A Month Off

We had a really good visit with the Dr. this morning. Ray has definitely said "No" to another round of chemo, and the Dr. is O.K. with that. He feels he has a good chance of staying in remission without doing any more chemo. For the next few months, Ray will go in for monthly lab work. From those results the Dr. will be able to see whether or not the leukemia is still in remission. The next time we'll see the Dr. is Jan. 9, '09.

Ray was definitely walking a little taller and with a little dance in his step leaving the Dr.'s office. His blood counts were much improved today, so his energy level should also improve soon. He's great at doing some "honey dos" when he has the energy. So I've had him doing some "Santa honey dos" these past couple days. Believe me, this Santa is glad to have a helper.

Andy's graduation is Sat. morning, so our kids and grandkids will all be home Fri. evening. We are so excited to have them all here.

Thank you all so much, again for all your prayers, love and concern. You'll continue to be in our daily prayers. I probably won't be posting again for a few days. May you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Love you all,
Kim

Secret Confession

O.K. I had to 'fess up today and tell Ray about the previous post. However, I didn't take all the blame. As soon as he saw it, he knew who my "partner in crime" is.

We had a horribly cold, windy, snowy day, today. In spite of it all, we braved the elements and made a trip to Naz to see my Mom. With the north wind at our backs we flew down there, and then bucked the wind all the way back to Amarillo. It was a good trip.

Ray's energy is still very low; but is slowly improving. He will be going back to the Dr. tomorrow morning.

Love you all,
Kim

A Little Shaken Up?

"Chemo had me a little shaken up, but I'm fine now."

Home!!

After receiving another unit of platelets late this afternoon, Ray was discharged around 5:30 this evening. It's great to have him home! He feels good, just very fatigued but that will get better as his blood counts are starting to improve. He goes in to see the Dr. on Wed. It will be interesting to see what he says about where we go from here.

As I'm posting, Ray is sitting in the recliner making his list of "things to do" for tomorrow. Thank you, Lord!

Love you all,
Kim

Persevering

Just a quick post to say things are about the same as yesterday. Thankfully, there has been no more fever. His blood counts are not improving like we'd like to see them do, particularly the platelets. Possibly, he'll have another unit before he's dismissed from the hospital.

We took a couple of short walks today. I hope I can get him to walk farther tomorrow. He's still very weak, but his appetite is good, so I feel certain he'll be feeling stronger soon.

He says to tell everyone thanks for their prayers and concern and that we are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.

Love you all,
Kim

98.6

There was no fever at all today, so one of the antibiotics must be taking care of the infection. I did not get to talk to the Dr. today, he came in early this morning while Ray was still sleeping. He woke Ray up, but he wasn't thinking clearly enough to ask him questions.

I understand Ray did not sleep well last night due to a horrific headache. Around 3 a.m. the nurses had to call the Dr. to order a pain killer. By this afternoon he was feeling much better.

No word yet on when he'll be coming home, I'm hoping in a couple of days though. That will make him feel much better.

Love you all,
Kim

Monday Morning

The fever finally became manageable around 10:30 Sun. night, so more transfusions were started. He was given a total of 4 units of packed red blood cells plus the one of platelets he received in the ER. He still continues with a low grade fever, but the Dr. feels progress is being made. Exactly what type of infection he has is still unknown. Currently, he is on four broad spectrum antibiotics which we're hoping will take care of the infection. Results for blood cultures take awhile.

Yesterday was a really tough day. Everything imaginable was being done to try to lower his temp. His I.V. tubing was iced down, different meds given, and we were soaking wash clothes in tubs of ice water and placing them on his body. My hands were frozen of course, so then I could warm 'em up (at least get the blood flowing again) by touching his feverish arms. It was a relief when his temp finally lowered.

Please keep him in your prayers. At this point he is saying he is finished with chemo. He does not want to go that route again. Even the Dr. today is saying that he is not sure we should go for another round. It's going to be a tough call.

"Life is hard some of the time, but God is good all the time."

Love you all,
Kim

Back in the Hospital

Sat. evening around 8:00, it became evident Ray was running low on platelets. After speaking to the Dr. we headed to the hospital. Shortly after we got there he began running a high temp, so obviously all the tests, blood cultures, x-ray, etc. were done. Not only is his platelet count dangerously low, his red blood count is also. He did get a platelet transfusion immediately, and if they can keep his temp down long enough, he'll also be getting 3 units of packed red blood cells over the next 12 hours.

The fever indicates there is some kind of infection going on, which we'll learn more about that later. He was exhausted when I left his room, and it looked as though the chances of getting some rest were slim to none.

More later,
Kim

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are so very thankful for all our family and friends who have been such a wonderful support for our family. We can never thank you all enough for everything that you've done, so we are thanking God for each of you.

Ray was in to see the Dr. this morning for more lab work. His blood counts are all very low, most especialy his white blood count. He was told to stay away from crowds and just stay in for the holidays. Just like the last round, the Dr. is trying very hard to keep him out of the hospital.

We're OK with staying home. I'll be making the traditional Thanksgiving meal for Ray, myself, Daniel and Mary. With spending so much time in the hospital these past 4 months, we'll cherish the time at home.

On Monday, it's back to the Dr.

Have a very blessed and safe Thanksgiving!
Love you all,
Kim

Yea!!

We got back home early yesterday morning (Sat.) around 8:30. That's the earliest yet Ray's been able to get out of there. He knew he'd finish the meds early Sat., so already on Friday he started getting the ball rolling for being dismissed. It paid off. But let's see, how many times have we done this?

