Symphony of life, the highs and lows.

Sometimes you have a vision of how your life is going to go. I had a great plan of biking a lot to get myself into shape and juicing to help get the liver a real good kick start to regrowing. None of that seemed to ever get on track. Shortly after coming home while going to the restroom, I popped my back out of place and have been miserable since. Along the way, I also got a hemorrhoid and picked up intestinal problems associated with the removal of my gallbladder. We didn't even know that my gallbladder was removed until I got ready to take my 50th chemo treatment and read the post operative report. It was distressed and needed to come out. I wish the surgeon would have said something, because I have been fighting painful diarrhea within 20 minutes of eating anything. That leads to no nutrition making it into your system, fatigue from having to stay up to 2 and 3 in the morning, and all around general misery. It's not good for a colon cancer patient to not take in nutrients, and the intestine will already get challenged from the disease and chemo. The excess bile from the liver gets stored in the gallbladder and get slowly released into the intestines to help breakdown fatty foods, without the gallbladder it dumps into the intestine directly without any regulation and thus the problem. Long term issues may never be fixed, but a diet change and some supplements will help. Do I have anyone thinking their life is mucho better yet? 

I did finally get into to see my back doctor (it only took a month of agony) to get shots which has helped over the last 2 weeks. Thursday I start a physical therapy regimen to help build up strength again to my core. 

I did take my 50th chemo treatment. Cheryl, Cari and Paige all were there in attendance. They got me a 50 balloon and the chemo nurses got me a blanket and sang me a song. I was quite emotional any very touched. I am in a pretty small class at this point, there are only a few above me with more treatments and fighting hard to stay alive for a cure. We all have goals and things we still want to experience before we pass and doing our damnedest to do it.

I recently signed back up with Facebook to catch up with everyone again, but I am still going to post to this blog. I still feel this is the best way to say and to express the full experience with friends and family.

Besides my personal health, I wanted to take a minute and give a shout out to a couple of people in my life. Cheryl took on all my ailments and still had to deal with getting her own thyroid removed. She did this the day before my 50th chemo. Her results came back negative for cancer. She is so strong and I am so ever proud of her and glad she is by my side. I also have a friend who has fought colon cancer like me tooth and nail. Even though his battle is coming to an end and will wait for us to join him with our heavenly father, his courage to have some sense of control to comfort family and friends moves me so much. I always think of how do you know when to say enough is enough and try to "sneak out of the room" quickly and cause as little pain as possible. Maybe GOD does speak when its time. On the complete other end of the emotional scale, congrats to my sister for having a beautiful baby girl last night. This was one of those goals that I wanted to be around for and I am so thankful for more time given to me. I don't know how long I will be around and if she will even get old enough to remember me, but I held her in my arms last night and it was wonderful. Uncle Jeff won't mind a few baby sitting jobs and some stinky diapers.

As always, thank you for reading and caring,

Love Jeff

Made it home

I got home from the hospital on Tuesday around 7pm. Very glad to be there. My time in the hospital was quite short, the nurses called me an "average breaker". I will be spending the next few weeks resting and recovering. I have a 10 lb. limit on lifting, but the doctor suggests going for lots of walks to aid in my recovery. I have been doing that better than he guessed I would so far at this point and that's why he released me 5 days ahead of schedule. He also put me on a no driving restriction for 4-6 weeks. That was crushing. It just has to do with my reaction time and my injury. The faster my muscles recover and the quicker my reactions get then I could drive sooner. I laughed and asked how that compared to a 60-70-80-90 year old drivers who already have slower reaction times, but he just smiled and didn't add a comment in for that.

I thought I should add some detail for the surgery for everyone. This was not a curative surgery as there is still cancer in my body, but what it did was removed 20% of my liver that had one large tumor in it that was not reacting to chemo and was growing rapidly. However, this was only half of what they were going to take as they thought the surrounding tissue would need to be cleaned up as well. The surrounding tissue did not have tumors, but only cells and those cannot be seen in surgery and there is also lots of good tissue mixed in. I had no complications in surgery, very little loss in blood and good recovery in post op from the anesthesia. The doctor said I did not have a liver that looked like it had be through 49 chemo treatments and it looked surprisingly healthy.This allowed me to skip the ICU all together and move right to Huntsman for surgery. I was up that night taking my very first walk and then I was taking walks in the morning, afternoon and evening. Sleeping and taking pain meds in the middle. I wasn't in a lot of pain though and they got me of morphine rather quickly. I had all my IV's out of me on Sunday except for the one they pulled the day I left which was intentional. I still have to take a shot a day for the next 25 days to handle coagulation around the stomach area. I only take pain meds when I need them which has been rare, usually around bedtime to get a solid nights sleep. My Frankenstein staple stitches look rather ugly on the body, but I had planned on retiring from my chest and abs modeling job anyways. I will need 6-8 weeks at least to heal before any chemo treatments are possible. This will give the liver the best chance of regenerating itself as possible. I can grow as much as half the amount they removed.

I want to thank everyone who called or left me pre-op good luck messages, I went in with a really good attitude and spirit.

I really have to thank everyone who came to visit me at the hospital. You being there made my days go by so fast and quite frankly were the reason I got home so soon. You always kept my spirits lifted, walked with me, helped me get around the room. The people that do not have this kind of support just are always thinking about how sick they are or how much pain they are in and just don't recover as fast. I also want to thank everyone who is providing us with meals. Despite me being home, Cheryl is working hard to make up hours at her new work and catching up with her rehabilitation for her shoulder and some chores at home that I can't do. Cheryl not having to worry about shopping for and taking time to plan so many dinners and me getting more sleep is helping more than I can say. We are still trying to catch our breath here at the Woodard household.

Thanks again for caring and your thoughts,
Jeff

Celebration!!!!

Jeff is out of surgery and as the MD put it our medical miracle. Only needed to remove about 20% of the left lobe and did not have to do a node resection.Dr. Kim palpated his bowels and did not feel additional masses nor did he see any suspicious areas elsewhere on the liver. Essentially this means no viable tumors left, only microscopic disease.
He will be going directly to Huntsman  to a medical-surgical room which is skipping about 2 steps that we thought we would make.
Thank you to all of you for your support and love. Your prayers must have worked. We cherish each and every one of you and are so glad you are on this journey with us. I want to thank all of you in advance who will be helping out in the next few weeks. It is soooo appreciated; I am afraid things will get crazy and I will lose track of who I give gratitude to. Thank you to Dr. Kim for his skills and awesome bedside manner. And thank you to our angels in heaven who stood by Jeff's side during the last few hours. We couldn't have done this without any and all of you both here and there.

With love and happiness in my heart,
Cheryl (and Jeff in thought)

Another Monthly update

Well its time for another monthly update. I have been slow to update this month because I am contemplating a serious matter for myself and for all my family. It seems the latest 2 rounds of chemo are helping other tumors in my body, but I have one golf ball size tumor in my liver that won't play along. This one tumor seems to be chemo resistant and keeps growing. According to my doctors I am hitting the cancer with the best one two punch that I could and my next arsenals are not as strong or I may have to do a trial that won't guarantee anything either. 

