So…which one is Kevin and which one is Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins?

Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break.

…such a fitting verse for this week.  Being the spouse of a cancer victim (I hate that word, but it’s the only one I can think of right now) is a very tough job.  Kevin and I both feel so blessed to have each other to lean on during this difficult time.

I cannot express Kevin’s positive attitude enough!  He amazes me in being able to keep spirit and faith and he WILL come through this.  He has one of the strongest wills of anyone I know.  In fact, his brother told that when he found out, he didn’t initially worry because he said “It’s Kevin-if anyone can beat this, it’s him!”.

I think that’s how most of us who know him feel.  He is our rock.  He has been my rock since the first time I set eyes on him.  He is a gentle, warm, kind, compassionate, loving, amazing rock of a man, and I also feel, if anyone is prepared to beat this, it’s him.

We pray that this goal is the Lord’s will and pray every night for healing, calm, rest and that the Lord’s will be done.

Pray this prayer with us tonight…

Dear Lord, We thank you for your many blessings and the ways in which you have gotten us through the trials of this week.  We know we have many trials ahead to face, but we know that you will lead the way and provide rest for us when we need it.  We pray tonight for continued healing of Kevin.  We pray for his rest, recovery and calm.  Release the anxieties of Kevin and I and help us to stay positive and touch other’s lives with our faith.  We thank you for the opportunities you give us daily and pray that you will lead us to stiller waters.

Amen.

Today went well.  FINALLY!

…First off.  Prayers being sent to our friend Jennifer who has angiosarcoma and was getting something adjusted/fixed from her open heart surgery.  Prayers for a quick recovery!

…Also, prayers being sent to our family friends, Martin and Sandi who have been dealing with lots of family health issues and injury lately.  Please lift them up tonight.

Kevin and I got up bright and early and got to JH around 8:15.  We quickly headed over to radiology and were prompty met with Kevin’s doctor from the night before.  He removed the zip tie that was causing the clog of the meds and feeding and then headed over to the oncology center at Weinberg to get Kevin’s blood drawn for his transfusion.  After that was finished, we checked into oncology, where Maureen met us.

From there, they ran fluids, chemo (taxol) treatment, and 2 units of blood over the course of 6 hours.  Needless to say, we’re BOTH exhausted.  Thankfully during that time I got to speak with the nutritionist on the phone and we’re trying a new formula.  Not sure if that’s what causing/contributing to the nausea, but it’s worth a try.

Dr. Thornton also wrote a new rx for a nausea medication that will PRAYERFULLY work!  We’ll start using that tonight.  It was nice to get some good solid answers, information, and to stock up on much needed supplies.  Our ostomy supplies will finally be ready for us on Monday-Thank Goodness!  We also found out that from this point on, they’ll be drop shipped directly to our house which will also be very convenient.

We are DEFINITELY ready for convenience.

Kevin’s nausea was very intense this morning, most likely due to lack of food and hydration.  He’s definitely doing better tonight, and the blood transfusion should really increase his energy by tomorrow.  We just pray he doesn’t crash after that with the chemo and hopefully doesn’t experience any of the side effects.

Tomorrow we’re up early again to meet two great friends of ours who are helping us take things to the landfill, salvation army, and then to our great friend’s storage barn.  We hope to have it all done by noon, and then mom and I will be cleaning away.

If you don’t have anything to do and want to help mom and I clean tomorrow, show up around noon Saturday at 365 College Avenue Lancaster, Pa 17603 or call my cell at 682-0365.  Maybe bring a few extra supplies in case!

After that, it’ll be some TRUE relaxation, which, after this insane week, we both deserve.  I’ll spend a lot of that time online searching for a job, which still hasn’t come my way.  Continue to lift that up in your prayers.

We are hoping to head down to Assateague for a PROPER beach day on Monday and maybe even spend the night until Tuesday.  The weather looks decent and warmer, so pray that getaway works out for us.

We continue to say BIG BIG thanks for your continued prayers and support!

Today was just plain interesting.  We left for B-More around 11am and arrived around 1 to get Kevin’s bloodwork.  After that was done, we headed over to the other side of the hospital for Kevin’s feeding tube replacement.  We waited…until around 2:15 when we were taken to one of the prep rooms.  There I waited with Kevin until about 3:15 when my stomach just couldn’t handle the hunger pangs.  I checked with the nurse, and went to grab something to eat HOPING they would take him back soon (our appt was for 2pm).

While out, I contaced our oncologist to let them know it was very unlikely we would have time for the chemo after the procedure.  I was told to go meet our oncologist’s nurses to get some questions I had answered and go from there.