Had a busy day yesterday, so I'm just now getting this posted.

Ray's feeling very fatigued. He's able to be up for a while, but spends most of the day in the recliner. He planned to go to Mass yesterday evening, and as he was getting ready to go he decided he just didn't have the strength to make it. The chemo seems to be affecting him sooner this round. In the past, his energy was pretty good for about a week after he got home. Each round has been unique.

Love you all,
Kim

Brief Update

Things are going great for Ray, thus far. His appetite is still great (he's even worried about his weight) and he's been walking the halls quite often to get some exercise. He's always happy to have visitors and phone calls. His blood counts are still pretty good, which means his resistance
is good. Plans are for him to be home Saturday.

Love you all,
Kim

Round Four

Ray's 4th round began this afternoon, and has been uneventful for the most part. He's got the routine down now and knows pretty much what to expect next. As I've said before, he's on first name basis with all the people in the admitting office, the 6th floor nurses, even the housekeepers. They all love to see him come in, smiling and always has something positive to say to each one he meets. I do believe though, some of the nicest people in the world, work at that hospital. We feel so blessed to be there. He will be finished with this round Sat. morning and be able to go home then.

He said today he's beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel; with only one more round to go after this.

I thank God often for each of you, our family and friends who have been our prayer warriors.

Love you all,
Kim

Next Round

Today, the Dr. was pleased with the progress made, so pleased Ray will begin his next round of chemo on Monday.

It seems so sudden after he just spent all of last week in the hospital, but we know this is getiing one step closer to finishing these treatments. Plans are that after this next round, he'll only have one more.

Thus far, each round has been unique. I guess it's the fear of the unknown that makes us hesitant. God is so good to us, we know and trust He'll carry us through once more.

The timing for this round will be good as Andy's college graduation will be Dec. 13th, and by then Ray should be back on his feet and feeling pretty good again. Most importantly, be able to be in a crowd again.

Love you all,
Kim

Baby Brooke of Booker

We made a trip to Booker Sunday afternoon to see Steve, Amber & kids and had a great time. I wanted to share some pictures with you.

Ray is doing well, all things considered. He feels exhausted most of the time, but we know that's to be expected and will get better. He returns to the Dr. tomorrow morning for more blood work.

Love you all,
Kim

Glad to be Home

We got Ray home today around 2:00. This morning it was looking doubtful that he'd be released today, due to a low platelet count. But another blood test was ordered (after some pleading) that proved his platelet count had improved since the last test eight hours earlier. The Dr. took that as a sign that it will continue to improve. Ray will have blood tests done every couple of days next week.

Thanks for all your prayers, love, and concern.

Love you all,
Kim

A Good Day!

After the morphine pump was removed, he's had no pain at all. So we feel sure he'll be released tomorrow morning. Took a few hours for all the nasty side effects to wear off, and after that, other than being very tired, he's back to feeling pretty good. What a blessing!

Dr. believes the pain was from a sudden onset of the body producing marrow, which is a very good thing. So, maybe it wasn't all in vain. I hope he never has to go through that again, at least not that many hours.

Love you all,
Kim

Friday

We are still in the hospital. Had somewhat of a setback yesterday. Out of nowhere, this horrific pain started for Ray. It got so bad, it was frightening. He kept saying his bones hurt, from his head down to his hips. The pain meds that were given would not even touch it. Finally they ended up putting him on a morphine (did I spell that right) pump to control the pain. So today, Friday they're going to take that back off and see what the pain level is.

Some of the previous meds he's been on has caused pain so we were expecting that, but nothing like he had yesterday. The nurses even said they had never seen anything like it.

If he can do without the pump for 24 hrs, he can go home. On the morphine, all he does is sleep. I'm ready to get him off that. Then, hopefully the only pain he'll have is the one he's married to.

More later,
Kim

Couple More Days

Well the Dr. did NOT think Ray going home today was a good idea; most especially since he had a temp of 103.2 on Monday afternoon and has no immune system to speak of right now. He advised (strongly) a couple more days of IV antibiotics. "An ounce of prevention" were his words.

Sounds as though Amber and baby are doing great. Can't wait to see them. Maybe this weekend. Oh, by the way, the baby's name is Brooke Kimberly :)

Love you all,
Kim

Grandbaby is Here!

Our little Brooke arrived at 4:45 this morning, weighing in at 6 lbs. 15 1/4 oz. Sounds as though everything is going great for Amber and Brooke. There not sure about the middle name yet. "Brooke Barack" has sort of a ring to it.

I hope to get up there soon- I know she can use another Mom. Hannah is home from school with strep throat (of all times.) They've got so many friends who have offered to help, so I know they'll do fine. God is so good!

More later,
Kim

Feeling Much Better

Needles to say, I left the hospital last night very worried. I even woke up around 3 a.m. (you know how things always seem worse in the dead of night) and couldn't go back to sleep. At 7:00 Ray calls, his voice stronger than ever and sounding so good, says, "I am starving! Bring me something to eat!! I told him he must be feeling better, and he said, "I feel 100 times better than I did yesterday." So after I dropped the kids off at school, I ran to his favorite Mexican food restaurant and ordered a super breakfast burrito just like he wanted.

He did have two more units of packed red blood cells today, so I'm thinking his energy will be much improved tomorrow and he's going to be telling the Dr. he's going home! We'll have to see what the Dr. thinks of that!

I hope you all had a chance to get out and vote, well THAT is if you voted for the same guy I did! Aren't you glad to have all this campaigning over with?

