Believe

• "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24
• This is our daily verse. We truly believe that Ric is being healed and if you can see him you will understand why we say that. Even his Doc is amazed at where his blood work numbers are at in relation to where they were just a couple months ago. Doc has no explanation for it other than a Higher Power is doing it. Ric is continuing to gain weight - absolutely no pain - gaining strength every day - appetite is tremendous. We praise God every day for what He is doing for Ric. It is our miracle - we are so blessed.
• Thank you so very much for your continued prayers for him as your prayers are making a difference. One thing that most people don't understand is the power of prayer and especially when many people pray together for the same result. If all did truly believe it then we could change the world with our prayers.
• We had a very nice Christmas - spent time with our families in Othello. It was an energizer for Ric and seeing him energized also energizes me. We have recharged our batteries and are ready to continue moving forward. We also are looking forward to what 2012 will bring us all.
• 2011 is pretty much a blur with so many ups & downs - blows to the gut - several times wondering if Ric was going to make it or not. A rollercoaster ride it has truly been. Our family understands that life is precious & not to be taken for granted. Our life before this was what most people would think nearly perfect but we now really understand what a perfect life is. Spending time with those you love EVERY day. All the other stuff is just that STUFF. We have everything that we need - our family, a roof over our heads, food to eat, clean water, good jobs, wonderful friends & neighbors. Could not ask for ANYTHING more!
• Our prayer for each & every one of you is that you have good health, love in your life, and friends & family to surround you . May God bless you all. Happy New Year!

Up another pound!

• Ric had his treatment today & is up another 1.2lbs since last Thursday. He said that he feels so good today - the best that he has in 9 months. Yes it has been 9 months already since Ric was diagnosed with cancer! Crazy. In some ways it seems as if this year has just passed by but then at other times it's dragged out :)
• Saturday we had a nice visit with Octaviano, his girlfriend Berta and his mother Irene. Octaviano also has cancer - multiple myeloma.
• Sunday our friend Stu Hill fixed us a wonderful salmon dinner - it was great having dinner with him, Robin, Lauren and Stu Jr.
• Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! We know that this will be our best Christmas ever.

Climbing!

• Another really good week. Went to Monday Night Football game with our neighbors Tom & Wendy. Had a great time hanging out with them. That's where we took our picture with our Seahawk Santa hats.
• Ric had his bi-monthly Dr appt yesterday and he's up another 3 lbs for a total gain of 13 lbs since his low weight point on Nov. 8th. All his lab work numbers continue to improve - some pretty amazingly so in the last couple weeks. Doc stated that Ric's miraculous recovery is not due to anything that he is doing but is definitely God working. It's good to hear others saying what we definitely know to be true. Doc said he doesn't want to see him again till after the holidays so we get a little break from Dr. appts. He will still be getting his Avastin treatments every two weeks with his next one coming up on Tuesday.
• Ric is looking more like his old self although he still tires easily and needs at least another 20 lbs to be at a healthy weight. His appetite is still really great - he amazes me on how much he's putting away. Maybe the steroids are finally kicking in.
• I just want to thank you all for the prayers especially for me as I cannot tell you what total peace I have been feeling over this past month. Please continue your prayers as they are truly working! Love you all!
• If I don't get a chance to post again before Christmas, hope you have a very Merry Christmas and get to spend wonderful memory time with your families. Don't forget to do something special for someone else who is struggling right now as that is the reason for the season - love others more than you love yourself - that's what Jesus did and we are to be like him!
• Oh yes and since Ric's oncologist is Jewish want to make sure that we say Happy Hanukkah - which begins on Dec 20th!

Woohoo!

This is gonna be a short update - Ric is up another 5 lbs! YESSSSSS! Had another treatment today. We are enjoying things going in a positive direction now. Please keep Ric in your prayers for protection from side effects, continued weight gain, continued appetite and those tumors to be getting smaller and disappearing! Thanks for your love, prayers & support!

Even More Thankful - Revised @ 10:25pm

So I've revised this to add a couple more items that needed to be told in this post! You'll have to re-read it to get the added news. :)
• The last couple weeks (other than the fall) have been really good. We had a very nice Thanksgiving - Holly's boyfriend John cooked a wonderful spread with some side dishes also made by his mom. John's family, Rocky & Ember and my sister Renee, her husband Ted & son Johnny joined us. Johnny is with the Stryker brigade & getting ready to ship out to Afghanistan so we were very happy to be able to see him. Ric ate alot of food so hopefully that will result in some added weight when we go to his dr appt this afternoon. His appetite has been fabulous so just been praying that some of it sticks to his ribs literally!
• Friday night we had dinner with former Rebels players Molly & Megan and Megan's parents Mike & Nancy. Molly & her boyfriend Russ attend WSU so of course there was banter between them & Ric about the upcoming Apple Cup. Megan goes to college at University of Missouri so we were excited to be able to see her during this break.
• Went to Apple Cup - weather was great & Ric had lots of energy to be able to enjoy the whole game & a couple hours of pre-game in the event center. As you can see by the picture above, we finally got to meet Jim Lambright (former UW Football Coach) in person. In a previous post on the blog, Jim had called Ric to encourage him in his battle. It was really great to talk to him in person and thank him.
• Thursday before Thanksgiving we were blessed with a visit from my wonderful friend Danette & her two daughters Alyssa & Nichole. Danette & I have been friends since Junior High & she lives in Oregon. She brought us some of her homemade salsa which Ric is now enjoying.
• Sunday we had a wonderful phone conversation with our longtime friend Ive who lives in Florida. Ive is our older "sister" from UW college days. We'd lost her phone number & finally was able to get her to contact us thru her son Brandon as we knew she would want to know about Ric's battle & be praying for him (and as she said call everyone she knows to pray for him).
• Ended the holiday weekend with a very nice visit with Glen & Becky yesterday evening. Had to drop off some gifts for them to take to the children we sponsor in Nicaragua & for some good friends there as they will be heading to Nicaragua later this week for the graduation ceremony at Dario Christian Academy. It had been our hope that we would be able to attend the graduation since this will be the first graduating class from high school. We hope & pray that God will allow us to return to Nicaragua sometime next year. The staff & the children at Dario Christian Academy have been praying for Ric's healing also & have sent us many encouraging videos, letters, e-mails.
• Ric had his doctor appt today and he is up 3 more lbs for a total of 5 lbs since November 8th! You should have seen the smile on his face as he was standing on the scale & saw where his weight was. I have not seen that smile in way too long so it was FABULOUS to see him smile like that again!
• Thanks again for all your prayers, love & support. Please continue to pray for no side effects from the Avastin & that those tumors keep shrinking smaller & smaller and that Ric continues to gain weight. Also please pray for Ric's youngest sister Minerva as she's been having some health issues lately. She is the one he donated the kidney to in 2000.

Ups then downs - literally

So today started out being a very good day. Appetite is still UP. Ric is UP another pound! He had his 2nd Avastin treatment this round and was feeling good. His recent craving has been for hamburgers (not sure why) so we went to Dick's on Broadway for burgers and fries. Then we decided to stop by Michael's in Issaquah to buy some items to send to some of our little friends in Nicaragua (others are heading down next week). As Ric was getting out of the car and stepped up on the curb, his knee buckled and he fell. Usually he waits for me to come around to help him when getting out of the car but this time he did not. Maybe because he was feeling so good. Unfortunately he bruised his left ribs and ended up with a big bump on the left side of his forehead. His head hit the concrete so hard that I heard a crack and I was in total fear as I ran over to him. He didn't lose conciousness and actually was extremely mad at himself for not being able to right himself when he started to fall. It was pouring down rain at the time and he was getting soaked so I was able to get a worker at Michael's to help me get him back in the car. Called 911 so the EFR crew was there in no time. All his vitals were fine but we took him to Swedish/Issy ER. They took xray of his ribs - no fractures and because of him being treated with Avastin they had to do a CT scan to make sure there was no bleeding in his brain. Fortunately no issues - Thank God! But he is in alot of pain with his bruised ribs. Of course all of this really frustrated him as he was having such a good day. So for now please pray for quick healing of his bruised ribs and the bump on his head and that there will be no issues from this little setback.

Things are good

Ric continues to amaze me. Just last week he was needing a walker to get around as he was pretty weak due to the dehydration due to the chemo side effects and the additional weight loss. On Tuesday when we had to go to his Dr appt he decided he didn't need it and has not used it since. Our San Diego trip was really needed by both of us. We had a fabulous time - got to see lots of good friends and soaked in lots of sunshine. It really lifted us both up. Dr. appt went well. He's up one pound! Although that does not seem like a big deal it is since most every appt since August he has dropped some weight. Everyone at the Doc's office commented on how much better Ric is doing since earlier in the month. For now we are focusing on getting Ric to gain some more weight. If he keeps eating like he is that shouldn't be a problem. He'll be continuing the treatments every two weeks. Next one is next Tuesday.

