Update from HOME!

Hi All,

Dad went home on Wednesday evening, and has so immensely enjoyed being there.  The first day however was an adjustment, as the only nurse he has there is mom.  (and Aunt Sharon, who helped tremendously and stayed the night the first few nights).  He went from a very high need patient on 24 hour nonstop care (someone was in his room depending upon his state every 20 minutes to one hour) to alone at home.  So naturally after being in the hospital for five weeks, going home was a relief but a bit scary.  Every ache and pain was a worry.  Figuring out all of the medication itself was quite the task.  He has gone home on a very low level of oxygen, as we are still needing to work on getting his lungs functioning to their full potential.  He still is tasked with 10 times every hour he is awake using his breathing tool which expands the lungs as if he were running.

However, since getting through the first few days, my parents seem to have the routine down quite well.  My dad's appetite has greatly improved which is very exciting! He has some much needed strength back already as well.  With his walker he is able to walk all the way down the hall of his house (and for those that are familiar with the house, that is a LONG walk!).

We were over last night with all four little girls....he sat in his chair in the living room, we had the door open to the patio/backyard, and he was able to watch the girls jump off the diving board, show him their tricks, and enjoyed the sound his sweet little girls' voices.  He will have a physical therapist come to the house three times a week to work with him and has home health care come once a week as well.  Wednesday he has an appointment at Dr. Nguyen's office - prayers for a positive visit would be wonderful!!!  Below is a pic of Brooklynn and Ava so happy to have Papa back at home. :)

The day we've been waiting for has arrived!!

Hey Guys,

SO much has happened in the past 2-3 days! Divine intervention for one: my dad's lungs are no longer collapsed, he is off of the opti-flow (large and high flow oxygen tube) and is on the thinnest nasal cannula there is, at only 2 liters.  His lungs have progressed in his favor so much that he is being DISCHARGED TONIGHT!! Praise God!

Words truly cannot express how happy and excited my dad is to go home.  He is SO ready.  Plans have been made for home health nurses, in home physical therapy, etc. There were moments only a few days ago we thought we would be transferring to Los Angeles right now instead of packing our bags to go home.

*Update on the valley fever: the test came back negative.  We were hoping that it would have come back positive, as it would have given us a definitive answer for several of dad's "medical mysteries" that have been happening over the last week and a half.  However, all of his doctors have determined that it is healing on its own now since his lung function has recovered so tremendously.

Keep praying guys! This prayer circle we have behind him has worked.  We are so grateful for each and every one of you who read this! We will continue to update on a regular basis, please keep checking in!! xoxo.

HAPPY, HAPPY DAY!

 Finally leaving!!!

 Dexter and Abby were just elated to see dad!! They didn't leave his lap the entire night.

Broken Hallelujah...letting go ain't easy!

If you've been following our blog, you will know that the last few days have been very uncertain and a little scary, as have many other days been during this nearly 6 week hospital stay thus far.

Thanks to my mother in law, I have a new found love for worship music.  I downloaded this song Broken Hallelujah the other day (I loved the hook and the beat), a new song I heard briefly on KAXL that I remembered the title of, and thought I would really listen to the lyrics later when I had a chance.  Driving down the Westside freeway tonight at 11 pm coming home from the hospital, I turned this song up as loud as I could blast it, and just began to weep.  This song perfectly describes many nights I left thinking, I know I need to trust God, but how do I let completely go of control of my life? I know we can all relate to this on some level.

Then I just imagined my dad banging on the drums as I sing, and I couldn't help but smile.  Turn it up loud and enjoy!

Worth a Thousand Words

Here's my dad's hands at one point last night....

The life of someone who is having their oxygen monitored VERY closely!

Nicole and Jenny

Monday, June 23rd--blackbird fly

Hey friends and family!
Well, its been a trying weekend.  Dad had a thoracentesis procedure done twice.  This procedure involves a really long needle being placed through his back and into each side of his lungs to draw out as much fluid as possible.  All of the doctors still seem to be 'shooting in the dark' for an answer that would explain the continual fluid in his lungs, but have yet to reach a definitive answer. They will send this lung fluid out to be tested, and any results will be available in a couple of days.