Love you all,
Kim

(Amber's still waiting to have the baby)

Hospital Again

Right as things seemed to be rockin' along so well, Ray had to be admitted to the hospital this morning due to his platelet count being so low. Yesterday, he began to notice red spots and bruising just under the skin, so this morning during his visit to the Dr., we learned that's what happens when the platelet count is dangerously low. He was sent immediately to the hospital, and platelets were ordered. As we're waiting for the platelets transfusion, he starts running a fever. So then the transfusion was put on hold, blood cultures and chest x-rays were done, and they began working to get his temp down. Finally, about 6:00 this evening his temp was back to normal, so he could receive the platelets. I guess we'll learn more tomorrow about cultures and x-ray results. When I left the hospital around 8:30, he was totally exhausted.

I'll let you know what happens tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers. Thanks, I know you will!

Love you all,
Kim

Today's Lab Work

Ray was back to the Dr. today for lab tests. His counts are low, but not dangerously low. The Dr. did order three shots for him that had to be taken at the hospital. (out-patient) These shots will help to bring his counts back up. We are trying desperately to keep him out of the hospital through this round, even as he bottoms out. Since the last round went smoother than the first, I think he'll be able to handle it OK at home and so does the Dr. However, he will be visiting the Dr. every other day for a while.

We took a look back over the past three months, and realized that in the past 90 days, he has spent 43 in the hospital. Needless to say, he is so tired of being in there that he just cannot stand the idea of one more day in that place.

We pray he stays healthy, especially as flu and cold season (and the holidays) are closing in.

Love you all,
Kim

Home form the Hospital

Ray made it home this afternoon around 2:00 and shortly after that was on his way to the shop. After spending a couple hours at the shop, he came home, exhausted and slept in the recliner. He's glad to be home and we're all so glad to have him home! There's no place like home.

Love you all,
Kim

What's This?

Another picture? This one taken Sunday afternoon while Mary was celebrating her birthday with her brothers. It's always a good time when we get some of the family together. It would have been nice to have the girls home also; but the distance is too far for Katie and Jenna to come home for a weekend, and Amber's baby is due any day now. I promise a "new grandbaby" picutre soon.

Oh, yeah. This blog is supposed to be about Ray. He's doing well. Very tired of being in the hospital, but doing good. We're hoping to bring him home Sat. morning. It looks as though he'll finish this round of meds early Sat. and he's already making plans for what he's going to do when he gets out. If things go as they have in the past, he'll probably have about 4-5 good days before his energy is totally zapped.

Thanks again for your continued prayers, phone calls, cards and visits.
Love you all,
Kim

Mary's 8th Birthday!

Where do the years go? I know I'm getting old and it's no wonder as fast as the years fly by. Can you believe Mary is already 8 years old today? Just doesn't seem possible. We had birthday cake yesterday for her while Ray was still home and tonight we had a little birthday celebration for her in the hospital. She sure did not want her Daddy to be in the hospital on her birthday.

All is going very well for Ray. He (reluctantly) checked into the hospital around 10 this morning. That admitting procedure (all the questions) just gets easier and easier. You know you've been there way too much and way too often when you can anticipate the next question before it is even asked! But, we're not complaining. We are so thankful for all the latest technology and modern medicine.

Love you all,
Kim

A Good Report

Ray's blood counts were much improved today. In fact, his red blood count is nearly normal!! What this means is that he is ready for the next round of chemo. Sooooo, Monday morning he'll be admitted back into the hospital and "continue annihilating the cancer cells." He'll be there about 5-6 days if all goes as planned.

The Dr. told us today that he'd like for Ray to have 3 more rounds. We hope and pray these next rounds go as smoothly as the last one did.

Thanks to everyone for all the prayers. Please don't stop! We know it is because of all your prayers that Ray is doing so well. You are a tremendous blessing to our family!

Love you all,
Kim

A Short Update

Just a short update in case anyone is interested. Ray is feeling well, and growing impatient. He feels as though he should be doing more to move this whole process along a little more quickly.

We had a busy, but very good weekend. Amber and kids were here since it was a holiday weekend. A baby shower was held for Amber on Sat. afternoon and then on Sat. evening we celebrated Willie Faye's (Ray's mother) 80th birthday.

Those of you reading this that grew up in the Texas panhandle, and have moved away, you would not believe the way it is raining here. It has rained nearly non-stop for four days. At times the rain has been light and other times very heavy. The ground is saturated! You know how unusual this is for our area. What a blessing!

Friday Ray will be going back for his Dr.'s visit and lab work. We're thinking he'll be ready for the next round of chemo.

Love you all,
Kim

Trying to be a patient Patient!

The Dr. was not pleased with Ray's red blood count today, so he was given a shot ( promotes the growth of red blood cells) and goes back to the Dr. next Friday (17th) for lab work again. Obviously, he will not not begin chemo next week.

This was not part of the plan that Ray has in his mind. His plans are to begin another round of chemo every 30 days or so, (not exactly the Dr.'s plans) and then be finished in 2-3 months. He's counting the days when treatment will be finished and life (work) goes on. End of leukemia!

The words of St. Teresa Of Avila: "Be patient and leave it in the hands of God.... In every event the best we can do is leave ourselves in the hands of God."

Words for all of us to live by.


Love you all,
Kim

Finally, a Picture!

I feel like I'm getting soooo blogger savvy!! I've added a picture! O.K., O.K., I had to have help. Thanks, Sr. Mary Michael!!

