Improving

Things are better today. Ray's eating better and resting a little easier. We even made it out for a short walk down the hall. He's on four different antibiotics and of course still on I.V fluids. We're all being very careful with the hand washing and other precautions, as his blood counts are about as low as they can get. We pray for steady improvements each day, and thank the Lord for progress being made.

Love you all,
Kim

Out of ICU

He 's now out of ICU and back in a regular room, however still being closely monitored. Last night he was given two more transfusions--one unit of platelets and one of packed red blood cells. He's really weak, and getting out of bed very little. He's having trouble sleeping, probably due to meds he's taking. The blood pressure readings are back in the normal range, making it a little easier for the rest of us to get some sleep anyway.

I think we're finished with all the Christmas parties and gift exchanges. Santa was way too good to all of us. Once again we realize how we're so blessed with family and friends. We thank God for each of you.

Love you all,
Kim

Back In

Ray had to be admitted into he hospital Thursday morning (Dec. 24) after a fainting spell that took us all by surprise. He had been doing so well--we were gearing up for Christmas, but quickly our plans were changed. He received a unit of blood, and soon was ready to go back home, claiming we'd made a big mistake by going to the hospital.

Yesterday, (a different story) was really a rough day for him. High temp (103.1) plagued him for several hours. After putting the I.V. tubing in ice, and cooling him off with wet washcloths, and of course an assortment of drugs were administered, by late afternoon the temp was finally manageable. Now low blood pressure (due to dehydration) is the problem. Around 10:00 last night he had to be moved to ICU. I had already gone home for the evening, but Jenna was here with him.

It's a balancing act with the meds, temp, fluids, etc., etc. I learned too many fluids, given too quickly presents even greater problems. I just left his ICU room (first visiting time 6:00-6:30 a.m.) , and he was resting well. The nurse said he'd had a "good night, requiring little support." I talked to Ray just a couple minutes, he said he just wanted to sleep. What do you think my chances are for getting to talk to the Dr. today--Christmas weekend? We'll just keep fighting the battle. Thank you for all your prayers.

Love you all,
Kim

Merry Christmas to All

We still have Ray at home other than daily visits to the Dr. and then on to the hospital (outpatient) for his injection. We continually praise God for his good health. Our daily trips are totally exhausting for him. Hard to believe, but each day it takes about 4 hours just to get this done. So by the time we finish, he's begging for the recliner or bed. Today it took a little longer because he also had to have a unit of platelets at the hospital. His white blood cell count is nearly wiped out, meaning his immune system is also wiped out. We're being very, very careful while we're out, and looks as though his only outings over the holidays will be the daily trips to the Dr. and hospital.

Merry Christmas! We love you all!!
Ray, Kim and Family

Home This Evening

We were pleasantly surprised this morning as the Dr. was making rounds and made mention of the possibility of Ray going home for a few days. As it turns out, he was dismissed from the hospital around 7:30 this evening since his blood counts are still at a fair level. Counts are not great, therefore he will be going into the Dr. each day for blood tests and then on to the hospital (outpatient room) for an injection. He finished the first seven days of chemo infusions this morning, so he can now continue the regimen as an outpatient. Feeling fatigued is his only complaint right now.

We were assured that he will be returning to the hospital (probably within a week) and we're on high alert to watch for fever, bleeding and many other wicked side effects. We're just so happy to get to have him home for a little while. It does ALL of us a world of good!

I'm still tyring to finish up Christmas shopping, (Christmas cards?--maybe next year) and have decided to wait until after Christmas to wrap up the last few details of wedding preparations. Thank heavens we're just the parents of the groom.

Jenna made it home last Friday--so each day as I'm hyperventilating, I send her out with a list of "things to do." Really it's O.K. if it doesn't all get done, just having family together is the greatest gift of all.

Thank you for all your concern and prayers which continues to be our source of strength.
Love you all,
Kim

Christmas Carolers

Ray was surprised by some "Christmas Carolers" that happened by his room this evening. There were others on the floor who were also surprised to see so many Sisters filing into his room. What a treat! Thanks Sisters & Terri (we begged her to take off that burnt orange) for the visit. Please do it again real soon.

Ray is wondering how he will ever be able to stand the boredom for the next month. He feels good now, but has been promised that will change in a few days. He loves to have visitors and phone calls, and of course has his cell phone close by. He's got a stack of books there also, but finds it hard to concentrate.

Daniel and Mary love to go visit him, but after a very short while we're ready to throw 'em out of the room. Those walls start closing in really fast. Christmas break begins Friday. Surely not!

Love you all,

Kim

Next Challenge

Ray has been admitted to the hospital to begin what may prove to be his biggest challenge yet. Each round means approx. 30 days in the hospital and he'll have at least two rounds. This regimen of chemo is what the Amarillo Dr. and the NIH Dr. after consultation are prescribing. He will have a break at home between cycles. The Docs feel that in order to gain remission for a third time, the leukemia is going to have to be hit quickly and hard. His blood counts today, showed he's lost ground just since his last tests which were done Thurs. at NIH in Maryland. Plenty of warning has been given to us about the difficulty of this treatment.

It's been a rough day. We can't help thinking of the upcoming holidays and Andy & Britteny's wedding that Ray will have to miss. We also know that one day this will all be behind us and we'll have many holidays and anniversaries to celebrate.

Love you all,
Kim

Back in the Groove

We're getting back into the groove of things. The kids are are back in school, the laundry is done, and we waded through all the mail. We found out this morning, Ray's appt. will be tomorrow morning at 8:00. We're anxious to hear the plan.

Happy 26th, Andy!
More later,
Kim

No-So-Good News

The results are in. The leukemia is no longer in remission so a transplant is not possible at this time. I've mentioned before about how the severity of the leukemia is measured in percentage blasts--well Ray's blast count is at 50% and it needs to be 10% or less. The strategy is still the same, as far as when the blast count is lower, we can plan on a transplant then. We'll be heading back to Amarillo tomorrow and plan to see the Dr. there ASAP.

I think the transplant Dr. here in MD is just as disappointed as we are. He did say the best place for Ray is in Amarillo for the chemo. He also said if there were a regimen/potion here that we knew for sure would do the job, he'd start him here. But since there is none, the two Drs. will put their heads together once more and go to work putting together the best plan.

Obviously, we're very disappointed. However, we've done this before and feel confident it can be done again. Thank you for all your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for Ray, especially. I do wonder at times, just how much can he take?

Love you all,
Kim

In DC Today

We made it down to DC today and had a great day! We left our hotel around 9:00 this morning and didn't get back until 6:00 this evening. We saw so many fascinating sites, and still only saw a small fraction of what we wanted to see. We tried to do things that didn't require too much walking for Ray's benefit, but we still did so much walking--but we're not complaining. The weather was nice, temps in the mid 50's, mostly sunny. We did quite a bit of hopping on and off the Metro and also a trolley. We're feeling like seasoned tourists now. Can't wait for our kids to visit DC.

Getting away from the hospital and hotel was a good break. In the morning, back to the real reason we're here.
God's blessing on everyone!
Love you all,
Kim

Testing is Done

Ray had two procedures this morning that's got him horizontal this afternoon. Within a two hour span he had a bone marrow biopsy and a lumbar puncture. He said the lumbar puncture (the first one for him) wasn't too bad. The biopsy one the other hand was a different story. He's such a trooper, and takes it all so well. Just watching him endure all this, at times has me in tears. I know I would not be a good patient. He is a very patient patient. As far as we know now, he has no appts. tomorrow. They give an extra day in case more tests need to be done or redone. Thursday is the big day we get all the results. Needless to say, we're quite anxious to find out the plan. Right now we don't even know what we'll be doing Friday. Our return flight is scheduled for Friday, but of course we may be changing that.

We've heard often this past week, mostly from other patients about what a great facility NIH is. I talked at length this morning to a lady from Missouri whose husband had a transplant 3 months ago. She had so much good advice especially for a place to stay long term. She also has young kids at home with Grandma. It's awesome the way God puts these people in our lives just when we need them most. Yesterday we had a great visit with a Lebonese Jesuit priest, chaplain at NIH. He was so encouraging to Ray, telling him not to fear the future and to never dwell on the dark side of the cross he's carrying. Just before we left the hospital today, we ran into a lady chaplain that was so eager to help with anything we needed.

If Ray's up to it in the morning, we plan to head to D.C. and take in some tours. We've been so busy with appts./screening that we haven't been out much, only a couple of short trips to downtown Bethesda. Had a great visit with Doug yesterday afternoon, just wasn't nearly long enough. Thanks, Doug for taking the time to come by. It was great to see you here.

Never take your good health or your kids' good health for granted!
Love you all,
Kim

A Beautiful Snow

We had the most beautiful snowfall yesterday--big flakes that fell straight down. The temp. was in the 40's keeping the roads clear. We have a beautiful view of pine trees outside our hotel room, making a picturesque scene with the fallen snow.

Shelley (Ray's niece, Linda's daughter) made it here around 1:00 yesterday afternoon. We had a great time with her, catching up on this past year. She spent the night with us giving us lots of time to visit and laugh. She had reservations for us last night at a great Italian restaurant. We took advantage of her having a car, and did a little shopping before she left today, Thanks Shelley for braving the snow and making the trip. She's our Goddaughter, and we decided we've done a pretty good job on her, but still needs a little tweaking. :)

My brother Doug (from Denver) called today and he's going to be in this area tomorrow afternoon. So we'll get to see him! Can't wait.

We've talked to Mary and Daniel over the weekend. Sounds like they're not missing us too bad, for which we are most grateful. Thanks, Alan, Chrissy and Willie Faye! Yesterday Daniel rode along with Eric's family to watch Bretts' football game. He was so happy to get to go. Bushland won, what sounded like a most exciting game.

