. But she is getting through it. It would help us both if the weather would get a little better. Carlene would like to get outside a little more rather than traipse around the mall so much. Hey, but at least she's up and moving around. She looks great, and her attitude is wonderful. One has to have a positive attitude to get through something like this and get the best results. We signed up with Skype yesterday and got it to work the first try in a session with Kevin and Lori in Littleton. I splurged and got a Mac Book Pro so we have a built in camera. We would love to connect with anyone who also has Skype for a visit. Just send an email to me with your contact info. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
God Bless.

Better on Sunday, with help from John Elway yesterday

Carlene is doing better today. In the past, Sunday was typically her worst day after the infusion on the previous Thursday. We're thinking that skipping a day of steroids on Friday resulted in the acceleration of her worst day to Saturday. I'm praying that she continues to do well today and doesn't have a relapse this afternoon. We gotta get out of the house today. The weather has been lousy and Carlene sure didn't feel like doing anything yesterday. We walked a little at the mall yesterday morning and then spent the afternoon sitting around watching a DVD of the Broncos beating the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII back in January of 1998. We were at that game, but we never had seen the recording of the original broadcast. We forgot about a lot that happened during the game. But we remembered just how nervous we were for the Broncos when we were there. We had witnessed all but one of the Broncos' humble pie experiences at Super Bowls firsthand and that day we thought it was going to happen again. And I drank a little wine yesterday while we watched the game. I know, your disappointed.....But a friend gave me some great Pinot Noir, and I couldn't help myself. In fact, I have a little left, and I don't have a headache......hmmmm. Like I said, Carlene needs to get me out of the house....
I just remembered that a Packers fan offered me $5,000 for my two Super Bowl tickets the night before the game. But Carlene wouldn't let me sell them. I was all for watching the game at my brother Neal's house in San Diego with $5k in my pocket, but Carlene told me that wasn't gonna happen....she's a bigger Bronco fan the I am, really. We're glad we didn't sell the tickets. Kevin was with us as that game, and it was a wonderful experience for us. It's funny, but he was watching the DVD (he loaned us his copy) the other day, and after it was over, thanked us for taking him to the game. My grandmother died in December of 1997, and my dad and his brother gave each of us grand kids $1,000 from her estate. I used my little inheritance from my grandmother to buy Kevin a scalped Super Bowl ticket. Is that sick or what??

Rough Saturday

Carlene is having a rough day today. She has been quite nauseous. She was having trouble sleeping the day before, day of, and day after infusions. She asked the doctor about it last week the day before the infusion, and he suggested that she not take steroids the day after treatment this time to help her sleep. But now she is having a great deal of nausea. So, maybe it's back to the steroids three days in a row next time. I hope she can start feeling better this evening; it's been a tough day. This has probably been the worst day after a treatment that she has experienced. Sure glad Carlene has only two of these treatments left to go.

Chemo today

Hi everyone. Carlene had her fourth chemo treatment today. She did extremely well. We followed our routine and went for a 3 mile walk after her treatment, then to Outback for dinner. It worked the first three times, so why not try it again? Carlene feels really good about being two-thirds of the way through the chemo infusions. It's amazing to see how well she is handling this. She has a great attitude and is taking care of her health. We went up to Littleton last night to watch the three boys so Kevin and Lori could go out for dinner. Kaden, Oliver and Kaleb are doing well. Kaleb is healthy and happy. He is sleeping much better. It was really good to see them.
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
God Bless.

Sunshine for Carlene

We are in Scottsdale for some sunshine. It was great to drive right into summer late last week. The weather has been perfect. Carlene is doing very well. We head home tomorrow (Tuesday) to get ready for her 4th infusion on Thursday. We have been walking every day at Chaparral Park, which is close to our hotel. We decided to avoid the desert trails and not expose Carlene to the dust and rough terrain. Plenty of time for that after she is done with treatment. It's been great to relax, dine outdoors, and enjoy a little summer. Who knows what weather we'll get when we get home? The struggle between winter and summer will soon be over though.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. After Thursday, she will have only two more treatments ahead of her.
God Bless.

