Transplant Update

A bed was available on the evening of the 14th.  Patients wait at home for a phone call and are admitted sometime between 6:00 PM and midnight.  A little after 9:00 Reid was told the room would be ready a little after 9:30, so he got ready and we drove down.  Stem cell patients are kept on the 17th and 18th floors.  They're private rooms and are very large with a couch that opens up, a desk, recliner, and 2 TV's...one for the patient and one for visitors.

He was started on chemo and felt OK until today when they started a different type of chemo for today and tomorrow.  This one is pretty brutal and he's had it before and knows what to expect.  He will develop painful mouth and throat sores.  While being infused he's chewing on ice which is supposed to help.  The nurse explained that chemo doesn't like cold and chewing on ice will hopefully keep it from destroying some of the good cells in his throat and mouth helping to cut down on the sores a little.  Last time he was given a morphine pump when it got bad and I'm assuming the same will be done this time.  Then he'll have a day of rest before receiving Keith's stem cells on December 21st.  The doctor told him he'd be pretty sick around a week after entering the hospital and will be for a while I guess.  He knows he'll be very fatigued for the foreseeable future.

He's really a good sport about everything.  He doesn't complain much at all and I personally feel he's more than earned the right to complain.  I wish I could stay this evening, but I have trouble with my depth perception driving at night and know I shouldn't really be doing it. I'll have to leave a little before 5 as it's dark here by 6.   Jim drove at night the last time.  I'm just glad that I don't mind driving on the freeways.  I've known people that decide they no longer want to do it and stop.  Then something happens and they can't get where they need to go.  You can't ask someone else to spend hours at a time down here like we do.  We were down here most days for the last two weeks leading up to his admission. 

They are shooting for a January 10th discharge date, but that will depend on how things go.  He did run a fever two nights ago, but nothing showed up in the chest X-ray.  They ran another test and until we get results visitors now have to wear a paper gown in addition to masks and gloves.  (It's a little tricky typing with gloves.)

When he's discharged we have to live nearby for a while before he goes home..They want him no more than 30 minutes away and we're about an hour.  I walked across the street today to The Rotary House which is a hotel owned by MD Anderson and managed by Marriot.  It doesn't cost that much more than where we stayed last time, so we'll be going there.  It's attached to the hospital by a walkway and I'll save on parking.  They also do blood draws there which might make it easier too.  I'm sure it will be super clean.  With Jim gone now I'll just feel better having him real close to help if needed.  In a pinch I can push him across the street to the Emergency Room.

In the hospital decorating contest the tree on Reid's floor won first place.  I took a picture with my cell phone and will try and post it soon.  It's quite original.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Round Two...

Reid was admitted to the hospital Tuesday evening for the second round of chemo.  As expected, his platelets had gone up to a safe level.  The way things look now he should be coming home on Christmas Eve, but will have to return to the hospital on Christmas Day for the shot that helps build up his white blood cells. 

Keith will be arriving from Austin on Christmas Eve and Troy will come over on Christmas Day, but we expect that Reid will not be feeling well.  After the first round of chemo he was sick for a week, so we will celebrate Christmas at a later date when Reid feels better and Keith is back from Austin.

I probably won't have time to post again for a while.  I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and you find lots of surprises under your tree!

Circa 1949?

THURSDAY UPDATE

I had to take Reid down to MD Anderson early yesterday morning for blood work.  Then he had a 9:00 AM appointment in the Lymphoma Clinic for more labs and then a 2:00 PM appointment in the Fast Track Clinic to evaluate how he's been doing.

Yesterday we used the valet parking at MD Anderson so we could get a wheelchair right at the door.  He's been pretty sick with this round of chemo.  He was taken quickly for the blood work and then we made our way upstairs for another lab appointment at  9:00 AM in the Lymphoma Clinic.  While he was checking in at the desk his cell phone rang and it was the lab downstairs.  They made an error and needed one more vial of blood.  So, we made our way back down there for another draw and then returned to the Lymphoma Clinic to wait.  We waited for an hour and a half and all Reid wanted to do was lay down and try to get comfortable.  I went up to the desk a couple of times and finally asked if I could leave my cell phone number and take him downstairs where they have an area where patients can lay down and sleep between appointments.  The lady at the desk said she'd send the nurse out to speak with us.