We'll be heading back to NIH in the morning for more tests and appts. for Ray; should finish around 2:30.

Love you all,
Kim

Test, 1.2.3

Really nothing new to report for today, just more testing. The tests done today was a CT scan, an echo, a lung function test and even a visit to the dentist. Things really do move quite fast around here. Ray has spent very little time in waiting rooms. They've always got him doing something. I am left sitting in waiting rooms that are a whirlwind of activity with at least two televisions blaring. I've heard every angle possible on "Tiger's Transgressions" and the "White House Crashers" blah, blah, blah. However, today I found a chapel with Mass everyday and even an Adoration Chapel. We started using the chapel as our meeting place. No appts. for Sat. or Sun.

We're waiting for snow now. It's been warm, so they're saying the snow that is coming won't be a problem for the roads. Not sure what we'll be doing this weekend.

More later,
Kim

Testing, Testing

Many, many tests were done today. Ray was quite surprised with the blood work done very first thing this morning--21 vacutainers of blood were drawn! He first thought it must be some kind of mistake. Chrissy had 17 drawn. They were both kept busy moving from one dept. to another. We returned to the hotel around 5:30 this evening. Chrissy is finished with her screening and will head back to Amarillo early in the morning. Wish she were going to be here longer, but she'll be coming back when it's time for the transplant and be here 7-10 days then. Not exactly sure yet when that will be.

More tests still to be done tomorrow, Mon. & Tues. for Ray. This NIH is an amazing place with so many people, every size, shape and color. People from all over the world and all are here with one goal in mind--healing for themselves or for someone they love. There's definitely a camaraderie among the patients.

Shelley, one of Ray's nieces, lives in Joppa, MD and will be meeting us this weekend. Her husband, Aaron is stationed there, but is currently training in Utah. We're sure looking forward to seeing her. The weather for the weekend is supposed to turn colder and there's a chance of rain and snow. Temps were in the 60's today.

Love you all,
Kim

A New Grandbaby!

We have a new granddaughter!! Ava Maria was born this afternoon @ 1:31, weighs 7# 7 oz. She's beautiful. Ryan sent a pic to Ray's phone shortly after her arrival. I know Heather is relieved to have that baby here. I wanted to talk to her this afternoon, but decided to wait and call her tomorrow.

We were able to get around today and do a few things. This morning was spent at NIH going through the admissions process and becoming familiar with the hospital. This afternoon we decided to hop on the Metro (subway) and spent a couple hours in downtown Bethesda. We are feeling much more confident about being able to get around now. This hotel has a great staff that is more than eager to help answer any questions. This hotel also has a complimentary shuttle that goes to NIH and the Metro every 30 minutes. The driver that brought us to the Metro today, explained every detail for us about buying tickets, and where to get off and where to get back on. I suppose we had a lost look on our faces.

Chrissy made it in this evening. She and Ray have an early start in the morning. I better get to bed.

Love you all,
Kim

We've Arrived

Everything was great today. We could not have asked for anything better. Our flight into BWI even arrived about 25 minutes early, allowing us to catch an earlier shuttle than we expected into Bethesda. We were told to tell all our friends to fly SW Airlines. Ha! I hope all goes the same for Chrissy tomorrow as she makes her trip out here.

The appts. will begin on Thurs, we plan to spend tomorrow getting acclimated and learning our way around, especially NIH (the hospital/campus). We've got so much to learn.

More later,
Kim

Preparing for Lift Off

The turkey's all gone. The kids and grandkids have all gone back home. It just all went by too fast. We had a great time with all the kids being here, except for Jenna, and all the grandkids were here too at one time or another over the weekend. So much laughing, eating and just having a good time being together.

With the holiday behind us, we're quickly shifting gears and getting packed for the trip to MD. We're flying out tomorrow morning, arriving in Baltimore late in the afternoon and then catching a shuttle to Bethesda. I hope it all goes as planned and flights are on time. Billy will be taking us to the airport. Thank you Lord for large families, this way we can spread our peskiness around.

Daniel is staying with Alan and Chrissy (Ray's sister). What a great guy that Alan is. We're leaving a teenage son with him indefinitely and also taking his wife for a couple days. Mary will be staying with Willie Faye (Ray's mom). Leaving Mary had us all in tears. She's been so worried for these past two weeks about how bad she was going to miss us, and then not being able to tell her exactly when we'll be back makes it even harder. She was excited about getting to stay with Willie Faye all by herself and you know Grandma is always so good to her.

I'll keep you updated each day. Please keep our family in your prayers as we thank God for each of you. Love you all,
Kim

Getting Ready

We heard from Bethesda yesterday afternoon, and it looks as though Chrissy will be the donor. She will also be traveling to Bethesda next week and staying for a couple days for her screening process. We'll all be learning together as we begin this new adventure. This will work out really well for the three of us to be there together.

Everything has really been falling into place as these days do pass quickly with many things yet to do. Yesterday, I finally booked a place to stay. I've spent an unbelievable amount of time on the phone and the computer this past week. Our liaison has also been a great help.

Hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving. We plan to spend time enjoying family. We'll have a big feast here tomorrow with Amber's crew and Ryan's as well. Andy and Britteny will be in Dallas with some of Britteny's family and also taking in the Cowboys game. Katie will be driving in on Saturday. Jenna's not coming , but plans to be home when semester ends. My Mom, Gaylene and Craig will also be here tomorrow. I'm getting as many things as possible done today, so maybe--less stress tomorrow. We're looking forward to a great time. On Saturday many, many Husemans will be invading Nazareth for a reunion.

Happy Thanksgiving! Hold tightly those you love!
Kim

We Have a Plan!

Ray & I will be flying out next Tuesday, Dec.1 and Ray's appts. will begin Dec. 3. He'll go through a week long screening process. At this point, we have no idea when we'll be returning. We'll take things one day at a time.

We had another phone interview with our liaison this afternoon explaining more of the details for the whole process. She suggested during our first week there, we should spend some time looking for a place to stay that would be long term. So when we get to that point we'll have somewhat of a plan. We've been given phone numbers, websites, etc. We'll be talking with the liaison again tomorrow.

We're still not sure who the donor is going to be, but that will be determined in the next couple days.

Ray had blood work done today at the oncologists office, and his counts are all very good. The Dr. is quite pleased. He'll have one more appt., next Mon. The Dr. said he'd like to have one last look at the counts before we take off.

We're very excited for the opportunity--excited and nervous, as I've said before. It's overwhelming to think about it all, with the holidays quickly approaching and also Andy's wedding. Oh yeah, one day at at time, I have to constantly remind myself.

Love you all,
Kim

Today's Appt

The staples were taken out this morning, and the surgeon is quite pleased with himself for a job well done and was glad to see Ray doing so well. After visiting with the surgeon, we found out he spent several years training and interning in Bethesda. He's very excited for us that Ray is getting the opportunity to go. He even had some recommendations of some good restaurants we need to try, and some tips for using the subway. These "country bumpkins" are open to any and all suggestions.

We plan to just cruise these next two weeks, continuing the meds. regimen and Ray getting stronger with each passing day. I probably won't be posting again until we have firm plans for the big trip. In other words, life at the Husemans' (on an ordinary day) is pretty boring. We're ready for some boring days for a while. Although when I think of what all I need to do before leaving, I break out in a sweat.

Thanks for all the comments posted on this blog, phone calls, visits, emails and prayers. Each of you have made these times of duress so much easier. Thank you for being so supportive and encouraging.

Love you all,
Kim

We Have A Date!

We talked to our liaison this morning, and Dec. 3rd is when Ray will begin his evaluation in Bethesda, MD. This evaluation will be a week of testing and then the results are reviewed to determine where we go from there. At this moment, we don't know much more than that. Someone will be getting in touch with us to help figure out all the details. We are so excited and yet nervous at the same time.

The appt. with the oncologist this morning went well. All the blood counts are in good shape. Tomorrow is the follow-up appt. with the surgeon to have the staples removed. They do cause alot of discomfort (across the back) when sitting in a chair or lying down. I've offered to remove them for him, but he won't hear of it!

Love you all,
Kim

Home

Ray was discharged from the hospital around 7:00 last night (Fri). He will be on a different I.V. anti fungal med. now for a few weeks. Not sure yet exactly how long he'll be on it, because we're planning for him to be in Bethesda, MD soon. He has an appt. Mon. morning for blood tests at the oncologists office and then Tues. with the surgeon to have the staples removed. The surgeon has already said it would be OK to travel to MD. The oncologist, the infection spec. and the transplant Dr. have been conferring this week. We're told the transplant Dr. will be calling Ray soon, however we plan to call him first thing Mon. morning.

Love you all,
Kim

Tubes Out

The chest tubes were taken out this morning around 11:00. I gotta tell you, I envisioned these tubes to be probably 2-3 inches long inside the lungs. I was standing there while the nurse pulled them out and could NOT believe my eyes. Each tube (he had two) was approx. 9 inches long, 22 cm to be exact-- INSIDE the lung! No wonder he gasped in pain with each breath and tried to lay as still as possible. As I said last night, pray you never have to have a chest tube. Needless to say, things are much better now. He's off the morphine, just taking an oral pain killer every 4 hours. We even walked a short distance in the hall after lunch.

We did get a pathology report today telling us what type of fungal infection we're dealing with. The doctors are planning a "meeting of the minds" to figure out what med. is going to be best for Ray, considering he's getting ready for a transplant.

I'm expecting great strides to be made now and be able to get him home in the next day or two. Thanks for all your prayers. Please don't stop!

Love you all,
Kim

Improving

Things are pretty much the same today. All the breathing exercises/treatments are paying off--we were told that today's chest x-ray was improved from yesterday's. The surgeon came in this evening to say the chest tubes (two of them) will be coming out in the morning. Just knowing the end's in sight was a tremendous boost. These chest tubes are most painful. Pray you never have to have one.