I met Maureen, our oncologist’s AMAZING nurse and got all my questions answered PLUS SOME!  After some discussion, and finding out Kevin’s blood work results, it was decided we return on Friday for a blood transfusion (Kevin’s red counts had dropped quite a bit from 2 weeks ago), and do the chemo treatment!  I left her office around 4:30 and headed back over to the radiology waiting room.

..and I waited.  I waited, until someone finally informed me Kevin was taken over to the other part of the hospital.  So, I hiked back over, and waited only to find the radiology waiting room locked.  So, I found a seat and prayed that someone would find me to let me know what was going on!

Finally, around 6:30, Kevin and two nurses rolled out of the radiology area and saw me-YEA!  We headed back over (yet again) to the other side of the hospital for recovery.  Around 8 pm we finally got to leave, and had a good drive home.

So just about 15 minutes ago, we begin to give Kevin his meds and start his feeding.  And nothing works.  The dissolving prevacid tablet, apparently doesn’t dissolve very well because it got caught.  It looks like the zip tie around the entrance to his skin is too tight now allowing flow.  So, I got on the phone, and thankfully, the gentleman who performed the procedure was on call!  He apologized profusely, and agreed to squeeze us in first thing tomorrow to unclog the area before our the blood transfusion and chemo.

WHEW.  As I said, the Devil went down to Baltimore today.  I am grateful Kevin got through the procedure ok, but the sedation did not work and he felt EVERYTHING.  Poor guy.  Not to mention, the previous tube was placed improperly which may have been causing Kevin all his stomach pain.

So, the plan for tomorrow is declog the feeding tube at radiology, head over for blood work, go upstairs for chemo, then blood transfusion, then (if time allows) drive back up to home and then to Ephrata to pick up some of his medical supplies.  What a day we have planned.

Please pray that we can FINALLY move forward and get this straightened out.  Also pray that maybe we can formulas switched to help Kevin’s nausea, if that’s what’s causing it.  Pray for calm and lessened anxiety.  Pray for SMOOTH SAILING.

We praise God for the peaceful, needed rain tonight and for our safe travel home.  We praise God for the answers that we received from Maureen, our wonderful nurse.  We praise God that Dr. O’conor is going to help us move forward with treatment here in Lancaster.  We praise God for each day he grants us on this earth.

So, hopefully, tomorrow, the devil will go down to where he belongs and leave us alone for once!

…Haven’t heard from Dr. Thornton yet to find out if we’ll definitely be going down for the chemo yet this morning.  I imagine if we don’t get word by at least 10 am, it’s not going to happen.  Thanks for your prayers!

Well, today went pretty well afterall.  I got my important errand ran, and then this afternoon we met with Dr. O’Conor to speak about getting Kevin’s taxol chemo treatments weekly here in Lancaster.  He was completely on board with everything and is happy to work with Dr. Thornton!  Such a relief to move forward and to not have to travel weekly to JH!

As for tomorrow, we need to be at JH by 1 so that Kevin can get his feeding tube fixed.  We hope that there is an opening in the morning for Kevin to get his first weekly taxol treatment while we’re there, but it’s not a guarantee.  Pray that we are able to get there early enough to get the chemo treatment tomorrow.

Also keep in your prayers Kevin’s pain level.  His pain is still very active, and we hope to have some solutions on his stomach pains and cramping.  Lift him up during the feeding tube change tomorrow and, if he gets the chemo, for his symptoms afterwards.

Thank you so much for your prayers-God heard them and lifted us up over the mountain!

We finally have some SORT OF plans!  Yeah!  I got off the phone with all the Dr’s, nurses, etcetera and it looks like we’ll be heading to Johns Hopkins to Dr. Yeng’s office to get the feeding tube either fixed or replaced-AND0-it will be covered!  Yea!

Dr. Thornton then called to check in, and she wants to do a chemo treatment while Kevin is down there since he is currently due for it.  It doesn’t look like the tri-weekly treatments are going to work out as many home health systems are unwilling to work with chemo at home.  It’s also just safer to do it in office.

Our hope is that we won’t have to go to JH until tomorrow to get the feeding tube and chemo treatment, and that today we can still meet with our local oncologist to get things set up for weekly treatments.  That would just work out so perfectly, and then I could also get that important errand ran.

Thank GOD for His blessings and opening up these doors to work things out.  It’s been a very disappointing and frustrating 24 hours, so we’ll be happy when we’re all past this.

