Chemotherapy Day...

Yea...
Jim will be off to Springfield for chemotherapy this morning!




***Blessings...

**Susie, for taking Jim to Springfield today for treatment!

** My co-worker and friend, Deb, for her inspiration!

******** Campbells Chunky Soup!.. (The baby cats are eating so much, I ran out of Fancy Feast at 130 this morning!!!!)>>>

Karron

Note from Jim!

Greetings, fellow prayer warriors,

I wanted each of you to know how pleased and excited my wife, Karron and I, are to share this medical update with you regarding my treatment for lung cancer because I truly believe your constant support and prayer made these results possible, It continues to demonstrate the loving majesty of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and how His love for us is the most powerful force on earth.

I was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in November 2009 and have followed a regular course of treatment since then that has included chemotherapy and radiation. My oncologist suggested a PET Scan, CT Scan and MRI for the week of October 18, and she shared the results with Karron and me October 25.

We were all ecstatic by what the doctors reported. The MRI showed no remaining evidence of two tiny brain lesions that showed up on an MRI in April. Further, the latest MRI showed no evidence whatsoever on new lesions in or on the brain. Praise the Lord! We could not have asked for a better report.

The results from the PET Scan and CT Scan were equally promising. The cancerous tumor on the lining of the lung that started all of this last year apparently “in stasis, or shut down by the drugs administered as part of the chemotherapy program. Our oncologist, Dr. Joan Esplin of SIU Health Care said the tumor poses no current threat.

The scans showed no evidence of metastasis, or other “hot spots” that could become more serious later. We’ll be continuing the chemotherapy infusion treatments on one Friday each month until the tumor is gone.

I never want to lose sight of just how important each one of you is to my recovery. Thank you so much for all you do on my behalf, and let’s keep up the fight.

God bless and protect you.

Jim and Karron Murphy

Thursday and All is Well!

Jim had a good day, (after falling backwards in the morning into the piano!), and had visits from IC faculty!
He is eating well, just in time for more chemotherapy......

This is a picture of the award he received yesterday from IC's faculty.... YEA!

***Blessings

**Friends who pray for us!
**Beautiful fall leaves & our "special yard men", Denny & Adam...

This is Deb visiting our Orthopedic Unit yesterday! She looks great and feels well... What a great blessing to have her as a friend!

Wow... Wednesday Already!

Jim had a very good day yesterday reading the new book by Woodruff about Obama on the Nook and getting on Facebook...
(He still calls the Nook, the Kindle...)

Next chemotherapy Friday....


**Blessings...

*Paying bills by computer!

Off to work I go.........

Feeling Better Now...

Jim saw Dr. Esplin yesterday and now is throat is feeling better. She put him on a 14 day course of Fluconazole for a yeast infection in his esophagus..

His "present" for going to the doctor, (not really), was a Nook from Barnes & Noble from sister Francie!

Reading the new book by Woodruff on the new Nook!

**Blessings

*24hours Walgreens....

Wishing for Normal?

There are some mornings that I wake up wishing for the old "normal" routine....
Then I remember all the blessings we have received during the year while Jim has been undergoing cancer treatment!
Many great things have been done for us during this time, and I never want to forget these...
however....
There are mornings when I wish we would wake up to no sickness or no pill bottles...
I even find myself wishing for shopping sprees at TJ Maxx.... (not really)
But I do wish for mornings that Jim can jump into the car and head off to work and evening games at the college...
We did not go to any of the events at the college during homecoming..
no parade, no class reunions, no football games....
what a change since last October!
I also find myself wishing for Jim to put his tie and suit coat on,,, (how silly of me)

We have been blessed with great friends and family, and I feel so guilty that I cannot give back to them what they have provided for us this year...

The new electric throw from sister "KK", is great! Butter thinks she sent it to him, but we won't tell him it was for Jim...

Francie sent money and Applebee gift cards this week! I'm thinking about a small exercise bike for Jim... We have a big treadmill down stairs that he is unable to get to and is now covered with clothes and junk from last winter....