Ray is really doing well. He feels better today than he has in about 2 1/2 months. He'll be going back to the Dr. tomorrow (Thurs) afternoon for lab work. He claims he knows the routine now, and since he's feeling so well, the Dr. will set the date to begin the next round of chemo. He's thinking possibly next week. We'll see what the Dr. says tomorrow and I'll let you know.

Love you all,
Kim

Good Week-end

Ray continues feeling better little by little each day. He even felt strong enough to go to the Bitonel wedding Sat. and we stayed longer than I figured we would. Tomorrow we are going to drive up to Booker for the day to see Amber & Steve & kids. My Mom and Gaylene (one of my sisters from Wichita Falls) are also going with us.

Ray will be going back to the Dr. Thurs. for lab work. We feel certain the Dr. will want to set a date then to start the next round of chemo:(

Love you all,
Kim

Good Report!

Ray got a terrific report on his blood counts today! The Dr. is so pleased, that we don't have to go back for lab work again until next Thurs., and we were expecting to be going in every day. Ray had sort of shuffled into the Dr.'s office, but after hearing such good news, he walked out of there with a little bounce in his step. He even wanted to go to Wal-Mart, which we did and then later to Daniel's football game. The power of words!

But even more amazing, is the power of prayer which we have felt so powerfully each and every day since we began this walk. Thank you, thank you so much to everyone that is praying for our family. Please don't stop, you're prayers are powerful! We are asking the Lord each day to bless all who are praying for us. Many of our prayer warriors we don't even know!

Love you all,
Kim

Home!

Dr. came in this afternoon and announced Ray could go home since he was feeling so well, but would need to come in each day to the Dr.'s office for lab work. We readily accepted his offer before he changed his mind and immediately began packing. We got home around 4:00 and it wasn't a moment too soon for Ray.

He's has plenty of time to think of all the things he'd like to do while he's stuck in the hospital. So now that he's home he's got plans to get so many things accomplished. But he's still weak and just runs out of energy before he can get anything done. It's so hard to be patient in our fast-paced way of life.

There's no place like home!

Love you all,
Kim

Daniel Turns 14 Today

Since today is Daniel's 14th birthday, we celebrated in the hospital so Ray could also be a part of it. We just had ice cream and he opened presents. It was fun for all of us. We're going to Ryan & Heather's tomorrow night for pizza and Heather is making a cake for Daniel. (Isn't she a sweetheart?)

Things are about the same for Ray. He needed another unit of platelets today and daily he gets shots (nuepogen & procrit, spelling?) that help the body produce red blood cells and white blood cells. These meds cause his bones to ache, which he says is slightly uncomfortable.

I awoke this morning and discovered our water heater leaking. Immediately, I envisioned it needing to be replaced, but thankfully it was only a leaky 15" (flexible) line that needed replaced. Ray's brother, Billy came to the rescue and fixed it for us during his lunch hour. All I had to do was go to the alley and shut the water off. That's the extent of my plumbing knowledge. Thanks again, Billy!

Blessings from our family to all of you,
Kim

Ready to Bailout

Well today Ray received two more units of "packed red blood cells" because his counts were falling once again. Afterwards, he tried to convince the Dr. he was ready to go home. (He's considering his own bailout:) Of course, the Dr. wouldn't let him and told him he could go home when his body starts producing its own blood again, which probably means he'll be there for several more days.

He feels good, loves to have healthy visitors, and loves to get phone calls. It all sure helps to pass the time.

Love you all,
Kim

Hangin' In There

Not much has changed since yesterday, although he's not feeling quite so fatigued since receiving the 3 units of blood and platelets yesterday and his color is much better. We are looking and hoping for his blood counts to begin improving soon.

Changing the subject: We're hearing rave revues about the new movie "Fireproof" that opened this weekend. Sounds like a great movie for all of us to see. If you haven't heard much about it, check it out and GO SEE IT!! We're planning to as soon as Ray if feeling up to it.

Love you all,
Kim

A New Hideout

By 8:30 this morning Ray was pretty well settled into his new hideout. He did receive two units of "packed red blood cells" and one unit of platelets this afternoon. Have I ever told you how much we love and appreciate blood donors?

For the most part, things are going well for him. He has no pain to speak of, and really his only complaint is having no energy.

We're getting to know the 6th floor staff quite well and are on "first name basis" with many of them. This morning I ran into one of the nurses on the elevator and immediately she asked how's Ray and why are we back in the hospital? Then she asked, "He doesn't have a fever again, does he?" I told her, "No, and SHHH!! We are not even saying that 'f-word' this time." As you can tell "fever" is every one's biggest concern and threat when the body's defense is practically non-existent.

Love you all,
Kim

Back to the Hospital

The lab results today showed Ray's blood counts have dropped drastically just since Tues. So he will be admitted to the hospital tomorrow (Fri.) morning. Our plans are to take Mary & Daniel to school and then Ray and I will go to BSA. So we should be there around 8:00.

Dr. said Ray will be receiving red blood cells and platelets to start with, and we should plan for him to be there for about a week. Dr. also promises to get him back out of there ASAP. He likes to have his patients recuperate at home as much as possible. He told us that illnesses you catch outside of the hospital are much easier to treat than illnesses you catch in the hospital. I thought that was an interesting perspective.

On my way to Daniel's football game this evening.

More tomorrow...
Love you all,
Kim

Appt. Today

We were back to the Dr. this morning and found out Ray's blood counts have remained the same since Sat. when we left the hospital. We were expecting them to have dropped, possibly low enough he'd have to be admitted back into the hospital. Dr. told him to go back home and keep doing whatever he's doing. We go back Thurs. afternoon once again for lab work.

