Finally Home

Well today was a great day. No nausea, and very little meds. It almost seems that he has made up his mind that he is home now, time to get back to normal. Four hours of fluids helped I am sure. He doesn't want to do the boost anymore. So we ate breakfast in the cafeteria this morning, lunch was Chick-fil-a (Yum) and we all sat at the dinner table tonight and ate pancakes and sausage. You can see and hear the relief all over him. He made his own phone calls today to the people who we usually try to keep informed. I know they all were proud to hear his voice strong. I know this is kind of jumbled but more will come later. I just wanted to give an update, especially since it is a positive one. Hope everyone has a Happy New Year! Lots of Love, Shannon

GOD IS GOOD!

Just got word that pop is finished with radiation treatments and on his way home!!!!! So ready to enjoy his break with him and in hopes that he feels better and gets his strength back!! Love you Pop ~ Sonya~

Days become hours, about 17 hours

Well the good news is...two treatments in one day. WooHoo! The countdown now becomes hours instead of days. We talked to the doctor today and got a few new meds to take home, discussed our next appointments, what to expect, and what to be aware of. I arrived just in time. Toni sent me a text message just as I was at the red light, very close to the Hope Lodge. She said they were seeing the doctor. So I whipped in to the parking lot and walked straight to the radiation department. I entered the waiting room through the exit door, walked straight past the check-in desk to the patient rooms in the back. The nurse opened all the doors for me until we found the right one. So I caught the end of the doctor visit. You know if you act like you know where you are going and what you are doing, people rarely stop you. It paid off. (It's the Reba in me!) Dad seems to be a little more settled tonight and said some goodbyes at dinner. We have a big day tomorrow. Besides the double appointments, tomorrow is or was my mom's birthday, so I know that is on his mind also because he already mentioned it. It is definately on mine. We have an early appointment and then to the infusion center for some fluids before the second appointment six hours later. I hope the two treatments in one day goes well. I believe being at home knowing he doesn't have to come back for a while will make a difference. Love to all, Shannon

Good News

Thanks for all the prayers! Pop received great news today! He can do his last 2 radiation treatments tomorrow! One in the morning and one 6 hours later! He is also going to get a bag of fluid in between since he is pretty dehydrated. Will write more later!

Still 3 more to go....

Hopefully by later today it will be 2 more to go, but we shall see. Some of the talk around the table was that some of the machines were down so far this morning.
Yesterday Sam had some visitors and seemed to be doing good so far. For supper he had a boost plus (4th one today)some fruit, and the liquid off of some collard greens. He also drank a grape juice. Everything managed to stay down! Yah! What a blessing in itself. I checked on Pop a few times during the evening and he was reading once again. The normal for Pop lately. I watched a movie with Kristin, Chad, another caregiver here and another one that finds himself sleeping in the tv room, I believe all the time. Well, I finally went up right before midnight and Pop was still reading. I picked up a book and figured it was a good time to start.
The night went well and he said he slept well. The morning always seems to bring the coughing and then the nausea and then you know the rest of the story! He did manage to get a boost plus down, but I don't believe it stayed down long enough to count. Chewing on ice has also been a highlight to what Pop likes to do.
Well, he is back to reading for now. A little later some more visitors should arrive, but hopefully Pop will feel better by then. We did get to see some of our LP people this morning and they are staying in the Hope Lodge also, but now 2 doors down or so. Please be praying that the machine is fixed and everything will go as planned at 3:10pm today!! This delay in treatment is driving Pop a little stir crazy if you know what I mean. Love, TW (the other TW)

The Lighter Side of Caregiving

Here is a picture of Shannon with her diet ice cream taken in the waiting room of the Chemo infusion area of Moffitt Cancer Center. We shared a great laugh ....I'm not sure why it was even funny but it was. Too bad Pop was in the back getting his chemo drugs and couldn't see the silliness he evidently passed on in his genes. Amidst the frustration it is good to remember the laughs we share. I'm not sure there is anything loving God and loving people can't heal.
TW

ONCE AGAIN 32 down - 3 to go

Well here we sit waiting on tomorrow! After a rough morning, dad was determined to make this a better day. He woke up sick but still wanted to go down to the dining room and have his boost (breakfast)! So determined...that he had two!!!
What a great start to the day! All until we received a phone call from next door saying his machine was broke again...no radiation today!Or doctor appt. And now he is frustrated! These two weeks have been LONG.........He mentioned to me that he feels like his nerves are getting bad and he is having a problem relaxing! I think some of this may be anxiety as well as the pain meds he is taking. I try to keep convincing him that it will be over before he knows it and he will be back to normal once again! He is up in the room reading another book, I think this helps pass the time and keep his mind occupied!
Anyway, things are a buzzing here again downstairs in the dining room...some that are not able to have radiation because of the machine, some that had radiation this morning early, and some that are just getting back from their chemo infusions! My greatest joy so far today was seeing Syd and his wife, they have been over at the hospital since Christmas day! Bless them, they are worn out after having a rough few days! Hopefully everything will be better for them as well going into this new year!
As for me, I will be headed back to Lp today, Toni will be here to relieve me in a few hours. The restaurant has been really busy and I think Shannon is ready for me to be back, we have a real big day tomorrow!!!!
Everyone keep praying, praying that the darn machine gets fixed and dads frustration subsides!!!!!LOL ~ Sonya~

32 down - 3 to go

For real this time! The countdown is almost over so we can get a few weeks break before it begins again. Keep praying that during that break Pop gains some strength back!!!!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, we surely did! It was great to once again have all of the family together! Pop wasn't his usual silly self but he did well considering everything he has been thru!
We arrived back here in Tampa just in time for his treatment today! Thankfully there weren't any po-pos hiding out on any of those back roads today cause we were "skinning it back" as Pop says....When I picked him up this morning to head this way we were thinking his treatment wasn't until 3:00 or so! Luckily I decided to double check his appt. times and sure enough it had been changed to 12:40! This was at 10:30!!!!It takes us a good two hours to get here when the traffic is good...And yep we made it in two hours, that was even stopping to get gas!!!!Yep, we were skinning it back! Kinda gave us something to focus on, which we desperately needed cause you see Pop woke up sick this morning! Wasn't able to keep anything down and was still real nauseous...glad I talked him into taking some nausea meds and benadryl before we left cause if not he might have had a heart attack!LOL :}
Anyway they must have worked because he didn't get sick on the trip over, WHEW!
He seems to be doing a little better tonight but still not able to eat or drink as much as the doc would like. BUT tommorrow is another day and destined to be a better one at that.
As for the lodge..kinda quiet..not the same without our buddies! Trying to make new buddies but still not the same! I miss you guys! Chad and Kristen are still here so that helps! Anyways for me ~ I think its time to bed down......KEEP PRAYIN' ~Sonya~

Hope Lodge Pictures

Lethan "Cayman" Martin

Here is Cayman and Pop as we were pulling out headed home. He was displaying his "graduation" diploma. I wish all of you could have met him.

Still 31 down & 4 to go (but who cares its Christmas eve)

Got to the lodge last night in time for the hustle and bustle of dinner. Seems all were in attendance except Chad (more on that later). Dinner was a free for all as no group came to fix dinner last night. Everyone ate well though with Pop eating almost a whole large baked potato, a bit of cinnamon apples and even washed it down with a boost. Solid food AND a 360 calorie chocolate boost plus ~ wooo hooo! Thats pretty cool. (its amazing what you can get excited about). Cayman ate the best though as his son prepared round steak with gravy and brown rice. Kristen topped it off with a really good looking salad she shared with them. Caymans last supper in the house was pretty handy. After dinner we socialized as most of the group is finishing their treatments within a week and all seemed to be preparing for goodbyes. Everyone put on their game face but my bet is everyone had the same lump in their throat that I had. The hugs and handshakes we shared before retiring for the evening confirmed my thoughts. Everyone is ready to be done with this stage of treatment but no one is really ready to say goodbye to the friends and (heck I'll just say it )family we have made. I think I speak for us all .... Dang I love those people. Coach, Sid, Wayne, Dave, Cayman and their families.

