"I'm Done!, but I still have 8 to go!"

 20 down, 8 to go! The first apointment Kent and I went to of Radiation we were were told you will have 28 to 30 treatments of Radiation.  Both of us looked at each other and said, "Ok, One month it's doable."  No one except for those who are going through this know what it
is exactly that it takes to go into this regimen.  Timing is everything, sleep is precious and every bit of energy you have is spent being around those you care about, but colapse once you get home where you can rest.  Kent is at the point of everyday is exhausting and long and bed is never to soon. 

This weekend we spent one night away at the cottage. it's enough removed from home but a place he can relax , yet escape inside to sleep or rest if he's had enough. Home, where Kent spends all his time still working his job daily though chemo and radiation and then spending his evening quietly sitting in his chair just mustering all the little energy he has left, becomes hard to be at now that he has to have all his meds at home. Chemo becomes a very hard association when you are constantly at that same place. 

Proud would be an understament of all of who watch him fight every day! He carries on with daily tasks like going to a Restraunt in the middle of the day with his daughter just because time with her is so important and she has a very busy weekend including a wedding and she spends her Summer at Camp Geneva., He spends his extra time making sure all the T's are crossed and i's dotted when forms need to be in for Lydia, or if and when anyone else needs help too!

Tommorow Kent will start one of eight treatments left.   2, four day weeks with a 4 day much needed break over the 4th of July Holiday. I ask to please pray he makes it these next 2 four day weeks!  He's a bit uneasy about having a break and not wanting to go back into it after that.  I know he can finish strong, but he needs you his biggest cheerleaders encouraging him. 

July 11 is the day! Graduation day from Radiation! He will get a certificate of completion. Well deserved!  I told him and will hold on to my word we will go to a restraunt of his choice to celebrate! I will not share the restraunt at this time but I without a doubt know what he will pick and we may have to wait for Lydia because its that good and we all want to share in his accomplishment! We'll share for sure when it becomes a reality.

Matthew 11:28 through 30 

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my Yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light! 

Thank you for all being Kent's prayer warriors and biggest Cheerleaders to keep on and not being Done! 

Leah 

Farewell my good friend

Thursday we had a vet appointment with our struggling fur baby.  She had been in previously with a toe on her left foot which was larger than the rest.  At the time we elected surgery to remove the toe and pathology confirmed it was indeed cancer. This Thursday's visit was for an enlarged to on the opposite back foot.  We suspected a return of the cancer on her foot was making walking difficult for her.  When visiting the vet he examined her then continued to tell us her toe was not his primary concern.  The muscles in her back hips were basically gone.  This was making it difficult for her to walk around.  The toe was just adding to the diffuculty for her.  In her current state the future looked grim for her.  We were presented with very few options with the best option being the one nobody wants for their beloved animal.

It's been quite an adjustment around home with her no longer present.  I know she was loved as she always followed Leah and she sat by me when Leah wasn't around which meant every work day in the last 4 years.  We welcomed her into our home roughly 10 years ago as a Paws with a cause Breeding dog which was when I was just coming out of my first cancer journey.  So in a very real sense up until Thursday she has been my emotional support dog.

While it's difficult, I know I have the support of a lot of people and I wouldn't give that up for anything.  Today was treatment number 16 out of 28 which means I have 12 treatments left.  My schedule going forward looks a little interesting.  This week I have today thru Friday with a couple days at an earlier time.  I will have Satruday off and then start treatments again on Sunday and continue through Wednesday.  At that point We will all with be celebrating the 4th of July and so I will have a 4 day weekend including Thrusday and Friday.  The following week I will have 4 treatments left and should Graduate on July 11th from the radiation/chemo program.

Prayers for calm mind and calm stomach would be appreciated.

~Kent

What goes down.....

I know what goes up must come down but what's the rule when something goes down?  I'm still not sure I know that rule fully.  The last several days have not gone great and I'll expalin why.  Yesterday day was fine through Chemo number 1 and lunch and treatment.  On Tuesday I see the Radiation doctor after treatment wich was the case again yesterday.  Things were fine through the Doc appointment and even to the car and part of the way down the road.  The further I drove the worse the pain got.  I got the car to Borculo and pulled over and we switched drivers.  Leah drove the rest of the way home even though she doesn't feel comfortable driving my vehicle.

It was on the way home I started putting the pieces together and figured out this was an Acid Reflux issue.  I took an antacid right away when we got home and then was careful with food last night and also slept more upright.  Suddenly the puzzle pieces aligned and looking backwards seemed much more clearly.  My acid reflux seems to be brought on with my high stress and anxiety.  Unfortunately this is not a new problem but shows up infrequently enough I can't really prepare for it but have to react to it.

Lately I have been eating fresh fruit like Peaches and Cherries and then eat things like burgers and occaisionally Pizza  or chicken with Barbecue sauce. None of those options are great options with Acid Reflux issues. Yesterday I had several of the foods mentioned and by the time I had to lay down for treatment I was evidently high on acid and then I laid flat for treatment (if you know acid reflux that's a No No).  

Today I continued my antacid and was careful in the food department.  Rule of thumb today for food is bland (and boring?)  While at treament today I was met by the dietician again.  We explained the happenings of yesterday and the antacid I was taking as a result.  The dietician noted she recalled a reaction between the antacid I was taking and the Chemo I am taking.  She mentioned some other options for antacid, so Tomorrow we'll try the new antacid and see how things go.