For these reasons, I will be heading into liver surgery on May 23. They will attempt to remove 20-33% percent of my liver and re-sect it back together. I will need 5-10 days in the hospital and another 8 weeks of recovery time to let my liver heal and grow about 50% of the amount taken back. I am on my last batch of chemo now and won't start again until after 8 weeks of recovery. The cancer may grow and go nuts while off the chemo, but I will have to deal with that then. Now is the best chance of surgical success and surviving the procedure.

Well that's the details, I hope you will keep me in your thoughts for a bit more.

Thanks for reading and caring,
Jeff

Monthly update

My oh my how time flies. I am late for my update. Nothing really new to report other than finding medications for all the sores on my head and now they are disappearing. It is taking some hair along with it, but the patches are trying to fill in. Just recovering from the 7th treatment in this latest round and the 46th overall (2484 hours of chemo roughly). Life isn't to bad though and I cannot really complain. I played two 9 hole rounds of golf this weekend and didn't do to well and was quite frustrated actually, but then I had to step back and thank God that I had the opportunity to be with friends and even play golf. Last weekend I was in Las Vegas for the NASCAR race with my good friends Eric and Michelle. Thursday nite World of Outlaws race was good as well as the races on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday's weather was just about perfect, sunny and about 67°F. We tail gated in the morning and after the race. Friday's weather was not so good as it rained and snowed and cancelled qualifying, but as always the company was great and the laughter was priceless. I have a little golfing outing coming at the end of March in St George. Hopefully the weather will be in the 80's and sunny.

I will have one more chemo treatment in April and then another PET scan to see what the cancer is doing. The doctor says if the cancer backs off like it has the last four treatments, I may be in store for another break over most of the summer. That would be nice. Cheryl and I are reading up on some more diet changes to see if natural treatments can stop or slow the advancement of the cancer to prolong the break. If you have heard of something, send me an email as we are always looking online for any answers. If it involves listening to countless hours of rap music to try to scare the cancer away, I may just choose to die, but anything else is worth a shot.

Thank you very much for your prayers, reading this blog and caring,

Jeff

Some good news

Well after the holidays, freezing cold weather, a busted up back, living on pain pills, turning 45 years old for hells sake, the first PET scan has come in. Good news. The cancer was not in the lungs, almost completely gone from the lymph nodes, no cancer in the surrounding stomach area, and there was significant reduction in the cancer residing in the liver. The chemo really kicked some butt this time. No new treatments in the forecast as the new protocols do not match up with my situation. I will be taking another 4 rounds of chemo and check again in April.

Thanks to all of you who pray for me, it must be working. Bonus for me as I am so glad to be here sitting on the computer thanking you. I hope you don't mind keeping this relationship for a few more years - I like being here.

Thanks again,
Jeff

Merry Christmas to all

Merry Christmas to everyone,

The Woodard's had a good Christmas. My mom overcame her fear of flying and came out to visit the whole family. It was very nice to have mom here, very nice. The only damper was not giving Paige all of her presents, but naughty children do have to be held responsible some times.

I took chemo for the first time in 5 months and will be taking chemo this Friday as well as I will be settling into my every other week schedule again. Hopefully with the same results of being able to kill this shit. The back issues are doing way better than before, its amazing what some pain pills and exercise can do to get one more healthy. I have stopped taking all the pain pills now, and I am just trying to concentrate on the exercises to get my core muscles back into shape. Hopefully I never feel this kind of pain again. It was upsetting, I never felt that kind of pain before and I would have to say it was a bit scary. I dont get scared much, but this had me wondering what life would be like towards the end. Not a good place to have one's head. Been working on getting my mojo back and getting ready to battle this "C" word again.

I have to thank all my friends who helped me out during this time. I had friends move refrigerators when ours went out, neighbors who clean my driveway and steps, and friends who helped me get a new bed in place to get better sleep and rest. I thank all of you so very much. People always have offered to help and sometimes Cheryl and I struggle to know what to say or what to ask for, but you all made our life easier this month and we really appreciate it.

I hope all of your Christmas's went well.

Thanks for reading this blog and caring,
Jeff

It was a blast while it lasted

My 5 months off of chemo has been great for all, but the last month and a half. I have camped, rode ATV's, hunted, spent time with friends and family, and generally lived a good life. Towards the end here though, I have struggled to manage the bowels (stupid colon cancer) and somehow ended up hurting my back (bulging 2 disks) and I have been miserable. Lots of pain pills, which adds to issue #1 see above.

I am in therapy and I have gotten shots, but the pain does not stop. To make matters worse, I went in to get my standard 2 month pet-scan and the results came back yesterday. The cancer has spread all over. It is now on my lungs, its over 1/3 of my liver again, lymph nodes and some in the back area which could be making my back pain worse. They have me on some Oxycontin and some Oxycodone for quick relief, but I still am uncomfortable. This of course will mess with the bowels even worse, so I am trying to drink lots of water to stop this issue.

I wish it would not have exploded out like this, it now makes me question the time off and I don't want to do that. I had a great time and I don't want this to be my last blast so to speak. I am quite depressed and guess that I cant think out more than 6 months again for goals. Hopefully the chemo will provide some relief and kick some ass like it did last time.

As always, thanks for reading and caring, it means a lot to me,

Jeff

PS: Sorry for the drugs influence on my writing, the pain doesn't make concentrating any easier.

Hello there,

Almost getting to PET scan time. Getting a bit nervous. I have to tell everyone that the last two months have been great without chemo. Life has been great and I want it to stay that way.

My taste buds came back and I am eating spicy foods again. My throat being fixed has allowed me to drink beer again and that's been nice. The family went to Fillmore and rode ATV's all over. That was fun. We got to listen to Utah beat BYU on the radio around the campfire that weekend (thank God for satellite radio). I have gone golfing a couple more times than usual and that has been great to do without a chemo ball stuck to me. This weekend coming up, Cheryl and I are headed towards California for Chris and Breanne's wedding. Going to see Wendy, Eric and Michelle, and have a few beverages and maybe laugh to much.

My hair started to grow again and I had to get a haircut for the first time in 6 months. All my nails have been growing back normal, I have energy again, eating is my new hobby cause I can and everything tastes good. My strength is coming back and I actually have some endurance. Rusty and I went hunting and I just didn't run out of energy hiking through the woods. I slept like a baby afterwards, but I had all the energy I needed during the day.

That's been my life, throw in a lot of work and it feels like life at high speed. I could get used to this and keep skipping the chemo thing.

Thanks for reading and passing along the good wishes.