The night was short as Pop scheduled treatment this morning was supposed to be at 8 am. I say "supposed" because when I came down for coffee the lady night keeper told me that a call had come in for us in the wee hours of the morning and it seems the super duper tanning bed Pop uses was broken. Now thats a novel thought ..... the machine Moffitt uses to radiate Pops lungs can actually break down. Sid uses the same machine and about the time we were going to go over and check it out, he came back and let us know the parts would not be here till midnight. (makes you wander if Santa is delivering them). We can make it up next week so all is well. Pop decided to rest a few minutes before we headed home and while I was waiting, Chad came down. Seems his car broke down yesterday at the gas station leaving him and his fiance stranded. They made it back to the Lodge with mere minutes to spare before lockdown. Thats why they weren't at supper! What a bummer! He needed to go back down to the station to meet the tow truck guy and so I took him. I was glad I could help. Once back, Pop was ready to go and as we were leaving we had to say our good-byes to Cayman. Special guy he is. He will be back Feb 8th for a checkup ~ I hope we get to see him then. As we were leaving he showed us his "diploma" for graduating. He was so proud I had to take his picture with it. I will post it next! I pray for healing, a good flight home and a great family filled Christmas for him, he has been away from home a long time.
The trip home was uneventful and Pop was quiet. We did have a chuckle at the "El Dollar Store" in Zolfo. I asked him if that was the spanish version of the dollar store. He just laughed. I am praying for a good quiet family visit for Christmas eve tonight. Love, prayers, and thanks to all.

Love God; Love People
TW

31 down, 4 to go!!!!!

Yes, the countdown is officially on! Pop said today while waiting on radiation, while holding up 4 fingers " After today we only have 4 left!" Almost like he couldn't believe it! In some ways the time has went fast but in others it seems like its been too long! All I know is that as the others have said here, it will be bittersweet to leave this place....I think for the most part now all of our family has made their visit here to the hope lodge and to the treatment center. Everyone is amazed at how wonderful and loving of a family we have! I would have to agree!} When I arrived here at the lodge last night I was welcomed by the bunch that were all here( all of Shannons family and Terrys family), they had been keeping everyone here at the lodge entertained! Shannon had made a big pot of taco soup, YUMMY! It probably would have been better with sour cream and cheese added to it like Toni offered to me but SORRY Toni I wasn't listening to you so I missed out! Anyways I thought I would add that I was told by all my neices and nephews that I was their favorite aunt ( only cause I havent bought their Christmas presents yet)! We had a great time as always....And we are gonna really miss all of the wonderful friends we have made here!
Pop has had a great week so far, it seems that when he gets sick to the point that he doesn't think he can take any more, God decides to give him a break! He had a really bad weekend last weekend but come Monday afternoon things started looking up again! He had an excellent day yesterday, which is a good thing with all the company he had....and so far today, a great one as well! We did get our talk in last night just not the hour long or so! I mostly did all the talking and he just listened and made a UH Huh noise every now and then to let me know he was still listening. He is staying pretty drugged up for now to keep his nausea down! A little different to see Pop this way but if it works then thats what we'll do! We just got back from radiation today when we received a call from one of his doctors refreshing us on his schedule from here out! To let everyone know Pop gets his last radiation treatment on Dec. 30th! He will have tests ran again on Jan. 11th and then start his Chemo treatments on Jan. 21st! He will have three phases of Chemo , his infusions will run three weeks apart! Lets keep praying, as he will need as much strength as he can possibly build up for these! BUT, once again he is ready to fight that battle...
Thank you God for easing his sickness so that he can get the fight back!!!!
Terry is supposed to be relieving me tonight, he wanted to come say his goodbyes and see off all of those he has became close with...most are leaving here tomorrow for good (hopefully) unless they just come back by to visit! Pops treatment has been changed to 8:00 tomorrow morning and then they will head home! Say a prayer for their travel on this busy holiday morning! Merry Christmas to all and remember to savor in the moments of the time together with your family and loved ones! Love to all ~Sonya~

Lets Make A Deal! And a good deal it was.

This afternoon when we got back to the lodge, Dad said he wanted to see what they were serving before he drank a boost. The deal was that he would try to eat it and if he couldn't then he would drink 3 boost. So... they served us meatloaf, a small piece of chicken, potatoes, and red and green jello. He asked if the jello was mint jelly or cranberry sauce???? Kids that is what drugs will do to you. I said "no dad, that is jello" He said "Oh, well no wonder it taste like jello then." The whole table got a laugh out of that one. The best part is he was serious for a minute. So he ate everything but the chicken. He gave his chicken to Chad. Chad is a big boy and the little plate they served us wasn't quite enough for him. After he finished that plate, he pushed it toward me and said "How's that?" I said "Great, now you only have to drink 2!" He said "Bull****" Blaming it on the drugs again!:] A little later Chad's fiance came in and fixed herself a hotdog. Dad said that it looked good but didn't want one right now. A few minutes later he said, "You know, I think I could eat a hotdog." I said "Really?" So he said, "Lets make a deal, I eat a hotdog and I don't have to drink any boost tonight?" So I jumped to my feet and ran to fix the hot dog. I mean literally to because I was EXCITED that he wanted a hot dog. While he was eating it, he offered me a bite. I said "Sure, I will have a bite but then you will have to drink a boost." Forget it, then he was growling not letting me get near it. About half way through he said, "I am getting full". Chad spoke up and said "Let me go get the boost then." Hee Hee. Everyone was on my side. Needless to say, he finished the hot dog. Yay! And almost two hours later, it is all still inside!! So tonight all is well here at the lodge.
As for all the other residents, Sid is much better tonight. Coach is doing well today and Chad's fiance arrived tonight to stay the rest of the week, so he was smiling. Kristen spent the day with a friend, and got lost coming back to the lodge, but she made it. Cayman's arm is pretty sore. He got an empty laundry detergent bottle and put it under his arm to hold it away from his body. It is pretty funny. I am going to try to take a picture tomorrow. His son arrived today. He is a very nice guy. I had to laugh at him because he told Cayman, "Sometimes the mouth moves so fast, the brain forgets what it says!" That cracked me up! Cayman likes to talk. He has told everyone that if he didn't complete his treatments before Christmas that Terry was taking him back to LP with him for Christmas. He said "Yes, he likes me, you see?" He is a great guy. He told me a joke this morning about a preacher who was asked about his salary. He told them he takes the collection plate and goes out back, throws all the money in the air and tells the Lord to keep what he wants and send the rest back down. And that is how he gets his salary. Cute, huh? I chuckled. Anyways, there was a whole table full of newcomers tonight. We told Chad and Kristen they will soon have to make new friends because our whole table was leaving soon. And that we are!! Love to you all, Shannon

29 down, 6 to go

It is 4:25 and we are back in the room now. We left this morning at 10:00. Dad hasn't complained of nausea today yet. He drank his boost for breakfast and then we headed to radiation. After radiation, we saw Dr. Scott and Dr. Dilling. I voiced all of my concerns and observations and Dr. Dilling was very receptive to them all. (Woo Hoo!) We discussed how after he initially takes his pain meds that the nausea seems to disappear for a while, as it does on his infusion days when he gets the benadryl. The doctor agreed that it may be "taking the edge off" initially and the relaxing that calms the nerves, which may ultimately be affecting the nausea. They discussed an anti-anxiety pill but we decided to see if just taking the benadryl on a regular basis would help. The doctor said it may keep him sleepy but I said that's OK if he sleeps for the next two weeks, as long as he is drinking boost and keeping it down. He agreed again. Before his infusion, I ran back over to the kitchen at the lodge and grabbed a few more boosts for him to drink. He drank one and a half and then slept the rest of the time. The nurse woke him up and told him he was finished and he told her he would like to stay and finish the bag of fluids they had started for the "flush out". She said OK and so he did. Good job Dad! And then he went back to sleep. He is reading again now. He started another book last night. Still cracks me up. The Eager Beavers are providing dinner tonight.
There is one thing that I don't think we have mentioned that goes on here. There is a black lady and man who come on Monday nights and sing gospel music and pray. Their names are Cydell and Otto. They sing beautifully and are very sweet people. It is kind of neat because when I have listened to them with Dad, he seems to know the words to all of the songs. They are right out of the hymnal and he must have sang them in church growing up. It's great.
Today has been a good day so far, I hesitate to say that because it almost seems like everytime I do then it takes a turn for the worse, but maybe not tonight. Samantha is coming up tomorrow with my kids. We are going to hand out the Christmas cards that Ami's school sent. Thank you to Mr. Griffin, the staff, and all the kids for doing that. I know Ami cannot wait to hand them out. Love to all, Shannon