We sure hope to have him back home in a couple days.
More later,
Kim

Yes!

Finally this evening around 5:00, Ray was able to leave ICU, and not a moment too soon. He's being warned about the risk of pneumonia, because of what they're hearing in his chest. He must be diligent with breathing exercises (which he hates, because it's so painful) and also some breathing treatments. He's knows he doesn't want to end up with pneumonia, which is a good incentive to do the exercises no matter how painful--just keep that morphine button handy! Thanks for the prayers.

Love you all,
Kim

Tomorrow...maybe?

We just can't seem to get him back out of ICU. A rapid heart rate still being the problem, another drug was added to the regimen this afternoon, hoping that will be the answer. The Dr. says a rapid heart rate is not at all uncommon after this type of surgery and is usually only a problem for a short time. It's been frustrating to all of us, most especially to Ray. He needs his freedom and those four walls are starting to close in on him; not to mention that while he's in ICU he has all the telemetry hooked up. It's nearly impossible to even roll over with the mess of wires.

I'm praying that tomorrow I'll be posting with news of moving him to a regular room.

Love you all,
Kim

P.S. Confidential to the "Rosary Circle": prayers have been answered!

Still in ICU

Having to spend a least one more day in ICU because of dehydration. We were sure hoping to get him moved this afternoon, but the Dr. felt otherwise. The Dr. said the dehydration can be caused by a number of things--the surgery and trauma to the body, and the chest tube. More fluids are being pumped in, hoping that will take care of it. Maybe tomorrow.

I'll let you know,
Kim

All Things Considered

Still in ICU, and things are going as well as can be expected--all things considered. He's restless this afternoon, which I'm blaming on the fact that he's once again on narcotics (as he puts it). Pumping the morphine quite frequently, so the pain must be pretty intense. He says he can't stand the "loopy" feeling that the morphine causes, but the pain is too much. He trying to find that happy medium.

The Dr. is saying, possibly tomorrow he'll be moved from ICU. The Dr. also informed him today that during surgery a small section of one of the ribs was cut out so the Dr. could access the area of the lung he needed to without breaking the rib. Sounds terrible, but the Dr. also said you'd never know it if you weren't told. We'll see about that. Along with that, muscle also had to be cut. Just knowing this would make me restless. Last surgery, they were able to access the nodule without having to do this.

From experience, we knew these first 2-3 days wouldn't be easy ones, but things will get better.

Love you all,
Kim

Out of Surgery

Surgery took about 3 hours, the Dr. said there were no surprises, and that everything went well. Ray is now resting in ICU where he'll probably be for a couple days. It's going to be real interesting to see what kind of report we get back from pathology--which won't be for a few days. He'll be in the hospital for about 7-10 days.

More later,
Kim

It's a Go!

We arrived at day surgery at 5;30 this morning, the blood test shows he's in good shape for surgery. Around 6:45 he was whisked away for all the pre-op procedures. Surgery is still scheduled for 8:00. I'm guessing the surgery will last 2-3 hrs. from our experience last time. The Dr. didn't give an estimated time. I'll post again after surgery and I see the Dr.

Thanks for all your prayers,
Kim

Correction

I need to correct one thing from yesterday's post. The blood levels will not be tested again until Fri. morn when we show up for surgery at 5:30. Only after the test is done, will it be determined whether surgery will be done then or postponed until Sat. Ray received a small I.V. injection of vitamin K this morning which is supposed to help get the PT/INR where it needs to be. Some thing else I didn't mention, Ray gives himself a shot each morning (in the belly)--meds that are going to have him ready for Friday morning.

The phone interview took place as scheduled, so we had the opportunity to speak with the transplant Dr. from Maryland today. He was so encouraging to talk to. We both were elated after speaking with him. He assured us both that this biopsy will go smoothly, and then we'll pursue getting to Bethesda, MD. We later heard from our case liaison, and she also had some great insight, advice and talked to us about the protocol for the transplant.

We have no appointments tomorrow. No sitting in a Dr.'s office or having blood drawn or waiting for test results. Ray plans to go flying with a good friend of his.

Love you all,
Kim

Friday or Saturday

We met with the surgeon and the oncologist for most of this morning looking over different views of the scan and discussing many options.

Looks as though we're headed to surgery--probably Friday morning but may be Saturday morning. Let me explain. A patient that is on blood thinners,as Ray is, cannot go into surgery without a "washout" period. For the next two days, his blood will be monitored (PT/INR) to be sure that level is at a safe level for surgery. If it is not by Thurs., the surgery will be postponed until Saturday, but we're aiming for Friday. Some of you may have more experience with blood thinners and understand this better than we do since we're still learning. For now, Ray just shows up when he's told to.

Now for the surgery: In a nutshell, he's pretty much having the same surgery, this time on the right lung, that he had on the left lung six weeks ago. At least two nodules will be removed. There was alot of medical jargon being tossed around, but I'll explain it the way I understand it. Both Drs. are confidant we're still dealing with a fungal infection. A fungus growing in this sort of environment (the inside of the lung) is very difficult to pinpoint and treat. Specifically because once it is removed from that environment where it is viable, it CAN change even to the point where it is no longer viable and it becomes impossible to get a good stain in the lab. No matter how fast it is rushed to the lab for pathology. With that in mind, this time more of the lung will be taken with it. Evidently there must be many different fungus/fungi. If you recall, six weeks ago the nodule in the left lung (rather than the right) was biopsied because it was easier to access. So doing the right lung is going to require a little more digging. The surgeon is hoping no muscles or bones will have to be cut.

How's Ray feeling and dealing with all this?? As far as how he's feeling, he's been doing amazingly well. He continues exercising every day--walking around the park (1 1/2 miles today) and spending time on the stationary bike. Dealing with it--after he agreed to go forth with the surgery, (the Dr. stepped out of the room) he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "You know, Kim we are so blessed" and then went on naming the many ways which we are so blessed.

During these past 15 months, I find myself repeating the quote Eva, a family friend and also a concentration camp survivor so frequently said, "Life is hard some of the time, but God is good all of the time."

Please continue to pray for us as we continue to thank God for each of you.

Love you all,
Kim

More Appts.

The phone interview (with the Maryland Dr.) that was to take place this afternoon had to be postponed until Wed. afternoon due to a conflict the Dr. had.

We received a call late this afternoon from one of Ray's Drs. asking him to be in his office at 9:00 tomorrow morning. Hopefully we'll find out something as to what's going on with the lungs and what the next plan of attack will be. After making and receiving a couple of phone calls today, we know nothing other than there's a 9:00 appt.

More later...
Kim

Disappointing

The CT scan shows that the nodules in the lungs, otherwise known as the bacterial infection have been unaffected by these past four weeks of IV antibiotics. In fact, the nodules are larger today than they were a month ago. We are currently waiting to hear from the infection spec. about what to do next. We're told there are many factors involved when dealing with infection when the patient is "immune suppressed" making it more difficult to hit with the best antibiotic.

Our hearts sank as we listened to these results. Mostly because this postpones the chances of a transplant, and at least four weeks have been wasted--the best we can tell. We hope to learn more soon. But now it's the weekend.

We're going to Booker in the morning to spend Sat. and Sun. with Amber, Steve and kids. Kyler turns 13 on October 31st, and there's lots going on in that little town for Halloween.

Love you all,
Kim

Scan Tomorrow

A CT scan is scheduled for Thurs. afternoon, and we'll get the results Fri. morning. We're really anxious to see what this scan shows. Of course, we hoping it shows the lungs to be clear of all infection. In other words, we're hoping it shows nothing.

The latest development: the liaison from Maryland called today; we've scheduled a phone interview with the transplant Dr. for Monday afternoon. Can it possibly be--we're slowly inching closer to the possibility of the transplant?

Ray continues feeling great. We sometimes forget he's still dealing with an illness. These past two days he's been doing some maintenance on a couple of the Catholic School buses. One of the buses is really testing his patience, making him want to pull his hair out. Oh wait, he doesn't have any hair!

Love you all,
Kim

Blessed Weekend

I hope everyone had a blessed weekend. We certainly have. Ray has been feeling so good, at times we tend to forget all this is going on. His hair is growing back, his color is good. As always, his appetite is good. I need to get another picture of him on here.

He is very pleased with the way the auction went. There was a great crowd. The auctioneers even commented a couple times to me about the good number of registered bidders there. However, it was really hard seeing all his equipment being parted out. It's one of those "smile when you want to cry" experiences. Friday and Saturday were pick up days for items bought to be loaded out of the shop. This afternoon, we stopped by the shop, I think just to see if it were really true. The building is completely empty. Lots of mixed emotions through it all.

The appt. with the oncologist last Fri. went well. Blood counts all good. Just a few more days left of the IV antibiotics. A CT scan is scheduled for Thurs. afternoon, we'll get the results Fri. morning. We pray that bacterial infection in the lungs is outta here, so he can be finished with the IV therapy.

We had eight of Mary's classmates here for a slumber party Friday night. There was much giggling and activity as you can imagine. It really did our "ole" hearts good. The girls seem to have a great time too.

Thanks again for your continued prayers!

Love you all,
Kim

Marathon

I want to tell you all about something very exciting. My neice, Melissa (Barbara's daughter) is training to run her very first marathon in Houston, this coming January. She's raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and she's running in Ray's honor. You can check out her sponsorship page by clicking on http://pages.teamintraining.org/txg/houston10/mrigas
Wow! 26.2 miles, that's a long way! God bless you, Melissa!

Ray continues doing well. The four hours of antibiotics each day is getting really old for him. He's counting the days for this to be done. He's been at his shop quite a bit the past few days. His auction will be Thursday.

Mary's birthday is today. She's planning to have some friends over on Friday. N0thing could be more exciting for this 9 year old!

