I can only do this update once every four years.

Well, today is that day that rolls around every four years. Good thing that Mckenna was born last Friday and not today. I hate to think of a four year old getting their drivers license. (get it?) Anyways, besides being sore from the birth, Stacy and Steve now have to contend with Tyler having strep throat. Patti says she just hopes I don't get anything out of it since they were here all day Thursday and Ty said he wasn't feeling good toward the late afternoon.

Patti got in touch with Dr. Peleg's office today and they are gathering up all the info that they need from Dr. Koon so that we can get started on the interferon hopefully on March 10th. That will mean Ty and Micah will have grandpa in good spirits on their 5th birthdays next week. For those of you who do not know, they are what Patti and I call our twins by different parents. They were born 18 hours apart and when the two of them, well really when all four of them get together you would think that they are brothers and not cousins. Patti and I think that it's great that they play together that way. It will be interesting this summer when all four go on the camping trip with us. Josh has been limited up to now because Josh is Josh and he has his own set of rules. Well grandma's rules are in effect when we camp.

I was able to sleep thru the night for the first time in over two weeks and woke up without a headache for a few hours. I am learning to control the headache and neck ache by just stopping, calming myself and closing my eyes for a few minutes. I hate to take medicine and have not gotten the prescription yet, and probably will not. I rather do it the way I am and control it myself.

And not to be a commercial, but I have been trying a product called Meadowlake Farm Renewing Salve and Renewing Complex. The salve has really helped me with the radiation burns. It has put me ahead of schedule on the healing. The salve has also softened my scars from the surgeries. But it has also softened scars that I have had for years. The stuff really works and it is all natural. I am not a natural or organic nut, but this stuff has really done the job that aloe and the other petroleum based salves did not do. It is all based on honey and beeswax. Again, I am trying this for them on a trial basis, but I can tell you the stuff really works. Even on chap lips.

Continue to pray for Stacy and Steve and the kids, Pastor Quick, Barb, Ralph, Mary Buckholtz and others that need your prayers. Thanks.

Revision

I have been scolded for the daughter and the credit card crack that I made. Heather informed me that she is 31 and still waiting for the credit card. I am to change it to a countdown to the first date and daddy's giving the boy the "I'm just cleaning my shotgun" first meeting.

Seriously, the headache still is off and on but now that I truly know that there is nothing going on bad in my head, there is that relief. I will learn to back off and schedule a rest every couple of hours like the doctor said and let go of the things I cannot control or don't need to control.

We had Tyler and Joshua over for the day. Patti and I enjoyed them and playing with them. And yes, grandpa did take some short rests as well as a hour and a half nap with Joshua. Nothing like being woken up by the little guy prying open my eyelid and letting me know, "me up grandpa". And Tyler letting me know that he loves me.

Continue to pray for Pastor Brad Quick as he faces melanoma surgery, Barb as she is still going thru tests for her hip pain, Ralph as he deals with his situation and Stacy as she heals from having our first granddaughter. Thanks to all who continue to pray for me. Oh yeah, sorry Heather for the credit card crack.

Doctor Visit and MRI

I had an MRI last night because I have been having a continuous headache for over ten days. We had it done at University Hospital in Cleveland last night at 7PM. I had a scheduled appointment with my oncologist, Dr. Koon, at 1:30 today so we went back to UH in Cleveland to get the results and see where we go from here. The doctor was running late so he stuck his head in to let me and Patti know that the scan came back negative. Not sure at first if he meant there were no tumors or that there wasn't anything there.

I am happy to report that he things I am doing exceptionally well. He examined me and found no lumps or anything in the area of my chest where one might expect to find something. He was pleased with my overall healing from the radiation treatments and seemed surprised in how fast I was healing. I might as well tell everyone this as Patti will I am sure. I got yelled at for trying to do too much. Dr. Koon said that here we all are trying to make things better for you and you are running the race the opposite way. Hence the reason for the headaches. They are tension headaches from stress and putting too many things on myself. He may be right, but that is my nature. Patti yelled at me also and told me she is going to make sure I start limiting myself so that all our focus is on me getting better.