Sunday night back at the Lodge

Well we arrived back here at about 8:15 tonight. We had to make one stop and then got held up by a train near one of the phosphate mines. I forgot to bring paper towels with us and lately it has become a necessity of the road trip, along with the bucket. Actually it is more like a bed pan but you get the point. It has definately not been a real easy weekend. I was gone most of the day Saturday but he had plenty of visitors to take care of him while I was gone. When I got home Samantha was asleep on the couch, but I know for sure she was listening out for him. He did get about 4 boosts in on Saturday. Today was not so good. It started out good but went downhill after lunch. He got down 2 boosts before early afternoon and then lost them. I haven't been able to get him to try again. On the ride over, he was very nauseous. After talking to him for awhile, I was trying to figure out the pattern. There may not be one, but I was still trying to figure it out. Trial and error continuously but we can't seem to get him to do anything consistently. After fussing at him about not drinking much and the fact that they WILL hospitalize him, he calmly told me that he was trying. I wanted to tell him to try harder dang it. (Now I sound like Reba right?) My husband patiently reminded me that some people really don't like to vomit. (Him being one) We also started the other nausea medicine today. This one is really , really, expensive. But if it works, it is worth it.
When we arrived back at the lodge, Cayman was waiting for us. Then Coach's wife came in for some coffee before bed. A few minutes later, Chad's brother came in, and then Kristen, and then Sid's wife, to get his meds. Before long we had a nice little group to visit with and catch up. And of course with only five minutes to spare, as usual, Wayne and his wife came in. Kristen commented how weird it was to be speeding trying to get back here. Nine o'clock is lock down. If you are not in by then, you don't get in. This is Coach and Cayman's last week here. Sid's wife explained that a majority of people will experience nausea with radiation. If there is a pattern, I am determined to find it. I will probably find it about next Wednesday. Only 7 more to go... and we get to see the doctor tomorrow. I hope it is Dr. Dilling, and I can convince him to give dad more fluids during his infusion tomorrow. Dr. Dilling doesn't like to be told what to do so I have to put my game face on before I go in. I just might come back out crying though. Wow, I am rambling now right? I will let you know how it goes. As for now, Dad is reading and seeming pretty comfortable. Good night... Shannon

TGIF & 7 more to go

Well I posted earlier that I would catch everyone up when we made it back to good ole LP. Well we made it, later than we had hoped, but safely. We had gotten some good news yesterday evening that Pops appointment would be moved up to a little after noon so we might get a chance to get back to LP early. God knew what He was doing as the earlier time slot enabled us to take care of some "issues" that came up this morning. I posted earlier that Pop had a rough morning .... and you guessed it .... it didn't get any better. Quite simply, today was rough. Pop tried to force down a carnation as he hadn't had anything to eat or drink that had actually stayed inside for a couple days now. He only managed to choke down half the carnation breakfast drink and it hung with him approximately 10 minutes. I encouraged him to drink some gatorade or boost but he just couldn't get it to go down, much less stay down. But like a trooper Pop got ready for his radiation treatment and we headed over. I wasn't sure he was going to make it but he pushed on. When the treatment was over we had the weekly scheduled doctors appointment. As we were meeting with the doctor (and Pop looked bad) Pop had to excuse himself to the restroom to get sick. I chatted with the doctor about the last couple days and when Pop got back he arraigned for a dehyration test which Pop failed easily. Things kicked into high gear at that point and he immediately arraigned for a trip upstairs to get a couple liters of fluid IV and wrote a presciption for a very strong and expensive anti-nausea medication. I could see the concern in the nurses and doctors and one doctor even skipped out of a physics class to check on Pop at his visit. (I think he had asked the nurse to give him a page when Pop came in) Cayman met us in the lobby (actually he was waiting in the lobby for us)when we headed upstairs and he stayed with Pop while I visited the pharmacy to get the medicine coming. Once Pop was in the infusion chair with the IV, Cayman and I left to visit the lunch room to get Cayman his daily bowl of chili to go. We made our way back to the Hope lodge to take a break and eat. Pops IV was supposed to last 3 hours which it did. Pop was asleep when I made it back to the infusion center and he had a few minutes left to finish up. Once finished he looked better and appeared to feel better....but not much. I offered to stay the weekend at the lodge with him if coming home was too much and he said he would rather be sick at home. We headed to LP. Need I say .... it was a looooong trip. Dark, rainy, and a sick Pop. Miserable to say the least. I have left him in Shannons care tonight. I hope and pray he gets better soon.
As you can see ... a rough day. It was my turn I suppose. In some ways it was one of the easiest and best days of my life in that I had the opportunity to care for someone I love so much. In other ways it was one of the toughest days of my life. The man that had always been able to fix anything, the man that always had words of wisdom and the answer, the man I admired more than anyone on earth, the man that had raised me, taught me, and had always been there for me, the man that was invincible in my eyes as a child was weak, vulnerable, and ill beyond comprehension. Probably should have been admitted to the hospital but wasn't. There wasn't anything he or I could do to make it better. That hurt ... bad. That was tougher on me than i thought it would be. I kinda knew it was coming some time and I tried to prepare myself, but I wasn't. I don't think you ever can. A boy shouldn't have to see his dad in that situation. It just isn't right. I just know we have to press on. 7 more to go. Pop is tough, I found that out today too. In fact, I have met a bunch of tough people lately .... I know where they stay during the week. I just have to stand by the faith that there is something God wants us to see or experience through all this suffering. And His promise is that it is for our own good.

I leave you with this thought that occurred to me today. Today, I saw a lot of suffering, by a lot of folks, not just Pop. With all the suffering we have seen lately, all rolled up into one, it still is nothing compared to the suffering Jesus experienced in bearing the punishment for all our sins. That hurts too ..... bad. So lets honor that by doing what Jesus himself said pretty much sums up the commandments; love God , love people. It just seems it might make all that suffering just a little more bearable.
Thank you for all the prayers please keep them coming.
TW

Friday morning

Its friday morning and we woke to the rain. Par for the course as it seems the residents of Hope Lodge suffering follows the weather. Gloomy day ..... gloomy residents. Cayman and Kristen had early morning appointments and I did see Cayman but I am not sure if Kristen made hers or missed it again this a.m. Her and Chad the two new young resident here were up late playing Wii in the living room. I think they add a little life to the place as they have only begun treatment and still feel pretty good. Cayman has been scarce this morning though which is unusual, but he is beginning to be in lots of pain from his radiation, especially since he has doubled up on his treatments so that he could go home by Christmas. Sid ran a fever all night but feels a little better this morning .... or so he said. I'm not believing it though. Coach missed breakfast and I haven't seen him either. They all are beginning to worry me some.
Likewise with Pop. I was hoping for a better day than yesterday but after a decent night Pop woke up not feeling well. I haven't been able to get him out of the room yet but he promised me he would go down to the dining area at 11 am and eat. The nausea meds don't seem to help. Everyone I did visit with this morning asked about Pop .... the whole lodge is worried about him ... but that is very typical of the folks here. People here watch and care for each other. I was impressed with Pop last night as he visited with Chad and Kristen about cancer care. Chad and Kristen have both battled cancer before (this is their second round)but are so unsure about the radiation. Both are scared you can tell as no one really knows what to expect. Dad was talking to them in the same way Tru Story visited with me about what they may feel and how to set their mind. They were listening intently and I was smiling as I understood what was going on .... Pop, battle worn was letting the fresh troops know some battlefield secrets. He told Chad that it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help or receive help ... it was a sign of strength. It was tougher to receive help than to give it. That is are human nature. That we shouldn't deny others the joy and blessings received for helping us. Wow! What God inspired wisdom! Cool huh? Just another example of Pop loving God and loving people in the midst of the battlefield. Please pray that today gets better and Pops weekend is restful and nausea free. Will update everyone later today after we return to LP.

TW

Pictures from the "Henry's Angels" event

Eight treatments left!