We were prepared to head to hospital, so we feel as though we've have been given a few more days off.

Ray's very fatigued at all times. As a healthy person, I take many things for granted and never realized the energy it takes just to put one foot in front of the other. Thank the Lord everyday for your good health!

Love you all,
Kim

Home Again

We got home this afternoon and it feels so good to not be sitting at the hopsital. Just being there 5 1/2 days, makes me wonder, how in the world did we do that for nearly 4 weeks the last time. Ray's energy is low as his blood counts continue to go down. He goes back to the Dr. Tues. morning for lab work. If everything is still OK he'll let us go back home again for a couple more days.

Love you all,
Kim

Day 5

Ray will be finishing this round of chemo Sat. morning around 8:00. The Dr. is still saying he can go home for a few days when he finishes. However, his blood counts are already going down, particularly the red blood count. So he may need a transfusion (packed red blood cells as they say) before he can leave. It'll depend on his counts in the morning.

Please keep him in your prayers. Last time it was days 11-12 that it started to hit him so hard. Today is day 5.

Love you all,
Kim

Doing Well

Ray's still doing well. If he continues doing OK, the Dr. will let him go home for a few days after he finishes this dose of chemo. We're thinking he'll finish early Sat. morning.

I would like to ask you all to pray for my niece Sami and her husband Jeff as they are expecting their first baby in about three weeks. They had to leave their home in Galveston during "Ike" and of course now they're not able to return. They've been told their house is standing in about 6 feet of water. She's now staying in Frisco with her mom, (my sister) Becky and she'll have the baby there.

Love you all,
Kim

Two Thumbs Up

So far Ray is sailing right along without any problems. When the Dr. came in today, he gave him two thumbs up for the way things are progressing. His appetite is still great and he's still exercising! He's trying to stay out of that bed as much as possible. There's a great outdoor dining area in this hospital, and we spent some time out there this afternoon. It was a beautiful day to sit in the sunshine. We were also able to go to noon Mass here in the hospital.

Daniel is feeling much better. Plans are for him to return to school tomorrow. He's feeling well enough to aggravate us all again. Just like normal!

We pray all of you are doing well. God bless you all! (Ray's words)

Love you all,
Kim

Annihilating Leukemia

Ray was admitted to BSA around 11:00 this morning. He sure did NOT want to go. He kept saying, "I feel so good today. My hair is starting to grow. I even had to shave this morning. Are we sure we need to do this?" The Dr.'s words to him was that we have to keep "annihilating this leukemia." So after blood tests, chest x-rays and other procedures, the annihilation began around 5:00 this evening. When I left his room around 8:30 tonight, he was doing exercises!! He's determined to stay strong this time. I just shook my head and left.

We found out today Daniel has strep throat. He started feeling bad yesterday. He quickly went from bad to worse. Ordinarily, I don't take my kids to the Dr. so quickly (I'd rather play Dr. myself and do my own diagnosis and treatment and later end up regretting not going to the Dr. sooner) but this time I didn't want to take any chances. I was worried Mary, Ray or I might catch something. I'm sure hoping we don't get that! He can go back to school Wed.

More later.
Love you all,
Kim

Getting Ready

We are getting things ready for this upcoming week. We all went to Mass this morning and then we enjoyed lunch today with some of our kids. Ryan, Heather & kids and Andy & Britteny were all at our house. Ryan & Heather did all the cooking - fried chicken and all the yummy stuff to go with it. It was great!

Plans are for Ray to check into the hospital tomorrow and begin the next round of chemo. We are still not sure what time he is supposed to be there. He's feeling good today and ready for the challenge. Dr. assures him he'll do better this time because he's starting off healthier than he was at the start the last time. We trust God will carry him through any tough times. Ray's attitude has always been good during this trial. He always just says, "If this is what I have to do to get better, I'll do it."

Friday his blood values were still improving. The Dr. says that's a good sign that he's making his own blood now.

Oh-oh, Ray 's reading over my shoulder now. His own words, "It's very humbling to be on the receiving end of so many prayers. I pray that God's grace will be abundant in the lives of those who pray for me and all those who are sick. Where would I be without all your prayers?"

Love you all,
Kim (&Ray)

Remission!

We just got back from the Dr. appt and the biopsy from last week shows the leukemia to be in remission. Praise God!!

So Ray will begin his "post remission" chemo on Monday, Sept. 15th. He will be admitted into the hospital (BSA); Dr. told him to plan to be there at least 5 days and then he could possibly go home over the weekend. But after the weekend he will need to be admitted again because that is when the effects from the chemo will set in and it will be too dangerous to be home.

We are thrilled that he is in remission, but nervously anticipating what lies ahead. This next round of chemo will be very strong as well. Dr. Needleman uses an honest and "upfront" approach when discussing matters like this. That is what we really appreciate about him. So again, we beg for your continued prayers.

Plans are for 2-4 "post remision" rounds of chemo, each round (treatment & recovery) taking about a month.

I'll be posting more soon!
Love you all,
Kim

Brief update

We decided to try walking at the park today and Ray was able to walk farther than he has since he's been home from the hospital. We actually spent about an hour at the park, walking some and resting on the park benches, just enjoying the warm sunshine. He's been walking some most days since he's been home, but just around the block or down the sidewalk and back. His energy is improving little by little each day. It's a slow process.

We're going to Naz. tomorrow to spend the day with Mom and one of my sisters visiting from Wichita Falls.

