Results: Deb checks her records

Dr Nair said Deb is still in remission and should continue the weekly chemo and plan. The protocol Deb is on is fairly new and the senior person with Deb's degree of myeloma on that same plan is only 2.5 years on it and doing very well. Dr Nair feels that is very effective.

Magazine Article

Folks we met in LR

We met a man who was 6'4" tall. When the nurse checked his height, he was now 5'10" as a result of the myeloma. Deb lost 4". She started off short and got shorter.

We visited with our classmate from Austria. She has a PhD in computer interfaces and several masters degrees yet is unable to work because she is so weak and tired. Sometimes she said she sleeps 20 hours a day. Her 9 year old son lives with her parents in Austria. Her marrow is so weak she is unable to take full-strength chemo. She is planning to live in Little Rock until researchers can find help for her.

Our Thai friend is doing so well she is returning to Thailand to visit her 102 year old mother and 108 year old aunt before returning to Little Rock for more treatment.

We keep meeting classmate after classmate from the Mobile-Pensacola area. It's as if the chemical industries there are affecting many people's health.

We touch base with Harold in Tennessee weekly. He lost Gwen last year. He is so lonely but carrying on with life.

The staff at UAMS is so nice and friendly. Because of the long day and the failure of the PET which required pushing Deb's PET until late at night, Deb took her diamond earrings out then forgot them when we finished. When we were packing to leave, Deb missed them. We unpacked and searched everywhere. Then we called the various clinics. When we called PET, they asked if we would describe them. They had saved them for Deb and returned them. Honest folks!

At another location, Deb got very cold. A lady gave her a light jacket to keep.
Nice folks in Arkansas!

Friday-fatigue!

Friday has been a rest and recovery day! We are both wiped out by the 'invisible' stress of the week. Deb has slept most of the day.

It always amazes me to consider what stress does to our bodies. We did not even realize we were stressed! After all, traveling to another city to do 15 hours of invasive painful medical tests and meet with a doctor who has the news of what to expect the rest of your life; where's the stress in that?

Getting home last night seemed to prep us for a relaxing re-entry into Georgia life. WRONG!

Tomorrow is a new day!

Weds/ Thursday in Arkansas

Tuesday was a killer schedule...about 15 hours in tests. Weds was a day off while the test data was compiled. Thursday in an hour we sit down with Dr Nair and get the reports.Then, off to Gracie for the ride home. Scattered thunderstorms forecast. Follow us on www.flightaware.com N353RV

Since we spent so much time in Arkansas last year you might think we explored it in detail. Not so! Deb seldom felt like leaving the room and we had no wheels most of the last year.Deb and Amanda in April 2010

Yesterday was the rare opportunity to take a drive in the country. Petit Jean State Park is about 1:15 out of Little Rock in the mountainous area. We took the kids out there about 26 years ago when we were here for the USAFR C-130 school.



I drove out thru the country while Deb slept. We toured the top of the mountain and saw the grave of 'Little John'-more later. Then we ate at the Rockefeller Conference Center of the Univ of Arkansas on the farm owned by the Rockefellers. We drove thru the state park and visited the visitor center.We saw a 'beep-beep' roadrunner in the field next to us about 20 feet away! He was about 16-18" tall and very fast! (Poor coyote!)



Deb slept most of the way home but did not feel like going out to eat, so I joined new classmates from Memphis and brought Deb some soup. Ken(patient) and Marsha(caregiver) are here for their initial testing and intake. Ken has smoldering myeloma. We spent some time talking about what is ahead. This morning I had a cup of coffee with Bob, whose wife was his caregiver. She unexpectedly died while he was in his transplant about 5 years ago.

Tuesday update

As we were waiting for the PET scan, the pharmacy that mixes the radioactive mix that gets injected into Deb's body to circulate an hour prior to the scan called to warn the crew not to use the mix because it did not pass QC. That created a riot among those waiting as the PET and MRI departments run full day after day.

Fortunately, the nurses rescheduled Deb for 7 PM tonight after her MRI. She got to come back to the room for few bites of food and a nap to sleep off the morning drugs. We are walking out the door now for the MRI.