Pop did pretty good up until about noon today. Then the nausea and all the stuff that comes along with that came back. For lunch he only ate a banana popsicle and a grape popsicle. He had some visitors that were in the area who came to visit. After that Pop spent most of his time resting and trying to feel better. He did do some more reading! We went over for the 9th treatment about 3:30pm and Terry showed up about 4:30pm. Cayman hung out in the waiting room while we waited for Pop to get finished. Then it was a mad dash back to the Hope Lodge so Pop could go back to lay down again. Later we tried to fix Pop some supper, but only a Boost would do for now. I said my good byes and got a couple email and regular addresses just in case and then made my way back to Lake Placid. Thanks for all the prayers! Pop and the family really appreciate all of them! Please continue to pray for all those staying at the Hope Lodge. I really realized tonight how hard it was to leave from there. Tears were falling during my drive tonight as I listened to Christmas songs from the Chris Tomlin album. My heart goes out to all those over there at the Hope Lodge. It is strange how easy it is to love those people. Even if you only met them a couple days ago.
On the other hand I am glad to see my kids again and tomorrow Terry and Sam will be home!
Have a great night! Praying "Sleeping Beauty" gets her rest tonight and wakes up to her alarm in the morning for her treatment. Sid gave the 28 yr old this nickname because she overslept this morning and they had to call her a couple times to wake her up. Toni

Down to SINGLE Digits = ] (9 treatments to go!)

Well, Shannon left yesterday morning about the same time I left to come here directly from getting off of work. I got to talk to her along the way to get an update on Pop. Pop had a rough morning with feeling sick about 5am and he did not feel real well most of the day. He only drank a couple of the Boost drinks. He rested most of the day while I took a 3 hour nap to get a little rest from being up so long. We went over around 3pm to have the 10th radiation treatment (this is still yesterday. He was glad to be down to the single digits now. I think he can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
There was a group that came in last night by the name of Henry's Angels. They decorated the tables and brought food from Bob Evans (turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and all sorts of desserts). They even served us tonight!Pop even drank some ginger ale mixed with cranberry juice and he was surprised that he liked it! He ate most of his food. It was funny because he had a competition with the 20 year old patient who is here. Pop said as long as the 20 yr. old patient was eating that Pop would eat. I don't think Pop realized the young guy was going to consume the 4-5 plates of food that he did. Pop continued to eat though! Pop said he felt better tonight since he took the pain medicine about 30 minutes prior to eating. He was joking with people and smiling! A couple people said that it was so good to see him smile! I think he really enjoyed having the 20 year old and his brother, Cayman, and the 28 year old next to us. There was a cub scout and boy scout troop that also sang Christmas songs and prizes were handed out. I will post pictures later! Later on Pop went to rest and I got a chance to talk to the 28 year old for awhile about what she has been going through. This is her second time going through treatments. The first time she did chemotherapy for about 4 months non stop and that was about a year ago. This time they were going to try radiation.
Sorry I didn't take the time to write last night, but I was exhausted and found myself wanting to talk to the people here, since I haven't been over in over a week.
Pop said he slept well last night and felt good so far this morning prior to taking pain medicine. Well, he got sick, but got to feeling better pretty quick. For breakfast he ate a boiled egg (thanks to Shannon), a cup of fruit, and a container of grape juice. We figured it must be about 400 calories. Then Pop went back to rest again! I bet he is probably reading. He has started a new book called Lone Survivor. It is the book that the Lake Placid football team read over the summer. I stayed downstairs and talked to Coach and caught up with him. He will be done next Thursday and we talked about exchanging email addresses with everyone here. Coach was glad to hear that my husband will be over later today. Coach also gave me some advise for my son's ankle injury in the basketball game the other night. People here are always concerned about each other and love to talk about ways that can help each other. Sid is doing better today. He was running a fever yesterday, but is on some antibiotics to take care of that problem. He got a slight infection from the feeding tube.
Well, that is all for now! Number 9 will happen about 3:35pm today.
Let me explain Henry's Angels. Henry's wife and her sister are in charge of the organization. They go to different cancer places to bring people food and good cheer. The two ladies are carrying on the tradition that was started when her husband (Henry) was in hospice care. Henry had colon/rectal cancer for about 7 years and passed away about 2 1/2 years ago. The Hope Lodge here was their most favorite place to be while going through treatments. What a neat opportunity to share with others and be able to tell their story!
Like all of us has said in the past "Everyone here has a STORY"! Until later...

25 down, 10 to go

The countdown is really on now. Dad is feeling a little better this afternoon. The best I can figure we only got a little over 1600 calories in him today, maybe a little more if you count the piece of orange he ate and the orange juice he drank. I may have to convince him to try and drink another boost later. Dinner was brought in again tonight. It was very good as usual. While we were eating, in walks a LP person who is here with his son for an appointment tomorrow. He isn't a resident yet, just visiting. I can't disclose his name because 1)I don't feel I should, and 2)even if I felt like I could, I don't know it. He is a customer though, one dad knows well and we just haven't seen in a while. He was as shocked to see us as we were him.
We got a few new residents today. One girl who is only 28 and a young man who is 20.
She has sarcoma on her leg. I am not sure about the young man. Mr. Jeff and Ms. Jerry will be going home tomorrow. They are counting the minutes. I am kind of in a low mood right now because at dinner I found out that Coach's wife has leukemia. She was diagnosed last January and he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October. That really, really, stinks. She doesn't really have any symptoms yet because she is in the watch and wait stage.
As for dad, he is about to finish the same book that he started last night. He has been a reading fool!!! SO WEIRD! And tonight he mentioned that he would like to have some pickled pigs feet. He was pretty bummed out when he found out about Coach's wife also though. We discussed the fact that this might be an ongoing treatment from here on out. THat April may not be the end of treatment. That stinks too. A friend of mine whose father is up in age, stated that he believes the rapture is going to happen before he dies. I so hope he is right. That would be so awesome. Anyways, I will be headed out in the morning. Love to you all, Shannon

24 down and 11 to go

Well I arrived here at the lodge just in time for dinner. Dad tried to eat a little but only took a few bites. He headed back up to to the room pretty early and I stayed and visited and caught up with everyone. Coach still isn't doing well. The lady with brain cancer is really not doing well. Her husband tells me that she cannot walk now and is not able to dress herself and keeps trying to leave the room for treatment after they have already had treatment today. It hurts my heart. She had a really bad headache tonight and he stated that he would probably have to take her to the emergency room before the night was over. Please pray for them both.
As for Sid, well the feeding tube has helped him get his strength back because tonight he sang KARAOKE!!! And he is pretty darn good. He can't eat because his throat is too sore, but he can sing some Johnny Cash. It made me smile.
As for Dad, he calmly informed me tonight that he doesn't think it is the pain medicine making him sick. Sorry Sonya. He didn't listen to us either. I guess he has learned to tune us out like he did mom. HA HA! He isn't nauseaous right now and he is reading his book. This is his fourth book in about a week. I said "Holy cow dad, you are a fast reader." Thank you Sonya for the sweet sister statement. Everyone reading will think we are so sweet to each other. :) You are the bestest sister too! Especially for going home and cooking that prime rib that I have no idea how to do.!!!! Well hoping tomorrow is a better day for everyone here and hopefully I won't have to fight the pain meds issue. Will talk to you all tomorrow. Lots of Love, Shannon P.S. BTW Terry, Sonya agrees with me, and we nominate YOU to call Dr. Dilling and tell him what he needs to do. He just might make you cry this time. HA HA love you!

Just a bump in the road!

