Dr. G.

Dr. G., our family doctor, called this morning right at 8:00am.  A real surprise having the doctor call--not one of the nurses or receptionists.  I would like to think that I could claim that phone call as akin to a housecall from times gone by.  


Bob had his INR blood test done yesterday.  He had an appointment but still waited an hour and a half for his appointment to be honored.   Never mind, won't go there again!!!!  The INR level is 7.4.  Dr. G. is concerned and asking what could have happened to cause this spike.  Well,! a light bulb went on....click.......I bravely ventured-- well, when Bob had the flu, after a couple of days...gulp... he took Imodium----at my suggestion.....
Yes, Dr. G. responds that could do it!!!!  "Until we get this stabilized, Bob really needs to have the INR test done each day." "I know that it is not easy, but it needs to be done!!!!"   Dr. G. takes Bob's cell number and will speak with him directly. Soooooo  Over the next couple of days Bob will be lining up at the lab between 6:30am and opening time at  7:00 am  in order get one of those very low numbers in order to wait, not so long, for the blood test.


 Bottom line-----All drugs have side effects, choose diarrhea over Imodium---at least for Bob.


We love our family doctor---Dr. G.--he is Barbie and Tim's family physician as well--and looks after all of us so well. 
 Thank you heavenly Father for Dr. G.

PUNCHY

It is now Wed. again!!!   Bob is still not feeling as well as he should.  This flu has taken a lot out of him.  We are on track again with all the lab appointments that will lead up to seeing the oncologist next Wed.  Not sure why Bob only gets Wed. appointments.  Does Dr. Bahlis only work one day a week---like a pastor.hmmmm.
Sorry Dr. Bahlis I realize how many cancer patients that are in the clinic each week.  I know that you see lots of patients and thankfully are also so involved with myeloma research.  Sorry to Brad as well, I know pastors put in lots of hours.  I am just feeling a bit " punchy" today.  The sun is suppose to come out today--perhaps that will help.  It seems to have been dreary for a long time.  Er.... maybe since I got sick almost two weeks ago now.


The INR results from the lab test yesterday was sent to our Dr. by the afternoon.  Lab tests can make a person feel ...well, important when a doc is calling all the phone numbers available to find you.  The INR test couldn't be read!!!!  Bob's blood is supposedly so thin, it should be oozing through the pores.  This has to be a mistake as he isn't even having nose bleeds.  The doc faxed a prescription to the pharmacy for Vitamin K1 oral solution (phytonadione).  However this pharmacy and no other pharmacy anywhere near here is able to fill this.  The only pharmacy that did the "mixing" is somewhere over near the Chinook shopping centre.  Soooo Dr. Bob stopped taking the warfarin and passed on the Vit. K.  Now he is to have the INR test every day---easy for a doctor to say not so easy for a patient to accomplish.  An appointment is needed for lab work unless you want to sit in the lab for a LARGE number of hours for an opening.  My Bob is still working so this becomes more of a challenge as we have yet to see evening appointments, when you book.  The earliest he could get an appointment is on Thurs at 2:40---booked yesterday.  Can't make appointments for Sat and Sun so he will be at the clinic when it opens at 7:00am.  Makes me a bit punchy!!!  Makes me a  nervous!!! 


Bob is at work today so hopefully there won't be any contact sports or saw incidents!!!!!


Bob is looking a little frail so we are going to start working on that.  Email me occasionally to make sure that we are walking and exercising.  OK?  Need some accountability help here.


The sun is out!!! Enough grousing and I will continue on with spring cleaning.

Who Knows???

By this time today I was to be sitting on the deck of our friend"s house in the greater Vancouver area enjoying a cold refreshment and great conversation.  Instead here we are at home watching the snow melt.  The snow happened to fall this morning and we still do not have any sunshine.  My feelings are mixed. Sadness that we had to cancel our long awaited trip to visit friends and family and then an excitement to understand why we couldn't go.  This understanding may not come this side of heaven but it would be interesting to know why the Lord allowed the flu to fell Bob now.  He could have had the flu a few days ago or even after we arrived in BC but yesterday? late in the afternoon? once I was prepared..  Since this isn't the first time we have had to cancel travel plans..........it is rather puzzling.

The flu will do a number on Bob simply because of the disruption to his body from chemo drugs not staying with him.  The high blood sugar that comes with the Fri. drug could be tricky along with the flu.  In the interest of Bob's health and emotional  well being (like, the trots on a plane just can't happen).  Plus the well being of the passengers on the plane me included could be in question!!!!-- ---cancelling seemed the most prudent.  The car rental and drive across Vancouver wasn't going to be a fun adventure any longer.  I get it all, but still......why?

