Immunity Buildup Day 4...

According to Debi, it is a solemn day around the hospital.  Bill is still fighting infection, no real change other than extreme fatigue.  He did not walk today or sit in a chair, just requested sleep.  The nursing staff has made a decision to add nutritional support to his bags of antibiotics.  Bill has been trying to eat more, but it is not making the cut, so the pros are providing some electrolytes, potassium, magnesium, etc. to aid in his applesauce and ice chip diet.  Additional platelets were ordered due to a lower white blood cell count, but the order had to be shipped in from Denver as Poudre Valley had a bit of a shortage today.  Unfortunately, another blood transfusion is on the menu for tomorrow.  Leukemia is a heavy disease, but the treatment is something fierce.  It is ultimately up to God to flip on the immune system switch. We continue to pray for Bill's immune system to regain strength everyday. 

Did you know that nurses are angels?  They are...truly.  Over the past few days, we have watched them work 12 hour shifts, holidays, etc. just to ensure their patients are cared for thoroughly, comfortable, and headed in the right direction toward recovery.  It takes a special person to provide such support and "smiles" in oncology.  We have been amazed by their attitude toward our family and would like to say how grateful we all are for these precious people in our lives.  When we ask questions, they pause and take time to thoroughly explain the process...even several times.  Many of us ask the same questions too often, but they are always willing to assist.   They chart, study, tweak meds, clean, jump at every request, listen to doctors, teach families/patients, lend a caring hand, get tough when necessary, and provide a sense calm in the midst of a wild journey.  Angels. 

With respect to the rest of the family, we are all in different places now, but we are grateful for safe travel today.  Due to Bill's intense sleep regimen, Debi was able to take a day to catch up on some overdue errands and obligations.  A much needed day of focus.  As always, thank you for following Bill's progress and hope you all are having a good week.  See you again tomorrow... :)

Immunity Buildup Day 3...

There has not been much change today as Bill is continuing his medication and sleep.  His energy level is low, but thankfully he is giving eating a shot along with following the nurses orders for a daily shower, etc.  Two more units of blood were received at a little slower pace due to the infection, but we are hopeful that his energy level will get better soon.  Although, our expectation is minimal because he is in the bottom phase of an extremely low immune system.  His body is building...body building!  :) 

Unfortunately, many of us have to say goodbye to Debi today...due to jobs, children, and "darn" responsibility.  It's tough being a grown up right?  However, we are working on ways to help from afar and get back as soon as possible for visits.  God is still watching over us and we trust that this break is part of the master plan.  We love each other so much and take comfort in every day we have had together through this unexpected surprise.  The blog will remain updated each day as information progresses.  Hope everyone has a good week getting back into routines and if you are traveling home, please travel safely.  Love to all...

P.S.  We didn't finish the jigsaw puzzle...boo!!!   Too much blue!!!  Sean just got here, maybe there is still hope!  :) 

Immunity Buildup Day 2...

First, we can't believe it is already Sunday!  The days begin to run together when you spend a lot of time in one place.  And, if our time is mixed up, Bill's days are certainly confusing!  :)  Anyway, this day has been fairly uneventful with respect to Bill's activity level.  He is still taking pain meds, antibiotics, and participating in routine blood work.  But, through it all, he is getting some much needed rest, eating a little, and downing ice chips.  Tonight, the nurses will provide him with additional platelets, which should help with some of the bruising that is showing up on his body.  As far as test results go, there has not been any updates with respect to his infection.  Treatment is still geared toward clearing up jaundice, sepsis, and an inflamed colon.  The up side of today is that he was able to shower and sit up in a chair after a few days of being bed ridden. 

Bill had another day with a handful of visitors and we are so appreciative of their efforts to offer support.  It has also given us a chance to catch up on lost time with friends...another blessing and pleasantry.   In between visits, we spent time sharing Bill stories which usually means lots of laughter!  He is such a funny guy and still keeps us smiling.  And, as we wait for Bill to wake up for a visit, we finally broke out a giant jigsaw puzzle!  Yes, we are at a point of searching for activity, although, this will change as many family members return to work next week.  Boo!  :)  Well, another day has come and gone.  We count our blessing and thank you for your continued prayers.   There is so much hope in our God. 