Weekend report

Carlene is recovering well from her 3rd infusion of a little more than a week ago. Her "chemo head" has lingered longer this time than last. We hope it doesn't get worse each time, but that seems to be the trend. It's not horrible by any means. Carlene describes it as pressure and "fogginess" similar to a sinus infection. She felt good enough for us to dine at one of our favorite restaurants (Marigold) last night. She has been sleeping fairly well. This morning Carlene went for a 3.5 mile hike in Palmer Park, on a trail with a few steep hills. She felt great and enjoyed being outside. It was a beautiful morning. We are in Breckenridge tonight with our daughter Kristin, her husband Andy and grandson Jackson. Kristin and Andy are going to ski tomorrow, while we babysit Jackson (like a tonic for Carlene). We'll head for home tomorrow night. It's beautiful up here. Lots of snow but it's 50 degrees. It feels good to get out of town for a night.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. God Bless.

Saturday morning

Carlene is feeling the chemo hangover more today than yesterday. But she is doing well, considering. We went to the Good Friday service last night. It was wonderful. Carlene won't be able to attend Easter services this weekend because of her susceptibility to infection. Her energy level was high last night. Today she has more of the "chemo head" and she had trouble sleeping last night. But she's now finished taking the steroid tablets, so she should sleep better. (Carlene has to take steroids morning and evening of the day before, the day of, and the day after chemo.) She received the Neulasta injection yesterday afternoon to stimulate the growth of white blood cells, and she doesn't have bone pain this morning, praise God. Her white cell count has been good. Please pray that is stays high so that she won't have to miss any treatments. Keeping those nasty cancers on the ropes, and knocking them out for good, will be the most effective if Carlene can get though the entire treatment cycle without interruption, as difficult as that is.
She's now past the halfway point with the chemo regimen. When she started, that seemed like such a distant milestone, but she's there! It's amazing how time seems to be creeping along as she goes through this. But she has the best attitude. Her faith is getting her through this, more than anything else. The chemo nurse keeps telling us that Carlene is doing better than most with this combination of chemo drugs.
Thanks again for your prayers and support. Happy Easter.
God Bless.

Chemo 3

Today is Carlene's third chemo treatment. She will be halfway there after today. I was listening to my iPod this morning, and came across PART THE WATERS/I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR
by the group Selah. I think the following lyrics are the prayer of Carlene's heart today:

When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord
When I feel the waves around me, calm the sea
When I cry for help, oh, hear me, Lord and hold out Your hand
Touch my life
Still the raging storm in me

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

If you would like to hear the song, and see the video, go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=775yhAx7b8g

God Bless.

Carlene doing well

Carlene is doing great now. She is about a week away from the next infusion. She is right where she needs to be. Her appetite is good, she has been exercising, and she hasn't had any trouble with her eyes or with the skin rash she had before. We're going to get together with our family this weekend to celebrate Easter a week early. Carlene will need to avoid contact with people as much as possible the weekend after the next infusion which, unfortunately, is Easter weekend. So we just go with the flow. The really good news is that she will be half-way done with chemo after next Thursday!! She is handling this so well. Her faith and overall good health are getting her through this.
God Bless.

Good weekend

Carlene had a good weekend. She is feeling better day by day. We had a great day yesterday. Didn't go to church, but listened on the internet. Carlene felt like having some breakfast out, so we went to one of your favorite spots. We went for a nice walk around the lake at The Broadmoor hotel. The grass is getting green out there....must be all that money. We had an early dinner and a relaxing evening. Carlene hasn't had any bone pain from Neulasta, which is wonderful. The next infusion is 4.01.10, so she should be fit as a fiddle by then...
Thanks for your continuing prayers and support. It means the world to Carlene, and me.
God Bless.