Dr. Nguyen came in last night and told dad that this mystery infection that they have been fighting unsuccessfully, could be valley fever.  He ordered a blood test to verify if it is valley fever, or cocci, infection.  If so, it is very treatable and there could finally be some positive progress with his lungs.  If the test comes back negative for valley fever, then dad would be moving to UCLA or City of Hope.

So, we pray.  Pray for answers to the lung issue.  Pray for the doctors and nurses who are providing him with care.  Pray for our family to remain strong during this challenging time.




This song has inspired my post today.  Just like the blackbird, who feels alone in the dark black night, I'm sure my dad has felt this way too.  But, just like the song, "blackbird fly, blackbird fly, into the light of a dark black night" My dad can persevere and make it though this seemingly dark situation.  I KNOW he will beat this lung issue and be home soon!
He's been waiting for that moment to arise!
Nicole and Jenny

P.S.- We've been a bit discouraged by the lack of commenting.  PLEASE take 1 more minute to send a positive comment, words of encouragement, a Bible verse, a joke, or anything else you think of.  He LOVES the comments from friends and family!!

Important update - lungs, lungs, lungs - prayers, prayers, prayers

Hello faithful readers! Thank you for being patient with us as often times it is difficult to update the blog every day (although we do try) because SO much activity is happening with dad on a daily basis.  Yesterday (June 18th), after three days of waiting for a private room on the third floor to open up, dad was moved out of the ICU. We made our 6th room move at about 5:00 pm.

Later last night, Dr. Nguyen came by for a check up/visit. The doctor didn't have much good news, but we will start with the positive news he did share.  Dad's liver and kidneys are hanging in there, thank you Lord. Dad's platelet count is now back in the normal range - hooray!  Platelets are blood cells that allow the blood to clot.  His WBC (white blood count) is now at 2.7 (in the thousands, so its 2,700) which is near the normal marker (4,000 - 11,000).

Now for the not so great news: he shared that after reviewing the latest CT scan, dad's lungs look worse.  If you've read previous blog entries you will remember that we have been dealing with fluid in the lungs for about one week now.  One week ago Dr. Garcia-Pacheco (we call him GP) suggested doing a bronchoscopy which would have allowed him to get a sample of the fluid in the lungs but ultimately it was decided that at that point dad wasn't stable enough to get through a surgical procedure - too risky based upon his platelet count and red blood count.  The doctors collectively decided at that point to treat him with all kinds of different anti fungal, anti viral, and anti bacterial medicines.  Those so far have not worked.  Last night Dr. Nguyen said he and GP were going to discuss some options for getting a sample of the fluid (needle biopsy or bronchoscopy - as now dad's numbers are more stable and he could sustain a procedure).  For now, the plan is to treat him with two different stronger anti viral and anti fungal medicines, and re-evaluate in two days.

  Dad has also been diagnosed with atelectasis - partial collapse of both bottom lungs.  All caregivers have stressed that he needs to get up, sit up, and try to move around as much as possible, all of which exercise your lung function.  It is possible to reopen these - so it is treatable.

Back to the WBC:  in a way its good that its not shooting up from 2.7 to 10.0 for example, because that could indicate that bad cells are firing off.  However, Dr. Nguyen said he would have expected to see more of a steady increase instead of a somewhat stagnate report on WBC for the last couple of days, which is considered unusual.  This slow recovery of WBC could be from the effect of all the different medicines hes been taking, but he is keeping a close eye on this.

Additionally, Dr. Nguyen sees changes in dad's bones between the last two CT scans.  Not to jump to worry mode yet all: he said that this could be the result of a NUMBER of different things, (i.e. hormone changes, calcium spots, etc) but dad will receive a full body bone scan tomorrow just to be sure.  Dr. Nguyen made it seem like this was a secondary worry compared to the lung issue.  

Like you all, we still can't believe he is going through this.  It's taxing on the mind, spirit, body and soul, even for the strongest of the strong.  However, its critical we remain as positive as possible.  I find myself needing to take my own advice many times. He is fighting so hard guys, he is truly amazing.  Please feel free to leave him well wishes, he needs to hear some positivity right about now.  Thank you so much.

