"Everything Looks Good…..Oh, Wait….."

Dan had another brain scan a couple of weeks ago.  We were able to go 4 months between scans this time around and anticipated that with a clean scan, he'd be able to start stretching out to 6 months between scans.  After a first initial "everything looks good" from the neurosurgeon he gave a quick read to the radiologists report and followed up with an "oh, wait".  My heart literally plummeted to my stomach and I began to quietly panic.  The radiologist's review of Dan's scan showed that the second tumor, previously rendered inactive by the radiation, was now 2mm larger.  After flipping back and forth between his last two scans the neurosurgeon said he didn't necessarily agree with the radiologist and suggested another scan in three months.  My head was spinning. We finished up the appointment and on the way home all these questions started popping up in my head: could the change in size be because Dan's head was in a slightly different position, was the tumor brighter in color on the test, should we get a second opinion?  Of course, I didn't have the presence of mind to actually ask these questions to the doctor. Thankfully, we had an appointment with Dan's radiation oncologist in two weeks who would also review the scans with us.

The appointment with the radiation oncologist was a bit more informative.  There was, in fact, activity in the second brain tumor.  And yes, it was a nice, bright white color like the early scans which showed growth in the tumor.  However, the radiologist hypothesized that it could be due to a blood vessel that bled into the tumor.  Apparently blood vessels in and around the tumors can be weakened by radiation and can occasionally bleed.  The presence of blood would show up white on the scan, and it also could temporarily cause the tumor to appear larger in size by inflaming the area.  However, we can't be 100% certain that is what has happened.  The oncologist wants another MRI in two months.  At that point, he'll be able to determine what is going on.  Continued activity and growth means the cancer is back, inactive tumor and returned to previous size means a blood vessel bleed.  We are hoping for the latter.

In the meantime, we will wait until after the 1st of the year when we get his next results. Dan has been pretty good through this whole process, not allowing himself to get too worried over it. (At least outwardly.)  His response was simply "it's a good reason to keep praying". So, as we patiently wait, we are asking that you continue to pray for Dan.

On a lighter note, we hosted our annual neighborhood Halloween party for Jack and his friends.  He dressed up as Sonic the Hedgehog (a video game character):

Here is a pic of Dan and Jack carving pumpkins:

I am working on another post as we approach the 1 year anniversary of Dan's diagnosis. Watch for another post in a couple of weeks.

All the best,

Jen

A Time To Stop and Be Thankful

As you may have noticed, if you are still checking, I have fallen down on the job of regular blogging updates.  Things have returned to a somewhat normal status around here and the day to day living just isn't very newsworthy.  Dan is still on on a quarterly scan schedule meaning that he will (likely indefinitely) continue to receive a chest and abdomen CT scan every 3 months.  His last brain scan in June was clear so his oncologist is waiting until October for the next one.  If that one is also good, he may consider letting Dan go 6 months between brain MRI's.  So with that, I will be updating the blog every 3 months or so.

Dan had his quarterly CT scans last week and we met with his oncologist this morning. Everything still looks good-he is still cancer free. His oncologist remarks every visit on how amazing the results have been for him on the oral chemo. We are just so thankful beyond words. Last night Dan and I were discussing today's upcoming appointment and the weight that sits upon us every three months as we await to hear the test results. In between those appointments we have been able to move forward and resume many of our normal activities, including planning for things several months out. But for that one moment we hold our breath and pray with everything that we have that today isn't the day that takes us right back to the moment Dan told me he had cancer. I view it as cruel and unfair, and while Dan agrees with the unfairness of the situation, he views it as a time to regroup. A time to stop and thank God for what we have, to focus on those close to us, to remind us of how far we have come and what the outcome could have been. So with that I am going to try and not face the future appointments with fear, but with an open heart and thanks for all the time we have been given. I do believe Dan is right when he said God isn't done with him here on earth yet and we will continue on the journey as long as we can.

On a lighter note, I will give you a bit of an update on the last few months around here. Summer has flown by!  Jack participated in swim team for the first time and did great! He loved every minute of it and that kid will be a force to be reckoned with next year. Dan has done some traveling, the biggest trip being to Vancouver BC for a conference. We have enjoyed time with family from both sides. Dan has also recently started driving again which has brought a lot more flexibility to both his schedule and mine. For me, I have been enjoying my time with Jack this summer and pursuing new job opportunities. The biggest news coming up, however, is that Jack will be starting Kindergarten next week. How did this happen??? I remember thinking, in my sleep deprived stooper, that Jack starting school was so far down the road it was almost unimaginable-there was so much time. Now I have this incredibly smart, way too funny, mini adult in front of me who is the best thing ever. Once again, we face more changes. But they are wonderful changes and I am excited to see what else is on the horizon.

