Medical and Electrical Updates

Chuck's doctors have all met together and they decided to just remove the lymph node instead of using the T-vec injections. They're hoping they can get all the cancer in that one surgery instead of months of injections, which we're totally okay with. The surgeon is booked up a few weeks out so the surgery will probably take place the end of February. We're just waiting for the nurse to call and set the date.

The electrician came out and was able to change the socket with no problems. He said the wire was overheated but the heat didn't travel anywhere. The damage was only in the one socket, thank goodness! I threw away the power strip and bought a surge protector - a real one! and we're making sure Beth doesn't plug her cpap machine and her portable heater in the same outlet. So everything has it's own place now and all is well again.

I can't believe it's Saturday night and January's about over. This month has gone fast for me. I'm so glad the days are getting longer though! It's still light out when I get off work at 5:00!

"It Blew Out"

Chuck went to work at 11:00 this morning and I got home from work around 3:00. I went for a walk, brought the trashcans in from the curb and then I went downstairs to tell Beth what I was fixing for dinner.

She very calmly points to the wall and says, "My thing blew out." I turned around to see this...

 

What?!? "Oh my gosh Beth, what happened?!?"

Silence. She came over to the wall and just stood there. I'm sort of beginning to panic as she just stares at it. "Beth did you see a little fire or something??

"I dunno." "Well, when did you first see this? When did you notice it looked like this?" 

Silence. In moments like this she doesn't have the skills to think of the step by step process of what happened and explain it. We've learned over the years that she will agree to whatever explanation you give so we try to be patient until she does answer.

But I was well on my way to panic mode and I anxiously asked, "Did you see that your alarm clock wasn't working and so you came over to check and that's when you saw this?" 

With a tone of, 'I like that answer!' she said, "Yeah!"

So honestly, I don't know if we'll ever know what actually happened. What I DO know is that a power strip was plugged into the socket. And it's fried as well.

 

I've checked the wall around the plug and it's cold. The other electric sockets are cool to the touch and seem fine. I've told her not to plug anything else into those two sockets until we get it fixed.

Her cpap machine and alarm clock were plugged into the power strip and I plugged them into a few other sockets before they finally worked. I'm a little nervous about leaving them plugged in because I don't know if they've been damaged. Can they be damaged if they were plugged into something that does that??

I feel horrible now because all this time I thought she was using a surge protector but after looking at it today, it's not. It's just a power strip. But I'm so, so grateful she was protected here today!

Every time I pull out of my driveway I pray for protection around our home, the property it's on and the neighborhood we're in. And I believe with all my heart, today the Lord answered that prayer!!

Results of the Scan

I had one of those days today. Let me just say my day ended with me dropping my water bottle into the toilet at work. Thankfully, THANKFULLY! I had not used said toilet yet!! Now I'm home and relaxing. Whew!

Now on to the good stuff!

Chuck's scan showed absolutely no cancer from the neck down!! I was so concerned that it had spread but it hasn't! He examined the spots on top of Chuck's head and they don't look suspicious, just like left-over pigment. He's not concerned about them at all. 

The scan and blood work show the cancer is only in the lymph node behind his left ear. That's it! 

Since the cancer seems to be isolated he decided not to give Chuck the infusion this time so that his immune system would begin to calm down and allow the psoriasis to heal. 

He's looking at changing the treatment from a full-body immunotherapy to a localized injection that will only target the cancer.

It's like we've got it cornered and will hit it with a knock out punch! This is such great news! I'm so relieved and excited and at peace...!!

SCCA Visit

 We just got back from Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

Chuck had a CT scan today to see what the cancer is doing. He drinks a bunch of 'contrast' that highlights the areas being scanned. I'm not allowed to go back with him for this procedure so I just hang out in the waiting room.

Lake Union - My view for today

We go back tomorrow to get the results. Thankfully I'll be able to go to the back room with him, meet with the doctor and sit with him while he gets his infusion. I'm anxious... well, not anxious like nervous just... I can't wait to get the results. I want to know what that mean ol' cancer is doing!!

Old Photos

Friday was a difficult day at work. I had to confront one custodian about... inaccuracies on their time sheet. They assured me it was just a misunderstanding. Another custodian is going through some personal things so after we talked for a while I prayed with them before they left.

Beth and I left there late, and we stopped at the grocery store on our way home. After dinner I was sitting on the couch and suddenly my face felt flush, like when you have a fever? And I felt like I was getting a headache. Oh no.

I cleaned up the kitchen and decided to get ready for bed, even though it was only 8:30. I puttered around the house a while and finally took some ibuprofen and headed to bed. Thankfully I woke up Saturday morning feeling so much better! (Thank you for your prayers!)

I spent most of Saturday working on a picture frame that I fill with Christmas pictures every couple of years. I hang it in our hall every December and I put in current pictures we took on Christmas Day, plus pictures from when I was little, when the girls were little... it's fun to look back year after year and see how things have changed!