Movin' on OUT!

Hello Friends,

Thanks again for reading and following dad's progress!  We have had a really excellent past two days, lots of positive progress to report on. Dad still does not have any appetite at all, but has found the will to eat! He is able to eat a few bites of eggs, drink his chocolate Ensures, corn flakes, jello, and soup mainly.  This is critical at this point that he gets nutrition, especially protein.  He has gone weeks without eating hardly anything at all.  His chest x-rays are showing that the fluid in his lungs is lessening, thank you God! He is still on a nasal cannula but on a lower amount of oxygen liter level.  He still receives his breathing treatments from his RTs (respiratory therapists).

More good news, his white blood cell count, platelets, and hemoglobin levels are all climbing, which is what we want to see happen! This means less/no transfusions.  His body is beginning to help itself fight off the foreign bodies that have entered.  Additionally, his kidneys are maintaining and his numbers remain in the "normal range".  The lasix he was receiving has significantly helped reduce the fluid in his system, and has also significantly reduced the swelling in his hands, legs, and feet.

Most importantly, we will be moving out of the ICU today.  We are awaiting a room on the third floor.  The main focus and prayer at this point is to maintain healthy internal organs, continue to produce healthy white blood cells, and gain strength back.  The PT (physical therapy) team and his non certified PTs (mom, me, Nicole, Dylan) will be constantly encouraging him to get up, sit up, do his exercises in bed, practice strengthening his lungs with his IS tool (breathing tool that works to strengthen bottom of the lungs) and we soon hope to have him on his feet again walking around his room and the halls (when he can exit his room).  We say it every time, but we really cannot thank you enough for your encouragement, prayers, thoughts, and well wishes.  XOXO   Jen and Nicole

There will be an answer- Let It Be.

Couldn't be anymore fitting than to pull inspiration from the greatest band, and dad's all-time favorite, The Beatles.

At the hospital, there are amazing sisters who visit the patient rooms, give support and a listening ear to the families, and pray for the patients if its requested.  Sister Mary Ann really struck a chord with mom and dad a couple days ago when she spoke to them about TRUST.  Trust that God's plan for dad is perfect, trust in all the doctors and nurses who care for him daily, trust in the ups and downs, just simply be patient and Trust.

As mom wrote this morning to share what a truly amazing turn around he has had since last night, that Trust really hit my heart.  Dad ate big, for the first time since I can remember...he had eggs, applesauce, Ensure, and corn flakes.  If that wasn't the best news to start the weekend, she continued to tell us that all of his blood work was up today!!!!  White blood count is up from 0.6 to 1, platelets are up from 91 to 111, and hemoglobin is up from 7.6 to 8.7.

TRUST
There will be an answer.
Let it Be.



Enjoy the Let it Be Video!

Moving On Up...to a DE-Luxe ICU room.

Hey faithful followers!! We appreciate your interest in staying informed, and more importantly, we LOVE that you pray for my dad and our family during this difficult process.

So, in an effort to catch you up...here we go! It's been a busy two days.  Late Thursday evening he was moved out of the ICU and into a new private room on the third floor.  In the ICU he had been maintaining his vitals, breathing well, and quite honestly was the most alert and able bodied person on the ICU floor.  We weren't being seen that often from the nursing staff since dad wasn't very 'needy'.  We welcomed the change and were eager to get settled in his new room.

On Friday morning, mom sent us a message that the rookie nurse, who had been less than great throughout the night, had drawn dad's blood (a VERY normal and daily occurrence) out of his dual port Hickman catheter (the central line they surgically placed in the very beginning on this journey in his chest.  Through this line he received chemo, receives all other IV medicines, and receives/gives blood.)  As the nurse was flushing the line (which is also done every time they take blood or give medicine..etc) the Hickman was pulled out of place.  The nurse had to call in the doctor, who said it could not be fixed and was now a prime site for infection.  This doctor called in Dr. Kay, the surgeon who placed the Hickman originally to look at the problem.  Dr. Kay addressed the issue with dad's oncologist, Dr. Nguyen, and they all agreed the Hickman needed to be completely removed from his chest. We were heartbroken.  Dr. Kay scheduled a surgery time of 1:00pm for the removal to take place.  Now that this Hickman has been removed, dad was given a PICC line in his arm, which by definition is a peripherally inserted central catheter.  It is similar to other central lines as it ends into a large vessel near the heart.

