Where did the summer go? This year it sped by at warp pace. Now that it is truly fall, I should at least mention some of what is/has been happening. Note that today our roses are at the loveliest thy have been--lots of blooms. We have not had frost yet so hopefully this fall will last and last.
During the summer Bob had a PET scan. Bob's blood work is unreliable as to what the multiple myeloma is doing so every 6 mo. he has this test done to see if there are fresh tumors (lesions) on the bone anywhere. We hadn't heard anything after this was done so like the saying goes no news is good news. It was !!!!!!!, hurrah, hurrah, yesterday Bob was told that there were not any new lesions. Everything looked ok. Bob will continue on with the velcade---alone!!!! every other week by intravenous. Good news for both of us. The worst side affect for Bob is the neuropathy. We learned on this past weekend that with the velcade the feeling will come back once off of the velcade. This is unlike the revlamid. Bob has already noticed this as the day or so at the end of the two week cycle, his feet are doing well again. So we can safely say that today Bob is in remission the myeloma is not active and so this is the maintenance regime.
Last weekend we attended the Southern Alberta Myeloma Patient Society conference. This was most informative. The speakers were top notch. The research across the world is top rate and what is taking place right here in Calgary (what is another adjective) is stupendous. Our Dr. Bahlis and his wife Dr. Neri have research going on that deals with----things I didn't understand and for sure can't spell---. They have just added another young Dr. to their clinic who is already involved with research. I could run the other two docs names by you to impress you as to where they come from and what they are researching in their parts of the world but sheesh you just had to hear the excitement in their voices as to what they do and what they are learning about myeloma. They have a number of new drugs on test and a number more that will soon be able to go on test. The combinations of drugs that that they are looking at are ever evolving so the most important thing we came away with was HOPE. Myeloma will have new procedures to combat it with for a hopefully long time. This was a boost for us. There is research on mind/body interactions that affect psychological, physiological and survival outcome for people with cancer. Also examining roles of physical activity for enhancing wellness in chronic disease populations (mostly cancer). Calling multiple myeloma a chronic disease is like wow yeah!!!!!! This off course means Bob needs to exercise more even some on any truly yukky days. We also took away what everyone has always known----all things in moderation--food, diet, exercise, checkups of all types.
Bob is very happy at his job and some weeks is maintaining almost full time hours. It is a wee bit more difficult the beginning week after chemo. I am back in school two days and doing the snack for our 175 kids----they aren't all at school every day so it works!!!!
Tim's sore from long ago is healed. He was allergic to what the nurse was packing it with!!!! Grrrrrrr. So he had Barbie are taking a trial trip away first weekend in Oct. to Vegas. Vegas is suppose to be the easiest place to go in a wheelchair. The fella from Quadriplegic Canada (Calgary?) has a condo there all ready for anyone in a wheelchair. He rents it out at a nominal charge. Should this go well................next stop Disneyland with the whole family. The money from the social almost 2 years ago will finance that trip.
Today I am at peace with the world (well most of it) and "feel" great. To take a note from our daughter ......it is well with my soul.... (no tattoos for me tho).
If this video may be of interest to you it is about multiple myeloma from a Calgary survivor. You should be able to just click on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bfwhVwoZqI&list=PL6FEA9179A6F7B1B1
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Shirley experienced a miracle
Today I experienced a miracle. God did a miracle--don't know how--isn't that what a miracle is all about???,seeing something happen that has no logical explanation.