It's Thursday

• Ric started back on Avastin treatments on Tuesday. He will do them every two weeks with no chemo for the time being. We are very happy about the no chemo as that just totally trashed him. He also had to have two more bags of saline during his Avastin treatment on Tuesday. Still dehydrated but getting better. His appetite has picked back up without meds. He already has to take so many meds that he did not want to add more to it. I'm okay with that as long as his appetite keeps up. He's wayyyy too skinny for me. This week has been an encouragement with how he feels. Hoping that he's got the worst of the chemo side effects behind him. The mouth sores are gone so thanks for your prayers for that!
• We were originally hoping to be back at work this week but with the issues over the last few weeks it's back up in the air again. I know at some point I am going to have to return to work. I have been sooooo blessed by my coworkers donating vacation time to me so that I could stay home with Ric. You all do not realize how much I appreciate that. The people I work with are the most wonderful caring people. They have been so supportive in so many ways. We've always loved working at MacMiller but with this situation it has really pointed out what a great company it is because of the people there. Can't say thanks enough. We both really miss being there every day.
• We also have the most awesome neighbors - they have done so much for us also. Even though I know that they think it's just little things - those little things become a really big deal when you already have so much on your plate.
• It's such a beautiful but chilly day today. We are looking forward to a short walk outside after it warms up a bit more.
• We are excited as we are going to take a little trip for a long weekend to visit some friends in California. Friends (former neighbors) are lending us their condo in San Diego so we can go enjoy some sunshine (although it might rain a little while there). Once again so very blessed by those we love.
• I am a very optimistic person and always try to find the best in everyone and everything. This battle that Ric is fighting is an extremely difficult battle and a very serious battle. The fact that he is still alive and doing as well as he is doing is a miracle in itself. I am very aware of the fact that at any point in time he could be taken from me. I will continue to be optimistic and continue to pray for the miracles needed for my husband to be with me as long as God will allow it. I ask for you to pray with me for that. I live this reality every day and thank God every morning when I wake up and my husband is still here with me. Do you do that with your loved ones? If you don't you need to consider doing it as none of us are promised tomorrow. Love them like they deserve to be loved.
• My faith gives me the strength I need every day. I know that Ric will be healed either here on earth or in heaven and that since we both have been saved this life is not all there is. Don't know how people who have no hope that there is something more than this life can ever go through anything such as this. God prepared us to be ready for this challenge - we can see that as we look back on our lives. Watching Ric go through this battle just amazes me as he never complains, never says why me or anything like that. He knows that there is a purpose in all of this whether it is for us or maybe for you.
• Thanks again for all your love, support & prayers. We are so very blessed by all of you!

Next Steps

I know that you all have been waiting to hear what we found out. Sorry I should have told you that our appt wasn't until 3:30pm today. The Doc's office has just implemented a new registration/billing software program this week so we had to start from square one in filling out paperwork & getting re-registered. The new software didn't allow them the ability to automatically transfer information from the old software - hmmmm ..... Ric has to get blood drawn each time he gets an infusion or sees the Doc. So after re-registration we had to go to the lab. Sorry having fun just letting you sit on the edge of your chair waiting to hear what we found out :) Ok so Doc said and showed us that there has been significant improvement in both the brain and the liver. Right now because of the recent chemo side effects (mainly diarrhea & mouth sores) Ric is dehydrated & malnourished - he lost more weight in the last couple weeks. So the plan of attack is for him to get some additional hydration therapy tomorrow, medication to help increase his appetite, then back to Doc next week to check hydration. If hydration level is where Doc wants to see it next week, Ric will resume Avastin treatments every two weeks - no chemo. Ric will see the Doc every two weeks for now. We are very happy with this news. We knew that there was improvement because the swelling in Ric's liver had totally gone away. And we knew that brain-wise he is good. It's just that you really need to hear what you think you know. And this was just after 6 treatments so we hope & pray for even more improvement with additional treatments. This does not mean Ric is out of the woods though. We need to get his hydration back on track and he really needs to put on weight. We expect that the two meds they are putting him on will help with the appetite. Also even though he won't be doing chemo this round - as Doc thought it would do him more harm than good - the Avastin has it's own potential side effects. So lots of prayers for the last few mouth sores to be gone, hydration levels to return to normal, for appetite increase & good weight gain over the next few weeks, for protection from side effects and continued tumor reduction. God has truly blessed us - not only with this positive news today but with all of you - your love, support & prayers.

Where does the ride go from here?

Tomorrow is a big day I guess. We will find out what the CT scan & MRI are showing as of last week. I say I guess because I'm not really sure what it will all mean. We've been carried by God's grace, strength & miracles so far and I'm not sure that will change irregardless of what these show. We are praying for something positive but yet preparing ourselves in case it isn't. That's why my title is "Where does the ride go from here?" These last couple weeks have been really hard on Ric. The mouth sores returned so he's had a hard time eating & talking. They are much better today and he ate alot more than he has for awhile. He tells me that once they are fully gone then he's eating everything in sight! He's really wiped out most of the time but that apparently is called chemo fatigue. Today was a much better day than it has been for awhile so I am hoping that we are starting to move past the horrible chemo effects. Again I can't imagine if he was doing a more toxic higher dosage chemo as this has been a nightmare. My husband is one of the strongest people I know and he does not complain at all. I know that I could not be as nice as he has been while going through this. Oh he has snapped at me but only because I deserved it as I was hounding him to do something. But most of the time that was me becoming fearful that he needed to do something or he was going to get worse. It took my very wonderful daughter Holly to put me back into perspective that Ric needed to be the one to do what was needed and that I could not force him to do those things. Of course that would mean I would totally have to relinquish any form of control that I thought I had and since I'm a control freak (less than I used to be really) it was very hard for me to do that. I still struggle with it at times. But it's more that I cannot imagine my life without him and that totally freaks me out. I was able to get some Me time these past few days thanks to my brother Rusty. I'm sure Ric was thankful too! Also heard good news this morning about my sister Becky - her lymph nodes and cancer markers are clear - praise God about that! So asking for prayers for some positive news tomorrow, the mouth sores to GO AWAY, for Ric to continuing gaining strength each day and for peace & comfort for us both.

It's Friday

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in the Pacific NW but now the rain has started! Ric had his CT scan & MRI yesterday afternoon. Now we just get to wait until next Thursday to find out what's going on inside of him. He's been having some low energy days lately - doing alot of sleeping & having to use the walker to get around as he's a little unstable. His appetite comes & goes so I try to take advantage when it's good to get him to munch out as much as possible. Being a fulltime caregiver is a tough job. I never really wanted to be a nurse :) but it's where I am supposed to be right now. Ric has the toughest job though in fighting this crappy disease! So not too much to talk about. Just continue praying for Ric's healing - that he would continue to gain his strength back as that is really frustrating him right now.

For Today

So the weekend was pretty much non-eventful. Hung out at the house - Ric mostly slept especially through the football games :) He had a doctors appt Monday morning - blood work and review of where his electrolytes are at after the weekend. Labs were improved especially white blood cell count and electrolytes not quite where they wanted them but the diarrhea was still an issue. Plenty of Gatorade and a prescription for something a bit stronger than Imodium was what was in the works. So at this time it seems that the diarrhea is gone - yeah! We had a nice low key birthday dinner last night at The Spaghetti Factory for Ric. He received lots of birthday wishes although I know that he would have loved to be celebrating his birthday much differently! This afternoon he's just sitting in his chair next to the window soaking in the sunshine. This Thursday he will be getting the CT scan & MRI to see where things are at. The bummer is that we have to wait till next Thursday to see the doc to review the results and what's next on the agenda. Guess we will have to keep ourselves busy over the next week so we aren't going crazy waiting.......right now it's just one day at a time. :)

Going Home Today

Doc says Ric will be going home from the hospital today - don't know exactly what time yet. Ric is very happy about that. The diarrhea is still here but slowed down a tiny bit. Imodium will be our friend until we can get that stopped. He will have to take potassium orally and focus on keeping himself hydrated. Blood work on Monday (his birthday) to make sure things are still where they need to be. Then figuring out when the scans will be done. Looks like I'm going to have to cancel/reschedule the New York trip. Not sure when and not looking forward to traveling there in November or December. We'll have to talk to Dr. Issacs tomorrow or Monday to see what we should do. So prayers please for Ric's continued healing. Holly's perspective on this delay before the scans is that God needed a little more healing time for Ric before we see what's going on. Please continue praying for my brother Alan & his family - he's got colon cancer - been through surgery and chemo. He's a much bigger guy than Ric but apparently has lost like 80 lbs. My sister Becky is having surgery tomorrow to remove a cancerous polyp in her lower colon so please pray for her, hubby Frank and her doctors. Pray for my parents - that they would be at peace with all this chaos going on around them in their family. And last but not least keep little Hannah, Frank, Octaviano,Vermalinda & Janelle in your prayers that they would be healed from their cancer.