Love you all,
Kim

All smiles

The Dr. appt. went very well. The Dr. is feeling very confident about Ray's progress and was all smiles. His blood values continue to improve. We'll get the results from the biopsy next Fri. With this biopsy he will also be doing a chromosome study that he says is very helpful with knowing the best form of treatment. You may recall, he tried to do this study with the first biopsy but was unable to aspirate enough bone marrow due to "binding of the marrow" which is a result of leukemia. Today, he was able to aspirate as much marrow as he wanted. A very good sign!!

Here'e the plan: Ray will be home for at least another week to hopefully continue getting stronger, we go back to see the Dr. next Fri. (Sept. 12) to get the results and then he'll make plans for the next round of chemo.

It has done wonders for Ray to hear the Dr. tell him that he looks great, his blood is improving and to go home and keep up the good work!

Thank you all for you continued prayers, phone calls and visits.

Love you all,
Kim

Back to the Dr.

Tomorrow morning (Fri.) is Ray's appointment for lab work and also the bone marrow biopsy. Before he began any treatment, the Dr. told us to plan on 3 more rounds of chemo after the leukemia is in remission. So we feel pretty sure he'll want to begin chemo again next week, we find out more tomorrow. We hope and pray this biopsy will show it to be in remission.

Ray is nervous (we both are) of course about starting again after he had such a rough time the first go 'round. I ask you to please pray for a spirit of peace and calm for him.

We are looking forward to Amber and her family being here Sat. We plan to celebrate her 31st birthday while they're here.

I'll let you know what we find out tomorrow.

Kim

Getting Stronger

Ray continues getting stronger little by little each day. It's a slow process. He says he's shufflin' faster today than he was yesterday. He's frustrated that he can't gain weight. Not too long ago, he would have never dreamed of having such a problem. His appetite is good, however. He even gets up in the middle of the night to eat because he gets so hungry. He usually eats about six meals each day.

We are keeping Jude (18 months) this weekend while Ryan & Heather and the rest of their kids are gone to College Station for the opening football game. He's so much fun to have here and I couldn't bear the idea of him making that long car ride.

Blessings to you,
Kim

Still blogging

Some have asked whether or not I (we) will continue to update this blog. I will continue, but will probably not be posting something everyday. Ordinarily, life at the Huseman's is pretty boring. But we're not complaining, we could use some boring days right now. Keep checking though, one of these days I'm going to get smart enough to add pictures. Maybe I'll even get a picture on here of Ray wearing one of his new "do rags." He received 2 of them today.

I have been truly amazed and humbled by the number of people reading this blog (it's really made me nervous at times.) It HAS been a great way to keep everyone updated with so many of our family members and friends miles away.

By the way, the date for the bone marrow biopsy was changed to Fri., Sept. 5th due to a conflict the Dr. had.

Ryan (our oldest son) decided to give the hospital a try and spent last night and most of today at BSA. His Dr. thinks he has a staph infection which had to be treated with I.V. antibiotics. He's home now, and we pray he continues to improve. We couldn't believe it when Heather called to tell us.

We'll be in touch!

Kim

We're Home!

What a blessing to be back home! Please join your prayers with ours and send up prayers of praise and thanksgiving. We made it here around 4:00 and I can't even tell you how awesome it felt to have Ray back home. Thank you all so much for your prayers and concern.

You're probably wondering, now what? We go in to see the hematologist next Thurs., Sept. 4th and the bone marrow biopsy will be done. Dr. said he wanted to give the blood and bone marrow plenty of time to "settle down" so we can get a true reading. He feels as though Ray is headed for remission, because of the great improvements the blood is making. Did I tell you how overjoyed we are?

Ray's already has his day planned for tomorrow (Tues.) First thing he wants to do is go see his chiropractor after nearly four weeks of sleeping on a hospital bed. We'll see if he gets everything done that he's hoping, he poops out pretty quick.

Mary and Daniel are thrilled to have their Dad back home.

Love you all,
Kim

We are NOT dreaming!

This is Sr. Mary Michael writing for Kim...

Ray is being released from the hospital!!!

This paragraph is a dictation from Ray:
"I would like to thank everyone for ALL your prayers! and I appreciate all of the love poured out for me. And thanks to God that your prayers were heard and answered. Praised be Jesus Christ!"

The doctor is giving him a week off to go home and rest and eat whatever he wants! His numbers are so good that he's pretty sure he's in remission. The doctor wants to see him in his office next week, so he may have to come back for more chemo later, but at least this week will be at home! Yea!

Thank you again for all your prayers! Don't stop -- he's not quite out of the woods yet....

Love,

The Huseman's

Lookin' Good!

Ray has been doing so much better the past two days. At this moment, he does not even have an I.V.!! His red blood count is higher each day, even though he has not been given blood since last Monday. That means his body is now making some of its own. Same with platelets and white blood cells. Praise the Lord!

He has lost about 25 lbs. since Aug. 1st (the day he went into the hospital.) Before going to the hospital, his Dr. warned , "You better not lose even one pound!" So now he's trying everything just to put some weight back on (this dieter's dream come true.)

He is sooo ready to come home. It's going to be interesting to see what this next week brings.

School started last Thurs. for Mary and Daniel. Katie and Jenna are back in College Station. School starts for them tomorrow as well as for Andy @ W.T. This is Andy's last semester!!

Love you all,
Kim

Getting Stronger Every Day

Isn't there a song by that title?

Ray's blood values continue to improve and he is getting stonger. He was even able to get out and walk some today (just down the hall and back). He only used oxygen for a short time this morning and his O2 sats. remained good all day. Still not eating real well, but that is also getting better.