I suppose I always ask why.  Why do certain things happen, why a car accident, why a house fire, why cancer, why a war, why, why?  We really do know why though,--- because we do not live in a perfect world.  We live in a world full of people who break laws and put others at risk, a world full of chemicals and harmful substances that cause cancers, a world full of germs that cause the flu, a world full of mean people hungry for power and do not care who or how they hurt others.  We live in a world of selfish people who put themselves first before the feelings or care of others --maybe even before their own families.  We live in a fallen world.

That is all true but God is still God and I love Him. I know that He walks with me holding my hand through all of life's disappointments and joys as well.  I trust God daily to  have my best in His plan.  He teaches me each day  how to become more like His Son.  Life's hard stuff does that, teaching  me how to respond to God in both good and bad situations.  So, I know who knows.

   GOD KNOWS!!!! and I trust Him.

We must accept finite disappointment,but we must never lose infinite hope.

--Martin Luther King Jr.

Good Life

Here it is Saturday again!!! I know that Sat. comes around every week but it seems to be coming faster and faster.  My mom always said time goes faster when you are older hmmmmm I wonder why?


Well this is the second weekend of the lower dose of Dex (the ugly steroid) for Bob.  And it is looking gooood.  Bob is still up most of Fri night----drives me crazy---but what can I say--I love being driven crazy.  Bob is much calmer and happier and patient so it is all good so long as those ugly cancer cells are defeated.


The real truth came out when Bob said that the things at work didn't bother him so much any more--he could let it go and laugh again!!!!  Now that is the truth in the pudding (not sure what that really means).


I got sick this week--with an intestinal bug.  A real case of the ups and downs................Groooan.   Bad enough that I had to miss a day of school--but I am sure that everyone at school was pleased to have me stay at home.  Dr. Barbie thinks it was food poisoning.  Not sure, but it could have been.  Starting to feel much better and Bob is good so .....it is all good.


 We continue to serve and obey our Heavenly Father and pray for His Hand of love and care on us.  He is our Rock.

I wait quietly before God,

for my victory comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, 

my fortress where I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62;1,2

Whoa, slow down

This past weekend was the first one on the lower dose of the steroid.  It seems to have been a good change.  Sadly Bob didn't sleep much better but he was not nearly so agitated and the blood sugar high only lasted the one day---so only one day of injections.  I do believe that made him very happy.  Today will be the real judge--Not sure if Mondays have become a day of coming off the "high" but Bob hasn't felt good on Mondays.  He is off to the estate for the day, and setting up what the rest of his week will look like.  So far no appointments this week and we double checked!!!!  How can anyone pace their time with no appointments to work around?????

EUREKA

Waiting, waiting, waiting is so hard.  When I got home from school--still no Bob.  Finally I decided to go online and low and behold an email from Bob at 2:00 saying the doc was 2 1/2 hours behind.  That made the waiting easier.

Bob arrived very upbeat and happy so we took our coupon and celebrated with dinner at McDs.  Classy or what!!!!

The scans show "complete metabolic response to chemotherapy.  The bone lesions remain quiescent. There is no evidence of metabolically active disease at this rime."  The time is March 7.
HGB---132,        Monoclonal #1--1.9     Kappa/Lambda Free Ratio-----.95


We were thinking that maybe Bob could go off the drugs for a few weeks however the doc says no way---3 more months then another PET scan to check it all out.


Fortunately Dr. Bahlis is lowering the dexamethazone in half.  From what we can tell that is the drug with the worse side effects that Bob has.  Altho I am so thankful that even these side effects aren't as bad as they could have been.  Some warriors  who become irritable actually are violent--hitting and yelling--I thank the Lord that he has cared for Bob in a much more gentle way while on this chemo.  Friday is the beginning of the new week of  3 weeks of chemo.  Revlamid and the lower dose of dex.  So onward  ho, continuing this journey, however so thrilled that the drugs are doing their job.


We are so thrilled that God answers prayers.  Thank you for yours.


Rejoice with us for this moment in time.

Prep

Well, this is the week of preparation---preparation for Bob's visit to the oncologist.  Preparation to hear the news of what all these tests will mean.  Will the myeloma in the lymph nodes have been blasted away?  Will the cancer have traveled to different nodes?  Will there be any new lesions in the bones?  What will the hemoglobin numbers tell us, what about the protein that is followed?  Will those numbers increase or hopefully decrease even more?
Throw in the fact that the machine that does the PET scan broke down.  Now that scan will be done March 7 in the morning mere hours before Bob sees Dr. Bahlis.  Will the doc get the results of this scan so he can see the whole picture or will we need to wait until another appt. hmmm, no, please Lord let us have the whole picture next week.
Therefore we wait, now that the tests are mostly completed.  Preparing for how we will handle the different scenarios.
Bob is not feeling super well--drugs, dyes,  uncertainty and just plain tired of our new normal.
Well, the week is almost over and beginning tomorrow is a week of being chemo free.
Prepare with us through prayer ---that we will be content in all circumstances.