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