Checking In

Three hundred and thirty-five posts later...

I bet you wonder what has happened to us? Remember the old adage, "no news is good news." For me, I simply don't feel compelled to blog when things are going good. I mean, "carpe diem!" I just want to spend all the precious time I can with Sabine.

After a good six months (most of the summer) without chemotherapy we knew it was coming. The cancer "numbers" had been creeping up so it wasn't a big surprise when Dr Sheehan put Sabine back on a chemo regimen a couple of weeks ago.

The treatment now is what I call a "shotgun" approach -- a little bit of Velcade (subcute 2x/wk) with oral Revlimid and dexamethasone. Sabine is a little tired but I wouldn't know. She is out exercising on our hills and in the pool (we have really had some HOT weather -- so much for living up north!).

This weekend we are going to do another bike and paddle excursion on the Bark River near Ft. Atkinson.

We are both looking forward to another Couper Get-Together on the outerbanks of the North Carolina seashore in August. Whoopee!

We have lost a couple of friends from our cancer support group. That always is a wake-up call for me. I grab my spear. I mount the ramparts and watch out for danger...

Updates -- Long time, no hear!

A silent blog for me is a good blog.


Sabine and I were recently interviewed along with some of our dialysis support group members last week.
http://www.fox47.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/vid_3005.shtml


Things have been going well this summer (again) with Sabine being off chemo while Dr Sheehan watches the cancer growth.

Almost miraculously her cancer "numbers" didn't rise much this past month. (Sabine thinks it was a lab error!)

But I choose to be hopeful that maybe this nasty stuff is being harnessed!

We'll see as we meet with Dr Sheehan this coming Wednesday.

Sadly, a friend in our cancer support group died last Sunday. His name is Gil. Please keep him and his wife in your prayers. He was a kind and gentle man who will be deeply missed. He was a retired elementary school teacher.

March is Myeloma Awareness Month

MARCH IS MYELOMA AWARENESS MONTH!

HELP RAISE AWARENESS.

   

WHAT IS MULTIPLE MYELOMA?

            The second most common blood cancer

            Affects an estimated 750,000 people worldwide

SYMPTOMS

            Bone pain

            Anemia

            Kidney issues

            Frequent infections

            Extreme fatigue

            Pain or numbness in hands or feet

 GET INFORMED!

     

 CALL The IMF Hotline – 1-800-452-CURE 

 VISIT THEIR WEBSITE www.myeloma.org

ON FACEBOOK:  www.facebook.com/myeloma

Another drop!

For those of you who are following the "numbers," they are down again. Second round of Velcade/Dex and the chemo has repressed those nasty light chains down into the normal range -- 18!

What's next? Well, we will see Dr Sheehan next Tuesday and see if we continue the present course, wait and see, or try something else.

In the meantime, life is good.

2012 Update

Sabine and our son, "Zeke" just before his journey took him
to Guatemala. Zeke came home for Christmas and stayed
for awhile to see that mom's chemo went okay.

Here we are! Starting our fifth year living with cancer.

I think I updated the present. Sabine's numbers started climbing this summer (but had a whole summer off without chemo). We predicted Dr Sheehan would start an intervention this fall -- and he did.

We started a two week cycle of Velcade + dexamethasone, with a week off.

After this first cycle the chemo knocked Sabine's rising number down almost to the normal range.

Dr Sheehan decided to do one more Velcade/dex cycle and see what happens.

So, that's where we are today -- in the second cycle -- we had to cancel our trip south this winter because of the chemo cycle which requires us to go into UW Hospital two days a week for the Velcade which is administered by IV drip.

Sabine continues exercising and being her wonderfully happy self. She is a little tired, but doing well.

I have gotten my book into the publisher and also doing well.

God is good and will provide.

New Year's Blessings to all of you!

Winter Update

It's been a busy December -- family, kids, grandkids, church, friends...

Some good news: It looks like Sabine's first round of chemotherapy is working!  After one cycle with Velcade+Dexamethasone she is in "normal" limits!

Bad news -- she picked up a respiratory infection and is now being treated with an antibiotic called the "Z-pak." Lot of coughing.... some temperature rises... and a worried husband.

More to soon to come.

Love and blessings to our blog friends!

In the Trench!

Sabine dialyzing on the train coming back from San Antonio
this summer.

We are back in the "trench" (that's what I call chemotherapy and I'm only the support person!
It's been a great summer. Sabine has had almost 6 months off without chemo. But we have seen the "numbers" slowly creep back up and now we have come to the point that Dr Sheehan believes some chemical intervention is necessary.

Starting next week, it's chemo infusion (IV) two days a week at the U.W. hospital for a two week cycle followed by a week off.

Off we go. Back in the trench -- but being back in the trench means the shots fly over your head, right?

The really bad thing for Sabine is that this means we can't go south to warm up this winter.

We will see. Maybe a weekend at a local water park?

Christmas is coming. Life is still a blessing. And we begin our 5th year of fighting cancer together!