On another note the Radaition doctor said to continue on as normal and that somedays will be worse than others.  I am  hoping the worst days are behind me or at least that we've identifiued the problem.  Tomorrow's treatment will be number 14 which is half way through radiation treatments.

I would appreciate your prayers for calm and peace and stamina for the next 15 treatment.

~Kent

Politely say Goodbye

Today was day 8 of radiation with oral chemo.  According to what I was originally told I would be having 28 - 30 treatments.  The process has changed slightly since the beginning which I'll explain in a minute.  Since chemo education I was told I would have an appointment with my Oncologist in weeks 2 and 5.  Since this is week 2 I have had 2 doctors appointments.

Monday I met with my Medical Oncologist.  We talked with her and much of the conversation revolved around nausea and how to handle it.  You have to know on chemo my stomach is often "off".  It seems food helps much better than most anti-nausea meds.  The only by-product is the scale keeps going up.  It's not my favorite thing however I forget about the scale for the short moment the food goes in my mouth.  The Oncologists words were "choose foods with fewer calories".  To make a long story much shorter, the efforts to reduce nausea were 1. Reduce Chemo down to 1500 mg from the 1800 mg I was taking previously, 2. Start taking another anti-nausea med at bed time.  Per the chemo reduction I feel like it is making a small amount of difference so the nausea isn't as bad as what it has been. I would like to share as many of you don't know (since it didn't make the last post) is that I ended up skipping Friday's second dose of chemo due to nausea and what results from it if you don't do anything.  I would politely say goodbye to nausea at every occurence.

On Tuesday I had my treatment and then met with my Radiation doctor.  I informed her of the changes my oncologist made and we talked more about handling the nausea.  We talked a little bit that food worked better than meds.  She said that was ok and that they just didn't want me losing weight.  The other thing we asked is how many radiation treatments I was getting.  She said that during the mapping process they decided on 28 treatments for my case. 

Later that night I took my new anti-nausea med at bed.  I was extremely tired getting up this morning and continuing throughout today. later I read per symptoms on the med sheet that drowsiness was a side effect. This evening, after radiation I started becoming more alert (which should have happened this morning).  Per that med we are suspecting that the sleepiness was a result from that.  We're discontinuing that med and will talk with my Oncologists office tomorrow.  I recieved a phone call yesterday as I waited for my Radiation appointment that I was missing a scheduled weekly blood draw. They conveniently scheduled my weekly labs right during my radiation appointment so I will need to figure another place or another time to have my labs drawn.

I would appreciate your prays for the next 20 treatments.

~Kent

He made it!

He made it! One week down, several to go! Kent was nothing short of amazing in this first week.  The prayers were felt, and answered.  The first night was a little bit rough as he had a pounding headache and had the feeling his BP was high.  We pray that  these next few weeks continue as it has after the first night.  Kent feels "off" from time to time, but as of now food helps that "off" feeling.
For any of you that would be interested his days are very planned and routine.  8 am through 10 am are a set of various meds and food routine.  Eating Lunch no less than 2 hours prior to his radiation.  Food directly after to prevent the "off" feeling again.  Between 9 and 10 pm he repeats a second dose of his chemo meds.

 Radiation is scheduled for 4:15 PM, we walk into the building, he is greeted by a receptionist, and they open a door which we both enter and down a slight hallway is a small waiting room in which he and I wait for him to get called back. Kent is usually a bit quiet before going back, he spends his time looking on his phone usually.  When Kent is called out of the waiting room he enters a room with a huge machine that has a mold of his body on it which he lies on and the radiation machine moves back and forth around him.  The process takes no more than 15 to 20 min.  One thing that I have learned in this 1st week of going with Kent is that each patients that enters in this building have a genuine connection.  Women having heart to hearts and caring for each other, an employee came out into the waiting area to see a patient as it was the patients last day the next day and the employee wasn’t going to be there to say goodbye. nurses trying to help someone remedy a reaction to a radiation treatment and lastly Doctors who come in and genuinely take the time to hear how you are!   Cancer is a journey that NO one wants travel but God surely places people in role to help those travel that path! 

This week’s highlights that have helped Kent to have a normal week go as follows... we welcomed a dog that we are house sitting for 2 weeks, we made our way with my mom to the kick off donor dinner at Camp Geneva,  sat with Lydia at that dinner, and today helped her settle in to be 1 of 4 counselors who are among the very first to stay at Mission Point! A brand new cabin for high schoolers on the shores side of camp.  One last thing Kent has enjoyed... a frequent stop at Chick-fil-a for his Cookies and Cream shake. A much deserved shake for all he has gone though.  

The beginnings of next week's happenings... Sunday we will begin our week at Camp Geneva again! They will be commissioning 110 wonderful counselors to start their summer with some awesome kiddos, the most counselors Geneva has ever had.  Their theme song this year says it best, " At Geneva,  where it's nice to meet ya!"  "God's Heart is really cool."  A few awsome lines to help learn the theme HEART! We can't wait to hear the stories of Lydia and her journey this summer. 

Next, Monday and Tuesday in addition to his normal Chemo and Radiation routine Kent will be including two Doc appointments. Monday he meets his medical oncologist in Grand Rapids and on Tuesday we will travel to Holland in addition to his radiation he will meet with his Radiation oncologist.  We will update at a later time as to what we find out in both these appointments.  We are a little unsure what will be discussed with the exception of the amount of Chemo and how that is going, the discussion of any changes we should make and maybe the symptoms he has felt including his daily evening headache. 

As we finish out this blog, again we say a huge thank you to all who have walked this journey with us, prayed for us and helped us in many ways.

- Leah.