I will probably start the interferon on March 10th now. Dr. Koon feels that I will be able to get through it in relatively good shape. Dr. Peleg will administer the interferon at Southwest Generals Ireland Cancer Center. I will not be getting a port or a pick line for the process but rather just an IV that they will keep in for two or three treatments at a time and then change it out. Great, I will be getting stuck two or three times a week plus blood draws nearly every day. I could never make it as a junkie as I hate needles. I am wondering what God is trying to teach me here, pain or patience? One of the reasons for the additional week is I do have some very minor pealing of the skin still going on. If I am pealing Dr. Koon said I could get radiation flashback and the burns will reappear. So we wait the week and I can be OK for Tyler and Micah's birthdays next week.

I cannot tell you how much of a relief this doctors appointment was for both Patti and me. I feared the worst and got the best possible answer. Thank you God and thank you to all those who are praying for us.

Update 2/26/08

Now that the countdown to birth is over for Mckenna, we should probably do the countdown to her first credit card. Isn't that what all little girls (and big girls) want from daddy?

I have an oncology appointment tomorrow at University Hospital. Before that I have to take an MRI tonight at 6:50PM. I have been having headaches and they have all the signs of a classic tension headache. I guess I do have some things to be tense about in my life so they are probably normal. I just picked up a prescription to calm me down for the MRI. I told Patti last time I took one that it would be the last time or I would shoot myself. Well, the doctor wants it just to make sure so we are heading over there just at the end of rush hour. Steve T. is going to drive us as I am not suppose to drive and I am worried about Patti driving back late in the snow with me of little or no help. Everything will be fine. I am confident.

Sunday, February 24th

With all that has been going on with the birth of our granddaughter, Mckenna Lyn Moore, things have been quite hectic and I probably have overdone it somewhat. the boys were a blast to have over on Friday and Saturday. Josh helped grandpa take a nap both on Friday and Saturday. Patti and I both forgot to take a picture of Mckenna to church with us. We must be slipping as grandparents. Pray for mom (Stacy) as she had a few complications that will take a few weeks to get over.
Pastor Quick today announced that he has melanoma and that he will be going for further tests and treatments the next few weeks. My prayer is that it is still localized and has not spread. It does not appear to have spread at this point.
I am surprised by the number of people who tell me I am looking good. Maybe that is because I have always looked good. (joke) I really feel well overall. There is the fatigue and just the desire to get on with my life, but for the most part I feel good. The next round of treatments may change that some, but we will wait and see.
I will be going to see Dr. Koon, the oncologist at UH on Wednesday at 1PM to find out what is next and when it will start. I am hoping to get going with the interferon as quickly as possible so I can get that over with also. I pray, and ask that you all pray that the side effects will be minimal and that it will not slow me down too much. I sure would like to get back on a regular schedule with life and work. This is it for now.

What a Special Day

Steve & I were just sitting there and we remembered we needed to post a picture to the blog. Steve said since I don't get to write much I could give it a try. Well let me tell you this is my second try. I wrote something and it is out in space somewhere. Maybe it will show up on someone elses blog. To make a long story short, the visit to see Mommy, Daddy & Baby was very busy and we didn't get a close up of Mckenna. We had to share her. I am sure that we can get a good picture tomorrow when we stop in and visit. I better get back with the crowd. I left grandpa with wall to wall toys and 4 boys out there. The sleeping bags and air mattresses are set up in the living room and we will be calling it a night soon. Will keep you posted on how our night sleep went. Steve has the long couch and I have the short one. The boys have been looking forward to it all week counting down the days.

She's Here!!!

My parents just received word that Mckenna Lyn Moore was born at 10:12 a.m. today. She is 8 lbs. 1 oz. and 20 inches long. She has blonde hair.

They just left for the hospital. They are taking Tyler and Joshua to see their new baby sister.

We will post a picture as soon as we get one.