As we waited in the waiting room during his removal procedure, Dr. Garcia Pacheco (pulmonary specialist/critical care physician) walked passed, so we spoke with him about my dad.  Dr. GP stated dad's lungs were worse and as a result, he would be going back to the ICU after he recovered from the removal procedure.  We were totally devastated.  Dad was so relieved to have been out of the ICU and now we were headed there again.

So last night, he finally got moved from recovery to ICU room 8, which we have dubbed the Penthouse Suite, since its the only ICU room with its own bathroom! While dad slept, the visitors played....

Here we are keeping our gloves clean and surgery ready!   :)

 And doing the ICU high-5 !

One of MANY Guardian Angels

Mom sent us a text message this morning and Thursday is already looking really good! Each morning at 5:00am dad gets his blood drawn and they test his white blood count (wbc), hemoglobin, platelets, and red blood count (rbc).  Since chemo, everything has been extremely low, and he has continued to have transfusions to help his body.  Today, however, the wbc was 0.5 which was up from 0.2. (this is crazy low, normal count is 4,000-6,000!!) BUT for dad, this is moving up...which Dr. Chang told my mom that this means dad's bone marrow is starting to produce new, healthy blood.  YAHOO!!

On the day dad was moved back to ICU, we were all feeling a bit down.  My cousin Dylan brought my dad a beautiful guardian angel that has been blessed in the Jordan river.  Dylan shared that this angel was with him during two major heart surgeries, with him and his daughter during her birth, and will now be with dad to cover his body with the healing it needs.  Dad held her in his hand the other evening and prayed.

This guardian angel that he can hold, as well as all of the angels and prayer warriors that he can't see are providing a tremendous amount of comfort and healing to my dad.  Mom and dad are just overcome with peace that the Lord is taking care of them.  They are trusting this plan and have all the faith in the world that dad is going to bounce back from this awful disease. He's already beaten leukemia!! Now he just needs to build back strength, which will happen as his blood counts continue to rise.
Love to you all! Please send well wishes and positive messages...my dad LOVES hearing them!
Nicole and Jenny

Update from ICU - written Wednesday, June 11th

Hello everyone!  Last night after dad moved back and got situated in the ICU, he began to "perk up" a bit and was able to get out of bed with Nicole and Dylan (physical therapists in training).  :) His speech was clearer and his tongue didn't seem to be as swollen.  He was very much alert and aware, holding normal conversations.  Moving rooms is certainly a huge production.  We have been on the third floor for weeks and had basically moved in - mini refrigerator and all! (thanks Dylan).  Just for a little comic relief, I posted a picture below that illustrates how Nicole and I schlepped all of the accumulated junk from the room over every bump and crevice from the third floor of the hospital down to the parking lot, and thirty steps from the car we then managed to dump everything from balloons and birthday bags, to cups, flatware, runaway soda cans and leaking water bottles....lol. It was one of those laugh or cry moments, and we definitely busted a gut.
(I'm sure security got a good laugh too!)

Dr. Nguyen came in last night around 10 pm, and gave us an update on all the tests my dad went through earlier that day.  He said his echo cardiogram looked great. (Thank you Lord! They were checking for fluid around his heart).  His chest x-rays looked a tiny bit better.  His blood gas tests maintained.  You may remember from previous blog entries that the doctors were not able to positively identify what was in his lungs - and were thinking about doing a surgical procedure to find out.  It was either a fungal infection or fluid causing some other type of infection.  Dr. Nguyen indicated last night that at this point he suspects it is viral pneumonia, which he says is "very treatable".  When he was moved up to ICU one of the docs ordered a CT scan of the brain but Dr. Nguyen canceled it, as he was much more stable in ICU in the evening and did not present any symptoms.  He reiterated that this is all part of the process.  Chemo is a nasty, nasty drug that causes mayhem on your body.  He said we only have 7 more days until his bone marrow kicks in and begins producing the healthy blood cells he needs for his body to be able to function properly again - Lord we are counting the seconds until those healthy cells come back!

