Chemo 6 and gymnastics

We had a very full day with Chemo 6.  Our lab appointment was at 7:00 am., our doctor's appointment was at 8:00, and we had our appointment at the Infusion Center around 9:14.  All went well.  His hemoglobin was down a little and they thought that might be part of the reason his is so fatigued.  They are watching it.  All the numbers looked good.  He even gained a few pounds.  I personally think he had some rocks in the pockets of his jacket.  He said not, but I wouldn't put it past him.  Next time will be chemo 7.  After that, they will do a couple of tests. It is my understanding that he will have a CT scan and a PET scan.  The PET scan will give them a more accurate picture of which cells are cancerous and which are not.  They said that sometimes the masses that were once cancer can be scar tissue and still show up on the CT scan.  With a PET scan, apparently the cancerous cells glow.  I am praying that Steve is pitch black. :)  We will have a later start next time because we see Dr. Hoos and apparently he doesn't come in until after 9.  I'll bet he makes hospital visits early.  I am only guessing this since we never saw Dr. Hoos while we were in the hospital.  We sure like him and his staff.  We consider ourselves blessed to have the quality of doctors we do and that they have such kind, caring, compassionate staff.  This includes Dr. P and Dr. Hinojosa.  Call us lucky, lucky, lucky.

Steve did great today.  He slept most of the day.  He had French onion soup from McAlisters.  This really surprised me since he thinks it is a girly restaurant.   I have to be honest, while I was there, I only saw women eating.  Of course, I would never tell him this.  He thought the soup was great and that is all that matters.  I picked it up so he would not have to be seen there.  I always tease him and say a real man does not care if it is a girly place.  They go because they can.  I must tell you that he does not wear pink either.  :)

Kimberly came by for a visit.  She really lifts our spirits.  We love to hear about the kids and Doug.  Our thoughts and prayers are still with Doug.  He is still on crutches and probably has about 3 weeks more.  I know how difficult it was for me for one week.  He is a hero in my eyes since he has been on them for over one month.  We are praying that he heal and does not have to have anything done.  Hang in there, Doug.

We got home around 2:45.  He went to bed but got up in time for dinner.  Amelia cooked for us tonight.  We had grilled burgers, corn on the cob and stuffed bacon wrapped banana peppers.  Steve ate great.  He had 1 1/2 patties, a salad and a huge ear of corn.  Amelia did a great job. I love when she cooks for two reasons.  First, she does a great job, and second, I don't have to cook.  It is my night off.

I did a lot of crocheting today.  I worked on three new purses.  I have a few orders left and then I will get some "stock" built up and put some in Mitzi's store.  I am excited about this.  I kind of took a couple of weeks off.  Grading got the best of me.  I have graded 120 journals with 8 entries each...twice, a capitalization test with corrections, 120 paragraphs on how Mt. Vernon is a great/bad place to live.  I should have a week break or so before I have to figure quarter grades.   Oh, don't get me wrong.  I love to read their journals.  I learn so much about them and their writing skills.  Grading can be a joy or a pain in the pen.  I have to brag though.  The sixth graders have really surprised me with the writing they have done for me so far.  I hope I can keep up their progress so we can blow the top off of the MAP this year.  Go 6th Grade!!!!!

Aubree started gymnastics yesterday.  She loved it.  Here are some pictures of her. Amelia took several little videos, but I am still trying to figure out how to download them to the blog.  They did an obstacle course practicing forward rolls, balance beam, back bends, trampoline jumps and all sorts of other skills.  Aubree will be taking gymnastics on Wednesdays.  Hopefully, I will have more pictures to share with you. She has a new leotard to wear so she will look professional.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

This is our motto for this evening and tomorrow morning.  We have to be at the lab first thing in the morning.  Boy, that is going to be early considering he normally has not been getting up until 9:30 or so.  The nice thing is, he can sleep most of the day.  My guess is he will go to lab, sleep in the lobby until his doctor's appointment, and sleep in the lobby until he is admitted into the infusion center.  After they start the chemo, he usually sleeps the 1-2 hours that it takes to administrator the pre-chemo drugs.  He will wake up to tell me to go out to lunch, and he will sleep while I am gone.  I will wake him up to eat the lunch I bring to him, and then he will sleep until it is time to go home.  This is all good. All the patients in his parlor side do the same thing.  Sometimes they talk back and forth, but mostly the talking is with the people who bring the patients there.  I have met some really nice ladies while I have been waiting.  I also get a bunch of crocheting done, which is good. The nice thing about early appointments means we will be home earlier in the afternoon.

Today he rested all day long.  I actually think he was in bed all day except when he ate lunch with Amelia and Aubree.  They stayed home today because we thought Aubree had pink eye.  She had an appointment at 1:00.  Luckly, she did not have it, but they thought she had allergies.  Allergies are really bad here.  Several of my kids have been "snot heads" for days.  I'll bet we have gone through 10 boxes of tissues since school started.  Steve and I went out to supper at the Red Barn.  He was hungry for their pork tenderloin over bread and mashed potatoes and gravy.  This plate reminds me of a hot beef sandwich.  He actually ate a great supper.  He tried not to over eat.  For the next several days, he will not eat much.

