Sunday, December 12, 2010

Ok,

here's the latest updates!

1. Jackie returned to work this past week.

she was working half days, from home, and it went very well.

(5900 emails were waiting patiently in her in box!)

tomorrow, she starts full time, still from home, so keep your fingers crossed!

(next thing you know, I'll be going back to work!

stop snickering out there, you guys!)

2. the next chemo is this coming Wednesday, the 15th, which is Buffalo Katie's birthday!

(it's strange, the way rumors get started... every time i ask Katie if she'd 'come out tonight', she never wants to!)

don't forget the S.E.E. chant for wednesday.

Jackie will be on this 'every three week' chemo for as long as we can see into to future, so we have to stay constant with our S.E.E. chants, so it keeps on working!

3. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

thanks for all your chanting, praying, cards, love and support.

we couldn't have done all this without you guys!

Namaste,

dab

Thanksgiving -2, 2010

ok,

obviously there has not been much to write about.

but, here are the highlights of the last several weeks:

Katie, Jackie's sister who lives near Buffalo, had a fundraiser on Sunday to raise money for cancer research as part of her half-marathon she is running in January at Disney World. She had a silent auction and had lots of great items like Sabres tickets (some sort of Buffalo sports team), a singed Patrick Kaleta jersey (some sort of buffalo sports guy), 26" womans bike, $100 spa certificate, liquor baskets and a lot more. Katie had a very successful fund raiser and made $2,300 for cancer research!

so, woo hoo for Katie, great job!

also, for anyone who either attended, or didn't attend, the Shine a light on lung cancer vigil...

Barb, another one of the sisters, wrote an article about the Shine a Light Vigil that was published on Cincinnati.com. Here is a link to the article:

http://local.cincinnati.com/share/news/story.aspx?sid=173748&cid=100044

(and of course, there were pictures!)

http://local.cincinnati.com/community/getCommunity.aspx?cid=100044&cat=photo&display=Photos

thanks again to honorary sister, Amanda for the photographs.

and last, but really, reallly not least.

tomorrow is the next batch of Chemo for jackie. (they are putting pumpkin spices in the bag)

remember to do your S.E.E.'s

Namaste,

dab

Friday, November 5, 2010

Wow,

such a busy couple of days!

the last blog mentioned the great news from the CT scan.

on wednesday, jackie had another course of the chemo, and dr. chua said that the PT scan was even better!

some of the 'spots' are not visible on the PT scan, and everything is shrinking!

way to chant people!!!

to add to the great week, last night was the 'Shine A Light On Lung Cancer' vigil in Blue Ash.

Barb, (the Hope Warrior Princess), did a great job putting it all together with the able assistance of Pattie and Liz.

there were speakers...

Dr. Sandra Starnes, Director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at UC.

- me

- Sharon Northcutt (featured cuz from the famous picture on the "Tuesday, September 14, 2010" blog entry - she's on the left)

- the above mentioned Barb H.W.P.

really great pictures taken by ms. Amanda Evans!

http://www.amandaevansphotography.com/pages/Blog/entry/8/

there were about 65 people, in the cold and drizzle.

(luckily barb also had a covered 'backup' plan)

it was a great night of hope and remembrance of the people that lung cancer kept from being there!

the main purpose of the vigil was to point out that Lung Cancer causes more cancer deaths then any other type of cancer, but it is the lowest funded cancer research.

FACT:

Lung Cancer kills more Americans every year then Colon, Breast, and Prostate Cancer combined!

FACT:

Lung Cancer kills twice as many women as Breast Cancer. (1 in 5 of these women never smoked)

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

but there will be no special shoes, or gloves for NFL football games, or mention on the evening news every night.

Please contact local media, make them aware of the underfunding for this killer.

also, contact your representatives and push them to increase funding for lung cancer.

one positive item from last night.

Dr. Starnes told us that just yesterday, results of a study using CT scans has been found to be the first effective screening test for lung cancer!

this was a longer post than usual, but part of our fight against lung cancer is to get as much information out to as many people as possible.

--
namaste,
dab

Saturday October 30, 2010

well, this week has been the week of scans.

the CT scan on tuesday, the PT scan on thursday.

back to the waiting for results like last time!

but wait, is that a message on the phone from kristina, the oncology nurse?

the new stuff is working, all spots have shrank (all spots has been shrinkened?)

so, for all of the Hope Warriors, your S.E.E. chants have worked!

the next chemo is this coming wednesday!

the 'S' has worked, but lets leave it in place, E. E. just doesn't ring the same.

and we can still use some more shrinking, on our way the the Erase and Eradicate portion!

keep all the good vibes coming, don't forget the Vigil on Thursday night in Blue Ash!