The nurse came out and told us that they had combined the two labs and he didn't need to be in the Lymphoma Clinic at 9:00.  He just needed to be there for his Fast Track appointment at 2:00.  I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  We had a printed copy of the schedule and I showed it to her.  We had waited an hour and a half.  If things had changed and he didn't need to be there why didn't someone come out and tell us?  Would they have left us waiting there until 2:00?  If he had felt OK it would have been one thing, but he was very sick.  In fact, he rolled the wheelchair into the men's room at one point because he didn't feel well and after about ten minutes I become very concerned, but I couldn't exactly go in after him.  I got up to stand by the men's room door in hopes a man would come by and I could send him in to check, but fortunately Reid came out a short while later.

I was so upset and the nurse apologized.  She asked for my cell phone number and told me to take him downstairs to the area where he could lay down and she'd call if they could squeeze him in before 2:00.  A short while later she called and he was seen by the Physician's Assistant.  All his blood work looked good, but he has to drink more which is difficult with his stomach upset.  She changed the nausea medication and had him increase the anti fungal medication and gave him a prescription for a mouth rinse since he's already developed mouth sores from the chemo.

I took him back to the area where he could lay down and went up to the pharmacy to wait for his prescriptions to be filled.  He was able to sleep for an hour or so while I waited.  I guess we got home around 2:30 PM.

The good news is that he hasn't taken any pain medication since leaving the hospital on Sunday.  I didn't even realize right away, but he told me he doesn't need it.  That means the mass must have already shrunk.  He's using his left arm and thinks he'll be able to type now on the computer.  That's pretty amazing since he was requiring some pretty strong pain meds just to get the pain to a manageable level.

We're having some computer problems, so don't be surprised if I don't post for a while or answer E-mails.  Hopefully, we can get it fixed soon. 

He's home...

We brought Reid home from the hospital last night.  He's very, very sick from the chemo.  It must have been a cumulative thing because we could see his condition change day by day.

He's vulnerable to infection and has to take antibiotic, anti fungal, and antiviral medications in addition to medication for nausea and all of his pain meds.  He woke up around 7 this morning and took some of the meds and went right back to sleep.  He's extremely fatigued.

I'm busy this morning cleaning the house, but my back hurts and I'm worn out from going back and forth to the hospital the last few days.  I just want to have everything as clean as possible to help avoid infection.

I can't even think about Christmas and have no idea when and if we'll get up any decorations this year.  I'd like to, but I just don't know when I'll find the time or energy to go over to the storage shed and bring everything over here and then put it up!  Besides, if all the chemo goes according to schedule he'll be pretty sick at Christmas time.

Tonight he has to be back at the hospital for a shot at 6:00.  This shot has to be given 24 hours after chemo is finished.  Jim is going to come home a little early so he can drive.  I just have too much trouble seeing to drive at night now.

This was the view from Reid's hospital room.  It's a little dark, but the tall buildings in the distance on the right and left are condominiums and I believe the building in the middle is the VA Hospital.

Now I've got to get back to cleaning...

Saturday Update...

Reid is feeling better than I expected.  He ate breakfast this morning, but his stomach was bothering him this afternoon.  The nurse told him that he needs to tell her so she can give him something right away.  He's in good spirits and was watching TV and napping while we were there.  His pain level has been at a two which is good.  I would say so far things are going very well.

Another Update...