He took a shower.  This really wears him out.  He is back in bed to rest.  We are going to watch a show about the Little Big Horn on History International Channel.  It starts at 7, so I hope we can make it through the whole show.  I am going to do my best.

Steve has been getting some really nice card.  He sure appreciates all the nice thoughts and prayers.

Much appreciated and needed helpers

Today, Grandma, Grandpa, and Mike came to work in our yard.  They cut down a cedar tree in the front yard.  They lowered and straightened our martin house and pole.  Grandma cleaned my big front windows.  I told her that now when the sunlight can come in, I can see all the dust and dirt.  :) We really appreciate them.  Mike is on vacation this week.  That is how he was able to help.  Steve rested this morning.  They came after lunch.  He was out with them for a little while and then had to go inside to rest.  He was resting when I got home from school.  He and Aubree were watching Monster Quest on the History Channel.  Steve did not really feel well.  He did get up to eat Hamburger Helper for supper.  I had my own Hamburger Helper, Aubree, help me fix our supper.  She also helped make the tuna salad for lunch tomorrow.  After supper, Steve went to rest.  He is resting now while we are watching History International's show about the 7 deadly seas.

After her bath, Aubree and I Skyped Kay this evening.  If you don't know about Skype, it is worth checking out.  It allows you to video conference with anyone that has a computer and camera.  It reminds me of the Jetsons.  It is kind of a futuristic idea.  We love it.  We Skype Elizabeth and Kay.  It is nice to see them when we are talking to them.  It is also nice because they can show you things and you can show them things.  Kay has introduced me to several of her friends this way.  It is nice to put a face with a name and stories.  I think it makes them being away much easier since we can see them when we talk.  Skype is a free service and easily downloaded.  Steve gets into the Skyping too.  I think Steve will rest well tonight.  I will suggest to him tomorrow to rest again.  He needs to be fresh for his chemo this week.

It is kind of strange, Steve has a rash on his legs--from the knee down, even on his feet.  It does not itch and does not seem to be spreading.  We are going to ask about it when we visit Dr. Hoos' office.  We are also going to ask about flu shots.  Amelia and I need to get one if possible since we work at schools.  I am not sure it is safe to get the shots if it gives you a little case of the flu.  Steve can't be exposed to things like that now.  He has been doing so well, I would hate to purposely introduce something that could make him sick.  It is hard enough recovering from each treatment without giving him the flu.  So far this year, my kids are only fighting allergies.  I have heard that there are several viruses going around.  It has not hit 6th grade at Mt. Vernon yet.

Since we have been watching television this evening, there has been several commercials about the Hoover Floormate.  I am curious if it is as good as they commercial claims.  I am always looking for ways to keep our hardwoods clean.  It is a very difficult task with the dog and our feet.  It seems that it is only clean for an hour or two before it is sloppy again.  It is a good thing I don't feel like I have to live in the perfect magazine home.  I think that would be great, but it is very unrealistic for us.  We have a cozy lived in house.  I think that is best.

Atlanta

Just wanted to let you know that Atlanta is still the "airport from hell".  Eizabeth was supposed to fly out of Atlanta to Fayetteville at 9:15.  She did not leave Atlanta until after 12 a.m.  That place is a mess.  That ment she got home around 3:00 a.m. her time and had been at airports since 2:00 pm yesterday.  It was a looooong day for her.  She did text me when she got to Fayetteville.  I, of course, did not reply.  I tried to wake up Steve to tell him, but he was still out cold.

Busy, busy Monday

Trying to get back to normal after a really busy weekend.  I'm not really sure what normal is for us anymore.  Our lives seem to change from minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day.  So, I guess normal is just a state of mind at our house.

Today we took Elizabeth to the Springfield International Airport so she could fly back to Fayetteville, NC.  Of course, nothing is as easy as we would like.  Her flight out of Springfield was delayed one hour.  This put her in Atlanta at 6:57p.m. and her flight from Atlanta left at 7:16 p.m.  IMPOSSIBLE!  We talked with the guy behind the Delta desk and he arranged a seat for her on the 9:15 p.m. flight to Fayetteville if she did not make the 7:16 connection.  She called from Atlanta, and she did not make the connection...surprise, surprise.  Atlanta in Steve's words is "the airport from hell".  He thinks this because he went to visit Elizabeth before he got sick and got stuck over night in the Atlanta airport.  They couldn't leave the security area and had to sleep on the hard chairs.  They didn't even offer them blankets.  He hates Atlanta airport.  Elizabeth will be arriving home around midnight.  She is going to text me to let me know she made it.  I told her not to expect a reply at that hour.  :)  We already miss her.  She will be home for good in the next 6 months or so.  The Army has not committed to her discharge yet, but it is coming.  I'll keep you posted.

