GOOD NEWS

Dave had his PET/CT scan today and then his appointment with Dr. Stille. We have great news in that the newest mass that was "zapped" is now gone. The original mass still shows some activity, but it has not grown. Dr. Stille will be gathering records from Seattle regarding how much radiation the original mass received. We are hoping that Dave can have more radiation to that area. We are pretty sure that is the case. We will also meet with Dr. Hunt on Monday to get her opinion. There is a chance that she may want some chemo treatment also. Cancer has not spread to any organs or anywhere else in Dave's body - WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THAT. Please continue to pray for right decisions and for God's guidance. I think we'll sleep soundly tonight.

Looking like Trouble

Sully wearing hard hat

Doing his Part

WATER PROBLEM RESOLVED

Finally, we have a dry basement thanks to LHC, City of Whitefish and Master Plumbing!! The City of Whitefish Water Dept. found the problem, LHC brought in the backhoe and the crew to dig the trench, and Master Plumbing sent Paul to tend to the plumbing end of the job. It took from 8:30 a.m. on Thurs. until 7:30 p.m. before the trench was filled and we were cleaning up the "muck". As you can see by the slides, it was indeed a mess, and I'm still cleaning up mud. I don't know if Dave will agree with me 100%, but I sure could see that it was a rough time physically for Dave. He helped more than he probably should have and it really showed. You have to remember that the energy he has is busy re-building his "system", and using up so much of that energy doing a lot of physical work can truly be exhausting. He just wouldn't stop though! Now that we are over that hump, I'm hoping he gets a little stronger and is able to let his body rest. Dave doesn't read my blog, thankfully. I'm not sure he would be happy with me being so "up-front". Oh, well! I feel the purpose of this blog is to keep everyone informed, - so be it! Thursday is his PET scan and, again, prayers would be appreciated. I hope everyone had a blessed Easter - I know we did!

Time to Check In

I know it's been awhile since I have updated the blog, but you can look at that as a good thing. Dave continues to do well, feeling stronger and looking more like his old self. He's actually getting an "attitude"! His PET scan is scheduled for March 27th with a follow-up with the oncologist on the 1st of April. He also has an appointment with Dr. Stille, the radiation doc, on the 27th. We are praying for a good report, and hope you will continue with your prayers too. It's definitely spring and we can't wait to get out in our 5th wheel and enjoy this beautiful area we live in. Unfortunately, it seems that we have a broken water line somewhere between the city's responsibility and our house. We are hoping to avoid digging up the drive-way or taking off the porch to fix the problem by just running a new line from the "main" line to the house. That would mean we would only have to dig up the sidewalk and the north end of the yard!!! (Did I say "we" when I actually meant a backhoe?) Oh well, I haven't had a breakdown yet so things are looking pretty good. Am not sure if Dave had a breakdown or not; if so, it wasn't in front of me!!!! I guess I look at it this way: if you don't have control over it - just deal with it; it's not worth the stress. I firmly believe in handing it all over to God.

UPDATE

We met with Dr. Hunt yesterday, and all seems to be going well. Dave has gained another 2 lbs. and is feeling better each day. On physical exam, he had no enlarged lymph nodes and no abdominal masses could be palpated. They drew blood and we expect the results to all be good. His PET scan is scheduled for March 27th. That will show whether there are any new masses and if the radiation took care of the last one. Please keep the prayers coming as he isn't out of the woods yet! God Bless!

MUST BE FEELING BETTER!!

Well, Dave finally did it - he responded to a house fire and even offered his assistance! I must say, I wasn't too happy, but it was a boost for him that's for sure. He worked a full day, came home, just sat down to eat when the call came in, and off he went. We all knew he was a bit on the "crazy" side! This is the closest to normal we have had in a long time and it felt GOOD! Looks like we are back to cold dinners. (FYI - if you would like to enlarge the slide-shows or photos to the left, just double-click on picture)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Love is a fruit in season
At all times and within reach of every hand!
Spread love everywhere you go
First of all in your own house
Give love to your children
To your husband or wife
To a next door neighbor
Let no one ever come to you
Without leaving happier
Be the living expression of God's
Kindness, kindness in your face
Kindness in your eyes
Kindness in your smile
Kindness in your warm greeting!
.
~Mother Teresa

No News is Good News

I'm going by that saying on a daily basis. I really haven't forgotten about the blog, I just didn't have anything new to report. Everyone keeps saying that Dave is now looking like Dave again. That's good to hear! I was watching him this evening (out of the corner of my eye) and he does look more like his old self. He said that he had a great day and was really feeling good. Oh, how I love to hear that! That constant "worry" is always there, no matter how hard we try to forget. We did have a good laugh yesterday though; Dave called me at work saying he was locked out of the house. "No worry, I exclaimed, I'll be right there". It didn't take me long to get home and be the hero of the day! I dug in my purse, and after another 5 min. found my keys and, wouldn't you know it, the house key wasn't where it had been for the last 15 years! It somehow slipped my mind that when we went to Seattle, I left it at home for D.J. (just in case he got locked out!). Dave and I must have been quite the sight as he braced himself in the snow and helped, or should I say "shoved" me through a bedroom window. I was laughing so hard that I landed on my head in a basket of dirty clothes with my legs still sticking straight out the window! Anyway, we got in, Dave is keeping his house key with him, and I finally found mine, and the windows are locked and the laundry washed!!!!