Posted for Sheri...
Hi All,
As I write this, I am sitting at Virginia Mason Hospital with Wally as he receives his chemo. I decided I would wait to update you once we received the results from his CT scan, chest x-ray and blood work which he had done yesterday.
The good news is that it looks as if the tumor has shrunk! The doctor said that they had a hard time getting a good picture of it but from what they could tell, they believe it went from 30mm to 16mm (if I have my measurements correct). All of his numbers look good so they are calling him stable – I, of course, might argue that statement :) The only negative thing that was said was that there might be a few more sites on his abdominal wall but the doctor didn’t seem too concerned with that and was actually quite pleased with his progress.
He feels more tired these days, especially the first week after his chemo. This is very common with the other patients undergoing this treatment. It sounds like the accumulation of the chemo just starts to tire you for a longer period of time. He thinks he’s being lazy because he’s so used to going, going, going and has a hard time taking it easy. Of course with the schedule we have been keeping, I’m exhausted too and I’m the healthy one! Within the last 2 months, he’s been to Atlanta, California twice and will be leaving Sunday to go to Baltimore for the yearly Sleep Show! Then we are off cruising with the family and friends on June 20th and a 4th of July party to prepare for when we get home, not to mention the many home improvement projects he has planned for the summer – yes, we did just build a NEW home.
He has learned how to actually read a book cover to cover and enjoy it – he was always a ‘skimmer’. Although please make a mental note that he is not reading a book that has actual paper pages, he had to find some electronic gadget which he can download the books onto. I can see it in his mind that he is already making changes to this gadget and is sure it can be improved upon. Therefore, Reed already has dibs on this latest gadget knowing full well that Wally will get the new version as soon as it hits the shelves!
Wally and I have always been planners for our future together and yet the scripture from James 4:13-15 keeps coming to my mind and reminding us how we should really be living day to day. “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
We are thankful for all of you and continue to covet your prayers as we continue to live day by day in a way that would please our Lord.
Until next time,
Sheri
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Man Cave, Flying & Home Theater
Posted for Sheri...
Hi Everyone,
I figured since there have been so many phone calls wondering how Wally was doing, I thought I better get on the ball and update this blog.
Well, you can't keep Wally down, especially when he had an offer to go to sunny Las Vegas for a few days with a friend. He had a great time seeing shows, eating and taking a ride over to Hoover Dam in a convertible in the SUN! (Yes, I'm jealous!) He has been actually feeling exceptionally well these days so if you see him in person and ask how he is doing, he will probably flash you his T-shirt which he got from the Las Vegas show of "Spamalot". It reads, "I'm Not Dead Yet".
God has been truly gracious to him since he really hasn't had too hard of a time with his chemo these last 3 times. He had his CT scan, x-ray, and blood draws last week and was very relieved to hear that all looked good. The cancer has not spread and the tumor has not grown so he has stayed stable and can continue with the treatment.
We have hit the six month mark. I can't figure out if it feels like forever or just yesterday that he was diagnosed with cancer. I suppose it depends on the day. He has six more months to go with this particular treatment and then the doctor and Wally will evaluate the situation and come up with some sort of maintenance plan.
Wally finally gave in and had a port put into his chest last Thursday so that the nurses can more readily administer the chemo and draw blood without having to continue to stick the veins in his arm. We'll see how it works in a few days when he goes in for his next treatment.
He continues to stay busy with projects such as our wine cellar (or man cave, dungeon, retreat - it has many names), figuring out where to put a garage, contemplating flying lessons - yes, FLYING, as in an airplane, still involved with Sleep-X, many lunches with the guys (more than any women I know), updating our entertainment room (we've been here almost 2 years so it was obviously very technologically outdated - I'm still trying to figure out how to use the old remote controls!).
I still make Wally drink his "cancer" tea which I'm sure he does strictly to appease me or he just doesn't want to hear me nag at him:) He is very much at peace with this trial God has placed before him and his latest favorite verse which brings him much peace is from Matthew 6:27 "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" He continues to be joyful as he lives the life God has given him and desires to serve Him in whatever capacity that may be.