Today we also went to see Dr. P.  We have not seen him for a month.  Our appointment was 3:45 and we were out of the office by 4:15.  He walked into the office, looked at Steve's incision, gave us a new prescription for his pain medicine, said see you in 3 months and was gone.  This is a slight exaggeration, but you get the point.  He did ask about Steve's last scan.  He too seemed pleased with Steve's progress:  inside and out.  He said his incision would heal much faster as soon as the chemo was over.  He was impressed with Steve's nurse---me.  Don't be overly impressed.  It is not that difficult to do a wet to dry bandage.  Steve's incision is really only an inch or so long and only about a centimeter or so deep.  I am really pleased with how he is healing and how his scar looks.  He won't let me post a picture because he thinks it looks gross.  We were really pleased that we don't have to go back to Dr. P's until December.  This is a major accomplishment for us. WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

After the appointment, we went to dinner at Steak and Shake.  It really hit the spot.  banana/chocolate shakes are the best.  Steven loves their strawberry malts. He ordered a pepper jack burger, and I ordered their blue cheese burger.  Yummy. Even before our dinner arrived, Steve was saying that he was about to fall asleep.  We ate and left.  He was out before we got on James River.  As soon as we got home, he was off to bed.  He is out cold.  I don't expect him to wake up tonight.  He is really worn out from his wild weekend of alpacas and Elizabeth.  I am hoping that he is not overly tired when he goes to his next chemo.  My guess is he will rest most of the day tomorrow.  That is the best thing for him.

Good news, according to the USA Today poll, Missouri is #23.  MIZ-ZOU.  Pretty exciting stuff.  I have already told Steve that we are watching a lot of college football this weekend.  I believe it is the Red River Shootout.  It will be a good weekend for this because he will not feel like getting out of the house.

MIZZOU and Alpacas

It is not Sunday morning, and I am back home.  I had a wonderful time visiting Koleen.  It amazes me how much the campus has changed since fall of 81.  I guess, it just shows, I am getting old.  We went to the bookstore, saw her room, walked to Hearnes to watch the band and then saw the new student center.  While we were at the stadium, we saw Brett Jones.  He is one of my favorite young men. His folks raised him right.  He was all smiles and passed out hugs when we saw him.  It was so nice to see him.  Seeing him and Koleen together reminded me of when I first came to Mt. Vernon and Koleen was in 5th grade and and Brett was in 6th.  My time flies.  After walking back to Hudson, we went to a great place called Jazz.  It was cajun food.  I loved it and now have a new favorite place in Columbia.  I had a pasta dish with crawfish and cajun sausage.  YUMMY, YUMMY.  I would eat there once a week if it was here in Mt. Vernon.  I left after our late lunch and got home about 9:00 last night.  I am tired today, but it was worth it.  I had a great time.  I sure miss Kay.

While I was gone, the girls and Steve went crazy.  They went to the alpaca event and had a good time.

 They saw Jane and Aunt Pearl.  They were down for the weekend.  Steve said they had a wonderful visit.  They ate lunch at Grandma's.  They ran other errands and went past the place where they ride and sell the Powerchutes.  Steve loves those things and would really like to own one.  He used to fly planes and really misses that.  Since his lungs are messed up.  He will not be able to fly commercially for a long time.  I think a Powerchute would be a great thing for him to have once he feels better.  Dale Schnelle had one, but I am unsure if he still does.  I am afraid that if he got a chute, Steve would be off into the wild blue yonder everyday.  No telling where I he would end up.  He can be very adventurous at times.

I am not sure what the plans are for today except supper at Grandma's.  Aubree just got back from Cody's and is going to spend the day with us.  It is always nice of Cody to rearrange his weekend to accommodate Amelia.  Elizabeth leaves late tomorrow afternoon.

We have an appointment with Dr. P tomorrow afternoon to check out his incision.  I think he is going to be pleased with his improvement.

Special Visitor/Parent's Weekend

Some exciting news and a very exciting day for us.  To our surprise, Elizabeth came for a long weekend visit.  She flew into Springfield this morning, and Amelia went to get her.  She came to the house and really surprised Steve.  It was pretty funny.  First, Aubree walked into the bedroom and said hello, then Amelia walked in and said hello, then Elizabeth walked in and said hello.  Steve just stared at her like he didn't recognize her.  I think he was out of it because he had been napping and was not quite awake.  After he realized who it was, he was soooooo excited.  He just couldn't get over that we had pulled off the secret and he didn't know she was coming.  I guess it just goes to show that we are pretty good fibbers when we need to be.  They are going to have a good time together.  They already went on a little excursion after lunch and did some errands.  When I talked to Steve tonight, they were watching....you guessed it, Friday night....Man, Woman, Wild.  I guess the season finale is on.  The girls are going to the Corn Maze later.  Tomorrow they are going to go to an alpaca thing in Freistatt that one of Grandma and Grandpa's friends are doing.  I don't know all the details except it is at the old Brockschmidt's place on Hwy H.  I am sure that they will all be alpaca experts after tomorrow.  I will encourage them to take pictures that I can post when I get home Sunday.  I can't wait to learn about the furry things.

I am in Jefferson City with Dwight and Mel.  I arrived around 5 and we went to Columbia to eat at Chili's and surprised Koleen.  We requested her station and we waited on us.  She is a very good waitress.   My only concern was when I gave her the money for the bill, she kept all the change.  Do you think that is because I was her mother and she thought she could make a fast buck or two?  :)   We had the avocado burgers, and boy they were good.  I really enjoyed seeing her.  It makes me realize how much I really do miss her.  I am spending the day with her in Columbia tomorrow.  I have my camera, so hopefully, I will get some pictures to post tomorrow night.  I am going to call it an early night because I can, and I will not be bothered by a husband, dog, or anything else.  Call me lucky, lucky, lucky.

