I am Finally updating my Blog!!

Okay so it has been over 2 months since I posted and a lot has happened in my life. I took a photo that I will add here somewhere of Marilyn visiting me and I am actually all going to let you see me bald...I guess a lot of you have already. Here is an update on what has been happening:

I had my 4th Chemo on Feb. 23rd and also started Radiation on the same day. That was the plan of the doctors to do it simulanteously and end both at the same time. That weekend Melinda and her friend came to St. George for the Home Show and it was fun having them here. She announced she was expecting a baby that weekend which made it even more exciting!!

Steve dropped Marilyn in St. George as he had business in Salt Lake (hence the photo of her visit here) and she knew it was after my chemo and I may not feel great but we still. However, I was doing fairly well and we had some fun. Then Saturday hit and I wasn't feeling very well and as the day prgressed I got much worse with a high temperature. Brent took me to the Emergency room and after several tests I found out I had diverticulitus, and I spent several days in the hospital. I was having a pretty rough time (couldn't stop throwing up) until they slowed down the antibiotic they had me on. After that I started to feel like a human being. Ater several days they let me go home and told me to eat a low residue diet...so that was kind of interesting. However, my throat was really starting to hurt from all of the radiation treatments, so I kind of was living on yogurt, ice cream & really soft food.

Troy & Amy came for their Spring Break and it was fun having them here. They took Neil and Cade on a fun mountain bike trail and the boys are now hooked (since Brent went out and bought all of us new bikes so we can have a new hobby). Chad, Melinda & Mikell came down during our Spring Break for a few days. Todd, Rakel, Austin & Alayna came and hung out with us as the different family members came to visit and it was so much fun to be togeher! I was soon having a hard time eating anything. I was sent to the IV Center to get some nutrition via IV, however, by March 23rd I was feeling pretty rotten and we just decided to walk into Dr. Te's office and talk to him. He admitted me into the hospital. I was by chance put into a specail cancer neutrapenic room, which after they ran tests found out I was nuetrapenic, along with a bladder infection and possibly other problems. I had decided I couldn't eat anymore and I was so dehydrated I wanted a stomach feeding tube. They wouldn't give me the surgery until I got healthier. They ended up putting a pick line in my arm that will stay long term. The first one failed and so I had a blood clot and very sore arm for a week or two. By Wednesday March 25th they decided I was healthy enough for my surgery. I stayed in the hospital a few more days and then sent home. I felt pretty good the day I came home, but honestly by Sunday I was not feeling well. Actually, looking back now, I think I came home sick from the hospital! I rarely got out of bed that next week. They had home health coming in to check on me but now very often.
Brent was doing his best to help me and even Rakel was sweet enough to come over and help me.

So, by Easter weekend I was feeling pretty rotten. Luckily Nichole took care of a lot ot the Easter duties (along with Brent), but I don't remember much of the day at all. That night I fell twice trying to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I now hardly remember what happened. Brent took me to the Emergency room Monday morning (I had a fever of 103). I don't remember him taking me or even being there. Brent said when he took me in they took my blood pressure and it was only 60/40 so they rushed my straight back to triage and he said he sat there helplessly watching 5 people work on me and by 11:30 a.m. I guess I was in a room in ICU. I was in ICU for 4 days and I don't remember a lot of it. Brent tried to stay with me as much as possible. I guess I was saying a lot of crazy things and he recorded some of them. I also tried to get out of bed by myself and fell. It was some rough days and honestly pretty scary. They finally gave me a blood transfusion and we believe that once they did that I started to do better. I had a cdif bacterial infection that had gone into my blood. Marilyn had planned to come to stay again to help, but didn't know she was going to end up spending a lot of her time sitting with me in the hospital. By Thursday they sent me down to the 3rd floor to a regular room. They even moved me after one day to another room because I was in Isolation and a man next dooor to me was having heavy duty chemo and they didn't want be by him. Everyone who came to visit had to put on a robe and gloves. Brent sent a message to our Relief Society President to discourage visitors, so I didn't have to many...but it was a fun surprise to have Clifton and Steven drop by on separate days for visits.

Finally I started to do better and after 11 days of being in bed at the hospital they let me come home. I wasn't sure I wanted to come home!?! At first I wanted to go to rehab where they could keep a close eye on me and keep me healthy so I could finish my last 6 days of radiation and by last (the 6th) Chemo treatment. But, I missed my family so much and really did want to be in my own home. Actually, the day I came home Brent had to be out of town so Marilyn & Steve ( - he had come into town to drive Marilyn up north and then home) brought my home from the hospital. I have a home health nurse coming to check on me a couple of days a week. I am feeling better but I am still quite weak. I am trying to do laundry and a little housework. I need to try to keep myself somewhat busy or I go crazy. You can only lay around so much and watch so much T.V.

So...today I had my 2nd of 6 Radiation treatments that I have left. So far they are going okay. I am getting axious about finishing because I can't wait until my esphogas is healed so I can have my feeding tube removed and I can once again eat REAL FOOD!! It has been hard, but I am trying so hard to be patient.

So, that was a lot to write, and maybe way too much for anyone to read, but it is a quick review of my life the last few months. I am hoping and praying for for the next few months to be much, much better! I appreciate so much all of the kind letters, cards, food, phone calls, prayers, fasting, and names at the temple!! Everyone is so wonderful and I feel bad that I have not written thank you notes to everyone and maybe not even acknowleged them, but please know they are appreciated and we really feel the love from everyone!!

(OOps! NO Photo to be found of Marilyn & I with my bald head I guess I lost it somewhere...I will add photos next post. Sorry!)