Good Morning! Bob continues to have some really good days and some not so good days. He had an appointment with the surgeon yesterday. He is healing well and progressing nicely. (He continues to tell us that he is not a patient man and this is going way too slowly! Now that he is feeling much better, he is more vocal about wanting to get out into the shop and get to work, do the string trimming, drive the quad (and even his truck!) etc.). Treatment is going well. Bob is able to tolerate the chemo, but the radiation may be causing some headaches. His radiation oncologist says that these should diminish, both in severity and frequency. Bob has been a little anxious about having two vehicles, but he sold the Mountaineer to a Harsco friend. (He went out and removed the ball for the trailer hitch and removed his HD vanity plate. That day he also took a walk and we replaced the rubber seal on the garage door.) He's happy it is sold and that someone he knows bought it because it is such a great vehicle. But, he likes his Ford truck the best! We're hoping for a relaxing long weekend. He does not have radiation on Monday so we can enjoy the holiday. We're expecting great weather for the whole weekend so maybe we can take the convertible and take a drive along the lake. Thanks for your prayers and support!

it's almost Friday!

Bob is having a great week. At his appointment on Monday his doctor was pleased to see how much better he was from the last visit. Headaches have been less, he doesn't seem to have any side effects from the chemo and very few from the radiation. He does notice that things are a little blurry for about 30-45 minutes after radiation, but that clears up. Bob's sister drove Bob to radiation yesterday and their parents came along for the ride. I met them in Muskegon. We had a nice dinner before they returned to Ludington. Of course, I stayed and did a little shopping!

the weekend

Bob had a great day on Friday. Dale & Lynn (friends that go way back)visited and were so impressed at how much he had improved and how great he looked. They said it was like talking to the 'old' Bob (that would be prior to surgery). Unfortunately, he had a headache on Saturday and didn't feel good until the evening. Sunday was another great day. He watched the race that was at MIS and wished he was there! Bob's sister Linda is here from Minnesota and will be staying with Bob for a few weeks. She will help with driving him to Muskegon for radiation, will remind him to take his pills on time and whatever else she can. We are hoping Bob will grill for us next weekend. I told him I would buy the steaks if he will do the grilling! Yesterday he changed the propane tank for me and checked the fluid levels in my car. He really feels like he is getting better every day. He has a headache almost every day, but says it it tolerable most of the time. We are hoping the frequency and severity of headaches will decrease as he continues with radiation. He seems to be tolerating the chemo without any problems at this time. Thanks for your prayers.

First radiation

Last night Bob had his first radiation treatment. All went well and it was finished in no time. In fact we had arrived a little early and they took us right in. They showed Bob, Jess and me the room & equipment and told us how it was going to work. The nurse took us out of the room and showed us the area where the radiation techs sit to watch the whole process. She answered a few questions for us and then Bob was back. We left at the time his appointment was supposed to start. He was a little anxious yesterday about radiation but feels much better now having gone through it once. Every day we can see progress in his recovery. Bob is really looking forward to the day when he can go out into the shop and work on a project. Thanks for your cards, calls, emails & posts. We love hearing from all of you! We love it that God is hearing prayers from you too! You can post a note in the Guestbook too.

Treatment Starts Tomorrow

This is Jess posting this evening. Janice is back to work and we miss her a bunch! (She will be back tomorrow evening) Dad is doing very well on his own (well, he is semi on his own). Today he did a load of laundry and warmed up his leftovers for lunch in the mic. This was a huge accomplishment for him as sometimes things don't come to him right away. He wasn't feeling as good as he did yesterday and was battling a small headache a lot of the day. This evening he seems more relaxed and is enjoying some time visiting with Tim. I went over and caught the two of them for a pic to share with you.