**Blessings

**Good test results this week!

**Beautiful Fall Sundays!

**Blogs where I can write what I want, anytime of the day!!

Good News Today!

This morning Jim had his brain MRI... (it was scheduled for tomorrow, but Memorial was understanding and worked him in!).

This is the great news;

"...(lesions) have further decreased in size and are barely visible"!!!!  "No new lesions"

Jim feels like dancing in the street, (not really), and eating a big dinner tonight, (really).

***Blessings

The many prayers and encouragement from our friends and co-workers for this miracle!

Reflection on a Very Busy Year!

It's Monday morning (0400) and I am waiting for Jim to get up again..
I'm not sure why he gets out of bed every hour now starting at 0300...
Today I am staying home with him, there is something wrong, but I just don't know what...
His rash from Friday is better... oh, yes... I forgot his Folic Acid... and now he is recovering from a very bad rash on his chest and back!  (I must remember the little yellow pill and how important it is when taking Alimta...)

This is a good day to reflect on this year...
Starting November 11th our world, especially Jim's, was changed forever...
Some changes have been good, but, as you can imagine, we have had trouble giving up a lot of what we felt was so very important to us...

The month of November was to be very busy for both of us as we anticipated the start of a new year at IC, football games, parades, class reunions, retreats and travel.
What looked like a "case of mild pneumonia", said a local physician without getting chest x-rays or futher testing, turned out to be later in the week diagnoised as non small cell lung cancer, stage 4!
Having never smoked, the tests results seem to be in error.. (at least to us).
Following a pleurodesis and chest tube drainage, Jim came home from Memorial Hospital in Springfield to rest and to plan for treatment.




 More to come..

Beautiful Fall Sunday in Jacksonville, Ilinois!

We are having a beautiful, sunny day!
Jim was up and dressed for church by 930, but became too short of breath to leave the house...
We will try again next week when the Alimita is not working so hard on his body!
The echocardiogram done Friday was ok, I think....
Next week we see Dr. Esplin and then have a pulmonary function test the first week of November.

Celebrating almost a year since his diagnosis, we will try to get away for the week-end the middle of November.. YEA!

**Blessings

**Beautiful Sundays....

**Caring MMC Oncology Nurses!

** Adam & Denny for mowing and raking leaves!

Pulmonary Doctor Today!




Butter's new fall sweater!

  Jim will be going to Dr. Bakir today to see what we can do to improve his breathing, especially with exercise..
Tony Moore will be taking Jim....

**Blessings

*Friends from church!

**TJ Maxx......

Karron

Extra Note:

Dr. Bakir ordered a lot of test... the first one will be an echo tomorrow and then in a couple of weeks, a pulmonary function study..

Jim's next PET scan is next week...

My Neighborhood...

Yes, again the Murphy's do not have any fall decorations up and all the neighbors have fall & Halloween decorations in their yards...

I think I will dress Butterscotch up and set him on the porch!

Jim drove the car yesterday to a meeting! (Only a few blocks away, but at least he got out without me!)

**Blessings...

**Prayers for Jim's health....

Karron

Monday, Monday.....Friends & More




Rick & Jim in Nashville

***Blessings

*Friends.....

October Sunday and 80 Degrees! More Pictures of Woodlawn Farm (Historic Underground Railroad Farm)

Yesterday was a great, warm day and today will be another day with temperatures in the 80's!
Jim walked Butter down the street (1/2 block) and back without too much shortness of breath.
Now he uses his inhaler about 4 times a day...

Jim & Liddy Stark.. Fall Festival 2009

Wonderful Memories from Woodlawn Farm!



Jim & Loreli, Fall Festival 2009

***Blessings..

*24 hour grocery markets!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like..... Fall!

The squirrels in the Murphy's front yard are having a convention this week-end! All the acorns are cracked open on the side walk for us to clean up and throw away.. Thank goodness we don't need a special trash bag and label for the acorns too, although I guess they will be in the leaf bag..

Jim is feeling ok, and looking forward to taking an afternoon ride to Springfield...

(No problems yesterday with the chemotherapy, Alimta.)