Jeff

Changes to the plan

A lot has happened since I last posted, at least when it comes to medical things. Cheryl and I talked about the month of August for our lifestyles and my working schedule and we decided to skip the last two sessions of chemo and roll right into the break. I was already 1 week into the break and with stress being a factor we thought that maybe life would be less stressful being able to work more and stress out less due to being sick and not being able to work. Lesser of two evils. The good news is that the end of 5 weeks, I took a blood test and the results indicated no real activity in cancer growth. I will go another 4 weeks without chemo and do my regular PET scan right after I get back from our friends Chris and Breanne's wedding. Last year after 5 weeks break, the cancer spread to my lymph nodes and wreaked havoc in me so this is a nice change.

Other good news is that my throat is fixed. I had an external stricture holding my esophagus closed at a place. A little balloon action and it is open and I am eating normal again.

Its like being normal again after being diagnosed two years ago. Almost a whole new me.

Anyways, that's the skinny. I hope everyone has a great long weekend.

Thanks for reading and caring,

Jeff

New Results and some sad news

Hello all,

Well I got the results from my latest PET scan. The liver seems to be clear of cancer lesions and the tumor in the colon seems to be shrinking and non active. The doctor suggested that I take a couple of months off from chemo to let the body heal a bit. That floored Cheryl and I. We must have had that chicken shit look on our face because he quickly asked what was wrong. We told him of our concerns regarding the last break (all be it very stressful) and we came up with a new plan. I am going to take chemo 2 more times (August) and then take September and October off to finish up hunting and camping season. We will monitor my blood every month and do another PET scan in two months like normal to monitor my health and the cancer activity.It is still exciting and nerve racking at the same time, but I am really ready to handle a break to get healthy. I swear sometimes I think the chemo is doing more damage than the cancer.

I am going to the doctor Friday to figure out the swallowing malfunction I seem to have. It may be a hernia around the stomach and esophagus due to the size of the liver when infected. I should know later Friday on that issue whether it's medicine or surgery. That would be cool to get that shit fixed cause it's really a pain in the ass. (No that wasn't intended to be colon cancer humor, but it will work now that I am laughing).

Since I wrote last, I have gone to Yosemite National Park with great friends and family. I have also just gotten back from Marysvale riding the Paiute trail. It was just Cheryl and I. We met some very nice people and will be going back soon. We really had a good time even though we got rained on constantly. The drinks and the wine were cold, the cribbage games were fun, and it was just nice to hang out with the bride.

Sorry to have to finish out with a sad note. A friend of ours has passed away from cancer. Karen Howard went to chemo with me in the "chemo caravan" and will be missed. It was so nice to have someone to talk to during treatment and help keep distracted from the process. We laughed more than we cried and I will miss and cherish that. I cannot say goodbye, but instead, see you later Karen.

PS: I know you already have one, but please have a cold drink ready when I arrive.

Thank you all for caring,

Jeff

Camping Season Update

Tis the season to camp.  I have been trying to schedule chemo amongst my camping requirements. LMAO. I have been camping with the boys after a golf tourny, trying to fish for the big money up at Strawberry. This weekend we are headed to Lava Hot Springs to have some fun with the Cary family. Lord knows that between the happenings of both familys, we should be able to and possibly deserve a nite or two of laughter and some adult beverages. We will come back for a week, do chemo, and get started out for Yosemite.

What about that other stuff? The "C" word? Well life is definitely tougher with the new drug. We have backed off the dosage again due to sores on the body and in the mouth. This last treatment has been the best so far. I don't have any sores in the mouth yet except for some very tender lips. The hair continues to fall out and I think I will just get it buzzed off this next week. I am feeling like my nickname could now be "Patch" and I promised myself to get rid of the hair if I felt I looked like a dork. NO COMMENTS needed folks.

Well that's it for now, thank you for reading and caring,

Jeff

The upside of the roller coaster.

Well, in very much a contrast to my last post, there is good news. The latest pet scan indicates that the tumors/lesions in my liver are no longer visible and have reduced down to the cell level. This is quite remarkable and left me rather speechless and a bit emotional yesterday. Quite the opposite from having tumors in 70% of the liver and on the edge of dying. The activity level of the tumor in the colon has dropped significantly from values in the upper 9's (very active) to the lower 3's ( not active) and including a reduction in size as well. It appears the new med's are doing some good and the side effects maybe worth it. This great news convinced me to have a drink or two last night and enjoy a bit of a celebration. Not bad news going into chemo again tomorrow. The lighter version of the treatment was much better to me and I was able to handle the side effects better. I still have a rash on my face, head and parts of my chest and back. They look much better and have healed quite a bit from the first reaction. The constant bleeding has slowed down and I am glad for that. It was getting on my nerves to bleed suddenly from my face and nose in the middle of a conversation. I lost 12 pounds during this treatment so far and I feel good. It has made me a bit more active and that is a wonderful feeling.

Life in general has been fun the last month. We have camped out and gone to Arches National Park and  with Eileen and Kevin to Zion's National Park. We got a new 5th wheel to tackle even some winter camping this year. We no longer want to be held captive during the winter. We are going to Lava Hot Springs here shortly with Jason and Melissa and I get excited more everyday as it has been a bit since we last camped together. Also, we are planning a trip over the 4th of July to Yosemite National Park as we have never been there and it's on my list of things to do.

I will keep this short, I just wanted to let everyone know there is occasionally some good news. Just in case you need any excuse to have a drink after work or a few extra this weekend you could have one in spirit with me.

I love your comments and phone calls - Thank you.

As always, thanks for reading and caring,

Jeff

Just finishing the second treatment

Wow, this one packs a punch. To the can is accurate and the rash was glorious. Good to be mean to the cancer, but I didn't really care for it to much. My chest, back, and head got the brunt of it. My scalp took the worst by far. I didn't know weather to itch or to ignore the pain. It is like a really bad sunburn on the head, but with little sores. Not really comfortable. I have cream for the face and body that helps quite a bit, but know I am going to switch to head and shoulders shampoo to help the scalp from itching and the zinc will help with the pain. Bleeding happens easier, constantly having nose bleeds and bleeding from the mouth when brushing my teeth. It's also a longer treatment at Huntsman, just around 6 hours or so, sometimes longer. We were there from 9:00 am to 5:00 this last Friday and even longer the first time for the load up dose. It wears me out.

I had a fantastic Easter. Wendy came from California to see us and it was a blast. It was just like having all those good conversations sitting out on the porch having a few drinks and watching the kids play. Well now we are older and the kids don't really need to be watched much anymore, but the drinks and conversation went just like old times though. We had a big sit down dinner with all of us, Wendy, and Cari and Steve came over with the kids. Many games of PIG on the basketball court were had.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter, and as always thank you for reading and caring. Talk to you later.

Jeff

Time for change has happened

Well, I got the two new sets of chemo this weekend. My tissue sample was good for the colon cancer specific drugs so we will see how this works. The first one has a major side effect of diarrhea, but so far I seemed to have dodged that symptom. The second drug causes a nasty rash on the upper torso and face/neck area. Pills and creams are what given to counteract the problem. The worse the rash the better effectiveness the drug. We will find out later this week when it should hit. Summer photographs might be out.

