Quilt for Mom and Dad

I told the kids I would post a picture of the finished quilt, so here it is. Be sure and show them how great their squares look all together. :)

Sproul Reunion

I endured through the uploading process and posted some pictures of the reunion on my blog

Thanks

Just a simple note to express thanks to all of you; you made Thanksgiving and the reunion wonderful. I am privileged to be associated with you, and I am privileged to be connected with those who were not there.

Reunion Countdown!

Is everyone hyped for the Thanksgiving reunion? I am, I can't wait to see everyone and spend Thanksgiving together. It should be fun. We will be leaving Wednesday afternoon, as soon as Jonathan and Teresa get done with work and school. Unfortunately it probably won't be until 2-3pm. So we'll be getting in to St. George late. Mom is picking up the food for the meals, other than Thanksgiving and will let us know our cost when we all get there.  Thanksgiving is a potluck thing, everyone has been assigned something.

Desserts - John and Emily
Yams and Dixie Salad - Aunt Nedra
Turkey, gravy and Stuffing - Mom
Mashed potatoes and part of Breakfast - James and Amanda
Rolls and Vegetables - Jo
Help with prep - Rick and Boys

We have a continental style breakfast planned for Thursday, then some snacks and dinner around 3pm. I have some activities for Thursday morning. We also plan to bring some games and movies, so if you have any favorites you'd like to share - bring them. Friday bring your favorite type of cereal to share, we'll have the milk there. Picnic at the park for lunch, and some games - weather permitting. Hot Dogs and Hamburgers. Dinner will be leftovers from Thursday. Saturday morning will be pancakes, and a serious clean-up. My little family will be taking off after things are taken care of, hopefully by 1pm.

Did I miss anything?

No More Updates

I believe in the comfort promised, but I have learned that comfort, in any amount, does not do away with those parts of our love that are so hard to bear when those whom we love move on.

More Update

We visited with Jim this morning, in ICU. He seems to be improving; while we were there, the doctor come in and changed his respirator to a c-pap protocol, which means Jim is breathing on his own, without the help of the respirator. He's still on the respirator, but it is acting like a c-pap machine, with a little oxygen. The doctor said there is a possibility Jim can come completely off the respirator (removal of all the tubes) tomorrow.

The PT people were also in this morning and walked him about triple what they did yesterday. The walk tired Jim, but it was good for him, and he was in a chair for about three hours before he felt he had to get back into bed and get some rest.

Bob came down later this morning, and the three of us (and mom) had a good visit. Of course, Jim could only stare at us and nod or shake his head. He was able to write what he wanted on a piece of paper, but his writing was sometimes difficult to read.

We are hopeful.

Uncle Jim Update

Jim is back in ICU. The doctors intubated him at about 3 AM because his oxygen saturation level was low. He seems to be doing OK, though, considering everything. Nedra said last night he was probably the only patient in ICU who was checking his e-mail.

Nedra is with him as I write and will probably spend the whole night in the hospital. Mom and I will go up tomorrow morning and stay until Suzanne returns around noon. She went home tonight for Sarah's last concert of the season.

Mom and I spent about seven hours with him and Suzanne last Tuesday,in the hospital (Tuesday was his regular clinic day). He had gone home and had been home for about a week, but while in the hospital Tuesday, he had an x-ray of his lungs, which revealed a weird spot on his right lung. The pulmanologist ordered a CT scan and discovered a "cavity" in the lung. He showed us the CT scan results on the computer in Jim's room, and the "cavity" was obvious in the picture. There was some debate whether to let him go home, but because he felt and looked good, the decision was made to allow him to return home, with the caveat to bring him back immediately if he had a fevor, had trouble breathing, was coughing up large amounts of mucus, or was coughing up blood.