I"m home now from the hospital.  Jim arrived after work and he's going to be staying for while this evening.  When the doctor came in this morning he wanted to know why Reid's chemo hadn't been started.  I think it was a resident with him and he said that the orders had never come up from Admissions with him last night and their pharmacist went down this morning and got them.  When they tried this morning to access his port it was clogged (not a medical term I'm sure, but that's what we say) and they had to put something in it for a hour to unclog it.

A little before 3:00 this afternoon they started the pre-chemo drugs.  They took about a half hour and then they began the first of the three drugs.  I just spoke to Jim and they've started the second drug.  With this one they have to check his blood pressure every hour because it can cause his pressure to drop too low.  I believe this one takes around two hours and then they'll start the third drug.  Then the whole thing gets repeated for the next two days.

The doctor told me that one of the drugs can cause confusion and if he seems confused and doesn't make any sense I should let them know right away.  He also said that would be very unusual in a young person.  I passed that information on to Jim before I left.

Before they started chemo Reid and I ordered lunch from Room Service.  They don't bring the meals to the floor all at once on a cart like they do at most hospitals.  Instead there are menus and Reid just picks up the phone and calls in the order.  I think he can do that from 6:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night.  The guest menu has prices, but other than that the menus are the same and there are lots of choices.  Reid had a pizza and I had a Philly cheese steak sandwich.  It was delivered by a man wearing black slacks and vest and a white shirt.  Kind of like what you'd see a waiter wearing in some restaurants.  It would be really nice if cancer didn't suck.

Jim said someone came in a little while ago and explained about all the medications he'll have to take once he gets home.

I'm hoping he doesn't get too sick from this chemo, but time will tell.  I guess he'll be coming home on Monday now since the chemo got started late.

Family Update

Reid had all the usual tests and scans run last Thursday and he had his appointment with the Oncologist the next day. He remains in remission which is what we expected since he's been in remission since last December and still completed the remaining four months of chemo. He's now enjoying his chemo free days and is trying to do some walking to regain strength and stamina.

On Thursday he has a consultation with the radiologist at MD Anderson to see what she thinks about radiation. The Oncologist had told him in the past that it's possible because the mass was so large the area might be too large to radiate and he'd have to wait and see what the radiologist thought. Today, the radiologist called to say that she's also set him up with an appointment with the Proton Therapy Department too. So, we'll know more soon.

Thank you for your support and prayers.

Doesn't he look healthy? He's been bald since shortly after high school and has shaved his head for years. He found it ironic that he had to continue to shave throughout chemo. His eyebrows might have gotten a little thinner, but he still had his beard and mustache.

Finito!

Finito! Finished! Completed! Done!

Twelve chemotherapy treatments are in the bag. Six months of feeling crappy for the majority of the time are over and done. Reid completed his LAST chemotherapy treatment this past Saturday.

While he and Jim were down at MD Anderson I went out and bought balloons. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any that said Congratulations, so I settled on Good Luck. Reid has a good sense of humor and I knew he'd find it funny, so Good Luck greeted him when he returned home.



The next day the balloons looked like this:


Reid joked that it wasn't a good sign.


Don't mind us. We all make sick jokes about cancer around here. It's our way of dealing with it. You'd probably be shocked by some of the things we say, but it's always better to laugh than cry, and knowing he's in remission makes it a lot easier to joke around.


Reid has been feeling OK after this treatment and has been able to eat, so we went out last night to celebrate at T-Bone Tom's in Kemah. Keith was in town for business, so the whole family was able to go. T-Bone Tom's is a Texas kind of place.

This is Troy and Reid eating Armadillo Eggs. They were an appetizer and weren't really laid by an Armadillo.




And this is Gwen (Keith's friend), Keith, and Jim. (I'm not in any of the pictures because I'm the official family photographer.)



Toward the end of next week Reid will go for a whole bunch of tests and then have his doctor's appointment on Friday. We should know more then about what's next. Hopefully, he'll be able to have radiation, but the Oncologist has already told us that he'll need to have a consultation with the Radiologist. Since his mass was so large there's a possibility the area to radiate might be too big. So, we'll wait and see. Meanwhile, the worst is behind him and things are looking better and better all the time.