Shine a Light on Lung Cancer!

speakers, people speaking through the speakers, glow sticks, (store bought special for this event, not old leftover halloween ones!)

good news for us all!

(and to all, a good night!)

--
namaste,
dab

Saturday October 30, 2010

well, this week has been the week of scans.

the CT scan on tuesday, the PT scan on thursday.

back to the waiting for results like last time!

but wait, is that a message on the phone from kristina, the oncology nurse?

the new stuff is working, all spots have shrank (all spots has been shrinkened?)

so, for all of the Hope Warriors, your S.E.E. chants have worked!

the next chemo is this coming wednesday!

the 'S' has worked, but lets leave it in place, E. E. just doesn't ring the same.

and we can still use some more shrinking, on our way the the Erase and Eradicate portion!

keep all the good vibes coming, don't forget the Vigil on Thursday night in Blue Ash!

Shine a Light on Lung Cancer!

speakers, people speaking through the speakers, glow sticks, (store bought special for this event, not old leftover halloween ones!)

good news for us all!

(and to all, a good night!)

--
namaste,
dab

Monday, October 25, 2010

don't forget!

the big event is next thursday!

The National Shine a Light on Lung Cancer Vigil

November 4, 2010

7:00 PM

Blue Ash Towne Square (Corner of Hunt & Cooper Roads)

Join the Hope Warrior Sisters in their effort to end Lung Cancer!

Vigil will include:

Guest Speaker: Dr. Sandra Starnes (Director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at UC)

Personal Stories

Moment of Silence

Call to Action to Make Lung Cancer a National Health Priority!

wednesday, oct 20, 2010

ok,

there have been no postings, there's not been much to say.

the tiredness has gone away, the sick of her stomach has gone away.

(her hair is even growing back... it's not bristly anymore, it's getting soft!)

but, keep sending those good, happy thoughts jackie's way!

namaste,

dab

thursday, october 14, 2010

so,

yesterday was the second treatment with the alimta.

still pretty quick, once they got it started.

today jackie is very tired, and a bit sick of her stomach.

(old 1st grade sick excuse reference)

dr. chua said that it was a good sign that she had been coughing less after the first batch.

(jackie was coughing less, not dr. chua)

also, she said that jackie's lung sounds are good, with good breath on both sides.

so...

we'll take that as good news.

probably have a couple of down days, lots of rest and not much excitement.

we'll keep you all posted.

namaste,

dab

tuesday, October 12, 2010

this past weekend, a few of the ladies from one of jackie's email groups stopped by from KY, IN, and OH.

above are Roberta, Pattie, Becky, (jackie), Suzanne, & Carol.

they all went out to lunch, then came back to form a conga line in the living room!

(da da da da da, DA)

Katie, Jackie's sister from Buffalo is in town, she is going with Jackie tomorrow for the second chemo treatment of the new drugs.

speaking of which...

don't forget your S.E.E. for tomorrow, Wednesday, 10/13.

it's a much shorter infusion time, but don't let that stop you from chanting all day long!

(or, if you're feeling in a lionel richie mood, you can chant it All Night Long)

namaste,

dab

Sunday, October 3, 2010

yesterday was the 'Hike for Hospice' in blue ash.

lots of ebels out doing the walk in honor of the great people at Hospice.

the picture to the right shows the team.

jackie made the walk with the help of:

dale, jim reid, johnny (pushers)

tony (wheelchair lender)

it was a very brisk, sunny day.

I'm sure Dottie was looking down, thanking the hospice people as well.

we had our usual post-hike stop at skyline!

not a bad way to spend a saturday morning!

other than that, the Status is Quo.

or is the Quo Vadis?

(points for explaining that one!)

--
namaste,
dab

friday, october 1, 2010

we're sorry there hasn't been anything on the blog for a while.

since the last infusion, the new chemo drug, there really hasn't been too much to pass along.

jackie's reaction to the single drug, vs. the cocktail was less severe.

and now that she is no longer on the clinical protocol, there are no blood tests and visits between the chemo sessions.

the next chemo session is on the 13th of october.

we will post for sure the day before, and shortly after with any news.

but for now, there is nothing really to report.

we'll try and make sure we do an update at least every sunday going forward, or any time there is news to pass along.

thanks to everyone who is following us with the fight.