- Heather Marie Flatt

Getting Ready for Friday and Our First Granddaughter

Well I know now why I wanted all grandsons, it's easier to spell. (Just Kidding) Patti and I are getting ready for having the boys over on Friday and Saturday. We are also awaiting the arrival of grandchild #5. The ultrasound says a girl, but we will wait and see. I only know that it will be one more to spoil and then send home to mom and dad. It's great to be grandparents.
Patti is getting meals ready for us for when I start the interfuron. She is making smaller portions so I can eat more times during the day but less food at each meal. She is experimenting with different spices and different ways of preparing food. Food started changing for me the last two weeks of the radiation. Most just seems blah, and foods that I never use to like I am now eating. Contrary to what was suppose to happen, I am gaining weight now. I am up about 8 pounds from my lowest point a month and a half ago. We must be doing something right as my blood pressure is now maintaining what it was for probably 99% of my adult life, 119/80. This really makes me feel like we are beating this. Patti deserves a lot of credit. She has been here with me every minute, making sure we got appointments quickly, making sure I took my medicine and ate, even when I didn't want to, changing bandages, keeping my clothes clean even when I have to change shirt 2 or 3 times a day. She makes Florence Nightengale look like a candy striper. Who would have thought when the priest told me not to marry her because I was just infatuated with her, that 34years and five months later I would still be infatuated with her. God did a good job of hooking us up. And some day we will take that honeymoon trip that we never got to do.
We are looking forward to the spring and camping, fishing, four wheeling, train rides and traveling as much as we can. God's Peace in your life to all of you who read this.

Another Update and Some Sad/Happy News

On Saturday afternoon my friend Jerry Buckholtz went to be with the Lord. He was a good friend and encouraged me quite a lot when I found out that I had cancer. He was one of those people who was a family man, a business man and you knew he knew the Lord. Jerry gave me some good advice after I talked to him about my bout with thinking about suicide due to some medicines I was taking. We did not know it at the time that the medicine was causing it but he gave me the following advice: Put ending it out of your mind. You are only cheating everyone else around you. Put God first, your family second and yourself third. You owe it to God to stay strong, your family to stay strong and yourself to stay strong. He told me the last time we spoke on the phone that he would never have taken the treatments for cancer, but he did it for his family. He owed it to them as they believed in him and supported him so much. He felt that after God, family was the most important thing in an individuals life. We all will miss his counsel.
For me right now, my burns on my collar bone and under my arm are curing very quickly. I am applying some bee's wax salve and it has made the burns go away rather quickly and it is making my scar under my arm from the surgeries nearly vanish. My chest is a different story as the burn seems to be intensifying and the skin pealing off in layers more and more. I had the most uncomfortable sleep last night as the burning increased dramatically every couple of hours after the salve soaked in or was wiped away by the blankets. I am also very sore in my right hip and upper leg area from working at my mom's on Saturday. We put in a new floor and the 7 hours sitting on the floor snapping together the flooring and the ups and downs to cut it got to me. I will work on the boys bunk beds the rest of the week as well as help on some bids at the office. Work seems to make my day for me.
Remember Mary Buckholtz and the family in your prayers.

Update and follow up on radiation

Today I finally woke up and was not totally exhausted. It has been a struggle and continues to be one with fatigue. Spent some time at the office today looking over a bid and glueing up some puzzles we did previously. I got home at 4 and Patti had supper ready. We are going over to my mothers to drop off some tools and layout her new floor for her kitchen and dining area. We will do it tomorrow morning with the help of Steve, Ron and Drew. We should be able to finish it in one day. I took a short nap after supper as I am beat. The fatigue hits me at different times, but especially just after I eat. It seems all my energy go at that time. I have had a dull headache since the middle of last week that just doesn't seem to go away unless I am fully rested. My burns are getting better by the day. I have lost most of my chest hair and that is good, as it gets all matted up in the creams and salves that I put on. Probably another 3-4 days and the burns should be basically gone I hope. Please keep in your prayers Jerry and Mary Buckholtz. Jerry is in hospice at a Lorain hospital as his time left here is short and his time with the Lord draws very near. Please also pray for Steve as he keeps the business going and shields me from the stresses of the everyday things that go on. Pray for Patti and strenght for her as she deals with me and her mom.