A trip up to the mountains this summer

May you all have a lovely fall and start to your school year! I'll check back in with you in a couple of months-

Jen

Remission

Just a quick note to let you know that today Dan got his chest and abdomen CT scan results and he is still cancer free!  The oncologist said that he is in complete remission, meaning all the cancer is gone, the lymph nodes have returned to normal, and his CBC levels are good. He will have his next set of scans in 3 months, and his brain MRI will be in June.  It has been a great day, God is good!

Have a wonderful, and safe, holiday weekend!

Dan's Birthday & A Trip to Arizona

On April 26th we happily celebrated Dan's 46th birthday.  While I would have loved to have thrown him a huge bash, Dan prefers little to no fanfare.  So, we settled on having just a couple of friends over and a quiet take out dinner from one of Dan's favorite places. We were blessed to have some beautiful weather are were able to eat out on the patio.  It was a nice evening and I am just so grateful to be able to celebrate another birthday.

Two weeks later we headed down to Phoenix, Arizona for a long weekend of  R&R with our friends Coby & Shauna.  Shauna had found a great home rental on a small waterway with a pool and great outdoor seating area.  Dan opted to bring only his cane with him, as he is primarily walking without any type of assistance at all. We have found that in public it helps for him to carry his cane, as people are more aware of him moving at a slower pace. We had a great time swimming, boating, relaxing, and enjoying the warm weather. Jack especially enjoyed the pool-it was next to impossible to get him out of it!  He certainly slept well at night!

Jumping from the top of the waterfall into the pool

Dan did great navigating through the house, and also trekking through the airports.  The Phoenix airport is quite large and entailed quite a bit of walking, which Dan handled well. It was great to just get a way for a few days.

Over the next few weeks, as we approach the six month mark from Dan's surgery, Dan will undergo his next round of scans to his chest, abdomen, and brain.  We are hopeful that the scans will continue to show him cancer free.  Prayers over the next couple of weeks would be much appreciated!

Walking with No Assistance!

As Dan's physical therapy continues, he has been transitioning to using a cane. He rarely uses his walker anymore, only in situations such as around the pool where things can be a bit slippery.  While using his cane last week, he noticed that he had started to take a few steps without needing to set it down for support. He demonstrated this for his PT at his appointment later that week, to which his therapist (much to the surprise of Dan) decided he didn't need his cane for the rest of his therapy session.  So for the next hour, Dan proceeded to walk around Elk's Rehab on his own, unassisted! It was awesome!  While it is still a slow, sometimes a bit unsteady process, it is one that Dan reached quite faster than he expected. Since then, he has been practicing his walking in the back yard:

The video is from my cell phone, so I apologize for the poor quality!

He is making such great progress that at this weeks physical therapy session, his PT Ryan put him back on the treadmill.  The treadmill is your standard treadmill that has a harness set up with it.  The patient is strapped into the harness, so that as the speed is increased for either walking or running, the patient is supported should they trip or stumble.  It is a safe environment to really push the limits of their mobility.  While on the treadmill yesterday Dan got up to running speed!  This is a huge goal for Dan, to be running by the end of summer.  Unfortunately, I have no video of that, but it was incredible.  Very big moment-it suddenly became very possible for him to achieve that goal of running again.

Things have really been improving in all areas lately-eating is sloooowly getting better, he has put on a little weight, the side effects of his chemo have subsided a bit, his walking gets better everyday, AND his hair is finally growing back after the radiation!  Dan will go in again in June for scans to his brain, lungs, and abdomen. God willing, he will get another clean bill of health.

We are just so grateful for everything God continues to do for us and the ways that he continues to provide.  We are also very thankful for our wonderful friends and family!

Hope you all are having a wonderful spring and that warm weather is heading your way!!

Jen

Easter

We had a very nice Easter this year-we were blessed both by the unusually warm weather (Hello 70 degrees!) and by having Dan's buddy Paul, his wife Wendy, and their kids Matt, Jacob, and Katie in Boise for a visit from Minnesota.  We were all able to enjoy various events-Dan eating prime rib for dinner, heading up to Idaho City to check out the new hot springs pool, Sunday church service, and an Easter egg hunt.  The Easter Bunny was very creative this year (thanks to our visitors!) and put together a scavenger hunt for clues to the kids Easter baskets.  Jack loved it, and I think it is a tradition that will need to continue.