(especially for all the S.E.E. thoughts/chants/prayers along the way)

don't forget the "Shine a light on lung cancer vigil", 7pm november 4th, at the blue ash town square.

we'll post more details as the date gets closer!

--
namaste,
dab

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010

Ok,

there's no way to make it simple, or funny.

the CT scan we've waited for all week came back on the brutal side.

jackie's lungs look better, but too many of the little spots that were supposed to disappear, are bigger then they were.

on the bright side of things, dr. chua immediately pulled her from the clinical study and put her on just a single one of the new chemo drugs.

she has seen 'amazing results' with this one.

also on the plus side is the fact that with the new protocol, the chemo sessions fall from 6-7 hours down to about 1.

also, the side effects are reduced with the new chemo.

what we need now is for everyone to bear down.

jackie can still use all the positive energy you've got.

no matter how you express it, or send it her way, just keep doing it as hard as you can.

dr. chua is not the kind of person to offer false hopes, and she says this is a very positive course of action and we're all behind her.

so, keep jackie in your hearts, in your prayers, in your hopes, and in your dreams.

--

namaste,
dab

Sunday, September 19, 2910

it's sunday evening, the bengals won today, the reds didn't.

in the last couple of days, jackie got her wig, looks like a dream!

(maybe, we might even show you!!!)

we're hoping to find out the results of last week's scan no later then wednesday.

(the next chemo appt.)

barb, (the official Hope Warrior Princess), has found a great event!

it's "National Shine a Light on Lung Cancer" day.

it's trying to shine a focus on Lung Cancer, the least supported from a research dollars aspect.

the link is:

http://shinealightonlungcancer.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=347722&supid=304535212

it's on November 4th, 2010.

right now, the location is unsure, but we should know shortlly, so check back.

like everything, this is an organization trying to raise money, but we were thinking that when we find the location we would just have the event, no asking for donations.

if we all met, (ok, if a lot of us met), and had our lights, and let them shine, it might help Shine a light on this awful, (really awful), disease.

so check back in a day or two, we'll see how much light we can all shine!

that's all for now!

--

namaste,

dab

thursday September 16, 2010

a quick update.

the CT scan was yesterday, (wednesday), but we do not have any results yet.

jackie does have another lab appointment on monday, so we're thinking that we should hear the results then!

for all the well wishers that have been emailing and calling, we're sorry, but we've got nothing right now!

as soon as we hear, we will post a message here on the blog.

other then that, there's not much going on.

just a couple nice, no appointment, slow days.
--
namaste,
dab

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

tony and i had to run up to columbus, for an MS infusion.

in the mean time, jackie, pattie, and barb met some of the ebel cousins for lunch.

lots of talking, lots of laughing.

it was reported by one of the sisters that they laughed so much, her cheeks hurt!

the participants are:

Sharon, Jackie, Pattie, Janice, Barb, Jeannine

now for the big push.

tomorrow morning, (wed. 15th), jackie is having a CT scan, checking for progress of the chemo in shrinking the tumor.

make sure you guys are all out there, touching your hope bracelets, doing the S.E.E. chant.

see that tumor,

boy it stinks.

lets all watch,

that sucker shrink!

namaste,

dab

Sunday, September 12, 2010

sunday night,

following a pretty busy weekend!

the Paddle With A Purpose did a real good job,

had a great time.

(that's our picture at the top!)

back row is: Rich, Dale, Dano

front row is: Liz, Morgan, Barb

we're the second highest team donation wise, over $1100!

really good for a team that was only put together last week!

good job barb!

now that the weather has cooled a bit, jackie is learning what all of us 'hair-impaired' guys have known for years.

it gets cold up there!!!

Tony, Jim Reid and I got to run down to Red's game this afternoon.

a contingent of Jackie's work team, the 'Kentucky Komandos' drove up and had a great visit with her.

Not only did she have a good time with her co-workers, but she also had a great visit on Saturday with one of her "email buddies", Pattie Fitzpatrick.

quiet day tomorrow.

tuesday, tony has to go to OSU for an infusion of the MS stuff.

wednesday is a CT scan for jackie to track the progress of the chemo so far!

everyone keep up the S.E.E. chant so that we get good results back!!

thanks to everyone for the support,

and thanks also to the non-paddling members of the PWAP team who donated to the sore shouldered team!

