Our St. Louis Visit....

It's Sunday night and I find myself reviewing everything we were told during Jim's oncology appointment at Washington University/Barnes' Center for Advanced Medicine....

The news was not bad... the physician was "delighted" to know Jim has survived for this long... He told Jim, "Most of my patients with your kind of lung cancer would not be here today talking with me.." He was pleased with his treatment with Alimta and Tarceva.

We were relieved to know that appointments were being arranged for this coming week for his vision and for his tumor on the thoracic spine. Each specialist, a radiation oncologist and a neuro-oncologist will evaluate him on Thursday. The Parkway hotel is connected by a sky-walk!

Tomorrow, Monday, we will keep the appointment with Dr. Disai at the Cancer Center in Springfield to officially co-ordinate his treatment and future care...

We have so many questions still, but the weight loss and decreased vision worry both of us.

Blessings....

Great, loving neighbors, Bonnie and Denny & family who brought wonderful deserts to our home tonight!

Karron

Wishing That Things Were Diffirent!

Watching Jim receive special recognition for IC's fund raising efforts last week, I couldn't stop crying...
I was not crying because of this award and visit from his friends and co-workers at the college...
The tears were from wishing that we could go back to the days when he was the one visiting college friends, family and contributors..usually for a newpaper release or magazine article...
His vision is almost gone now, so he no longer is able to enjoy his camera or use his computer for writing the stories..
I remember the days and many, many weekends that he rushed to the newspaper "before deadline!" with his new story or picture of college students after one of "the biggest game of the year" in his old rusted out VW.... (Of course, this was before digital cameras and e-mail!!)

Today while he was receiving the card and medal from them, he kept asking, "Did you get a good picture of this?"

Yes... Alot of good pictures, even one with Butter in it...

I just wish he could see them...
Karron

Planning, Planning, Planning

Well... Jim walked today outside with friends Denny & Chris!
What a beautiful day... just a little cloudy, but warm.

This week we have several appointments to schedule home sitters and arranging follow-up appointments for Jim, plus leaving for St. Louis to meet with Dr. Goviden, an oncologist who specializes in Jim's type of tumor.

Then...
I will go back to work on Feb. 28th!!! I'm so hopeful that the home sitters and companions will be enough for Jim... (neither of us are ready for the home hospice nurses to come....)

Karron

A Good Day!

Jim had a very good day yesterday and we even worked in a pedicure for him after all the appointments!

As a reward.... we took Bob Evans Blueberry Crepes home!!

Our bags are packed just in case we need to go to the hospital...

Karron

Yea... Now I have a good book to read while Jim is at the doctor's!

It's a good day for Desi too!

Update...

Will will see Dr. Govindan next week in St. Louis...

Tomorrow we need to see Dr. Desai in Springfield.. I'm not sure why, maybe to keep him stable...

If we have problems prior to this, we will leave right away for Barnes, but if not, we will "hang on"....

To our family & friends we want to say thanks so very much for the prayers!

Jim & Karron

Sunny Wednesday...

I wish we were on our way to Barnes today... the sun is shinning and it is about 40 degrees...

Making calls today, but I am not hopeful...

Last night Jim said while eating dinner, "We need to lease a RV and go to Florida.. we can't keep having days like this!"....

Yesterday he was very tired and needed more help than usual...

This morning, however, he looks stronger, so..... I'm thinking about taking him down to St. Louis early and just waiting by their door!!!!(really)

Our Springfield oncologist was to arrange another scan and contact the radiologist at Memorial...but... no word from them either after many calls to the office.... humm....

Life is too short to keep waiting, and waiting for things to happen...

I will discontinue Jim's phone today if he will let me... so far the vision thing is just frustrating him when he tries to call any one or answer the phone...

He amazes me at times though.... he can remember dates of appointments he made months ago, and also recall the number of t.v. stations like CNN, FOX, and the movie channel when I have no clue....

Murphy's Household Trials & Tribulations

Well,

This week while we have been waiting to go to St. Louis, I have desperately tried to save money by doing my household chores and cutting back again on the Fancy Feast for the kittens... (also the out-door kitty named Rusty (by Jim) & Gutter-Boy (by me)...

 Tips and other things that really I shouldn't include in my blog, but oh well...

*Do not use husband's toothbrush to clean the little places around the faucet!(You guessed it, Jim brushed his teeth with it instead of the electric brush...)

*Do not use hair spray to clean the sink and tub...

(To save time, I was spraying my hair and cleaning the sink with Scrubbing Bubbles, and again you guessed it, I sprayed the hair spray on the sink and counter and the SB went on my nice clean hair...)

*Do not, I repeat, do not try to use Tub & Tile Spray to clean the garbage disposal while it is running.... (I'm ordering new contacts as we speak...)