Almost done! Family update...

As I write this Reid is down at MD Anderson having chemo. There will be one more treatment after today, and the end is in sight!

Last week I mentioned to him that he only had two more treatments. He told me that he doesn't think of it as only. For him each treatment is an ordeal. Two weeks ago he was very sick for around five days. It varies from treatment to treatment and I'm hoping this week's treatment and the last one will be better.

He had his doctor's appointment yesterday and since he's been having some shortness of breath they've removed the one chemo drug for these last two treatments. Hopefully, that will make a difference.

Tomorrow is Easter, but for Reid it means another trip down to MD Anderson for the shot he receives 24 hours after chemo.

Meanwhile, our feral cat MaMa has never returned. It's been over two months, but I still hope I'll go out there one day and she'll be back. We received a phone call Thursday evening from someone that thought they might have seen her. We drove over to the spot and looked around and called, but saw nothing.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow!

Family Updates...

Last week Reid went with me to visit Dad at the nursing home. He hadn't been for a while and I wondered if Dad would remember him. Dad spent most of the visit drinking the milkshake we brought him and only said a few words the entire time. As we were leaving he told Reid to get well. We were both shocked since I had no idea if he even remembered that Reid was undergoing chemo for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. We think Dad is often off in his own little world and on occasion snaps out of it and joins us in this world.




Reid had a PET scan last Thursday and the usual blood work. On Friday he had his doctor's appointment at MD Anderson. His voice has been weak and horse for a long time. We were originally told it was because the mass in his chest was pushing on his vocal cords. Reid has found communicating a little frustrating and was looking forward to his voice improving. At his last visit we asked why his voice was still horse even though the mass had shrunk significantly. Well, the latest PET scan indicates that his one vocal cord is paralyzed. We were told this can sometimes happen after a chest biopsy or it could possibly still be from the mass. It just sounds like it's more likely from the biopsy. If it's from the mass there is a possibility the vocal cord will recover. So, we just have to hope and pray that's the case. Reid was very disappointed with this news.

The doctor said when he completes chemo he'll have a consultation with the radiologist to see if he can have radiation. He probably will, but since his mass was so large there is a possibility the field is too great for radiation. We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

We also learned that the mass hasn't shrunk much since the last scan, but were told this is common. I guess it shrinks significantly at first and then slows down. I asked if it would be gone by the time he finishes chemo and was told no. It will continue to shrink on it's own for one to two years. After that he will be left with scar tissue.

This past Saturday he went for chemo again. That means there are only (easy for me to say) 3 chemo treatments left. There is light at the end of the tunnel! This time he seems to be doing a little better. They tweaked his medication again and he has been able to keep food down. He sleeps a lot, but fatigue is a constant side effect.

I asked what the stage of his cancer was originally. (I hadn't wanted to ask before.) He had stage 4 cancer, but with Hodgkin's Lymphoma it doesn't have any bearing on the success (or lack of success) of the treatment. It only indicates that it left the lymphatic system and with him that was his spine. I've mentioned before how Hodgkin's is different from other cancers in that only about 1% of the mass is cancer. The rest is inflammation and white cells. That is why there is a pretty good cure rate. Although there are no guarantees we remain very optimistic and hopeful.

Reid still walks with a cane when he goes somewhere, but around the house he goes without. He just needs it for balance when stepping off curbs or on uneven surfaces.

I want to thank everyone that calls and/or sends E-mails asking how Reid is doing and offering their morale support. You know who you are and it means a lot. Thanks for being with us on Reid's journey back to good health.



Meanwhile, MaMa our feral cat has been missing for six weeks now. I've put about 125 fliers on doors in the surrounding neighborhoods and continue to get calls from people who think they might have seen her. We continue to go out looking for her and I'm hoping she'll hear my voice and associate it with food and come home. Meanwhile, I continue to put food out for her. I had thought she might be sneaking into the yard and eating, but discovered this going on in broad daylight. Someone will have to tell this possum that he's supposed to sleep during the day!