Yes, just a bump in the road is right! Once again we were relishing in the moments of pop feeling so well and down goes the rollercoaster! He was still feeling sick last night after arriving here at the hope lodge so I didn't try to force him to eat or get up moving around at all! We had some discussion about the pain meds possibly being the reason hes not feeling well but not the usual hour long conversation that I enjoy so well! He seemed to sleep ok, coughed a little bit but nothing major.
He still feels some nausea this morning and so he took his nausea meds and drank a boost plus, he's laying down now in hopes to keep it down. Treatment starts in about an hour, another long day ahead of us with infusion and radiation today. I have to give thanks to Terry and Shannon for taking over this morning via airways...the phone...LOL and giving Pop instructions on what he needs to be doing! And he says yes the two of you do have more Reba in you...which is a good thing! As we all can agree! Hopefully he will listen to you guys and stay away from the pain meds for now! Also, I would like to wish Shannon a very Happy Birthday! You are the bestest sister in the world!}

The mood here this morning seems very somber! Nobody had a good weekend.....Cayman is starting to feel the effects of the radiation and is getting sore, Jeff can't eat...they are threatening a feeding tube on him after he lost ten pounds in the last seven days..OUCH! Sid has finally adapted to his feeding tube but still doesn't feel well! Coach is having anxiety and not wanting to face today as it is one of his worse days of treatment. Al doesn't feel the greatest but is looking forward to going home this week! And Deb is getting things cleaned up and ready to leave with her mom this afternoon! She is having mixed emotions about leaving because she knows her mom is ready to get home but she, as all of us here, is hating to leave the great friends she has made and all the support that is here! Doug I guess left Friday, I already miss his smile! Anyways I just pray that everyone here sees a better week ahead! I will be going back home today to prepare for a Christmas party catering that the restaurant is doing and preparing for our own Christmas party and it just doesn't seem fair that we are all able to celebrate and there are people here that can't even eat, nevertheless feel like celebrating Christmas! I pray for them all to gain strength....For now I had better get back in to check on Pop!
Once again thanks to everyone for their prayers! ~ Sonya ~

Weekend started out good

Well this weekend started out really good. Terry told you about the trip home and the stop at the basketball game. Saturday started out good. Dad came to the restaurant and stayed for about 3 hours. He visited and felt pretty good. Saturday afternoon and evening, the nausea started again. I wonder if it is the after effects of the new pain meds. He tried eating last night but got sick again. I don't really think he slept well last night either. When he came out of his room this morning, he still looked a little weak. Sonya arrived about 5:30 to take him back to Tampa. He got sick before they left and I just talked to her and he got sick once on the way over. She was trying to get their stuff up to the room so he could lay down. Once again, this is the roller coaster ride. He was doing so well and then just out of the blue, for no apparent reason, he gets the nausea again. He did start taking some new pain meds for his throat and I think that may be the problem. I am sure the vomiting doesn't help his throat pain. Hope tomorrow is better. Thanks for the continued prayers. Shannon

23 down and 12 to go!

What a great week. Pop finished his 23rd trip to the tricked up tanning bed this afternoon about 3:30 pm. After a short visit with the doctor (he didn't make me cry) we headed back to good ole LP. Actually we took a detour through Frostproof to see Nevada play some basketball first. Pop was feeling pretty good and he topped off a boost as we left to hold him over. Those boost and carnation drinks are powerful medicine and because of them Pop maintained his weight again this week. The doctor seemed pleased with his progress. It is so good to see Pop feeling better and even joking with the doctors. In fact today Dr. Dilling told him he was a mess(I think in the good way) *L*
Cayman seen us off this afternoon and we were able to say goodbye for the weekend to Deb and Sid's wife. Sid had a tough day with getting his feeding tube and all and he was up resting. Doug took off this morning by 10 am as he was trying to get home by noon. He was so funny as he said "I'm gonna miss ya'll but not enough to come back to stay". He'll be back I think because he has lots more treatment to do ....and I think he has made some friends. In fact I think lots of folks come back from time to time. We were in at breakfast yesterday and four or five people came in the dining area to visit. They introduced themselves and said they were Alumni ....they had "graduated" several years before and wanted to stop by to say hey and visit. It was encouraging to the folks there to meet some survivors that were "alumni" of the Hope lodge. It was a neat moment.
And now time for another serious moment if you folks will let me .... just one more time. I promise I will make it short. I want to say Thanks to all of you that are visiting this blog, commenting, and filling the heavens with prayers for Pop. The strength we as a family have felt from those prayers is unbelievable. And I guess what I really just want to do is report to you tonight that God has heard everyone of you and is answering those prayers. I have been fortunate to watch Pop get stronger as the week went by. I wish I knew how to say more and I know Sonya, Shannon and Toni feel the same way. A simple thank you just doesn't seem to be enough. Anyhow .... keep the prayers coming and know the whole "Pop" family loves ya.

Keep loving God and loving people
TW

22 down & 13 to go

This countdown is getting into the short rows. I commented to Pop that it is going by fast, he gave me a funny look and said "to you!". He is probably right. I had to laugh.
The day is drawing to a close as we watch Florida basketball struggle against Syracuse. They go down 10 and then come back to tie it up only to fall behind again. They are playing the game hard but its just a struggle .... such is life especially with cancer. It seems you take 3 steps forward then 3 steps back. Made me think about Sid. I was visiting with Sid and Coach earlier tonight. Cool people. Sid as Shannon said in an earlier post was going to get a feeding tube but his platelets haven't been high enough for the surgery. Well .... he let us know tonight that he will go in for the feeding tube tomorrow. He is up beat though and is actually looking forward to getting his nutrition up so that he will feel better. I hope it works. I also found out he will be here about the same time frame as Pop ..... he should finish his treatments around the end of the year. Keep him in your prayers tomorrow .... he is going to have a long day. With Coach the conversation immediately went to football. His nephew is a back judge for the SEC and will be working the Alamo bowl this year. How cool. I also let him know that he could probably tolerate all the medicines and treatments better if he was wearing a Gator hat instead of a FSU hat. Told him it would make him and me feel better at least. He smiled and laughed, I think he was just too tired to fight with me. *L* Doug has disappeared, I think he is up packing and repacking. He is on the starters block to get out of here tomorrow ... I bet he doesn't hardly sleep tonight. He did confess tonight though, that he had a bad spell today and was certain he wasn't gonna make it ..... I didn't ask him what he meant, but from the conversation, whatever happened to him today was not good. I pray he is well enough to go home, he is so looking forward to it.
Well it is quiet around here tonight everyone seemed to turn in early. It has been a good day for Pop. We were unable to get out and walk because of the weather but Pops spirit is good and he is feeling pretty good. He flirted continuously with the nurses when we went back for his appointment. I think they were looking forward to seeing him. At 70, he still has it!*L* Sonya and Shannon were right, it is a pretty neat place. I also concur that Samantha would be perfect for that job, I can't wait till she has the chance to see it.
Now for some serious thoughts I have been having today. Actually they have been running around in my head for the last week or two. I shared a post a while back about the limited power of cancer .... and about the immeasurable power of our God. And my thoughts turn to the power we have within us, the Holy Spirit. Its been promised to us if we follow Christ, make Him our Lord. You know trying to understand the Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and the fact that they are as one. It seems confusing and tough to comprehend. It MUST mean that .... if they are one .... that the power that dwells within us is the same power that created the universe and everything in it. The same power that submitted, and crawled on the altar to die for all of us. If the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one.....and the Holy Spirit dwells within us .....WOW! That kinda scares me, kinda humbles me, but mostly excites me and leaves a desire to learn more. I began to wonder how this incredible power manifest itself? How can we (or more importantly can we) call on it? Can we can use this power to defeat an ugly sickness such as cancer. Today watching these people I realized ...yes that power is there and it manifest itself ...... as LOVE. Love for one another. These folks loving on one another. Do they still have cancer ... yes! Are they gonna die ...... yes! But aren't we all? It was no longer an ugly sickness but a bond that allowed people to drop their insecurities and just love one another. A fella told me today, (and yes he has cancer) as he was making himself a concoction of nutrients to keep his weight up that "cancer isn't a death sentence, its a life sentence! I didn't know how to live until I was diagnosed with cancer. Now I don't worry about all the small unimportant stuff, I just live!" I was kinda caught off gaurd and didn't know what to say. I had a similar conversation earlier in the week with Toni and here is someone in the Hope Lodge repeating my thoughts I had shared at home in private. It dawned on me that all that "do not worry, do not be discouraged, do not be afraid" talk we read in the bible......there ya go. He's got it! He gets it! Yes that power to conquer all is within us .... and its all about Hope, Faith and Love ... the greatest being Love! All about loving God and loving people! Pretty simple huh?

Noon and all is well

Got here last night in the middle of supper. It was a feast ..... the relay of life folks put on a feed followed by the kids from a local church singing Christmas songs. They were so cute and I wish I could have videoed their faces when santa came in. As they exited a orchestra entered and put on a show.....it was amazing. Didn't think I, Sonya or Pop would like that kind of thing but Pop stuck it out. This morning he was telling folks at breakfast how much he enjoyed it. I was surprized it was new one for me. Of course there are many "new" things I am witnessing. I stayed down in the dining room chatting with Cayman last night (as ya'll have heard he likes to talk), we needed to catch up*L*. When I made it to the room, Pop was finishing a book he had been reading......HUH? Pop reading a book ..... for fun? That was a new one for me and when I told Shannon this morning she said "HUH?". After breakfast he even went to the library to look for another book to begin reading. He found one and headed up to read and rest. Speaking of breakfast ... Pop had the breakfast of Champions...a carnation 560 calorie drink ....chased by a 360 calorie boost plus... a cup of OJ. I had to tease him but I was really proud. He was telling another resident how they needed to keep eating or at least getting enough nutrition that it was so important to your feeling well. Funny thing.... It was just a week or so I set one night and watched Cayman chastise Pop and tell him the same thing as he refused to eat. Amazing! This hotel/fraternity house mix is an amazing example of one giant support group.