Radiation is Over

This morning I received my last radiation treatment and I proceeded to sleep most of the rest of the day after getting home. The technicians had a little ceremony and gave me a certificate of merit for going through the prescribed treatments. I gave the two who were there a big hug and the one who has been there everyday shed a few tears and so did I. She has a child whom she has taken care of through his treatments for leukemia a few years ago. All the technicians whom I spoke with have had cancer touch their lives also. Today was the roughest day to get up and get going. Yesterday I was so tired that I could not sleep or really even rest. My burns hurt and were irritating me all day. The radiological oncologist met with me yesterday and said my burns were exactly what he expected and that I was coming along fine with the treatments. Now only time will tell if they were successful. I meet with him again in 6 weeks. I meet with the oncologist for the interferon on February 27th and start the treatments on the first Monday in March if everything is OK.

Lying there for last treatment all that went thru my mind was that it was worth the past 5 1/2 weeks of getting up and going there as now I will have a lot of time to camp, fish, spend time with my grandchildren, my children and especially with my wife. I had several people call me today and I found that they were hurting too in other ways. I am glad that they felt they could confide in me and my thoughts were that I want to be around for them also and what they are dealing with. I am thankful in many ways that God has given me this challenge and openned my eyes to helping others. Now it is back to the recliner as I am up against that wall of fatigue again. I hope and pray all this rest gets me going again. I have a life to live and projects to complete.

My Parents Anniversary

Today is Sunday, February 10th. This would have been my parents 57th anniversary. My father will have been gone 41 years on March 17th. My mother has outlived two husbands. My dad dying from diabetes and Gregg my stepfather from cancer and now she is facing the death of her friend, George, from cancer. My mother is also an 18 year cancer survivor. My mother, like me, lost her father when she was young (11) and me when I was 14. It is hard to say this, but unlike my father, my mother never quit at anything in her life. She has gone thru more bad things than one should have to. Death of her father in a vehicle accident, poverty as a child, a sick first husband, bankrupcy because of his medical bills, working as the main support for her family plus being the best mom she knew how to be, a wife to a second husband and a new family (my brother Brad), supporting her husband while he was ill, going thru cancer herself, caring for her mother until her death two years ago and now worrying about me with cancer. She is a tough lady and I admire her. I feel I get much of my strength and commitment to things from her. We laugh and say that my height, weight, personality and now cancer are from the jeans. That is her name, Jean. Funny thing is I married a person very much like her in my wife Patti. Between the two of them I have found success and lived my life as a leader, not a follower. I owe that to the two of them. My mother recently reminded me of that fact and took no credit. She said she knew I would always be a leader. In school I was not one of the kids who stood out other than being the shortest kid in my class up to 10th grade. At that point many of my male teachers began working for me on construction crews that I ran for my grandfather. I went into the army and became a leader at everything I did from basic training to retirement. I went up 7 enlisted ranks and 4 officer ranks to retire as a major. I was the cub scout leader and scout master. Patti and I started our own business two weeks after we were married and with $500 in our savings we built up a company that our son is now running allowing us the time to step away and get this cancer out of me without the worry and stress that would make that difficult. But all three of us, my mom, Patti and I know that it was by God's grace and guidance that we have lived and succeeded. We also know that it is by God's grace that the cancer will or will not be completely removed from me. It will be His will that will be done. I look forward to the future and again taking active roles in our church, our family and extended family and our business.

Two more radiation treatments. I am burnt rather badly on my collar bone and under my arm. These are the last two, but they will be more concentrated on the spot where the tumors were so I can expect even more burning and swelling, so please pray that the burns and swelling will go away quickly so I can start the interfuron as soon as possible.