Following a clue in the hunt for Easter baskets!

We found it!

The kids putting together the Lego's from their baskets.

Paul and Wendy's daughter Katie is an amazing photographer, and while she was there, she kindly offered to take a family picture for us.  Since that last photo of us all together was just a few days prior to Dan's surgery, we decided to take her up on the offer. Thank you Katie!

It was a very blessed time and we are so thankful to the McCullough family for their friendship.  We hope you too had a wonderful holiday!

Jen

March in Review

Wow, I hadn't realized it had been so long since my last post.  The last 6 weeks have just flown by-much like the last 4 months!  At the end of February, Jack turned 5 years old.  I don't even know how that happened!  Now we are discussing things like starting swim team this summer and getting him registered for Kindergarten.  He is doing well and is a happy boy, we are so blessed.

Dan has been staying busy (and in turn, keeping me busy!)  He started pool therapy twice a week in March in addition to his regular physical therapy twice a week.  The pool therapy has been a great change of pace and it provides a bit of a social outlet. There are 3 other men also re-learning to walk in the class. Dan no longer uses a wheelchair at all, getting around primarily by walker. His physical therapist is in the process of getting him to transition to just a cane, which is exciting. It still proves to be a bit of a challenge, but like everything else, will come in time and practice.

March also was the month for Dan's check-in's with his radiation oncologist and neurosurgeon.  Both were extremely happy with how well Dan has done.  The smallest of his brain tumors is completely gone now and the other one is about the 1/3 of it's original size and still inactive.  We aren't sure if it is the radiation continuing to work or if the chemo drug has broken the brain-blood barrier, but either way, it is good news!  He will have another set of scans-brain, chest, and abdomen-in June.

One big challenge Dan is still working to overcome is eating and his nausea.  He has continued to lose weight.  It had really become frustrating for both of us-Dan not being able to eat and me feeling helpless in that I couldn't fix it.  Through the recommendation of a friend, Dan decided to try acupuncture. In just the four sessions Dan has had so far, things have already improved.  His nausea is significantly lower. He is beginning to expand his food options, cautiously.  We are hopeful things will continue to get better and we can get some weight back on him!

Finally, the other exciting thing is Dan took his first business trip last week! He was able to travel to Yakima with a co-worker. Everything seemed to go well and he enjoyed being able to catch up with everyone.

Thank you to everyone who continues to check the blog and check in with us on Dan's status.  We appreciate all the prayers, positive thoughts, and uplifting messages.  I'll post again soon! 

Jen

Rejoice!

Two weeks ago Dan had gone in for a chest xray-what was supposed to be a follow up to the xray taken in January, his marker to the start of his chemo drug.  We waited in trepidation to find out what turn our immediate future was going to take.  Once the doctor came in, it was discovered that the xrays were of poor quality and couldn't be made out. It was such a let down.  The doctor decided to order a chest and abdomen CT scan for yesterday-Tuesday, February 19. Needless to say, there were a lot of emotions these last two weeks as we once again were waiting to see if anything was happening.

This afternoon we met with the oncologist to get the results of the scan.  What we found out was beyond belief.  Dan's tumor in his lung is GONE.  Yes, you read that correctly-the tumor in his lung is gone, leaving behind a small amount of scar tissue.  The enlarged lymph nodes around the tumor have also returned to their regular size.  The scan also determined there was no cancer metastasized into his abdomen or surrounding organs. Thanks to the hand of God and his healing powers and the marvels of modern medicine-Dan's body continues to heal.  We were in complete shock.  This was the news that we wanted, but didn't expect to hear, and not so soon into the process.

Dan will follow up with his oncologist in 4 weeks, and receive another CT scan in 3 months.  He will continue following up with periodic scans, of which the timeline has not yet been determined.  While this is amazing news, it is important to remember that Dan is not cured. You cannot cure lung cancer.  Dan will continue to take his chemo drug daily, indefinitely. At some point, the drug will become ineffective and the cancer will find ways to mutate and spread.  However, we are hopeful that will be several years away, and you never know what treatments may be available at that time.

Thank you to everyone's prayers, positive thoughts, cards, notes, and other amazing gestures of friendship that we have received over the past 3 months.  It has meant so much.  We are truly blessed in so many ways.



O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.  Psalm 30:2

Physical Therapy

I know that I promised a quick video of Dan's progress at therapy..but I am having some technical difficulties!  I recorded it with my phone and it doesn't want to upload.  So, I will bring a video camera to his next session and give you all a little peak at how hard he has been working.