P.S.   Tyler and Jodi would like to say a special thank you again to Rob & Gary Standish for not only watching Talon, but taking care of a boy who has come down with a cold.  We owe you so much for putting your lives on hold for us.  Love you. 

Immunity Buildup Day 1...

We all left the hospital with a little more peace yesterday.  Therefore, we ALL got some much needed rest, so it made the start of today very fresh.  Bill is in better spirits and heavily medicated.  Because of the infection, the nursing staff is treating his condition with a shotgun instead of a sniper rifle (courtesy of Tyler Standish and Dave Shupe).  He has received many tests, but the results are still pending as to what type of infection he is fighting.  After days of lack of appetite, he broke through with a 3 mini-snicker bar snack, raspberry sherbet, chased with gourmet ice chips.  His voice is back and so are his smiles. 

In addition to this change, several visitors were able to say a quick hello by his bedside.  It was great to see so many faces and touching to hear the encouragement.  We have relayed many calls and texts to him from an outpouring of friends.  Everyday, we want to say thank you.  Another positive note, this situation has been a enjoyable bonding time with family and friends.  It has been a long stretch since family has has this much quality time together...an exceptional blessing.   On days like today, the laughter and stories really warm the soul...something that will not be forgotten.  Tomorrow we will ask again for test updates and pray for another positive step.  Bill continues to work hard and we can't tell you how good it feels to see his smile.  Goodnight everyone...sweet dreams.  :) 

Chemo Day 7...

Well folks, today is a very rough day.  Bill was not able to finish up Chemo bag #7.  After an extremely rough night, we all were startled with an early morning nurse saying we need to come to Bill's bedside.  Although we were warned that this could happen and it is a little early, he has an infection.  The infectious disease docs came with a boatload of antibiotics to offset the infection.  It is liver related, but they are feeling hopeful that he overcame the big chemo battle last night, antibiotics will treat the infection, and he has made it to the turning point in this process.  The doctors chose to shut down the chemotherapy early to protect the liver. 

Unfortunately, he is at the pit of this chemo fight.  As we all attempted to cheer him on to keep going, his immune system is at its lowest...as expected.  His morale is falling right in line with the chemo outcome and he is seeking less stimulation.  He needs rest and as a family, we decided to push less...today.  Ultimately, it is a rough day and sometimes we all need to hear an "I'm proud of you," "look at how far you have come," "awesome job," and "we love you."  The fight is up to him and we are here for the ups and "downs" in this struggle. 

As Bill rested, our family spent the day in our new residence, "The Sunroom" at Poudre Valley.  We visited with each other, watched football, looked for new choices on the cafeteria menu, and sincerely enjoyed each other's company.  We pray that tomorrow is a better day and Bill is able to get some rest tonight.  One day at a time, we all "keep swinging."  Hugs to you all...

 

Chemo Day 6...

First, Happy Thanksgiving everyone and hug your loved ones.  Bill is struggling today with the fight.  His family is by his side encouraging him to keep up the hard work.  We need him.  As Sean says, "he has pushed us all in life, it is time to push dad."  Another 2 units of blood with a cocktail of platelets and chemo were given to Bill today.  His color is good, but appetite is extremely low.  The nurses assure us that rejecting food is okay for now, just plenty of fluids to flush the system.  We all took turns reading to him, visiting, giving a pep talk, listening to soothing music, and carefully laying hands on his head to act as a hug.   We want him to win and beat this nasty, wicked disease. 

On the positive side, a huge, huge, thank you goes out to Melanie Stachelski and her husband Ryan for reaching out to our family.  They both took time out of their Thanksgiving holiday to meet us all for coffee to explain her experience and battle with AML.  Their words provided a wealth of encouragement and the most helpful information.  We hung on to their words and look forward to applying new tools to this situation.