Carlene's week

Carlene is doing well in the process of recovery from her chemo infusion last Thursday. The weekend was up and down, like the last time, but not any worse. The really good news is that she has not had any bone pain from the Neulasta injection. It would be wonderful if she can avoid that side effect after every treatment from here on out. She has a "foggy" head most of the time these first few days, and is fighting off nausea. But she has been finding food that sounds good and eating well. Fatigue sets in usually very afternoon. She has been exercising and drinking lots of water.
Carlene asked me the other day when she was struggling a bit if I thought she was going to make it through 4 more treatments. We discussed it for awhile, and decided that we wouldn't worry about that. We just need to get her through the next one, and the rest we will take one at a time. And after she is done with the next treatment, she will be halfway through!! That's part of living each day, right?
I've been dealing with this much better lately. What Carlene is going through now is not problems with the cancer, if there are even any cells left floating around in her body. She is experiencing the results of the treatment, which will come to an end. So I just pray every day for minimal side effects, and no long-term damage to any of her tissues or organs. God is good, and He has given Carlene (and me) the strength to get through each day. And we've had a lot of joy in our lives too. Kaleb is doing well, and finally sleeping better for Kevin and Lori. We are having dinner tonight with Kristin and Andy, and get to see little Jackson. Seems like somebody in our family always has the sniffles. Looks like everyone is well at the Gordley house today. We can't wait to see them.
God Bless...

Getting through the weekend

Carlene is doing OK. Her stomach has been a bit sensitive since Friday, but the anti-nausea medication is helping. Carlene received another Neulasta injection yesterday to help with the generation of white blood cells. Thank God, she has so far escaped the side effect of bone pain, which is a common occurrence after an injection. She didn't sleep well last night. She thinks it's due to the steroids. They are part of the chemo regimen, taken the day before, the day of, and the day after the infusion. We went for a three mile walk this morning at Cottonwood Creek Park, one of our favorite places. It's amazing how many walks we've taken there over the years, talking about how hopes, dreams, and fears. We're going to try to walk our way through this ordeal as well. Mac and cheese sounded good to her tonight, so that was the menu. It tasted great to her, and me too. We've been relaxing at home tonight, watching a recorded Hallmark movie. I think Carlene will get over the nausea over the next few days; that's what happened during the last cycle. The chemo doc told us that Carlene's experience during the first cycle can be indicative of what she can expect during the entire treatment plan. Let's pray that is the case. Thanks for your prayers, cards, emails, calls, and kind comments on this site. We love you all. God Bless You.

She's a warrior

I'm married to a 5ft 5inch, 120lb warrior. She handled her second chemo treatment with aplomb. We are in a post-infusion routine: we head straight for the mall (hopefully to a park real soon if the weather will ever cooperate) for a walk of a couple of miles, then to dinner at Outback. Before this started, I had a mental picture of rushing Carlene home after the infusion, puke bag at the ready, and putting her straight to bed. But it sure isn't working out that way. We hope the next few days aren't any worse than they were last time. Kevin was able to drive down from Littleton to be with us during the treatment. Kristin wasn't able to make it today. Kristin, Andy and Jackson just got back from Florida last night, so she was busy catching up today. Kristin ran a half-marathon through the Disney World property while they were there.
All in all, Carlene and I are pleased with how the treatments are going so far. We're trying to slice and dice the process into digestible pieces. She's now 1/3 done!! Only 12 weeks left until the last treatment, if she can stay on schedule. The chemo nurse said her white cell count is great. By the way, the chemo nurses are great. That is a calling, not a job.

Another pic

Carlene asked me to post this pic of the two of us taken just after her fitting for the wig. Off to chemo this morning. Her spirits are high. Much less anxiety this time, for both of us. Our love to you all.

Carlene's new wig

Here are a couple of pictures of Carlene in her new wig. She is very pleased with how it turned out. It's great to see how confident she is even though she has lost her hair. Tomorrow is her second chemo treatment. We are hopeful that the after effects from this round will be no worse than they were following the first treatment. Again, thanks for your prayers.