That's it for the latest update from the Martin Family!

A REALLY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Today is our son Reid's 34th birthday and we are excited about celebrating this milestone. We all have a tendency to take birthdays for granted...especially our children's birthdays. It's always assumed they'll outlive us. Most of us don't dare to think otherwise.


October 13, 2009 was a wake up call for us. One day Reid seemed perfectly healthy and the next day we learned that he had a large mass in his chest and a tumor in his spinal canal. Talk about scary!

After spinal surgery, and a week on pins and needles waiting for the pathology report, we learned that he had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On January 8, 2010 we learned that he is in remission! He still has to finish out the six months of chemo, but things are really looking good right now. Yes, we'll still have to be concerned about the chemo side effects that might follow him for the rest of his life, but the cancer has been knocked on its "you know what." And although he still doesn't have all the feeling back from the chest down he is walking much better and has recently graduated from a walker to a cane.

We have so much to be thankful for this year.

We'll actually go out for dinner this weekend to celebrate. This isn't a good week for Reid. He had chemo on Saturday and will not feel much like eating until Friday or Saturday. That's OK, we'll wait.

Here are some pictures of Reid through the years.

September 1976

September 1977

March 1980

December 1982

3rd Grade Picture

(Can you guess what movie was popular?)

5th Grade Picture

High School Year Book Picture - 1994

2009 - You saw this picture at Christmas, but it's the most recent one I have of him. This is Keith (on the left) and Reid (on the right) making meatballs on Christmas Eve.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REID!!!

MAY YOU HAVE MANY, MANY MORE!!!

(And I've never said that with more sincerity.)

TONIGHT I'M SHARING VERY GOOD NEWS!!

Reid had his follow-up appointment at MD Anderson this afternoon and received very good news!!!

The PET Scan that was done yesterday shows no cancer. As they say in the cancer business...it didn't light up.

He is in remission. The Physicians Assistant called it remarkable.

We were hoping for good news today, but didn't expect it to be this good!

He does have to finish the remaining treatments (4 more months), but he's now 1/3 of the way done. The ugly mass in his chest has shrunk. It's still there, but is expected to shrink further with the rest of the treatments. The cancer part of the mass is gone.

I want to thank everyone who has been with us so far on this cancer journey, but most of all I want to thank and praise God.

All of our lives have changed in the last couple of months, but more so for Reid than anyone else. We did not know our son as well as we thought we did and were proud and amazed at what we saw. I believe we have all changed for the better. I now pray that the cancer stays in remission and that Reid can soon go on with the rest of his life. Rehab continues and things are really looking up.

It's difficult for me to express how I really feel tonight. I'm not a writer and the words don't flow easily, so I'll simply say that I'm happy to the point of tears.

Of course, tomorrow is chemo day again. For Reid that means another week of feeling yucky, but perhaps now it will be just a little bit easier to bare.

Once again, I thank you all for your warm thoughts and prayers.

(I already published this once. It looked fine when I read my preview, but when I published the post the double spacing between some of my paragraphs was gone. I pulled it to edit, but my preview still looks fine. I have no idea what it will look like this time, so use your imagination. There is double spacing between the paragraphs.) :)

IS YOUR GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL?

We all have a tendency once in a while to look in the wrong direction. You know, to see our glass as half empty instead of half full.


Last October our son, Reid was in the Neuro Science Intensive Care Unit at a nearby hospital. He had a large mass in his chest and a tumor in his spinal canal. I was devastated. They wanted to operate as quickly as possible because he was already numb from the chest down from the spinal cord compression. In fact, the surgery was scheduled and then canceled by the anesthesiologist due to concerns that when they turned him over to operate the mass in his chest cavity would make it impossible for them to keep him breathing during surgery. Finally, a couple of days later it was decided that benefit outweighed risk and they had to get the tumor out before he lost more feeling in his body. Surgery went forward successfully with a lot of extra care by anesthesiology.


