Enduring to the end.......

Dear Family and Friends,
It seems impossible that the year is coming to it's close. Marty is doing better. We can all see that he is getting stronger. He has a really good day and then perhaps an awful one, but things are better. He is NOT tolerating the cold at all!!!
And, we have plenty of that here this week. It has been bitter, yet we've had new snow. Whatever happened to "it's too cold to snow" ?? Life's Rules that I've spent 55 years learning are just being broken right and left!!!
Thank you for keeping us in your prayers and thoughts. We also pray for so many of you who are also facing challenges each hour of the day.
We are NOT making New Year's Resolutions this year. Last years look pretty hilarious (and sad) as we look back on them. We will just make Daily Resolutions and hope we are able to keep those. I sent out so few Christmas cards this year, but somethings just had to go undone. We hope your holidays have been filled with lots of love, laughter and warm fires and love. Belated Merry Christmas and a Very Happy NEW YEAR !! Love, LaRee and ,of course, Marty.

December 14, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,
Our days have been like a rollercoaster ride the last 10 days. I apologize for the big gap since my last post. Part of it was time, but some of it was that we always seemed to be waiting for the results of something before reporting the news.
There actually was a great reason I did not write, I think. For, if I had written even 5 days ago, it would have been a very gloomy and pesimistic report.
However, today I can just RAVE about how great Marty is doing. We went to his two Salt Lake doctors , Dr. Ying Hitchcock and Dr. Promod Sharma, for followup visits. (We will be seeing a lot of them this next year, I see.) Both did thorough exams and both told him he is doing great. They are thrilled with his progress. Neither was impressed by his week long inpatient hospitization with a wicked Strep infection and fevers up to 104 degrees, the open draining site on his neck, his violent shakes or his low energy and stamina to walk or stand for any length of time. Their standard reply to all was that these are very typical with the extent of his cancer, surgery and radiation. WOW.
They approved going ahead with getting some evaluations and starting on the denture problem. We were in Dr. Timothy's office the next day @ 8:30 am. I could not beleive how quickly the preliminary adjusting of the existing dentures were made and he walked out of the office with his teeth in. No, I'm not kidding. WOW. As you can imagine, with both doctors applauding his progress and getting the go ahead on teeth, his spirits are lifted immensley. We were both just so releived at how things went and he has just had two great, but tiring days. He was just exhausted by 9pm. But, he had done so much that it was a good tired.
We have so much to be grateful for this year. I feel just having him alive and healing is my best Christmas present ever. I hope neither of us take anything for granted ever again. We never go to sleep without saying "I Love You" and I never leave for work without telling him---even if I am waking him up to tell him. We have always been pretty good to do that, but now it is 100%. I recommend it to all.
Now, I have got the tree up and a few other decorations around the house. Marty has made sugar cookies once (with the promise of more) and one batch of Christmas cake. I still may consider the blog my Christmas card this year, but don't be surprized if you get an actual card from me, too. I do love getting cards and sending them and have already received so many nice ones.
Please know that we appreciate each and every kindness that has come our way. The list of people who have called, sent cards, rendered acts of kindness, sent gifts or money, put Marty's name in the temples around us, prayed for Marty and our whole family, made visits to our home or the hospital............is a long, loving list.
You know who you are and what you have done and it is all appreciated.
After serving as Relief Society President for 5 years, I thought I had heard of every kind & thoughtful way people show their love and willingness to help others. However, we have seen so many new and wonderful ways people show their love and concern through Marty's illness. I could write a book.
Happy Holidays to all, Love, LaRee, and of couse, Marty

Yes, Interesting !

