At 2:11 am this morning Pop was reunited with Granny and Momma in heaven. In the months since Pops cancer diagnosis we as well as countless others have prayed for healing. God in his infinite wisdom answered our prayers in His time and in His way. A good friend told us at the beginning of this journey that it was a beautiful thing. We didn't understand at the time but now we do. God has poured the blessing out amongst the pain. He allowed Pop to see the beginning of heaven and Pop's whole perspective changed. He no longer battled cancer, he was headed home. He let us know he was OK and it was important to him that we be OK with it too. All the things we wanted to say were said and in the last few days we were able to watch Pop love on so many people; doctors, nurses, friends, and family. He just couldn't help himself. They couldn't help loving him back .... you know ..... no one could. What an incredible example of loving God and loving people.
The man you all knew as Pop, Poppa Sam, Uncle Sam, Mr. Weaver, or Poppy, we knew as dad. God was so gracious to allow me and my sisters the opportunity to call him daddy. We had the bestest daddy in the whole wide world. We will miss him. What a legacy he has left. It's a beautiful thing.
TW
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Waiting on the Lord
Its 11:30 pm on May 12th and here we sit at Pops house visiting, sharing but mostly being near an incredible man of God. You know my dad never spoke much about his faith or his Jesus to me but he certainly demonstrated it. I learned more about him the last couple weeks than I had the previous 43 years of my life. He always had the answer be it electrical, be it plumbing, be it mechanical, be it life. We will miss him very deeply ...... I know lots of people will.
The past three weeks he has been in the hospital and the doctors, his amazing doctors, tried desperately to keep the fluid from building in his lungs. They had to have drained more than 5 liters of fluid off total and had moved his chest tubes to keep chasing the fluid pockets. His battle was ferocious, painful, and tiring. Some amazing things happened during these three weeks and the battle took a twisted turn.
The 2nd floor staff at HRMC worked valiantly and put up with a whole lot of Weavers for three weeks. Hats off to them. We laughed with them, cried with them, prayed with them, waited with them but mostly became family with them. It was so beautiful to watch them high five and hug Pop as he was being transported out of the unit. Pop joked with them until the elevator doors shut. We had seen folks come and go for three weeks and this was no normal dismissal. A regular processional. When he got home his face lit up and he chatted with folks and was feelinig great. We even began doubting he was as ill as we thought. When the morning came we began to see what Pop had returned home for. As the day today passed he became more and more unresponsive. The hospice nurses take such great care of him it is incredible. Nurses certainly gifted and ordained by God to take care of the ones He is calling home. As his condition declined they mentioned it may not be 24 hrs. The process was rapidly speeding up. Friends and family continued to drop by to see Pop and to tell him they loved him and I could see the pain on some folks face. The praise team stopped by and began praying with Pop and his whole breathing and all changed. He could hear I know as he was squeezing my hand and in the middle of the prayer a song broke out and I swear I heard angels praising God. "Peace like a river" flowed into "It is well with my soul". Incredibly beautiful and conveyed exactly what Pop told my sisters and I when he had his talk with us about what was going to happen. Kinda reminded me when Jesus told his disciples what was happening to Him and they thought....nahhh. He told us he was good where he was ... that it was Ok. He wanted us to be good with it too. Its kinda cool when the one laying in the hospital bed is teaching the ones doing the caregiving how to give care, how to love, how to accept a change in the battle plan. That he did. The battle plan changed. A new strategy was put into play ... one that couldn't fail.
So here we sit trying to get some sleep, Waiting on the Lord. He is good and Pop told us it's going to turn out better than we ever imagined. As far as I can remember he has never lied to us so I don't expect him to start now.
Thank you Pop for teaching us to love God and to love people. We love you and we are going to miss you.
TW
The past three weeks he has been in the hospital and the doctors, his amazing doctors, tried desperately to keep the fluid from building in his lungs. They had to have drained more than 5 liters of fluid off total and had moved his chest tubes to keep chasing the fluid pockets. His battle was ferocious, painful, and tiring. Some amazing things happened during these three weeks and the battle took a twisted turn.
The 2nd floor staff at HRMC worked valiantly and put up with a whole lot of Weavers for three weeks. Hats off to them. We laughed with them, cried with them, prayed with them, waited with them but mostly became family with them. It was so beautiful to watch them high five and hug Pop as he was being transported out of the unit. Pop joked with them until the elevator doors shut. We had seen folks come and go for three weeks and this was no normal dismissal. A regular processional. When he got home his face lit up and he chatted with folks and was feelinig great. We even began doubting he was as ill as we thought. When the morning came we began to see what Pop had returned home for. As the day today passed he became more and more unresponsive. The hospice nurses take such great care of him it is incredible. Nurses certainly gifted and ordained by God to take care of the ones He is calling home. As his condition declined they mentioned it may not be 24 hrs. The process was rapidly speeding up. Friends and family continued to drop by to see Pop and to tell him they loved him and I could see the pain on some folks face. The praise team stopped by and began praying with Pop and his whole breathing and all changed. He could hear I know as he was squeezing my hand and in the middle of the prayer a song broke out and I swear I heard angels praising God. "Peace like a river" flowed into "It is well with my soul". Incredibly beautiful and conveyed exactly what Pop told my sisters and I when he had his talk with us about what was going to happen. Kinda reminded me when Jesus told his disciples what was happening to Him and they thought....nahhh. He told us he was good where he was ... that it was Ok. He wanted us to be good with it too. Its kinda cool when the one laying in the hospital bed is teaching the ones doing the caregiving how to give care, how to love, how to accept a change in the battle plan. That he did. The battle plan changed. A new strategy was put into play ... one that couldn't fail.
So here we sit trying to get some sleep, Waiting on the Lord. He is good and Pop told us it's going to turn out better than we ever imagined. As far as I can remember he has never lied to us so I don't expect him to start now.
Thank you Pop for teaching us to love God and to love people. We love you and we are going to miss you.
