MORE GOOD NEWS!

I think I'm still in shock after receiving a phone call from our realtor telling us we have an offer on the house!  It was a good offer, considering everything we've been through with it.  Will be closing around the 26th of November and signing papers on December 4th.  Such a blessing!  We don't even know who the people are.  It will be interesting to see.  Of course, the papers aren't signed and something unforseen could come up but I am going to think positive thoughts and trust in our Heavenly Father that it will all work out.  Sending much love!

FINALLY, THE GOOD NEWS

After almost two months of waiting and wondering, the pathology report came back yesterday.  The mass is NOT malignant.  I haven't talked with the doctor's office as yet but I was able to read the report on IHC's website.  All the prayers and blessings are the reason for the positive results.  I thank all who prayed, blessed, or put Bob's name in the Temples for the help that most assuredly helped.  We are deeply appreciative and blessed.  Bob still doesn't feel any less pain from the surgery but being Diabetic, it will take time to heal.  He, most likely, will still have some pain in the groin area because of the location of the mass, perhaps all his life but that is manageable and acceptable as long as we know it isn't cancer.

We now have a definite date for our move to Texas even though we haven't sold the house yet.  Mike and Nikki will fly out here on Saturday, November 22, 2014.  I have reserved a truck and car trailer for the move.  We will load the trailer and car (Bob's '57 T-Bird) then Nikki and Mike will drive the truck and our car to Iowa on Sunday and Bob and I will fly out Sunday, November 23, 2014 at 5:00 pm all heading to Tifany's in Iowa for Thanksgiving.  We will fly out of Omaha on Saturday, November 29, 2014 and arrive in Austin, Texas around noon.

Now all I have to do is get everything packed up that we are taking with us and we will be ready to go.  It seems we have been waiting for this day forever but now that it's so close, I'm starting to miss everyone.  It is going to be so good for Bob's health in Texas.  Medicare has approved a motorized wheelchair for him so that will be a huge help in getting him around.  As of now, he is only able to walk a few feet very slowly before he has to stop and rest and get his breath.

Jen's daughter, Brinli, was hit extremely hard yesterday in her soccer game, hit her head hard enough it knocked her out sending her to the ER.  She is feeling a bit better but it makes me angry that referees and those in charge don't take the roughness some teams display more seriously.  Somebody is going to have to be paralyzed or be killed before anyone decides to do anything about it.  It's a sad thing when this type of thing happens in sports that are supposed to teach kids good sportsmanship and fairness in games.

I have two sons-in-law that are having serious back problems.  Mike, Nikki's husband is going to have out-patient surgery on his back on Monday.  He has been unable to work for the past week because of the pain.  Brad, Becky's husband is going to be having surgery on his C-spine because of discs that have completely lost cushioning between each one.  If he doesn't have surgery, he could possibly be paralyzed if he was hit just right.  Pretty scary stuff.  We are praying for their complete recovery.

Here are a few more pictures of the new house with the counter tops installed.

Until next time.......

SURGERY UPDATE

Surgery went well on Tuesday, October 7, 2014 at LDS Hospital.  The surgeon said it kind of threw him for loop because when he went to the area that showed on the CT scan, there was nothing there.  He finally found it lower down and right up again the pelvic wall.  It was sitting next to nerves and blood vessels feeding the right leg.  It apparently looked like part of a blood vessel in a cluster like grapes.  The pathologist said he didn't know what it was but they don't think it's cancerous.  We will know more when the results come back but we are hopeful and relieved.  Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

A 3rd BIOPSY??

I was able to see the test results online before I spoke with the doctor's office and knew that the stomach and esophagus biopsies were normal.  The biopsy of the mass said it was nonmalignant but it was not an optimal sample.  Last Thursday I hadn't heard anything from the doctor's office so I called them to see what the next step would be.  They said Dr. Sandhu had spoken with Dr. Kim, the surgeon because they want him to do another biopsy.  What the?  Dr. Kim's office called and asked us to come in for a consult on Friday, October 3, 2014 at 11:45 a.m.  That would work for us because we were planning on going to see Becky and her family in Rexburg, Idaho anyway so we could just go to the appointment at the L.D.S. Hospital Surgical Center and then head to Idaho afterwards.  We were both really impressed with the doctor.  He's young and has a cute sense of humor.  I asked why we couldn't just go in and take the mass out instead of doing another biopsy and he said that's what he planned on doing.  He explained why the previous biopsies were worthless by comparing the mass to a watermelon.  Going through the colon with the tiny needles they have to take a sample would only pierce the skin and perhaps a little of the rind.  If you are looking for some red juicy watermelon, you won't find it.  That's why it's better to take the whole thing out and then send it to be sliced and checked to see what it actually is.  He is not convinced it is not some kind of cancer because it is not supposed to be there.  He called it a Goombah (don't know how that's spelled).  He also said the other Goombah they found down closer to the rectum looked very suspicious, too.  He acknowledged that Bob is high risk for surgery but said we don't have a choice so they will watch him closely and it is possible with his breathing problems, he might end up in ICU until they can wean him off the intubation tube but that was the worse case scenario.  So now he is scheduled for surgery this Tuesday, October 7, 2014.  It sure seems like it has taken a long time to get to this point.  We may actually have a definitive diagnosis within the next two weeks. Here's hoping and praying.