That's me in the blue, my sister and her husband, and my mom's back is to us. This looks like 5th grade, around 1967. It looks like I'm holding something but I have no idea what. 😊

Our girls in 1994

 Do you display Christmas photos during the holidays?

Do you have family photos throughout your house in general?

Still Here

I planned to write a post tonight but I had a tough afternoon at work and am just feeling weary. I'll try to post something this weekend. 

God Bless you ~

What's Been Happening

 Beth has hoarding tendencies. I've tried to go downstairs and help her clean out her closet or clean up her dresser but usually she doesn't want me to mess with her stuff. Can't say I blame her. I wouldn't have been too happy if my mom came to my house and began cleaning or organizing things they way she thought they should be. 

But there comes a time when I step in and tell Beth it needs to be done. 

I got the idea recently to buy her some decorative bins to put her stuff in. She wouldn't necessarily have to go through it right then but the bins would make her bookcase look better. We went to Target and bought the bins she wanted (not the ones I would have chosen) then went downstairs to get started.

She was NOT happy that I was helping and it showed. After a few minutes I told her, "Okay. I'll go upstairs and you can do this."

The next day I went down to check and she did a pretty good job! Again, not exactly how I would've done it but I have to find that fine line of treating her like an adult vs. treating her like a child. She was willing to make the change and do it by herself, so, I'm proud of her.

            Before          

 

 

After

She hasn't been hearing well lately and I finally made an appointment with the doctor. Thankfully it was just wax buildup, whew! We stopped at the bathroom on our way out and when she was... going, she pointed down to the toilet and yelled, "I hear that!" After we got home she came upstairs with her iPod and said, "I hear it now, in my headphones!" I'm so glad it was only a wax problem!

I was watching TV the other night when something didn't look right about it. I kept checking my glasses thinking they were smudged but that wasn't it. I just couldn't figure it out. Then the next night it seemed the top half of the screen was darker than the bottom, it was really weird. The next day it was even worse! The top half of the TV was going dark. Just all of the sudden. We've only had it about 2 years but of course the warranty ended 4 months ago. So we bought a new one. Same size but this one has Ultra HD. I'd never heard of it but oh my goodness it's like watching a live play on stage. The colors are SO vivid, the images are super clear like 3D, it's just amazing!

Here we've taken the stand off the old TV and put it on the new one.

 Well that's what's been happening at our house this week.  

Have you ever had hearing problems? 

Have you seen the new Ultra HD TV's?

Update on Chuck

About the time I think this is all behind us, I follow a rabbit trail on line (I've got to stop doing that!) or something comes up that reminds me we're still in the fight of our lives.

They did a biopsy a couple months ago on one of the spots on his scalp and it came back negative for cancer. That spot is just that, a spot of leftover pigment that will disappear in time. Not sure about the others.

The biopsy on his lymph node however was positive. Which is what we've always suspected but I was hoping that it was nothing. Just a swollen gland or whatever. But nope. It's cancerous.

The second treatment they were going to do wasn't approved by our insurance. They'd pay for it, just not in conjunction with the first treatment. So the doctors are discussing our options.

I didn't realize how long a battle this would be. I thought after the initial surgery, they would have gotten it all and we'd be done. Boy was I wrong!

In the meantime he continues to work and feels pretty good. He's dealing with severe psoriasis right now, a side effect from the infusions. We met with the dermatologist yesterday and he said given the cancer still in the lymph node and now the psoriasis, Chuck's team of doctors are talking about changing his immunotherapy treatment to try and knock out the cancer. At this point we don't know what that will be.

His next scan and infusion is scheduled for the 19th.

We're coming up on the one-year mark of his diagnosis and it seems it's been one thing after another: two different cancers, two surgeries, several biopsies, so many doctors appointments, various treatments... and we still have a long way to go. It's starting to take it's toll. 

I want to thank you for your prayers. Even though we've never met, your friendship and the caring words you've written over the last 10 months mean so much to me. Thank you... 

 1981 - After we got engaged

So Much

 Food

Fun

  Laughter 

We had such a great time with Diana and Peter here

Sharaya and Ally have been here every day

We made ravioli from scratch, a tradition with Peter's family

Played so many board games!

Ate way too much food

Laughed hard over the silliest things

Enjoyed each other's company

 Four days before Christmas we got a little bit of snow! Chuck was at work, the girls and Peter were out... shopping I think, so Ally and I went out to play!

Traditional Christmas Eve Jammies

Christmas morning

The aftermath

 I hope you had a wonderful celebration!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

At midnight we clinked our glasses with sparkling cider, watched New Years at the Needle (it was a virtual show this year instead of fireworks) stood out on the front porch and blew horns and yelled like everyone else was doing! I think everyone is excited for this new year!

 

Yay, 2021 is here, woohoo!! 🎉🎇

Happy New Year!