TW
Welcome Home
Just to let you know Sam came home yesterday with hospice care. He had a big smile on his face when he arrived! His old bedroom is set up with all the things he needs at this time.
"It only takes a minute" is something Pop has said over the last few days. If you are not sure what that means just ask one of the family members. They will be glad to tell you.
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
"It only takes a minute" is something Pop has said over the last few days. If you are not sure what that means just ask one of the family members. They will be glad to tell you.
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Brief Update
Our intentions were to have Terry write on the blog and mention his talks about the Hope Lodge at the Survivor Reception (Relay for Life) and another event he was able to speak at. Then we were going to post some of the Relay for Life ~ Loads of Hope team pictures. We will do that at another time since too many other things have come up. Also we wanted to let those of you who only get info from the blog be updated.
Shannon last posted on April 20th. Well, that afternoon Sam was admitted into Highlands Regional Medical Center with pneumonia. Since that time he is still in the hospital and they have had to take fluids off his lung 3 times and have had two surgical procedures to insert a drain that is hooked to a tank to remove the fluids. The fluids continue to build even with the drain. Sonya and Shannon have taken turns at work and staying with Pop during the day and Terry has been doing the night shift so someone is there at all times. He has a fentanyl pain patch on and he also can get some other pain meds (dilaudid) when he needs it. When the fluid starts building it causes the pain to increase.
He has been able to tolerate some solid foods (no steak at this time) which has been a blessing.
We will write more when we get a chance. Remember God is good and He has the perfect plan.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10
Toni
Shannon last posted on April 20th. Well, that afternoon Sam was admitted into Highlands Regional Medical Center with pneumonia. Since that time he is still in the hospital and they have had to take fluids off his lung 3 times and have had two surgical procedures to insert a drain that is hooked to a tank to remove the fluids. The fluids continue to build even with the drain. Sonya and Shannon have taken turns at work and staying with Pop during the day and Terry has been doing the night shift so someone is there at all times. He has a fentanyl pain patch on and he also can get some other pain meds (dilaudid) when he needs it. When the fluid starts building it causes the pain to increase.
He has been able to tolerate some solid foods (no steak at this time) which has been a blessing.
We will write more when we get a chance. Remember God is good and He has the perfect plan.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10
Toni
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Cancer Sucks!
Shannon here... Once again, I hate that word "sucks" and do not allow my children to say it. But I do allow them to wear the bracelet that says "Cancer Sucks"!! It has been a while since I have been on here. First let me say that Relay for life was awesome, very emotional, but awesome. Our team raised $7200. The town as a whole I believe raised close to $50,000. As some of you know, Terry posted that dad was to have the stent placed in his esophagus the Friday before Relay. To be quite honest, it has pretty much been hell for him every since. He has had alot of pain with it. Even a week and a half later he is still in pain. The pain medicine makes him very nauseous. After pitching myself a little fit on the phone with the dr., we finally got a rx for Phenergan called in. This knocks him out. So to make a long story short, the only way we can keep him comfortable right now is to keep him pretty much sedated. Sonya and I decided right now things have slowed down at work enough that it would be better if I stayed here with him more, to help feed him and give him his meds. I have to say it is a pretty frustrating position. We went to Moffitt last Thursday and they decided that we need to do chemo again, so that will start next Monday, on the 26th. His coughing and breathing also seem to be getting worse but I think this is probably from lack of movement. The problem with that is when he has to move he starts coughing, hurting and then getting sick. (Which makes the pain worse) I really wish I knew that chemo would help him rather than knock him down even more but I am not so sure.
Meanwhile, Sonya is holding it together at work. Terry is having to travel more with his job, in addition to a few stops giving presentations on the Hope Lodge. (I will let him blog about that)
As for me, I am trying to hold it together here not understanding why he is still in so much pain. I am about ready to make the appointment to tell the dr. to yank that stent right back out but there were difficulties without it too. Sigh! I pray that as the next days go on his pain will subside. He sure doesn't deserve to suffer!!!! Thats all for now. I will try to keep everyone posted more often now. Shannon
Meanwhile, Sonya is holding it together at work. Terry is having to travel more with his job, in addition to a few stops giving presentations on the Hope Lodge. (I will let him blog about that)
As for me, I am trying to hold it together here not understanding why he is still in so much pain. I am about ready to make the appointment to tell the dr. to yank that stent right back out but there were difficulties without it too. Sigh! I pray that as the next days go on his pain will subside. He sure doesn't deserve to suffer!!!! Thats all for now. I will try to keep everyone posted more often now. Shannon
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Short Update
Sam will have a stent placed in his esophagus on Friday, April 9th at noon. Please keep him and the family in your prayers. This week will also be a big week with preparing for Relay for Life. Just a reminder that the opening ceremonies start at noon on Sat., April 10th and continues to April 11th at 5am. The event takes place on the high school football field in Lake Placid, FL. We are a big part of the Survivor Reception so we still need some more help. If you can help please give us a call. Sam is the honorary chairperson if you were not aware of that.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
A Tough Day. A Patient God. A Loved Pop
Having a hard time posting tonight. I wish we could post good news, and I am searching for some to report. No mistake there is positive and we are determined to focus on it and not the negative. But its still tough. For an instant today I was mad .... at God, no less. Can't help thinking my sisters and our spouses as well as Pop felt the same way for an instant. Not sure about them but my anger kinda slipped into brokenness and now I'm not sure what I feel. Before anyone panics, I never stopped loving God, nor trusting in Him, I was just angry with Him for a bit. I'm not totally certain but I believe the whole Weaver offspring set probably shared the same feelings today. Seeing Sonya fight back tears today welled that protective big brother instinct and I had no ability to fix it. Knowing Shannon and Pop were visiting the doctors and getting the test results without Sonya and I there to share hugs and tears knotted my stomach. Quite simply ... Cancer sucks!