We have added to our cancer group. Karen, a long time friend, is battling stage 3 ovarian cancer and she is going with me every other week. She is on a weekly setup at a lower dose. She took he first dose with me yesterday and I hope her weekend goes well and she doesn't get to sick.

I also need to pass along good thoughts to our friends Eileen and Kevin, they will be losing their mother/grandmother in the next couple of days. She is having her kidneys shut down and is at home waiting to pass away. Many moons ago we used to go camping together, and I think we will have to restart our camping trips to enjoy some memories and perhaps down a couple of beverages at the same time over a camp fire. Life is always better with a camp fire and beverages. Laughing and crying always seem to go hand in hand, but it helps.

As always, thank you for your kind thoughts and thank you for caring and reading. Have a great weekend.

Jeff

update

Just to update everyone. My genetic tests did not come back last week to try the new stuff. The doctors thought they could get the new meds approved, but I told them not to unless we were really ready. With treatments costing $18,000 a piece there doesn't seem the need to do things without the insurances grace. I know I don't want to burden us with that kind of slip up so we will wait until all the pawns are in place.

Mondays after chemo are kind of funny. After you wake up sometimes you think you are ready to get back on the horse again and go like hell, sometimes you know you aren't leaving for a bit. Today is one of those days. Playing end guard and tackle around the restroom today so far.

Should find out the results either Tuesday or Wednesday to know what the next set of drugs are.

Talk to you then,
Jeff

A hit on the road to recovery

Well the bad news finally came. The tumor in my colon is starting to grow again and its time to switch protocols. The doctors are looking at my biopsy from my liver and trying to find if there is a new match for my variety of cancer. The probable next drug is Irinotecan. Which means "to the can" from what we hear. The common side effect is diarrhea. YUUUUUK!!


This is just very frustrating to me. 6 months ago we were set up for a surgical option and now we are so far way again. But I'm not really sad, but it's frustrating and I am just kind of mad. I may get one of those punching bags for therapy.


The good news is that I am only a week away from my NASCAR Las Vegas trip and I am very excited about that. I ordered a slight bit of new gear, but I am hoping that the haulers will have some better gear.


Til next time, thanks for reading and caring,


Jeff

New updates and treatment.

I have now entered the world of alternative treatments for the "C". I just took my last big 5 cocktail for my treatment. I will be taking a break from the oxciliplatin to give my nerves a break to recover again. This has been another 8 treatments and this really kills my white blood cell count too. Good thing this winter has been mild because it has allowed me to tolerate the pain on the toes and finger tips well. I have been doing fine over the last few treatments but this batch definitely packs a punch.

Back to the alternative treatment part. I just bought a used machine to give me radio frequency treatments on top of my regular treatment. Some of you may recall me telling you of a couple we met over the summer for a wedding. He was near death and this treatment helped him out  and he has been cancer free for 10 years now. He still does treatments 3 times a week. I am looking for new frequencies to try and continuing to look for something other than chemo.

I am getting excited as the Las Vegas NASCAR trip is coming up and I get to see Eric, Michelle, Gary and maybe Clarissa. We always have a good time tailgating and hopefully the weather will cooperate again.

Thats my update and I will keep you posted on the alternative treatment thing. I go in for a body scan again, hopefully this Friday and I will let you all know next week how that went.

Thanks for reading,

Love Jeff

Hello , Howdy, and Happy New Year.

Wow, the holidays went by fast. Heck even just turned 44 to add a birthday in there also. I don't know where the time goes, but sometimes it flies.

Well, I have just moved on to another combination of drugs for the cancer. They have added my original drug ( the one that gives me the tingling and numbness in my hand and feet) to the drug I was just taking before my break. The two make for quite a combination and blasts me pretty good. I can't drink anything but room temperature fluids, anything cold is painful to swallow. I did that for the last two treatments and I will be doing them for the next four treatments. Yuk, but good news is that my latest PETscan showed a reduction in most of the tumors and an overall decrease in activity. Some increased, but most decreased.

On the forefront, Cheryl and I attended a grand opening of a new cancer treatment center who specialize in radiation therapy. This therapy is much more accurate than older radiation technology and we will be looking into that. I just need to make a consultation appointment to see if this would maybe be a fit for my situation. Also, I am playing phone tag with a man who cured his cancer using radio frequency technology. I have found similar machines as he used, but right now it would cost about $5000 to buy the machine. I am not sure it will work for me, but I am gathering more info on how it works.

That is the latest news, I hope everyone is enjoying the new year. I promise I won't wait so long to post next time, the holidays are what they are and now they are over. Time to get another mean on.

Thanks for reading and caring,
Jeff

Special Thanksgiving Day

Today is a day to give thanks. All too often, today is looked at as the door to the Christmas season. This morning I can't sleep as always when taking the chemo. So, true to form, my mind always starts thinking. This is my second round of chemo after my last post and I wanted to start with the "This is what I am thankful for" list first.

I am thankful to be alive and have the time to spend with family and friends.

I am thankful to everyone who cares to peek in on my blog to check on me.

I am thankful to have been raised by a dad who taught me to be a good person. Dad I miss you very much everyday.

Dad, I, and large elk in the background - Yellowstone 2011

I am thankful that I have caring and loving people around me to get me to and from my chemo treatments. For today would not be possible without them.

I am thankful that my symptoms are fairly predictable and I can lead a somewhat normal life. I will eat a lot of great food today even though I have my chemo bag strapped on.

I am thankful that my friend Eric came to visit with me for the holiday. I really cherish this tradition and want to say thank you to Michelle who let him spend this weekend with me even though it would be their first Thanksgiving together as a married couple.

I am thankful that good friends will come over and watch the Utes game on Friday, where we will yell at the TV and give high fives. GO UTES!!!

Most of all, I want to be thankful, that my wife and daughter keep it real for me. They cry with me, they make me smile, they snap me back to reality when I really need it, and they always give me as many hugs and kisses that I need to make it through each day.

I always get asked about how I feel, and  wanted to let everyone know that I feel great. I feel as normal as I have ever felt, and except for whats inside me, I couldn't be convinced otherwise. I feel like I can do all the normal things I want to at anytime. By the way, I am thankful for that.

I hope this Thanksgiving Day will be special for everyone, newborn (congrats Mark and Angie) and older.

As always thanks for reading and caring,

Jeff

PS - Here is the picture of the chair I bought at the new infusion center. Just kidding, its just being leased to me.

Life throws curveballs.

Just when we thought we have had the worst week ever, the blows just keep coming. Friday, I went in for a pre-surgery petscan and the results were not good. The tumors in the lymph nodes which previously were inactive are now highly active and I may have a new one infected. This makes surgery a mute point as the cancer would just spread into the liver and that makes the surgery an unnecessary risk. It's back to chemo to try and stop the tumors from spreading further. I will get started hopefully this Friday or by next Friday at the latest. As long as the body stays healthy, and the chemo does its job, I can be a candidate for surgery again. We'll just have to be hopeful.

