A CHRISTMAS OF A DIFFERENT KIND

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. This year is coming to an end and has not been a good year.

This is going to be a sad Christmas. Randy is in a hospice and Jessica and many family members have been with her during the past week as she waits for him to leave us.  

He will leave a large empty place not only in her life, but in all of us.  

Prayers for strength for her as she faces one of the biggest losses in her life.

BAD NEWS

Randy had a bad set back this week.  Has been having pain and hoped it was nerve pain.  Had a major bleed Thurs 10th.  Scan found that he has had a tumor come back in his throat, one in mouth and in lungs.  The did a cath procedure and found the vein that was feeding the tumor and causing the bleed. Got it stopped.  Getting his pain under control.  Hopefully he will go home Monday.  If he can keep his pain under control with home meds Jess can take care of him there. If not he will have to go to a Hospice Facility.  Hoping he can spend most of his last day at home. Doctors estimate 2 to 3 months.  But they just guess. To everything there is a season....................

COME ON BABY WHITE FIGHTERS....GET YOUR GAME ON

Have another lab Fri 20th which I hope has climbed a little.  Then Monday I go see Dr. Stephenson to get the resulsts of my bone marrow biopsy.   My wish is that numbers are up enough I can give my RA meds more time to bring them back instead of having to take that other stronger"poison.

Jim has not felt good and he is getting worse with one thing or another.  This is going to be a long cold winter.

Life can seem so unfair.  Then you look around at others that are 10 times worse than you.

Dance and smile.

DECEMBER 13 UPDATE......

Dr. S thinks I can continue with my RA drug to bring neutrophils back to normal.  He is asking her to raise it to 10 1 day a week instead of 8. Start tomorrow.  Oct was up, do not have Nov lab results yet, will get the Thurs, and have December lab.

ENOUGH CRAPPY HEALTH TO GO AROUND.

Since I stopped Methatrexate after dental implants, my Neutrophils dropped way down.  Dr. thinks LGL is back again.  Count came back up to 18.5 last lab, normal is 34-76.  He thinks it should be coming up faster if this med is going to do it.  But wants a bone morrow test before he puts me on stronger meds.

So Happy Anniversary...have on scheduled for November 2.  I know it was really not that bad, but it just creeps me out thinking about it.  He said he wanted to make sure it is the LGL and not something else.  Then we can decide if to give the methetrexate more time or go for the stronger chemo pills.  Will have a lab Friday Oct 23, so will get to see if it has come up any in the past 4 weeks.  

So will just live my life and try not to freak out too much before the test.

BIG SCARE TODAY.

After his therapy, Jim rested awhile then went out to the garage for awhile.  He was out there about an hour messing around the yard and in the garage. I kept an eye on him, had seen him in the garage and thought he was getting ready to come in and  rest.  Went through the house, then looked out again and he was lying on his back behind his truck.  Scared the hell out of me.  He was not trying to get up like if he fell.  I ran for my shoes and across the yard, and he raised up his head.  Said he did not fall, sort of slid down holding on to the tail gate.  He had got to hot.  I got him in truck drove around front, got him in the house.  Got a cool washcloth and a bottle of water.  He seemed to be okay.  Was hungry, fixed him something to eat, and he fell asleep.  Slept most of the day.  Got up awhile ago and went to bed at 8:30.

He is acting more confused as time goes on.  It scares me, I feel like he is slipping away from me.  His driving is terrible.  Has his truck so beat up and scratched from banging into things.

Things will get better, things will get better, things will get better..................

October 19th Update.

Sept 24.........
Things not quite better too soon.  Jim went to Thereapy Thurs, they brought him home cause his heart rate was high and he was confused.  Called out dr., and he said take him to Butler ER.  They ran a few tests, and sent him by ambulance to Lee s Summit Medical Center where he stayed Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sunday.  Sent him home with new meds (blood thinner, meds for low BP, and also with Oxygen.)  His congestive heart disease and not enough oxygen in blood was what caused his spell they decided.

He is doing better. Back still gives him lots of problems.  And he is not accepting that he needs oxygen very well.  Will go out without it and come back in and SATS are down in 80's.  Will just have to wait and see. He has had follow up with reg dr., has one with Lung dr. Oct. 29th, and with heart dr. Nov 6th.

A GOOD WEEK

We did have one fine week amongst all the health issues.  Bill, Sandy, Linda, Stu, Monica and Dan came for a visit in August.  We did not do much except visit and eat, and made a trip to the Casino.  It was so nice to visit with them and catch us as we do not see each other often enough.  The visit was too short, but great.

RANDY'S BIG SURGERY

Thurs 10, Randy will have radical surgery for mouth and throat cancer.  He went thru chemo and radiation, shrank some,  but still needs surgery.  Jessica has really been taking good care of him and is going into this with a good attitute.  Much prayers that they get it all and he can get on with his life, though it will be a different life.

09-22-15 Update: One week from the day of his surgery, Randy went home from hospital.  He is healing, but doing good, and is no longer in the pain he was in before surgery.