I guess I better quit my whining and catch you up. Pop and Shannon left for that amazing God infested place called Moffitt Cancer Center yesterday for Pop to undergo some test. I think he had another CAT scan and PET scan to see how well the radiation and the first bit of chemo and trial drugs performed. They were to stay the night and get the tests results today. From the best I could understand, Pop got the results from the CAT scan but not the PET scan. The CAT scan showed more areas in the other lung that appeared to be consistent with cancer (they grew since the last scan). Pop's doctor also advised him to consider getting a stint in his esophagus to keep it open so that he could get back to his chemo treatments. He encouraged him to check that option out fairly soon. We were unable to determine how well the radiation worked without the results of the PET scan. Not sure when we are to get those results or when Pop has another doctors appointment. Shannon has been a trooper in keeping up with that. Lets pray the PET scan shows positive progress.
Now for the positives .... Pop has maintained his weight (woohoo!!)and the doctor said he didn't appear to be any thinner than last time he saw him. Maintaining his weight through a feeding tube is a major accomplishment and we hope we can turn that tide just a little and actually gain a little. Shannon reported that although being a little short of breath Pop walked to all his appointments and believe this, Moffitt is bigger than it looks from the outside. Pop was a little tired. He did good but with the results shared today we were a little afraid that Pop would get discouraged. Shannon did ask him if he was going to do chemo again and Pop said "what choice do I have"? That was encouraging to us to know that Pop was still determined to fight. We hope and pray that he keeps that determination. The way we chose to look at it is every day is one more day and one more chance at a miracle. What is amazing is this journey is only a little over 6 months long, it seems like an eternity. We may have a lot of fight left but we have a lot of fight left in us. Pop is a Weaver .... and Weavers don't quit, at least that was what we were taught since birth. Kinda goes along with the hard-headedness obviously born and bred into us. Pop is tired though and I ask that all keep praying for strength and endurance for him. Pray that he is able to get out more and get his blood flowing. Pray for healing in the esophagus. Pray his spirit remains strong and his determination steadfast. Pray that he feels all the love that His God and all his many friends have for him. Pray for less pain. Pray for the doctors discernment in treatment options. Pray for Gods mercy and will. Pray! Pray! Pray!
And God btw I'm not mad anymore! Broken, hurt, a bit discouraged ..... yes. But not angry. Thank you for being a patient God that is big enough to handle our fits and still love us! We love you and I know Pop loves you. Treat him with mercy please. Look over him and comfort him. Cover him with the peace that you are there and that you will never ever leave him.
We will try .... I promise, to keeping loving You and loving people.
And may you receive all the praise, honor and glory
Amen
TW
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
I guess I better quit my whining and catch you up. Pop and Shannon left for that amazing God infested place called Moffitt Cancer Center yesterday for Pop to undergo some test. I think he had another CAT scan and PET scan to see how well the radiation and the first bit of chemo and trial drugs performed. They were to stay the night and get the tests results today. From the best I could understand, Pop got the results from the CAT scan but not the PET scan. The CAT scan showed more areas in the other lung that appeared to be consistent with cancer (they grew since the last scan). Pop's doctor also advised him to consider getting a stint in his esophagus to keep it open so that he could get back to his chemo treatments. He encouraged him to check that option out fairly soon. We were unable to determine how well the radiation worked without the results of the PET scan. Not sure when we are to get those results or when Pop has another doctors appointment. Shannon has been a trooper in keeping up with that. Lets pray the PET scan shows positive progress.
Now for the positives .... Pop has maintained his weight (woohoo!!)and the doctor said he didn't appear to be any thinner than last time he saw him. Maintaining his weight through a feeding tube is a major accomplishment and we hope we can turn that tide just a little and actually gain a little. Shannon reported that although being a little short of breath Pop walked to all his appointments and believe this, Moffitt is bigger than it looks from the outside. Pop was a little tired. He did good but with the results shared today we were a little afraid that Pop would get discouraged. Shannon did ask him if he was going to do chemo again and Pop said "what choice do I have"? That was encouraging to us to know that Pop was still determined to fight. We hope and pray that he keeps that determination. The way we chose to look at it is every day is one more day and one more chance at a miracle. What is amazing is this journey is only a little over 6 months long, it seems like an eternity. We may have a lot of fight left but we have a lot of fight left in us. Pop is a Weaver .... and Weavers don't quit, at least that was what we were taught since birth. Kinda goes along with the hard-headedness obviously born and bred into us. Pop is tired though and I ask that all keep praying for strength and endurance for him. Pray that he is able to get out more and get his blood flowing. Pray for healing in the esophagus. Pray his spirit remains strong and his determination steadfast. Pray that he feels all the love that His God and all his many friends have for him. Pray for less pain. Pray for the doctors discernment in treatment options. Pray for Gods mercy and will. Pray! Pray! Pray!
And God btw I'm not mad anymore! Broken, hurt, a bit discouraged ..... yes. But not angry. Thank you for being a patient God that is big enough to handle our fits and still love us! We love you and I know Pop loves you. Treat him with mercy please. Look over him and comfort him. Cover him with the peace that you are there and that you will never ever leave him.
We will try .... I promise, to keeping loving You and loving people.
And may you receive all the praise, honor and glory
Amen
TW
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
stretch 2
Took Pop to the doctor today to get a good esophagus stretching. Nothing like having your espohagus stretched. Keeps the wrinkles out. Might keep this a secret as it may catch on as the next fad like botox or tummy tucks. Seriously though ..... Pop made the trip well and even saw him chuckle a little telling a story on the way up. The procedure didn't take long and Pop looked pretty tattered when I went back to be briefed by the nurse. She told him no steak today but maybe a really tender filet in a couple days. The doctor even mentioned it so Pop must have been lobbying all of them to get him where he is able to eat a juicy steak. I know it may be silly but tonight my prayers are for a tender juicy filet and a pain free consumption by Pop. Gonna take lots of prayers, as a simple glass of water hurts to swallow and Shannons facebook post informed us that Pop was in some pain tonight. (prayer warriors take notice) Hope it is short lived pain so he will be able to swallow tomorrow. Gotta get some nutrition in him. He is beginning to look like the pictures when he and Mom got married. She told me one time he was a whooping 135 pounds back then. A bit older now but still a handsome man none the less.
