more prayers are needed

Earlier this evening I spoke with a friend who is a teacher in Fremont. (He rides a Harley too.) His mother-in-law was just diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme. Please pray for John, Jodi, her mother and the rest of the family. I hope there is some way that I can help them.

I found this poem and it does a pretty good job of expressing how I feel.

Letting Go-author unknown

The angels gathered near your bed, so very close to you.
For they knew the pain and suffering that you were going through.
I thought about so many things as I tightly held your hand,
Oh, how I wished that you were strong and happy once again.
I struggled with my selfish thoughts for I wanted you to stay.
So we could walk and talk again like we did – just yesterday.
Now my heart will carry memories of the love you gave to me…
until we meet in Heaven where the best is yet to be.

Bob

It is with great sadness that I must write of Bob's death. He passed from this life to his heavenly home yesterday morning shortly after 7:oo. Bob's son and daughter-in-law and his daughter were there with me to say good-bye and to express our love to the man we all loved deeply.

He was able to spend his last two days of his life at home,and to spend time with his family and some special friends. He spent both days sitting in his recliner, talking and joking, reminiscing, and playing with his grandkids. Everyone left or went to bed by 10:00 and no one had any idea that the end was near. It was closer to 11 that he began to have difficulty breathing. When I put him on oxygen he was breathing better and able to relax. I awoke at 3:00 and found his breathing was labored and getting worse. The kids were here within minutes.

In the last few days Bob took comfort in knowing that God had a plan for him and that he would be in a much better place. That gives us comfort as well. We can also take comfort in knowing that Bob is no longer in pain and that his health has been restored. He fought to conquer the cancer until the end. He remained hopeful that he would be cancer free. All that being said, it is still difficult to think about life without him.

Visitation will be Wednesday 2-4 and 7-9 at Dorrell Funeral Home in Ludington. The funeral will be Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at Trinity Evangelical Free Church. There will be a service at the cemetery followed by a lunch back at the church.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Hospice of Michigan.

We thank you for your prayers and support.

an update

It is exactly one year ago today that Bob was taken to the hospital and his brain tumor was found. I wish I had better news to share today. Bob has not been doing well recently. Headaches have been frequent and more intense, he has had trouble swallowing and eating, has had lots of gastric problems and frequent vomiting. He has had to have IV fluids 3 times in the last 2 weeks. I took him to the hospital yesterday because he hasn’t eaten since Tuesday evening, not been able to take his pills or at least not able to keep them down, vomiting many times per day, etc. They did a CT scan. The tumor has grown and is pressing on the brain stem. This is what is causing all of the problems. There is nothing that can be done to help him, except make him comfortable. He will be coming home in the morning. The doctor has already called Hospice and thinks Bob may live another week. I knew he was getting worse but I was not prepared to hear that his death would come so soon. Please continue to pray for Bob and for each and every one of us that loves him. Bob's comfort at this time is that the Lord has something better in store for him.

Bob had a great week

We had a great weekend and spent most of it outdoors. We did yard work and assembled our new patio table and chairs for the deck. On Monday we had a cookout.

Today Bob had surgery to have the port put in. Everything went well. He is supposed to rest for a couple of days which may not be so hard since it is supposed to rain alot this week. He has some discomfort but says he doesn't need anything stronger than Tylenol. I don't know if he is being stubborn or if that is all he needs!

He sees the doctor next Monday and should start the new chemo soon.

Thanks for your support and prayers!

Memorial Day approaches. Don't forget to honor our veterans!

A lot has happened since my last update. Bob’s last visit to the optometrist showed that he did not gain back enough of his peripheral vision to be able to drive again. Even though he knew it was a possibility, it was tough to hear. I think he can reconcile himself to not driving a car or his pickup again, but it is much harder for him to acknowledge that he may never again drive his Harley. He still has hope though.

He decided that if he couldn’t drive on the road that he should get a golf cart. He bought a used gas golf cart and has been checking it out and doing routine maintenance. We plan to go out into the woods and clear a path so that he can take it out there. He may even take it down to Hamlin Grocery, to visit Guenie or to Stix. I think it was a great idea because it gives him a little more freedom and independence. Of course, he says he bought it for the kids to enjoy too. He is going to make a back seat so that we can all go out on it. He still has the quad but that is a little too much for the kids to use by themselves. Plus, the quad tears up the grass but the golf cart can go anywhere.

Bob’s last MRI showed that one of the spots is growing, but the others are decreasing or gone. More surgery or radiation is not an option because the risk is greater than the benefit. It would most likely impair his speech and/or movement. The neurosurgeon and the radiation oncologist suggested chemo was the best option. So, we went back to see Dr. Peterson. She will stop the current chemo-Temodar. Instead he will take Avastin and Camptosar. Both are administered IV. Here is a simple explanation of how they work. The Avastin is not really a chemo drug; but it reduces the growth and spread of cancer cells by limiting growth of new blood vessels. Camptosar is a chemo drug that kills the cancer cells.

The next step is for Bob to meet with a general surgeon tomorrow to get a port put in. (The port will be used to administer the new drugs, plus will be used for any blood draws and for the injection of the dye used for the MRI.) Hopefully the surgeon can do this next week so that treatment can begin the next week. The site needs about a week to heal before he begins the Avastin. He will get the IV drugs once a week for 3 weeks and then have a week off. After 2 cycles they will do another MRI to see how it is working. Then they can reduce the frequency or adjust the dose. Each visit will take approximately 2 ½ hours. I’m thankful that the treatments will be done at the Cancer Center north of Scottville so we can be there in about 15-20 minutes.

