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!!! :)

Appetite picking up

So Ric's appetite has really started picking up. We had a nice salmon dinner last night. He had a bowl of oatmeal & a bowl of cereal for breakfast before church. Then after church one my dear friends brought some good healthy stuff for chicken tacos. Ric really enjoyed them - he ate 4 tacos! Seems kinda wierd to be talking about what he's eating but these little things have become a big deal. Some other longtime friends visited with us this afternoon which was really nice. So he says he is now up for visitors but please call us if you'd like to visit him so we can space the visitors out as we don't want to wear him out. Holly's boyfriend was a real blessing to us yesterday. He cleaned the yard & mowed the lawn - spent all day working on it. He's a great guy - we are so glad he is a part of our lives. I just love how God knows what we need & when we need it. Today's message at church was so right on for us & Todd was a guest speaker. Just letting us know that we are not alone! Everyone keeps asking what they can do for us - really right now just praying for Ric's healing is what we need. We will definitely let you know if there is anything else we need. Thank you all for loving us the way you do!

Saturday

Didn't get a chance yesterday to update the blog. Ric was able to get outside for a short walk down the driveway & back - nice to get out for some fresh air & sunshine. We received a very nice potted plant with blooming tulips, dracaena, hyacinthus, & asparagus fern from our MacMiller Family. Thank you so much! We really miss you all & look forward to when we can be back full time. Yesterday we did alot of talking about this whole situation, our concerns & fears which was a very healthy thing to do. We are not sure where this journey will take us but we know that we have to trust God to guide us in the direction we are to go next. We have decided that Ric's fight with this cancer is similar to the story of David & Goliath. It seems like a much bigger obstacle than us & pretty overwhelming at times but we are measuring this obstacle against the size of our God. We cannot measure this obstacle against our own strength as none of us has the strength to endure it on our own. As I posted on my Facebook page this morning from something I had read, "God lights the path we walk. Sometimes we can see far ahead but other times we have only enough light to see where we need to take our next step completely with our faith in Him knowing that, although we might stumble, He will not let us fall." Keep the thoughts & prayers coming our way as you are a part of our team that is helping us keep the strength to endure this journey. Love you all! Roxanne

Field Trip

This morning Ric got up & headed straight to the computer to check e-mail. I would say he's feeling much better. He also worked on his niece Natalie's laptop & his other niece Celie's laptop. He finally got out of the house today too. We went to the doctor to get the staples taken out of his incision. He said that definitely helped alot. We stopped by the store for a couple items and had a burrito at La Casita. That helped his mood alot to get out, get some fresh air and do something that seemed sort of normal. So a good day in all!

Isn't our daughter amazing - love her post from yesterday. We are truly blessed to have such awesome kids (adults). Ric keeps getting better every day. I'd like to think it's all the healthy stuff I'm making him eat & drink and I'll keep telling him that so he keeps sticking with it! Today's smoothie was asparagus, cauliflower, apple, banana, blueberry, strawberry, honey, carrot, brussel sprout and a little plum juice. I'm gonna throw some kale in there tomorrow & see how that goes :) He is getting solid food too for those of you who might think I am only giving him the healthy smoothie. He's rarely needing to take the pain meds which is good. Would be nice if we could get some sunshine & a little warmer temps so he could walk outside. It's not the same walking around the house but it will have to do for now. It was a sad day yesterday with the loss of our cat Ollie. She was definitely a character. Most people didn't even know we had her as she always hid when company came by. She did not like other people & pretty much only liked Holly & I. When I used to have a stuffed bear collection Ollie would take & drag them to various parts of the house I think just to freak me out. One day I came home & she had 3 of them lined up in the hallway all of them with their butts up in the air. She would talk to them too. At first I thought the house was possessed or something but caught her a couple times in the middle of the night dragging them around & talking (mewing) to them. Ollie wasn't a "talkative" cat to people - occasionally she would mew at me when she was hungry but didn't make much noise. That's why we didn't realize she was as sick as she was - she was always hiding, didn't make noise & did not like to be picked up or rarely petted. If you pet her for too long she would attack you. Anyway she will be really missed. So now I'm gonna take a moment for a pitty party & then move on. Today Ric & I were supposed to be in Cancun until next Monday. We have never been there & were really looking forward to this trip. It was at one of those all-inclusive resorts & for the wedding Saturday of the son of good friends of ours. We are bummed to not be able to attend Anthony & Kaitlan's wedding & be able to spend some time in a warm sunny climate! Rocky & Ember are there so they will bring us back lots of pictures. But we are also grateful that Ric's situation was revealed to us before we were so far away from home. It would have been horrible for him to be out of the country & in as much pain as he was the last few weeks. So as Holly said yesterday we are so grateful for all the love, support & prayers from all of you. We are so blessed to have such awesome friends, family & neighbors! Roxanne