Wigs and such

Carlene had all her hair cut off yesterday by the lady from whom she purchased her wig. It is a beautiful human hair wig. It' amazing - the wig looks like her real hair, same color, same cut. Carlene is very pleased. We found a new use for duct tape - removing dead hair follicles. I went through about half a roll last night, lightly applying it to her scalp to remove the dead hair.
We went for a walk this morning in our neighborhood, trying to walk up all the steep hills we could find. She has her next chemo treatment this Thursday. Her strength is good, she has been eating well, and getting lots of sleep at night. She was a little bummed yesterday about her hair, but I think she is doing great today. She is going to meet a couple of friends this afternoon to show off her new wig.

There it goes

Carlene is doing very well. She feels great, looks wonderful, and her spirits are high. We went in for labs yesterday, and the chemo nurse said she wants to put up a poster of Carlene as an example of a patient who is figuring out how to get through chemo. The nurse said her positive attitude is a key to getting through it. High praise for someone who has only been through one treatment. But I think the nurses expected Carlene to have a bit more trouble than she has. Today her hair started to fall out. That's almost right on cue according to the timeline they gave us. Carlene has an appointment Monday with a lady who is going to take her hair off and fit her with her "cranial prosthesis." If her hair starts coming out by the handful, she may have to go in earlier than planned. We are going to a show at the Air Force Academy tonight. Carlene applied some extra hair spray in order to hopefully keep things where they need to be for one more evening. I've offered to shave my head in sympathy, but she doesn't want me to. Her second chemo treatment is Thursday, the 11th, at 10:45am.
We've been trying to keep up with normal activities as much as possible. Unfortunately, we haven't been to church, and Carlene had to skip Kaden's 5th birthday party last week, attended by a gaggle of Kaden's buddies. (We got to celebrate at Kristin and Andy's house with him after the party.) She is trying to avoid public places with large groups of people where she might catch a virus. Her white blood cell count could be low, and we don't want her to become ill and have to miss a treatment. It's important that she stay on her 21 day cycle to keep any possible rogue cancer cells on the run.
Please pray that Carlene will be protected from illness that would stop her treatments, that a rash on her back will disappear, she can continue to sleep well, that she will not have bone pain from the Neulasta injections, that she can keep her exercise going, and that the loss of her hair will not be too traumatic. We appreciate all of you so much.
God is on His throne, and Jesus is sitting at His mighty right hand, interceding for us all.

First week

Today marks a week since Carlene's first chemo treatment. We don't know why, but it seems to both of us that the clock has been running at a snail's pace this past week. Carlene has been up and down the last few days. She feels "pressure" in her head, but not a headache. Tylenol has helped with that. Nausea has been minimal, but she is struggling with her desire to eat. Carlene's taste for food changes from meal to meal. She hasn't had any bone pain at all from the Neulasta injection, which we are very thankful for. She went to a group meeting at the cancer center on Tuesday night hosted by her nurse-navigator, Sharon. This week a physical therapist spoke about the importance of exercise as a part of cancer treatment. Carlene told me that she is the only person in the group who makes exercise a priority. She has gone for a walk every day since her first treatment, including the day of the infusion. We think staying as active as possible has helped her get through this first week so well. She is now coming up on the period of time in the 21 day cycle when she will probably experience a drop in her white blood cell count. Please pray that Carlene will be protected from any infection that might set her back in her treatment cycle, and that she can keep up with her exercise. To get the best results, she needs to keep her white cell count up, and stay on the 21 day cycle for the six treatments. She has labs today to measure how she is doing.
We are trying to fix our hearts and minds on positive things. The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Philippians while he was imprisoned. He exhorts us, in Philippians 4:8, to think about whatever is True, Honorable, Just, Pure, Lovely, Gracious, Excellent, or Worthy of Praise. That's what we are tying to do. We hope you will as well.
Thank you for all of your prayers, phone calls, and cards. God Bless.