Not Today

So Ric will not be going home today as his electrolytes are still not where they need to be so the IV is back flowing with 3 different bags of fluids. He looks better and feels better but need to get things back in line before they can send him home. He took a shower this morning and is eating a good breakfast. Need to also get the diarrhea to stop as that is what is throwing him off. But as I said yesterday this is all the results of the chemo. What's interesting is he had a very low dose of chemo and it was a low toxicity chemo. Hate to see what he would have had for side effects if it was a longer stint of chemo with a higher toxicity. ugggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg! He is not very happy about this but as the doctors told him it would not be good to send him home like this as there are too many things that could happen - all of which are really bad. Believe me I would like to get him home too so I could sleep in my own bed - this recliner chair is not at all comfortable and hospitals are not a good place to try to get some sleep. They will not be doing the CT scan nor MRI here at the hospital due to what the insurance will/will not pay. So he will not be getting them until next week which also means our New York trip will probably have to be rescheduled. Trying to keep the spirits up but it's really getting difficult when everything just seems to be a roadblock. My job at work is to help remove roadblocks but these are not roadblocks I can remove for Ric. So here we are waiting again - guess this weeks lesson is in learning patience :)

Better

Ric's sodium levels are back up above where they were on the 3rd. Now they are working on getting his potassium levels up. Tomorrow he will get the CT scan and the MRI so we will know what's next. If his blood work comes back good then after the scans they will let him go home. So big day tomorrow. Could really use some good news. It's been more than difficult and never had a clue what people fighting cancer go through. So we would really appreciate prayer for a good report tomorrow. Lately been having a lot of time to think about what's really important and what's not. I also ponder every day what to put on the blog. Many times I don't always say what goes through my mind. But I think it's important to tell you all that you need to focus on what's really important in your life - hopefully what's really important is the relationships in your life. We are bombarded every day about all the things that are supposed to make us happy and it's mostly "stuff" that's supposed to make us happy. If more people would focus on their relationships rather than the "rat race" and "keeping up with the Jones" our world would not be so messed up. The problems that are going on in your families, communities, etc is because we have been told that we need to be selfish and make sure that we personally are happy and that we can only be happy if we have this thing or that. It's never about developing our relationships with each other - focusing on those other people - our spouses, our children, our parents - focusing on doing things to make them happy. These days it's about what will you do for me - to make me happy. Apparently it's NOT working because relationships are failing everywhere whether it's a marriage, friendship, child/parent relationship which makes those hurting turn to other things not good for us to fulfill that empty hole that is supposed to be filled with love. Why do we treat those we love worse than the people we work with or hang with? It's not right. FOCUS on what's important - those you love should get the best of you - not the leftovers! Please DO NOT wait until some life threatening event forces you to re-evaluate what's truly important in your life. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. You know what you need to take care of today!

Refocus

So just when I'm feeling sorry for me, God helps me to get refocused. This is not about me - this is about Ric. Yes it totally affects me but what is important is that we focus on what he needs to beat this horrible disease. He has not been feeling so hot the last couple days - not eating nor drinking so I was getting concerned about his hydration level. This morning he still was not wanting to get out of bed to eat and was only taking small sips of water every few hours - not enough to keep someone fully hydrated especially when everything just runs right thru him. So I finally convinced him to get up around 11am to eat something so he could take his steroid pill - this was after threatening to call the doctor or take him to the hospital. He started eating a banana and drinking a cup of tea but then started feeling sick to his stomach. Unfortunately he was unable to keep the little bit he ate down. So that convinced me that it was time to call the doctor. Of course on the weekend you get the doc on call but he agreed with me that Ric was probably dehydrated and to take him to Swedish Issaquah ER to at least get him hydrated. So off we went to the ER. Got him hydrated and they ran a bunch of tests (more blood draws). They found out that his sodium levels (which had been pretty consistent since all this has been going on) had dropped a bit since his last blood work on the 3rd. This was a concern to the Doc at ER so they wanted to hospitalize him to find out why this was going on. Also his white blood cell count had dropped. So he was transported from Swedish Issaquah to First Hill since the Issaquah hospital is not open - only the ER. Now we are at First Hill waiting to see the doctor who should be here anytime now. (It's nearly 10pm) He is feeling better now that he's rehydrated but still very tired. Just hoping & praying that they will figure out what's going on now and get it resolved so he can get back home. Appreciate your prayers for this now I will do my best to post an update tomorrow after we find out more.

Pity Party

So I need to vent today! Sorry that you all get to be a part of it. Cancer sucks royally! It's a major rollercoaster so this blog name fits it for sure. It takes you up to the top then throws you back down quickly. I REALLY want my life to get back to normal again although it will never be normal again no matter what happens. My life was really awesome before this - was it too good maybe so? I never took it for granted. I knew how blessed we were and was so grateful for everything. This is all much more than anyone should have to deal with and I am not just talking about myself. I am a very optimistic person - always looking for the good and positive but this is just making me CRAZY! The last couple days have not been good days. Ric woke up Weds and freaked because his tongue and roof of his mouth was black. It ended up being thrush (due to the lovely chemo) and was black due to some of the medications he's on. I found a natural mouth rinse that oxygenates the mouth that immediately started working on it and then we were able to get an antibiotic from the doctor that he started the next day (since it was so late for them to get the prescription to the pharmacy). It is basically gone now but in the meantime he has not eaten much. He is achy all over. The last two days all he has wanted to do is stay laying down. He does not weigh much so he really needs to eat. Did you know that most cancer patients actually die from malnutrition? That's why getting good food in them is so important. The steroids were helping him keep an amazing appetite but that's been gone the past few days. It also makes your stomach bloat which is not fun and makes you feel like you are full all the time. The doctor said that the chemo side effects were going to get worse over the next few weeks. We were hoping and praying that they wouldn't as so far they hadn't been too bad. Ric has a CT scan & MRI of the brain on Tuesday the 18th and we meet with the doctor on the 19th to get the results and see where we go from here. What really sucks is that he was feeling sooooo good the last few weeks. We even went to Othello to visit family last weekend. We were supposed to got the UW/Colorado football game today but he's not feeling good enough to go. If Ric is missing a football game then you know he doesn't feel so great. So it boils down to us really needing prayer for Ric to have the side effects go away so he can get moving again and eating again, for good news on the CT scan & MRI and for me to restore my sanity so I can get back to being the caregiver that Ric deserves! Thanks so much for being our support group and for all your prayers and love.

Another Friday

Just sitting here while Ric is getting what we hope is his last treatment. This round anyway. Monday when we saw the Dr. his blood work came back really good - the Dr is quite amazed at how good he's been doing. His white blood count is good and his liver enzymes have dropped in half in the last 3 weeks. The swelling in his liver has gone way down. We of course are ecstatic but cautious. Once you've been slammed a couple times it's hard to get too optimistic but we are as much as possible. We KNOW that your prayers have helped so much and especially with the peace we feel. Ric says he feels really good and has been sleeping wonderfully. In fact the last couple days he says that he feels like he's slept too much :). This week has gone by so quickly! Next week is our "bye" week. No doctor appts or treatments - just chiro & massage. Then the following week is the "stressful" week as Ric will be having an MRI & CT Scan to see what's going on inside - that's on the 18th. We get the actual news on the 20th and where we go from here. So prayers please that the scans will show that Ric is doing as good as the blood work and how good he feels. Well we are done so gotta shut down. Looking forward to a great weekend!

Fabulous

This will be a short update since it's late. Ric says that today is the 12th straight day that he has felt really good! He seems to be getting stronger every day and more like himself each day. Just wish he could put some weight on although I keep telling him maybe he's just going to be a skinny Ric from here on out! He has been doing alot of walking this past week which is helping his sleep. He finally slept 5-6 hrs on Thursday night and nearly 8 hrs Friday night which is what we'd been praying for! He has a doctor's appt tomorrow so we will find out what is next and two more treatments this week (tomorrow chemo only and Friday Avastin & chemo). He has been getting some slight mouth sores from the chemo (which makes his mouth very sensitive) and the diarrhea has finally subsided. Prayers for the mouth sores to go away and the diarrhea to stay away please. Today was my birthday and it was a fabulous day because Ric is continuing to do well - that's the best birthday present I could ever have! Thanks for all the birthday greetings. Please keep these friends & family members who are also battling cancer in your prayers - Frank, Octaviano, Vermalinda, Janelle, Alan & Becky!

It's Friday Again

• Some days it feels like life is passing by quickly and other days just seem to drag on. This week has gone by quickly but it's been a really wierd week. We've had some really good stuff going on and then wham life hits you smack in the face again hard.
• Ric is doing really well. He told the doctor today that this is the 5th straight day that he has felt really good! His treatment last Friday and again today went well. He did have diarrhea this last round. We are hoping it won't happen again this week. It wasn't really bad just made things uncomfortable. Other than that the appetite is great and he's feeling good. His stamina is increasing day by day. Took him on a couple long shopping trips and he lasted way longer than I expected and wasn't exhausted afterwards. He really needed some new clothes since his others are soo big on him with all the weight loss.
• We had visitors over the weekend - my niece Aimee & her family. Her kids Karissa, Cameron and Carson kept Ric entertained as they played on the Kinect. Aimee lost her Dad Randy (my brother-in-law) a little over 3 years ago to brain cancer so this has brought back alot of memories and has been tough on Aimee and her family. We were very happy to have them come visit!
• Our daughter Holly volunteers for Starlight Children's Foundation www.starlight-washington.org - they work with seriously ill children and their families. She was at their luncheon on Tuesday (which we had hoped to attend but unable to) & Jim Lambert - former UW Football coach - was also in attendance. He was there to introduce Lawyer Milloy - former UW Football player - as Starlight was honoring Lawyer for the work he does with them. This was awesome as it gave Holly an opportunity to talk to Jim and let him know how deeply grateful we were that he called Ric to encourage him in his battle with cancer. Jim and his wife are cancer survivors. Holly was able to get a picture of her with Jim.
• Found out that my stepdad Jim got another clean bill of health and doesn't have to go back to the doctor for another 6 months. Last year he was battling sinus cancer - had surgery to remove it and did not do chemo nor radiation and is cancer free.
• So lots of good things happening that we are very grateful for. Unfortunately it seems that our family is having more than it's fair share of mountains to climb. We just found out that my sister Becky has been diagnosed with stage 2 colorectal cancer. Becky is actually my stepsister but because my mom and her dad have been married to each other almost 40 years I really hate the word "step" but use it to not confuse people who know other parts of my family. Becky & I joke that we are twins seperated at birth because we are soooo much alike. I am 6 months older than her. We were also considered the "good" ones in the family. Actually we were just smarter than the rest and never got caught for the things we did :) Between my mom and "step" dad there are 9 children. Our oldest brother (stepbrother) Alan was also recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer. So we currently have 3 members of our immediate family battling cancer.
• So what Ric & I truly request from all of you - our friends, family, neighbors and coworkers is your thoughts & prayers for healing for Ric, Becky & Alan and for peace & comfort for all of them and our whole family. I specifically request prayers for our parents Jim & Dorothy Hoots as this must be so difficult for them. Becky lives in Boise, Alan lives in Montana and with us here in the Seattle area there is no way our parents can be present for all of us. Our parents live in Othello. What's wierd is that the majority of our family lives near our parents - it's mainly Becky, Alan, me and our youngest brother Brad who don't. This makes it difficult for all the rest of our family members.
• Again we thank you all for your love & support and thank God that we have such a support system. It would be so difficult to be going through this if we did not have all of you! WE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Thursday