Love you all,
Kim

Busy Weekend

Our weekend was a busy one, but a great one. We had a good time with Katie and Veronica here. Neal, Colleen and Seth (and Rascal, too!) were also in town. They were in and out several times and last night we all went to Eric & Leona's for hamburgers. My Mom and Hugh made it up for that, so we got to see them too. We stayed until about 9:00, and then we had to get Ray back home so he could get hooked up to his hose.

The alternator in Katie's car went out just as they were driving into Wichita Falls Friday night. She and Veronica even ended up pushing the car a short distance to Neal's house. Katie called Neal, who was in Amarillo, and he told her where the keys were for his pickup, which she ended up bringing to Amarillo. Thank you ,Lord for Neal! (we don't say THAT very often) Ray sure hated the thought of the car broken down, and nothing he could do about it. You know how he is about fixin' things.

Love you all,
Kim

Daily Grind

Yesterday and today's blood work both look good. Still making some minor adjustments on some of the meds. It can be most frustrating with the daily routine (grind) of meds. and appts. Somedays it's really hard to not let it get you down. Here's a brief rundown;

-four bags of IV antibiotics daily for bacterial infection in lungs
-daily meds for high blood pressure (due to the chemo)
-blood thinner/daily
-steroid/daily
-chemo once a week
-pain killers as needed
-"Now, Mrs Huseman watch that incision, (nearly 12") and make sure it doesn't get infected"

Ray was questioning today as to whether or not he made the right decision to let the surgeon do the lung biopsy three weeks ago. The recovery is taking its toll. It's hard not to look back and keep pressing forward.

He only has 12 more days of the IV therapy left. It'll be good to get that behind him, since that takes about 4 hours each day. I make sure to get him out of the house each day at least for a little while. The weather was perfect today--he and Mary took a walk after she got home from school today. I think they both enjoyed that.

Katie and Veronica are driving in tonight. Their stay will be way too short, but it'll be great to have them here. Veronica is a dear lady, about my age and was Katie's adoptive mother during Katie's freshman year at A&M. At St. Mary's in College Station they do an "Adopt an Aggie" ministry for the new students, and Veronica adopted Katie. Now four years later, they're still great friends and Veronica has always been so good to Katie. I've said before, "It's nice when somebody else like your kids, because there are times, when I don't even like 'em."

Love you all,
Kim

Home Tonight

The Dr. really surprised Ray this morning when he came in early, and said he was taking him off the morphine and the oxygen, and if he did O.K. during the day, he could go home this evening. Ray had a great day-- no pain, O2 sats. at a good level; then around 6:00 this evening the Dr. said he could go home. After all the dismissal process, we got home around 8:00. Praise the Lord!

We have to be back to the Dr.'s office early tomorrow morning for blood work. This is to monitor the level of blood thinner (PT/INR). Evidently, that takes careful monitoring for a few days to get it just right.

Thanks once again for prayers, visits, concern and love! Please don't stop.

Love you all,
Kim

Walking Today

Walking in the halls was allowed today. Yeeeaaa! We took several short walks, down the hall, mostly from window to window. Ray was glad just to be able to see the outside world. He has a terrible view from his room--a wall. He was happy, to see fog and drizzle.

Still on the morphine; the Dr. is saying maybe tomorrow he'll begin the weaning process. We were sure hoping by now, the morphine would be out of his room. Maybe we're expecting too much, too soon. The pain is completely gone now--even when coughing or hiccups. He's also on a low amount of oxygen. I'm thinking he may be taking that home with him. Who knows?

Needless to say, he's ready to come home and sees no reason for being stuck in there. He's thinking of all the things he needs to be doing and will be doing as soon as he's turned loose. (auction at his shop next week) That's one of the hazards of feeling better. I'm guessing, that Dr. already has this one figured out!

Love you all,
Kim

Stand By Me

He is allowed to get out of bed today, but still not allowed to walk. He can stand for a few seconds , then is set on a chair with wheels and taken into the shower and bathroom. After taking a shower this afternoon, he said he felt like a new person. Possibly tomorrow he'll be able to walk some; depending on what something in the blood work tells them.

He's ready to get off the morphine because of some of the side effects/problems he's having. He's now on coumadin, (blood thinner) and we're told that he'll be on that forever. Our education began today about diet and many "dos & don'ts" of being on that.

His pain is much better this evening. When I got to his room this morning, he was complaining about sore muscles, especially in the chest area and aching all over. That got better as the day went on. He says now it only hurts when he takes a really deep breath.

As usual his appetite is good and he loves having visitors and phone calls.

Love you all,
Kim

Better

The pain is not as severe today as it was yesterday. He's still on a pretty heavy dose of morphine via the pump, and the weaning process will probably begin in a couple days. He had a good number of visitors and phone calls today, and had no problem carrying on a conversation. It was a totally different story yesterday. He's still confined to bed, due to a blood clot in one of his legs (behind the left knee). I posted yesterday that the blood thinners cause the clots to dissolve, I found out today that's not really what happens--they allow the body to absorb the clots. Hopefully, he'll be able to be up and around some tomorrow (Mon), which the Dr says is probable because of the length of time he's been on blood thinners.

When the Dr. came in today, he said that everything looks good on paper--meaning the blood work is all in good shape. A big question we had for the Dr. was,"Does this change anything as far as receiving a transplant?" His answer was: he is not sure, but said he would be talking to the transplant Dr. in MD about the whole situation.

Andy spent the weekend (nights) with us, which was a tremendous help, especially Friday when we made an unexpected visit to the ER during the wee hours. (Isn't God good?) Since he was here last night, I decided to get a cot and stay at the hospital in Ray's room. I was thinking he would really NEED me, plus I was worried and hated to leave. It was more than likely due to sleep deprivation, but I couldn't believe how well we both slept. Plus I found out, he really didn't NEED me, so I'll be sleeping in my own bed tonight.

We need your continued prayers--for healing, strength, good attitudes, patience, and stamina.

Love you all,
Kim

Into the ER

About 4:00 this morning we headed to the ER due to horrific pain that Ray was having on the right side of his chest. The pain was so bad, he could barely take a breath. If you recall, the surgery he had two weeks ago was on the LEFT side, so we couldn't imagine what could possibly be going on. The ER Dr. quickly suspected a blood clot in the lung, and a CT scan proved him correct. Now it looks as though he'll be spending a few days in the hospital again. He's going to be on blood thinners to dissolve the clot and to keep more clots from forming. We're told this is not uncommon after surgery and to be thankful that he had pain-- forcing action.

At the moment the pain is manageable, thanks to a morphine pump and Ray is able to get some sleep.

More later,
Kim

Today's Appt.

The visit today with the oncologist was affirming as he is talking very favorably of Ray getting to Bethesda, MD for a transplant. He is talking with the Dr. in MD that will be doing the transplant, making certain the protocol. First things first--the bacterial infection in the lungs must be completely gone. He still has another 3 weeks of the IV antibiotics. Over the next couple weeks, a CT scan or two will be done to insure the lungs are clear. Also, another bone marrow biopsy will be done in the next 1-2 weeks.

Ray did get another dose of chemo today as an outpatient. The Dr. said this needs to be done in order to retain remission.

We 're excited and nervous at the same time at the possibility of getting closer to the transplant. We trust God has a plan.

Love you all,
Kim

Staples Are Out

The follow-up visit with the surgeon went very well and amazingly quick. We were only in the office for 15 minutes, and in that time, we saw the Dr., had the 25 staples removed by the nurse, and spoke to the Dr. one more time; this time telling Ray he didn't need to make another appt. to see him. The Dr. was very pleased with how well Ray was doing and said the incision would not need any more care. Walking out, we breathed a big sigh as though we had just checked off a biggie! on our "things to do" list. We're waiting to hear from the oncologist as to when the next appt. is--not sure if we'll be seeing him this week or not.

The IV therapy at home continues going great. On Monday, blood work was done and Ray's counts are all good.

I constantly thank God for His goodness and how well things are going.

Love you all,
Kim

Going Smoothly

We're learning fast and everything is going smoothly. We've had two very good teachers/nurses from the home health care. Four times each day, Ray has to have a dose of the antibiotic, which means a small bag is connected to tubing and then goes in through the port. There is also an injection of saline and heparin that also has to be put into the port. This whole procedure takes about an hour. It sounds more complicated than it really is. A couple times today, he has done the whole procedure completely by himself. This will make things much simpler for these next four weeks.

Recovery from surgery has been going very well. There's less soreness with each passing day. He even drove to Mass last night.

There's also a couple Dr. appts. scheduled for this week. Sitting in the waiting room is our social life these days. Well, I take that back; we went to a surprise birthday party this afternoon for a short while. It was great to see many of our good friends that we don't get to see nearly as much as we'd like.

Thanks for all the cards, messages, phone calls, and most especially your prayers. We are so blessed to have so many great friends and great family.

Love you all,
Kim

Home Sweet Home

Just a quick post to let you know, we got Ray home late this afternoon. We're so thankful to have him home. It makes life so much easier. Maybe easier isn't what I meant to say. We are charting new territory once again. He's going to be on 4 weeks of home IV therapy--two different antibiotics. Sounds like we're going to become good friends with home health care nurses who are going to teaching me (us) how to do all this IV therapy. Yikes!

I feel confident we can do this. (or so they say) Many others have done it; so can we. Our first lesson is going to be later this evening. I'll let you know how it goes.

Love you all,
Kim

More Antibiotics

Just as we suspected another antibiotic (through the IV) has been added to the plan of attack. If a comparable antibiotic can be taken orally at home, then he may be getting to come home in the next day or two. Bacteria in the lungs must be a little more difficult to eliminate.