I have been downstairs in the dining area this morning doing work on the computer and phone and have just listened in on the folks as they have stopped to eat a bit or just visit before heading to treatment. What has been a little weird is the solemn mood, which is a bit odd, as this place has always been up beat. As I have listened ..... it is apparent folks are tired and battle weary. I really want to set here and cry for them. My heart literaly hurts. But to be truthful you would have to cry for them because they are a tough bunch and aren't setting here crying for themselves .... so you can't cry with them. I heard an amazing conversation about the children with cancer over at Moffitt and how they were so sad for them. That they had to deal with such an adult size disease so young and how they admired those kids bravery. Here was some folks with cancer, probably terminal, discussing and greiving not for themselves but for the kids suffering. All the resident seem to be having a tough day, not sure if its the weather as it has been raining or just the mid week fatigue. Despite the suffering, and it is so real here in this place, God is near. You can feel His presence ...... so strong .... and as Sonya, Shannon, and Toni can confirm, when you are here and can feel it, you don't want to leave.

The one upbeat spot though is Doug. (Talking about leaving) He is in his usual good mood and is pacing as he is scheduled to be finished tomorrow and is getting impatient. When I got here last night he was minus his cancer sucks pin.....and as you guessed it a young girl at the end of the serving line had one on.....I asked but didn't have to ...I already knew he had traded it for a hug. I'm gonna miss that chick magnet.

Lunch time is on .... I better go get Pop to eat. I'll be back later to fill ya in. Until then ....you know it! Love God...love people
TW

21 down, 14 to go!!!

Whew! What a busy day we have had today! Pop is definitely feeling better.
Pop really enjoyed his company last night but after a full day yesterday he was ready to bed down early. As for myself, I was more than ready, it had been a long time since 4:00am and I was exhausted so it didn't hurt my feelings when he didnt want to stay and mingle in the dining room. While laying there in our beds having our wonderful talk ( which I have to say I love so much, great quality time and conversation) about our day and the restaurant and everything that has been going on here at the hope lodge, Pop informed me that I snored after falling asleep the other night. I think he was dreaming but it was really funny because I had no idea that I snore !} We laughed until he took a coughing spell....so he decided he needed to get up and take some of his new meds! It didn't take long for those meds to start working and ease his cough but then the fun really started! His tounge got really "thick" and he began slurring his words, saying he felt a little "LOOPY"! I should've recorded it so everyone could hear. He was so funny trying to talk to me after that. Needless to say it wasn't long before we were both on our way to dreamland!
When we woke this morning I realized I had slept later than intended. He told me that we needed to go have breakfast in about 20 minutes. So out of bed I jumped, as he was ready to face the day! For breakfast he had his carnation drink (560 calories) and his OJ! We have to continue to support the citrus industry! While at breakfast and during our morning gathering with all the other residents here I was asked by Caymen to take him to walmart for a few things.
This has to be the most interesting person I know! So many stories to tell, and such an interesting background, so it was my pleasure to take this trip! I wish I could bring everyone of these people back to LP with me. They would fit right in at our "family" table there at the restaurant. When I got back to the lodge after the interesting walmart trip I walked in to find everyone baking and decorating Christmas cookies. I hurried upstairs to check on pop and coax him into coming back down to join in on the fun, but I didn't have to do much coaxing, he was ready for lunch! While Pop ate lunch and mingled with the residents, I had to join in on the decorating of cookies! I think I'm finally in the Christmas spirit now!
Now, while I was decorating these beautiful cookies I was listening in on everyones conversation around me and couldn't help but hear Pop ask one of the other caregivers to marry him.....! I think he is feeling better, when Pop is back to flirting he is....well.......back to his self! Of course I said I didn't object when the sweet lady accepted his proposal BUT he had Samantha to deal with on that one! And we all know what she has to say! LOL
Wasn't long after lunch that we gathered up some plates and bags of cookies and treats and headed over to his treatment! You see that was what the cookies and treats were for, the patients to give to their doctors and nurses, and for the residents here to enjoy! What a sweet group of ladies, to come down and volunteer all morning to baking cookies. Or I guess I should say their day, because the morning turned in to 3:00 by the time the cookies were all done and the mess cleaned up!
Of course it made Pop's day to be able to give the radiation dept. these cookies, once again he was flirting with all the ladies! After radiation we took a walk over to the park so that he could show me the ducks and turtles! It is so peaceful over there, we decided there needed to be a hammock to lay in! One could get good rest under those majestic oaks!
Right now Pop is resting and getting ready for our big dinner tonight! There is a big band coming in and a nice dinner being served here again. I don't know how one can get much rest here with all that goes on! In fact, Caymen said today that he doesn't get rest here because he's always afraid he is gonna miss something! Sounds familiar huh!
Oh and by the way, I am loving how small these "to go" numbers are getting. Pop said today..."By golly I think I'm gonna be able to make it" ...my response was " You have it whipped, no need to even think about it now, YOU GOT THIS!" ~ Sonya

20 down 15 to go

Tuesday was another good day. Dad has most of his strength back. He is still using the nausea medicine in the mornings because when he first gets up he starts coughing. The coughing seems to start the nausea then. Yesterday afternoons radiation treatment was at 2:20. They let me go back with him and watch them set him up. It was very interesting. I took a few pictures. He has to wear a mask that is molded to fit his face and I have to admit, the picture is a little scary looking, so I probably won't post them. After treatment, we went for a walk. (His idea!) Across the road is a pond with a bridge and fountain. Very pretty and nice. Sonya arrived about 6:15 with leftover Ribs, greens, and cornbread. All of the residents were waiting for her. They love those Ribs. She brought my kids, Randall and Meghan with her. After eating, visiting, and showing Randall around, I said my goodbyes to the residents who will be going home before I get back over. Oh and btw, corrrection on Sid, he did not have to have a feeding tube. Talk of feeding tubes will make you eat and drink like you should, I suppose. The kids are looking forward to being out of school and going over for a whole day to visit with the residents. Ami's school signs tons of Christmas cards every year and this year we are fortunate enough to be able to share them with the Hope Lodge. Thanks for the prayers, they are working!! Shannon

Other News

I spoke with the gentleman today whose wife now has brain cancer. He told me that she had a great weekend but was starting to have some confusion now. Once again my heart went out to him. Sid, another gentleman we have come to know, needs a feeding tube but his platelets are not where they need to be so they can not do surgery yet. There is another gentleman here who has had most of his nose removed. He was very self conscious initially but has started to talk with me more now. He has been having more pain. Doug, the cancer sucks guy, gave away another pin tonight to a pretty young girl. It cracks me up. They call him the "chick magnet". Girls are continuously approaching him about his pin and he gives them the pin in exchange for a hug. Funny! We got a new neighbor today. He is across the hall and ate with us tonight. During dinner they handed out tickets for a drawing. Someone asked Cayman what his number was and he wouldn't tell them because he said he was gonna win and he didn't want to jinx himself. Low and behold they called his number. There are a ton of interesting people here and if you have been following this blog you may know who I am talking about or you may not. New people are coming and others are going but I would bet money on the fact that there are friendships being made that will last a lifetime. Shannon