Ric is still feeling really good. He had his 2nd treatment last Friday and PTL not having any side effects. It took about 5 hrs for this treatment as they put the IV in, gave him some steroids, gave him the Avastin really slowly, then the leucovorin then the 5 FU - chemo. The treatment this Friday will consist of only the 5 FU as the Avastin can only be given every two weeks. So this weeks treatment will not be as long. We did decide that we need to take a deck of cards to play during his treatment so the time can go by quicker. Ric pretty much napped during it the treatment while I read a book. Ric's appetite is still really good. We made a visit to the office yesterday. We hope to be able to visit once a week. He's started lifting weights (2 lb & 6 lb dumbbells). We did go do some clothes shopping for him so he could get pants that won't fall down and shirts that actually fit him! Thanks for your continued thoughts & prayers - keep them coming as they are definitely working!

Treatment Day

• So Ric had his 2nd treatment today. All went well and so far he's feeling fine. In fact his appetite is as good as ever. This week has been a very good week. He's sleeping better - not fully where we'd like him to be but much better than before. His back pain is pretty much gone - thanks to the Chiropractor and Massage Therapist! Where he is at right now is pretty amazing.
• When we were at the doctor on Wednesday Ric wanted to see the MRI so he could see what was going on in his brain. I wasn't sure that I really wanted him to see as it's pretty serious but he really wanted to. After we got into the car he broke down and kept saying he did not realize how "broken" his body was. I told him that yes he was "broken" but did he now understand how God was keeping him alive for a purpose - he should not be doing as good as he is with what is going on in his body. But thanks to God and all your prayers Ric is doing really well. The doctor & his head nurse kept telling him today how good he looks.
• Ric's brother Ruben brought him his high school wrestling singlet (uniform) from when he wrestled at 129 lbs. Ric decided to put it on today and have my sister (who does photography) take a picture of him. He was pretty funny when he came walking out of the bedroom with it on.
• We made a trip into the office yesterday so he could hang out with his "crew" for a few hours. It was good for both of us. It's only been a few weeks but we really miss everyone. We both really love our jobs so it is hard to be away. It will be at least another 4-5 weeks before Ric could potentially return since the current treatment plan has him doing a treatment every Friday until October 7th.
• Go Dawgs! Unfortunately we won't be at the game tomorrow as we felt Ric may not be able to put up with the heat. That just seems funny to say but our seats are pretty close to the field and on nice sunny days it can get pretty hot. We did not want to take a chance so we will be watching from home.
• So in all a really good week - prayers for continued healing, no side effects from the treatment and another good week next week. Thanks!

Feeling Fabulous

So Ric woke up yesterday and said that he felt FABULOUS! He had no pain, had actually slept well and was feeling better than he had in a very long time. We had quite a few visitors this weekend which was good for him as you all know how much he loves to talk :) Was concerned he might over do it as he is always pushing himself but he did well. He even made me take him to Fry's last evening as he had computer parts to buy! So he is doing really really well right now. Most family that saw him when he was in the hospital shortly after we took him in have been amazed by his progress since then. Had a visit today from a physical therapist and an occupational therapist that both said at this time there was no need for them to return. He passed all their "tests" with flying colors. Of course he has round 2 of the treatment this coming Friday so not sure what that will bring but hopefully with lots of prayer again he will get through it as well as he did the initial treatment. He still has a great appetite and doing lots of walking. Having this wonderful weather is helping too as it encourages him to be outside. He still has a ways to go to get back to where he needs to be in order to return to work but if he keeps progressing like he is then it might not be too far in the future. We are just so extremely grateful to God that we have all of you praying for him (and me) and sending your thoughts, love & support our way. So just keep those prayers coming our way this week as he goes through round 2 of the Avastin/5 FU treatment! Love you all!

Amazing

• Ric is so amazing. Just a week ago he needed a walker in order to get around & had alot of weakness on his left side. Yesterday & today he walked the length of our road & back along with up & down our driveway (slightly less than 1/4 mile) without any assistance! The doctors were ready to write him off last week, send us home & put him on hospice care. What they don't realize is that Ric & I love to prove people wrong :) We've been doing that all our lives. Although we don't know exactly what God has in store for us with this current journey we are on, we know that it will be another opportunity to show that you never give up no matter how dire your circumstances may be. So even though this current roadblock is a really big one we are not going to let it hold us back. Ric is bound & determined to do what it takes to beat this.
• We continue to ask for your prayers for his healing - that his upcoming treatment on Friday the 9th goes smoothly and he has no side effects - that his appetite continues to be good -that we continue to feel God's peace.

Excitement

• So another good day today. Ric is still getting stronger every day. My parents were here today so I went out to do some grocery shopping. When I got back Ric was downstairs watching a movie. He went down on his own. He has not watched a movie for at least a month so I know he was feeling much better.
• Ric got a really special phone call this evening. Jim Lambert (former UW Football Coach) called Ric. Both Jim and his wife are cancer survivors. Jim happens to be a co-worker's father-in-law and found out about Ric's battle with cancer. Ric was so stoked about getting a call from him. They had a great talk about UW football and what this years team looks like since Jim has been to some of the practices. Jim encouraged Ric to stay tough, keep fighting and that he would be praying for him. He said he'd be checking back with him. It was so awesome and really made Ric's day.
• We also talked to Ric's doctor in New York. He will be continuing to do both treatments so that he can get the best of both to fight this. He's scheduled to do his next Avastin/5FU treatment on Friday Sept 9th.
• We are just taking one day at a time right now but are really encouraged about where Ric is right now in comparison to where he was a week ago. Really appreciate your prayers - they are working so please continue to pray for Ric's healing! Thanks & love you all!

We are Home!

Just a quick little update to let everyone know that we are finally home. Ric walked from the car to the house without the use of the walker - said he did not need it. He is such a strong person and just amazes me every day. He is bound and determined to fight this thing with everything he has. So please continue to pray for Ric's healing.

Going Home Tomorrow

So Ric will get to go home from the hospital tomorrow! He is doing even better today. Got up walked down the hall (with the walker) twice as far as yesterday with the Physical Therapist and even did 4 stairs. His walking was more straight & solid - yesterday he had a bit of a limp due to the weakness in his left side but it's gone today. Still has a really good appetite. We are both looking forward to getting back to eating healthy food again - hospitals don't give you many healthy options and you quickly feel yucky when you are not eating what is good for you. We really want to say thank you all again for your prayers, love & support. We have once again been overwhelmed by the love that we have been shown during this latest loop in the rollercoaster.

Saturday

• Sitting here doing one of my most favorite things to do with my husband - watch football. Ric is doing good today - tired but we expect that as it's been a crazy week. We got moved from Swedish Cherry Hill Neurology to Swedish First Hill Oncology yesterday afternoon. Had his first treatment late last night - Avastin with 5 FU (fluorouracil) and leucovorin. Leucovorin tags the cancer cells so that the 5FU chemo can kill the cells. The Avastin is not a chemotherapy drug but reduces the growth and spread of cancer cells by inhibiting the growth of new blood vessels, making it harder for the tumor to grow.
• Ric is also on steroids to keep the swelling in the brain down and anti-seizure medication. Thanks to the steroids, his appetite has increased. Pretty much eating everything we put in front of him. Unfortunately you can't get very good food in a hospital. They don't take diet seriously for some reason especially with cancer patients. You just try to make choices that are the healthiest of what's available.
• He is also very alert and doesn't let anything get by him - witty as before. They did give him a small doseage of pain med last night because of his lower back pain but that makes him also a little loopy. He woke up early this morning trying to get out of bed and he said he needed to wash his shirt, something about Nicaragua and doing laundry. They changed his bed to one that has a bed alarm so now he knows he can't try to get up on his own.
• Physical Therapist came by and had him walk a bit down the hall and do a few exercises to help him start building some strength back especially in his left side which is a bit weaker than his right side.
• We have felt even more love and support than before which is amazing as we thought that was alot. The things that we need prayer for now is that Ric will not experience any of the potential side effects of these drugs, that the cancer cells are being killed, that Ric will get the rest he needs and that we continue to have the peace that we do.