--
namaste,
dab

Friday, September, 10, 2010

hey everybody!

it's me again, adding to our tale of the Hope Warriors and their never ending battle to kick cancer's ass!

it's not that i didn't want to post anything, but i wanted everyone to look at the blog, and see the listings for the "paddle for a purpose" and katie's half marathon run in January at disney!

the Hope Warrior crew paddling tomorrow will be Barb (the team captain), Dano, Liz, Morgan, and me, your lowly blogger!

the team has over 1100$, but it's not too late, you can still donate.

the goal is to reduce lung cancer deaths by half by 2020.

that would be a wonderful thing!

the paddle for a purpose link:

http://events.lungevity.org/site/TR/2010TeamRaiser/General?team_id=19672&pg=team&fr_id=2250

katie's link:

http://giving.roswellpark.org/Page.aspx?pid=508&frsid=22815

so, highlights of the last several days...

jackie and crew went out today and picked out a wig for those special holiday affairs in the next several months.

(no, she didn't go blond, although she did try a blond wig on!)

also tonight was kind of a very special night.

jackie and i sitting on the couch together, watching the multi-network "Stand Up 2 Cancer" event.

lots of really cool research, and sharing of the findings among the various teams doing the research.

https://www.standup2cancer.org/Default.aspx

that's all for now!

--
namaste,
dab

sunday, September 5, 2010

(revised entry, the links work)

ok,
so it's sunday of the big holiday weekend.
hope everyone is having a good time, and weather as good as cincinnati is seeing!

the last couple of days have been an example of "no news is good news".

while still a bit tired, jackie has been doing so much better with this second course of chemo.

hasn't missed a meal at all, (went almost three days without eating much at all the last time)

plus generally much better in spirit as well.

we want to thank all of the Hope Warriors, the bracelets are on their way if you haven't received them already!


now for some extra items!


ITEM #1.
this coming saturday, 09/11/2010, there is a "paddle with a purpose" event out in harrison, Ohio.


http://events.lungevity.org/site/TR?fr_id=2250&pg=entry


this is a canoe/kayak trip - corn hole tournament that is a fund raiser for the Lungevity foundation.
it's the largest organization looking for a cure for lung cancer.

(this is a hunch on my part, but i really feel that this will not be simultaneous events!)
"scuse me, yellow kayak up ahead, will you please fish out my cornhole bag, before it sinks?"

they are also on Facebook, just search for "paddle with a purpose 2010".

it will be at:
the Green Acres Canoe & Kayak Rental
10465 suspension bridge rd.
Harrison, OH
it starts at 3:00pm.

There is a Hope Warriors team for the paddle fest and you can donate to that team or you can join the team if you'd like to paddle or play cornhole! Any donation amount is accepted:

http://events.lungevity.org/site/TR/2010TeamRaiser/General?team_id=19672&pg=team&fr_id=2250

ITEM #2.
Jackie's sister Katie, from Buffalo, is running in a half marathon in January.
it will be down in Florida, at Disney, on 01/08/2011

Katie wanted to make 2011 a special year, so she signed up to run the marathon for the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo.

the sad, and ironic thing, is that two weeks after Katie had signed up to run, is when Jackie was diagnosed.
so this obviously upped the ante for katie and her run.

to support Katie in her run, please visit the following link:

http://giving.roswellpark.org/Page.aspx?pid=508&frsid=22815




FINALLY,
I've been updating the blog with items I think would interest you, but please feel free to drop a comment and let me know if you have any specific requests as to updates you'd like to see. This blog is for all of us so I'd like to make sure it's giving you the information you want to read.

--
namaste,
dab

thursday September 2, 2010

so once again today, jackie is doing much better then the last time.

ate real food...
breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

as the day progressed, the energy level did drop, but by now she had mostly slept the whole day after the first chemo.

at this point she is getting more tired, and i suspect that tomorrow will be a big sleep day.

but that's just fine.

it's probably better to sleep through all the stuff running around inside her.

so for the rest of us it's still Scrub, Erase, Eradicate...
for jackie it's Sleep, Erase, Eradicate.