This is an ordinary Monday in my life. Monday is wash day, ironing and putting away all the clothes.Maybe a little OC over laundry--not much else tho?? I had my first load of wash in the machine and went upstairs to check email and yeah.......FB, then did a couple of chores. I fiqured that by then the first load would be washed and ready for the dryer. As I went down the basement stairs I could smell something funny and it was hazy in the basement. First I thot , oh my glasses must be more dirty than I thot. Even as I thot that I didn't really believe it as I could see the haze near the ceiling of the basement swirl slightly. I ran into the laundry room, couldn't see anything, opened the washer and it hadn't finished spinning---odd, checked out the electric panel--nothing. I ran upstairs and called 911, even tho I was told to wait outside I went back into the basement and checked around the washer again as that was the only appliance that was on. I noticed that the washer was unplugged, I hadn't done that. The smell and haze was definitely coming from there but there weren't any flames or anything. The fire and police arrived on our quiet cul de sac, anyone at home has been entertained and enjoyed a cup of coffee together as they watched the proceedings. The dogs next door, who are all alone, will now have laryngitis for the season (cross my fingers). These very nice young men came in and checked everything very carefully. They decided that it was the washer and took it apart. The motor had kept running but the belt had burned. They didn't know if the motor was damaged but were sure that the belt had been the problem. They cleared the haze with a humongous fan and were kind enough to be sure that this granny was ok and not having a nervous breakdown.
I started to read a book entitled Miracles Are For Real What Happens when Heaven Touches Earth by James L Garlow and Keith Wall. My friend Joan had loaned it to me. Together we are praying for a miracle. This book was to be an encouragement of things that happen in peoples lives with no reasonable explanation. These events have been in the past two decades. The book really made me think and trust even more, that God still does do the unexplainable. Skeptics abound needing proof when there is no proof such as something science can explain.
Today my machine was unplugged and the cord lay parallel to the wall on the top of my vacuum. The cord had not just fallen out of the plug to the floor. This event, I believe, prevented a larger catastrophe from happening in our house.
This also takes my thoughts further at how Bob has survived, not just survived but has thrived with a cancer that can defeat people quickly. Was the cancer cured? NO but the miracle is in Bob's life---every day---. I am grateful to our Lord and God Jesus Christ who today cared for our home.
This is an ordinary Monday in my life. Monday is wash day, ironing and putting away all the clothes.Maybe a little OC over laundry--not much else tho?? I had my first load of wash in the machine and went upstairs to check email and yeah.......FB, then did a couple of chores. I fiqured that by then the first load would be washed and ready for the dryer. As I went down the basement stairs I could smell something funny and it was hazy in the basement. First I thot , oh my glasses must be more dirty than I thot. Even as I thot that I didn't really believe it as I could see the haze near the ceiling of the basement swirl slightly. I ran into the laundry room, couldn't see anything, opened the washer and it hadn't finished spinning---odd, checked out the electric panel--nothing. I ran upstairs and called 911, even tho I was told to wait outside I went back into the basement and checked around the washer again as that was the only appliance that was on. I noticed that the washer was unplugged, I hadn't done that. The smell and haze was definitely coming from there but there weren't any flames or anything. The fire and police arrived on our quiet cul de sac, anyone at home has been entertained and enjoyed a cup of coffee together as they watched the proceedings. The dogs next door, who are all alone, will now have laryngitis for the season (cross my fingers). These very nice young men came in and checked everything very carefully. They decided that it was the washer and took it apart. The motor had kept running but the belt had burned. They didn't know if the motor was damaged but were sure that the belt had been the problem. They cleared the haze with a humongous fan and were kind enough to be sure that this granny was ok and not having a nervous breakdown.
I started to read a book entitled Miracles Are For Real What Happens when Heaven Touches Earth by James L Garlow and Keith Wall. My friend Joan had loaned it to me. Together we are praying for a miracle. This book was to be an encouragement of things that happen in peoples lives with no reasonable explanation. These events have been in the past two decades. The book really made me think and trust even more, that God still does do the unexplainable. Skeptics abound needing proof when there is no proof such as something science can explain.
Today my machine was unplugged and the cord lay parallel to the wall on the top of my vacuum. The cord had not just fallen out of the plug to the floor. This event, I believe, prevented a larger catastrophe from happening in our house.
This also takes my thoughts further at how Bob has survived, not just survived but has thrived with a cancer that can defeat people quickly. Was the cancer cured? NO but the miracle is in Bob's life---every day---. I am grateful to our Lord and God Jesus Christ who today cared for our home.
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