Thursday

I feel like I am in this time warp and expecting to wake up at anytime and everything will either be shattered in my world or everything is going to be ok. Emotions don't know where to go. Too many things happening in a short period of time. I just have to rely on God to point us in the right direction. No surgery which actually makes me relieved as it's such a scary dangerous thing to be done to your brain as their is so much that could go wrong. But the reason is that the tumor is a fast growing one that they believe may not take much time to cause major issues including death. They were basically going to just move him into palliative care which means hospice and waiting to die. We said we wanted to talk to the oncologist and see the MRI to see exactly what they were seeing. Also to ask if there was anything at all that may help. Oncologist said there is a drug that they have had good success with in fighting metastatic brain tumors (Avastin) and combined with 5FU. This would go against what we had been doing but when you are in a position of choosing to do nothing but what you have been doing in hopes that will maintain or using something they tell you may prolong your life, what do you do? It's a crap shoot either way and only God knows when it will be Ric's time to leave this earth. Since we caught it in "time" by realizing that something wasn't quite right and getting him here was that God pointing us in that right direction? And not just taking what some doctors said we needed to do and continuing to question them to make sure there weren't other options, was that God pointing us in the right direction? So we have till morning to let them know do we want Ric to go the Avastin/5FU route or not? They say we need to start it soon as there isn't much time. It's hard to think about it when Ric is 100 times better today than he was yesterday when we came in. So don't have a real update other than something will be happening tomorrow. He said he wants to live so we will do what it takes to allow him to do that until God calls him home.

Here we go again!

So the last few days Ric has been acting out of sorts. Not taking his supplements, hardly eating, not doing his detox routines. Saying he wants to do stuff but unable to get himself going. I took it as he was giving up his fight. Today he was really struggling and could hardly walk and some other things that just weren't adding up. He also has complained of a headache the last couple days but I figured it was due to him not eating. So we took Ric to Swedish First Hill ER and they did a Cat Scan on his head which revealed that he has a metastatic brain tumor on his right side. They said it had been there for awhile and apparently just recently "took" off. This totally explains his behavior and his lethargy these past few days. The tumor is fairly large & is pushing up against his brainstem which is causing his weakness and fatigue. Tomorrow sometime he will be having surgery to remove the tumor. This is a big deal as they need to be able to detach it from the brain without damage to those areas where it is attached. This can also mean potential for stroke. He is currently sleeping finally - he has been very restless the last four nights and has not slept much which means neither have I as I am a very light sleeper. So because I need to get some sleep too as tomorrow will be a really long day I am going to wrap it up. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE KEEP RIC IN YOUR PRAYERS ALL DAY TOMORROW ASKING GOD FOR WISDOM AND GUIDANCE TO THE DOCTORS IN DOING THIS SURGERY.

Hell Week

• This blog was intended to be a place where we could share what's going on so guess that's what I should do. I think of myself as an extremely strong person. I've been through alot in my life but this one has really kicked my butt. I thought that losing a child was the most painful thing that I could have experienced but this is even tougher.
• For those who don't know Ric & I had a daughter Michelle born 2-1/2 months premature who lived for 3-1/2 months. We were able to take her home for a few weeks but she ended up back in the hospital having surgery, going into a coma and then before we had to make a decision as to whether to take her off life support, God took her to heaven. She was born on my Mother's birthday 10-9-78 and died on my Great Grandmother's birthday 1-28-79. This all happened when we were just barely 19 & 20 yrs old.
• During childbirth a disk in my lower back slipped and I was in the hospital for a couple weeks. The doctors wanted me on bedrest. That only made my back worse and I got to the point that I could not walk. I would lay in bed all day at home while Ric was going to school at UW unable to get up for anything including to go to the bathroom. He would leave me food & drink on the bedside table. Once he would return from class he would help get me up to do what I needed to do. I was in a wheelchair for awhile and then started walking with a walker - having to relearn how to walk. All during this time our daughter was in the hospital fighting for her life. So that's just a small bit of what I've gone through during a very dark time in my life.
• As I previously said this situation with Ric is even harder because I cannot do everything for him. It's really hard when you know that someone needs to follow a regimen that is very difficult but yet they mentally check out and don't follow it like they should. You cannot trade places with them even though you really wish that you could. And I really mean that. I am not afraid to die. I know without a doubt that I will be going to heaven when I die. But I know that I would be doing everything possible to stay alive and enjoy my life as best I can until God takes me. It is hard to understand when someone is in a deep dark hole and has let it envelope them.
• I was really hoping that after Ric went to the Chiropractor on Friday - he has had alot of lower back pain - maybe this would help him feel better (which it did) and encourage him to focus on his treatment to follow it to the tee. His back is really messed up from all the stuff he's done over the years and the 30 lbs he lost in 11 days - but there is hope to get it back to where it needs to be to alleviate the back pain.
• I now hope that by Ric starting counseling on Tuesday that will help him to get the demons out of his head that are keeping him from getting the sleep that he desperately needs. One of the demons that has been haunting him was put there a few weeks ago by a childhood friend who had heard that Ric was doing really poorly, that the cancer was eating him alive and that he would probably be dead in a few months. This information was supposedly said by one of his immediate family members. Ric hearing this was absolutely devastated and crying to me as to how could one of his family members say that and not believe that he was going to beat this cancer. It does not matter whether it was actually said or not by his family member but the fact that Ric was told this is what has caused alot of his mental downfall in the last month. He is fulfilling that persons statement. He has not been following his treatment as he is supposed to and is suffering some pretty bad depression. He tries to put up a good face at times but most of the time looks like a shell of himself and that his mind is very distant.
• This has also turned me into a raving bitch. I feel like I have to constantly be on him about his schedule of taking his supplements/enzymes on time and doing his detox routines on time. He mostly just lays there and says he's tired, his back hurts etc. I am desperate for him to do his treatment as the other option is not good. Desperation makes people go crazy and that is what at times I feel I have become. Because his schedule is so tight when he is on it, an hour here/an hour there adds up pretty quickly and causes everything to be thrown off. This causes him to skip supplements, skip his detox routines, skip meals or eat very little and it totally ruins the little sleep that he would normally get anyway. So how do you get better if you are not doing what you need to do in order to get better?
• I guess the biggest lesson here is to NEVER say anything negative to a person fighting for their life. They need only positive optimistic encouraging conversations. They already know that their chances are slim and they need everyone to be behind them praying, encouraging, optimistic, hopeful. None of us know how long Ric will be alive - only God knows. No doctor knows either!
• So at this point we just have to give it all up to God and request prayers from all of you so that we can get the sleep, peace and joy that we so desperately need at this time.

Good News

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated the blog but life has been very busy. Can't believe it's already August! Doctor called Ric today and let him know that the results of his recent hair analysis (3 months on the treatment) show that his numbers are moving in the right direction - yay Praise the Lord! He has been nervous these last few days about what he was going to be told. Hopefully now he will be able to sleep better as he's been pretty restless at nights lately. Still going to work every day for around 6 hours. Makes for a long day when we are up between 5am to 5:30am and hitting bed around 10 or so. It's crazy how long his treatment/detox routine plus breakfast takes every morning. We have been so blessed by friends recently with the meals that they have made for us. It has given me some very needed breaks. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much we appreciate it. Sunday was quite an emotional day as they had Ric stand and people gathered around us and our whole church prayed for him and us during a portion of the service. It was a real blessing as we know that even more people will be keeping him in their prayers now. We feel like we are finally getting into more of a routine and definitely don't feel as overwhelmed as we did early on. We know that it's also all of you praying for us. We still have moments of stress but not near as much as before. Ric still has a lot of fear which is totally understandable but he's needing to let go of that so that he can really start enjoying life again. I'm hoping that hearing good news from the Doctor will help. Please pray for him to be able to let go of that fear. Thanks to Ric's coworkers too for the daily walks up & down the big hill at work. Those of you who know the hill will realize what a feat that is for him to walk all the way up it every day! Exercise is really important for cancer patients so it is encouraging that he is doing it every day. We have a hill on our driveway at home but it is nothing like the one at work. We are both looking forward to some upcoming trips we will have over the next few months - one per month starting this month through November. What is amazing is that every one of them falls during Ric's "off supplements" days so that we can actually enjoy them without being on the rigid schedule. Another blessing! Again thank you thank you thank you for your love, support, visits, meals, prayers, cards, calls, etc!

Calling all cooks, prep-cooks, chefs!

Holly here...
I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything! Like my Mom said, it's been kind of hectic around here with all of us still working and trying to help out where we can.

I know a lot of you have expressed interest in possibly making dinner/dishes to bring over for us, but need to know the "rules" on what my Dad is allowed to have. I thought I would post these guidelines and a recipe website my Mom found to be helpful in planning meals.
I know that it would be such a relief for my Mom if she didn't have to cook for my Dad every night - even getting 1 night off a week would be great. If you're not a cook, can you slice vegetables?? :) Believe it or not, this is the most time-consuming thing right now. Dad has to have a lot of raw vegetables in his diet, so we go through a ton every week.

Here's a great recipe website www.hacres.com. Although, I still usually have to verify that the recipe doesn't have anything on the "No" list.