3 radiation treatments left

This one will be a short note. The reason is that the radiation treatments have finally just kicked my butt. I am tired to the point that it is 7:30pm and I am ready for bed. My neck and collar bone are burnt and the center of my chest is also. It is irritating and I feel like ripping the hair, what is left, off my chest. I am also burnt under my arm, but the good thing is there is not feeling there. I have scared Patti out of her seat three times today by nearly driving off the road. We just got back from my mom's house and I knew there was no way she was going to let me drive. I have my last regular radiation treatment tomorrow for the full field of my right chest, underarm and back tomorrow. I then have two left next week where they will focus down the field to the area where I had the tumors. Anyways, thanks to the many who have provided meals. Some looked a little scary at first, but they all turned out to be great tasting. I am trusting in God that the radiation is doing what it is suppose to do. Thanks for all your prayers, calls, cards, ecards and encouragement.

6 treatments left of radiation

I really felt strong this Saturday and Sunday without the radiation treatments. I still fell asleep or nodded off during still moments. I would not trust myself on a long highway drive as I am not sure if I would doze off or not. Patti says if we go somewhere she will either keep me awake or drive herself. I am rather red in the areas of the radiation. It is well defined the two field that they are radiating. My collar bone area, my right nipple and some under my arm are burnt and I can tell. The aloe gel that I put on keeps it soothed. I find it best to wear cotton shirts to reduce the aggravation. I saw the radialogical oncologist today and he is satisfied with the results so far. He asked if I need pain medicine to ease the burn. What I figure I need are some pep pills so I don't hit the wall at times. I will not take anything though, as I want to stay in tune with my body. I've had worse sunburns. (and that is probably why I have this cancer.)

In talking with people, many of them who have had cancer or had a spouse that had cancer kept it quiet and only talk about it with people who they know have cancer. A few have said that they would not have the nerve to put out a blog like this for the world to know, but yet can relate to most of what I am saying and think it is a good thing to do. I know that it is for me as I feel it is a kind of therapy all in itself. With the statistic on cancer showing a rise, not a fall, more and more people will be affected and hopefully this blog and my writings will give people some insite as to what is going on in my body and my mind. Living with cancer is a challenge everyday. Every ache, pain, funny feeling, etc. runs thru your mind as ???Cancer???. I wrote about this before and got quite a response from people. To those who have talked or emailed me, I appreciate your openness about your feelings also. It lets me know that I am not alone and not really any different from the rest of you survivors.

One last note, the bunk bed project and conference room table project are going well. They take my mind off of just about everything and make my day just that much better. I will take on some cabinets and a HO train table probably next week. I figure I have until the end of March to get them done. We plan on camping in April after the heavy interfuron treatments in March. I look forward to working thru the treatments as much as I can. God willing, I will keep my strength up and my good looks. ( just kidding on the last part )

February 1st

Today I finished treatment #20. I have 5 next week then the 2 concentrated doses the following week making it 7 treatments left. Patti is calling the oncologist today to set up an appointment for as soon as I am done to get the interfuron going. Hopefully we can get started on February 25th after Steve and Stacy's daughter is born. It is scheduled for her to come into the world on February 22.

I am fine except for fatigue and some redness and a burnt nipple on the right side. Patti seems to be holding up OK. Now that her mom knows it makes her life a little less tense trying to work her mom's doctors appointments around. I look forward to the next two days not having to get up and get the treatments. The two days off is a relief of sorts. The weather is depressing, but Patti and I both noticed that it is staying light longer in the evenings and that is good. Although the sun probably caused the cancer, I miss the bright sunny days with all the green and flowers outside. As I get thru the heavy part of the interfuron, the green will be coming out and flowers blooming. That will cheer me up and make the day go better.

One thing I did learn is to pay attention to what I am reading. I saw excersize 30 minutes a day for 5 days in the printouts they give on radiation treatment. I should have read it more in detail as it says to excersize for 5-10 minutes for 5 days and build yourself up to the 30 minutes even if you have been athletic. OOPS. Have a good weekend everyone and go to church and thank God for what you have.