Dear Family and Friends,
The test that I said was interesting became even more interesting after I added a note to the blog yesterday. Marty caught me on the cell phone and said "Get home now. They are taking me to Pocatello in 15 minutes!" I headed home as visions of complications and an ambulance run danced in my head. What actually had happened was that after Marty's WBC tagged blood was injected back into him and it was time to do the scan, the machine malfunctioned and the scan could not be done. The Nuclear Medicine tech came up with an idea to salvage the test and TOOK Marty (and I) to the Portnuef Digital Imagining clinic, where the scan did get done before it was too late. The test is very time sensitive and the scans have to be done in a certain window of time. He explained to us that there may need to be a scan as soon as we arrived & again at 8pm & maybe later. The receptionist who greeted us was surprised we had already arrived. (It was quicker than any ambulance run I have been on from BLMH to Poky). Of course the insurance cards and all Marty's information had to be obtained and off he went into the scan. The very first scan gave the answers they needed and so further scanning was not done. Unofficially, there is a "hot spot" at the cervical spine level. Officially, we know nothing until the radiologist reads it and the doctors see it. The drive home seemed much longer. It was dark and Marty was very quiet. I did what I could to encourage him to make up for the intake and meals he had missed and get him caught up on meds, but it was late, he was past tired and we are both discouraged. Just the thought of another surgery or procedure in store for him has knocked us down a peg or two.
I suggested that we should "SKIP" Christmas this year----taking the idea from the funny movie---Christmas with the Kranks--Skipping Christmas. The effort of the tree, decorating, cards, shopping and wrapping, baking and taking--------all just seems overwhelming. And....there is the fact that we do NOT know from day to day what will really happen, where we will be, what shape Marty will be in.....just so many unknowns. All our traditions of past years just don't seem so important or fitting this year. And yet,in reality, they are even MORE important now. Our hearts are filled with the spirit of Christmas and appreciation for all we have been blessed with in our lives. Christmas and family & friends just go hand in hand.
I may hatch a plan any minute, but I make no promises. My main objective for right now is getting him better, keeping him better and not adding stress to his already stressed body and mind. Putting up the tree and making Christmas Cake are just two of the things he has always been in charge of and would now be anxious to get done. I don't think that will be happening. He has now lost over 70 pounds and swallowing liquids and especially medicines is torture. Sad, because he has a TON of medicines to deal with. With each new challenge, his courage and determination is amazing.
I have often said through the years that Marty could do anything. The list of his skills and abilities is long and keeps growing. Just a few that come to mind are driving those big 18 wheelers for years, building our home, getting his pilot's licence, being able to fix most things----from the huge machines out at work to the smallest clasp on a necklace. The list is endless. Now, we can add cancer fighter to the list. He gets an A+ from this nurse on that one.
Please keep him in your prayers. You may have to consider our blog notes as your Christmas card from us this year.....I'm not sure yet. We appreciate each and every one of you and feel the love and support that has been extended to us. That has been one of the many blessings that have come with this illness.
Happy Holidays to you all. Love,
LaRee, and of course, Marty

December Is Here

Dear Friends and Family,
It seems unbeleivable that it is already December!! The year has flown by so fast and so much has happened. Marty came home from BLM Hospital on Nov 29th and has had his work cut out for him just taking all the medicine and drinking his nutrition and recuperating from the week's stay in the hospital. It took us a couple of days to get everything gathered up and organized to keep things as near as we could to his schedule in the hospital. His appetite and intake improved so much while he was there. We have had very few visitors as the Strep infection is so contagious and he just did not feel up to much. We feel that now antibiotics have been enforced for 10days, that he is not a risk to anyone. But, he is still fragile and does not want to get anything. This morning, he had a very unusual test-- hopefully to rule out osteomylitis. It is a nuclear medicine White Blood Cell scan. He had to be here at 7am to have blood drawn. Then, that blood was taken to Pocatello where the WBC's in the sample were radiolabeled. The blood was brought back to inject in Marty and then throughout the day, he will have radioimaging of his body to see where the WBC's go. I had never heard of this test and I think it is quite unusual. The technician told us he could be having scans as late as 10pm. Interesting.
Curtis helped get the Christmas "stuff" down from the rafters and we will now see who, if anyone, feels up to decorating. We have a beautiful tree up here in Dialysis. The season is upon us. I started to get in the Christmas spirit on Sunday. I sat by Steve in Sacrament Meeting. I bore my testimony, which I have not done for quite a few months. I have missed so many Sunday meetings. I DO HAVE A TESTIMONY AND KNOW we have alot to be grateful for. Love, LaRee and of course, Marty.