Shhhhh.....

namaste,
dab

wednesday, sept 1, 2010 pt.II

first off,
enjoy the picture on the blog from last week, it might be a while before you see another one.

yes, Jackie has joined the cast of the soap "The Bald and the Beautiful"!

jeanne came over to do the honors on monday.
(and to see the great and fabulous dyson in action!!!)

now back to today...
the day has ended, and the chemo is over.

there was a little problem with the port this morning, ended up sounding like the hokey pokey.
"now, turn this way and put your arms up in the air...now lean back and recite the alphabet backwards"
it turns out there is likely a kink in the line but it's considered "positional" because the flow of the drugs
only stopped if Jackie moved her head a certain way.

but, it all got started, and it all went in, the same day they started it!
no two day chemo for this round.

interesting thing learned today:
- some of the older chemo drugs are mixed with alcohol, which is one of the reasons they don't want chemo patients to drive home.

wow, who knew?

so jackie was home around 4:30, and has been awake ever since.
(last time she came home and just fell asleep and stayed asleep)

also different this time, she ate some dinner tonight.

so, hopefully the next several days will stay on the high side of things, and this time won't be as hard on her as the first one.

jackie said she felt all the good thoughts and positive energy!

so, thanks all you HOPE Warriors!
you all did your best to S.E.E. this one go as good as it could go.

namaste,
dab

wednesday, sept 1, 2010

i've fallen behind again, i'm sorry.

a quick note, more to follow later.

but today is chemo round 2, so lets all get our S.E.E. chanting mojo on point to get those little pac-man chemo dudes chomping away inside, eating all that cancer away.

if we get enough good vibes flowing jackie's way, maybe the clouds over blue ash, ohio will even form the letters and we can look out the window and see the giant "S.E.E." in the sky.

ok, maybe not, but we will feel all the positivity in our hearts...
and that's what really counts!

namaste,
dab

Friday, August 27, 2010

There are still some "JSB Hope Warrior" bracelets left if you would like to show your support.

As mentioned earlier, if you post a good thought for jackie, (and email your address to buddhablue@gmail.com), we'll send you one of our new bracelets.

if you aren't a 'follower' of the blog, you can still get one! Just send an email to buddhablue@gmail.com and we'll get one out to you.

Please include your address in the email and the words "Hope Warrior" in the subject line.

that's right, doesn't cost you anything - just post a positive thought for jackie or send me an email and we'll send them out.

we want people to wear them, so that they look down, see it, and think even more good thoughts!
("S.E.E. Shrink, Erase, Eradicate")

on the news front, it's going to be a busy weekend.

the MS Society 150 mile Bike event starts tonight.
i, dale), will be supplying the sound again this year...

so i'll be there most of the weekend.

but don't fret, jackie will be in the able hands of family and friends!

and in other family news...
happy graduation tiff!

namaste,
dab

Monday, august 23, 2010

this shot is of jackie's new, shorter 'do'.

Jeanne came over and gave her a cut right before the first chemo.

so, now it's up, and you can all see who we're pulling for!

keep those positive thoughts coming.
they are starting to add up!

namaste,
dab

---

today...

pattie, liz, and barb came by for a visit.
liz did dinner!

still feeling a bit better every day.

last two days there's been a lot of coin rolling, the large coke bottle was ready for its final emptying.
(thanks sis's)

we have something new today.

if you post a good thought for jackie, (and email your address), we'll send you one of our new 'JSB Hope Warrior' bracelets.

if you aren't a 'follower' of the blog, just send it to buddhablue@gmail.com, and we'll get one out to you.

that's right, doesn't cost you a buck, doesn't cost you a dime, just post a thought for jackie and we'll send them out.

we want people to wear them, so that they look down, see it, and think even more good thoughts!

namaste,
dab

Saturday august 21, 2010

living on the BRAT diet to get jackie back to eating once again.

you know Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast...

ok, but jackie doesn't like Bananas or Applesauce, so i guess it was the RT diet.

that worked ok, got to add some butter in the rice, (per nurse's instructions).

next step adding some chicken in the diet.

that went over very well, so now it's saturday, and she's pretty much back to eating whatever she wants.

sleeping is pretty good, she does still wake up every night, sometimes it's the coughing, which has become a regular part of life.
sometimes it's from tony ping-ponging off the hall walls. (thanks pete and lori!)

it's always fun to see if food will taste good to her or not each day.