Ray is feeling really good! What a change from just a few short hours ago. Currently, he is not taking any pain meds. Yes, he finally did give up the epidural. His Dr. told him this morning to walk as much as possible, so we made laps around the 6th floor today--over and over. We also walked down to the cafeteria and sat in the dining room for awhile. The change of scenery is always nice. I was able to be at the hospital only this morning, and he said he did lots of walking, solo.

Daniel turned 15 today. How can that be? Oh no, that means he can start drivers ed. Honestly, I have wished many times for him to be driving, especially after football practices. I've missed it terribly, not having a kid at home that drives, ever since Jenna left in the summer of '07.

Love you all,
Kim

Results

The results showed it to be a bacterial abscess. Most importantly, there is no malignancy. We also know it's not viral, for whatever that's worth. Cultures are still being done to determine which antibiotic will be most effective in fighting it. It takes 48 hours for those sensitivities to be determined. Early in the morning, Primaxin (antibiotic) was started through the IV. Not sure yet how many days he'll need to be on that, or if another will be added.

The chest tube was removed late this afternoon. (OUCH!) The pain is not instsantly gone as we were told it would be. In fact, he would NOT let them disconnect the epidural when the crew came in to remove it. Surely, that will get better rather quickly. He's also on an oral pain med.(Yes, he still has a fear of living like MJ) For the first time today, we saw the incision on his back and side. It's about 8 inches long with 25 staples. (Another OUCH!) Not sure when the staples will come out--however the surgeon said today he plans to leave them in a little longer than usual.

We make no plans that can't be changed in a moment's notice. The oncologist, of course has also been in to visit each day, and says he's got to get started on chemo again ASAP! BLAAAHHH!!!

Thank you for your continued prayers for Ray's recovery. May God bless each of you and your family.

Love you all,
Kim

Making Strides

Plans are to remove the chest tube tomorrow morning after an x-ray is done. However, we won't hold our breath. Plans seem to change quite often around here. There is still nothing to report from the pathologist. We continue to wait--gives us more time to pray.

Ray is feeling better and better. We just got back to his room after taking a stroll in the hallways. A couple of devices were disconnected earlier today, making him a little more mobile. This has also done wonders for his attitude.

What a gorgeous afternoon we had today. I made sure to get out and walk for about an hour after I picked up Mary from school.

Love you all,
Kim

A Big Difference

What a difference a day makes. Today, things were much, much improved. Thank you, Lord! He's been able to sit up and stand up by himself. I couldn't believe my eyes as I walked into his room this morning. He still has the chest tube, and the Dr. said this evening it needs to stay in at least until Tues. I did not realize until this afternoon, he also has a drainage tube in the incision on his back, and that was removed this evening. Still using plenty of pain medication, (epidural w/pump) after being advised to keep that pain under control and to not let it get away.

His appetite is great. His color is amazingly good, and his voice is strong. He's pretty much confined to staying right beside the bed, due to so many tubes, wires, pumps, etc. He said this evening, he'd never before realized just getting to walk into the bathroom or hall as a privilege.

We should hear something about the pathology report Mon. or Tues.

Love you all,
Kim

Out of ICU

Around 3:00 this afternoon, Ray was moved out of ICU. He was so glad to get to move, however I hope he wasn't moved too soon. He has to have help doing everything, since he is so sore. I do mean everthing. Sometimes, requiring 3 people to move/help him. He has to have help moving his legs, sitting up, standing up... everything. The Dr. knows what he's doing. (I hope)

The chest tube is still in; I know I was told he would be in ICU as long as he had that in. However, I was told today, patients go home with those things still in. They are talking about taking Ray's out tomorrow, which they assure him will make moving much, much easier. As you can imagine, the pain at times, is unbearable. He's also been assured that will be much better after the chest tube is removed. He still has the epidural and the pump to go with it. "Pain Management" people visit often to check on him and offer help and advice. He has breathing and coughing exercises that must be done in order to avoid pneumonia or infection.

Believe it or not, the surgeon says he's doing great and could possibly be going home Monday or Tuesday. I'm sure many of you have heard me say before, that there's alot of security being in the hospital--where some one else is calling the shots, and someone else is responsible for making decisions, and someone else is responsible for doing all the work. I look at him now and nearly panic, thinking I could possibly be taking him home in a couple days.

Thank you for all your prayers. Ray & I have talked often, how we truly do feel the power of your prayers. I ask the Lord many times each day to bless all the people praying for our family.

By the way, Ray has his cell phone handy, now that he's back on the 6th floor.

Love you all,
Kim

Out of Surgery

Surgery finished around 10:00 this morning. Not sure exactly what time it was started, he was whisked away about 7:00. The surgeon was very pleased with the way it all went. Prior to surgery, the plan was to go into the right lung and remove two nodules, but after a scan during surgery, the Dr. decided a nodule in the left lung would be much easier to access. Right now, he is resting comfortably in ICU. I was with him for the first hour in ICU and he was good. In and out of sleep, but conversing coherently. He has an epidural to manage the post-op pain. He also has a drainage tube in the lung, and must stay in ICU as long as that is draining. Typically, that lasts 24-48 hours. The nodule was sent to pathology and we're told we'll have results in 2-3 days...more waiting.

He was already asking for something to eat, but was told nothing until dinner. He's gonna be alright!

Thank you Willie Faye and Kim for waiting with me during surgery. It made the wait so much easier. Thanks Chrissy, for making sure Daniel and Mary made it to school.

Hold tightly those you love.

Love you all,
Kim

Rescheduled

Around noon today the surgery was changed to 8:00 a.m., Friday. So that means we have to be there at 5:30 (ouch!). We did all the pre-admit, EKG, and lab work this afternoon. The medical term for the procedure is "thoracotomy" (you didn't know I could type a word that big, did ya). After the surgery, recovery, etc., he'll be going to ICU. How long he's there, obviously depends on his recovery. We're not sure how many days he'll spend in the hospital, we're told to plan for 3-8 days.

He's nervous about the whole ordeal, but ready to get on with it. He was really bummed when we found out about the rescheduling, since that meant another 24 hours of anticipation. He spent a couple hours this afternoon cleaning and organizing in the shop. I've been asking the Lord to calm his fears and worries.

Love you all,
Kim

Biopsy

We've just learned that a lung biopsy will be done on Thursday. The procedure that will be done is known as an open biopsy. We're supposed to pick up an information packet Wed. morning that will explain all we need to know. This will be a surgical procedure done under general anethsia. I'll post more tomorrow as I know more.

We're thankful that Ray has been feeling so good these past few days. That will help tremendously as he recovers from the biopsy. Please keep him in your prayers.

Love you all,
Kim

Feeling Better

We just found out this morning, Ray will be going in to see the infection spec. Tues. morning and see what he suggests to do about the nodules in the lungs. At the appt. yesterday with the oncologist, it seems he didn't follow up like he said he would, and consult another Dr. about last week's findings on the CT scan. The liver counts have been the bigger issue, but now that is all back to the normal range, so before we can move forward with any treatment the lungs must be clear.

Yesterday, the blood counts and liver counts were all in good shape. Ray has been feeling better each day. He's even been able to get out and walk around the park--real exercise. We're really anxious to see what the Dr. says on Tues.

Love you all,
Kim

Just Waiting

Just wanted to do a quick post to say there has been no news from the Dr. about what is being suggested for the CT scan. I told Ray yesterday that we really should call the Dr., but he just wants to wait until his appt. tomorrow morning. He's enjoying this time of feeling better and all the side effects from the chemo, drugs, etc., etc. lessening each day. He knows it will be time to start chemo again soon and he just can't bear that thought! We should know more tomorrow.

Love you all,
Kim

Nothing New

We still do not know what the two Docs are going to recommend about the lung CT scan. We were told yesterday, they were unable to make contact with each other. That's how it sometimes goes for busy people. We hope to hear something on Monday.

Have a great weekend!
Kim

Keepin' On

The liver counts were much improved today; most of the counts really close to the normal range. It's so encouraging to see how much things have improved in that area in just one week.

The CT scan on the lungs shows there's still some healing that needs to take place there. We'll know more tomorrow. The oncologist is going to visit with the infection spec. this evening or in the morning and see what he suggests. Just between you and me, I think he'll recommend a bronchoscopy or a biopsy in the next few days to see what's going on.

Ray continues getting stronger each day. It's been a blessing. We thank God for each day!

Love you all,
Kim

Great Weekend

The weekend was a busy one, but a good one. Sat. afternoon was spent at Daniel's football game. The weather for the game was perfect--I'll just say we must not have been cheering loud enough. The score wasn't pretty. I've added some photos-- for some reason they're at the very bottom of this page. Possibly, I don't know what I'm doing?!?! It's been so long since I've added a photo, I forgot how!

Tomorrow (Thurs) we head back to the Dr. for lab work and CT scan. Ray's been feeling better each day. He still works at trying to put on weight. His legs are like toothpicks, his rear end--non-existent. However, his face is nice and round due to the steroids he's taking.

More tomorrow,
Love you all,
Kim

A Quick Note

Things went pretty much as we expected with the infection spec. this morning, for which we are most grateful. His words were, "It's good to see you doing so much better.....Keep up the good work...I'll be eager to see what the CT scan shows next week." Then we were on our way.

Improving

We were really encouraged by the Dr. visit today. The blood work shows the liver functions to be coming much closer to the normal ranges. The biopsy shows the bone marrow (still recovering) to be free of any leukemia cells at this time. The liver still has more healing to do before further treatment can be done. When the times comes to start thinking about the transplant, we know Ray has to have strong ("mega") doses of chemo when he gets to Bethesda. The Dr. here is in contact with the Dr. in Maryland. As for now, the body has more healing to do. I feel we are in a race against time.

The appt. with the infection spec. had to be postponed until tomorrow morning.