We enjoyed spending Conference Weekend with Becky, Brad, Courtney and Jace.  Jaeden is in college attending BYU Rexburg.  He came home after the first session of conference today.  He has really come out of his shell.  He talked more today than I have ever heard him talk his whole life.  He is growing into a very fine young man.  Loved listening to conference.  All the talks were very inspired and timely.  We ate lunch and then headed home in time to hear the last session on the radio.

I have some more pictures of our Texas house.  It's getting closer each week.

This shows the (dirty) wood floor and the tile floor.

Master closet.

Second bedroom/craft room closet.

Entertainment center shelves before paint.

Trim on the window seat.

Showing more of the floor in the kitchen area.

Next update will be Wednesday or Thursday after Bob's surgery.  Please keep him in your prayers.  Love you all!

2nd COLONOSCOPY COMPLETED. WAITING CONTINUES

We went in for the 2nd colonoscopy yesterday.  No waiting.  The doctor came in almost immediately so we didn't have to wait like we did last time.  He did a large needle biopsy this time hoping to get enough to make a clear diagnosis.  He said there was a small polyp in his stomach so he took a biopsy of that.  If the sample comes back nondiagnostic again, we will have to see a Colo-Rectal Surgeon to see what they want to do next.  So, we continue waiting.  Something I have noticed is that Bob is continuing to lose weight.  He normally weighs in at around 274-276 pounds.  Last procedure, he was 259 pounds.  Yesterday, he was down to 249 pounds, 10 pound loss in less than two weeks.  It's a good thing unless it's caused by something serious.  Just trying to breathe and have patience and faith.

I received three new pictures of our new house yesterday.  It continues to look more and more like a home.  They are putting in the floors but I didn't get a picture of that part yet.

Cabinetry going in the kitchen.

Entertainment center cabinet.  Shelves will fill the wall above.

Cabinets in the 2nd bedroom/craft room.

BIOPSY RESULTS?

The Gastroenterologist was out of the office on business this week until today.  At 5:00 pm he called and said the sample he took was nondiagnostic.  He wants to do another colonoscopy and this time he will also do a scope of his esophagus and stomach.  He couldn't schedule it because it was too late so I will receive a call from his assistant on Monday.  Needless to say, Bob is frustrated and so am I to an extent.  It means he will have to do the preparation again.  Heaven help me.  He hates it but I can't blame him.  So, we still know nothing.  It would be wonderful if it all turns out to be nothing.  There must be something I or we need to learn.

I have a few more pictures of our Texas house.

This is the ceiling in our master bedroom.

These two pictures are of the window seats in the bay windows.  They aren't completed but you get the idea.

Shelves in the pantry.

Lockers in the garage.

Yesterday, Austin, Texas received an unusually large amount of rain which brought flooding.  Spring Branch isn't far from Austin so the runoff came through our property.  The workers took video of the surge at the beginning.  Apparently, it was something to behold.  Mike got there later as the water was slowing down.  There are two stream beds, usually dry, on the property that make quite a pretty picture.  He took some pictures but, of course, they don't do the beauty justice.

UPDATE POST-COLONOSCOPY

First off, here is a picture Nikki sent me of the ceiling in my kitchen.  Mike is so talented!

We needed to be at LDS Hospital by 7:00 am yesterday (Friday, September 12, 2014) so we left here about 6:00 am not knowing exactly how long it would take us.  Neither one of us slept much last night.  Bob had to finish his nasty stuff at midnight so we tried to sleep about 2:00 pm.  I got up at 5:00am to get ready and make sure he had time to use the bathroom before we left.  You would think with all the inventions and technology, they could at least come up with a way of flavoring the nasty stuff so it was more palatable.  Ugh!

He was scheduled for a procedure at 8:00 am but the doctor had an emergency during the early morning hours so he had to put that patient in before him.  He went in to surgery about 8:40 am.  At 10:00 am, I still hadn't heard anything so I did start to get a little concerned but a nurse came out about then and said they had to change his IV and had a difficult time finding a vein so it took quite a bit longer.