Emotional Reminders

Yesterday we flew out to Arkansas in Gracie. Deb sat in the co-pilot seat and was fully alert and enjoyed the sightseeing. The flight was smooth until we were on final approach for the airport. The last thousand feet had moderate turbulence and 45 knot winds. Nevertheless, a smooth touchdown was made and as we taxied up to the gas pumps, the lineman was there to help us put Gracie in the hangar. Gracie enjoys this hangar because it is full of muscular jets. She's the only small prop plane in the large hangar and gets all their attention!

It took a while to get our rental car so we enjoyed the company of some of the local airport folks. One of them was moving to Montgomery to become an active duty adviser to my old AF Reserve Squadron. Small world!

As we arrived at the Markham house we were greeted with staff showing us the magazine Deb was featured in. It had a nice full page photo of us and an article about how our treatment at UAMS has gone. We were assigned the very same room that we had on our first trip to UAMS over a year ago when daughter Amanda saved our bacon by accompanying us and helping us get around. On that original trip, I was so useless! I was almost non-functional and unable to oversee the various appointments and tests Deb had. The huge hospital campus and the C word (cancer) caused me to be emotionally non-functional. Amanda stepped in and got us through it. Thanks Amanda!

Well, being in that same room revived some of the same emotions in both Deb and me this visit.

Deb's eye has been very irritated so our nurse arranged for us to be seen by the on-duty doctor in the myeloma clinic. We were taken back to one of the chemo chairs that Deb had spent so much time in last year. With familiar staff members around us, we both had emotional issues with not ever wanting to be there and do that again. It was like visiting an old battle field, or scene of loss in the past. We were glad to leave because we no longer belonged there!

We saw an article about Deb's doctor, Dr Nair, who is now in charge of a research project using a body's own 'killer cells' to combat cancers. It sounds so high tech and futuristic. We are so happy Dr Nair is involved.

Last night Deb did not have the energy to go out for supper so I went to the grocery and brought is supper for us.

This is now Tuesday morning. Deb had a few slices of Canadian bacon and water for breakfast. She has limitations on food all day as she endures test after test. She has been restricted from her normal pain killer she has used all other times for the awful bone marrow test she has around around noon. We have to go to the pharmacy and pick up an alternative. Hope it works!

So, we're up and getting ready for a long painful day.

We are resting in the fact that the same Lord who brought us thus far is still guiding us and will not abandon us.

Blessings all!

Vern

Update

We had lunch today with Eliana. She was delightful to dine with and ate plenty of healthy veggies.

Today is Father's Day. Happy Father's day fathers: especially mine!

It's been too long since the last update.So,here 'tis!

Deb has been steadily improving in strength and endurance. She has gutted thru the pain of continuing reduction in pain meds. Some of the medical types have been very surprised at the progress she has made. Deb has a strong sense of determination to get off them as soon as possible. Her weekly chemo continues. The oncologist cleared her for short local drives in the neighborhood and this week Deb drove herself to to a hair cut.

We have been packing and planning for our Monday morning departure for Little Rock in Gracie as it's been three months since the last checkup and this is the week.

So, standby for reports from Arkansas this week.

As we consider where we were a year ago we are so grateful for the blessings we have received!

Friends

Evelyn with her friend Nadia in the garden in Brussels

Saturday plan

Another weekend has rolled around and Deb went to bed last evening hoping for a trip out for breakfast at our favorite spot. When I awakened her this morning at our planned time, she was a no-go. That's our lifestyle now: we plan, we wait, we do it if she has the pizzaz. This morning the pizzaz tank was on empty!

So, I fetched her a take out of pancakes and ham! She got to eat in her PJ's and then go back to sleep.

Later, our friend Wayne from Wales (in the UK) dropped by. Many years ago I spent a week with his family in the Southeast area of England (Sussex I think). A few years ago Wayne,wife Hillary, and two daughters moved to the USA.

Wayne was impressed by Deb's two lush tomato plants and asked for her secret. Do you want to know it too? Ask Deb!