but, the color is back to her cheeks, she has been up and down the steps doing some laundry today.
(no, i'm not sleeping on the job, i somehow convinced her it would be good therapy. - no shame, huh?)

in other news, the state of ohio has decided i could use a little cash, i'm now getting my extension on the unemployment.

so, things are pretty good,
and still a week and a half away from the next chemo.

good times all around!

namaste,
dab

p.s. jackie loves the cards and good thoughts that she has been getting everyday in the mail. kind of gives tha mailman something to do, and makes her very happy!

saturday August 14, 2010

hello bloggers...

we've been kind of quiet for a couple days.

the chemo started on wednesday was finished on thursday.

since then jackie has been extremely tired.
sleeping off and on.

not a lot of appetite, but the "eating guide" they gave her said, it's not unusual to be completely without appetite for a day or two.

they told us that the first 72 hours would be the worse ones.

they have been kind of rough, driving her crazy, but the anti-nausea medicine has been doing it's job.

we'll probably be quiet for another couple days...

at this point, chemo is every three weeks, next one will be on sept. 1.

so, things might be a little quiet on the blog for that period!

namaste,
dab

Some Day in August, (prt ##)

ok, i'm not sure if this is Wednesday part II, or Thursday part I.

but here's "the rest of the story"

in the PT scan from monday, they did find a few small spots on jackie's left lung,
all way too small for biopsy, but dr. chua said that the meds should just shrink them away, since they are so little.
(go dr. chua, a really wonderful dr.!)

it was the first day of chemo, so many things to do, so little time.
(vitals to take, histories to check, all that newbie kind of thing)

before yesterday, i didn't even know there was a "secret chemo handshake"!!!

so it was getting late, and they were looking for a way to squeeze all those bag's of stuff into jackie.

they timed it out, figured they could get all but one...
so we would have to come back tomorrow/today, (see "day confusion statement above")

for that one little bag, it would take about 30 minutes, and as they were thinking, they decided, (actually suggested, leaving the decision up to jackie), that they could let us go right then and there, if they saved the last two bags for thursday. (One bag is calcium and the other is the third chemo drug, avastin.)

jackie thought that would be fine, she was tired, very tired.
(a bag 'o' benedryl being one of the culprits)

so, we came home, jackie was very tired, but unable to sleep.

we got settled later on, and she had a good night's sleep, didn't really wake up jumping out of bed, full of energy, but that's the way chemo goes.

her throat and mouth are very dry, so probably won't be having long phone conversations, but other then that, she's strong, and fighting like a good Hope Warrior should.

also, on the good wishes side...

in my previous post, i put the chant in as, "Erase, Eradicate, Shrink".
strictly setting up my best possible rhyme sequence...

elaine, suggested that we might want to change it to, "Shrink, Erase, Eradicate", since it acronym's nicely into "S.E.E".

so, in the future, it will be "SEE", as in "S.E.E. the cancer disappear"

more later, or later than that, not sure!

namaste,
dab

wednesday august 11, 2010

The chemo is underway.

We're sitting watching it drip...
It's cleaning and scrubbing, it's wiping the cancer away.

Keep those good thoughts coming.

Namaste,
Dab

tuesday, august 10, 2010

not much today, regular, routine dental appointment.

chemo starts tomorrow, wednesday, 08/11/2010.
(our 26th anniversary)

starts at 9am, we will be there for six or seven hours.

at some point, or at several points, send all your love, cheer, good luck, prayers, whatever you got in jackie's general direction!
(blue ash for you with GPS modules on your thinkers!)

or, just on the hour, every hour repeat the following!

"Erase, Eradicate, Shrink
wash it down the sink.
clean it all, cleanse that spot,
she's the only jackie that we got!"

("burma shave" tag is optional!)

we need to rally all the Hope Warriors, and get those chemo scrubbing bubbles to do their job!

i'll try to update a bit, but no promises during the day tomorrow!

(for the healing mantra, go to the other blog)
namaste,
dab

Monday, August 9,2010

not much today either.

jackie got the PT scan early, rested most of the day.
(think maybe the weekend took a bit out of her)

today is Chemo -2!

sunday, august 8, 2010

it's sunday,

we rested!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

a normal saturday kind of day today.

i played some guitar, did some reading. (took a nap or two)

jackie played on her computer and did a little shopping for comfy chemo clothes with some of her sisters.

tony and courtney hung out, watched a movie.