In the meantime, he is still making great progress.  Wednesday he decided, after getting the okay from his PT, to use his walker at work instead of the wheelchair.  He did great! Today he not only used the walker at work, but also used it as his primary mobility source going to therapy.  His therapist, Ryan, says this is a big turning point in his recovery. Once patients decide to let go of the wheelchair their improvement increases rapidly.  It has been great to see him up and walking!

January in Review

Hello, Hello.....it has been nearly a month since my last blog.  I apologize-it feels like I blinked and January was gone.  Under normal circumstances, January is a pretty hectic month for me with work.  This year, it was even more so!  While a lot of January was focused on work, for both Dan and I, plus physical therapy, we did manage to have a bit of fun as well.

Dan's longtime friend (and best man at our wedding) Paul and his wife Wendy came to visit for a few days around the middle of the month.  It was great to see them, and we were exposed to the world of gluten free.  Which as it turns out, seems to be digested easier by Dan.  We now use Pamela's mix for muffins and blueberry pancakes, which are nice treats for Dan.  We also got to visit with the Barbeau family from Washington the following weekend.  Dan's cousin Owen, his wife Helen, their daughter Susan, and her husband Satish made the 9 hour drive over (and thankfully missed any inclement weather!) It was a nice visit, and Jack enjoyed having new Wii playing partners.

Dan has been on his targeted chemo therapy for just over a month now.  He has experienced some side effects-the two most noticeable are a rash on his chest and back, and nausea.  We are working on our 4th suggested remedy for the rash-the hydrocortizone and the antibiotic pill were of no help. In fact, the antibiotic pill just made Dan sick every time he took it.  (Like he needs any additional challenges with his eating!)  He just started a topical antibiotic cream, so we will see how that works.  In the meantime, Aquaphor seems to work the best.

Dan is continuing with his physical therapy twice a week.  He looks forward to every appointment and is really making progress. He is using the walker more around the house and just got the okay from his therapist to use it as much as he wants and he is okay to use it on his own, unassisted by me.  That means I don't have to hover over him like a helicopter anymore, which he is pretty excited about! I'll post more about his physical therapy in the next couple of days, along with a quick 30-second video I took during his session last week.

All things considering, Dan is feeling pretty good these days. We are hoping it is a sign that his chemo is working, and we have many, many more good days ahead of us.

Ordinary Days and More Good News!

Hello Everyone,

As you know if has been a while since my last post, for no other reason than things have been what we now consider "ordinary".  However, I realized after talking with my friend Amy today that quite a bit has happened over the last two weeks.  First, Dan continues to improve and get stronger everyday.  One of the adjustments that we have had to make is in what we eat.  Dan's system is very sensitive and not able to handle heavy foods with a lot of fat, such as dairy or red meat.  We find that a lot of fruit, vegetables, and fish work best.  Lean proteins can be tolerated too and we are learning to introduce protein powder to help him try to gain muscle back.  So it seems we have jumped on board to the "clean eating" regime, without intention!  Whole Foods is quickly becoming a new favorite, albeit a bit expense, grocery store.  I have to admit, I do feel better myself and Jack seems to be adjusting just fine to the lighter eating. (It also helps that he and mommy trek out for ice cream or pizza now and again!)

Dan started up with his physical therapy again last week. His therapist was happy to see how much strength and stability is returning.  They are working on Dan standing unassisted and walking with a walker.  He was able to walk 75 continuous feet at his last session.  Our hopes are in the next 3-4 weeks Dan will be able to use a walker for mobility, at least part time. He has been getting around the house with no trouble and is pretty self-sufficient.

Another great step forward for Dan is he has returned to work part-time.  He was in the office three days this week for 3-4 hours at a time.  The guys kindly re-arranged his office to make it more wheel-chair friendly.  Dan is really enjoying getting back involved and we both are so thankful that he works for such a great company and such wonderful people. It makes a huge difference in his recovery process.

Finally, I have saved the best news for last.  Yesterday our day was filled with doctor appointments and tests.  It was exhausting, to say the least.  However, one of the tests was a MRI of his brain-the two week follow up to his final radiation treatment.  The test result showed no activity in the remaining two brain tumors, which means that Dan is deemed "tumor free" in his brain. We will have a follow up MRI in 6 weeks to make sure no additional spots have developed.  This is such a blessing, and we thank you all so much for your prayers.  Now, we have to wait another 4 weeks to find out if his targeted chemo therapy is working on his lung tumor.  Always a waiting game! In the meantime, we will just keep moving forward with our "ordinary" days and thank God for each and everyone that he gives us together.