Thank you all again for your prayers, emails, phone calls, cards, visits, etc. We both appreciate them so very much.
Until next time,
Sheri
Hi Everyone,
I figured since there have been so many phone calls wondering how Wally was doing, I thought I better get on the ball and update this blog.
Well, you can't keep Wally down, especially when he had an offer to go to sunny Las Vegas for a few days with a friend. He had a great time seeing shows, eating and taking a ride over to Hoover Dam in a convertible in the SUN! (Yes, I'm jealous!) He has been actually feeling exceptionally well these days so if you see him in person and ask how he is doing, he will probably flash you his T-shirt which he got from the Las Vegas show of "Spamalot". It reads, "I'm Not Dead Yet".
God has been truly gracious to him since he really hasn't had too hard of a time with his chemo these last 3 times. He had his CT scan, x-ray, and blood draws last week and was very relieved to hear that all looked good. The cancer has not spread and the tumor has not grown so he has stayed stable and can continue with the treatment.
We have hit the six month mark. I can't figure out if it feels like forever or just yesterday that he was diagnosed with cancer. I suppose it depends on the day. He has six more months to go with this particular treatment and then the doctor and Wally will evaluate the situation and come up with some sort of maintenance plan.
Wally finally gave in and had a port put into his chest last Thursday so that the nurses can more readily administer the chemo and draw blood without having to continue to stick the veins in his arm. We'll see how it works in a few days when he goes in for his next treatment.
He continues to stay busy with projects such as our wine cellar (or man cave, dungeon, retreat - it has many names), figuring out where to put a garage, contemplating flying lessons - yes, FLYING, as in an airplane, still involved with Sleep-X, many lunches with the guys (more than any women I know), updating our entertainment room (we've been here almost 2 years so it was obviously very technologically outdated - I'm still trying to figure out how to use the old remote controls!).
I still make Wally drink his "cancer" tea which I'm sure he does strictly to appease me or he just doesn't want to hear me nag at him:) He is very much at peace with this trial God has placed before him and his latest favorite verse which brings him much peace is from Matthew 6:27 "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" He continues to be joyful as he lives the life God has given him and desires to serve Him in whatever capacity that may be.
Thank you all again for your prayers, emails, phone calls, cards, visits, etc. We both appreciate them so very much.
Until next time,
Sheri
Monday, March 3, 2008
Good News
Posted for Sheri...
Hi Everyone,
Yes, I know I have been lax in keeping you updated. Just remember that no news is good news! Wally's chemo session on Feb 14 - Valentines Day, was "sweet". (Sorry for the pun) He was a little fearful that it was going to be a difficult treatment but it went very smooth and he was able to sleep. His red blood cell count was up to 35 and his CT scan and X-ray all looked good. He actually only experienced "chemo flu" for about a day and a half! He has been experiencing a little more pain in his stomach, hence the discovery of "Vicodin". Wally is not much of a drug man so when I mentioned that it is addictive, he decided that maybe he should only take it when absolutely necessary, not a few here and a few there for precautionary measures!
His chemo session on the 28th also went extremely smooth. We were in and out of the hospital in record time - 5 1/2 hours! I was a little concerned since he was flying out to Washington DC on Sunday for business and he usually gets hit with the "chemo flu" on Saturday but I spoke with him tonight and he hasn't been hit with it at all! Prayers are definitely being answered.
He continues to be "Project Man" and always has something brewing in his head. I continue to try and keep up with him but he seems to always be ahead of me by several steps.
We are learning how to schedule our time and food around his chemo. We save the fun things and the good, flavorful food for the week after chemo.
Please continue to keep him and our family in your prayers.