Bob has good days and bad. He is having some bad headaches, some come and go quickly, some linger. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern. He tries to get outside every day and get some yard work done. He does get frustrated that he can’t do things as quickly as he used to, but does appreciate that he can do just about anything he wants to if he takes his time.

We are looking forward to spending next winter in Florida and are busy making plans. The doctor has said that is not a problem and will set Bob up with a Cancer Center there. Bob bought a small trailer and is going to add deck and sides so that I can take lots of stuff with us. He knows that we cannot pack enough in our car!

I am thankful for all the healing that God has provided. Of course, I am still praying for a miracle cure. I am thankful for the time that we spend together and pray that we have many more years to spend together. School will be out soon and I will be able to spend all my time in Ludington.

We’d love to hear from you. Stop in for a visit, send an email or drop a note of encouragement on the website. Most of all, keep praying for Bob and for a cure for cancer!

P.S. Bob will have the port put in next Tuesday at the hospital in Ludington. It is an outpatient procedure and he should be home in a couple of hours. They won't put him completely under; just a relaxer and a local anaesthesia.

Spring is here!

It was a beautiful spring day in Michigan today! We are hoping for more of the same for tomorrow. Unfortunately, after that it will be colder and rainy for the next few days.

Bob and I had a great vacation in Florida. We were able to spend time with both families. While we were there we purchased a home in Ormond Beach. It is a manufactured home (double wide) in a great gated community. Both of us are looking forward to spending next winter there. Now I have to put my house in Fremont up for sale. I've been there nearly 15 years and have accumulated a lot of stuff! I will be retiring next October

Bob had a good doctor visit last Monday. His blood counts are good and he lost weight-18 pounds since his January visit. This was Bob's chemo week; but he has done pretty well. He has been outside working for the last 4 days. His next MRI is in May.

Monday Bob has a vision test which will determine how much of his peripheral vision has returned. We are optimistic that he has regained enough so that he can drive again.

Please continue to pray for Bob's healing. We are so thankful for his healing, but still pray that God will remove all the cancer cells and that Bob will have a full recovery.

great news

Bob had great news from the doctor. The chemo is working (shrinking the cancer cells), the swelling continues to go down and his blood counts are good. Praise the Lord! Your prayers and ours are being heard and answered!

Winter has let up a little bit. We have had a warm spell and got rid of lots of snow and ice. NASCAR season is here again and Bob is really happy about that. The Daytona 500 is this Sunday. We'll be watching. Go Ryan Newman!

it's still winter in Michigan...

However, Bob had a pretty good week and we had a great weekend. Bob really is feeling better all the time. He has very few headaches anymore. His eyesight is improving. He is able to do a little reading and get on the computer now. He is off the steroids now and is working on losing some of the weight that he gained during the 5+ months he was taking them. He is regaining strength and his hair is growing back quite well! Because he is feeling better, he has work planned from now until next fall-working in the shop, yard work, staining the shop, fixing up the shed out back, planting more trees, power washing the house and deck, etc.

We really enjoy our time together from Friday - Monday evenings. It just seems to go so fast. Neither of us like Monday evenings! I know that for Bob the days are pretty long each Tuesday through Thursday. Plus, it has been so dang cold that nobody wants to go out! We are expecting a slight warm up this week so Bob is planning on a few days out in the shop.

Bob decided not to go to Florida in February this year. He wasn't sure how he would handle the crowds, the noise and the bleachers at Daytona. So, we will have our first vacation together and go to Florida for my spring break.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Winter report

Bob finished his 5 days of chemo on Saturday. But, it did not slow him down too much this time. We got about 24" of snow on Saturday and Sunday. (The weatherman predicted 4-8".) We had that much by the time we woke up on Saturday. Bob plowed on Saturday, finishing about 5 pm. By 9:00 pm, Tim and Jess reported that another 6" had fallen. It continued all night. Bob plowed again Sunday afternoon and did the snowblowing! I ride along for company while he plows and we just enjoy spending time together. Yesterday we used the roof rake to get some of the snow off the roof. He was tired last night, but was planning to go out again this morning to finish up the roof. Please continue to pray for Bob's healing and for a cure.

Bob and I really enjoyed our 2+ weeks together. We enjoyed our time with Bob's family, but had some time by ourselves too. We spent New Year's Eve Dale & Lynn's annual party. We even stayed until after midnight!

Bob has another round of chemo this week. He is handling the chemo quite well-no nausea, but is really tired the week he takes it. I'm still hoping and praying for the miracle that is going to remove all the cancer!

Bob has been working out in the shop more and more. He worked on my car during the holidays-checking the brakes, changing the oil, etc. He worked on his plow truck too. He got a new tool box for Christmas. Even though it is almost 6 feet high and 2 feet wide, I am not sure that it will hold all of his tools. The weather will probably keep Bob in the house this week but after this cold snap is over he plans to spend some time out in the shop getting organized and filling his new tool box. (He has tools in 3 smaller ones to sort and organize). If you know Bob, you know that this will keep him busy and happy for days! He has been out plowing snow and has even used the snow blower a few times. He has lunch with his friend Dale and others from Harsco on Fridays and looks forward to that. I think that Tuesday -Thursday go pretty slowly though. If you are in the area please stop in for a visit.

I am still hoping and praying for the miracle that is going to remove all the cancer! Please continue to pray for healing for Bob.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Galations 5:22