Home Life

Dad is doing pretty good at home. He had tacos last night and eggs & cereal this morning. He's been taking little walks around the house, and I (Holly) loaded up on some DVD's from my brother's house, so he can have some entertainment.
We got a special delivery of organic vegetables & fruits, and kale (sp?)- thank you to the Kuhns for having that delivered. My mom will be very happy to start putting it in Dad's diet! Although, from what I heard, Dad won't be that happy about the taste of the kale! Hahaha...

On a sad side note, we found out on Saturday evening (before Dad was released) that my cat, Ollie, had advanced stages of cancer. (Weird coincidence, right?!) The vet said there wasn't much we could do, so she gave her an anti-inflammatory shot and told us to make her comfortable for the remainder of her life. She passed away last night. Obviously, it was very emotional since the timing couldn't be worse... however, I'm glad that she's not in pain and is now resting in peace. The house will be a lot more quiet and not as "fun" without her spunky personality around.

I think what this whole experience, so far, has taught us is that life is SO short, and no one- whether young, old, healthy, sick - is promised tomorrow. We have been blessed to be shown how strong our family is, and feel very fortunate that we all live close and are able to be together during a time like this.
I hope that you all learn something from this too... I hope you take this time to reevaluate the way you are living your own life- should you mend some fractured relationships with your family members? Should you tell someone you love them, because they might not know? Should you be making better decisions about what you put in or do to your body? What is truly important in your life? Money, clothes, cars, work... they all are completely insignificant when you are faced with the thought of losing someone you love.
I know I've learned that my personal relationships mean the world to me, and I'm happy to spend the rest of my life letting everyone I love, know that. I will overuse "I love you". :)

Thank you again for all the love and support, we still are overwhelmed by the amazing friends and family we have. We feel truly blessed.
Love-
Holly

Yeah he's home

Ric got to go home from the hospital this afternoon! It is so nice to have him here and maybe we both will finally get some sleep tonight. It's been a long 10 days since I had to take him to Overlake. Now he just needs to continue healing up from the surgery before we take the next step. So keep those prayers coming for his healing!

A little bump in the road

Well a little bump in the road today. He has a slight infection in the lower part of his incision so they had to clean it out and will need to do it several times today. Won't be going home today - maybe tomorrow. He's very disappointed as he really wants to be home but it's better that it happened while we are still here rather than home and having to come back through the ER since it's the weekend. So prayers for the infection to clear up quickly! Roxnne

Friday - getting closer

Ric is having a good day. He is mentally ready to go home. He had a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, canteloupe, cereal, orange juice and coffee. Things internally are moving along. He was up sitting in the chair eating his breakfast when I got here this morning. He had already taken a couple laps - walking of course. The hospital floor has patient rooms on the perimeter of the floor with misc rooms in the center - so you are able to walk around the hallway on the perimeter of the whole floor. As my son said, I am the drill instructor so we've been doing two sets of laps about every 2-3 hours. He's taking a nap right now. The surgeon was just in and said as long as no setbacks he should be able to go home tomorrow. We still have a long road ahead of us but one step at a time and this is a big one. Ric is looking forward to sleeping in our bed and not having someone wake him up every couple hours to take vitals. I will miss the cafe food :) actually it's not that bad for a hospital but I am looking forward to making our own meals. Plus now he is all mine and I can start filling him up with all kinds of healthy foods to boost his immune system to get ready for the upcoming chemo. Those of you who really know me, know that I need a project to run and here is mine. It begins tomorrow. I believe in very specific prayer as I have seen it work so many times. So asking for prayers that Ric continues to heal up from the surgery, that we are able to really boost his immune system to prepare him for the upcoming chemo and that we continue to have peace and strength each day. The best thing that happened today was we received some videos wishing Ric well from our good friend Martin in Dario, Nicaragua. The videos were from students and staff at Dario Christian Academy which is the school we go to help out at in Nicaragua. Martin says he has a bunch more to send to us so we are looking forward to getting them. We love them all so much so it brings us much joy to see their faces again. Can't say it enough - thanks everyone for your prayers, love and support! Roxanne