Wish he would feel better and get some energy back. Gotta keep praying for that miracle that God has in store. Until then we will walk this journey one step at a time.
Thanks everyone for the wonderful turn out at the relay fund raisers. If you need a team to walk with ..... loads of hope is taking volunteers. Come walk .... come visit ..... come support ......but just come. Check with Sonya or Shannon at LPFR to find out how to sign up. Heck we would like to see thousands at the field for the Relay for Life event. Cancer has touched us all .... weather we know it or not. See you there?
It would be remiss if I left out of this post some spiritual dessert. Last couple weeks it seems everyone we know and love is fighting or family member is fighting cancer in some form or fashion. Its been overwhelming, but it has brought forth a scripture that I cannot get out of my mind. It was mentioned in the last post and it just won't go away. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. In a nutshell it says, focus on the unseen for it is eternal. That which we see is temporary. God must know that with all that is going on I am apt to lose my focus. Maybe He is reminding us to keep focused on that which is most important......that which is unseen. Makes me wonder what the unseen looks like or sounds like ..... certainly something to look forward to, of this I am sure.
Until next time
Love God ~ Love People
TW
Wish he would feel better and get some energy back. Gotta keep praying for that miracle that God has in store. Until then we will walk this journey one step at a time.
Thanks everyone for the wonderful turn out at the relay fund raisers. If you need a team to walk with ..... loads of hope is taking volunteers. Come walk .... come visit ..... come support ......but just come. Check with Sonya or Shannon at LPFR to find out how to sign up. Heck we would like to see thousands at the field for the Relay for Life event. Cancer has touched us all .... weather we know it or not. See you there?
It would be remiss if I left out of this post some spiritual dessert. Last couple weeks it seems everyone we know and love is fighting or family member is fighting cancer in some form or fashion. Its been overwhelming, but it has brought forth a scripture that I cannot get out of my mind. It was mentioned in the last post and it just won't go away. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. In a nutshell it says, focus on the unseen for it is eternal. That which we see is temporary. God must know that with all that is going on I am apt to lose my focus. Maybe He is reminding us to keep focused on that which is most important......that which is unseen. Makes me wonder what the unseen looks like or sounds like ..... certainly something to look forward to, of this I am sure.
Until next time
Love God ~ Love People
TW
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Holding pattern
Ever been on a long flight and get stuck in a holding pattern around the airport. Frustrating isn't it? Things not going as planned and not sure when they are going to let you land. Now multiply that frustration by a million or perhaps a billion and maybe it'll give a sense of the frustration Pop is experiencing. Shannon posted on facebook recently that she wishes she could wave a magic wand and make a miracle happen. I know what miracle she is talking about. I'm beginning to realize suffering may be easier to experience than it is to watch. Neither is fun nor easy, of that I am sure.
Pop's esophagus has closed back up after the last stretching and the burn that is causing all the problems down there is taking its sweet time in healing. The Drs. have postponed all treatments including any stretching of the esophagus until Pop gets better. Thus the holding pattern. Pop can't eat so he is getting his nutrition through that small tube in his gut. There is only so much you can do through that tube and getting a balanced diet with enough calories is difficult. If anyone has any experience or secrets please share. We are all about trying something if it will work. Pop so wants a big juicy steak and somehow even if we could "juice" it, I'm not sure it would be the same. We are waiting for him to gain strength and heal some before anything else can happen. He has some test on March 24th and 25th that should reveal the progress of the treatments. Lets pray that those tests can't find active cancer anywhere. Wouldn't that be cool? I know it would encourage Pop and we would praise God. Heck we are going to praise God anyway ... no matter what the outcome. Sunshine or rain!
Relay for Life is quickly approaching and with Pop being the honorary chairman this year the Restaurant is ramping things up. I heard through the grapevine that tonight the BBQ dinner fund raiser was awesome. Thank you to all the people who have been so supportive of the "loads of Hope" team. If you want a peek into how we came up with the name check out some of the earliest post here on the blog. When Pop checked into the Hope lodge .... lets just say .... there was loads of hope right there in his room.*L* If you want to join the team just contact Sonya, Shannon, or Toni and they can help you get signed up. Just don't contact me, I'm clueless on how to get that done ..... they signed me up! And let me pitch the "relay for life" event just a little. Great event raising money for the American Cancer Society. The ACS funds, among many things, the Hope Lodge where Pop stayed during his radiation treatments. Amazing place run by amazing people for an amazing mission. Money well spent supporting the Relay!
Got to get some sleep so I will close with this. All you prayer warriors out there, keep it up! Pray specifically for Coach, Wayne, Bo, Syd, Kristin, Russ, Cayman, Dr. Maiden, Chad, Pop and anyone else you know fighting this terrible disease. May they experience joy and peace through their suffering. Joy and Peace only known though Jesus. He is Lord you know! King of Kings!
Keep loving God and loving people!
TW
2 Corinthian 4:17-18
Pop's esophagus has closed back up after the last stretching and the burn that is causing all the problems down there is taking its sweet time in healing. The Drs. have postponed all treatments including any stretching of the esophagus until Pop gets better. Thus the holding pattern. Pop can't eat so he is getting his nutrition through that small tube in his gut. There is only so much you can do through that tube and getting a balanced diet with enough calories is difficult. If anyone has any experience or secrets please share. We are all about trying something if it will work. Pop so wants a big juicy steak and somehow even if we could "juice" it, I'm not sure it would be the same. We are waiting for him to gain strength and heal some before anything else can happen. He has some test on March 24th and 25th that should reveal the progress of the treatments. Lets pray that those tests can't find active cancer anywhere. Wouldn't that be cool? I know it would encourage Pop and we would praise God. Heck we are going to praise God anyway ... no matter what the outcome. Sunshine or rain!