19 Down, 16 to go

Today was a good day. We started at 10:15 and didn't finish appointments until 5:45. It was almost dark when we got out. I made a quick run to the store while Pop was getting his infusion. All the lab work was good. Dr. Chiappore said he looked much better than he last seem him and his weight has stabilized. Tonight for dinner he actually wanted to eat so he cut his food into little pieces and chewed it very well to get it down. He has felt good today and has held up well considering we started at 9:45 and didn't finish until about 8:00. When we got back to the lodge, dinner was just about ready to be served. We actually stayed and socialized until almost everyone was gone. Dinner was hosted by a few local chapters of Relay for Life. There were numerous cancer survivors who spoke. It was emotional at times but one of the speakers said the doctors can not predict how much time you have because the man in charge is up there(pointing up) and only He knows. Well said. He also spoke of survivors who were told that they wouldn't survive and did.
I have become attached to several of the residents here. There is another gentleman who is in the same clinical trial as dad. I also found out that he almost got kicked out of the trial because twice now he has pretty much quit breathing. One of the side effects of this trial med is shortness of breath. Looking back now I realize how blessed we are because dad hasn't had that problem. A side effect that is very real we know, because another resident is experiencing it and we haven't had any problem. I credit that to answered prayers and blessings. I thank all of you out there who continue to pray for him. Shannon

sunday night back at the lodge

Well tomorrow we will continue on the down side of the hump. Sonya said not to look at it that way. From here on out we are going back up the hill now so when we finish we will be at the top of the hill. King of the mountain. That's us. We all want to be king of the mountain. :)
It has been an OK weekend. He was a little weak and tired on Saturday. (The Gators losing didn't help) Today hasn't been a real good day. He was nauseated this morning but managed to eat a cinnamon roll. He ended up taking his nausea meds so he could drink his 560 calorie carnation drink. David fixed a late lunch while Shelbi and I were at volleyball and he ate part of a potato. He managed to drink another carnation drink before we left to head back and then we stopped at a Sonic for a small milkshake. He drank probably half of that. When we arrived back at the lodge, I was looking for something to eat. He thought he could eat part of a chicken pot pie if I would help him, so I agreed. By the way Sonya, I finished off your fried rice also. :) He ended up eating the whole pot pie except for the crust.
We visited for a while in the dining room. Seems that everyone has had a rough weekend. Doug, ( the cancer sucks guy) has even been sick this weekend. We discussed why this is. Is it your body reacting to having a few days without treatment, or the dread having to start back again on Monday??? Anyways, Dad is feeling pretty good now. Everything stayed down. We try to keep everything down but also have to worry about keeping it flowing out too. We have a big day tomorrow. Labs at 10:15, Dr. visit at 11:30, 1:30 infusion of trial meds, 4:00 radiation. Whew! Gonna be a good day. Shannon

18 DOWN, 17 to go...

Pop got a good report about looking good and gaining 3 lbs this week! He just needs to keep up the good work! After his treatment and the doctor visit we packed up our stuff and headed back to Lake Placid in the rain. Before we left we said goodbye to a resident and caregiver because they are done with treatment at Moffitt and will be going back for good to their home. The other resident that was hospitalized has been discharged and we got to see her before we left.
Until next time!

Pictures from Thursday Night!

Here are some pictures of the excitement and good food when the ACS served the people of the Hope Lodge.

Friday morning!

Last night we watched Nevada's basketball game from Tuesday night. Pop enjoyed it! We finally went to bed about midnight. Pop has been reading the Readers Digest magazines that are in the room and I noticed he stays awake a lot more these days, which is a great thing because I think he is feeling better or at least has a little more energy!
This morning we got up and got ready for the day and then went to breakfast. Pop was able to tolerate a liquid breakfast that consisted of carnation vanilla swirl at 560 calories and a butter pecan ensure plus at 350 calories! Then he said he was going to rest a little while and I told him he needed to concentrate on keeping all of that on the inside! Let me go and see what he is up to!

Half way mark!!!!

Whew! What a trip home....Needless to say I won't leave during rush hour traffic again. I am glad to be home but I do have to admit is was difficult for me to leave tonight. Partly because there was a group from the ACS bringing in decorations and lots of food but mostly because I was enjoying the time with dad and him feeling better. I also knew there would be a gathering of all the hope lodge residents at 6:00 for this dinner, and I do have to say I desired to be a part of that gathering. You see after only a few minutes with these "friends" you want to be able to spend more time with them.
As for Terry saying we may be some of the chosen ones to battle cancer, I believe we are! For the simple reason being that he knew it would affect many people because of the love and compassion tuft have for Pop, and I think God knew he was strong enough to handle this battle. As for the family as a whole I believe Pop was chosen to make us all slow down a little and pay more attention to the small things. There are
so many battles being fought by so many people, more than I ever imagined. I remember when Pop was diagnosed feeling like "why him"?! Not understanding why he was chosen, well I have a completely different outlook on that now....like Terry said ...I know why now and know I will even know more reasons before this battle is won!
As for dad, he has so much more strength than he had the last time I was at the lodge staying with him. He is in great spirits, I didn't even have to ask him to go down stairs to mingle this time. He was the one waiting on me to get ready. I contribute this to the boost and ensure that he is drinking. That is some powerful stuff! I also think all of the prayers are helping as well! THANKS!
As for the family we have been blessed to be a part of at the hope lodge, I will surely miss them come January!
xoxo Sonya

17 DOWN, 18 to go...

Tonight I feel like I am at the top of the mountain and tomorrow we will be going in the other direction. I say that because today was treatment #17 with 18 more to go and tomorrow will be treatment #18 with only 17 more to go!
Sonya should be arriving home about now. I got here about 1pm and was greeted by Cayman in the parking lot. He said, "Welcome Back"! We did find out his real name, but I have already forgotten it and he gets a big kick out of us calling him Cayman. Sam, Sonya, and I hung out in the dining room until it was time to go to radiation. Actually, Sonya said Sam had a good breakfast and lunch and then he went up to get ready for his treatment and he lost most of his lunch. After the treatment we went back to the Hope Lodge and hung out in the dining room again. Then Sam went up to the room and rested a bit while I hung out getting people to sign a card we got for the resident who was in the hospital now. It was very neat to catch up with everyone here and meet the new people. Coach has his brother with him here and I hear he played for the Gators! That is funny to me because Coach is a FSU fan. They are very special people though. After a little while all sorts of people came in from the American Cancer Society in Brandon and started decorating the dining room and bringing in all sorts of food. Sonya was debating whether she should stay or not, but decided she better get back to the house. She did miss a great night, but there will be many more times to come. Pop came down and we all took our spot at the table that was decorated with Christmas decor, a bag of gifts, a necklace of flickering lights, a stuffed animal, candles (that were not lit due to rules of the Hope Lodge), etc. One of the guys from the ACS shared with us that he was a resident on the 4th floor here at the Hope Lodge two years ago and now had the pleasure of coming back to serve. He also said he was going to go and bring something special to those on the 4th floor since they were not allowed to attend the special events downstairs. Most of them on the 4th floor receive bone marrow transplants. Then we got to feast on pork, chicken, mixed vegetables, potatoes, salad, and all sorts of desserts. My favorite was the banana pudding! Pop did stay for all the excitement, but he only drank two cups of Arizona sweet tea (which he really liked). He did tolerate one of his new vanilla flavored carnation drinks. The only good thing about that is that it is 560 calories!
Well, enough for now! Toni

16 down, 19 to go

Not much to say, back at home tonight. Dad was fine when he got out of radiation. I went ahead and left because Sonya was on her way and I wanted to beat the traffic, the rain, and the darkness. Made it here safely and she made it there safely. I am sure she will pick up where I am leaving off......... Shannon

The Calling

I believe some folks are called to endure great hardships because God knows they will rely on Him, shine the light and can testify through the pain of His great love. If that be our families calling I am honored. As I spend time around the Hope Lodge I see many families called to the same and although it is sometimes tough and the suffering is real, it is humbling and encouraging to be in the presence of such courageous people. This journey may not end in April, it probably won't as we know with cancer you can be a survivor but you are never really fully healed while here on this earth. Its a journey that last a lifetime. In all that cancer does, it changes you weather you are the patient or the family member. So whatever journey we have been called to, we will walk it to the best of our ability and strive for one more day to show Gods immeasurable power. Yes our God is powerful, He is mighty, and He is in control. He is limitless. While cancer when you look at it for all it really is in this world, is so small, so limited ....... Cancer cannot cripple love, it cannot shatter hope, it cannot corrode faith, it cannot eat away peace, it cannot destroy confidence, it cannot kill friendship, it cannot shut out memories, it cannot silence courage, it cannot invade the soul, it cannot reduce eternal life, it cannot quench the Spirit, it cannot lessen the power of the resurrection! As long as we don't let it! Want proof? Visit Hope Lodge, those folks can testify to it.
Keep loving God and loving people;
TW

Trying to hold it together

I have been sitting in the waiting room. One of the couples staying at the lodge were also here for treatment. She fell in the waiting room. Her husband said she was experiencing some numbness in her foot that was making it hard to stand or walk. After they called dad back we began to talk. His wife started with breast cancer some years ago. A few months after they told her she was cancer free, she began to have some more problems. Further testing revealed it had spread to her lungs and lymph nodes around her bronchial area. After trying to do chemo again she started having severe headaches and more testing showed it had spread to her brain. They are now trying to do radiation but can not pin point the exact area because about 20 years ago this lady had a brain anneurism and has a metal clip in her head. Therefore they can not do an MRI. Wow. Her husband said in the last 6 months she has really went downhill and he doesn't really expect her to make it another 3 months. We also talked about losing a loved one suddenly compared to this. I was doing everything I could to hold it together when they brought his wife out. Whew. The conversation ended abruptly which was probably a good thing because I really don't know how much more I could handle without losing it. In my mind I guess this whole treatment plan ends in April, but the more I talk to people, the more I realize, it probably won't. shannon

Christmas Tree on the 3rd floor of the Hope Lodge

Shannon decorated this Christmas Tree yesterday. It is located on the 3rd floor of the Hope Lodge.