….continue to lift Kevin up specifically in your prayers as he is having a lot of nausea.  I pray that we get some answers while we’re down there as to what’s causing this and finally get some meds to work.  Also pray for Kevin as his chemo treatments will be much harsher as they’ll be going in once a week, and much more concentrated.  His side effects from the chemo so far have been minimal, but may increase with this new dosing.

Thanks!

Well, the beach trip was a flop.  More than a flop: a failure combined with more complications that a chinese finger trap!

We debated even going due to the windy forecast, but decided we both just wanted a day at the beach.  Apparently, it wasn’t in God’s plans for us.  We did get down there in good time, and got to get some things done that needed to be done for our Over Sand Vehicle permit we were getting on the jeep.  We got those things done, then quickly stopped by the local Walmart to pick up an item or two.

While there, we had to flush Kevin’s J feeding tube after the feeding.  Something was stuck.  If you remember from our first week home, this happened to us before.  So, we forced and forced, and nothing moved.  But then something did-and this time it wasn’t what we wanted.  There is now a break between the J/G barrier of his feeding tube.  Ugh.

We placed a call to our home care nurse, and she said to just visit the ER when we got back to Lancaster.  So, we attempted to go fish, at least on the pier since it was very windy conditions at Assateague, but Kevin was just too exhausted by the time we got there.  Plus, we were both just bummed and worried about the feeding tube situation.

We drove back and went to the local ER and, after about 3 hours, were told we had to take care of it with the original surgeon that put in the feeding tube.  UGH.  What is an ER for then??  Frustration.

After about 5 other phone calls between Johns Hopkins on call, local Gastroenterology on call, and so on, we still had little answers and went to bed.

This morning, I finally got a hold of the nurse at Johns Hopkins with the cardio-thoracic team that put in Kevin’s feeding tube.  She is going to make sure our insurance approves us going to Johns Hopkins for this specific procedure, and then we’ll head down to JH at some point to either get the tube fixed or just replaced.  In the meantime, we’re allowed to do feedings and things.

Just an absolutely frustrating setback.  Today we were supposed to meet with the local Oncologist, and now we don’t know that it will happen.  Pray that I can get a very important errand run (meeting someone at 12:30) before we have to go down.  If I can’t, it just creates another headache.

Pray that we have calm to get through this, and that it will be a simple and PAINLESS procedure for Kevin.  He’s very frustrated and not feeling super well either.

Thanks for lifting us up….

I’ve been thinking more and more about starting an official, local Team Sarcoma.  I have not come up with any ideas for names for our team.  Do you have any ideas?  I’d love to hear them!

So, tomorrow, we’re praying for a Fun in the Sun day.  We are really hoping to get a great night’s sleep and that Kevin will feel energized for a day trip to Assateague Island.

Kevin spoke with the Dr’s assistant today about the stomach issues, and we really came to no conclusion.  I am going to place a call tomorrow with our Dietician through Apria healthcare which provides the feeding and home care.  I am hoping they may have suggestions.  We think there MAY be a possibility that the food is not agreeing with Kevin’s stomach, however, he is still having quesiness (sp?) when he’s not feeding.  Not sure-pray this can be resolved soon.  It’s also just possibility that more healing needs to occur from the major surgery that happened involving Kevin’s GI tract.

I am putting a shout out for muscles on Saturday-Saturday we’ll be moving things to our friend’s storage barn, and things also need taken to the landfill as well.  If you can help, please leave us a comment.

I went to the job fair today at Willow Valley and I got to have a pre-interview with one of the dining supervisors.  He is going to pass along a recommendation to the hiring lady at Manor North, and I am hoping to get a second interview.  The only negative is I thought the benefits would be great.  However, they only have an 80/20 plan available (insurance pays 80%, we pay 20% and there is a 1 million dollar cap).  This is not really an option for us because that would just be an extreme out of pocket cost for us due to Kevin’s health issues.  Therefore, we would probably keep Kevin on the cobra plan.  I am very grateful though for the possibility of a good, stable position that is close to home and one in which I am familiar.  Pray that I get the second interview!

Kevin and I’s faith is strong, although I find that being out of the RED makes us spend less time in meditation and thankfulness to God.  We have been spending several moments throughout the day in prayer, and often thank God for his blessings and pray for his continued will.  While it is in our will and hope that Kevin be healed, we trust in God’s will to lead the way.  All the praise to Him for his continued healing, mercy and grace on our situation.  May it bring all the Glory to Him.

Thinking of you all, asking you to leave some comments as it’s been very quiet on here and we’d love to hear from YOU!