Dad is the worst patient and has no patience when things don't go the way he expects them to.  It's a little embarrassing for me but that's just him and nothing I say makes any difference.  The doctor finally came in and showed us the pictures and explained what he found.  He said the lesion on the lower colon was nothing and his colon was clean with no problem.  He was, however, able to go through the colon wall and do a biopsy of the mass in his right abdomen.  He also gave us pictures of that ultra sound and the colonoscopy.  He said they looked at part of the biopsy on a slide and he said it was definitely abnormal, feeling it was definitely some type of cancer but they would know a lot more after the results come back in a week to 10 days.

I can't remember what brought this up, but I apparently mentioned something about the thickening in his lower esophagus that showed up on the CT scan from the ER.  He seemed perplexed by that but said that may be the answer to the question of where the mass came from because stomach cancer can produce that type of mass.  He said we might have to do a scope but would wait until the results are back and go from there.  If the results are for sure cancer, we would be scheduled to see an Oncologist at that point.  I had a blessing of comfort and peace last night and felt calm with this news.  Dad feels everything will be fine.  He feels he can go through whatever treatment is needed and everything will be alright.  I think I am more of a realist at this point.  He asked me this morning if we are going to have to cancel our move to Texas and I told him not unless he wanted to.  He definitely wants to go.  He has been anxious to do that since we decided on it back in January.

There probably won't be more updates on his health for a couple of weeks but things are starting to move faster on the house and it's now at the really fun point where we will be able to see big changes. That, of course, means more pictures to follow.

Remember 09/11/2001 - We will never forget

Here is a picture of the finished outside of the house and the pantry door for the kitchen.

Actually, there are still things that will be added to the gables but the stone work is completed

I love this pantry door!  Gives it some personality.

Last Friday, September 5, 2014, we visited with Bob's PCP's PA to get him evaluated for a scooter.  She read over the notes and asked why someone didn't schedule the biopsy so it was completed before we see the surgeon on the 10th.  I wondered that myself but I'm not the doctor.  She sent an order to radiology and called and made him an appointment for the next Monday morning.  However, they called back and cancelled the biopsy saying they didn't feel comfortable doing it given it's location and suggested a colonoscopy first.  I was supposed to get a call from the PA's office letting me know what they wanted to do next.  Didn't hear from them until Wednesday morning so they just wanted the surgeon to deal with it.

For lunch on Wednesday the 10th, we went to Provo and met Jeff and his family to say goodbye to our grandson, Josh, as he leaves for the MTC and his mission to Ecuador.  His farewell talk was amazing and he was ready and anxious to go.  It's always with a lot of mixed emotions that you send off missionaries, but he will be awesome!

On our way home from Provo, I got a call from the surgeon's office saying that the doctor had just looked over Bob records and since the radiologist recommended he do a colonoscopy, he wanted that done before we see him so they cancelled the appointment.  The gastroenterologist's office called and wanted us to come right up so the doctor could talk to us before he scheduled the test.  He mentioned that Bob has another area of concern on his right side closer to his rectum and that's the reason they suggested a colonoscopy first.  That concerns me because I read the radiology report and didn't read anything about another area of concern. The scope will be scheduled for Friday sometime.

So, it is now Thursday and Bob is on clear liquids only and will start the yucky stuff at 5:00 pm.  I called and found out we need to be there by 10:15 am.  Not five minutes later, I received a call from the gastro's office telling me the doctor wants another doctor at LDS, Dr. Sandu, to do the scope because he can also do an ultrasound if needed.  My head is spinning!  Now we have to be at the hospital at 7:00 am.  Seems early but it will be good to get it over with so Bob can come back home and eat.

As confusing as this all is to me, I went online to reread the radiology report to see if I missed something.  Turns out the radiologist who reviewed the report for the biopsy said in an addendum that the biopsy would be difficult but would be doable.  However, she noticed a questionable mass on his colon on the left side nearer to his rectum.  She recommended a colonoscopy to rule out anything serious with that and if that is clean, they could go ahead and do the CT biopsy and a PET scan.

It's all very scary but it makes more sense now than it did before.  So I will update again when we find out more.

GOODBYE, SUMMER!

I was sitting here reading my last post and realized I didn't explain very well the health issues Bob is going through and why it's so hard on him.  But first, I want to show some updated pictures on our house in Texas.  The sheetrocking is completed.

This is the garage.  The door on the right enters the house and the door on the left goes into the pantry so I don't have to carry groceries all the way through the house.

This is a view from the living area towards the kitchen.  Yes, it is small but just right for us.

Bay window in the living area.

The front of the house in the beginning stages.

A sampling of the what the rock and grout will look like.

Our home here in West Jordan still has not sold.  We figure since the home is paid for, when our house in Texas is completed, we will just move down there and leave this one to sell without us.