*Limit trips to post office and Goodwill when thinking of other things..(I won't even try to explain this one...but just a hint... the boxes do look a little alike, right?)

*Keep the kittens fed!  (Dead things are on our front porch and they are climbing the bird cage for Milo!)

(To be continued...)

Now it is 4pm and I must call St. Louis... The sooner we get on the way, the better...

We may not have a home to come back to.. (just kidding).

Karron
Just a note to those of you who wish to clean your oven... DISMANTLE THE SMOKE ALARM

Also, kittens vomit all the dead stuff when they are back in bed or on the living room carpet... (no pictures will be sent.. use your imagination!

Oh... why do we always have so much trash compared to our neighbor, Bonnie? (Today is trash day.. yea.)



Bonnie's trash....

Murphy's Trash....................

Packed and Ready to Go!

Packed and Ready to Go! ???

As we wait for our St. Louis trip to see an oncologist who specializes in lung tumors, (ESGR NSLC), our bags remain in the living room and ready to go!

I presume that I will need to be off work this week, (in addition to last week), waiting to go to St. Louis and then  to meet with home health nurses to assess for physical therapy and hospice care if and when needed.

Jim needs quite a lot of help to walk with his walker, and even to see the food on his plate. (It is good that he is wanting to eat, but not so good that the food will not stay on his fork!)

He called me in to the dining room where he was doing a great job eating lunch and said, "this tool I am eating with is very dangerous... I think it may kill me!"..... It was a fork from the newer collection in the drawer, and it did indeed have very long prongs!

Love to our family & supportive friends!

 Karron & Jim

Oh... while I was writing this, Jim hit the T.V.  remote to "Nude Mothers Doing Nasty"!  (Yes... I took the control away and  we are watching CNN..... he blamed it on his poor vision...lol.)

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting!!

Last week was so very long...
Jim was in the hospital Friday, Feb. 4th-Feb 9th due to leg weakness and disorientation..
He is walking much better now and even though he does not see "little people", he is losing vision in his right eye now and needs help to identify objects and help to walk around the house with his new walker...

We have been referred to a specialist in St. Louis for possible research medication...

On Thursday he received his Zometa but not the chemotherapy agent, Alimta. (Tarceva continues)

We have asked to be admitted to Barnes if and when he needs more tests or surgery, and are hopeful that our insurance will pay for this....

While a patient at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, he received physical therapy and occupational therapy to help him adjust to his imbalance and loss of vision.  Last night he fell in the study and now has pain along his left chest wall... (he wants me to wrap the heating pad around him and hold it in place with ace wrap!.. not going to happen)
When I told him I wouldn't use the ace wrap around his chest he said, "I'll just ask Denny to do it!"

Now diagnosed with an enlarging spinal tumor, he is taking Decadron to reduce swelling and pressure.
It appears that the Decadron has helped him regain leg strength and balance enough to navigate through our little house with the wheeled walker and sometimes with my help.

Waiting to go to St. Louis is difficult...
I want to go to work...
Jim wants to be "left alone" at the house
& the dog wants his peaceful home back!!!!!!  (just kidding)

What wonderful support we have received from MMC where I work...

Jim is not looking forward to going to Barnes even for a short stay.. he told me and the nurses, "Now I know everyone, and I feel better at Memorial!

Falling, Falling, Falling

We will be going to Springfield for CT scans today...

Last night Jim had a big tumble and hit his head on the coffee table...
Now it looks like he was in a fight and was not the winner!

We will attempt to have additional lab work done while we are at the hospital...
I think he may be dehydrated from the chemotherapy....

"In moments of discouragement, defeat, or even despair, there are always certain things to cling to. Little things usually: remembered laughter, the face of a sleeping child, a tree in the wind-in fact, any reminder of something deeply felt or dearly loved. No man is so poor as not to have many of these small candles. When they are lighted, darkness goes away-and a touch of wonder remains.”

Many prayers have been sent our way....



Karron

TRAPPED BY SNOW!

Jim & I have been "trapped" by the snow for 2 days...
We cannot wait to have a chance to go outside...
So far, I have missed every day this week at work, Mon, Tues. & today, Wed.....

Jim's appointment for his re-staging CT has been changed to this Friday & we are anticipating good news...

The Chemo Brain  effects are back again, but clearing...
Some days his vision is a little better and he can see light from his left eye...




Blessings:

**The new walker is almost ready...

**The bath chair has been used once...

**The new generator is filled  and ready to go, as soon as the snow is brushed away from all the gauges and starter button....

God Bless everyone who continues to pray for Jim's health...
Karron

update;;; final snow total in Jacksonville/ 12 inches!!