During that time I would arrive in intensive care and walk back to Reid's room with a heavy heart. There was still no diagnosis, but we knew that cancer was a very real possibility. Reid was often taken out of his room for various tests and procedures and observed the patients in other rooms. One day when I arrived he told me that he had decided he was probably the luckiest person in intensive care. I was shocked, but I think I recovered before he noticed. Lucky? Numb from the chest down with a spinal canal tumor and mass of unknown origin didn't exactly sound very lucky to me, but I hadn't been paying too much attention to the other patients either. He had been, and when I looked around I saw what he saw. There were people on ventilators, people obviously recovering from head injuries or brain surgery, and people totally unresponsive. Perhaps he was correct, but the most important thing was that he saw himself as lucky in the middle of a crisis. He could have been drowning in self pity, but he chose to look in another direction instead. His glass was half full.


He's now completed two rounds of chemo (4 treatments) and I asked him this past week if he ever felt sorry for himself. Did he ever think why me? Chemo is certainly no fun. He usually ends up feeling crappy for a week afterwards and has at least four more rounds to go. And along with the chemo there's the risk of complications down the road. He will likely have radiation after the chemo. He told me no, not since the very first day at the emergency clinic when he realized that something was seriously wrong. After that he just concerned himself with getting well. He says he knows there are people a lot worse off than him. I truly believe that his "glass half full" attitude will take him far in the coming year.



In the year 2010 may all our glasses be half full!

THE DAY AFTER...

We had a very nice Christmas yesterday. Keith was here from Austin, Reid was feeling pretty good, and Troy and Deanna joined us in the afternoon for Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs...a family favorite.

We decided to get a head start on the meatballs on Christmas Eve. I also cooked the Italian sausage at that time. I knew we'd be going to the nursing home to see Dad on Christmas morning and this way we could start the sauce when we got home and just throw in the already cooked meatballs and sausage. Keith and Reid were the official meatball rollers.

On Christmas morning Jim, Keith, Reid and I headed over to the nursing home with Dad's gifts. We found him dozing near the nurses' station and when he opened his eyes we said, "Merry Christmas!" He looked up and smiled. We brought him over to a table so he could open his gifts.

He didn't have much to say, but we encouraged him to open the gifts and finally he got started. Here he is opening my sister's package. He carefully peeled off most of the tape. It was like opening gifts in slow motion. Dad used to be as sharp as a tack mentally and very physically active. This year I don't even think he knew it was Christmas until we told him and he probably forgot as soon as we left.

Then we posed for a picture, but by that time Dad was busy looking at a library book. The nursing home has a small library and there is a set of WW II Encyclopedias. He enjoys looking at the pictures, so we usually get a book for him to look through while we visit since he doesn't talk much any more. He's always enjoyed books. This is me, Keith, and Dad.

I called my sister while we were there and put Dad on the phone. He did tell her Merry Christmas, but that was about the extent of the conversation. We stayed until it was time for him to go to the dining room for his Christmas dinner. When I said Merry Christmas to the other men at his table one of them said to me, "Is today Christmas?" I told him it was and then he wanted to know if it was Christmas all day. It's sad, but this man is always smiling and my Dad always seems content, so I console myself with that knowledge.

We came home and Keith got the spaghetti sauce cooking. It cooks for two to three hours and then we add the meatballs and sausage. We double the meatball recipe so our pot is full.

After dinner Christmas Boy handed out the presents. This is a tradition with our family. When the kids were little they'd fight to be Christmas Boy, but now I suspect they secretly hope they won't be chosen. We usually all gang up on one person and they have no choice but to be a good sport and put on the Christmas Boy hat. By the way, Christmas Boy doesn't have to be a male or a boy. It can be a man or a woman, but they're still called Christmas Boy.

This year Troy was Christmas Boy. He was a good sport.