Friday, he was admitted into the hospital for a scope of his stomach (it appears he has some graft v host (GVH) disease, which causes symptoms such as diarrea and other gastro-intestinal problems), and while he was there, he began coughing up a little blood. Uncle Bob and I visited him early Saturday morning, and he coughed up more blood while we were there. The situation progressed to where the doctor ordered a bi-pap machine for Jim (a bi-pap machine is a machine that pumps air with extra oxygen, through a mask-type apparatus, into Jim's lungs, as he breathes). Eventually, as I indicated before, it became necessary to intubate him.

Jim's doctors are doing an amazing job, and no one is panicing here.

Reunion Banner ideas

I think I've mentioned to everyone that I think it would be really cool to have a banner to use for this reunion and future reunions.

I looked around and found these three different kinds of banners. They are all under $30 with about $8 S&H. The sizes range from 14"x5' and 3'x6'. Tell me which one like the best. If there isn't one you love, I can keep looking, or feel free to look around and post in the blog.

Banner #1

Banner #2

Banner #3

I can check local shops too, see if it's cheaper, since there would be no S&H

The Harvest

Wednesday morning, I reported to outpatient radiology around 7:00, where I hurried up and waited to have the central line inserted. I was finally ushered into a room that resembled an operating room, but I think it was designed to do things like they were doing to me. It was equipped with a large ultra-sound machine that could also be used as an x-ray machine. The machine allowed the doctor to place things inside of people without bumping around too much.

I put on a gown and laid on a table that had no room for my arms. The nurse (male) attached some arm things, and all was well for lying down. The nurse then put a frame over my head, then I was draped. My head was in a tunnel-like space, and the nurse lifted part of the drape so I could see out of the side opposite from where the doctor (female) was working. I didn't feel quite so confined. The doctor administered a local anesthetic, which hurt, but the right side of my neck was soon numb. After the anesthetic took effect (within seconds), I felt some poking and probing, and at one point, I thought I saw a shadow through the drape of the doctor pushing something into my neck. In a few minutes, maybe 20, my neck had three tubes hanging out, attached to one tube in the superior vena cava.

I then proceeded to the 8th floor, where I received two more nupogen injections, then I went to the aphoresis room. I was hooked up to the aphoresis machine, and we were on our way. Absent the central line insertion, I went through the same procedure Thursday. Wednesday, I was on the machine for about four hours, and Thursday I was on the machine for about three and a half hours.

On Wednesday and Thursday, they collected a total of 4.44 million stem cells; they were shooting for between 5 and 10 million, so the doctor decided more harvesting was necessary. Today, I went through the harvest procedure again for about 4 1/2 hours.

After the procedure today, a nurse (Sharon) took out the central line. Taking out the line was a simple process. She clipped the sutures and pulled out the tube. The exciting part was, she had to push on my neck for about 10 minutes so I wouldn't bleed. My neck was tender, and I felt like the nurse was pushing against a bad bruise. Within a few minutes, however, it was all over, and I am now wearing a bandage with a sticker on it that says I am not to remove the bandage for 24 hours. I also cannot get it wet, which means no shower today. I have not showered for three days. :(

Injection Update (no big deal)

I guess I'm feeling the effects of the injections, but I am one of the lucky ones who only feel flu-like achiness and some fatigue. Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between the effects of the nupogen and old age.

I visited with Jim again this morning. He seemed to be OK. He has his last chemo today. He has tomorrow off, then Thursday begins the transplant.

A Little Humor

I forgot one part of this morning:

A nurse was there, taking care of some things. Jim introduced me, and she asked if I was the donor. Jim answered in the affirmative, and she said, so this is what you're going to look like in a while. I couldn't help but laugh.

Injection One That Was Really Two

I arrived at LDS Hospital this morning, a little after 8, and headed to the eighth floor. A nurse was expecting me and ushered me into a room with three recliners, blood pressure machines, and other sundry equipment. I sat in one of the recliners, the nurse took some vitals, then she uncorked two ten-inch needles and stuck them into me.  Just kidding. :) There were two injections, but they were well administered, into the back of my right upper arm, and I hardly felt anything. Even as I make this entry, my arm is not sore, and I am in no discomfort.