And, we are extremely, extremely grateful for another random act of kindness provided by Gary and Roberta Standish (Tyler's parents).  This family has put their life on hold this week to watch our son and took on a huge feat...cooking the entire Thanksgiving meal, driving it all the way to Ft. Collins so our entire family could have a homecooked holiday meal together.  Of course we were missing a very important member, but the blessing of this day has brought us all to tears.  The food and company was wonderful and it was great to see Matt & Christina Bullington who stopped by in between Thanksgiving meals.  We have missed them.  It was so wonderful to see Talon again and he is still very excited about spending time with grandma and grandpa and not so much mom and dad.  A response that is hard for Jodi, but she has accepted that there is plenty of time with this little boy and the gratitude that he has loved ones that are so caring and dependable.  As one visitor put it, "He is three and you will have lots of time.  When he is 30, you will be begging him to leave!" LOL!  :) 

After the delicious dinner, Brock, Tyler, Debi, and Jodi made one last trip to the hospital to tell Bill that he is on the homestretch of chemo.  His pain level is high and the nurses are going to give him some relief with antibiotics to help him sleep.  So, for tonight, we sign off with a big thank you to everyone once again who follow Bill's progress.  We hope you had a great day with family and friends.  There is so much to be thankful for...especially, one more day of chemo!!!  We can begin to count the hours rather than days of when the poison will come to an end for this round.  Praise God. 

Chemo Day 5...

We wish this was a better post.  Bill's energy level has been reduced significantly and his pain level is increasing.  You can see in his eyes that his body hurts.  He received a visit from the Chaplain today as a way to encourage his faith and gear up to fight and carry on.  A gentle reminder that God is with him and his path is being paved.  The nurses have been encouraging lots of prayer and that the family spend oodles of time with him.  It is better for him to know we are there when he sleeps, startles, and opens his eyes.  Although, we know the risk of infection, so our visits are short, but frequent.  He received 2 more units of blood today and his color improved again.  He was still willing to walk for the nursing staff and is trying to eat.  Our prayer this evening is that he gets some good quality sleep and his body is free of pain. 

Debi is doing a great job loving her mate.  She tells him how much she needs him and wants him to come home.  Jodi spent the day visiting dad and took a short break to sleep...the week finally caught up a bit.  Sean and Brock enjoyed some time together watching our niece Ellie ice skate and joined the rest of the family at the hospital for time with dad.  Overall, this has been a special bonding time and on a personal note...I (Jodi) really love my brothers and feel grateful to see them again. 

We are thankful once again, for today.  God is so good and continues to bless our lives.  The grace of his love surrounds us.  We also would like to take a moment to thank the many people that have reached out to us to share similar experiences and the encouragement that came out of their special situation.  In addition, we can not thank the Held family enough for graciously opening their home to us for unlimited use during this visit.  A heavy weight has been lifted in that respect.  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we give thanks to the good Lord above for time, energy, courage, love, support, and friendship.  Good night everyone.  Thank you for continued prayers. 

Chemo Day 4...

The emotions are running high today as Jodi and Debi arrived at the hospital and Bill's WBC is down to 7,000, so the hospital visitation is becoming more limited.  The immune system is becoming more compromised.  It is difficult to describe how a person feels when you can see the door of the room, but the strict orders permit a lot of interaction.  Even with the restriction, there were still a couple of people that stopped by to give Bill their best wishes.  Our entire family is so grateful and humbled. 

With respect to care, he received additional platelets and followed his workout regime of hallway walking, sitting up, drinking lots of water, and he would add...giving the nurses a hard time! :)  Debi is doing a good job by supporting her family and visiting with her friends.  We all go through a roller coaster of emotion with this process, but we are thankful when peace comes.  The support from everyone means more than anyone could possibly imagine. 

Jodi was thankful for a quick lunch and play date with her mother-in-law and son, Talon.  She was missing her baby!  Fortunately, Talon is under such amazing care by Tyler's parents, he is really okay just hanging with grandma!  What a blessing to have care in the midst of this storm.  :)  Sean picked up Brock today and both are relieved to see their dad.   Bill continues to pray that this battle will be overcome and he plans to fight.  He shares with us that he has a selfish prayer:  "Lord, I don't want to be sick."  We can all relate, it takes one bout of "food poisoning" to speak those words!  :)  As our day comes to an end, we are grateful for this time together as a family and another day with our father/husband.  We look toward tomorrow...god bless you all tonight. 

Chemo Day 3...