Tomorrow evening he will have his first radiation/chemo treatment, so please be praying for that. We are hoping not only for good results, but that dad's body will take it in stride.
Matthew 25:36 "...I was sick and you looked after me..."

a beautiful summer day

Bob had a headache for most of the day yesterday so he wasn't able to get outside. He was able to watch most of the race at watkins Glen though. Today we went for a walk around the yard and even out to get the mail. After liunch we went in to Ludington to run some errands. We did stop at DQ and then drove to the lake and through the waterfron park. He is resting now and I am trying to finish up some things before I leave in the morning. Tim and Jess will be taking over until I get back on Thursday. I will post an update after Bob's treatments begin. Keep praying!

Great news!

Bob had a great day yesterday. He was able to get out into his shop. He checked the air pressure in his truck tires, fixed a small problem in the air compressor and just enjoyed being out there again. Today we are planning a walk out to check out the garden. He hasn't seen it since July 9. We are also planning a trip to Dairy Queen!

Other news:

Radiation will begin this Thursday (8/14). Bob's daughter-in-law, Jessica, will drive him the first day and I will meet them there. (I have to work this week T-Th.) I can take him on Friday. Jess will probably take him on Monday. Co-workers and friends from church have volunteered to take him when we can't so I will be setting up a calendar to get things organized.

Bob's sister, Linda, and nephew, Ryan, will be arriving from Minnesota next weekend. Jess and I will both be back at work so they will help with meals and meds and whatever else they can.

Tim and Jess and Bob's parents are our neighbors and check in frequently. Tim is taking care of the lawn and is really enjoying his dad's lawn tractor! Jess has been at my side during the past 6 weeks. She has been a godsend! My brother and his wife were here last week. They parked their 5th wheel out back. Jerry fished almost every day and gave us a good supply. Joann made dinner for us each evening and that was a real treat! We do appreciate all the calls, cards and prayers! What a blessing to have friends and family who are so willing to help!

First, a brief update. On June 26 a CT scan showed an acute left parietal lobe mass. Bob was referred to a neurosurgeon in Muskegon. Surgery was scheduled for July 10. At that time the doctor removed about 90% of the tumor. The tumor was malignant-a glioblastoma multiforme. Unfortunately this kind of cancer is aggressive and fast growing. On July 12, Bob needed a second surgery for the removal of a blood clot. The doctor said the clot affected the brain similar to a stroke. Bob was released from the hospital on July 18.

Bob is happy to be home. Recovery is going well, just much slower than he would like. Each day we can see the progress he has made. He has some good days and some not-s0-good days. He is frustrated that he is not able to do all that he would like to do and he is really tired of not feeling well. One of the side effects of the steroids he is on (to control the swelling) is a yeast infection causing a sore throat and cough. That is finally better. He is still having headaches which they say is normal. It seems like too much sensory input (too many people, people talking loudly or TV on and people talking) can bring one on. We think the weather the past few days may have brought some on as well. Sometimes normal activity can trigger one. So, it is a delicate balancing act. When he is feeling good he wants to get outside or go out to his shop, but is afraid it will bring on a headache.

Bob has had two appointments at the Johnson Cancer Center in Muskegon. (Unfortunately, radiation cannot be done at the Cancer Center here in Mason County.) Planning for radiation is a complex process (and taking far longer than we thought). He returns next Thursday for a final planning appointment. We think the radiation will start on August 18. He will need to go there Monday-Friday for the next seven weeks. Treatment will take about 15 minutes. He will also take a chemo pill and an anti-nausea pill each night before bed.

We are so thankful for the wonderful support of family and friends. We thank you for the calls, cards, and prayers. Please continue to pray. We are praying for a complete cure (God can perform miracles!) and for Bob to be able to resume some of his activities during treatment. Please pray for patience, strength and courage for Bob. Please pray also that Bob will be able to keep a positive attitude in the days and weeks ahead. He told me the other day that he was going to kick this tumor's a_ _ !

This is my first attempt at blogging so please bear with me. Our hopes are that this will be a great way to update our friends and family about Bob's recovery and treatment.

The Ride

Last Sunday we were honored to have some of Bob's great friends drive through to give him some words of encouragement.

Click Here to see the video.