Next week, Thursday, a CT Scan will be done on the lungs since he's had pneumonia twice this past year. The Dr. said today, that when the liver and lungs are strong enough we can start talking about where we go from here. Thank you so much for your continued prayers. It is your prayers that has gotten us thus far!

Love you all,
Kim

Great Weekend!

The weekend was busy with Ray and the boys working at the shop, mostly organizing things to sell--things not to sell. Ray's energy level is steadily improving, and his color (not so yellow) is getting better each day. We were able to attend Mass Sunday morning as a family at St. Joseph's, which we have not done in about three months. Ordinarily, we have been going to Mass at the hospital on Sat. evenings when Ray was up to it. The crowd there is small and he didn't feel so conspicuous wearing a mask.

Wed. morning we'll be returning to the oncologist for more blood work and also results from the bone marrow biopsy done last Wed. Also have an appt. to see the infection spec. There's about two hours between the appts., hopefully we'll be finished with the first so we can rush over to the next appt. and sit and wait some more.

Michele, (my sister) from Bryan, spent Sat. & Sun. here. She's now in Naz. visiting Mom for a couple days. We had a lot of catching up to do. Daniel's words to us were, "Do y'all EVER get done talking?" Eric & Leona came over Sat. night as well as Andy, Ryan, Heather & kids, Mom, Hugh and Nancy. Dropping in was Sr. Mary Michael and Sr. Mary Ana. It was a whirlwind of activity--a real "pick-me-up" for Ray.

Love you all,
Kim

Happenings

Ray received one unit of blood yesterday. This morning he met with an auctioneer at the shop and still trying to figure out what his best option is there. He's trying to gain strength each day and has been up and around quite a bit. Right now, he's helping Ryan with refrigerator problems they're having.

Colleen and Seth spent the afternoon with us yesterday. It was great to have them here! Today Seth is in Lubbock for interviews @ Tech's med school.

Daniel will be playing (well, let's just say he'll be suited up for) his first high school football game tonight. Needless to say, He's PUMPED!

Love you all,
Kim

Biopsy Today

The bone marrow biopsy was done this morning and went smoothly. The next Dr. appt. is in one week, so we won't know the results until then. Tomorrow Ray will be receiving another transfusion due to counts being so low. There are still concerns about the liver damage, but also some signs of improvement being made.

Ray's energy level is also improving. He's been up and around more each day. I've been helping him some at his shop getting ready to sell the equipment. It's been a tough decision for him to make, but he's at peace with his decision.

Love you all,
Kim

Update on Appt.

After waiting for 2 hours to see the Dr., we got to talk to him for about 10 seconds. The main reason for the appt. today was to take a look at the blood counts, most importantly the liver enzymes. The bilirubin is coming back down closer to the normal range, but some of the enzyme counts are still way too high. We're hoping that will get better with time. There's no talk yet as to when (or if ) chemo will begin again. The Dr. plans to do another bone marrow biopsy Wed. morning. This is always a good time to talk to the Dr. while we have him captured for about 30-45 minutes.

Ray is able to do a little more each day, although still very weak. We had a great weekend with most of the kids and all of the grandkids in and out at some point. School is off to a good start.

Love you all,
Kim

Got Him Home!

We just walked in the door. The Dr. came in this morning, told Ray he could go home and be home for the weekend. Monday he'll see the Dr. in his office, have blood work done and talk about where we go from here. This feels like a major accomplishment! It was no small feat clearing out the hospital room. How can we accumulate so much stuff in a hospital room in 11 days?

Thank you for all your prayers. Please don't stop. The liver still has some major recovering to do. Ray's already has a list of "things to do" now that he's home--all the things he wished he was out doing while stuck in the hospital. He'll go til he poops out.

Love you all,
Kim

Fingers Crossed

Still no word as to when Ray will be able to come home. We've got our fingers crossed, hoping for tomorrow. The bilirubin count was down a little today, which is good, but the liver enzyme counts are still climbing which has the Dr. concerned. We're hoping he'll be able to come home and continue having blood counts done as an outpatient. I know it would help all of us tremendously to have him home.

The first day of school went well for Mary & Daniel, and our German travelers are back on U.S. soil. Katie and Rut will be in Amarillo for the weekend, and possibly Steve, Amber & kids.

Love you all,
Kim

About the Same

I didn't post yesterday for two reasons. First, there's not much change. Secondly, it was looking as though he was going home today. So I was waiting to tell you we were going home. But now we know that's not happening, at least for a couple days. Two Drs. have said he could go home and continue recovering there, but the oncologist says, "Whooa, not so soon! Those liver enzyme counts are still too far out there!!" Maybe in a couple days that will level off. It's disappointing but we want what's best for him. He's receiving another unit of blood today, also.

The kids and I are doing last minute errands today, before school starts in the morning. Fr. Nick just brought Communion to Ray. And that's about all that's happening here.

More later,
Love you all,
Kim

Rockin Along

Things are about the same as they were yesterday. He did have to have another transfusion today (#57 by my count), which was a little disappointing. But, by this evening he was looking better. Maybe it was wishful thinking or the transfusion, but he even said he was feeling better, too!

A year ago, the hospital food was really good and he had no problem at all eating it. These past few days, he lifts the lid, takes a peek and falls back into the bed. I've been bringing in homemade chicken soup which really hits the spot. Now he's making requests! A couple days ago his blood counts showed he is malnourished, (did you know there's a test for that) which the Dr. explained to me is part of the whole liver mess where the body is not able to absorb nutrition from food as it ordinarily does. So he's been ordered Ensure--which is almost more than he can bear. But he drinks it like a champ, a couple times a day.

Love you all,
Kim

Drs., Drs., Drs.

We had three Drs. at the same time here this morning. There is now a gastroenterologist on team that we saw for the first time. Ray's biggest problem is a suppressed immune system--which really is nothing new. Adding to his list of problems, he now has a slight case of pneumonia. Drs. are hoping this combo of antibiotics will take care of that before it gets any worse. Then believe it or not, the one Dr. is talking about getting him off ALL drugs (after the pneumonia is healed) and just give his body a chance to recover (rest) for awhile. This Dr. also believes this is a reaction to the latest chemo drug he was on, and has nothing to do with a blood transfusion.

The bilirubin count climbs each day and probably hasn't peaked yet. Needless to say, he's glowing yellow from head to toe, and will be for a while. The Dr. said today that will take a while to go away even after the liver improves. I was so surprised how much more yellow he was just from last night to this morning.

Thank you for your prayers. I ask God to bless all who are praying for our family!
Love you all,
Kim

Results Show...

The latest results show that Ray has hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver. It does not mean that he has hepatitis A, B, or C, it simply (simply??) means an inflammation. It is most likely from a virus that he contracted through a blood transfusion. He's really jaundiced this afternoon. As I post, he is being prepared for a CT scan that will be done later this evening.

Blood products are tested very thoroughly, but it's been explained to us that these things do happen. The infection specialist assures us that medication will take care of it. You know, Ray's had an unbeliveable number of transfusions. I've been doing my own counting and record keeping, and I have the info at home; but I think it's around 54 transfusions he's had these past 13 months. I'll have to check that number when I get home.

We know he'll be in the hospital for a few more days. Please keep him in your prayers. I know you do and I can't tell you how much we appreciate it! Thanks from the bottom of my heart for all your care, concern and love. I thank God for each of you!

Love you all,
Kim

Not Much Change

There's not alot of change from yesterday other than there is something abnormal going on with the liver. The oncologist is going to ask the infection specialist to come by tomorrow and the two of them will determine the course of action. Testing was done on the gall bladder today, and all is good there.

Here's what's happening with some of our kids: Jenna moves back to College Station tomorrow. Katie arrived in Germany today, along with Craig, (my brother) Rut (her boyfriend) and Trevor (Rut's friend). Mary and Daniel start school in one week, Aug. 20th, and Daniel is currently trying to get over strep throat. Keeps things interesting.

More later,
Kim

More Waiting

Pain is still a problem; more today than yesterday. The Dr. has become concerned about elevated liver enzyme counts. These enzyme counts were a little elevated Monday morning, and have continued rising significantly each day since. Therefore, today an ultasound was done on the liver. We're told there are many reasons this could be happening. I was hoping we'd have some news from the ultrasound when the Dr. made rounds this evening, but he said it hadn't been read yet-we should know something tomorrow.

Needless to say, we're worried but trying real hard not to be. Once again the chemo has been stopped-- Monday was the last treatment. Not sure when that will resume.

Thanks for all your prayers! Many blessings to you and your family.
Love you all,
Kim

Still a Slight Pain

This evening the Dr. says there is still no "distinct explanation" as to what is causing the pain. He also said he's not comfortable yet even talking about dismissing him, even though the pain is not quite as intense. Right now there's no indication of infection or bacteria, which is great news, but the Dr. says he would feel better waiting until all the blood culture results are in.

Ray is still on some morphine, but using it very, very conservatively. In case I haven't mentioned it before: he's so afraid of becoming addicted to pain killers, that he won't use them when he really does need to be. (possibly due to the media not letting MJ rest in peace? ha!) Even though two different Drs. have explained (at great length) to him it's not very likely for him to become addicted. Sooo, sometimes he's his own worst enemy. But, it's easy for me to judge from bedside.

Love you all,
Kim

What a Day!

We saw the Dr. this morning and found out Ray was dehydrated which may explain some of the fatigue. So in addition to receiving the chemo he was also given 4 hours of "hydration" in the outpatient unit. As good as his appetite has been, I was so surprised that he was dehydrated. I asked the Dr. if there was something we could have been doing to prevent this. He shook his head and said that this is just part of it. He also said sometimes drinking too much water can cause dehydration.