Another Hump Hump Hump day

Here it is Wednesday again.  We only have a couple more days left of this week.  It is hard to believe that it is September 22.  Wow, time sure flies.  Steve had a really good day today.  He was feeling probably the best he has since his last chemo.  I think it was the Swamp People marathon we watched last night.  :)  That is enough to make anyone feel great.  We went to Hog Wild for dinner tonight.  Steve had their chicken nachos.  He really likes those.  I love their sweet tea.  As I look back, it seems like we sure eat out a lot.  I didn't realize this.  I use the excuse that what Steve wants to eat, we go eat.  I must confess that this is only partly true.  Since I messed up my knee.  I am tired at the end of the day, and Steve is nice and wants to go out to eat so I don't have to mess with any of it.  I am hoping that Steve has started the good week before his chemo next week.  He looks better and has some color in his cheeks.  This is always a good sign.

It is parents weekend at Mizzou this weekend.  I believe I will journey north to visit Kay.  I am unsure when I will go because I am trying to work around her schedule and mine .  I am excited since I have not seen her in a while.  I am also excited to see her dorm room and just spend some time with her.  I will stay the night with our friends, Mel and Dwight, in Jefferson City.  I am hoping that I can work in a dinner at Madison's....my all-time favorite place to eat.  I love their steak with crabmeat and blue cheese.  It is to die for.  Keep your fingers crossed that I get to work that in.  If I make it to Columbia, I'll try to post from there.  Maybe I can even get some pictures of campus and Kay.

Tuesday's Afternoon Walk

It was a good day here.  Today Steve was feeling better.  He got up and walked down the driveway with Samurai to check the mail.  He said he would have gone farther except sometimes Samurai gets excited and pulls on his leash.  This was great for him to walk this distance.  I am very proud of him.  It is just the beginning.  After dinner, Steve made root beer floats for Aubree and himself.  They sure love their floats.  Nothing beats A & W Root Beer.  Aubree hung out with us for a while tonight while Amelia did some homework.  I have a new program on the Ipad that is like a chalkboard.  We practiced our words, letters and everyone's name.  She is doing great.  Now we are watching Swamp People on the History Channel.  Boy, I'm not sure that I would be a good gator hunter.  I'm not sure how much sport it is.  Plus, I don't think I would be comfortable with all the bugs there.  I am not a big mosquito fan.  Steve is not a fan either, but let me tell you this, if there is a bug within 10 miles it will hunt him down and bite him.  There have been many times when we have been out and Steve is the only person that has bites.  The rest of us are bite free.  I'm not sure if he is sweet or we are rotten.  :)

Beginning Another Week

We had a good day.  We got up and went to church.  I knew it was going to be a tough service for me when the Epistle lesson was 1 Timothy 2:1-15.  Incase you don't know this set of passages, I will quote them:  11)"Let woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12) I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet".  It did not help matters that when he was reading this part, Steve was poking me in the ribs smiling and whispering,"That's the way it should be."  He was lucky we were in church.  I'm glad Pastor did not choose that as his sermon topic.  His focus was about loving God.  Boy, it was a loooooooong sermon.  I must admit, I was barely hanging on when he finally said Amen.  We went through "herd" communion.  I call it this because they "herd" us in a line at the front of church to receive the wafer and wine, and then we turn around and return to our seats.  We leave after communion because it is really tough on Steve to sit through that much church.  Today he tried to make it without a pillow.  Big mistake.   He was uncomfortable before we finished the opening hymn.  The choir sang and did an excellent job.  It was a really upbeat song and had the congregation tapping its feet. Amelia and Aubree went with us.  Aubree did a great job.

After church, we went to Grandma's for lunch.  It was good, as usual.  Ethel came over and ate with us.  After dinner, we stayed for a short visit and then went home for a much needed nap.  I feel refreshed and ready to tackle the new week.

Steve grilled steaks for dinner tonight.  I got the charcoal ready and he did the rest.  The steaks were delicious, but he did not get to enjoy them.  The grilling wore him out.  After about three bites, he had to go to the bedroom to rest.  As I write, he is already a sleep.  He just over does it because he want to be active.  I know it breaks his heart when he can't do things he wants to do.  I tell him not to worry.  His job is to get better and the rest will come.  I tell him that he is doing a great job at getting well.  The doctor gave us a good report, so we know Steve and God are doing what it takes to get him well.  Once we quit zapping him every 21 days, he will recover and be ready to take on the world. We just have to remember that God's time is not necessarily our time.  It is a hard lesson to learn.

My knee is doing better.  I did not use my crutches at all this weekend.  It is a little sore, but not because of that.  Sometimes, if I am not paying attention, I twist it the wrong way and bam, sharp pain.  I will keep the brace on for a while longer.  I just feel more stable with it keeping my knee in line.  I will use the cart at school to go to the office and such at the end of the day.  During the day, I think I will walk to get a little exercise.  Thanks for all the prayers and warm thoughts.