We had a lot of fun and shared a lot of laughs. It was a good day.

And then came December 26th...chemo day for Reid. I'm so glad it fell right after Christmas so he could enjoy Christmas Day. He and Jim left at 8:30 this morning for a 9:30 appointment. There was a mix up and Reid needed blood drawn. Then they needed the doctor's OK for the chemo to begin and the doctor didn't call back. Finally, they called another doctor and he OK'd the chemo. By then it was 3:00. They had some problems with his port and the chemo didn't begin until 4:00. They arrived home a few minutes before 8:00 PM. It was a long day and Reid wasn't feeling well by the time they got home. He went to bed. What a difference a day makes.

We're hoping six months of chemo will be enough. If so, he's a third of the way there. On January 7th he'll spend the day at the hospital for tests and scans. Hopefully we'll know more then. All prayers are appreciated.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I haven't been posting because I've been very busy the last few days. It also occurred to me that I'd run out of vintage Christmas pictures before Christmas if I didn't slow down a little.

On Friday Reid had his doctor's appointment at MD Anderson. He found out that the suture sticking out of the port is OK and it will eventually dissolve. (So I can stop worry about that now.) :) He also spoke to the doctor about how sick he had been after his last chemo, so they changed some of the medication. He went for chemo on Saturday and so far he's much better than he was last time. Thank goodness! He even had a little soup earlier today, so that's a good sign. He didn't have to go back for a shot today because his blood work was good on Friday. Since we had spent the better part of two days down there we were elated that things were looking good and that he didn't have to go back again. He's been sleeping a bit today, but they told him that the new medication would make him sleepy.

Keith arrived from Austin on Saturday and will be here until Tuesday. He's working in Houston tomorrow. It's nice to have him around and Reid is enjoying his company.

And today I put up the Christmas tree and Jim put up the outdoor decorations. So, its beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!

This week Reid has rehab on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I'll take him on Wednesday and Thursday and Jim will take him on Friday.

Dad's nursing home is having their Christmas party on Friday and I'll go there. I had to buy a gift for Dad and one other resident. I had to think about what to get. I didn't want to get any candy or cookies because quite a few of the residents are diabetic. I also didn't know if the gift for another resident would go to a male or female. And they don't have a lot of space in their rooms. I finally settled on plastic snow globes that run on batteries and play Christmas music while the snow swirls and lights blink. All they have to do is push a little button on the front. I thought it would keep Dad entertained and hopefully whoever gets the other one will enjoy it too.

And now I'm off to bed. Good night!

Some More Vintage Christmas...

I found two more Christmas picture from 1946. This one has the whole family gathered around the tree.

And this is Dad keeping us entertained.

And this is Christmas 1947. I was sick...probably an ear ache. My mother said I was sick every year for either Christmas or my birthday. And the attractive shoes were because I had a clubbed foot. It seems like I wore ugly shoes for years.

I still have that little black rocking chair that I'm sitting in. It's now in the den holding my kids' old teddy bears.

Reid started rehab at MD Anderson today. He's going to have rehab three times a week in addition to his other appointments, so we'll be spending a lot of time down there.

On the way home he told me there was something sticking out of his port. (Here's a site with a good description of a chemo patient's port.) Most cancer patients have a port for their treatments and it's implanted under the skin and goes to a central line. He has to be very careful about infection and my first thought was that this thing sticking out might allow an infection to enter. I wish he had said something while we were down there, but he called when we got home and they said they'd check in out on Friday when he has his doctor's appointment. It's probably a suture and when he scratched the incision it somehow came out. Anyway, he covered it with a band aid and hopefully everything will be OK. While I paniced he was pretty calm about the whole thing.

Since this is his "good" week we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant on the way home. I'm hoping he gains back some of the weight he loses on his "not so good" weeks. He says he's not looking forward to Saturday and his next treatment because he knows what will probably follow. He's going to talk to the doctor and see if a change in naseau medication might help and if there's something else he can do for the mouth sores. Hopefully, the doctor will have some answers.