Another successful day at the hospital.  The oncologist arrived early this morning to confirm that Bill does indeed have Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML for short).  More specifically. they are waiting for results to confirm what type of AML (M4 or M5) he has based on a chromosome reading.  The results will determine the type of treatment he will receive.  For now, he continues to plug along with chemotherapy and today included a 2 unit blood transfusion to keep his energy levels up.  This morning, his WBC (White Blood Count) was down to 40,000.  This evening, he is having a little bit of swelling from the transfusion which is normal due to the amount of fluids throughout the process. 
 It was a fairly restful day for all of us as we returned more phone calls, paid bills, took a few trips to the cafeteria, and of course, watched football.  A couple of new faces surprised Bill again today and you could feel the room warm up so much.  Bill did his laps around the hospital floor as part of his daily work out and when he returned a nurse was waiting to give him a half hour massage!  :)  He is doing a great job and focusing on treatment.  As always, thank you for your prayers and encouragement.  We all take turns reading him the wonderful messages to keep his spirits lifted.  We want to thank God for another day.

Chemo Day 2...

A new day begins and we have all been praying throughout the night for lots of positive results and freedom from pain.  Upon arrival at the hospital today, Bill was sitting up in a chair, bathed, and watching sports.  The only complaint, the nurse's cold hands!  :) 

His color is great and he is eating more.  Several labs have been taken and his WBC is down to 50,000.  He received the second day of chemo along with lots of meds to help with side effects.  The entire family wants to thank everyone who has called and sent messages.  They mean so much to us and with the overwhelming amount of support, we have not been able to return every message.  Please know that we appreciate everything deeply.  Bill is a loved man and it is truly humbling to hear from so many. 

Many visitors have stopped by to send their best and it means so much.  Bill's spirits are lifted when each new face enters the room.  Unfortunately, visitation will become more regulated as the chemotherapy continues to kill off the marrow and white blood cells.  His immune system will be reduced significantly.  It is difficult to know that the road will become bumpy soon, but we are all cherishing time with friends, family, and each other.

Chemo Day 1

Today, Bill woke up feeling a little better as pain medication allowed him to sleep.  Around 11 a.m., the first round of chemotherapy was administered through a central line.  Debi spent the day trying to return phone calls and updating family.  Jodi used the day and went to Laramie collecting some items from the house and updating things at the barber shop.  It has been so nice to see Sean over these days and he visited again for more time with mom and dad.  Brock will be here soon and we all miss him so much.   

As the day progressed, Bill's color began to improve.  His WBC (white blood count) at the beginning of this process was 100,000+.  Since the chemo started, it has been reduced to 80,000.  As Jodi drove back from Laramie and called to check on Bill, she was pleasantly surprised to hear that dad and mom were curled up in the hospital bed watching a movie.  By the end of the evening, Bill was in good spirits and for the first time in many days, ready to visit.  What a blessing.  A sincere change.  With all of this, there is still a funny side of Bill.  Even at his worst, he still finds a way to slowly joke with the nurses and under enough medication, wants to order new foods like tamales!  The day before, Jodi and Sean were enjoying a funny conversation before his bed time.  Bill is just ornery enough to push the nurse call button without speaking.  The nurse arrives and she asks what she can do for him.  His reply, "tell my kids to get out so I can get some sleep."  Funny guy.

Today, we all parted ways around 9 p.m. after a prayer and lots of hugs.  Thank God for a better day.

A surprising diagnosis...

Hello Everyone,

Earlier last week, my dad/husband/barber/baseball coach came down with what we all thought was a bad case of the flu or perhaps a repeat kidney stone.  Time went by without relief and he decided to check in with the gracious staff of Poudre Valley.  After several tests, the lab results concluded that he has leukemia.  Yes, the big "C" word.  A word that I did not even know how to spell before today.  There is very minimal history of cancer in our family, so this diagnosis came as a very big shock.  Yesterday, he did very well as they took a bone marrow biopsy.  The results will not be ready until next week, but the outcome will provide a more conclusive diagnosis identifying the specific type of leukemia.  Today, he is starting his first round of 7 day chemotherapy.  We all welcome any prayer at this time.  The road is uphill, but as only our dad would say "we will just keep swinging."  One day at a time and one step at a time.  As a family, we are cheer leading and coaching to the best of our ability...and trusting in our head coach, the wonderful man upstairs!! 

With respect to the barber shop and baseball field, please know that his delayed call backs were not intentional.  I tried to call everyone that I had information for and if I missed anyone due to a very busy brain, I apologize.  He loves his friends, customers and family deeply and is working hard to fight this next obstacle in life.  May God bless you all today and always....thank you for stopping by.  We will update more as more details unfold. 

Love,


His devoted wife and kids