Calgon Take Me Away

It is Saturday evening, and we are watching college football:  Auburn and Clemson right now.  Aubree would like to post a little note to you:  op98iutrwqavcsdam  m0iiiioooooooooooooiiiiiiiuq  aubree (It says "I love you" and she signed her name.)  

It has been quite an evening here.  While we were watching the game, Aubree was on the computer playing a Curious George game.  It was a painting game.  Aubree was playing, and Opa thought she should be coloring the pictures one way, and she wanted color it another way.  The battle of the "Bullheads" began.  Opa would suggest, and Aubree would do just the opposite.  She wanted to paint all the picture black, and he thought she should use colors.  Opa started to call her "Dark Vader" and doing the breathing sounds.  This upset her and she started getting mad at him.  It was like I was stuck with two little kids.  Opa kept saying, "You're killing me, Smalls".  Aubree kept saying, "Chicken butt".  This was when I thought a nice long bath would do the trick.  I realize this is a dream because if I get in the tub, I will have a 3 year old and an Akita sitting right there keeping me company...just what I need.

 

Friday Night Lights Out

I am proud to report that Grandpa and Steve got the blades on the mower.  I am unsure how long it took, but by the looks of Steve, it took awhile.  When I called on my way home, Steve was resting.  Since I made it home at 4, he has been out.  I know the bending and the physical things involved with this project really zapped him.  I am not sure he is going to eat dinner.  It is 7:30, and he does not have enough energy to take his pills let alone eat.  I am sure he will sleep most of the night.  The KU-Southern Mississippi game is on ESPN.  I am watching while I am writing.

Aubree is spending the night with Grandma and Grandpa.  She was really excited when she left this evening.  Aubree got her book order books today.  We sat and read the Dora's Birthday one.  She had a note in her backpack that the class got 30 free books with this order.  I am very impressed.  That's a lot of free books.

I stand corrected. It is now 8:00, and Steve is now awake and wants supper.  He is having, can you guess?  Ramen noodles.  Surprise, surprise, surprise.  I shouldn't poke fun, but sometimes a gals got to do what a gals got to do.

Pictures Aubree wants to share with you

Today has been an ok day.  Steve is still pretty tired.  I was unable to come home today at lunch so he had to fix his own lunch and take care of the dog.  I am sure that wore him out.  He is next to me in bed watching (with his eyes closed) North Carolina State beat Cincinnati.  He ate a great dinner and even helped clear the table.  After school, I went to the store, and he helped me unload the car.  I am very proud of him for doing these things.  I know how it wears him out.  Tomorrow, I believe Grandpa is coming over while Grandma gets her hair cut.  The "boys" are going to try to change the blades on the lawn mower.  A week or so ago while Amelia was mowing, the blades came off and were destroyed.  I hope they can manage this task. It is a very difficult task even when he was feeling well.  I told him if it was to difficult for them, not to worry.  I don't want either one of them over doing it.  I think they should watch the Price is Right and forget about the blades.  We shall see.

I have a few pictures that I promised Aubree that I would post.

Blue teeth. RAAAAAAAAA!

Look at my blue tongue.

  Sonic Ocean Water slushy.  Aubree sure loves those.  Her favorite part is the blue tongue.  Yucky!

I love you, Oma. 

Aubree's pictures of her family.  Some of you might notice how great Opa looks and others might notice the gray in my hair.  :)  Aubree is a great little artist, and she is very proud of her artwork.  We think she has captured our souls in these pictures.  She is really enjoying preschool.  She is learning how to write her name.  The color this month is red.  They have learned circles the number one.  She has her face on a space girl that is posted by the door to the preschool.  She got this because she can sing the "ABC Song".  She sure has a big smile on her face when she shares her work with us.  She just giggles.  

A happy birthday wish to Dot.  Have fun sweetheart and be careful.  Y

Hump Day

This week has had a big hump for me. I am almost over it and can focus on my fun things in life. 

Steve has had a good week.  He spent Mon. and Tues. with Grandma and Grandpa.  They love to baby him and he really likes it too.  Grandma fixes whatever he wants for lunch...when he doesn't want to eat Ramen.  He has been feeling alright.  He has been tired in the evenings and has not really felt like doing much.  He needs his rest.  I think the good report from the Dr. has given him hope and helped him keep his positive attitude. 

We babysat last night while Amelia ran to Springfield.  Aubree is such a joy in our lives.  She played slots with us last night and we won big bucks for college...if only it were real money.  I am justifying this activity because it helps her with her numbers.  We are learning them based on our bet and our winnings.  See this is the teacher in me or is it a quilty conscience and I feel bad about letting my 3 year old granddaughter gamble.  She loves it and gets so excited when the bells go off telling us we have won.  It is amazing, she gets just as excited with a 3 dollar win as a 300 dollar win.  Oh to be young again. 

The rest of our week should be uneventful, which is good.

Monday Afternoon

I must confess that after a totally lazy day on Sunday, I was exhausted and could not blog last night.  All is well with us.  We had a great weekend.  Steve was more active this weekend than he has been in the past at this time in a chemo treatment. 

I'll write more tonight.

Super Saturday

What do you think of the new home page picture.  I love it.  I just discovered how to may it stay there every time.  Opa is sure lucky to have his Aubree.