This morning dad had a follow up CT to see what the abdomen and lungs looked like.  They are diagnosing and treating the fluid/mass they see as viral pneumonia, and will do a repeat scan on Friday to monitor the change (just as Dr. Nguyen suspected).  Dr. Raman and Dr. Garcia Pacheco both said dad looks much better today and are wondering why he was moved to the ICU.  They will be transferring him out of ICU as soon as another room on third floor becomes available :) YAY!

More good news, he is off of the thick, high pressure oxygen tube that they moved him to when he was short of breath and now he is back on the normal oxygen nose tube, which is a big step!  They are slowly weaning him and before we know it he should be on room air again.

The prayers are working guys.  I know we ask every time, but we believe there is power in numbers.  There are so many of you out there reading this and praying, and it's working.  Over 5,000 views on this blog. Absolutely incredible.  We are so blessed and thankful that you continue to care and check in on dad, and continue to pray for him.  Thank you!!! Jen & Nicole

Bump in the road… Tues June 10

Emotional day.  I'm writing to inform you that the nurses and doctors have moved my dad from the med/surg floor back to the ICU.  He has shown some signs of a change in stability and needs to be more closely monitored.   The patient to nurse ratio there is 1 to 2 rather than 1 to 4. Last night he was given an anti anxiety medication to help him sleep,  however it worked against us and in fact slowed his breathing too much.  The ICU team came in the middle of the night,  evaluated him, and at that time decided he was okay to stay in his regular room.

He had a very busy morning with chest xrays,  echocardiograms,  blood transfusion, and respiratory monitoring and treatments.  His blood pressure is very low,  but is a direct side effect of the lassix he is being treated with to flush the fluid out from his lungs.  At one point his nurse came in and we couldn't wake dad for about a 10 minute time period.  He ultimately met their protocol and they decided to move him.  He is having every test known to man performed right now to check on all his internal functions and for any other infections.  He is currently aware of what is happening and able to communicate and understand what is going on.  We need your prayers everyone!  One of the ICU nurses already said she doesn't suspect he will be there long, which was nice to hear.  We will keep you posted on his status.  Xoxo.

Mon June 8 (Day 21 in the hospital!) prayers needed

Hey friends and family! Well, the last two days have been pretty tumultuous.  Dad, who we wish could be up dancing around his room celebrating the fact that he has beat leukemia, is not in such a celebratory mood.  He is extremely tired, weak, beat down, and has no appetite.  As well as battling such a horrific disease, treatment, and healing process, he is annoyed with the fact that this is day 21 in the hospital.

In the last day, his need for oxygen has increased.  Due to shallow breathing and the increase in oxygen volume they are giving him, they decided to do a CT scan of his lungs so they could get a picture of what is causing the need for extra oxygen help.  He has a team of doctors treating him, as we've mentioned before, so the pulmonary specialist suggested doing a procedure into the lungs to pull a sample of what he thought was an infection in his lungs.  The infectious specialist disagreed with that procedure, telling us that is was far too risky for dad, due to his low levels of platelets in his blood.

Dr. Nguyen, his primary cancer doctor, also disagreed with the procedure, stating that he too thought it was way too risky.  So, no surgery, which made us all very happy!  Instead, he will start a different anti-biotic to fight off the infection they believe is in his lungs.

Dr. Nguyen visited this evening, and explained quite simply, that these types of 'bumps in the road' are totally normal.  He said dad is doing everything he should be doing to get better, but there were going to be at least 7 more days where he feels absolutely terrible.  Until his bone marrow starts making new blood, he will feel down and out.

So, we write to keep you informed, but we also hope you would take the time to share dad's story so that there are more prayer warriors praying on his behalf.  He needs prayer for strength, positivity, lung function, and for his doctor team to continue making the most informed decisions they can for him. Dad REALLY appreciates all the love, prayers, and supportive messages....so please keep them coming!!!

Nicole and Jenny

Saturday June 7th

Today overall would be considered an "ok" day, dad felt uncomfortable and a bit uneasy.  He is still having a hard time finding the desire to eat.  If he eats a few bites throughout the day, that would be considered a pretty good eating day.  The results of the CT scan from yesterday came back with a little fluid in his colon but Dr. said that was ok and is a result of the treatments, which cause inflammation (will heal on its own).