Relay for Life is quickly approaching and with Pop being the honorary chairman this year the Restaurant is ramping things up. I heard through the grapevine that tonight the BBQ dinner fund raiser was awesome. Thank you to all the people who have been so supportive of the "loads of Hope" team. If you want a peek into how we came up with the name check out some of the earliest post here on the blog. When Pop checked into the Hope lodge .... lets just say .... there was loads of hope right there in his room.*L* If you want to join the team just contact Sonya, Shannon, or Toni and they can help you get signed up. Just don't contact me, I'm clueless on how to get that done ..... they signed me up! And let me pitch the "relay for life" event just a little. Great event raising money for the American Cancer Society. The ACS funds, among many things, the Hope Lodge where Pop stayed during his radiation treatments. Amazing place run by amazing people for an amazing mission. Money well spent supporting the Relay!
Got to get some sleep so I will close with this. All you prayer warriors out there, keep it up! Pray specifically for Coach, Wayne, Bo, Syd, Kristin, Russ, Cayman, Dr. Maiden, Chad, Pop and anyone else you know fighting this terrible disease. May they experience joy and peace through their suffering. Joy and Peace only known though Jesus. He is Lord you know! King of Kings!
Keep loving God and loving people!
TW
2 Corinthian 4:17-18
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Streeeeeetch!
This am Pop had an appointment to get his esophagus stretched. Mr Buddy and Uncle Doc had taken Pop over to Moffitt the other day for a visit with Dr. Dilling (radiation dr.) and the good doctor had given the go ahead to get the stretching done in our home county. Pop said,"beats driving all the way to Tampa to have it done." Dr. Thakkar commented that Pop's g-tube looked very good both on the outside and the inside and that he thought Pop looked good now that he had gotten some nutrition in him. Said the procedure went well and he thought Pop would be able to eat later. (the pictures are pretty cool too) Not sure how they stretch your esophagus but evidently it sounds more painful than it had to be as once Pop got out of recovery he was raring to go. Didn't seem like it hurt him a bit. Got home and fed him his 620 calorie concoction Shannon has invented. Once his belly was full he settled in for a nap and I headed for work. Btw I had heard that Pop called Shannon in the afternoon and let her know he wanted spaghetti for supper. My first thought was "huh?" Pop wanting spaghetti? Was wondering if it was someone else's Pop. Maybe it is the after effect of the anethesia. Never heard him ask for spaghetti before although we are venturing into a lot of first lately. The good thing....Pop seems like he is feeling much better and I hope he was able to eat tonight without too much pain. Your prayers are working, please keep them coming. Until later.
Love God; love people
TW
Love God; love people
TW
Saturday, February 13, 2010
God's Reminders
Around the Hope Lodge the driveway is paved with bricks that are obviously donated. These bricks have names and messages inscribed in them by the folks that have contributed and it was interesting to check them out. Each has a story I'm sure.We came upon this one early on in Pops treatment. It was so encouraging to us. Dr. Chiappori is Pops oncologist and Dr. Dilling is Pops radiation doctor. Apparently not their first Bar-B Que as is evident by this message. God sends these little comforting messages at just the time we seem to need them. We just had to share it.
Clowning around in reverse isolation?????
We had to protect Pop while his WBC count was low so we hid our faces. Wonder if he felt protected?
The Battle Continues
Wow! Days are turning into weeks and as I checked out the blog this evening it dawned on me no one has updated it in a week. Again I apologize, no excuses, although there are probably plenty of reasons. The restaurant has been seasonally busy while school, sports, kids stuff, and Pop care seems to take the the rest of the free time. It's all good though and as I have said before "we welcome the blessings".
First things first ..... Pop is doing much better .... at least in my mind. Recently, as you recall, Pop was spending much of his time in the hospital trying to beat a low WBC count brought on by his first dose of regular chemo and second dose of his clinical trial medicine. We had been warned, so it wasn't much of a surprize. What was surprizing though, was the hard time Pop was having swallowing. The Doctors "scoped" him to take a peek and found that he has a terrible radiation induced burn near the bottom of his esophagus. It was the end of December when Pop had his last radiation treatment and that suped up tanning bed on steroids is still having it effects. Needless to say his esophagus has narrowed to the point he can not take solid foods and has a hard time with liquids. A week starving in the hospital trying to get his WBC count up pushed Pop to the limit. He convinced (with a little help from Shannon) the doctors to put a feeding tube (g tube) in to help him take nourishment. The Doctor mentioned to me it was his first time having a patient request(insist) on getting a feeding tube. Pop was determined to not starve. In fact, he had his appetitie back and was down right hungry. He was desperately trying to eat .... just nothing would go down. Pop got his wish and the doctors put a feeding tube in on Monday morning. Its amazing what a little nutrition can do. Within a couple days his color and attitude was much better. Friends have been visiting and some taking turns "feeding" him and I know he appreciates all the visits and attention. You all are blessings! Pop told me tonight he has a couple of appointments this coming week with his team of cancer doctors so we shall see what they have to say. It will be interesting to get their perspective and suggestions on Pops situation.
It seems Pop is battling lots of stuff .... to the point I almost forget its still cancer. Getting sidetracked on nutrition, feeding tubes, WBC counts, fevers, boosts, doctor appointments, and all the other stuff considered "the cancer treatment" is mind-boggling. So much so it reminds us that this is truely waging war on a terrible disease! An out and out war with many little battles, skirmishes, and conflicts from all angles. Battles I guess I had thought about but not really considered. Sometimes it seems Pop is battling the cure as much as the cancer. Doctors do what they can do, Pop does what he can do, and we hope and pray He is strong enough to fight one more day.
Its funny how our prayers change during this journey. I have continueously prayed for earthly healing for Pop, thats the selfish part of me pleading with God to make my daddy well. But my prayers lately have also included that during Pop's journey with cancer for God to show His power and His love in all the circumstances. That God himself will instill His Holy Spirit power within Pop to strengthen him to endure any pain and suffering with joy and peace. That people will see that Pop loves God and that Pop loves people and realize ....... that only comes from God. God loves us ..... and he loves you to .... simply because he chooses to. Cancer or not! What a thought!