15 down, 20 to go

Treatment went well today. No nausea. No food either. We just finished the 6th boost for the day. Whoever is here will have to keep a good count because he tried to convince me he had already had six today. Some things never change. He said you can't bull**** the bull****er.
Anyways, I would be happier with seven a day but we will see. Hopefully he will put a few pounds back on. USF students provided dinner tonight. He tried a little mashed potatoes but ended up just drinking the boost. OK, goodnight. Talk to you tomorrow. Shannon

Waiting on #15

Sitting in the waiting room waiting on #15. Funny, I don't really know why but Pop and I are sitting with our backs to each other. Maybe, so I can see the hallway and watch the people and so he can see the door when they call him back. We are talking over our shoulders like we are trying to do it discreetly....??? Weird.
It has been a good day so far although he hasn't really ate today. I do know that with the three boost and grape juice and banana, he has had about 1300 calories. I tried to make him some easy mac with heavy cream instead of water. 600 calories for a bowl. He couldn't eat it so I did. It was really good, but I don't need an additional 600 calories. He drank two boost instead.
Life this morning at the Hope Lodge was interesting. They needed volunteers to help decorate for Christmas so I decorated the tree on the third floor. It was nice. I will try to post a picture later.
Other than that, I played Bingo last night but I didn't win because those women who have been there for weeks already are pros. They play like six cards at a time. I sat next to the man from Grand Cayman because no one else would. Afterwards, I understood why. I don't know his name, they call him Cayman. He looks Hawaiian but speaks with an accent, an island accent. I love it. He doesn't play bingo so well though. He is seriously ADD. He gets distracted and then asks you what they just called. While you are telling him, they call another and you miss it, or I did anyways. Now we are both lost. When he gets a number he nudges you to show you he got one. Ok, lost again. Now I have to ask someone else what number they called. Maybe I am the one who is ADD but I do understand why no one would sit by him now. It may be why I didn't win.
This morning we had two new residents move in. They walked through the dining room and everyone said "Welcome". Wow. How nice right? Al, who is the middle aged guy with Sarcoma is now taking Doug, (the little guy with the cancer sucks pin) and Cayman to the store. One of the residents here was hospitalized last night and it has been the buzz all morning. They think he might have pneumonia. His wife is from Albany, Georgia and reminds me alot of mom. She about had me rolling on the floor laughing because her husband sent her back over to the lodge to "cool off". He was worried about her 'showing out' she said and giving them doctors a piece of her mind. Last night I watched a husband fix dinner for his wife. She was so thin and frail it was scary. My heart went out to her and him. Today I see another husband and wife sitting on the couch in the living area watching a movie. These are very young couples. He has on a mask. That usually means they are residents of the fourth floor, which are the bone marrow patients and such. Later, in walks the wife of "coach". He has pancreatic cancer and is a big guy. He has lost over 100 pounds. I haven't seen him since I have been here. I was a little worried. Mondays he gets chemo and has been sick. He is a little better today. Later, Al, Doug, and Cayman are going over to see Jeff, (the resident who was hospitalized). I know I am rambling now, but my point is the closeness and caring you feel in this place. The best part about it is, everyone is smiling. Even "coach" who hasn't been down until today is smiling. The optimism here is absolutely contagious. There is no whining or complaining, only concern for fellow residents. Will update later, Shannon

14 down 21 to go

Ok, I apologize that this coming this morning and not last night. I brought a movie with me to watch not really expecting that Pop would want to watch it also, but he did. So we watched the whole thing and by the time it was over I actually forgot about doing the blog....sorry!
Yesterday was a good day. There wasn't any nausea. His infusion went well but he didn't eat a whole lot. He is now having a hard time swallowing. We went back to the room for a while to rest after his infusion before radiation. I decided to try to get him to eat some more before we headed over to his next appointment. He drank a small coke float and ate a few ramen noodles. After his radiation the nutritionist came out to talk to me. He had lost another five pounds since last week when she saw him last. So her advice was to add anything fattening we could such as olive oil, peanut butter, cream, butter. She also said drink ensure or boost plus which has an additional 100 plus calories. So when we got back to the lodge I headed out to find some soft fattening foods. I told Pop that this goes against everything that I have been trained to do in the last ten years. Everything I am used to buying is sugar-free and fat-free and now I am reading labels trying to find the highest fat and highest calorie food I can. Mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, milk shakes made with heavy cream, mashed sweet potatoes, melted cheddar cheese, grape juice. Did you know that two tablespoons of olive oil has 120 calories? So for dinner he had a sliced tomato covered with olive oil and salt, a bowl of melted cheese (which has about 200 calories) and a bottle of grape juice (which has 200 calories). I believe we got about 600 calories for dinner. So this morning I broke the rules and brought up a banana and a bottle of grape juice. 300 calories, only 2000 more to go. The nutritionist said 2100 at least, preferrably 2400. Treatment today is not until 3pm so until then we are gonna eat, or drink, as much as I can force down him. Shannon

Sunday night 11-29-09

Well Pop and I made it to the Hope Lodge without incident. Traffic wasn't bad at all making the drive pretty easy although Pop seemed restless. He said he felt OK just couldn't get comfortable. Once unpacked we went down to the dining area to have some supper. Shannon sent a subway sandwich but Pop said he felt tired and only ate a few bites. I gave him a hard time about not eating but he promptly let me know he wasn't going to eat if he didn't feel like it. Told him he was gonna eat on my watch if I had to hold him down ..... Pop said something about not being scared of me, kinda giving me that look. He headed up to the room soon after. I could tell he was not feeling right. I talked with the guy from the Cayman Islands a little while, he is an interesting fella and loves to talk. Once I got back to the room Pop let me know that the 3 bites he did eat didn't stay down. He tried some of his nasea meds and they didn't stay down either. Once he got where he could, Pop tried another nasea med and laid down to rest. Said he would try to eat later if he could but at this point he wanted his stomach to settle down a little. He hasn't eaten anything and said he didn't feel all that ill just weak on the stomach. With the nasea medicine not working and him not taking any other meds this weekend, I'm wondering if it is nerves. He was dreading the trip. I pray that if it is.....that nerves would be calmed. We will see how Pop feels in the am as he has another big day tomorrow. Until then; keep the prayers comin and continue to
Love God; Love people
TW
Joshua 1:9

Thankful for a great Thanksgiving Weekend!

This weekend has been very good. We all appreciated Uncle Doc and Aunt Judy taking Pop to his treatment on Friday. Saturday was another great day with some great Gator football. Pop snacked all day. Let's see, he ate a cinnamon roll, a coke float, corn meal soup with chicken gizzards cut up in it, popsicles, shrimp, and few crab legs, and finished it off with half of a nutrigrain bar. Pretty good day. No nausea. He started today with a two egg omelet with bacon, that btw he cooked for himself because I slept in way too late. So those are all good things. This afternoon he and Terry will head back over to the Hope Lodge to get ready for another week, and I will relieve Terry tomorrow. Sonya has been the anchor at work keeping it all together there because Lord knows I haven't been able to focus very well.
Overall, the only complaint by Pop this weekend is tenderness in his throat. I guess that sunburn on the inside is beginning. It hasn't stopped him from eating though. We thank God for that and pray for another great week.