Dr. Nguyen surprised us with a daytime visit around 4 pm (he usually comes in between 9 pm - 10 pm after he tucks his kids in for the evening).  Again, he was really happy with how dad is recovering from the chemo, how his body is handling the side effects and the new developments that occur, and again said he was surprised that dad hasn't lost his hair yet!  It's a little gray from all the stress we have put him through over the years, but not gone! :-)

Dr. Nguyen was there to see dad rock his physical therapy session, he walked to the door of his room and back three times and did several other exercises.  This is the first time Dr. Nguyen has seen him up and mobile since he's been his patient - he was very pleased!

It is day 19 of his hospital stay, and he sure is ready to go home.  As Nicole mentioned in the previous blog post, Dr. says he has two more weeks to recover.  The point of the recovery phase is to allow the bone marrow to heal, begin producing more white blood cells (those come back first), then once those get higher the platelets will come back as will the red count.  He suspects within the next 7-9 days he won't need any further transfusions and will not feel nearly as fatigued and weak.  He also stated again that dad's recovery has pleasantly surprised him considering how sick he was when he was admitted.  I've said this before and I'll say it again, dad has surprised ALL of the doctors that have cared for him at the hospital thus far (surgeons, hospitalists, critical care specialist).  It is just a clear message from the Lord that He is in control and is healing my dad. Some of the early caregivers and doctors have been calling my dad's room and will stop by just to check in on him - extremely thoughtful!

Dr. Nguyen also talked about his life at home once he is discharged this first time.  He will probably need a home health nurse at first and will be anemic, but is urged to live his normal life and with time will feel like himself again.  Please keep the prayers coming and the positive well wishes, he loves the fact that we write this blog to keep all of his friends of other family members informed on his behalf - and he LOVES hearing your messages we receive on this blog and on facebook.  See my post "trouble commenting on this blog?" for instructions on how to leave a comment if you need some assistance.  :-) Thanks!

Friday, June 6- Bone Marrow Result Day

Well, we have really been prayerful and patient all week to hear the news from Dr. Nguyen about the bone marrow biopsy.  He didn't make us wait all day (thank you doctor!!) and instead he called my mom by about 8:30am that morning...with GOOD NEWS!!!! He said he would be in later this evening to detail the next steps. God is sooooooo good!

Later that morning dad was hauled over to have a CT scan of his abdomen area, to rule out any major issues that may be causing such pain and discomfort.  He also had another blood/platelet transfusion, which gave him a little boost of energy.  I was there for today's physical therapy session, and dad was a champ! He did a bunch of leg lifts, sat on the edge of the bed and marched in place, and then proceeded to walk to his door twice and out into the hallway once.  It was awesome!

As promised, Dr. Nguyen came down to the hospital to talk to mom and dad about the results of the bone marrow biopsy.  He explained LOTS of things, but most importantly, there were negative results for cancer cells in his white blood.  Dr. Nguyen sketched out a tentative plan, which includes at least two more weeks in the hospital to build up his strength. There will be follow up treatments in the following months, but dad will get some much deserved rest time at home first. (He wants so badly to be home!)

Sing praises!! Jump for joy!! Shout to the rooftops!! Remission is here!
ALL YOUR PRAYERS FOR MY DAD'S RECOVERY ARE WORKING!
Thank you to each and every one of you.
Love, Nicole and Jenny

Thursday, June 5

Dad woke up today not feeling very well.  He has struggled with stomach issues throughout his stay in the hospital thus far, and today is no exception.  As a result of this discomfort, his appetite is pretty minimal.  His blood pressure has come down (hallelujah!) but the mix of chemo drugs, potassium, and antibiotics have raised his blood sugar levels.  He now gets insulin to stabilize the high blood sugar.

It's been two days since the bone marrow biopsy and dad really has no major soreness and is feeling good.  He fought through physical therapy today, per Dylan's insistence, and was able to walk from his bed to the hall door three times.  Despite not wanting to complete that task, his blood pressure is always better after his exercise, and he has a lot more energy too!