BTW - Relay for Life is coming up. Lake Placid Family Restaurant is sponsoring a team, come by and join. If you are not in Lake Placid sponsor a team in your area. This event helps fund the American Cancer Society which supports lots of cancer related things including the Hope Lodge, a place where Pop was able to stay during his radiation treatment. Amazing place, amazing cause, amazing people that are on the front lines of the war on cancer everyday. Contact us if you would like more info.
Love God Love People
TW
First things first ..... Pop is doing much better .... at least in my mind. Recently, as you recall, Pop was spending much of his time in the hospital trying to beat a low WBC count brought on by his first dose of regular chemo and second dose of his clinical trial medicine. We had been warned, so it wasn't much of a surprize. What was surprizing though, was the hard time Pop was having swallowing. The Doctors "scoped" him to take a peek and found that he has a terrible radiation induced burn near the bottom of his esophagus. It was the end of December when Pop had his last radiation treatment and that suped up tanning bed on steroids is still having it effects. Needless to say his esophagus has narrowed to the point he can not take solid foods and has a hard time with liquids. A week starving in the hospital trying to get his WBC count up pushed Pop to the limit. He convinced (with a little help from Shannon) the doctors to put a feeding tube (g tube) in to help him take nourishment. The Doctor mentioned to me it was his first time having a patient request(insist) on getting a feeding tube. Pop was determined to not starve. In fact, he had his appetitie back and was down right hungry. He was desperately trying to eat .... just nothing would go down. Pop got his wish and the doctors put a feeding tube in on Monday morning. Its amazing what a little nutrition can do. Within a couple days his color and attitude was much better. Friends have been visiting and some taking turns "feeding" him and I know he appreciates all the visits and attention. You all are blessings! Pop told me tonight he has a couple of appointments this coming week with his team of cancer doctors so we shall see what they have to say. It will be interesting to get their perspective and suggestions on Pops situation.
It seems Pop is battling lots of stuff .... to the point I almost forget its still cancer. Getting sidetracked on nutrition, feeding tubes, WBC counts, fevers, boosts, doctor appointments, and all the other stuff considered "the cancer treatment" is mind-boggling. So much so it reminds us that this is truely waging war on a terrible disease! An out and out war with many little battles, skirmishes, and conflicts from all angles. Battles I guess I had thought about but not really considered. Sometimes it seems Pop is battling the cure as much as the cancer. Doctors do what they can do, Pop does what he can do, and we hope and pray He is strong enough to fight one more day.
Its funny how our prayers change during this journey. I have continueously prayed for earthly healing for Pop, thats the selfish part of me pleading with God to make my daddy well. But my prayers lately have also included that during Pop's journey with cancer for God to show His power and His love in all the circumstances. That God himself will instill His Holy Spirit power within Pop to strengthen him to endure any pain and suffering with joy and peace. That people will see that Pop loves God and that Pop loves people and realize ....... that only comes from God. God loves us ..... and he loves you to .... simply because he chooses to. Cancer or not! What a thought!
BTW - Relay for Life is coming up. Lake Placid Family Restaurant is sponsoring a team, come by and join. If you are not in Lake Placid sponsor a team in your area. This event helps fund the American Cancer Society which supports lots of cancer related things including the Hope Lodge, a place where Pop was able to stay during his radiation treatment. Amazing place, amazing cause, amazing people that are on the front lines of the war on cancer everyday. Contact us if you would like more info.
Love God Love People
TW
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Update
Sam was discharged yesterday evening. I know he was glad to get home. He is most likely going to get a feeding tube placed tomorrow locally. He will call in the morning to see when that can happen as an out patient.
Keep praying!
Toni
Keep praying!
Toni
Friday, February 5, 2010
Another quick update...
Sam is still in the hospital in Lake Placid. Hopefully he will be discharged tomorrow. Yesterday he had an EGD and they stretched his esophagus a little to help with the narrowing in a 3cm area. He is still on liquids and most of the liquids stayed down today. His potassium level was down so he had to get a K rider to improve that. His white blood cell count was up to 3.8 today. I know Sam is hoping in one way to get a feeding tube sometime, somewhere so he can get some better nutrition. He said he feels like he is getting weaker instead of stronger.
Please continue to pray!
Toni
Please continue to pray!
Toni
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Another Bump in the Journey!
Well, no discharge for Pop tonight! Pop started running a temp of 100.8 so Pop won't be going anywhere right now. The good news this morning was that his white blood cell count was up to 3.2. The problem now is that he has a fever again. Also he is still having problems swallowing. Everything seems to get hung as Pop explains it. He had a barium swallow test tonight, but we do not have any results at this point. They may want to do some more tests, but we will wait until the morning to see what is happening. He hasn't taken in any solid food in the last couple of days and sometimes the Boosts won't stay where they need to stay! No experimental drug infusion this week!
Keep praying please!
Toni
Keep praying please!
Toni
Quick Update!
As of yesterday morning Pop's white blood cell count was up to 1.3 and they expect that he will be discharged sometime today. Great news! His blood cultures showed no growth. Also he has not had a fever for a couple of days. He was still on antibiotics yesterday, but not on a continuous IV infusion. He still cannot eat solid foods, but did manage to drink a couple Boosts yesterday and was planning on drinking a couple more. Drinking water is still too difficult to handle. He says the stuff just feels like it gets stuck! The GI Dr. came to see him yesterday afternoon and stated that he would not order any invasive procedures here since he has had radiation in the past. We were very thankful for that. Not sure if they are going to try anything else or just wait and see what the Drs. at Moffitt say. I will let you know more later when I go up to visit!