Sheri
Hi Everyone,
Yes, I know I have been lax in keeping you updated. Just remember that no news is good news! Wally's chemo session on Feb 14 - Valentines Day, was "sweet". (Sorry for the pun) He was a little fearful that it was going to be a difficult treatment but it went very smooth and he was able to sleep. His red blood cell count was up to 35 and his CT scan and X-ray all looked good. He actually only experienced "chemo flu" for about a day and a half! He has been experiencing a little more pain in his stomach, hence the discovery of "Vicodin". Wally is not much of a drug man so when I mentioned that it is addictive, he decided that maybe he should only take it when absolutely necessary, not a few here and a few there for precautionary measures!
His chemo session on the 28th also went extremely smooth. We were in and out of the hospital in record time - 5 1/2 hours! I was a little concerned since he was flying out to Washington DC on Sunday for business and he usually gets hit with the "chemo flu" on Saturday but I spoke with him tonight and he hasn't been hit with it at all! Prayers are definitely being answered.
He continues to be "Project Man" and always has something brewing in his head. I continue to try and keep up with him but he seems to always be ahead of me by several steps.
We are learning how to schedule our time and food around his chemo. We save the fun things and the good, flavorful food for the week after chemo.
Please continue to keep him and our family in your prayers.
Sheri
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Jackhammers and wine
Posted for Sheri...
Hi Everyone,
Just a quick update on Wally's latest chemo session last Thursday. First, we are very thankful that his liver function numbers are back to normal due to the new stent. Secondly, his red blood cell count is on the rise - yeah! He is now at 32, up 4 points from the week before. Normal levels for a man are between 39 and 50. The chemo session itself was pretty uneventful. Again we were there for a little over 6 hours while he had a full treatment. He hadn't had a full dose since December 20th due to high liver function numbers or being admitted to the hospital for his stent replacement. Unfortunately, this last session was probably his most difficult. "Chemo flu" set in a little earlier than normal and knocked him off of his feet. He still tries to keep busy and I still keep trying to tell him to relax a little. He is in the process of working on the wine cellar, or man-cave as some like to call it (thankfully we have others to do the hard messy stuff especially since I put my foot down on the jack-hammering!). We also met with a naturopath at the hospital who gave us some good guidelines and advice on what things his body needs at this time. I am now juicing kale and carrots and mixing it with organic apple juice which he definitely prefers over beet juice:) Please continue to pray for his health. We are thankful that he has been sustained this far without too much pain.
Until next time,
Sheri
Hi Everyone,
Just a quick update on Wally's latest chemo session last Thursday. First, we are very thankful that his liver function numbers are back to normal due to the new stent. Secondly, his red blood cell count is on the rise - yeah! He is now at 32, up 4 points from the week before. Normal levels for a man are between 39 and 50. The chemo session itself was pretty uneventful. Again we were there for a little over 6 hours while he had a full treatment. He hadn't had a full dose since December 20th due to high liver function numbers or being admitted to the hospital for his stent replacement. Unfortunately, this last session was probably his most difficult. "Chemo flu" set in a little earlier than normal and knocked him off of his feet. He still tries to keep busy and I still keep trying to tell him to relax a little. He is in the process of working on the wine cellar, or man-cave as some like to call it (thankfully we have others to do the hard messy stuff especially since I put my foot down on the jack-hammering!). We also met with a naturopath at the hospital who gave us some good guidelines and advice on what things his body needs at this time. I am now juicing kale and carrots and mixing it with organic apple juice which he definitely prefers over beet juice:) Please continue to pray for his health. We are thankful that he has been sustained this far without too much pain.
Until next time,
Sheri
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Posted for Sheri...