Dr. told him today he plans to do the next bone marrow biopsy early part of next week. If the leukemia is in remission, he'll begin the "post-remission" chemo soon thereafter.

Love you all,
Kim

Out of ICU

Praise be to God!! Ray was just moved out of ICU at midnight (about an hour ago); so he is now in a regular room. He had to be released by all three of his Drs. before he could leave ICU and that took all day for each of them to make it by. Needless to say he is elated to be out of there.



We have to be very careful that he is not exposed to any illnesses, so visitors and visiting time will again be very restricted.

Love you all,
Kim

Much better

God is good!! Things are much improved today. He does not have to use the BiPap machine anymore. YEA! X-rays show the lungs to be much clearer. He's still on oxygen, with the nose canula and his O2 sats. are very good with that. He's breathing is so much easier and his temp is normal. Praise God!

His white blood cell count has been steadily improving over the past three days. Dr. told him your own white blood cells are the best antibiotic you can have. His did receive another unit of platelets today and probably will receive more 2 more units of blood tomorrow. Dr. says not to worry about that, it is to be expected after chemo.

Results from the lung fluid culture show the pneumonia is a result of the chemo. A combination of meds can do that. The Dr. did mention however, doing another bone marrow biopsy in about a week to see what the leukemia is doing (remission or not) and if need be starting chemo again.

He tires very easily. His nurse today put a "No Visitors" sign on his door.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your prayers for Ray. Please persevere.

Love you all,
Kim

"Rising out of the abyss"

Those were the words of one of Ray's Drs. (hematologist) today. It was a good day!! The baby steps are getting bigger; blood counts improving, breathing improving, even the attitude is improving.

The hematologist was so encouraging when he came in today and I could see Ray getting stronger just by hearing the Dr. tell him, "things are better today and will be even better tomorrow. Keep up the good work and we'll have you out of ICU in a few days." I wish you all could have seen the transformation.

I was hoping to know more from the results of the lung fluid culture, but that Dr., (pulmonologist) said the results that came in so far really don't tell us anything we didn't already know. We'll know more tomorrow.

Yesterday, Ray said he was ready for a haircut, did I have my scissors. So today I brought scissors and did some cutting on his (much thinner) hair. He really wants it all shaved off. So as soon as he gets back into a regular room, I'll be bringing the clippers to the hospital. I did ask one of the Drs. today if I could give him a haircut while in ICU and his answer was, "I learned a long time ago, ICU is not the place for good sense. So, go for it!"

Ray continues to detest the Bi Pap breathing machine. So he continues to receive a sedative so he can manage it. He says he feels as though he is suffocating with the oxygen being forced into his lungs and the breathing apparatus is a plastic mask that is being pressed against his face. But this IS much better than a ventilator.

More tomorrow...

Love you all,
Kim

Things are looking up

I apologize for not posting yesterday, it was a rough day, but things are a little better today. We're taking baby steps but at least we're moving forward.

Ray's breathing has been less labored today. He's on a BiPap machine which he despises. It forces air into his lungs which in turn should promote healing. I tell him that I know it's hard, but it must be working because his heart rate has slowed down (it had been racing); his breathing has slowed down (also racing) and his oxygen sats. are up. All these are improvements. However, he still continues to have fever (101-102). He's on a broad range of antibiotics that the Dr. says should be taking care of infection, bacteria, etc. But since the fever continues, that tells us there's still something going on. So today the Dr. did a bronchoscopy which is a procedure where a scope is put in the lungs (through the mouth) to "look around" and check for blood clots, or whatever and also to aspirate some of the fluid from the lungs. This fluid is then cultured to better understand exactly what we're trying to fight; whether it be infection, bacteria or viral. (I hope I explained that right.) After we find out exactly what we're fighting then the Dr. will know exactly how to treat it.

You might be wondering why this wasn't done right away. Since Ray's defense system is gone, the Dr. was trying to avoid doing any invasive procedure that risks more infection to the body. He was hoping the broad range of antibiotics would have taken care of that by now.

His white blood count is still "undetectable" and other counts still very low. Yesterday, he received 2 more units of blood and one of platelets. Today, he received another one of platelets. THANK YOU GOD FOR BLOOD DONORS!!!

While he's on the BiPap machine, he cannot talk, so we have a notebook for him to write. He gets frustrated with me at times when I cannot understand the point he's trying to make. But for the most part, he's handling this whole situation well. The Dr. has had to give him meds for anxiety and confusion which we understand is very common in ICU.

Thank you all my dear family and friends that read this blog. I love you all very much. I have cried much these past 3-4 days. Some out of fear, but mostly because you all have so lovingly and generously reached out to our family. I can never thank you all enough so I have been thanking God for each of you. You all are like angels watching over us.

(I hope I didn't ramble too much.)

Love you all,
Kim

Still in ICU

Just a brief update this Sat. evening. Ray still in ICU. He's not doing great, but he's also not any worse. His breathing is still labored, still has a temp. around 101; but that's better than 103 a couple days ago. We're trying very hard to keep him relaxed with brief visits. Talking is very difficult for him because it requires too much energy. I'm hoping for a big improvement real soon.

Love you all,
Kim

Pneumonia

What a day! Right now, Ray's being treated for pneumonia. When I left the him a short while ago, (10 p.m.) he seemed better than he had all day. Breathing is still labored, but getting better. He was eating some jello and complaining he wanted something more solid to eat. The pulmonologist said he would come in sometime during the night to check on him - his words, "Your husband is a very sick man." It's amazing how fast things can get so bad, but even more amazing how quickly they turn around.


