November 19, 2013 More radiation

Just a quick update…

Ron is home and sleeping soundly right now.  He had radiation on two different spots today on his brain.  We had been told it would be 3 and are not sure why it was only 2 but that is what happened today.  As usual it was very HARD! I think he would almost rather go through the IL2 again before having to do more radiation.  But he did it and thats all that matters! I'm so very proud of him.  When he came walking out of the radiation room he looked like he had been hit by a truck.  I asked him how he was and he said as always, "fine. Lets go home." And we are home:) It will take him a day or two to get back to his "normal" self.

The kids are all coming for Thanksgiving and we can hardly wait!! We will have a house full, but that makes for a great time!!! I think this should give Ron time enough to recover before all the fun begins!! We are so blessed in ways we can't even begin to imagine!

Ron will have scans again in December for the rest of his body, this will be a telling event as to how the new drug he is on has been working.  So until then we will continue to pray that it is doing what it is suppose to do.  Knowing that we are in the care of the very best and ultimatly always in The Lords hands.  Thanks to all for the Love and support!

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

November 11, 2013

It is Tuesday, but I'm going to go back a day!

Monday… It was a typical Monday in that I could have used another day for the weekend!!! It is the beginning of a LONG week for Ron and I.  Our ward is doing a "Missionary Week" this week.  For those of you who don't know what that is I will give you a brief explanation… All the Youth ages 14-18 who want to participate basically will act as if they are missionaries for the Church, following missionary rules to the best of their ability (which means no TV no MUSIC besides the Mormon TAb. arms length from the opposite sex just to name a few) with school and things that they have going on in their lives.  We meet at the church each morning at 6:00a.m. to have a lesson, then we are fed a very yummy breakfast then the kids are off to school.  We all meet back at the church each night at 7:00p.m. for another devotional lessons taught beautiful music and of course always a good treat! There is also many service projects going on throughout the week for the youth and anyone else who would like to participate, like I said LOTS going on.

Back to my Monday because of the Insurance change with Ron, I had some issues that I knew I needed to get taken care of today.   As well as get the hospital schedule for his next MRI and his brain radiation.  So I got up in the morning thinking Ron would be coming with me, but sadly like I have said before mornings are getting more and more difficult for Ron so I went alone.  But not really alone I had some youth who needed a ride, so I was planning on picking them up.  Ron had a bad head ache this morning when I got out of bed at 4:45am (that is NOT a typo) he asked me to get him some Tylenol, I thought he should have something on his stomach before he had it so I went down stairs to get him something, and got down a bit faster than I planned as I FELL down them haha I'm fine just a klutz on a monday morning.  Go to pick up the girls and get out of the car and yep fall again but it gave Madilyn a very good laugh on an early Monday morning:)  The morning devotional was great!! The kids all got to school and I got home to Ron.  He was feeling much better!!

So I began the process of calling people to try to get things figured out.  Ron called someone he knew on the Schreiber side and she of course was fantastic to help us get it all figured out! And we did!!!

The Hospital was still waiting for the all ok from the insurance and after I was done telling her what I had been told we too got things taken care of!  I am continually amazed at how things manage to work themselves out!!! I have a quote hanging in my craft room that I think is really true about the things that go on in life….

ATTITUDE

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what other people think or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.  the remarkable thing is we have a choice every day of our lives regarding the attitude we embrace for that day.  we cannot change our past.  We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…

I'm convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.  And so it is with you.  we are in charge of our attitudes."

--reprinted from the HOPE Health letter, Charles Swindoll

I know that there are so many circumstances that we have no control over!! But we do have control over our own way of responding and of course our own ATTITUDE! I think that has really helped me through a lot of the trials that have come mine and Ron's way.  Do your best is what Ron always told our kids! 

So everything got taken care of and Ron is on track!!! He will go in on Thursday for his more extensive MRI and then have his "planning" session in preparation for his radiation.  Then the radiation will take place next Tuesday.  This is the one Ron really does NOT like.  But he as always says I'll do what I have to.  It's all in his wonderful attitude that keeps me going!! Thank you all so very much for the continued Love and support.  It's hard to believe we have been at this for more than a year now.  And Ron is most diffenetly a Fighter!!! 

