Saturday, May 22, 2010

This is more of an update on Bob rather than me- I continue to feel amazingly well and have been in Grand Junction with Bob all week while he is recovering from aortic valve replacement surgery. He had several days of intense discomfort in ICU, but since he has been discharged from there, most of the tubes have come out and he is functioning extremely well on his own. He has been walking 4-5 times a day and his vital signs are excellent. We anticipate that we will be able to go home tomorrow - Sunday. We praise Jesus for His mercy and favor during this difficult time. With God's abundant provision, I have no doubt that Bob will continue to improve. Thank you for your prayers and support. My next chemo is on June 3rd, so please continue to keep both of us in your daily prayers.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Bob is recovering in ICU at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction from surgery to replace his aortic valve. We are amazed at the skill of the surgeon and at the advances in technology and modern medicine. We are indeed blessed! We expect that he should be discharged from the hospital to come home on Sunday or Monday. I am planning to stay in Grand Junction with Bob until then, and return to school for the remaining two weeks of the school year. We are all ready for summer in the mountains to get here! Bob will be going to supervised rehab in Glenwood Springs 3 days a week for a month once we get home, so it will be nice to have warm weather to walk the neighborhood and to drive through the canyon. We appreciate your prayers. He is certainly not out of the weeds, but we are optimistic that he will continue to improve. Sarah is a huge help to us keeping an eye on the home front, taking care of the cat, mowing the grass, cleaning the house, and just being a tremendous support for us. Did I mention that she is the best daughter anyone could ever have - just amazing with a spirit of compassion that no doubt is a gift from her heavenly Father!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

I know it's been awhile, but until I have new news to report, I don't usually post anything. Yesterday, May 11th was my scheduled chemo day. My friend, Kathy Moser, from Steamboat drove over to take me to my treatment and visit with me while I'm there. She had just arrived at my house when I received a call from Sarah who instead of being at work like I thought she was, was in the process of taking her dad to Glenwood Springs to get an ultrasound done on his groin and right leg, which then led to her driving him all the way to Grand Junction to St. Mary's Hospital where he will have a procedure done today to stitch up the femoral artery where they went in two weeks ago to perform a cardiac catheterization. It seems that it never closed or healed properly, so it has been leaking and causing a huge hematoma that has to be drained. I am on my way in a few minutes to stay with Bob while he is in the hospital. We expect to be home on Thursday afternoon. Please keep us in your prayers. He is still scheduled to have an aortic valve replacement done on May 19th. All the pretests show that he is a good candidate for the least invasive procedure, so we think his recovery time will be about 3 weeks, with a 5 day hospital stay. The results of my blood work, echocardiogram, and CT scan are all good, with even a slight (2cm) decrease in size of the big tumor in my abdomen, and less ascides (fluid) present as noted on the digital images. My chemo went well and I feel fine to make the trip to Grand Junction this morning. Last May 1st, my surgeon in Denver told me that I had one month to live. Bob and I came home in a daze trying to wrap our heads around everything that we needed to take care of personally, emotionally,legally and financially while still trying to live as normal a life for the 30 days we had left. One year later, I am so grateful that I've had many wonderful days with family and friends, far exceeding my wildest dreams! My God is so faithful! He gives life, and he takes it away, and in the meantime He has extended His infinite compassion and mercy on me and my family. We look forward to a delightful summer in the mountains together - if it will ever stop snowing! I think God controls that, too! Love to you all. Will keep you updated, but know that no news is good news.