We were only home from the hospital about an hour, when Ray began having this agonizing pain in his bones. He thought it would get better, but of course it didn't-so about 7:00 this evening we called the Dr. and soon we were back in the hospital. To make a long story, short, he's been admitted---x-rays, blood cultures, I.V., etc., etc., are being done. You know this is the exact pain he had last October, which ended up being diagnosed as e-coli. We'll know for sure in a few days exactly what this is. Right now he resting comfortably, thanks to the morphine pump. Things will look better in the morning.

Love you all,
Kim

Extreme Fatigue

Things are steadily moving along. We continue going to the hospital each morning for the chemo treatment. Extreme fatigue is the biggest complaint. Ray has said this drug that he began last Wednesday is really kicking his butt. Before now, he just thought he knew what fatigue was. He has spent most of yesterday and today in bed flat on his back. Lying in the recliner even requires more energy than he has.

He'll see the Dr. in the morning before his treatment. We're thankful there's been no fever (or anything else) to worry about.

Love you all,
Kim

Nothing New

Since Katie called this morning and got onto me for not updating since Tuesday, I thought I'd let you know there's really nothing to update. Everything has been going well with the past few days of treatment. Blood counts have been unchanged. A couple of the counts have been up a little and a couple have been down a little.

The oncologist is on vacation this week, so we're pleased to be just cruisin'. He'll be back next week, so we'll see him on Monday. Enjoy your weekend!

Love you all,
Kim

Chemo Routine

Results from the blood tests today showed that Ray's blood counts are steadily improving, so that means more chemo. We just got in from the hospital where he'll be receiving the chemo on an outpatient basis as long as he has no problems. Each day there will be a two hour observation after the chemo is administered, and then he can return home if there are no problems. If there are problems, i.e fever, chills, nausea, etc., then he'll be admitted and be in the hospital for the remainder of this 14 day treatment. We'll be working (and praying) most diligently, doing everything in our power to keep him healthy. Unfortunately, each drug has a long list of "common side effects."

He's been feeling pretty good. Doing many things that he wished he could do while stuck in the hospital. Right now, he and Daniel are working on a project in the back yard. We're most grateful for the times that he feels good enough to be up and around.

Love you all,
Kim

Yea!!

We got Ray home this afternoon around 4:00. He's been given a few days off--no Dr. or hospital visits until Tues. morning. What are we going to do with so much time on our hands? Thank you so much for all your prayers!!

Love you all,
Kim

Quickly

Just a real quick note--Didn't get Ray home today; looks pretty good for tomorrow. The Dr. (infection specialist) felt another couple days of antibiotics would be best. We're meeting with the oncologist @ 7:30 in the morning to discuss the upcoming chemo regimen for next week.

Love you all,
Kim

Home...Maybe?

The Dr. came in this evening with some great news--possibly getting to go home tomorrow! He wants Ray to continue antibiotics as an outpatient for a few days. We'll know more details in the morning, as the Dr. is still working on those. Evidently, some antibiotics can be given as an outpatient and some cannot. We are soooo ready to get him back home. Of the past 19 days, he's only been home 3.

He's decided he's finished with the pain killers and started refusing them this afternoon. He's had very little pain today, but this morning was still having the "crazies." He said that's the worst feeling in the world, to be going crazy and you know it! So I guess that means it would be better to go crazy and not have a clue!! Hmmm.

More later.
Kim

Just Slightly Crazy

The pain killers were beginning to get too strong for Ray giving him the feeling he was going crazy. Of course, this is not uncommon for these narcotics. He kept telling me, "I know I'm
going crazy, hearing and seeing things that aren't there. Stay right here and help me keep it all straight." Fortunately, that didn't last long and he's not needing as much now and has been able to back off on the amount.

Some more good news is that the white blood count is finally going up which will do more for healing the infections than the antibiotics can do for the body. That's how it was explained to us. His WBC improved quite a bit yesterday and is even better today! The platelet count is also much better.

The Dr. says this tells him that the bone marrow is recovering from the chemo. So where do we go from here? We're told that we DO need to let the bone marrow continue to recover some more, but at the same time we have to keep on the chemo regimen to prevent the leukemia from taking over. BLAH!! There's a fine line in there somewhere. We're hoping to hear something from the biopsy results today that would tell how the leukemia has responded to the chemo thus far.

Yesterday afternoon was his best few hours he'd had in a long time. To make it even better, he had some visitors that make the whole world better just by walking into the room. Thanks SOOO much Willie Faye, my Mom, Sisters Mary Michael and Mary Jude, the Cow from Chick-fil-a, Mary Lou, and Synthia! It was great!

We continue thanking God for all our dear family and friends that are truly a blessing to our family.

Love you all,
Kim

Less Pain Now

After speaking to the Dr. this morning about the pain management, the dosage of the pain killer was doubled. So now Ray's telling everyone about how good he's feeling and that he is getting better. Then I have to remind him why he's feeling so improved! He's also been able to sleep more today than he has in a while. In reality, I'm sure he is feeling better. I do hope this is the beginning of more good things to come.

The biopsy was done this morning and went very well; not nearly as painful as the last one. He and the Dr. visited all the way through it.

We love and appreciate every one's prayers, calls, cards, and concern.
Kim

Still a Pain!

A bone marrow biopsy is scheduled to be done at 7:00 Monday morning-followed by days of waiting for the results. The last biopsy he had was very painful, so he's really dreading having to go through that again. The regimen he is currently on, calls for a biopsy every 14 days.

He's still having severe pain in the sinus/face area. Pain killer dosages were increased today. I plan to really press the Dr. for answers tomorrow as to exactly what is going on there. After this much time, I don't believe he should still be in this much pain. Over the weekend there were different Drs. on call.

He does smile though each time he uses his new remote control. Ha!

Love you all,
Kim

Improving

Things continue to slowly improve-the pain is still the biggest problem, but even that is getting better. He's also been able to get some sleep, which makes EVERYTHING easier to handle. The Dr. is once again insisting that anyone who comes into that room must wear a mask.

A bone marrow biopsy is scheduled for Monday morning, so he'll be in the hospital at least until after that. The Dr. hasn't said a word yet about going home, we're just speculating.

He's getting very picky (grouchy). Today he'd had it with that hospital remote control for the TV. You know the one where you have to rotate through all 60+ channels to turn the TV off or go back down to a previous channel, so this afternoon he sent Jenna out to get a universal remote control and programmed it to suit him. Why didn't we do that a year ago??!*#*!!

Love you all,
Kim

Out of ICU

Around noon he was moved out of ICU and is now back in a regular room. You can imagine how much better that made him feel. There was just so much activity there, he says he was never able to get sleep during the two day stay. He is really exhausted. All he wanted was a shower and sleep, oh, and of course something to eat. I've decided to go home this afternoon for the rest of the day, maybe that will make it easier for him to rest.

The pain is not quite as intense. He even postponed one dose of pain killer meds for a couple hours. Not sure how much longer he'll be staying in the hospital. So far nothing has even been said about that. Antibiotics are still being administered continuously.

More later,
Kim

What a Pain!

We were sure hoping and expecting to have Ray moved out of ICU today, but it didn't happen. He's still having the unbearable pain (left side of the face) that at times brings tears to his eyes. He's being given two different pain killers every 4-6 hours, but there is still that window of time that he's begging for more and can't have it. Now, you want to hear something weird, but it makes sense? Another CT scan was done last night still showing "nothing suspicious" and no signs of infection. This is what his infection specialist believes is going on. He does have a serious sinus infection, but because the white blood count is so low his body is unable to produce the pus/mucous that would ordinarily be present with an infection. Of course, he's been on antibiotics, so hopefully he'll get some relief soon.

He was given two more transfusions today; one of platelets and one of packed red blood cells. His appetite is as though he's putting in a full day's work. He's even requesting meals between meals. I think his body really is putting in a full day's work and then some.

In spite of it all, he never ceases to amaze me with his great attitude and strong faith. The nurses/staff all love him because he never gets upset and is always encouraging them by telling them all what a great job they're doing-even the janitors! Today several nurses from the 6th floor came to visit him and check up on him. Hopefully, tomorrow he'll be back on the 6th floor, his 2nd home for nearly a year now. Wow!

Love you all,
Kim

Back in ICU

Around 3:30 this morning we headed back to the hospital due to a high fever. We're getting this routine down pretty good by now. Just as we expected, blood tests, chest x-rays, etc. were done to try to find the cause of the fever. I was really thinking I should go back home around 6:30 instead of trying to sleep in the recliner in Ray's room. Thank God I didn't go home! Ray started to complain that he was freezing and began to shiver. I went to get another blanket for him, but knew something wasn't right when I got back. I immediately called for help and within seconds the whole place was in an whirlwind. The Rapid Response Team was called. He was in "septic shock." It didn't take long to stabilize him. But then of course we knew that meant ICU. Right now, I'm not sure how long he'll be there. He's mostly slept since he's been moved. I'm hoping to have some answers soon.

The only pain that he's been having is simliar to a sinus infection. But a CT scan was done yesterday on the sinuses and there was no sign of infection there or "anything suspicious."

I'm really worried about that man of mine. Please keep him in your prayers.

I'll try to keep you updated. I tried to post earlier from the hospital, but their public computers were down.

Love you all,
Kim

Discharged

When Ray was admitted Mon., we were told he would be there a minimum of 14 days. The Dr. today said since things are going so well, he could go home. He also said the meds he will be receiving over the next few days can easily be given as outpatient. Before leaving today he did need two more units of blood, which took FOREVER just to get started. We finally made it home late this evening, after being told around 8:00 this morning, "after two units of blood you can leave." I really should not be complaining. We are most grateful (Thank you, Jesus!) to have him back home so soon! His blood counts are still dangerously low, so obviously we have to be on the lookout for fever.

Britteny called to say she and her mom are going wedding dress shopping tomorrow afternoon and invited me to tag along. I just might do that!!