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT 

November 6, 2013

So what did we find out??? That is the questions everyone is wanting to know the answer to.   More tumors in the brain three that they can see on this scan.  They are again very tiny, and not effecting any important functions of the brain.  So what that means is….He does not qualify for the trial:( As this is sad news it is NOT the end of the world, by any means, or the end of the road!!!! Ron is doing just fine on the treatment that he is currently on.  And so he will continue to be on it!  He will be going in for more radiation on the brain, we are still waiting for all that to be scheduled, but I'm assuming it will be sometime next week.  Then he will continue on the Axtinib, as he has already been doing.  It has not been nearly as difficult for him as the last drug Sutent was.  This has been a real blessing! He will have CT Scans in December which will then tell us about all the rest of his cancer in the rest of his body.  Until then we will continue to do what we have been doing.  Taking it one day at a time.  Being grateful for all that we have been given and have faith that the Lord is in charge.

The doctor that we met with did have something interesting for me anyway to say.  He said that looking at Ron's scans, that he has currently you would think that he would be very sick, right now.  He has a very aggressive form of cancer and it "should" be effecting him a lot more than it is.  Yes he has fatigue, and sometimes he will have a level of pain,  and is not able to do ALL the things that he was able to do a year ago.  However someone with the scans that he has shouldn't be able to function the way that he is.  BUT he is!!!! That is a blessing and a miracle to me!  He said that there are people who have so much less going on in their bodies than what Ron has and they don't function well at all.  But Ron is still able to have a pretty good quality of life!! Again What a blessing!!!! He also said that attitude has a big part to play in it as well.  And anyone who knows Ron will say he has the best attitude there is!!!

There is a talk by Richard G. Edgley entitled "Faith the Choice is Yours." This article really gave me so much to think about! I loved what he had to say about faith! I think it really says it all as to what Ron is always teaching me!! Ron has truly unwavering faith in the Lord and all that is happening to him.  Any time I have any doubts creep in my mind, I know I can go to Ron and he will help me through it! He has taught me so much.  This is just a small part of that talk.  You can find the whole talk on the LDS web page.  At the beginning of the talk he says this.

Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism.

Yes, faith is a choice, and it must be sought after and developed. Thus, we are responsible for our own faith. We are also responsible for our lack of faith. The choice is yours.

There is much that I do not know. I do not know the details of the organization of matter into the beautiful world we live in. I do not understand the intricacies of the Atonement, how the Savior’s sacrifice can cleanse all repentant people, or how the Savior could suffer “the pain of all men” (D&C 18:11). I do not know where the city of Zarahemla was, as referred to in the Book of Mormon. I do not know why my beliefs sometimes conflict with assumed scientific or secular knowledge. Perhaps these are matters our Father in Heaven described as the “mysteries … of heaven” (D&C 107:19) that will be revealed at a later date.

But while I don’t know everything, I know the important. I know the plain and simple gospel truths that lead to salvation and exaltation. I know that the Savior did suffer the pain of all men and that all repentant people can be cleansed from sin. And what I don’t know or don’t completely understand, with the powerful aid of my faith, I bridge the gap and move on, partaking of the promises and blessings of the gospel. And then, as Alma teaches, our faith brings us to a perfect knowledge (see Alma 32:34). By moving forward into the unknown, armed only with hope and desire, we show evidence of our faith and our devotion to the Lord.

And so, following Alma’s formula, let us choose. Let us choose faith.

And so we will continue to have faith in the process, and know that we are ALWAYS in The Lords hands.  We couldn't ask for anything more!!!

I just love this picture of Ron!!! So I thought I would put it in this post!! As always FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Results are in

Hey all this is Lindsey, mom asked me too write an update on dad's brain scan today. Unfortunately they found one maybe two new tumors in his brain. Dad will meet with dr. Agerwal tomorrow to discuss what will happen next. Thank you all for your continued love and support! We will not give up!
                         FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Our Sweet Emma

Saturday our Emma went for a "trim" when she got there the girl told her she had more than enough hair to donate it to "Locks of Love" Emma has a sweet friend who is close to her age that is battling cancer. She is the cutest little girl and has no hair! Emma didn't blink and said, "lets do it!" Lindsey said ok and off the hair came! The whole time they were cutting her hair Emma said, "I just hope they use my hair for my friend Cami." We are so proud of you Emma!!! And Love you very much! Way to Go!!!!!  It's amazing that our 7 year old grand-daugter already knows this awful disease, but she also knows how to Pray for help, ask for answers and how to fight!!!

Looking as BEAUTIFUL as ever!!!

Ron goes in for scans tomorrow! Whatever happens we will keep up the fight and never give up! We have such good examples like our Emma's friend Cami who is fighting too!! Together we can do it!!! 

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT