I'd like to thank each member of the Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus Pine Council of Troop 1131 for the wonderful donation you made on behalf of Tommy to Footprints in the amount of $192.00. And we must thank the families of the Troop as well! I also thank Katie Little and her mom, Kim Little for suggesting the donations be made to Footprints on behalf of your Troop and Tommy.
Footprints is a non-profit organization which supports patients and their families who have life threatening diseases at Madigan Army Medical Center, Ft. Lewis - Tacoma, Washington.
There are nearly 75 patients under the age of 18 being treated at MAMC with life threatening diseases, and Tommy is one of them. Your hard work provides our organization with a substantial gift and will help so many in desire need.
Girl Scout Mission
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
Each member of Troop 1131 deserves to be reconized for carring out the Girl Scout Mission. On behalf of Tommy and Footprints, we Thank You!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
TWO Weeks @ Dr's House & Counting!
Ugh! We started off with a six day admission for a routine visit of chemo, Monday September 17. Nothing we haven't done before - not a fun rodeo but one we've done it many times. Finally on Saturday 9/22 we were released only to return Monday 9/24 because Tommy became Neutropenia (low blood count, fever, chills, no immune system) and within 24 hours we ended up in a platelet transfusion. Since then, he has had zero ANC (no immunity) and a high fever. We've treated him with the best of antibiotics and still stumped. We have about 24 - 48 hours to go and then they will start treating him with fungal meds which isn't a fun routine what they tell us. They also tell us they highly doubt we'll make it through all of his chemo treatments without reaching a time of it (fungal) meds happening. I'm guessing he'll need one or more transfusions before we go home from all of this.
Needless to say, we are restless of being in the hospital. Only home for one day in the last two weeks. It's hard on all of us. Maggie is happy to see me and crys her eyes out when she has to leave. "My Mommy!" Oh those words melt me. Daryl is exhausted of being a single parent, I'm tired of living at the hospital with little sleep and just want a home cooked meal -- even if I have to make it. Tommy though of all of us has it the hardest! He's so tired of being here and reminds me and the staff he wants out of here. He's finally got some spirit in him, which should mean we are on the up and up. We suspect if that keeps up, maybe in 24 - 48 hours we can be going home. All depends on his system and getting to a 3 ANC count.
Meanwhile, Daryl leaves tomorrow for Iraq again (AKA the sandbox) and Maggie will go to Aunt Suzanne's (AKA daycare - no relative relation) and I'll be here with Tommy till we can go home. He was scheduled for chemo on Monday (tomorrow) but that's not happening. We will wait till next week for that. Seeing how Daryl still won't be home, my dad will be coming up to take care of Maggie and the house.
Good thing Daryl is flying for Alaska, we'll need a lot of help for the remaining treatments and hospitalizations and with no family here in WA to help, it's nearly impossible to do what we have done. We've been living this life for six months as hard as it is to believe and we have 3 to 5 more months to go.
Maggie and Daryl came to see us both days this weekend and we did have great visits both days. Daryl snuck me out and swept me off to lunch with him and Maggie. Tommy would sit and visit with the nurses and doctors till we returned. Then Maggie and I would paint in Tommy's room, watch a movie and just relax. It was also the time Daryl and I could see one another before he leaves. I've always been there for him and helped him pack for a trip - this is the first one in 12 years of marriage that I have not been able to. Sorry Babe, it's not the same I know.
Well, I'm exhausted so I think I am going to hit the sack early. Will need it this week while being a single working parent and running between daycare, hospital and the office. Peace be with you all <><.
Needless to say, we are restless of being in the hospital. Only home for one day in the last two weeks. It's hard on all of us. Maggie is happy to see me and crys her eyes out when she has to leave. "My Mommy!" Oh those words melt me. Daryl is exhausted of being a single parent, I'm tired of living at the hospital with little sleep and just want a home cooked meal -- even if I have to make it. Tommy though of all of us has it the hardest! He's so tired of being here and reminds me and the staff he wants out of here. He's finally got some spirit in him, which should mean we are on the up and up. We suspect if that keeps up, maybe in 24 - 48 hours we can be going home. All depends on his system and getting to a 3 ANC count.
Meanwhile, Daryl leaves tomorrow for Iraq again (AKA the sandbox) and Maggie will go to Aunt Suzanne's (AKA daycare - no relative relation) and I'll be here with Tommy till we can go home. He was scheduled for chemo on Monday (tomorrow) but that's not happening. We will wait till next week for that. Seeing how Daryl still won't be home, my dad will be coming up to take care of Maggie and the house.
Good thing Daryl is flying for Alaska, we'll need a lot of help for the remaining treatments and hospitalizations and with no family here in WA to help, it's nearly impossible to do what we have done. We've been living this life for six months as hard as it is to believe and we have 3 to 5 more months to go.
Maggie and Daryl came to see us both days this weekend and we did have great visits both days. Daryl snuck me out and swept me off to lunch with him and Maggie. Tommy would sit and visit with the nurses and doctors till we returned. Then Maggie and I would paint in Tommy's room, watch a movie and just relax. It was also the time Daryl and I could see one another before he leaves. I've always been there for him and helped him pack for a trip - this is the first one in 12 years of marriage that I have not been able to. Sorry Babe, it's not the same I know.