This cancer roller coaster keeps getting tougher. It brings out emotions and stress that are hard to contain without hurting someone. If you know someone who has cancer, give them a hug and tell them you are thinking about them. Tell them you love them if you do, it really means a lot.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Stop the merry-go-round!!! I wanna get off.....

A brief unexpected update...

We are making an unexpected trip back to Illinois as Jeff's dad, Carl died Monday night. Jeff and Cari left today as they are driving. Paige and I are flying tommorow and we will all be in Rockford by Thursday midnite. 

Jeff's surgery will go on as scheduled  in 2 weeks which is why he is driving vs. breathing recirculated air for 4 hours each way. Connie will come back with Jeff and Cari next Weds as we have our pre-surgical appt. next Friday.

Needless to say, this was devastating. We are all holding up as well as can be expected. So very glad we went on the Yellowstone trip in July and took family pictures. Never miss an opportunity to tell those that you love that you do; you never know. If we make it through the next 6 weeks there is NOTHING we can't handle.

Cheryl 

A Final Decision

After gathering more info and meeting with 2 surgeons and the oncologist we have decided to go through with the surgery. It has been scheduled for Fri., Nov. 4th. Best case scenario Jeff will be at the U of U for a max of 3 days in ICU and then transferred over to Huntsman Cancer for an additional 4 days max before coming home. He cannot leave ICU until his liver demonstrates an ability to process toxins and maintain its own potassium and magnesium levels. He can come home when all body functions have volitionally returned and his pain is controlled well enough with or without medication. Some patients come home in 5 days but the norm is 7 days.

We had hoped to do the surgery in late October but it was not communicated to us (ahhhh, the joys of dealing with a large teaching hospital)  that he should skip the Avastin in his last chemo so we have to wait 6 weeks from the last infusion  to minimize his bleeding risk during the surgery. Chemo will resume hopefully 6 weeks max after surgery (ideally 4 weeks) at a smaller dose of the same cocktail. Our fear of Jeff's body "rejecting" his current treatment cocktail because of the surgery is unfounded as it will lose it's effectiveness when it is time regardless of surgery.

Jeff went hunting with Rusty and came home empty-handed as usual but had a great time with no real differences in abilities compared to previous years. Maybe next year.... We were able to go camping with Cary's last weekend at Strawberry Reservior and do absolutely nothing (cross that off the bucket list). The kids caught crawdads which we had as an appetizer with dinner. The weather was gorgeous--got pinked up one more time before winter. Next up deep cleaning the trailer, and getting the house/yard and Jeff's jobs ready for winter. After that our trip to Las Vegas with Eric and Michelle. Since we have an extra weekend before surgery now we are pondering a trip to Moab over UEA with Paige's best friend Kaylee (she went with us last year camping and has been asking ever since to go on another vacation with us).

We both are much more relaxed now that a final decision has been made. Now it's just getting everything coordinated for the week Jeff is in the hospital to make sure Jeff has someone with him when he needs it, Paige gets to/from school and gets homework done, and we all have clean underwear. I have been making and freezing stuff as grocery shopping will NOT be on the priority list once Jeff comes home. Having and making plans A and B is time-consuming but hopefully will reduce stress when the time comes.

Sorry the posts are so far apart but 10 posts with half-bits of info is not particularly helpful to anyone vs. one complete post. I doubt we will have much time to post about until just before surgery but please stay tuned. We will definitely be updating frequently once we go to the hospital.  Thanks again for all your thoughts; keep 'em up! 

Jeff, Cheryl, and Paige

So many decisions!?!?!?

Wow is the best way to summarize the past few weeks. We had our consult with the surgeon about an embolization which has turned into a liver resection. Basically he feels that the tumors have shrunk enough as well as enough good healthy new liver tissue has grown to warrant removing the tumors. 
We have never seen the PET scans, just read the reports and it was impressive. Basically one year ago the right lobe of Jeff's liver was 60-80% tumor and it is down to about 20%.  The lymph nodes are clear that were active even 2 months ago. Given that the lymph system is how cancer spreads now is the time to do something BIG. The surgeon even said he hadn't seen a response to chemo like this.
A liver resection is BIG! It requires a very large incision around Jeff's torso, one week in the hospital, 6 weeks of recuperation, and 1 month off chemo before and after the surgery. The surgery is not without risks, the largest being liver failure if there is not enough good healthy liver left to process toxins and help heal him. The upside is that survival rises from a 16% chance of making it 5 years to 60%.  And there have been patients that have lived longer.
If we choose an embolization now we cannot do a resection later. And it doesn't increase his survival odds.  According to Dr. Kim, Jeff passes the "eyeball test" and if he didn't have his chart in front of him he wouldn't know that he had Stage 4 cancer. The surgeon feels as if there will be a time an embolization is warranted (if additional tumors were to grow). Dr. Kim believes that we can reduce this cancer to the microscopic level, with follow-up chemo. He is definitely skilled (he's on the liver transplant team at the U of U), but we are still getting a 2nd opinion this Friday to make sure it is the right option.
Up to this point we have not had options, just chemo until we die. And now it feels as if we have almost too many.  Our greatest fears with "just chemo" was that there would come a time when they would tell us that it had stopped working and we needed to move on to the next drug cocktail until all had been exhausted.  This decision has sooooo many more fears and concerns. When do we do it?,...if we still have to do chemo after why do it at all?,...how do we keep life normal before, during, and after for Paige and us, for all that matter?,...the vast amounts of stuff that needs to be done both here at home and work before surgery, and don't forget the risks of major surgery.
We are 90% certain we are gonna do the surgery, and tenatively it is scheduled for October 20th. Jeff is going hunting with Rusty (what a difference a year later), we want to get out camping one more time with the Cary's, Jeff needs to get all his worksites and our trailer/house ready for winter and we have a trip planned to Vegas for the race mid October which are the reasons for the delay. By doing it then Jeff hopes to be feeling well enough by Thanksgiving that our dear friend Eric will join us, that we can have a glorious Christmas and start the New Year full of hope.
We cannot thank all of you enough for your positive thoughts and prayers; they've obviously worked.  A special thanks to our angels in Heaven who are also obviously watching over us; we are sure they desperately miss Jeff as does he, but it's just not time yet!!!!! We hope to be celebrating with each and every one of you this new year and many years to come.

Love to all of You,
Jeff, Cheryl,  and Paige

Busy Busy Busy

Wow, time is flying by. It's school time again and we are buried at  work. Working to 9 and 10 at night is common place now. So many projects behind that we are behind from all the other trades. It's a mess, because everyone seemed to layoff people and there are massive orders out there for all products. No factories can get caught up and 3-4 week delays are common. Not good when you only have 12 weeks to work before the next school session. Stress to the max.