Meanwhile, since Bob was diagnosed with Early Alzheimer's over a year ago, he has developed a few new problems he is dealing with.  One major one is DISH Syndrome.  I'll let you look that up if you are interested but basically it is a member of the Arthritis family closely related to Ankylosing Spondilitis.  In his case, only one side of his spine is fusing causing range of motion problems and pain whenever he moves or walks.  He also has inflammation of all large joints and has been on Prednisone for several months, now tapering off.  With the Prednisone on board, his blood sugars have been all over the place.  Since all that isn't enough, last Thursday, I took him in to the ER because he had been complaining of a horrific pain in his right hip since that Sunday.  Come to find out he has a mass the size of a golf ball in his mid-abdomen and they are concerned it is some form of cancer.  Great!  When is he ever going to get a break?  He needs a CT guided biopsy but we are not able to get in for a consultation for that until next Wednesday, September 10th.  The waiting and wondering and guessing are three things I hate most in life.  I like to know what I'm dealing with so I can move on and do what needs to be done.  So right now all I am doing is thinking of all the what ifs.  I know without a doubt that our Heavenly Father has this under control.  My faith in his timing and works is getting stronger every day but my heart hurts and is so heavy with concern for Bob and his quality of life.  I can't stand seeing him in pain.  It's extra hard since he has a gigantic tolerance for pain meds so there is nothing anyone can do to totally relieve the pain.  The amount of meds he needs to be pain free would kill a horse or elephant.  Something much bigger than a human for sure.

Anyway, sorry to be on such a downer this time.  I will update as things change and keep you all posted.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!!

It's obvious that since my last post was more than a year ago, I am truly a procrastinator or I'm just lazy! Or maybe both.  This post will be to catch up to this point.  I'm sure I have forgotten tons of stuff but what I do blog about will be the most important in my mind.

When I last posted, Bob (also known as Dad but I will use given names so there is less confusion) had just been formally diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's along with all his other physical problems.  We came back to Utah in April and got a puppy that Bob had always wanted.  Little did I know how much work a new puppy was going to be so I had two "babies" to take care of.  The puppy was cute but was way too energetic and hyper and I had a melt-down.  Just couldn't handle it so we sold her.  We miss her but certainly not the extra work and stress it put on me.

Bob isn't the same man that he was even a few short years ago.  It's been hard seeing the man I married and the father of my children lose what he was.  He is still very cognizant most of time but very forgetful of recent events.  He loves to talk about the times when we were in Vernal.  The fact that he is in so much pain doesn't help because exercise would be good for his memory but he says exercise is a four letter word.

Jeff would have liked us to be closer to him so he could help and planned on building his family a home with a guest house on the same property.  We sold our Condo in Bellingham, Washington.  The plans were all set  to build until the costs came in way high and put a kink in the chain.  I resigned myself to the fact that we would just stay where we are and make due even though the house was too big for us.  A little while later, our daughter, Nikki, called and said she and Mike had been talking and they would like us to come down to New Braunfels, Texas and build a house next to them so she could help with Bob when needed.  Mike is a contractor and EMT which helps both financially and medically.  I prayed, and prayed, and prayed some more but kept getting the same answer:  This would be a good thing for Bob on so many levels.  I don't like the heat but his health and helping him to live a longer, healthier life were of utmost important to me, so back in January of this year, we started planning our move. Mike and Nikki found a new piece of ground to build on that will give the boys a chance to hunt during hunting season.  The pictures below do not do it justice but gives you an idea.

A view of the new property in the clearing where the houses will be built.

Another view.  The clearing in the rear.

Showing some of the growth.  Cedars and Oak.

Another view into the clearing.

The house is coming along quite nicely but we are having difficulty with even having people come and look at our house, let alone get any offers on it.  I turned it over to Heavenly Father and I know we will sell when the time is right.  I just have to have faith and trust in Him.  I am learning patience, although that is not an easy task for me.

Preparing to pour the foundation

Foundation poured.

Foundation poured.

Framing almost complete.

Framing as seen from the front.

It looks like a house!

I had a very special experience last Thursday.  I was privileged to attend the Timpanogos Temple with my son, Jeff, his wife, Wendy, her parents, and our first grandchild to go on a mission, Joshua Daegen.  The experience was too sacred for me to go into detail but I will tell you as I sat and observed my grandson taking in all he could with a look of wonder in his eyes and on his face and then watching his Father talking to him afterwards with his mother next to him, both with tears in their eyes, my joy was full!  Never have I felt such joy as I did that day.  I stood and listened as their Bishop gave Josh some simple counsel and was overcome with the things of which he testified.  He truly is a man of God.  His counsel was so pertinent to our time it overwhelmed me.  Josh was called to the Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission and will enter the Mexico MTC on September 10, 2014.

  Jeff and Joshua outside the Timpanogos Temple