A Little Vintage Christmas

I've told this story before, but back in the 1940's and 50's my mother had a professional photographer come to our house every year at Christmas time to take a family picture. There were a few years when he also came for our birthdays. My sister's birthday is December 23rd and mine is December 29th, so we also have some pictures of our birthdays. As I grew older I hated posing for these pictures, but now I'm so glad that I have them.

I've shared these pictures online before and people always seem to enjoy seeing them. My only regret is that my mother is no longer alive to know how much her efforts were appreciated. It must not have been easy getting the house straightened, hair combed, everyone dressed appropriately, etc. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the pictures on my blog this year.

This was Christmas 1946 and I was almost a year old and my sister would have been three. We were living upstairs at my grandparent's home. The war had ended, my Dad was home, and the attic had been converted to an apartment for us.

I'll try and post Christmas pictures from now until the end of the month. I hope you enjoy them.

Reid is feeling a whole lot better this week and eating well. It seems like the first week after chemo really wipes him out and then he has a good week before he goes back for chemo again. Tomorrow he goes for rehab at MD Anderson...the appointment we rescheduled due to the snow last Friday.

It Must Be Working...

I tell Reid that the chemo must be working. Yesterday morning he woke up with sores in his mouth and it's worse today. The nausea is better, but now the sores are preventing him from eating the way he should. He's already lost fifteen pounds as of a week ago and I'm afraid it's probably more by now.

I'm hoping he'll feel a bit better tomorrow since he has his first rehab appointment at MD Anderson. He has been walking around the house without the walker lately, but the numbness from the chest down remains. He still uses the walker when he needs to do a bit more walking...like when we go to the hospital. He tires easily and it helps.

Progress has been made! I took down the remaining Halloween decorations today. Of course, I cheated and threw them in the garage. I still have to pack them away. Christmas decorating can't be too far behind...I hope!

And I attended a meeting at Dad's nursing home this morning where they gave me an update. Since Dad doesn't say or remember much I had no idea that he was participating in some of the activities. He enjoys the "country ride" they have once a month. They load them in the van and drive around looking at the countryside. I'm sure he enjoys getting out, but probably doesn't remember as soon as he gets back.

There were some people singing Christmas Carols at the nursing home this morning. Afterwards, Dad continued to sing Carols and even remembered all the words. It's strange how Alzheimer's affects memory. He can't remember what he did fifteen minutes ago, but he remembers all the words to some of the Christmas Carols. Anyway, he was having a good time and that's what counts.

And I'm starting to worry about my memory! (Maybe it's just the stress?) I went grocery shopping and completely forgot about Sophie being in the backyard. I never leave her out longer than fifteen minutes. I hope she enjoyed all the extra time she had to watch squirrels. She sure was happy when I got back!

I'm Still Thankful!

YEA! Reid had his second chemo treatment today at MD Anderson. That's two treatments which completes one cycle. Don't ask me why they call two treatments one cycle, but they do. Tomorrow he has to go back for a shot to boost his blood count in hopes of keeping him from getting ill. That has to be done 24 hours after the chemo.

One of these days I'll remember to bring my camera. I'm never posting pictures because I keep forgetting to take them. On Thanksgiving Day I completely forgot. Everyone was together and I was brain dead. Oh well, there's always Christmas.

I'm thankful that Reid's getting better!!!

30 Days Of Thanksgiving...

1. I'm thankful that Reid has begun his journey back to good health with his first chemo treatment!!!

2. I'm thankful that tomorrow he'll be coming home from the hospital!

3. I'm thankful that my sister was here this past weekend and was able to celebrate Dad's 91st birthday with him at the nursing home.

4. I'm thankful that the truck started up and we weren't stranded in the hospital parking garage today.

5. I'm always thankful for Zoom, but I wish she wasn't sitting here on the computer desk swatting me with her paw.