Hi All,
Just thought I would give you a quick update on what is going on with Wally. As you know, he was admitted to the hospital last Thursday to have a new stent put in since the tumor was blocking the old one. His liver function numbers were rising and his red cell blood count was dropping. The doctors allowed him to come home on Friday with some iron and vitamin C in hopes of raising his red blood cell count. We went to the clinic on Tuesday for a blood draw and are very thankful that his liver function is dropping to more normal levels due to the new stent but his red blood cell count has remained the same. That being said, he tends to tire a little easier and I would say could use a suntan to bring some color to his cheeks:) Of course, Wally being Wally, he doesn't allow much to slow him down. He has many 'toys' and needs to play with them, such as his new jack-hammer! So how many people do you know own their own jack-hammer? Needless to say, he received a verbal tongue lashing from me (I feel like the mother of 6, not 5!) for not only the jack-hammering event but the next day, he decided to move around some logs! I know that he wants to stay busy and active but if any of you have ideas that might be more suitable to his condition i.e.. nothing that will strain or jiggle his insides, it would be very much appreciated:)
His next chemo will be next Thursday the 31st (his birthday) then again on Valentines Day. I think there is something wrong with this picture!
Thank you all again for your prayers, thoughts, cards, and emails. We are all hanging in and riding this thing together.
Until next time,
Sheri
P.S. Here's a short video of Wally coming to the rescue to help his next door neighbor remove a pipe from his lawn.
Hi All,
Just thought I would give you a quick update on what is going on with Wally. As you know, he was admitted to the hospital last Thursday to have a new stent put in since the tumor was blocking the old one. His liver function numbers were rising and his red cell blood count was dropping. The doctors allowed him to come home on Friday with some iron and vitamin C in hopes of raising his red blood cell count. We went to the clinic on Tuesday for a blood draw and are very thankful that his liver function is dropping to more normal levels due to the new stent but his red blood cell count has remained the same. That being said, he tends to tire a little easier and I would say could use a suntan to bring some color to his cheeks:) Of course, Wally being Wally, he doesn't allow much to slow him down. He has many 'toys' and needs to play with them, such as his new jack-hammer! So how many people do you know own their own jack-hammer? Needless to say, he received a verbal tongue lashing from me (I feel like the mother of 6, not 5!) for not only the jack-hammering event but the next day, he decided to move around some logs! I know that he wants to stay busy and active but if any of you have ideas that might be more suitable to his condition i.e.. nothing that will strain or jiggle his insides, it would be very much appreciated:)
His next chemo will be next Thursday the 31st (his birthday) then again on Valentines Day. I think there is something wrong with this picture!
Thank you all again for your prayers, thoughts, cards, and emails. We are all hanging in and riding this thing together.
Until next time,
Sheri
P.S. Here's a short video of Wally coming to the rescue to help his next door neighbor remove a pipe from his lawn.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Latest Update
Posted for Sheri...
Hi All,
It's Sheri again to finally update you on Wally's condition. His chemo session on the 4th was pretty uneventful except that his liver function numbers were higher than normal - we assumed it was due to a little bit of the bubbly to ring in the new year:) Therefore, the doctor said no alcohol. We were planning a 5 day cruise to Mexico 4 days after chemo and Wally was a little bummed that pina coladas were off limits for the cruise. He was certain that this tropical slushy drink was the new rainbow sherbet to cure all cancers! The first 3 days of the cruise, he wasn't feeling too peppy and slept a lot which is what this cruise was all about - RELAXING! By the 4th day, he perked up and was in true "Wally" form. :)
His stomach has been a bit more queasy these days and he has been lower on energy. We assumed it was the accumulative affect of the chemo. He became very sick last night at 2:00 in the morning and was running a high fever. He didn't want to go to the hospital so I gave him some Tylenol and put some cold compresses on his head. I finally put my foot down at 3:00 when his fever hadn't gone down enough and said we were going to the hospital anyway. We got up, dressed, warmed up the car and were ready to go when I checked his temperature one last time only to see that it was back to normal. This time he put his foot down (we do a lot of stomping around here) and said he wanted to just wait until his 9:00 appointment. Needless to say, his liver function numbers were higher, even without the pina coladas, and his billiruben number was up. The doctor determined that his stent was blocked and needed to be "unblocked" so he did not receive chemo today but instead was admitted to the hospital for another ERCP. The procedure was successful and he should be able to come home sometime tomorrow.
