Tom & Brenda's Family Journal

Tom had his treatment this week without any problems.  His blood numbers had not moved from the previous week which was good news.  He now has 7 treatments left.  We are cautiously looking toward the end of chemo.  There will be celebrating when we are done. The last post I made was about the 'waiting room' that we feel we are in now.  Our lives have been put on hold while he goes through his treatment.  At each week of chemo he receives a blood test that determines if he is healthy enough to receive treatment.  Each time he receives his treatment, he is one step closer to being done.  But waiting or postponing treatment is discouraging. Some of our family attends Ada Bible Church near here.  I often watch the services during the week.  The Bible teaching is an encouragement to me.  This week's sermon is part of a series called Choosing Joy Under Pressure.  I have been watching with great interest. Jeff Manion's sermon...

My current projects The waiting room-Tom and I have been spending a great deal of time sitting in waiting rooms.  This morning at chemo we were waiting for his blood test.  That's the first step once  you get to Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion .  When they called his name, they said that they had called him before and he didn't respond.  That was be the worst.  To have missed your call. At chemo you are seen by different people, so it isn't unusual to sit in the waiting room three different times during your visit.  Waiting room-Blood test;-waiting room- medical check-up; waiting room-chemo room (infusion room) and then you are finally cleared for chemo.  I'm thankful for the care that Tom is getting.  Every week there is no chemo until everyone agrees that he is healthy enough for a treatment.  We always breathe a sigh of relief when they say, "OK, we are set to go."  There have been two times when that didn't happen and it is ...

Campfires and s'mores Spending time at Sandy Pines has been important for us this summer.  Sandy Pines is a member-owned campground in Allegan County.  It is 27 miles from our house in Alto. We have been enjoying many days there.  It could be sitting around a campfire in the evening or hanging out in the hammock reading. Eric and Savi sharing a stack of books on a summer afternoon Sandy Pines has many special events.  We've enjoyed a Halloween celebration in July and Christmas in August.  I have decided that summer is a much better time to have these special days.  Trick or treating without a winter coat is great fun.  Decorating your place for Christmas in warm weather is fun. For Christmas in August, the entire park becomes a Christmas wonderland of lights and inflatables. Santa even comes and greets the golf cart visitors.   Viewing Christmas decorations from a golf cart I know I haven't updated our family blog rece...

Shirt from Tom's cousins showing their support for him Today was Tom’s third chemo treatment.  The treatment went well and we now seem to be in a pattern.    Chemo takes most of the day.   Tom feels good during and right after chemo because of the large amount of anti nausea meds he receives.   The meds stay in his system for two days.   Then for a couple of days, he doesn’t feel great-little appetite and very tired.  He takes pills that seem to control the nausea.   After day four through six, he begins to feel more like himself.   His appetite returns, his energy level goes up and life returns to normal so that we almost forget about the health issues.   A friend called it ‘the new normal’.  That is how life is.  Our lives have been turned upside down.   We have many doctor appointments and blood tests filling our schedules.   We don’t plan any activities until we get up in the morning and se...

  We have enjoyed many family times in the past few weeks.  Tom has recovered well from his surgeries and we are getting into a routine of chemo and recovery. This past week we celebrated the Fourth of July along with Tom's 70th birthday. We were at Sandy Pines, the campground where we have a place, for the first party. We also celebrated our grandson Jack's 15th birthday-even though he has a 70 on his cake.   Celebrating the red, white and blue Tom had his second chemo treatment this past week.  Our son Tommy took him.  Tommy’s daughter Anna wanted to go too.  Although she is 13, she knows she wants to become a nurse working especially with pediatric oncology patients.  I was worried that the chemo experience would be scary for her but she was a trooper and learned a great deal.  The nurses were eager to show her what was happening and even had her move her chair in closer so she could see exactly wh...

The month of May has been busy in our family.  Our oldest grandchild, Madelynn, graduated from West Michigan Aviation Academy.  Madelynn was honored at graduation because she soloed in her flight training last fall.  Her plans are uncertain for fall but I know she will be accomplishing great things. Madelynn graduated from West Michigan Aviation Academy All our six grandchildren are such as joy and they have helped their grandpa keep his spirits up and we love every minute we spend with them.  Jay (17), Anna (13), Madelynn (18) and Jack (almost 15) Savi (3) and Wally ( 5 months but he's now 6 months) Wally at 5 months Madelynn and I-both at 18 years old May also was filled with doctor appointments and hospital visits. Tom had three hospital visits-two for surgery on his cancer and one for the placement of a port for his chemo. Now it is June and the appointments have continued.  Tuesday, June 20 was Tom's first chemo.   ...

I haven’t posted in this blog for awhile  because things have been moving slowly in Tom’s treatment.  His recovery from the two surgeries went well.   He developed an infection after the first surgery.   The first antibiotic didn’t work well.   But the infection cleared up quickly with the second antibiotic. Surgery of Tom’s type requires drain tubes to eliminate a build-up of fluid that comes with such a large removal of tissue.  The drains must stay in his chest until the fluid stops. Tom’s drains have been slow to stop.  But it was going well this week and the fluid was slowing down.  Unfortunately, he developed an infection in the area where the two tubes enter his chest.  So, he’s back on the antibiotic for another round. The discouraging part of this is that chemo can’t start until he’s done with the antibiotic and the infection is cleared up.  We’re looking  June 20 for the start of chemo at the earliest instead of the...