**Blessings

*Saturday with sunshine and 70 degree weather!

It's Friday and Chemotherapy Day for Jim!



Illinois College Parade a few years ago!

Jim will be going to Springfield early this morning for the 6th dose of Alimta!



(We think the new PET scan is next week.)



Jim and Coach Merris

This will be the first year in over 25 years that Jim has not organized a college parade! This is sad, but looking through the pictures from all the parades from MacMurray and Illinois College, refreshes our smiles!

**Blessings

*The sweet newspaper boy who always places the paper near the front door!



    *Voice recognition software!



*****Inexpensive reading glasses.....

Thursday at the Murphy's

Receiving Award last Thursday!

 Home today with Jim...
(more respiratory problems)
Even though he looks pale and his blood pressure is low, I guess he will get to have chemotherapy tomorrow.. His blood counts are still ok.. Maybe I need to get him in the sun!
Dick Cody will be taking Jim to Springfield tomorrow while I go back to work.. Yea!



**Blessings for today...                                                           

*Strong, strong, coffee...

*Friends who take Jim to Springfield for chemotherapy!

Anti-nausea bands for nasuea!  (Sent from Sister, Trish) *see NAPERSUN.COM

Karron

Wednesday... Taking More Ritalin... Breathing Better

Today it is quite cool, but Jim is more awake today thanks to taking 10mg of Ritalin instead of 5mg...
The night was a long one because he was very short of breath, but now this afternoon, he can walk around the house without wheezing...  Dr. Esplin wants us to "play-around" with the Ritalin because she felt he was "less aware" (?)
Even though Jim missed his walk with Denny, he has showered before me this morning!...
We had lunch with the leftovers from Cracker Barrel!  So... now he is napping again with Butter..

**Blessings..

* Microwave ovens & Cracker Barrel lunches...

*Hooded sweatshirts...

Karron

Sunny Fall Tuesday! Yea!

Jim just received his "voice recognization" software (Dragon 11) from Francie! I will let you know how it works! Jim is looking forward to "writing" again !

**Blessings

*Great Christian music...

*24 Hour Walgreens!

It's Fall!! (Monday)

Wow... thermometer says it's 36 degrees!!!

The leaves will soon cover our yard, and I guess that means I will be buying the bags and stickers for collecting all of them....

Jim is up and ready to walk with his buddy, Denny.  A friend will be taking him to Springfield for his appointment with Dr. Esplin.  We hope the next PET scan will be next week following his 6th Alimta treatment!

So.... off to work I go... I'm looking forward to keeping busy with our ortho surgeries..

Karron

 

*Blessings...

*Weekends with Jim and Butter..

Sunny Sunday Morning!

Yes! The sun is shining and the temperature is about 60! It will be a great day to walk Butter...
Jim's plans for this week include Dr.Esplin and chemotherapy on Friday!!

I'm looking for a good book to read... so far no luck.. Barnes & Noble visit didn't happen last week and I have read every National Geographic in the house (not really).

"Wedding in Plaid"

**Blessings.
*Cat litter with "odor block"...(really)

Mr. Marshall Murphy

*Cats that can go to potty outside.. (not really)

*Beautiful Sunday mornings with coffee, bacon & Jim

Karron

Saturday and "Sleeping In"!

I am going to be like Noah and build my Ark today... (not really!)


Example of a "Murphy Saturday Sleep-In"



But...

It is raining again... looks like the Murphy family will be reading, sleeping, reading, sleeping..... today! (really!)

I woke up to CNN teaching families about "slow foods" (instead of "fast-food"), and how to save money...

??Maybe I can try this and keep the cleaning lady!

*Blessings...

*Encouraging Face Book Friends...

Karron

Friday... Pictures from MMC Orthopedic Skills Day!

Thinking about the success of Monday and Tuesday's Skill Day, I thought I would include pictures of our great teaching staff and all the orthopedic nurses who were so fortunate, (or not), to be available when the camera was out of the case.....

What a GREAT orthopedic staff at Memorial!

**Blessings

*Orthopedic Nurses!
Karron