Chemo again tomorrow - not exactly a party bag, but it is still working. I had a PET scan last week and I found out Monday that the chemo is still working, but it's degenerating my spine. I am going to start really exercising to strengthen my core. I have gone bike riding a couple of times this week and that seems like a more fun way to exercise. Fresh air has got to be good for me.

New news this week. My doctor actually said I may have a choice finally in my treatment. This is the first choice for the year I have been at this. I may be a candidate to have a tube run up my groin and try to seal up arteries feeding my tumors. By cutting off the blood supply, the tumors may weaken and the chemo would be more effective. I have a consultation on the 19th. I will post what happens. It's kind of exciting to know that I have progressed enough to have an option finally. Golf claps please-----Thank you!

We made it to Mexico and back. I have now traveled internationally-- cross that off the bucket list. It was hot and humid, but we had fun anyways. Toured the hotel, hit the pool. Toured the city shopping life, hit the pool. Did some night life, hit the pool. Went zip lining (cross that off the bucket list), hit the pool. Did I mention all things were followed by hitting the pool!!! The drinks were cold and I had quite a few with no ill side effects. This was great, maybe we shouldn't wait for a 20th anniversary to do this kind of a fun thing. Poor Cheryl, she came back with a cold and has been sleeping down stairs. She has been trying  very hard to not get me sick. It must be the extra two shots of tequila I had at the factory. It must have been a sign from GOD himself.

Got to go to bed - thanks for reading and caring,

Jeff

Away we go!!!

A lot has happened since the last post but Jeff and I have both been very busy. Everyone has returned home after a lovely family vacation to Yellowstone (note the new blog pic) and we have hit the ground running. A great time was had and it was so neat to show Thomas all kinds of new things. We are hoping that this was the 1st of many family vacations. 
Paige has left with Gran for 3 weeks in Wisconsin which has made it possible for Jeff and I to leave in the am for 4 days in Puerto Vallarta to celebrate 20 years of marriage. We wish it could be longer but this is Jeff's busiest time. We are looking forward to doing absolutely...nothing. Which will be a new kind of vacation for us, as many of you know.
We are postponing chemo a week in order to go on this trip, but will be back in the chair the 29th. The next PET scan is the 1st week in August and then we see Dr. Sharma.  After this PET scan Jeff is going to participate in some radio frequency treatments to see if they facilitate additional tumor shrinkage. Not a traditional treatment, but everything we have read indicates no harmful side effects. 
Be on the lookout for some some new pics when we return as we had family pics taken when everyone was here and I am sure we will take some in Mexico.
Thank you all for your concern and warm thoughts; we will be sure to toast all of you with one of our all-inclusive daily special drinks.

Adios!

Long time since my last post

It's been a long time since my last post. I have a couple of bulged discs between my shoulder blades and it has caused some extreme pain in my right arm. Anything between my shoulder hurting, to tennis elbow, to a deep pain in my triceps has been challenging to do much. I have been on a steady diet of muscle relaxants, Lortabs, bone cracking, massages, and strengthening exercises to get this thing to go away. Still no luck. Today though I wanted to catch up. 

Cheryl, Paige, and I have been busy. We went on a long road trip to see Eric and Michelle get married, Chris graduate, and to see some long time friends who feel like family to us. Thank you all for your hospitality. I have played some golf with good friends and it seems my game is the same whether I am under treatment or not. I am not sure how to take that, but my friends didn't laugh at me to much, although I think I gave them lots of opportunity's. I even snuck in a boys nite out camping, horseshoes, and a little ATV action. There is nothing like good campfire food and talk to make you feel better. I am looking forward to having my brother and nephew out to visit when my whole family goes to Yellowstone over the 4th of July holiday. I can't wait for the laughs and good times.

The treatment is going pretty normal. The side effects are still fairly predictable and that has made life easier. The shooting pain of the healing of the fingers and feet has been really painful when they happen, but the electricity storm doesn't usually last to long though. Short pulses get me going, but I don't see them ending anytime soon. At best I still have only partial feeling in my feet and finger tips. I am trying to get the phone number of the guy who talked with me about radio wave therapy to get more info on that and pursue that avenue. I just don't really want to lose this battle. Got to try.

Thanks for reading and caring, talk to you later.

Jeff

PetScan results

Hello all,

Monday was another day of good news, the tumors continue to shrink. I did learn that my cold is not gone however. I seem to have a large mucus mass still in me that I need to keep fighting to get healthy. Dr. Sharma wasn't quite himself this time, he scared Cheryl and I into thinking he was an alien replacement. He tried to show a human side and step out of his research persona for a bit. He was enjoyable to talk to, informative for our questions, and even tossed out another procedure we can try after the chemo stops shrinking the tumors. This is way more than he has ever let on. Although not a chance for curing me, it at least gives me another weapon to keep alive with. 

Cheryl often tells me that you all want to know how I feel, so I thought I would fill you in. The new medicine is a bit harsh than the previous mix. I get quite a bit of bleeding in my nose, mouth, and from even the lightest scratch. It happens randomly so I need to keep tissues fairly close to me and now I use a box of Kleenex up pretty fast just on my own. Swallowing blood is getting old, the taste is horrible in my mouth and I often eat something to get rid of it. I am within 6 pounds of my weight before the bad news so the appetite is back, but that is a bit bigger than I want to be. I have gotten these brown spots on my hands and on my feet and we don't know why. My nails have become super brittle and they used to be quite strong. I have stopped taking the medicine that caused the numbness in my hands and feet, but the healing process has been painful. It's not a constant pain, but instead it's a randomly sharp needle piercing feeling. It sucks because it wakes me up constantly when I sleep or I often wake up without feeling in my arms. The tingling and pain moves from toe to toe and from finger to thumb to palm like a big weather cloud. The doctors say in can take from 6 months to a year to heal if it will at all completely.

We are very busy at work and it takes my mind off the cancer and gives me something else to focus on. We are getting excited about the U2 concert next week. We then have Paige's 12th birthday coming up on the 27th, we have our 20th anniversary on June 1st, and Cheryl catches up with me in age for her 43rd birthday on June 4th. We then have friends getting married on June 11th and we are taking a road trip to see them in California. There is lots to look forward to. I am going to golf while hooked up to the meds on Cheryl's birthday and for Fathers Day, that ought to be interesting. Looks like I have chosen the wrong time in my life to almost give up drinking.

Well thanks for reading and for your caring words, it means a lot to me.

Jeff

Can't stay down for long.

Hello all,

I thought I would post just to thank you all for your comments after I posted last. It wasn't on the doctors list, but camping with good friends and having a great time this weekend in Zion was great. Jason and Melissa made some dutch oven Bourbon Chicken that was fantastic. We then hit the trails and did all three Emerald Pools (complete with water falls) with a side swing through the Grotto and ended up at Zion Lodge for a tall ice cream cone. The best reward for hiking that I can think of. We all enjoyed the sun, especially after we heard there was 4-6" of snow that appeared overnight at home. Cheryl made some mostaccioli and apple cobbler in the dutch oven and it also hit the spot. No camping trip would be complete without having a few drinks around the fire, and we know how to do that right. I even tipped back a few myself, quite enjoyable might I say.