The List:
He can have all fruits and veggies except cranberries - should be organic. He can now have fish 3-4 times per week. No halibut, king mackeral, marlin, pike, sea bass, shark, swordfish, tilefish, tuna & white croaker. He can have crab, lobster, scallops & shrimp. Whole grain products. Eggs are okay but should be organic free range. No white flour, white sugar, white rice, white bread, coffee. Nothing with synthetic chemicals, additives, preservatives or sugar. No dairy except organic whole milk yogurt and butter - no margarine. He can have rice, nut and coconut milk. Only oils he can have are olive oil, sesame seed oil, coconut oil and flaxseed oil. He can have a little bit of goat cheese. All nuts except peanuts. Nothing with vinegar or soy except soy lecithin. For "sweeteners" can have honey, real maple syrup, molasses or Stevia (truvia). No poultry, red meat or pork. No regular salt - must be natural mineral or sea salt. Other herbs & spices are okay. Pretty much organic whenever possible.

Please let me know if you're interested in bringing something over, or you want to come over and cook (we have a lot of the ingredients so you don't have to buy them)... or just want to help prep some stuff. We can coordinate what day works best for you and my parents.

As always... THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all your care and love. We still need it so much, and it still helps us get through the good days and, more importantly, the bad days.
Love-
Holly

Update Finally!

Sorry it has been so long since I last updated the blog. The past few weeks have flown by. It's been tough at times. Ric was struggling with some depression and fatigue along with everything else going on. He had some blood work done last week which showed his Vitamin D levels were really low and he was still anemic so now getting a boost of both Vitamin D and Iron. After a few days he could already tell the difference. He said his mind seemed so much more focused. He still gets tired but not as quickly. We spent a wonderful 4th of July weekend with a coworker & his girlfriend at their place near the Gorge. Went to the Rush concert - got to sit in the 5th row center stage which was awesome. Had a bonfire Saturday & Sunday nights- got to roast marshmellows and eat smores (not Ric so I ate his). We went for a very long walk thru Sunland, watched the Sunland fireworks show on Sunday night and went for a boat ride. We also ate alot - more than we had since before Ric was diagnosed with cancer. Holly, her boyfriend John and some friends of theirs were also there. Fortunately the weekend landed during the "off supplements" timeframe so we could really enjoy ourselves with no specific schedule. Got to sleep in which was fabulous. Oh those little things that we take for granted. We are both down to nearly "high school" weight with all of this craziness and change in diet. That relates to him losing nearly 30 lbs and me 12 lbs. I have way more energy than I have had in a long time. Ric has energy too but his comes in spurts and he naps alot but then with his body fighting the cancer in his liver you would expect that. We were both really struggling the last couple weeks as he wasn't feeling too great. I was of course worried about him and getting stressed out. But finding out what was going on really relieved so much pressure on both of us. The relaxing & super fun weekend that made life seem "normal" really helped us both physically & mentally. We are both more focused, optimistic and energized. I know we'll have bumps in the road but we know that we will get through it. You'd think after being married for nearly 33 yrs you would really know each other but we are still learning about each other. This whole thing just puts you into a much different stage of your relationship and you really learn to appreciate each other so much more. So something else that we can pass on to you is to not take each other for granted. In one quick moment your whole life can change and the things you thought were "big deals" are nothing when one of you is fighting for your life. Our 33rd Anniversary is coming up on July 15th. We haven't decided what we are going to do as we just have to take each day at a time. I do know that if Ric is feeling up to it we will be going out to dinner so I won't have to cook :) Oh the Doctor said Ric is to have more fish - he can now have it 3-4 times a week. That made him happy cuz he loves fish! Oh one other happy moment to share - since Ric can't have white flour and only olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oil or flaxseed oil, he has been unable to have flour tortillas. So I finally found a recipe that uses coconut oil and whole wheat flour! And they actually tasted pretty good. Of course there is nothing like a homemade hot flour tortilla but this is the next best thing. We cannot thank you all enough for your prayers, love, support, visits, and all the things you do for us. We are so very blessed to have you all in our lives and we absolutely love you all more than you will ever know!

Sunday June 12th

• It's hard to update the blog very regularly. For many reasons, but mostly very little time to even think about what to post. But then once I do actually get started, it seems that I can't stop :) We are starting to get used to the routine but have not quite perfected it yet. Our days start about 5am and don't finish till around 10:30pm, if we are lucky. We are really looking forward to the next 5 day "off supplements" schedule which is upcoming. At least we'll be able to sleep through the night. Even though Ric is the one actually getting up at 1:30am to take the supplements, I still wake up with him.
• We've realized that we need to be limited as to what we do during his "on supplements" days. So if you ask us to do something with you and we decline, please know that it probably has to do with Ric's schedule. There are "routines" that he has to do every morning and every evening that require him to be in a place where he can be comfortable which usually means at our own home. We are trying to do "normal" activities at times but it requires alot of pre-planning to make sure we have everything covered and are staying as stress-free as possible. The UP side to all of this is that Ric is feeling stronger every day and I continue to see longer glimpses of my husband showing up which totally encourages me to keep going on all the things that I am needed to do for him. There are many times that I get discouraged only because there is so much for me to do right now - so for that I ask for prayers for me - to keep my strength, stamina & health up and for me to be able to get the rest I need each night to keep going. Ric is very concerned about me which is one of the things I love about him - he's always thinking of others way before himself! I know many of you have asked what can you do to help but it's hard to think of what ahead of time. There are times that I can think of something but it's at that moment and unless you all want to move in with us (which is not happening!) then it's not something that you can help with. There are things around the house that as we get some nicer weather we will be asking for some assistance. If you know Ric & I though, it's really hard to ask for help as we are the ones who live to help others. Maybe that's one of the many character building lessons that we are meant to learn in this journey.
• Just found out this past week that three more people that we know have been recently diagnosed with cancer - my older stepbrother Allen (colorectal cancer - he's in his mid 50's), a friend of my mom's Janelle (breast cancer - she's in her 40's) and my great-aunt Eula (breast cancer - she's in her 80's). So if you would add them to your prayers along with Frank, Octaviano and Hannah we would so appreciate it.

Wow it's June already

• Can't believe it's June already - time is passing by so quickly lately. We are both sooooo happy that we will be getting some warm weather this weekend especially Ric. The cold weather has not been his friend. Normally he wears shorts almost year round outside work but not this spring. I joke with him that if he doesn't start gaining more weight we might have to move to Arizona - not!
• We have been learning so much lately but one thing that is so obvious to us is that there is no room for us to be feeling sorry for ourselves because of what we are going through. There are so many people who are dealing with alot more than we are. We have really truly been blessed in so many ways so far during this journey. We have connected with so many amazing people just in the last couple of months - some are people from our past and others are people who God has placed in our path to encourage us and allow us to encourage them. Nothing is coincidental - it is all of a much bigger plan and we are excited to see where we are headed and who else God will bring into our lives.
• We are requesting prayers not only for Ric's continued healing but also for some specific people dealing with major illnesses. Ric's youngest sister Minerva (the one he donated the kidney to) is currently in the hospital. She continues to be on dialysis due to the kidney failing about 7 yrs ago. She was just starting home dialysis a couple weeks ago but is having some issues that they needed to hospitalize her. Please also pray for Ric's former boss Frank and childhood friend Octaviano who are fighting their own battles with cancer. And last but not least please pray for little Hannah - a 5 yr old who is fighting leukemia. We just met Hannah's mom Carrie this week. It's really quite interesting how our paths were set up to cross so that we could be an encouragement to each other. We look forward to getting to know Carrie & Hannah better.
• So hope you all enjoy the sunshine this weekend. We know that we will be!

Memorial Day - Another long one but it's been awhile

• It seems wierd to not be having a BBQ today or going to a BBQ. Today is the beginning of Ric's second set of 5 days without supplements. It's also the beginning of a 2 day detox routine - the last one of this months - from here on out he will only have to do one detox per month (other than twice a day coffee enemas). The first month you do all 3 detox routines (Liver flush, Clean Sweep & Purge) to really clean out the body of all the toxins that have been building up over the years. This one is the Purge - a gallon of fresh citrus juice (grapefruit, oranges and lemons) to drink each day for today and tomorrow with nothing to eat except maybe an orange for dinner. He can also drink as much water as he needs. This one puts his body at rest and aids in the rapid removal of metabolic wastes from his body. It also pushes his body into an alkaline state so that repair and rebuilding of his damaged tissues occurs rapidly. He may feel symptoms such as nausea, headaches, muscle aches and pains. So we will see how this one affects him. The other two he pretty much breezed through.
• I've been meaning to update the blog for awhile now but it seems I have little time to do so. This 5 day break is nice as it will allow us to have a bit more freedom to not have to stick to such a rigid schedule as we do when Ric is on the supplements. It's easy to get off schedule as it only takes a minor hiccup to put him behind an hour or two which shifts everything. We've found getting back on schedule is a bit difficult but then he has only done two of the 10 day supplement schedules so far. Also having to make sure he gets meals at specific times can be challenging when things are already behind schedule. But we are doing the best we can to adjust to the new routine and we still feel that this is the best treatment for Ric. We can see the difference in him every day. The one thing that has really bothered him is that he is always cold. But when you lose 24 lbs in only a few weeks that will take a toll on you and the weather has really sucked so that isn't helping. He has gained 2 lbs back - Praise God! His appetite has picked way up - there are some days that he amazes me that he is actually putting away that much food since he started out with so little of an appetite.
• The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2010 there will have been 1,529,560 new cancer cases in the United States. Does anyone else find that statistic just out of control? Why are a million and a half people going to get cancer? 34,500 will have been in the State of Washington. I thought we were one of the healthiest states in the U.S. Have you taken a look at what you are putting into your body? There is so much crap in the food we eat especially processed foods and fast foods. I read labels before but not like I do these days. There are so many preservatives put into foods - which are NOT good for you. If it preserves the food what is it doing to your body? Sorry if you feel like I am preaching to you but just like everything else you should do your own research and not think that just because it is in your grocery store it must be safe. There are some drugs that do good things for people who need them but they all have their side effects that may cause more problems for you. Don't take the quick and easy way for things. I know that goes against the American Way but all you are doing is hurting yourself and affecting your loved ones. If you get cancer or another critical illness you will be affecting EVERYONE around you. Take control of your health and do the right thing for your body.
• We are so thankful and blessed by all the support, love and prayers we are getting from everyone. We know that there are some out there who are wondering if Ric is taking the "right" path in his treatment. Everyone should take control of their own healthcare and do what they believe is right for them. This is what we believe and what Ric is doing. We are thankful that we have options and are not forced to go one path only. We have been truly blessed to be able to choose the option that is best for Ric.
• One last thing because it is Memorial Day - we thank God for all those throughout our country's history who have made the ultimate sacrifice in giving up their lives to defend our freedoms in this country. Never ever take those freedoms for granted.