Love you all,
Kim

Going Well

Today is the third day of this round and things are going well. Ray even said this morning that he's surprised at how good he's feeling. However visitors now have to wear a mask while in his room, and he is no longer allowed to leave his room. The Dr. is taking every precaution possible to avoid an infection.

Otherwise there is not much else that is going on. He loves to have visitors and he still has his cell phone with him. I think he sees that as his connection to the outside world. Thanks for all the prayers and messages of care and concern. You really have no idea how much it means to our family. We offer daily prayers of thanksgiving for all those who are praying for us.

Love you all,
Kim

Monday Night Blog

The latest regimen of chemo drugs began this afternoon around 4:00. After finishing at the Dr. office around 11:00 this morning, we did stall for about three hours before going to the hospital. Ray wanted to go to the shop "to do a few things." He mostly just wandered around and did a little "tidying up." It was really hard for him to close and lock that door.

He was soon back to his cheerful self and didn't take long to settle into his hospital room. He told the charge nurse right away about his "special dietary needs"--lots of steak and potatoes!

Please keep him in your prayers. I try real hard not to worry; but I'm worried.

Love you all,
Kim

Now What?

We did get some of the results this morning from the biopsy taken on Monday. Ray now has a different type of leukemia. He started with AML and the diagnosis now is ALL. The unanswered question is, "Did the AML change, mutate or is this a secondary cancer?" We'll probably never know for sure. We do know that previous chemotherapy treatment is often times the blame for adult ALL. Children are more commonly diagnosed with ALL.

Supposedly it is very rare for AML to become ALL, more common is the other way around. Since it is so rare, the Dr. promises he'll be doing his homework over the weekend. (isn't that's reassuring?)

Where do we go from here?--we're not exactly sure. The Dr. will know more on Monday as to what the best plan of attack will be. He did assure us however that chemo will begin early next week, possibly on Monday and that it is not going to be easy since Ray's immune system is already compromised. Blood tests will be done tomorrow and Sunday and more transfusions if need be.

More later as I know more.
Kim

P.S. There's lots of good info online.

Waiting for Results

The Dr. decided yesterday that it was time for another bone marrow biopsy. The reason for the biopsy was due to the fact that Ray had received 12 transfusions during the previous 11 days and his blood counts remained at critically low levels. Causing most concern is the low platelet count and the body not responding to the platelet transfusions. We now have to wait for the results, but should have some preliminary results on Friday.


Having spent countless hours in the outpatient room receiving transfusions, as you can imagine Ray is sick of hearing all the Michael Jackson coverage and speculation about Sarah Palin's intentions. He's not able to concentrate on reading or other activities that require focused attention when he's feeling this weak and fatigued. Much like his counterparts that share the outpatient room with him, the TV helps pass the time.


We drove to Plainview this afternoon and ate lunch with Craig. Going places other than the hospital or Drs. office is always a good pick-me-up for him. Please keep him in your prayers. Thanks so much!


Love you all,
Kim

"Slow Recovery"

Those were the words today from the Dr. In spite of Ray having 7 transfusions of platelets(4) and packed red blood cells(3) since last Frday, his counts are still declining. So again today he had to have one more of each and will continue going to the hospital each day of the weekend for more blood tests to determine if he'll need even more transfusions. Needless to say, Ray was very discouraged after today's appt. The Dr. said it is taking longer for the marrow to recover from this last round of chemo.

The Dr. and his wonderful nurse (she really is a sweetheart) both gave him a good "talking to" about not letting this get him down. When I picked him up from the hospital this evening his spirits were much better.

Best wishes to everyone for a blessed and safe holiday.

Love you all,
Kim

Still Low

Over the weekend Ray had three transfusions of platelets and two of packed red blood cells. During the Dr. appt. today, we found out he was still running low and another unit of platelets and red cells were ordered. He'll continue to have the blood test (counts) done each day this week, and may still need more transfusions.

Boy, this is all we get done. Each transfusion takes 1-3 hours and then there is always so much time spent waiting. I usually just stay with him a short while and then go back later and get him. He's feeling stronger now and should be able to drive himself tomorrow.

In case you have not heard-- we are going to have a new daughter in-law. Andy and Britteny are planning a January wedding!! We're thrilled Britteny will be joining our family. I was always afraid we were going to scare her off.

Love you all,
Kim

More of the Same

Just got in from today's Dr. visit. The blood counts had all dropped dramatically. So looks like Ray will be spending the weekend getting transfusions of platelets and packed red blood cells, along with shots to promote the growth of red and white blood cells and start a round of antibiotics. We were looking forward to a fun and exciting weekend and were trying to get out of town for a good party with family, but we realize getting him through all this is priority.

Love you all,
Kim

Wonderful News!

We have an answer (kinda) to the big question we've all been asking. Who's the donor going to be?? We learned today that 3 of the siblings are matches!! -- Julie, Chrissy and Billy!! Further evaluation will occur before the final selection is made. We are so very grateful for this progress. I had the opportunity to talk rather lengthy with our liaison from Bethesda. She had lots of helpful info on things to happen in the future.

Yesterday was the last day for this round of chemo injections. Ray's blood counts have remained the same for about 3 weeks. Next Friday, more blood work. It's no wonder the counts are low, as often as it's being drawn.

Ray still has a long road ahead of him, I ask that you continue to keep him as well as the donors in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and God Bless!

Love you all,
Kim

Day 7

Today is the last day of receiving chemo for this round. We're not sure what to expect for the next couple weeks since Ray's never had this drug before.

The dosage each day is divided into two injections which is given in the belly. After 7 days/two shots per day, he's looking like a bruised pin cushion. The Dr. mentioned next round may be given I.V. through the port so there won't be this soreness and bruising.

Tomorrow we see the Dr. and they'll be closely monitoring the blood counts.

Katie and Rut are driving in tomorrow afternoon and will be here for the weekend.

Chemo Again??

After receiving three units of packed red blood cells this past Sat., the blood counts were much improved today. So much improved that it was time to begin chemo. With today being "day 1" of this round, he'll be receiving chemo for 7 consecutive days and then off for 21 days. Then the cycle begins all over again.

The chemo is given by a simple injection and as an outpatient. This is so much better than being admitted into the hospital. Some of the side affects will still be the same i.e. nausea, blood counts bottoming out, etc. but not as harsh as it has been in the past. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

He's been feeling good this week and his energy level has been good. We're going to try to make it to a wedding in Naz. for a short while tomorrow afternoon. Of course, that will depend on how he feels after his next injection.

Thanks for all your prayers! We thank God for all of you!!

More Chemo

The blood counts continue dropping so Ray will be receiving transfusions tomorrow morning.

His Amarillo Dr. is in contact with the Dr. that will be doing the transplant at Bethesda. We were disappointed to hear what we heard today: the leukemia has to be back in remission before a transplant can be done. What that means is, 3-6 cycles (months) of chemo here before he goes to Bethesda. The Dr. feels confident the leukemia will go back into remission again, just not sure how many treatments will be required. This chemo, so they tell us will be easier to handle than what he's had in the past.

We are somewhat stunned with this news. We were hoping that in 6 months Ray would be well on his way recovering after the transplant. The Dr. told us in April that "none of this happens fast." We're learning what that means.

The Dr. will be calling in a few days to let us know when he'll begin the chemo.

Love you all,
Kim

Testing

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were short two packets for the blood samples needed to test all the siblings. Four of Ray's siblings had their blood drawn today, and tomorrow the last two will be drawn after their packets arrive. We did get the first four shipped today, so those should arrive in Bethesda tomorrow (Thurs) morning. Please pray one of these six will be a match so we can move forward to the next step. If one of these six do not match, a search will begin from the national registry of 13 million volunteers. Isn't it amazing there are that many in the national registry? Thank the Lord there are!

One of Ray's nieces, Amy (37 years old) is also battling the return of cancer. Please keep that dear sweet girl in your prayers.

Love you all,
Kim

Moving Forward

Testing will be done on six of Ray's siblings to see if there is a possible match. This will be done through blood samples that will be drawn here in Amarillo and then shipped to Bethesda. The packets for the blood tests are being shipped to us today, we'll receive them tomorrow, and then try to have them ready to ship back tomorrow evening. It will be two weeks before we know the results.

Ray has an appointment with his oncologist here on Friday to see exactly where his counts are. One big question will be, "Can he continue for two weeks or longer without some kind of treatment?" He is getting weaker and it's my understanding that if some sort of treatment becomes necessary, he will need a two-week "wash out" period before preparations for the transplant can begin. Details. Deatils. Ugh!

Love you all,
Kim

Frustrated

I wanted to give you a brief update on what is happening.

We learned today that more than likely we'll be going to Bethesda, Maryland rather than Houston. It has been most frustrating since Houston would have been closer, but we're willing to do whatever it takes. We are sure hoping to have something firm in a few days.

I'll let you know.
Kim

May 22

The already low blood counts continue to decline. It's not so low that he needs a transfusion, but it is getting dangerously low. We were so disappointed.

Just before 5:00 this evening, we found out he will probably be going to Houston for the bone marrow transplant. This will not be confirmed until Wednesday. Our Dr. calls it "Administrative BS." The paperwork has been unbelievable, but we're willing to do whatever it takes. Sooo, hopefully his preliminary appointment in Houston will be during the first week of June.

Jenna moved home yesterday for the summer. She made it in around 11:00 last night. It will be great having her home.

We are celebrating our 33rd anniversary today. It's so hard to believe; 33 years already? We are so blessed!

Love you all,
Kim

Going Camping

Ray continues to feel good; so good that he is going camping this weekend. (Something he's been putting off for quite some time) Also camping is Ryan, Andy, Daniel, Mary, Reece, Luke, Grace, John Paul and Kyler. They'll have so much fun together. I hope the weather is good for them.

There was no Dr. appointment this week. The next one is Friday, the 22nd.

God bless you,
Kim