Keep praying! Toni
Keep praying! Toni
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Some bumps along the way ~ a quick update
Its Sunday morning and I wanted to give everyone a quick update on some recent changes. Yesterday Pop was admitted into Florida Hospital Lake Placid. He had a fever and chills. The Drs. at Moffitt warned us that it was quite common between day 7 and 14 that some chemo patients could experience a sudden drop in their white blood cell count. It is identifiable by fever. Yesterday was day 9 so it seems Pop fell into that common range. Whats crazy is Pop was feeling good yesterday morning and even went to the restaurant for breakfast. Sometime in the afternoon he got shaky and began to run a fever. Sonya took him in as the Dr. at Moffit instructed us too. His white cell count fell to a dangerously low .5 and his fever was a little over 102. They admitted him into the hospital in reverse isolation (meaning we are supposed to wear gloves and masks and limit visitors) to protect him from any infection or disease. They put him on IV's and some IV antibiotics and are going to run another set of labs this am to see where his white cell count is today. We are hoping it rebounds on it's own. Just a little bump in the road aa Pops Moffitt care team told us this may happen. It's kinda scarey but when they let you know it may be coming it does calm some anxiety. Will update you later today on anything as we find out. Keep the prayers coming for a higher white cell count and Pops comfort in an uncomfortable place and situation. Also special prayers for our patience as caregivers as we can be a bit impatient when it comes to Pops care. Hospitals are pretty common to us and we don't usually cut the folks much slack if we don't feel Pop is getting proper care. I'm afraid we have been spoiled by the folks at Moffitt in Tampa. They are the best.
I know ..... I know....... the folks at the hospital are people too...and Love God;Love people has been my motto. When it comes to Pop it much easier to abide by that "Love people" command if they are taking proper care of him*L*
Take care
LG;LP
TW
I know ..... I know....... the folks at the hospital are people too...and Love God;Love people has been my motto. When it comes to Pop it much easier to abide by that "Love people" command if they are taking proper care of him*L*
Take care
LG;LP
TW
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Just some thoughts
Here it is late Wednesday night or I guess early Thursday morning and I'm a bit restless. Praise team practice was short tonight but the reflection and prayer time afterwards took a bit longer. It was good to cry out to God and confess we didn't know what all He was calling us too nor how to accomplish it. I can't help to think that Loving Him and loving people would be at the top of His list. I guess the main reason I'm restless though is that Pop is going for his second round of infusions in just a few hours. I visited with Pop tonight for an hour or so. Yesterday was tough. Nausea ...... no.... the way he described it .... sounded like he was just plain sick. Told him I thought it was from the meds killing the cancer, he joked he thought it was the meds killing him. He felt pretty good and he was in a good mood, teasing and picking at me, but his comment stunned me and has made me a bit restless. I know the trick with this cancer treatment is to poison and kill the cancer without killing the patient and it seems the doctors walk a fine line sometimes in acheiving this. I guess I'm restless because until now I haven't been concerned with the treatment killing the body. My prayers have been that the treatment is killing the cancer but isn't killing Pop's spirit. That his hope, determination and fight doesn't die. Don't get me wrong.....I didn't see any of that happening in our visit tonight. Pop seemed determined as always and his mood was good. He did have to let me in on some of the side effects he was feeling from the chemo although he wasn't complaining about them. It was encouraging to see him upbeat.
I know this post is not "in the norm" as my post go, but it is just some thoughts I have been wrestling with. I have tried to chose my prayers very carefully these days as I firmly believe God hears everyone of them and responds. So I think I will keep on praying that the treatment kills the cancer and not Pops spirit. Not just for Pop's sake but for Gods glory.
As I close for the evening I have to give a big Thank You to Mr. Buddy as he is going with Pop to Moffitt this go round. I hope Pop feels well and they have a chance to visit, tell stories, and brag on their grandchildren. The things they do best.*L* Have fun guys!
Love God;Love People
TW
I know this post is not "in the norm" as my post go, but it is just some thoughts I have been wrestling with. I have tried to chose my prayers very carefully these days as I firmly believe God hears everyone of them and responds. So I think I will keep on praying that the treatment kills the cancer and not Pops spirit. Not just for Pop's sake but for Gods glory.
As I close for the evening I have to give a big Thank You to Mr. Buddy as he is going with Pop to Moffitt this go round. I hope Pop feels well and they have a chance to visit, tell stories, and brag on their grandchildren. The things they do best.*L* Have fun guys!
Love God;Love People
TW
Monday, January 25, 2010
Bing! Bing! Bing! Round two!
First of all I have to apologize that we haven't kept you all up on the going on's with Pop and his treatment. Emotionally, physically, and mentally I think the Weaver clan needed a couple weeks to recover and regroup. After Pop finished his 35 radiation treatments on New Years Eve, he began his two week "rest" phase. I think the caregivers also took a rest period, a time away so to speak. The restaurant has been super busy so Shannon and Sonya hasn't had much of a rest during this "rest phase" but we count that as part of the blessings. The opportunity to serve our friends and family in the "eatin" business is in our blood and just what we do. Part of that genetic material passed on by Pop and Reba.
Toni reported on our first trip back to Moffitt in the middle of the rest phase for the day for tests and a Dr. visit. We discussed his progress some and went over a tentative agenda for his next set of treatments. All went well but it was a long busy day and Pop was tired at the end.
Another week passed as Pop rested, ate better, and even got "out with the boys" some. Nausea came and went but Pop was diligent with drinking his boost and eating as he could. His throat got increasingly sore and swallowing got more difficult but we chaulked it up to his body healing from the radiation.
Thursday the 21st would be when Pop began round two of the fight. Shannon took him over to Moffitt to get the tests results and begin his chemo treatments and continue his clinical trial treatments. These are both infusions meaning he will have to travel one day a week over to Moffitt for an IV. His clinical trial will be a weekly infusion and the chemo will be every third week continueing until the middle of March. This was another long day but was encouraging as Pop's CT scan showed the tumor had shrunk 16%. (We told ya God is good! Can I get a praise shout out!*S*) From my understanding, this was a little better than expected and the Dr. thought Pop was doing well with treatment. My thoughts were "what else would you expect...he's always been a pretty good Pop."