The only thing that was upsetting, was looking at all the older people camping and realizing that was our dream when we retired. It is sad that I won't be able to be with Cheryl when that happens. As many people have told me though, miracles can happen. It's just that sometimes reality is so big when it's in front of you all the time.

Well it's time for dinner so I will let you go,

Jeff

2nd opinion no better than the first

Hello my friends and family,

Well we went up to another doctor to get a second opinion and to discuss some treatment options. Nothing much is different. The cocktail I am taking is good, but it is suggested that now that my finger tips are numb that I should stop taking that drug and go without for the summer. Most people can only handle 8 or so treatments and I am on number 14. The reduced effectiveness is not worth the nerve damage being sustained. Surgery doesn't appear to be an option either, there is just to much cancer to deal with. The danger heavily out weighs any possible benefits. All I would do is just damage or lose some of the remainder of the functioning liver left. Typically they try to clear one lobe and let the other function and then possibly switch, but that will never work with the quantity I have. No radiation, surgery, or cyro can ever work.

So we stay with various forms of chemo forever until I pass. The outlook remains the same. Everybody in my boat only last 2-5 years, but there are always exceptions. I need at least 6 to see Paige graduate from high school and 8-12 to see college graduation. There has to be goals set!!!!

I got to say I am a bit disheartened. The info was very consistent, but this lady was much more able to explain reasons for and against different approaches.

It sucks to be me today for sure, so I am enjoying a real beer tonight.

As always, thank you for caring to read and your good wishes.

Good night,

Jeff

The Cold is getting Old

Hello all,

Well the cold finally got bad enough that it stopped me from taking chemo today. I am feeling better than earlier in the week, but my numbers were to low to take a chance and wipe out what little white blood cells I have to fight the cold. They of course want me to go next week, but I am going camping with the Cary family so chemo will have to wait. It's going to be a month rest, but life is too short not to have fun with friends. A good hike will help kill the cold or at least make me more fit to fight it.

I want to thank long time family friends Trudi, Eileen and Kevin for sending me cards with good wishes this week. It is much appreciated and thanks again. I also got the official invitation for Eric and Michelle's wedding. That's in June so it's going to be a road trip and I love road trips. Its a great opportunity to bond with the family.

Well time to go eat and finish my health drink (it used to be vodka and cranberry, but now its NA beer).

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Getting a bit sick

Dang colds. Looks like I have picked up a cold from Paige or a guy I work with. YUK. My head is full of goo and sleeping straight up doesn't lend itself towards a good nights rest. Hopefully I can beat this back and still do chemo this week.

I reached a new low this week. Honey Dijon mustard was to hot for me spice wise. I know, pretty soon all things will just come down to ketchup. Sad, sad ,sad.

Dinners ready, talk to you all later.

Jeff

Yuk, this crap is getting old.

Hello all,

Cheryl reminded me to blog. I haven't felt real good and I have gotten tired early in the evening and just haven't felt like doing much about the normal time I blog. This was round two of the new meds and it just really kicked my butt. The fatigue has been a huge burden and I haven't wanted to work out or do anything strenuous. I have to everything as soon as I get home or it won't get done. The last few days I have had bad dizzy spells when going vertical or even just laying down. It makes me get the spins really bad. My nails have become brittle, my fingers and toes have gotten numb rather than just a tingle, and I bruise or cut with the slightest contact. My nose runs every time I eat, and now anything spicy lights me up like a bright red sign. You name it - Costco salsa, Dave's Rich and Sassy BBQ sauce, certainly hot sauce on eggs, and even chipotle soup makes me sweat. This is really getting annoying.

The bright side of things is that I have gotten to spend some time with buddies for the March Madness games on the weekends. What a blast to hang out, high five when the action is good, and just go out and shoot baskets during breaks. That has been my only exercise and it was to fun to call it exercise. I had a couple of White Russian drinks and man did they taste good. We just made some reservations to go to Zion National Park with the Cary's at the end of the month and that will be real fun. Plus, I have a trip planned for Yellowstone National Park planned around the first week of July. My brother and my nephew are coming out West for the first time, so we are going to camp at the KOA so we can have a fire and hit the pool.

Work is busy and that is a blessing. It keeps me going and I really enjoy the challenges of keeping sharp and organized. It definitely keeps me focused and helps me not think about how sick I feel sometimes.

I had my first chance to re-pay the favor of someone giving advice and comfort about this C word. There was a newbie in chemo last week. She was diagnosed with stomach (C word) and was all emotional about the drugs, her port was put in wrong, and to top it off she was from Wyoming. I was walking by her on the way to the facilities and the nurse was trying to explain to her the symptoms and all the things that could happen and she looked like a dear in the headlights. I only could talk to her briefly as the nurse was trying to plow through the info as fast as possible so she get her "C-word and You" manual. I remembered that feeling of uncertainty, being a bit terrified, overwhelmed with info, and just feeling like you needed to cry for a bit.

I still feel more lucky than most, at least I am functioning in life rather than puking in a bucket and just laying in bed.

Thanks for reading and have a great night,

Jeff

Happy St. Patricks Day

Hello all,

Well I was back in the saddle Friday taking the new drug. It took an extra 90 minutes of treatment. They have to give tylenol and benedryl as a pre med to this for side effects and I promptly fell asleep for the first time taking chemo. I slept for a good two hours while Cheryl kept tabs on me. I definately didn't take the treatment as well, but I think that was partly due to not having good counts even after taking 3 weeks off. The body just doesn't want to recover as well.

I really had a great time in Vegas last weekend and this weekend I went on a ATV ride with my friends -- chemo ball in tow. That was a blast, but I was pretty slow on Monday. I got to work early, but was home around 3:00 and asleep in bed by 3:10 and took and easy hour nap. Tuesday was a little better, not stellar and then Wednesday I was back to more normal. I even hit the elliptical for some exercise. The numbness and off balance sensation got bigger with this treatment as well as more bloody noses. I am going in for bloodwork tomorrow to get a mid week test for the new treatment. Red meat is in order, maybe a little steak on the grill perhaps will be in order for the weekend.

Well Utah State is back on TV for the tourny so I will let you all go -- again thank you for reading,

Jeff

Skipping Chemo and going to Vegas baby!!!!

I am so excited to go to Vegas for the NASCAR race, that I am sure I won't sleep much tonight. I am going to meet Eric, Michelle, Gary and his love for a full race weekend. The forecast is warm and not much wind, so that should be great. I am going to put off chemo til next week and add that other chemical evastin (sp?????). The side effects are blood clots mostly and I didn't think a trip involving a lot of sitting down would be a good combo. If there is going to be complications I would rather be at home anyways.