Please continue to pray for appetite and continued strength for his body as he fights through this process!!! Comment with any encouragement, and as always, we are reading these messages to him! (He really loves them!) Love, Nicole and Jenny

Tuesday, June 3

On Tuesday, Dr. Nguyen, dad's hematologist/oncologist, his primary blood cancer doctor, came in at about 3:00 pm to do a bone marrow biopsy. This was done also initially back on May 12th to find out the type of leukemia my dad had. The procedure was done in his room and really will be the first step to finding out if the chemo has kicked the cancer's a**! All the faithful prayer warriors are praying that this test will show us a result of remission, which means his body is now producing new white blood cells that are cancer free. My mom reported that the biopsy went really smoothly, and really only took about 20 minutes for Dr. Nguyen to complete. They should hear back on the results of this biopsy on Friday, so keep those prayers coming!

In other news, dad has been given antibiotics to help fight off any infections. He has also had such low numbers of blood platelets that he received a platelet transfusion on Monday. (Thank you to anyone who donates blood and platelets! My dad and many others are truly being saved by your generosity!) Dad's spirit is pretty good, considering this is day 13 in the hospital. He fights through completing physical therapy, although most days he is so tired that he really doesn't want to. Please continue to visit this site, comment, and send love and prayer my dad's way! I know its working.

We love you all! Nicole and Jenny

Trouble commenting on this blog?

Dear Readers,

It has come to our attention that it has been difficult to post a comment to this blog.  I have adjusted some of the default settings and I think I fixed it.....here's how to comment if you do NOT have a pre-existing gmail account:

1.  Scroll to the bottom of the post you want to comment on and enter your comment in the box provided
2.  Right under the comment box, there is a "comment as" drop down option - select the "name/URL" option.
3.  Type your name (you can leave the URL box blank) then hit continue
4. Type in the security digit code that it prompts you to type (a website security measure)
5. Hit publish

It's pretty simple....however please let me know if you still have any issues. We look forward to hearing from you.   Thanks!!!!

Monday June 2nd

Today was one of the best days my Dad has had since being out of the ICU!  My dad was able to move from his bed to a chair in his room for about an hour this morning, then he had a very successful physical therapy session in the afternoon and walked around his room a little.  In previous days, he has had periods of disorientation (side effect of the chemo) and hardly had any of that today!  He felt better in general, hardly any stomach ache, no vomiting, no nausea, no fever or chills.  He was able to eat more than in most previous days, and kept it down!  What a blessed day, thank you Lord!

Dad was low on potassium and platelets so he received both of those today.  More great news is that his infections have cleared and he is able to undergo a bone marrow biopsy tomorrow performed by Dr. Nguyen, his oncologist.  The results of this test will be in by Friday hopefully - they will render whether his cancer is in remission or if there are leukemia cells being produced.  This is a big week waiting for these results and we would greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers for a clear bone marrow biopsy!!!

Birthday Festivities for Dad - surprise accomplished!

Today was the big day, 59 years old! Dad is spending it sick in the hospital, but his spirits are as high as they can be based upon what he is going through.  The nursing staff surprised him this morning with birthday cheer, a card and a balloon.  How sweet is that!

Later around 1 pm, he had a pretty special surprise from his loved ones: His room overlooks a beautiful atrium garden at the hospital.  A bunch of us got together, worked with the Charge Nurse and the House Supervisor Alyssa to let us in the garden and to unlock the door for this special occasion, bought all the necessities (party hats and all!) and coordinated with mom upstairs in his room to get a nurse to help bring Dad to the window at the exact time to look out and see us there serenading him with a birthday tune and lots of cheer!! We then brought him his favorite cake (champagne cake) and shared with the family that gathered in the third floor waiting room and with the nurses too. He was thrilled to bits, and he typically hates surprises! Dad's face, him waving to us and blowing us a kiss from his window is a memory none of us will ever, ever forget.

Thanks to those that wished him a happy birthday, sent cards, called, bought presents, and thanks to the family that joined us at the hospital...and to Tony for the fabulous banner!  We hit it out of the park guys if I do say so myself!

:-)