Wally continues to be be very much at peace with this cancer. He has a very strong faith knowing that God has numbered his days before the foundations of the earth.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support for Wally and our whole family.
Sheri
Hi All,
It's Sheri again to finally update you on Wally's condition. His chemo session on the 4th was pretty uneventful except that his liver function numbers were higher than normal - we assumed it was due to a little bit of the bubbly to ring in the new year:) Therefore, the doctor said no alcohol. We were planning a 5 day cruise to Mexico 4 days after chemo and Wally was a little bummed that pina coladas were off limits for the cruise. He was certain that this tropical slushy drink was the new rainbow sherbet to cure all cancers! The first 3 days of the cruise, he wasn't feeling too peppy and slept a lot which is what this cruise was all about - RELAXING! By the 4th day, he perked up and was in true "Wally" form. :)
His stomach has been a bit more queasy these days and he has been lower on energy. We assumed it was the accumulative affect of the chemo. He became very sick last night at 2:00 in the morning and was running a high fever. He didn't want to go to the hospital so I gave him some Tylenol and put some cold compresses on his head. I finally put my foot down at 3:00 when his fever hadn't gone down enough and said we were going to the hospital anyway. We got up, dressed, warmed up the car and were ready to go when I checked his temperature one last time only to see that it was back to normal. This time he put his foot down (we do a lot of stomping around here) and said he wanted to just wait until his 9:00 appointment. Needless to say, his liver function numbers were higher, even without the pina coladas, and his billiruben number was up. The doctor determined that his stent was blocked and needed to be "unblocked" so he did not receive chemo today but instead was admitted to the hospital for another ERCP. The procedure was successful and he should be able to come home sometime tomorrow.
Wally continues to be be very much at peace with this cancer. He has a very strong faith knowing that God has numbered his days before the foundations of the earth.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support for Wally and our whole family.
Sheri
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Finally an Update!
Hello Everyone,
Sorry for such a long delay in updating the blog, this time of year we all get so busy with the holidays!
This time, it is me (Wally) who is writing to update you on how we're doing.
I want to thank each of you for your prayers and your words of encouragement to our family and to me. Your friendship and concern for me means more to me than I could ever express to you.
As you probably know, I have chemo every two weeks along with blood tests. Every eight weeks, I have new CT scans and chest X-rays. This last week, my oncologist had encouraging news for me. First, there is a blood test that is an indicator for pancreatic cancer, which is called "CA 19-9". Since the beginning of my chemo treatments, my CA 19-9 value has gone down approximately 50% (this is good). The second encouragement is that there has been no growth in the size of my tumor. My treatment plan is for one year and then is re-evaluated.
So how am I doing with the chemo and how am I feeling? Each chemo session lasts about five or six hours. They start with some blood tests to see how I'm doing and to set the dosage for the three different chemo drugs that I'm on. Along with the therapy drugs, they include some sedatives, so I spend most of each session sleeping. After each session, I feel fine for a day or two and then some mild flu like symptoms for a few days. Flu meds help and I'm not slowed down too much. I recently heard this called a "chemo flu". Sometimes my stomach is a little queasy feeling, but I've have had almost no nausea. I believe that our Lord has spared me much of the suffering that often goes along with cancer and its treatments. My most significant side effect has been a loss of taste; most things that I eat now taste very bland.
A comfort from having a strong Christian faith is the gift of a "peace that passes all understanding". I am completely comfortable and at peace with God's plan for my life, long or short. From an eternal perspective, I believe that He has already healed me. My number one goal in life is to be a useful and willing servant for His purposes.
I recently learned of a blog of a person who has gone through an experience very similar to mine and he always signed off with "God is good, all the time, God is good". I like that and I agree with it, so I will use it here today.
Thank you again!
God is good, all the time, God is good!
Wally
wallycarruthers@gmail.com
206-999-0271
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