"the kids" are out, and we're getting ready for a nice little dinner!

as normal as normal can be!

Friday, August 6, 2010

good day!

woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across...
no wait, that lines been used!

no appointments, no hospital visits, no hassles.

i good, relaxing day at home.

on the good news side, yours truly, has a bit of a gig this weekend.

indecon, the consulting company i work for, when i work, has some equipment moves that will give me a little cash for a few hours this weekend.
i can handle that.

but, as to jackie, the real purpose of this.

she slept through the night - 10 hours straight - and that's about as good a day as we can ask for!

--
namaste,
dab

Thursday, Aug, 5, 2010

ok,
so it's thursday, and no one could get in touch with us all day wednesday...

funny story about that one!
(ok, not so funny, but there is a story)

yesterday, we had to go to B-North in the early afternoon for out-patient surgery so that they could put the port in for jackie's chemo.
(now there are two words that don't belong in the same sentence)

simple routine, they do it all the time.

well when they were putting in the guide, so they could use it to push the actual tubing, the wire brushed the atrium in the heart, and it triggered some atrial fibrillations!
(as jackie said, if there is a difficult way to do things, she will find it)

so, even though the port went in, and looked good on xray, and all that, they had to keep her in recovery, while they gave her meds to bring the rate down to a reasonable number.

of course the medicine worked, but then, following "Jackie's Axiom", it then dropped her blood pressure to an unsafe level.

so there was someone there at all times, monitoring the drip to make sure it was doing the right thing without doing the other wrong thing.

so basically at 8pm, they decided to send her up to telemetry for an over night stay, just to make sure the heart rate stay reasonable.

so, we spent the night, they monitored this, and that, and all the other stuff.
this morning, they x-rayed the port,
they did an echo-cardiogram,
(didn't give her breakfast, had to go door to door begging for food for her)

and now, around 3:00pm, the next day, we are finally home from our simple, hour-long, outpatient procedure!

needless to say, Jackie has no energy right now and is getting ready for a nap, but she is better than she was last night and this morning.

woo hoo!

and now,
it's nap time!

--
namaste,
dab

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

finally, something fun and interesting in the schedule.

i was a little concerned when jackie mentioned that we had to leave at 8:00am to go talk about the port.
i thought that was a bit early for a wine tasting, but then, the way these last couple of weeks have been, i'm up for anything.

darn...
more doctors, more nurses, more appointments.

this was for the port for the chemo!
all i got was coffee, and i had to bring it myself from home!

but, it's one more step out of the way.
(this was informational only, the actual port will be put in tomorrow)

more to follow!

now, for the food news:

Barb Griffin [Jackie's sister] is going to coordinate the "food bridgade" to keep us nourished. If you would like to participate, send Barb an email. If you know exactly what you want to make and when you want to drop it off, let her know. If you don't have anything in mind and don't have a specific date in mind, then let her know that too. Bascially, if you have a lot of information on what you'd like to do, let her know and if not, let her know you're open to any meal/date as needed.

After Barb gets the emails, she will set up a schedule and get back to you! Barb's email address is dbgriff989@gmail.com.

Monday, Aug. 2, 2010

wow...
the first day at the oncology office.
10:30 to 3:30

letters, forms, stuff to read, things to sign, blood to draw, shots to shoot.
ok, that last one was at the bar, on the way home!
ok, no it wasn't.
well, maybe!!!

we were there so long, that my phone battery died!
smart phones aren't so useful dead... paperweight mode!

the good news is that jackie was accepted into the clinical study.
the first infusion is on the 11th, next wednesday, our 26th anniversary.
(no better way to celebrate, then to start the fight in earnest)

it will be one infusion of chemo, every three weeks, for 12 weeks (four in all)
and if CT scan results are good then maintenance starts.
they told us...it's on the paperwork somewhere but our brains are full.

that's all we got for now!