Cheryl and I were just reading the paper and starting tomorrow, it's national colorectal cancer month. Each year 150,000 people will be diagnosed with advanced stages of the cancer because there are no warning symptoms. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths. They ask people to wear blue. My doctor is having a special roll out and will be passing out pins to help awareness. I didn't want to be a member in that club and I hope all of you get your tests done to be safe.

Ok, time to go and pack. I have to get all of my Clint Bowyer gear packed and ready to wear. Talk to you all later.

Thank you for reading and caring,

Jeff

And the results are?

Hello all, I delayed posting this week because I was going to meet with the doctor today and get the results of the latest PETscan. I have felt good all week, but I have been wearing a mask to all public places just as a precaution to avoid getting sick. I felt so good, we all went on a little snowshoe hike with Cari on Sunday. It was supposed to be an easy trail, but I would have rated it moderate. It was a continuous uphill climb for about 2 miles then all downhill back and not much flat in between. Good exercise, I was winded, sweaty, thirsty and very hungry afterwards. We went to the PIE afterwards and man did we eat some pizza. Good shit man. This little exercise thing and my eating habits are still holding me around 167 lbs and I really feel good.

The best part of this last week were the results today. According to the scan, the liver cancer is still reducing and the colon cancer does not even show up. This doesn't mean it's completely gone, but there are not enough live cells to detect via a scan. 99.9% is good though. They now want me to add another chemical to the treatment. We didn't do it before because the side effects were not good for the colon cancer and the size it was. This would help my current cocktail reduce the tumor faster in theory. We are going to read up on the side effects again and see if that's something we want to do.

I was so excited, I gotta say it pulled some tears out again. It also means I can skip a treatment more comfortably when I go to the NASCAR race in Vegas. I will even be able to have a beer with my good friend Eric and really enjoy the race.

Good night all and again thank you for those prayers. They must be working.

Jeff

Roller coaster ride

Hello all,

Went in for the normal chemo treatment again, but was just barely able to get it. All my numbers tanked again this week and looks like I will be wearing a mask in public and not going out to eat for the next two/three weeks. That really stinks as I am sure I will have cravings that will make me do take out anyways. I am feeling good too, not really sure why the numbers tanked so bad. I got plenty of exercise in Vegas and even hopped on the elliptical for 20 minutes in hill climb mode (real ass kicker) Thursday. Not bad for an old guy either, I cranked out 4.3 miles and didn't pass out like I did last time. The next big mile stone is to stay awake for the Superbowl on Sunday. I usually have to nap between 2-7, but I have some people coming over and that should keep me up. Well thats the latest news, I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Recovering from the weekend

Hello all,

Well I got healthy enough to take chemo this week. My white blood cell count went from 0.9 to 4.1 during that extra week of rest. That was fantastic. They did however back off another drug in my cocktail to help me stay more on schedule and not make my bone marrow have to work so hard to make the blood cells I need. That means we have backed off on  2 of the 3 chemicals. Matter of fact, the third chemical, 5FU made me sick this week after taking treatment. This is the last chemical they give me and I was sick within the first minute of the 5 minute push before putting the ball on me. It was like a gut bomb and it went right for my stomach. We tried to go to dinner after-wards to take advantage of a birthday dinner coupon, but I had to leave before my food was served. Cheryl and Paige ate and then came home with my food. It tasted good the next day.

Well I didn't want to miss the football games this weekend, but with chemo getting screwed up I knew I would normally fall asleep during the 3/4 quarters of the Packer game. So I had Cari take me to Brad's house where there would be lots of friends and cheering to keep me awake. It worked so good, that I stayed awake until 10pm. I took a shower and was asleep in 10 minutes. I hope I can do this again for the Superbowl, it would be sad to host the party but never see the game or our friends.

Thanks for reading and have a great night,

Jeff

Tuesday's Weigh-in

Hello all,

This week we kicked it back up to 166lbs. Keeping food inside you will make you gain weight come to find out. The only thing that pissed me off this week, was that I was not able to take chemo last Friday. Battling the stomach flu dropped my white blood cell count way below what was needed. I am back on the wagon of taking all my vitamins and seeing if I can help boost the system to be able to take chemo this week. If I can't they may opt to give me shots to help boost the count. I did go snowshoeing Sunday for some exercise, we did about 4.5 km and I was not tired after-wards -- good sign. I am starting to not like the feeling of the chemo in me, but I hate to miss an opportunity to kill cancer. The nose bleeds were down significantly this week and so was the numbness in the toes and fingers. I also didn't have any mouth sores after this latest round and that was great to enjoy.

That is all this week, everything is building towards Friday. Talk to you all later,

Jeff

Weigh-in Tuesday

Hello all,

Just tipped the scales at 162 lbs. Well I am finally over the stomach flu. My immune system can't fight shit apparently and I needed a bit of help. Friday I went in for my normal blood draw and needed to get a bag of IV fluids in me. It was like putting a quarter in me because I felt great after-wards. The cramping went away and I was able to go out with friends Saturday night for a massive steak dinner. I couldn't eat much as I was afraid of getting rid of it within minutes, but the constitution stood strong until morning. I did have a small cranberry and vodka with a touch of lime with dinner and man did that shit taste so good. I only had one, maintaining doctors orders of moderation, but it was my birthday so what the hell. I was glad to make it to 43. Sunday I went out for sushi and ate big. Life is back to normal.

I did miss ice fishing with my friends on Saturday though and that really made me mad about being sick. This was an annual thing for us to go ice fishing on my birthday and I felt like I let the troops down. The good news was they caught lots of fish, but I really wish I would have too. I have found that the cold is really getting to me though, so good health is important. The more I take this FOLFOX the more the hands and face are sensitive to cold and sometimes it just hurts when we are this cold.

Getting ready for round #9 Friday. It's a great chance to kill cancer, but I have to tell everyone that I am getting much more sensitive to the treatment. I tried explaining it to Cheryl as feeling like a sensation of feeling it move through my body. I haven't gotten really nauseous yet, but it feels like I could especially on the Saturday. Just a general feeling of yuk in the whole body. Taking chemo and having the stomach flu may have amplified it, but man that treatment was rough. That reminds me, I got some bad news this week. Before I had my first treatment, I had a company come out and replace my piece of shit garage doors. The owner gave me an install date on the same day as my treatment. I explained that I needed it the day before and the reason why. He was very kind to share that he had liver cancer too as well as some lung and lymph nodes. He told me the about his battle between running his company and doing chemo. Great employees was the key and made the days he missed not so bad. He had battled for 3 years and was even going so far as to look and mess with natural cancer fighters in herbs and diet. January 6 he died, Cheryl pointed it out to me in the obit section of the paper. It brought tears and a real sense of sadness to me. The battle never ends --- I hope none of you even get started.

Be healthy all my friends and remember to get your colon checked.

Good night,

Jeff