After the injections, I visited with Jim for a few minutes. He looked good and was in good spirits. Brendon was there when I arrived, and he and I left together. I didn't stay long because mom was in the car, parked on the street. She had a small cough and did not want to take the chance of carrying anything infectious into Jim's room.

After the hospital, mom and I attended today's performance and broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word. As many times as I have listened to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir via various media, nothing does justice to the live sound, especially in the tabernacle.

We were going to visit Rick, Amanda, and the boys today, but Rick, Braden, and Evan are sick with flu-like symptoms (major hurling), so we have decided to postpone the visit until everyone is well. I don't want to take the chance of picking up a germ.

We are currently at John's place where we had lunch, and John just invited us for dinner (whoohoo!).

The Evaluation

As everyone knows, last Tuesday (Feb 16), I flew to Salt Lake to undergo an evaluation in anticipation of donating bone marrow stem cells to Jim to help him fight lymphoma. The gist of the evaluation was to make sure I wasn't carrying anything that could be transmitted to Jim via the transplant. I think the doctors also wanted to make sure I could tolerate the procedure.

I arrived at LDS Hospital around 11 o'clock, Wednesday morning. Jim met me there and stayed with me the whole time I was at the hospital.

The first stop was the x-ray department on the 2nd floor. I had a chest x-ray, and after the technician developed the films, he came back to the x-ray room and informed me my lungs were too long and he would have to do it over. The second set of x-rays was fine.

After the x-rays, we went to the 8th floor, where the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) department is. A nurse drew 12 vials of blood, then we met with a PA to go over my medical history. After the medical history, I had an EKG, then Jim and I went to lunch (Chuck-A-Rama on 4th South).

When we returned, we met with Doctor Asch, Rachel Beers, and a nurse, for a consultation. I learned I have blood type A positive and Jim has blood type B positive. Dr Asch also explained the collection procedure and the possible risks. I will probably suffer some bone pain, and the doctor gave me a prescription for 10 pills of Oxycodone. I'm hoping I don't have to use it, that I can take care of any pain with Tylenol. The doctor doesn't want me to use aspirin or ibuprofen.

Because I am A positive, when my stem cells grow marrow in Jim, that marrow will begin producing A red blood cells, and eventually, Jim's blood type will become A positive. His body will try to reject the A cells, and Jim will have to battle "graft-host" disease, which can be controlled with medication, but Jim will also have to change his life style (as if it hasn't changed enough). The good news is, there is a possibility this procedure could eradicate the lymphoma.

I had to return to the hospital the next day, and I was there from 11 AM to almost 2 PM. They drew more blood for more testing, I had a CT scan of my lungs, and Dr. Asch talked to me again. The testing the second day was the result of my having been in places where I could pick up infectious things, even though I was asymptomatic. I was tested for tuberculosis, hepatitis (which I contracted in Korea), and valley fever (the doctor spat out some medical sequipedalianism for it). All the tests were negative, although the blood work showed the hepatitis I had in Korea was type A.

I received a telephone call from Rachel today, and she informed me everything was fine; we were good to go for the transplant. We will travel to Utah on March 6, and I will begin receiving injections of a stem cell growth stimulator on the 7th. The stem cells will have to be harvested from my neck as the veins in my arms did not pass as being suitable. The harvest should begin on the 10th.

Christmas Time!

I posted some pictures of Christmas.

http://candidhansens.blogspot.com/2009/12/very-merry-christmas.html

But, for James, I'll post some here too. I have a few of the kids with Sophie.


She was so happy!

Notice the tongue :)

And then just some others that I liked

Full Circle

My life has now come full circle.

in all my efforts to do something. I have ended up in the same place I was twenty years ago... literally.

I began student teaching this week, in the very band room I spent most of my Jr. High life, with kids that are very energetic and very different then I was.

One week down, nine more to go.!!

then what...?

p.s. Sophie licks hello to everyone, and someone needs to get some christmas pictures up on this thing. We all had a fantastic time with Rick, Amanda and the clan. Sophie especially, she finally had people that would let her lick them on the face as much as she wants. Thanks kids....