I must apologize for not posting sooner.  Last night I was mush and went to sleep early.  Today, I thought I would wait until maybe something exciting happened, or it was close to evening.  You decide which one it is.  :)

Steve had an uneventful Friday, which is good.  He spent it at Doss Freistatt Daycare.  He loves going there.  Grandma babies him, and he eats it up.  I think he slept a lot but also he talked on the phone.  Tim called and Merle called so he got to visit with them.  I picked him up about 4.  We stopped by El Marichi and got some chips, salsa, cheese dip, and guacamole.  That was my dinner and he munched on it after he ate his two burritos.  After that, if was off for a nap until Kyle's game came on the radio.  I did not go because I thought with this knee, I wouldn't make it from the parking spot to the stadium let alone up the bleachers.  We listened for the first quarter and then the radio was so staticey that you could not understand a word.  Steve says that happens every game.  I think if a station advertises that it is the "Voice of the Cubs" everyone should be able to hear that voice.  We know it is not our radio because it has happened to Grandpa several times too.  Unfortunately, the Cubbies were defeated by Nixa.  Cubbies, just remember that next Friday is another game.  During the time we listened, we heard Kyle's name 3 times.  Way to go Kyle!!!!!  Steve had a fitful night because he slept so much yesterday.  That happens sometimes when he rests all day; he can't sleep at night.

I had a good day Friday.  I have been teaching from my desk.  I just had the kids turn their desks around.  I don't mind, and the kids don't seem to mind either.  My leg was really sore Friday morning.  I knew it would be since I did not put it up at all on Thursday.  Right now, it is doing ok.  The pain is not unbearable and is more a nuisance than anything.  Mitzi K did an excellent job subbing for me on Thurs.  Thanks a million, Mitzi.

Today I went to coffee.  The girls and I solved all the problems with education today.  It is a shame no one really listens to us.  I would not be surprised if combined we didn't have over 100 years teaching experience.  Of course, we know how to fix the broken mess.  Just ask us.

This afternoon, Steve has been in and out of napville and watching the football games.  I personally love Saturdays during college football season.   Amelia played a volleyball tournament in town.  The team did not do so well, but she said she had fun, and that is all that really matters.  It was some fundraiser activity.  We talked with Elizabeth, and all is well with her.  She is very faithful about calling Steve daily.  Koleen is at the MU football game.  She sells beads for Chili's--some sort of fundraising thing.  I don't really understand.  After selling beads, she will get to go enjoy the game.  Last week, several of her friends had playing time.  GO TIGERS!!!!!!

Oh, something really cool.  I did some research concerning Pea Goulash.  During the months of July and August, there were over 500 hits a month. I was in shock when I saw those numbers.  I am also very proud that you take the time to check up on the Doss soap opera:  Pea Goulash.  Thanks a million.  Once again, Steve and I would be lost without our friends and family.  We love you!!!!!

Chemo V

Our lab appoint was for 8:40.  We arrived in the pouring rain.  Steve dropped Grandma and me off at the front door since I couldn't really hustle in the rain.  He took the umbrella and made it inside only a little wet.  After labs, we had an appointment with Dr. Hoos about 9:40.  He came in and told us that all Steve's blood work looked good.  He also thought Steve looked good.  We found the results of his scan.  The chemo is doing its job.  His lymph nodes are getting smaller and the cancer is shrinking.  Steve will take 2 more treatments:  chemo 6 and chemo 7 using the same medicines.  We must have misunderstood that there was a limit on how many of these types of treatments you can take.  We thought the limit was 6 so we were surprised when he told us he would at least have 7.  He said that since the medicine was doing the job, we would be foolish to change.  He said there was another medicine that they use but it is not as effective and more toxic.  We agreed that saying on the course we are on would be best.  Dr. Hoos seemed very happy with Steve's progress.  This was great new!  You really can't imagine what has been going through our minds since the scan was taken.  After chemo 7, he will have another scan and we will evaluate his progress.  Steve had a great attitude about this.  I know he was disappointed that he would have to do at least two more treatments, but was very proud of the fact that he is getting better.  It sure was a relief for him to hear the good news.

Today's chemo seemed so long.  We didn't get into the Infusion Lab until 11.  We did not finish until 4.  Grandma and I went to the Whiteside Building for lunch in their cafeteria.  Grandma pushed me in a wheelchair.  It was all inside through a secret tunnel.  We had chicken strips and potatoes.   Steven was not hungry so he ate some grapes, and orange, and some pineapple.  He was disappointed that they did not have his favorite apples in a bag.  He really loves those little things.  This is two times in a row that they have been out.  Steven slept most of the day while Grandma and I read and looked up an artist that we saw in a magazine.

I did fine with the knee.  It is a little sore from not being propped up all day, but I will live.

Steve is now resting while dinner is cooking.  The treatment really wears him out, plus they give him some allergy medicine that makes him tired.  This keeps him from having a reaction to the chemo drugs.

We want to thank everyone for keeping us in their hearts and praying for us.  God worked a miracle with Steve's healing.  We are thankful for our friends and family.  We could not ask for better blessings!