Thanks again and again for everyone's comments, phone calls, visits and most of all your prayers. It is so comforting to have so many wonderful people to lean on.

I'll let you know how things are going tomorrow.


Love you all,
Kim

A Short Note

Hey everyone! This is Katie filling in for my mom. We wanted to update everyone on what we know so far today. Unfortunately it isn't much. The doctors are afraid either dad had a bad reaction to the chemo or that he may have pneumonia. Lots of tests are being run and hopefully we will know more soon. We will keep you posted.

Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers, and support!

Moved

About 1 a.m. (Fri.) Ray was moved to ICU. His fever was becoming harder to manage, his cough worsened and his breathing more labored. X-ray shows some fluid on the lungs, possibly pneumonia. Dr. plans to have an infection specialist and pulmonology Dr. take a look at him early Fri. morn.

I stayed with him for about 3 hrs. in ICU. They're giving him two more units of blood and another of platelets. (Many other things too numerous to mention)

I am so thankful that I had decided to stay the night. He was really starting to worry me; he was starting to worry himself. We agreed Thurs. afternoon that I should stay. He is feeling so lousy from the chemo and then add to that the breathing troubles.

Katie is here now and will be here for a week. Good timing for her to be home. Mary is still in Naz. with my Mom. Daniel has been staying at Ryan's. Mary and Daniel start school on the 21st.

Please storm heaven for that dear man of mine. I'm really worried about him.

Love you all,
Kim

He Still Can't Dance

You know how hard it is to ask for help to go to the bathroom? Well...in the wee hours of the morning (I'm guessing around 4 a.m.) Ray decided he didn't need help and was trying to get himself and the I.V. pole into the bathroom when he lost his balance and fell. Worse than that, he thought no one would find out if he just got himself back in bed; which he was able to do without any problem. No one found out until I came in around 9:00 to help him shower. He obviously hadn't looked in the mirror. Praise God! No broken bones, but his jaw is swollen (hit the chair) and one of his shoulders is a massive bruise. His ego is also pretty sore and bruised. One of the nurses and I chewed on him for about 15 minutes. (I was ready to beat him!) I think he was afraid he was going to need more than his jaw x-rayed by the time we got finished.

Poor guy. He's having a tough time. High fever still a problem as soon as the Tylenol wears off, it's back up to 103+. Tonight they're adding another antibiotic (3rd) to his regimen. Still eating pretty good, even though "nothing taste good." This too shall pass, right?

Love you all,
Kim

Long Day

Today was a rough day for Ray. He did receive the two units of blood, but they couldn't give him blood if his temp was over 100.1. Even after they had him lay on ice bags and gave him Tylenol and I.V. fluids it hung around 102-103. To lower his temp, they finally had to place the I.V. lines in ice water. I had never heard of that before. But then, there are lots of things I'm seeing these days for the first time.

He's freezing, shivering, burning up all at the same time. Dr. says this should only last about 10 days. TEN DAYS??!! (Ray's reaction) He's not up for visitors. A couple of people came by today and Ray asked me to go in the hall to talk to them. The nurses are protective of him, too. I really do appreciate that. There may have been more that came by, but didn't get passed the nurses. He's also started this annoying little dry cough. I need to ask the Dr. about it. I missed being there when he came in today. That makes me so mad!!

Sat. morn was the last day for this round of chemo. He received it continuously for about 7 1/2 days. Dr. plans to do a bone marrow biopsy Friday.

Thanks to all who have commented on this blog. I make sure Ray hears everyone of them.

"The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you."

Love you all,
Kim

I'll do better

I promise I'll do better about keeping you all updated. I did post a message (rather lengthy) Sat. evening and I am not sure where it went. It is floating away somewhere out in cyberspace.

Tues. morn.: Ray gave us all a scare last night about 8:00. I was getting my things together to go home for the night. He'd been running a low grade fever most of the day, so I ask them to check his temp one more time before I left. Well it was 103. Fever is very dangerous since his immune system is so weak. His white blood count is "undetectable" (Dr.s' words) right now. Immediately, they began doing blood cultures, chest x-ray, etc. He had meds going in orally and through the IV. They tell me the fever is due to blood values being so low. The body reacts this way to all the changes. This morn. his temp was 102.3 so all the meds were given again.

He received 2 units of platelets yesterday and will get 2 units of red blood cells today.

The longer we're in the hospital the more we realize how blessed we are with so many good friends and family. A group is saying the rosary for us each Mon. 7 pm in the hospital chapel and it is so comforting. I just can't tell you how wonderful it is.

We see other patients that are reminders for us that are problems are so small in comparison.

"Life is hard some of the time; God is good all of the time"

Love you all,
Kim

Welcome to our blog! I've never been a blogger, so we are stepping out into new territory here. Thanks to one of our neices, (Shelly Hammond) she's set this up for us and trying to convince me that I can do this.

Stepping out into new territory... is exactly what our family has been doing with this leukemia. This sort of thing only happens to other people. Each day there is something new to learn. A quote I recently heard, "To accomplish something you never had, you have to do something you never did."

Thanks to all of you for your many, many prayers, cards, phone calls, visits, etc. I don't even have the words to convey what it has meant. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! I plan to post messages often on this new blog of ours, so check often and of course we'll look forward to hearing from you. We do have a laptop in Ray's room, so he'll be able to read along!! (Maybe, if we get all this technology figured out)

Love you all,
Kim