--
namaste,
dab

Sunday, Aug 1, 2010

ok, we maintained radio silence yesterday, the first full day back in the house.

it's completely different being in the house.

in the hospital, it's the bubble, and there is so much hustle and bustle, now it's so quiet it's a bit harder.

also, at least in my mind, the house is our normal life, sometimes it makes it a little harder to believe everything that happened at the hospital.

yesterday, it was quiet, a few visitors, pattie and barb took os to dewey's for a little pizza.

it was good for jackie to get out into the real world for the first time since sunday, or so...

of course, the cosmos slowly turns so things come together...
for example, look at the 21st posting on this weeks entries on PostSecret!
jackie would word it a little less harshly! me... i'm ok the way it is.

jackie is doing better, she has skipped the middle of the night percocet the last two nights, that's a positive step.

liz is coming shortly to give her a massage.
(i did a little healing touch yesterday morning)

she doesn't mind company, but please not a lot of people all at once!

we will be setting up a dinner brigade organized through barb shortly for the folks that want to keep us fed!

next steps, appointment in the morning to see the research nurse at the oncologist's office.
they want to get her into a research panel.

we will keep you all posted.

--
namaste,
dab

Friday, July 30, 2010 (pt. 2)

we're moving back to the home base at tracy pl.

they are turning jackie loose, and we're packing, and coiling cords, packing mics, reboxing the cameras, and heading for home.

later this afternoon we will be back at home.

woo hoo, for that.

i'll still kind of keep things going, and the phones and texts are still going to be working!

woo hoo,
at least the in-hospital portion is over for now!

next week starts the clinical portion of the process.

thanks for all the good thoughts and prayers and tears and the vibes'a'plenty!

--
namaste,
dab

Friday, July 30, 2010

ok,
back to the news reports.

for the new folks, i've kind of been sending out emails each day, mostly, to keep everyone up to date with jackie.

again, for the 'newbies', we are at bethesda north, been here since monday morning.

jackie was diagnosed with lung cancer a couple of days ago.

there is also a spot on her liver, and one on an adrenal gland.

we have been waiting for several days for the MRI results, it has been crazy, waiting for that one.

so, now...
we're all up to date.

for everyone.

the oncologist came in this morning, she realized the mri results have not been sent to her.

we just got a call from her nurse, that they located the mri, and jackie's brain is clear of anything.
(insert your favorite "just like dale" joke here)

she has an appointment early next week with the oncology people, they want her in a clincal trial, because of her good health, young age, and the fact that she has never smoked.

so we might go home today, if not probably tomorrow.

for now,
we just celebrating that we got a plus for the first time


--

namaste,
dab

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

oh well,
you know what they say,
no news is...
actually no news.

the pulmonary guy was in early this morning.

told jackie that they washed, and brushed, and scraped and poked, and prodded, and, well ok, he just said the first two.
sounds like a new mr. clean scrub commercial the way i did it!

he had told me that they took samples of stuff.

they are looking at it and testing and we won't know much until tomorrow at the earliest.

so today is a down kind of day, not attitudinal, more low activity.

it won't hurt jackie to just have a rest day.


more as we find stuff out.

in other news,
reds and cardinals are tied for first place.

T.O. has signed or will sign a one year, 2 million$ contract with the bengals!

still no facebook mention of our events.

--
namaste,
dab

Tuesday, july 27, 2010

i just heard from jackie.

dr. thorpe, the pulmonary guy has already stopped in to see her.

he said he is happy to see the progress in her breathing, and vitals.

the fucking-mass-from-hell-oscopy is scheduled for early afternoon, around 1pm i think.
i'll try to get results out as quickly as i can.

he said they can usually identify what it is immediately, like 90%.
no more mention of the histoplasmosis, (spell checker threw up on THAT one), but he did mention the word fungus.
(look for the next great stephen king book, "the fungus that ate my wife" coming soon!)
jackie slept kind of ok, it's still a hospital, and there were people in and out.
they are still doing the breathing treatments, the inhale this misty stuff for the next five minutes.
i know they were in around 2am.

she said that when someone would come in she either fell back asleep in ten minutes, or in an hour.
i think she said the longest stretch of sleep was about three hours.
(actually, it sounds worse then i think it was... that is better sleeping then she has had in the last week and a half or so!)

i'll be heading to the hospital around 8am or so.

so, that's the scoop for now.

more to follow!

if you see someone who maybe should be on this list that i either don't have an email address for, or forgot.
forward it on, or send me their email address.

as for the ironic side of life...
when i got home and got the mail...

honest to __________, (fill in the blank of your favorite deity, or overriding force of the universe here)
right on top was a 'come on' from the american cancer society asking for cash.

i was ready to tear it up, burn it, then bury the results until it dawned on me.
those guys are really getting hard core with their fund raising techniques!


keep those positive thoughts flowing in our general direction!
--
namaste,
dab