DAVE'S JOURNEY

Diagnosed in Nov. 2006 with lymphoma, stem cell transplant 2007, continued treatment and then diagnosed in 2010 with AML (leukemia) as a result of prior treatments. This is his story.........



Sunday, July 5, 2009

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS - FOREST FIRE SEASON HAS BEGUN




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DJ

The DNRC helicopter landed to fuel up at the Whitefish air strip, so Dave and I quickly ran over to see D.J. and his crew in action. They have been busy with lots of fires caused by lightening strikes. We pray for their safety.


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Happy 4th of July

We had a great day spending it with family and friends on Flathead Lake. Of course the kids added a lot of excitement. To see life through their eyes - how heartwarming.

Three little Firecrackers - Gracie, Kalieigh, Stella



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Monday, June 29, 2009

Another view

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Say Goodbye to the Small Stuff

When Dave says he is going to build something, I shouldn't even question how it will turn out. He decided he needed a trailer to haul the 4 wheeler in behind the 5th wheel (whew). I didn't think it would be such an undertaking, but I shouldn't have been surprised when his little project turned into a big one. He started with a $150 trailer to "fix up" and ended up with this. For some reason, I just can't see this trailer hauling a 4 wheeler on a bumpy dusty road behind our 5th wheel. What an amazing job he did; it's beautiful (that is for a trailer) Thanks goes to Brad Knuth who helped Dave welding the frame. I'll let you know if it ever gets off pavement!
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Going Strong


It's always a good sign when it has been so long inbetween posts. As you can see Dave is doing great. Here he is working on my little garden patch at the church. Of course, I had to plant rutabegas just for him. Maybe that is why he was so anxious to get up the "deer netting".
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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Oregon Trip


All is well! Dave had his chemo and breezed through it. He had a couple of days where he was feeling a little "punky" but that didn't stop us from making a trip to Oregon to see Bob, Rachel, Jourdan and Grif. We took the 5th wheel and everything with smoothly. We so enjoyed it. We spent most of the time watching Jourdan and Grif play softball and baseball. It was so much fun and so amazing that we were able to make the trip. Dave has days where he is doesn't have a lot of energy, but that is to be expected. His problem is, he has to know when to quit. As we all are aware, he has a problem with that!!! He will have a PET scan in July and then we will find out what is next. Wouldn't it just be a miracle if he's in remission. Let's pray for that. Prayers have gotten him this far, so we have high hopes.
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Thursday, May 7, 2009

just a little story...........

....... Once upon a time in a quiet little neighborhood in Whitefish, MT lived a little old man who didn't have all of his strength (or marbles), but had a history of helping others. This little old man was working in his little old shop when he heard a big crash. The little old man upon hearing this, came running (to the best of his ability) out of his little old shop and saw a big man laying down in the middle of the street after being struck by a very big car driven by a very young lady. A little motorcycle was laying in a big heap next to the big man. The little old man bent down to care for the big man, keeping him calm and "stabilized" until the big red ambulance arrived. The big man had quite a few of big injuries. After the big man was loaded into the ambulance, the little old man had to be helped to his feet by the ambulance attendants so he could get back to his little shop in the quiet little neighborhood in Whitefish, MT. The End

Seriously, this did happen. What was amazing was the surprise visit we received from the big man (with neck in a brace), dislocated hip, concussion and head wound Sunday afternoon. It turned out that he had 3 broken vertebra in his neck and he wanted to come thank the little old man for keeping him calm and still, thus preventing paralysis. Some things remain the same!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Double Whamey

Not sure how to spell "whamey", but I'm sure you get the idea! With the wind blowing things around, Dave has suffered with allergies and is he miserable. Of course, on top of that, he had chemo today (double dose/double whamey)! The good news is, he had no physical signs, i.e. swollen lymph nodes, strange lumps or bumps, and he is up to 222 lbs.!! WOW! His lab work was good too, so we are certainly happy and relieved about that. He is worn out after his chemo today and is resting comfortably (I think) in his favorite chair, wrapped in his favorite blanket with one of his many favorite shows on the t.v. All is well at the Sipes.