Saturday

Yea finally a day to sleep in a little and not have a million things to do (only a couple hundred) :) We had pancakes for breakfast today! Found a whole grain pancake mix at Whole Foods that did not have nasty stuff in it and it actually tastes really good. Ric was craving pancakes so was glad I found it for him. Ah the little things that bring us joy! Finally got myself organized and set up a full weeks menu so that I'm not trying to wing it every day. Winging it is not my style but it has been a teaching moment - I did it and I survived it but in order to save my sanity I must be organized. Also then my poor husband does not get the same thing every other day. Been finding some good recipes - thanks to all my friends who have assisted in that! Mom came over for a couple days to help us with things and that was certainly a blessing. Tomorrow Ric will be off the supplements for 5 days which means not having to wake up at 1:30am to take the enzymes so I know he will enjoy that. But since he's been doing that for the last 10 days I am sure that his body will wake him up anyway. We put in almost a full week of work - was off on Monday - not full days yet but about 5-6 hrs at the office. He really enjoys being back at work. It has been 8 weeks since "C" day and 7 weeks since surgery. Ric looks better every day and is getting stronger every day. Still trying to put on some weight but it's a bit difficult when the majority of your diet is vegetables and fruits. With his appetite increasing hopefully that will start happening - he would feel more comfortable with about 5-7 lbs back on. Please keep the prayers coming especially regarding continued healing and some weight gain!

Busy Busy Busy

Sorry it's been so long since I last updated the blog. We have been busy! First just trying to get used to Ric's new schedule of all the things he has to do in a day and because the best food is fresh food, I feel like when I'm home I'm preparing food for that day and then getting ready for the next day. Ric has to take 16 pancreatic enzymes every 4 hours and then takes 27 supplement capsules at breakfast & dinner and 23 at lunch. The supplements are various ones - vitamins and minerals that he is deficient in or to help build up his system. Since he's never been a "pill" taker going from nothing to 181 every day pretty much throughout the day has been a real challenge. For him just getting them down and for me as the control freak trying to make sure he's taking them when he's supposed to take them. Along with trying to make sure he gets the proper servings of the various foods that he is supposed to eat during the day so far it's been rather overwhelming. But we both know that it's a matter of getting used to the schedule and getting more organized so it all just eventually flows. We also headed to Southern California on Friday afternoon for a long weekend so that just made things a little more complicated. We were really getting stressed (especially me since this is the only thing I can control at this point) until my wonderful husband put it all into perspective while we were down south. "We have only been into this program for about 12 days now and we can't expect it to be perfect right away! We need to do the best we can at getting used to it but we also need to relax and enjoy ourselves." So we did just that. We did have a great time in So. Cal. Holly & I were originally going down to attend her college roommate Marciea's Master's of Education graduation from Loyola Marymount University. Since I was going to stay home with Ric, he decided he wanted to go with us. We had recently found out that his former boss at Southland, Frank was fighting cancer also so we were able to meet up with him. Ric & Frank had a great time comparing their surgery scars and talking about all the "fun" they've been going through lately - their scars are basically the same - they had me take a picture of them showing their bellys - boys will be boys. Frank was diagnosed in November last year so he's a little farther along in his surgery recovery. We enjoyed hanging out with Marciea (one of our other daughters), her parents Wendy & Lester (Holly's California parents) and our former coworker at Southland Nancy and her husband John (also known as Holly's California grandparents). We also got to see a few of Holly's Vanguard University softball teammates so that was fun. Ric did really well in the traveling and the activities that we did while there. We got back late last night and were back at work today. Ric put in a pretty decent day today and is feeling stronger every day. His appetite really picked up this weekend which was good to see. He's really getting antsy to get back on the riding lawnmower to mow the yard - ummm maybe in another couple weeks. Anyway that's where we are at now. Thanks so much for your thoughts, prayers, phone calls, etc. It's so nice to have so many people supporting us!

Back Home

Sorry I have been so busy since we got back have not had a chance to update the blog. We had travel issues on the way back - because of the bad weather over there our plane was over 3 hours delayed. So instead of getting back at 9:30pm on Thursday night we did not get back till 12:10am which meant not getting to bed till about 1:30am. That wore us both out so Friday was pretty much a resting day. We did have to make a trip to the store to get what we needed to start on the new diet & detox regimen. Supplements don't start till after Ric does the Liver Flush (takes 5 days for the whole process). This helps remove calcium and lipids from the arteries, normalizes cholesterol metabolism, dissolves & softens any gallstones, forces out wastes, bile and stones which all lowers cholesterol levels and improves liver function. So we are not allowed to use our microwave to heat up food. Microwaving destroys certain critical nutrients such as vitamin B6. No deep fried foods. Cooking utensils only stainless steel, non-lead enamel or glass to contact the food (without nonstick surface) - avoiding aluminum cookware. Ric is classified as a Moderate Vegetarian Metabolizer - his body will use most efficiently a diet consisting of mostly plant based foods (vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds). He has to have 70% of his food uncooked - lots of fresh made juice (Thanks Molly & Cindy for the juicer!) will be part of his uncooked diet along with salads & fruits & veggies. No red meat or poultry. Nothing with vinegar. Only flaxseed, olive or sesame oil. Never boil vegetables - they lose many water soluble vitamins and minerals in the water - must steam, bake and occasional stir fry (1-2 times weekly at most). All fruits except cranberries - no canned, processed and sweetened fruits. Whole grain breads, cereals, pasta & rice and organic. No white bread, white pasta and white rice as these are nutritionally depleted foods. (includes fortified or enriched - these are still processed). He can have up to 3 organic, free range eggs every day and fish twice a week. His protein will also come from legumes. Lots of other miscellaneous things. Had to put together a calender on when he does what - 10 days on supplements, 5 days off - 3 different detox routines to do the first month then rotate one per month. Also had to put together a list of what he has to eat/drink each day so we can make sure he does it. No white sugar - can have organic honey, organic maple syrup or organic molasses. Nuts of all types are allowed except peanuts and peanut butter - peanuts harbor a mold that produces a very potent carcinogen (this sucks cuz we both like peanuts and peanut butter). There's even more to it than this - so that's why I had to do the list and calendar to keep it all straight. FYI - this is a specific individualized diet for Ric. There are lots of good things in it that all people should follow but because of his individual makeup and what he is deficient in between the diet and the supplements they will balance out his system and get him to be as healthy as possible as well as work on the cancer - not allowing it anything that will assist in it growing. He will be reevaluated every 6 months to see what if anything needs to change. Some people get to be on a diet that consists of red meat, poultry etc that may not do as well on a mainly vegetarian diet - everyone is different. I will be doing most of this type of diet because it is easier to prepare for two but I believe that I am one who does fine on occasional red meat and poultry. Ric really doesn't like either of those so this diet actually should work well with him as he loves fruits and veggies of all kinds. We really liked Dr. Isaacs - spent over 3 hours going through everything so that we understood exactly what Ric is to do and recorded it so we can play it back whenever we need to. Everyone we met was really nice. We now have a small studio apt in New Jersey across the river from Manhattan that we can stay in for cheap due to a lady we met on the airplane that has a business here in Seattle and in New Jersey. She gave us her card and said to let her know when we would need it and if she's not there would let us use it. We decided to rent a towncar to get back to Newark Airport since it was so nasty out rather than walking to the train station and catching the train back. The hotel clerk helped us get the car and Mario the owner/driver originally from Columbia got to hear our story along the way as he & Ric talked. Mario lost a brother to lung cancer a few years ago. Mario gave us his card and told us to be sure to contact him so he could give us a ride from the airport and wherever we needed to go. He also said he'd like to take us home to have dinner with his family :) So even with the delay we had a nice trip and are looking forward to going back the end of October.