It is now Monday night and Thursday is coming up fast. I had the opportunity to visit with Pop today at lunch just he and I and he informed me that I had better update the blog. His friends told him they missed the frequent updates and the blessing we were sharing. I have to admit I have caught a little grief myself because we haven't kept the blog updated. My response is: Thank you for letting us know you care, that you keep up, and that you love Pop. That is so encouraging to us and to him. I could tell by the way he let me know today in his private way that it is our responsibility to love back by shareing with you. Its that Love God; Love people thing that he demonstrates. I don't think I have ever heard him actually say that phrase, but his actions have been much more than words could ever say.
Love God; Love people reminded me I bought Pop a book called "when God and cancer meet". I haven't given it to him yet as I have been reading it first. *L* I reccommend it. Something in it touched me and I have to share it. In the last chapter the author summed it up. She, like me, believe we are a complex creation consisting of mind, heart, and soul. Souls with a body. Scripture speaks on this in Dt 6:5 when it tells us "how" to love God. The author addresses this in addressing the needs of a cancer survivor (she never addresses a cancer patient as a victim but rather a victor ~ but thats another post).
She says:
The heart of a cancer survivor needs to find the right attitude.
The mind of a cancer survivor needs to find peace.
The soul of a cancer survivor needs to find hope.
Hope, Peace, Attitude, as in the attitude of Christ Jesus. Hmmmm, sound familiar? Sounds like God to me. Cause when God and cancer meet .....the outcome of the fight is already a given ......we win!
Love God; Love People!
TW
Toni reported on our first trip back to Moffitt in the middle of the rest phase for the day for tests and a Dr. visit. We discussed his progress some and went over a tentative agenda for his next set of treatments. All went well but it was a long busy day and Pop was tired at the end.
Another week passed as Pop rested, ate better, and even got "out with the boys" some. Nausea came and went but Pop was diligent with drinking his boost and eating as he could. His throat got increasingly sore and swallowing got more difficult but we chaulked it up to his body healing from the radiation.
Thursday the 21st would be when Pop began round two of the fight. Shannon took him over to Moffitt to get the tests results and begin his chemo treatments and continue his clinical trial treatments. These are both infusions meaning he will have to travel one day a week over to Moffitt for an IV. His clinical trial will be a weekly infusion and the chemo will be every third week continueing until the middle of March. This was another long day but was encouraging as Pop's CT scan showed the tumor had shrunk 16%. (We told ya God is good! Can I get a praise shout out!*S*) From my understanding, this was a little better than expected and the Dr. thought Pop was doing well with treatment. My thoughts were "what else would you expect...he's always been a pretty good Pop."
It is now Monday night and Thursday is coming up fast. I had the opportunity to visit with Pop today at lunch just he and I and he informed me that I had better update the blog. His friends told him they missed the frequent updates and the blessing we were sharing. I have to admit I have caught a little grief myself because we haven't kept the blog updated. My response is: Thank you for letting us know you care, that you keep up, and that you love Pop. That is so encouraging to us and to him. I could tell by the way he let me know today in his private way that it is our responsibility to love back by shareing with you. Its that Love God; Love people thing that he demonstrates. I don't think I have ever heard him actually say that phrase, but his actions have been much more than words could ever say.
Love God; Love people reminded me I bought Pop a book called "when God and cancer meet". I haven't given it to him yet as I have been reading it first. *L* I reccommend it. Something in it touched me and I have to share it. In the last chapter the author summed it up. She, like me, believe we are a complex creation consisting of mind, heart, and soul. Souls with a body. Scripture speaks on this in Dt 6:5 when it tells us "how" to love God. The author addresses this in addressing the needs of a cancer survivor (she never addresses a cancer patient as a victim but rather a victor ~ but thats another post).
She says:
The heart of a cancer survivor needs to find the right attitude.
The mind of a cancer survivor needs to find peace.
The soul of a cancer survivor needs to find hope.
Hope, Peace, Attitude, as in the attitude of Christ Jesus. Hmmmm, sound familiar? Sounds like God to me. Cause when God and cancer meet .....the outcome of the fight is already a given ......we win!
Love God; Love People!
TW
Monday, January 11, 2010
Moffitt for the Day
This morning Pop felt yucky, but around 10:45am he felt good enough to make the trip to Moffitt for tests. First, we headed to the pharmacy to drop off a Rx. Second, we headed to the lab and his blood was drawn pretty quickly. Third, it was time to meet with his case worker regarding how he was doing with the clinical trial. Fourth, we headed to the pulmonary function test department for another test. Pop said that he did better than the last time he had this test! Fifth, we visited the diagnostic imaging department for a CT scan of the chest. After these were all done we took a trip to the 4th floor for a glass of grape juice (Pop loves his grape juice) and then headed to the cafeteria for a bite to eat before we drove back home. Pop managed to eat a half a bowl of soup and a glass of fruit punch. Pop was really shaky during this time, but that finally decreased as time went on. On our way out at least Pop remembered that we still needed to pick up that Rx. Then it was time to hit the road and head back to Lake Placid.
Just a side note: We got to see one of the ladies (Diane)that stayed at the Hope Lodge during the time Pop stayed at the Hope Lodge, along with her caregiver and son. Please keep Diane in your prayers. She will be having surgery on 01/13/10. It was nice to see some familiar faces! Maybe next time we will have time to stop by the Hope Lodge for a visit.
Pop will return to Moffitt on Jan. 21st to start chemo and the experimental drug and also get the results from the tests. He needs to gain some weight before then since he is down to 172 lbs. Good bye for now! Toni and Terry
Just a side note: We got to see one of the ladies (Diane)that stayed at the Hope Lodge during the time Pop stayed at the Hope Lodge, along with her caregiver and son. Please keep Diane in your prayers. She will be having surgery on 01/13/10. It was nice to see some familiar faces! Maybe next time we will have time to stop by the Hope Lodge for a visit.
Pop will return to Moffitt on Jan. 21st to start chemo and the experimental drug and also get the results from the tests. He needs to gain some weight before then since he is down to 172 lbs. Good bye for now! Toni and Terry
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