A Good Day

The end of the 3rd full day after the first chemo treatment, and Carlene is doing well. I was concerned about her this morning. She didn't have much of an appetite, and she felt weak during our walk. She ate a little soup for lunch. We went out for a ride in the snow this afternoon up to the Palmer Divide through Palmer Lake and back through Monument to the old highway. But she perked up tonight, ate mac and cheese for dinner, and had a couple of snacks while we watched the Olympics. She seems to have more energy, and she is getting over the nausea. Tomorrow we see the radiation doc for a followup visit. Our car seems to find its own way to the hospital these days, we've been there so many times. Carlene is amazing. I'd be a whimpering pile of mush if I was going through this. She claims Psalm 91 every day.

Carlene slept well last night, finally! She had some nausea Saturday night and had trouble eating. She has a pill to act against nausea that she needs to take before she gets into "deficit" with it. A milkshake helped with that last night. But she is feeling better this morning. Gonna take awhile before we figure out what foods she prefers. Lots of beautiful snow on the ground this morning. Think I'll take her for a long ride and maybe a walk at the mall. We think it's better to skip church this morning and avoid all the coughing and sneezing at close range. The mall is good to stretch her legs in bad weather. And with the lousy economy, not many coughers and sneezers there to worry about :-) Carlene and I have been enjoying the Olympics. Kathy and Jim O loaned us 2 seasons of the Big Bang Theory. Laughter is good medicine.

Meet Kaleb

Gotta post this picture of the newest member of our family. We have sent it to many of our family and friends, but you may not have seen it. This is Kaleb, the "little" guy our son Kevin and his wife Lori recently adopted from Ethiopia, our new grandson! He is estimated to be about 8 months old. Kaleb was left on the street and found by a policeman in Ethiopia, so his exact birth date is not known. "Kaleb the Ethiopian" will soon also become "Kaleb the Proud New American Citizen." Kevin and Lori have to go through a court proceeding here in the US for legal adoption and citizenship. Now he is the holder of a Green Card. Kev and Lori's other boys, Kaden and Oliver, love this little guy as a brother already. He is full of joy, with the biggest eyes you have ever seen. It's been a long process for Kevin and Lori, but they finally got it done. They came back from Ethiopia with their lives changed forever, in many, many ways. We were having lunch with our family at a sandwich shop when Kevin starting tossing Kaleb around and making him laugh. A flag was right behind him, and made for a couple of perfect pictures. I hope you can meet Kaleb soon.

Day 2 after the first chemo infusion

Today is Day 2 after Carlene's first chemo treatment. Yesterday she had the injection of Neulasta, intended to spur the production of white blood cells. When she got the injection, the nurse told Carlene about the possibility of bone pain in the large bones that produce bone marrow. The nurse said the spectrum of pain patients experience is all the way from minimal to such intense pain that Vicodin is required. We have been anxious about this, naturally. This morning the news is good. Carlene has not noticed ANY side effects from the Neulasta injection. She is going to receive an injection the day following each chemo treatment. So we hope this streak continues. Oh, by the way, the nurse told us that each injection costs $6,000!! Incredible. Anthem Blue Cross has become our best friend. Not sure the feeling is mutual though. Thanks so much for your prayers.

First chemo

Yesterday (2.18.10) Carlene underwent her first chemo treatment. She was in the infusion room about 4 hours. Carlene had her "power" port inserted the day before, which went off without any problems. So the final leg of her treatment has begun. She has 5 more chemo sessions, each 21 days apart. Her medical team is going to keep close tabs on her white blood cell count. Part of her treatment is to receive an injection the day after each chemo round that is intended to help her body produce additional white blood cells. That will probably result in bone pain from the large bones in her body that produce bone marrow, similar to the "growing pains" we all experienced as youngsters, only much more intense.
Please pray for minimal side effects and maximum knock out blows to any rogue cancer cells not crushed by the radiation treatments.