Well, I'm exhausted so I think I am going to hit the sack early. Will need it this week while being a single working parent and running between daycare, hospital and the office. Peace be with you all <><.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
PICTURES - Enlarge to VIEW by Clicking on Pic
Here's Mag's just about to kill her fish! See!! She DOES look like the little girl in Nemo.
Tommy took much better care of his fish - well until we got home. Then later that night he wanted a "snack" and seeing how he loves fish, he thought he could eat his - we had to have a little teaching here on this one.
Checking to see if that last squeeze killed any of them.
Aunt Stef and Maggie
Here's the gang waiting in line at another game or ride.
Little Ms.Maggie Mae is happy as all get up with her candy necklace! Not at all surprising either.
Leaning against his dad for a little rest while waiting to play a game.
Hard to believe that the day before he was in the hospital getting a blood transfusion and this day he was climbing this huge wall at the church festival.
Tommy
Aunt Stef & Tommy
Aunt Stef & Tommy (Kim's younger sister)
Ya, he's love'n it!
Aunt Stef & Maggie MaeNot in any special order, but here are some pictures from when Aunt Stef came to visit. We went our church fair / carnival and had a great time.
Tommy won gold fish for him and Maggie. If you ever saw the movie Nemo, Maggie is like the dentists niece - it's amazing her fish didn't die before we got home from all the squeezing and swishing she did to them. Although one has died out of the four and we're pretty certain it was one of hers.
One of the many meds Tommy takes has him spin out of control behavioral wise. Let's just say yesterday was NOT a fun day. He pulled his line in to two, later he had his line open and drip chemo, he pulled the emergency cord in his room and ALL staff came running in, AND he knocked over his entire IV pole which had a HUGE bang so ALL the staff came running in again. He was up till nearly midnight - it was exhausting!! But it's better than seeing him in pain and being sick.
Okay, so keep checking back again for more pics - there's a ton more to post, just need to find the memory stick they are on.
<><>
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Guilty As Charged!
No, nobody has been arrested. The site has been ignored for a short while is all. It's tiresome to do the routine we've endured day in and day out. We've also been bumped up to a two week treatment plan, which means we are at the hospital every week now. One week is for chemo, the next is for blood checks and transfusions -- sometimes as an out patient and sometimes as an in patient.
The help we had from my parents, my friend Kim and sisters was GREATLY appreciated and VERY much needed! Words do not express our total and sincere appreciation. We love each of you for helping us during a time of real need. Not an ideal "vacation", but we aren't really in the vacation hospitality mode this year and appreciate that you had no "vacation" expectations.
Tommy is currently undergoing his five day chemo treatment (it's really a six day) and at the end of it he will need a transfusion before we can go home. He's SO strong! He's the best teacher we've ever had in our lifetime. After this, only seven more treatments to go. We finally feel like we can see the light at the end of the tunnel -- still a LONG one in many ways.
Daryl and I have really been given a roller coaster of challenges. Not all challenges have been fun - but one doesn't grow without pain. I am proud of the growth Daryl and I have made as individuals, partners and parents not only in the 14 years we've been together, but especially those we've been dealt this year.
It gives me MUCH pleasure to share that not only have we been fighting Tommy's cancer this year, but also facing major career and life decisions. With that said, I'm the proudest wife in America to share that Daryl has been hired to fly for Alaska Air Lines and I am branching my own real estate short sale business under the Windermere umbrella here in WA with growth plans to cover a national territory. God knows what our plans are, and although we always thought it was to return to Arizona, it's clear the Pacific Northwest is our HOME!
Keep your prayers going and know we thank you for them. Don't give up on the blog - there are a lot of pictures that need to be posted - so keep checking it out.
The help we had from my parents, my friend Kim and sisters was GREATLY appreciated and VERY much needed! Words do not express our total and sincere appreciation. We love each of you for helping us during a time of real need. Not an ideal "vacation", but we aren't really in the vacation hospitality mode this year and appreciate that you had no "vacation" expectations.
Tommy is currently undergoing his five day chemo treatment (it's really a six day) and at the end of it he will need a transfusion before we can go home. He's SO strong! He's the best teacher we've ever had in our lifetime. After this, only seven more treatments to go. We finally feel like we can see the light at the end of the tunnel -- still a LONG one in many ways.
Daryl and I have really been given a roller coaster of challenges. Not all challenges have been fun - but one doesn't grow without pain. I am proud of the growth Daryl and I have made as individuals, partners and parents not only in the 14 years we've been together, but especially those we've been dealt this year.
It gives me MUCH pleasure to share that not only have we been fighting Tommy's cancer this year, but also facing major career and life decisions. With that said, I'm the proudest wife in America to share that Daryl has been hired to fly for Alaska Air Lines and I am branching my own real estate short sale business under the Windermere umbrella here in WA with growth plans to cover a national territory. God knows what our plans are, and although we always thought it was to return to Arizona, it's clear the Pacific Northwest is our HOME!
Keep your prayers going and know we thank you for them. Don't give up on the blog - there are a lot of pictures that need to be posted - so keep checking it out.
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