New York Day 1

So our trip here went smoothly although we got to the hotel at 1am local time and then had to be up at 8am to make sure we had time for breakfast before catching the train into Manhattan. Ric did great on the 5 hr plane ride. I'm glad we were able to find a direct flight rather than having a layover somewhere. Made the trip not as long and I believe it was easier on Ric. Manhattan is crazy - lots of people everywhere. Train ride was quick from Newark and very easy. Ric did great on the walk from Penn Station to the hotel. Since the hotel was on the way to the Dr's office we decided to stop and see if they might be able to check-in - it was about noon when we got here. We had to wait about 15 minutes and they had it ready for us. That was great so we could get into the room before heading to the Doc. The doctor appt went well. Doc is very down to earth - spent alot of time getting to know all about Ric. Tomorrow we will get Ric's specific regimen and then be heading back home in the evening. So pretty much a whirlwind trip. We will be looking forward to returning in 6 months and being able to do some sightseeing. Had lunch after the Dr. appt, a quick power nap and then walked a couple blocks south to the Empire State Building. Went up to the observatory (86th floor). You could see so much from up there. Took lots of pictures and video. The World's Largest Macy's is a couple blocks west of us so we walked past it but didn't go in. The difference between the hotel room in Newark and the one here in New York is crazy - this one is about 1/3 of the size of the one in Newark. Had read that the hotel rooms are small but didn't think it would be that small especially when you are paying 3 times the amount as the one in Newark! Anyway so far so good. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Here we go!

Okay getting ready to head to the airport. We are so excited to finally be heading to New York and getting Ric on this treatment - the start of a new adventure in our lives! He's gained a pound in the last few days so we are celebrating that too! Please just keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days for safe travels, on time arrivals, that directions are clear to taking the correct trains and maneuvering around Midtown Manhattan and strength for Ric on this trip. Oh yes and that we will be able to find healthy items to eat as that is really important. Thank you all for your love, support and prayers. We'll touch base again later.

What day is it? :)

Seems the days are running together - keep thinking it's Friday but not quite yet. Ric had his post-op appt with the surgeon yesterday afternoon. He said everything is looking good & he can return to work on May 2nd. We have done quite a bit of walking the last few days & will continue to get ready for our trip to NY. We will be flying into Newark, New Jersey - Alaska Airlines has direct flights there. We will stay the night at a hotel near the airport. Then we will take the train into NY City. The doctor's office is right in Midtown Manhattan so we will be walking from Penn Station to the doc's office (.63 miles) & then to the hotel (.27 miles). Neither one of us has been to New York so this will be an experience for us. When we went to Washington DC for a week a couple years ago, we took the train/subway pretty much everywhere so we hope it will be similar to that. We won't be there long enough to do much sightseeing this trip but since we have to go back every 6 months we will have plenty of opportunity to check out the area in future trips. So far it seems as if Ric's weight has stabilized - Praise God! He's lost 20 lbs since he was admitted to the hospital before the surgery. He kept losing weight after we got home so we have been pleased that he's been maintaining the same weight over the last week. We were both trying to lose a little bit before all this for our trip to Cancun but this was not the weight loss program we were looking for :) His appetite keeps picking up more each day. He's sleeping really well at night. One thing that is so interesting is how dogs react when you are ill. Our dog Max normally would bark at Ric from the minute he gets out of bed until Ric takes him out & throws the ball for him to retrieve. Max knows that Ric cannot do this now so he does not bother him. When we go on our walks Max is on the retractable leash & will sometimes go out ahead of us as far as the leash will let him but then will stop & wait until we catch up to him. Normally Max would want to go at a faster pace but he realizes Ric can't walk that fast so Max has slowed down in his pace. Anyway it's just interesting how Max has made the adjustment to Ric & where he's at right now. So things are good & we are looking forward to Ric getting going on his new treatment this next week. At this time we are requesting prayers for Ric's continued healing, some weight gain for more strength, and for safe travels next week to NY & back. Thanks everyone!

Thoughts & Info

After I went to bed last night lots of things were going through my mind that I thought I needed to clarify on the blog. Just so you know chemo is an option but according to the American Cancer Society website "Liver cancer does not respond to most chemo drugs. The drugs that have worked best are doxorubicin , 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. But most studies have not shown that chemo helps liver cancer patients to live longer." So to us that is not an option. If it's not going to help then why do it? We've had so many people who have told us about other treatments out there and we are so thankful for you. I am keeping a list of all of those. It is wonderful that there are doctors out there who are trying other ways to try to maintain or cure cancer. Going with Dr. Gonzalez & Dr. Isaacs is what we believe is the best treatment for Ric and his cancer. Please feel free to google Dr. Gonzalez website to read more about his treatment. We believe the more every one is educated on Cancer and what to do if you get it and how to prevent it, the better off we all will be. I had done a ton of reading over the last few years due to my brother-in-law Randy getting brain cancer about 3 yrs ago (he did not survive) and my dad getting sinus cancer last year (he is doing very well). Diet is so important. You don't realize how much crap we put into our bodies. (Sorry if this becomes a soap box but I feel this is what we need to do). My biggest concern is for the children. Most of us older folks were raised on home cooked fresh meals as kids but not now. So our diets have morphed with the processed foods and fast foods as we have gotten older. The kids now days get fed all kinds of processed foods, fast foods, junk foods, etc. Did you know that cancer cells need sugar in order to survive? We didn't know that either until I started doing research about diet a few years ago. There are also many food additives that help cancer become incurable - things that are in so many processed food items. We didn't realize it till we started really ready food labels. We have had to totally change our diet. Ric will have to change his even more once he gets his individualized regimen from Dr. Gonzalez & Dr. Isaacs. Some of the things that they have told us that he cannot have now is white flour, white sugar, alcohol, diet drinks, carbonated drinks, coffee and black tea. We have to buy organic food and produce. This is all okay with us because Ric is fighting for his life & our goal is to get him healthy and keep him healthy so he can have many more years here with us. If anyone is interested in learning more just e-mail me at rxmart@aol.com and I will send you some info to check out for yourself. Be Healthy! Love you all.

Road Trip

We've had a busy weekend but it was good to do something other than hang around the house. Saturday our longtime friend Bill turned 65 so we decided to attend his surprise party for a little while. It was nice to see some of the guys Ric used to waterski with some years ago when Bill & Jeanie lived on Lake Sammamish. Then Sunday we took a drive to Othello to visit with family. It was also a test run on how Ric would do on our 5+ hour flight to Newark coming up next Tuesday. He did great so looks like he's ready to make that trip to NY. We came back today. It was nice to see family especially the nieces & nephews that could make it and to see their little rugrats. We were also able to visit with some friends from high school. It was also nice to get some warmer weather and sunshine yesterday. Ric was supposed to see the surgeon tomorrow but his office called to reschedule his appointment to Weds afternoon. Things have been healing up nicely so he's hoping to be able to get the ok from the surgeon to be able to return to work soon. So it was a good weekend!

Good days

So we've been a little busy these last couple days. Been making Ric go to the store with me so he can get out of the house and get some walking in. He's continues getting better every day. We had more visitors today - several members of the Lopez family including the new bride & groom - Kaitlyn & Anthony back from their wedding in Cancun. They brought their wedding pictures and video so we were able to see their wedding - that was really special for us since we were unable to make the trip. Also got a visit from one of our special girls Kristen Aratani & her mom Annette -Kristen's a former Rebel softball player. They brought Ric a wonderful Washington Husky blanket. He's currently sleeping under it :) Today was a very special day too as Ric was accepted as a patient by Dr. Gonzalez & Dr Isaacs in New York - they have an alternative cancer treatment utilizing diet, supplementation and detoxification. We have learned that chemo does not help liver cancer so chemo was not an option to us. Why put your body through that hell if it's not going to help you? We decided that for Ric the best thing was to go with something that builds up your body. Chemo currently only works for a few types of cancers and liver cancer is not one of them. So we are really excited that he was accepted and we will be heading to New York in a couple weeks for a couple days to see Dr Isaacs to get Ric's own individualized regimen specifically for him and the type of cancer he has. We had been praying that this option would open for us so we were very pleased and excited when we called this morning and found out they would take him. Next Tuesday he has his post-op appointment with the surgeon - he is hoping that he can get released to go back to work. So we'd appreciate your prayers for his continued healing and for being able to get back to work soon. Thanks everyone for your wonderful posts - some of you we have not seen in such a long time so it is wonderful to hear from you!

Visiting Work

The last couple days Ric & I went in to MacMiller for a few hours to touch base with coworkers. Ric said that it really made him feel good while he was there. We both miss work & our coworkers alot so we will be happy when we can get back to the grind. :) This has made us realize how great it is to work for such a good company and that MacMiller folks are our second family. But I guess working at the same place for nearly 21 years you can't help but become family. Even alot of our suppliers have contacted us to let us know that they are thinking of us and here if we need anything. I don't think you all realize how much of a positive influence that is for us. To know how much you all love us just overwhelms us! We knew we have a good life but realize even more so how great we have it. It just amazes us at how peaceful we are with all this craziness. We just can't say it enough - thank you all for your love, support and especially prayers!

Sunny day walk

A picture of pure and faithful love. :)

Comment Issues

We've been hearing that some of you (actually, a lot of you) have been having issues commenting on the blog posts.
You DO NOT have to "join" anything to comment... I selected this option on purpose so people could freely comment and not have to join anything.
I just did a test run as a "public viewer" (ie: not signed in as me, the author of the blog).
1. Went to "comment"
2. Typed my comment in the box.
3. Selected "Anonymous" from the "Comment as" list.
4. You will then have to type in one of the those automated "word verification" things (where you copy what you see listed).
5. Success! :)

I'm not sure if it's different instructions for those of you who have signed up as followers, but I'm assuming it's pretty similar- you just need to sign in to your username or whatever.
For those of you out there that might have other tips/comments on this working or not working for you, let me know!!! :)