Taverniers to the Rescue

We had an exhausting day.  We slept most of the morning then ate a brunch and then went back to bed.  You would not believe how tired we are.  At about 1:45, I went to the doctor to get an x-ray.  Luckily, there is no bone damage.  I am now in a beautiful knee brace.  It is a lovely black and is so attractive on my leg.  Actually, it is helping already. My knee does not have the constant pain, which is good.  I can start putting a little weight on my left leg when it gets to feeling better.  When the pain is gone, I will be able to get rid of the crutches.  That will be a blessing.   I am a total klutz on those things not to mention, it really wears me out to even go from one end of the house to the other.  This is where Tom and Lorene Tavernier step in to be my heros.  They brought me a little scooter to use at school.  I am so thankful for them and the scooter.  Hopefully, I will not crash and burn in the halls at the middle school.  Luckily, there are safety wheels on the back so I won't flip if I do wheelies  :)

Steve drove to Springfield to Bach Medical Supply.  That is very good for him.  He also drove home even though he was tired.  Sometimes he is pretty bullheaded.  I won't say it is the German in him because I don't want to insult some of my readers, but we know it is true.  He promised me that he would rest tomorrow since chemo is Thursday.  Grandma is going to go with us on Thursday.  I might have a difficult time with lunch and maneuvering around the hallways.  This made Steve feel better.  He worries about me.  We meet with Dr. Hoos at 9:40 to go over the CAT scan results.  Thank God the wondering will be over.

Amelia is making dinner tonight.  She is making lasagna, garlic bread, corn, salad and root beer floats for dessert.  We are thankful that Amelia is stepping up to help us in our time of need.

Two Down

Well, we had an interesting Labor Day.  Steve is feeling good.  He helped spread more mulch and trim a couple of bushes.  Grandma and Grandpa came to help too.  Grandma brought a chicken and rice soup for lunch.  She also make a strawberry cheesecake dessert and chocolate chip cookies.  Yummy, yummy.  They sure do take good care of us.  After they left, we took a nap.  I took some pain medicine and had a great nap.  Steve and Amelia went to the store this eve. to pick up some stuff, but they came home with more junk than anything else.  I shouldn't say that because they picked up goldfish and pretzels for me!!!! Tonight at supper, Steve's side really started shooting sharp pains.  This lasted about 15 minutes.  Now he is just uncomfortable. He is getting ready for bed.  I think all the action this weekend has made him a little tired.

I went to the doctor today about my knee.  I have to stay off it tomorrow and I will have a sub at school.  I have to go to Springfield to get a brace tomorrow.  The doctor was not exactly sure what was wrong.  He had several ideas...sprain, ligament, torn meniscus or a combination.  It is still swelled.   He moved it this way and that to test my range of movement.  I did not get an x-ray, but must go back on Wed for him to check the swelling and see if I need an MRI.  I am very lucky that Steve, Amelia and Aubree are taking care of me.  I am a little clumsy on the crutches, but I am sure I will develop a talent as time goes on.  Doctor told Steve that he was worried that I would fall...that is how bad I am on these.

Tomorrow will be a restful day here.  I will lounge around and Steve will be right in there with me.  We are sure a pitiful site.  He is worried what will happen to him after his chemo if I am having a difficult time.  I told him not to worry that I will be back in control by then.  He keeps telling me to rest or go sit down.  I say I can help and he says, "Welcome to my world.  Now you know how I feel."  I told him it was not a contest, but I think he is trying to teach me a lesson about how hard it is to not help or be a part of things.  It is really hard for me because I know there are others capable, but they may not do it my way, and we all know how important that is to a "Red".  Maybe God is reminding me that I am not in control and that I shouldn't take things for granted.  I really hate when people try to teach me lessons.  I am a very poor student!

Sunday Night

This morning, we worked out in the yard.  We needed to spread 40 bags of mulch around our trees. Working out side is very hard on him, but he insists on helping.  He was the truck driver, which meant that he drove the loaded truck from tree to tree so I could throw down the bags and dump them around the tree.  Of course, this was not enough for him and he had to be bag cutter and mulch stomper.  After about 3 tree he was worn out and his side was hurting, but being the trooper that he is, he finished, but only as the driver.  After we finished the chores, he did go inside and get sick.  I think it is just the physical exertion that is to much for him.  After his nap, he felt better.  He did take about a 4 hour nap this afternoon.

I fell today and hurt my knee.  I am not sure how bad, but I do know that I can't walk on it right now.  I was in the back of the truck and slid over the side and when I landed, my knee bent a very strange way, and I hit the ground.  I stayed there a little while trying to decide what was the matter.  I got up and it hurt a little but not enough to stop spreading mulch.  We spread 40 bags this morning.  After the mulch was spread, I came inside and iced the knee.  It felt a little better, so I took a nap.  During my nap, it got stiff, and it was a little difficult to walk when I got up.  We had to run into Monett to get some more mulch-35 bags.  While getting in the truck, my knee gave out, and I hit the ground again.  Now, it really hurts to walk.  Kaleb is running me some crutches on his way back to Springfield this eve.  Needless to say, I scared the pudding out of Steve each time I fell.  He is really worried that I hurt my knee and will be off it for a while.  I think it is just a minor thing and a few days off my feet, right..... and I should be ok.

Aubree has been a good helper this evening.  She helped me with the ice bag and the pillow under my leg.  Now she is watching Sponge Bob with Opa and me while Amelia is doing homework.  We do love Sponge Bob.  We still watch it every morning before school.  It is a little ritual that we have developed.  I fix coffee and she watches Sponge Bob, then I fix her coffee:  sweet milk, sugar, coffee and one ice cube. We snuggle if there is time.  They leave every morning about 7:00 and she gets up anywhere from 5:45 to 6:00.  

Sorry, late post

"I love my Opa!"

Well, Guys,  I am sorry that it has been a few days since I've posted.  I'll try and catch you up on what has been happening here.  To start, Steve's side has really been bothering him.  Remember, I told you about the running in the rain?  It seems that he "pulled" something on his side.  He says the normal pain is more intense than it has been.  It's been getting him down.  He did not go to Kyle's game last night because his side was bothering him.  Today we ran errands in Monett.  We had to pick up a truck load of mulch for around the trees, a new weed eater, and cleaning supplies from Lowe's and Walmart.  We got home a little after noon.  We, or really I should say I, watched the Tigers defeat Illinois.  He slept through most of it.  I had to keep it quiet because he was so tired.  That was really hard, but I only woke him twice.  After the game, I took a long long nap.  I was exhausted.  We drove around a little after we woke up because it was such a beautiful day.  After about 20 minutes, his side was bothering him again.  I think it was because the car bounces and such.  I don't notice it but he sure does.  We came home, ate, and he went to bed.  It was probably 6:30.  He has been sleeping since and it is now after 9.  I have been clanging around in the kitchen and it has not phased him.  I think he will sleep all night.  Besides his side hurting, I think he is worried about what Dr. Hoos will say on Thursday when we have our appointment before treatment five.  We will find out the results of his CAT scan then.  I think it is nerve wracking to wait over a week for the results, but I guess they must study and compare it to his past scans.  Then they must decide what course of action to take.  Please keep Steve in your prayers.

Kyle is number 56.  The picture to the right, he is the one on the right side drinking.  You can kind of see his six.  I took it so you could check out his mohawk.  Last night was another Monett game.  Grandma and I went to cheer Kyle on.  He had a good game and Steve heard his name 5 times on the radio.  I'm sorry to report that the Cubs were beaten  18-26 by Logan-Rogersville.  The LoRos are ranked 2nd in the state.  Monett made a good showing, but a fumble recovered by Logan-Rogersville and ran for a touchdown, locked the other team's victory.  Kyle make some really good tackles.  One was right in front of us and it was so thrilling to see.  I did not get a picture of it because I am not really an action photographer.  I am more of a they stand still, and I have time to find Kyle and then snap the photo.

Over doing it

Today was another day where Steve over did ituolkm0oj.  Aubree is helping me type this post.  Steve over did it.  He ran some errands again and then we had dinner at McDonalds and Aubree's Open House.  The Webb City girl's tennis team was at McDonalds ahead of us.  While we were at McD's we saw Carlie and Debbie.  Carlie plays tennis for Webb and won her double match today.  Keep up the good work!!!  During our meal, a terrible storm went through and it was pouring when we had to leave for the open house.  Steve ran to the truck and nearly tripped and fell.  This is the first time he has had to "hustle" in months. He did enjoy seeing Aubree's classroom and seeing her teacher.  Aubree had fun showing us all the things in her room.  We came home and he went straight to bed.  He said that he hurt his side running to the truck.  I think he is just plain tired and won't admit it. Hopefully he will rest tonight and be better tomorrow.

We are planning to going to see Kyle's game tomorrow night.  I'm not sure we will make it the whole game, but we want to go for as long as we can.  Steve sure felt bad that he missed Kyle's first game and really wants to see Kyle play tomorrow night.  We are very excited at being at the first home game of the year.  It is always nice to sit in the home bleachers and hear the home band.  Good luck, Kyle.

We have no plans for the weekend.  It is Labor Day and I may be laboring by cleaning the house and working a little in the yard.  I am looking forward to having a long weekend.  I would like to sneak in some crocheting and maybe a book or two.

Wainy Wednesday

We finally have our prayers answered, RAIN.  It has been pouring here since about 3o'clock this am.  WEEEEEEEE!

Last night went well.  We went to St. John's for his scan.  We thought it was an MRI since that is all they talked about at the Dr.'s office, but it turned out to be a CAT scan.  He had to drink really nasty stuff and then they injected him with idione.   We were there amost 2 hours.  Not bad.  We will not know anything about the scan until the 9th.

He is not feeling very well today.  I think it is a combination of things.  He really did over eat the other night at the Japanese steak house and has not been hungry since.  He also wore himself out yesterday running around town.  If you give them the rope, they will hang themselves.  He ran to see a friend at a nursing home, up to Miller to visit a gun store and then to Springfield.  He always does so much when he feel well, that he eventually wears out.  Today he is planning on going to Monett for a funeral of a friend's father.  With the rain, walk, and fatigue I am guessing I will get a call from the Sheriff's department that he is sleeping in the parking lot or on the side of the road.  I think he will be exhausted by the end of today.  We shall see.