Day 33 - Siesta Key

Today marks our 1 month anniversary in Siesta Key.

I was bought up with the old adage, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." I haven't posted in a week because I haven't had anything nice to say. :( Cancer stinks, no matter how you look at it. I pray that a cure is found for ALL types of cancer.

D has had a rough week. He ran out of energy last Friday and hasn't fully recovered. We stayed home all last weekend. We drove over to Titusville to watch the Discovery launch on Monday night (BTW, it was cancelled). I think that pushed D over the edge as far as fatigue. He had experimented with dropping some of the meds, adding some back, etc. and couldn't tell that it made a difference one way or the other. Yesterday when he saw the nurse, she told him to stop taking the meds. He seems to have a little more energy today, but still needs a lot of rest. He has 10 treatments left before seeding.

We are really trying not to be complainers because he is just receiving radiation, not chemotherapy. I don't know how folks do it when they have to receive both types of treatment at the same time. Like I said earlier, cancer stinks.

OK, I'm finished blowing off steam. Thanks for listening! And thanks for your friendship and thoughts and prayers.

I plan to post more tomorrow about Dosimetry (layman's version) and why D chose this type of treatment over other types. Some friends and family have asked interesting questions and I hope the next posting will answer things that people are uncomfortable or afraid to ask.

Day 26 - Siesta Key

Today marks the 1/2 point for radiation treatment (Part 1). Hooray! We are still so pleased with the clinic. There was a Dattoli sponsored nutrition/cooking class at Whole Foods today. It was very nice. The chef/cook/nutritionist (whatever her official title is) offers the class once each month. It is designed specifically for Dattoli patients and spouses. The ultimate goal would be to eat vegan all the time, but that is a tough thing for us to do. The nutritionist cooked several vegan recipes. They were tasty, but if you've eaten hamburgers, barbeque, honey buns, etc. your whole life, this is a major change. I think the change in diet has been one of the hardest things for D.

No egg yolks ever again, no pork ever again, no processed tomato products, no coffee, no soft drinks. As D says, if it tastes good, don't eat it! I'll have to become more creative with tofu and edamame. Soy seems to be the main ingredient of a vegan diet. If you eat vegan and have any great recipes, please let me know.

We had an excellent tofu pudding as dessert. (That just sounds bad, doesn't it?) It's easy to make ~ one package of organic semi-sweet chocolate melted in a double boiler or microwave and mixed in with one package of silken tofu that has been processed in a food processor. Mix together and chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.

We were also introduced to Agave nectar. It's a replacement for sugar. It actually tastes very good. It's a little like honey, but not quite as strong or thick.

One quick prayer request today ~ D's blood pressure has been going up this week. We don't think it is stress related. We had to get his BP medicine refilled here in Sarasota. We use CVS at home and went to a CVS here. They had the same med prescription, but it was from a different manufacturer. Same med, but the pill looks different. They assured us that the med was exactly the same. The problems started when he started the new prescription. Please pray that his BP goes back to normal.

Thanks for your friendship and your prayers for us. May our God richly bless you for your faithfulness.

Day 23 - Siesta Key

Things are moving along quickly. D is in week 3 of the radiation treatment. He tried a little experiment to see if he could figure out why he has been nauseated and tired. The docs prescribed a couple of meds for him prior to the radiation. He takes 1 pill 4 times per day and another pill 3 times per day. The 3 times per day pill seems to be the problem. He has decided to take only 1 each day (at bedtime). D sees the nurse tomorrow, so we'll see what she has to say about that...

D is scheduled for an outpatient procedure on Wednesday, 9/2 at 8:00 a.m. It should be a minor event, but we sure would appreciate your prayers.

The seed implant requires a follow-up visit between 90 and 105 days of the procedure. This puts us back in FL for his follow-up on Monday, 12/28. Most patients have 6 - 10 days of follow-up radiation, too. Lord willing, we will be here from 12/27 until possibly 1/15. We love La Dolce Vita, but is not available during that time frame. It is high season (which means the rates really increase). Please pray that we will find suitable accomodations at a reasonable price.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your faithfulness to pray for us while we are going through this!

Day 18 - Siesta Key

Today ended week 2 of treatment for D. It has by far been the most difficult day that he has had dealing with it. His treatment time was changed just for today. So, I'm not sure if it's because he had treatment at 2:40 yesterday and then again at 11:20 this morning (less than 24 hours) or if it's just what happens the longer a person takes radiation. He has been a bit nauseated and very tired. When we got home from treatment, D sat down in the recliner and he has been there most of the day.

B, B, and E came over from BR late Wednesday night and stayed with us until after lunch today. It is always nice seeing and visiting with them. E is such a hoot! That girl has personality +. The weather was beautiful so they were able to spend some time at the beach.

If you've been around me much at all, you know how I feel about God's timing and how perfect it is ~ today we were blessed with one of those perfect timing situations. While D was having his treatment, I started talking to another patient's wife in the waiting room. Turns out they are from Rhode Island, but vacation at Lake Keowee every year. They were in our area on July 4th this year. She even shopped at our Ingles in West Union. How amazing is that?!?! They are believers and it was so wonderful just sitting there talking to her and praising our Lord. If you would, please add Jerry to your prayers.

D's seed implant is scheduled for Wednesday, September 23rd. He will have preliminary testing on Monday, September 21st. We plan to stay a few days after the procedure to make sure everything is OK. He will be scheduled to come back right after Christmas (not sure of exact date yet) for a follow-up visit and possibly 5 - 10 days of more radiation.

I want to say a special thanks to Terry, Carl, Tina, Alex, Angela, and Jeff for taking care of our house, plants, yard, mail, etc. while we are away. You are the BEST!!!!

We appreciate the prayer support from friends and family, too. Your prayers and encouragement are keeping us focused. Love to you all...

God's Confirming Word

Wow! This is awesome! I receive a devotional every day through email and this is the second time that I have received this scripture since we arrived in Siesta Key. I'm claiming it for D (and me)! Claim it as your own, too! God's Word is for ALL!

What's in store for you?

"The Lord will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too."
Isaiah 58:11 NLT

This song was in the devotional, too. We sang it at Church on Sunday. How cool is that?

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand;
Bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more,
Feed me till I want no more.

--William Williams

Now how often do you sing a song from the 1700's? Go God!

Day 14 - Siesta Key

D begins his 2nd week of radiation today. He is feeling pretty good so far. He seems to have a normal energy level. The only thing that D has mentioned is muscle soreness in his legs. But, we have been walking a lot and staying very active, so that could why. One day last week, while D was taking his treatment, I talked to a couple of guys in the waiting room. One was doing fine and had not felt any side effects from the treatments at all. The other had to leave his job and take time off because his energy level was so low. They both told me that the side effects are different for each person. I'm continuing to believe that D is going to be fine with no complications. We would appreciate your agreement in prayer on this.

We attended Siesta Key Chapel yesterday morning. It's a Presbyterian Church here on the island. The Pastor preached the Bible and the people were very nice and friendly. We plan to attend there while we are here. The responsive reading went right along with our study from Crazy Love. God continues to amaze me every day!

We miss FCC and our friends and family there!

One evening last week, we drove over to St. Petersburg to visit D's aunt and uncle. They are getting fragile. His aunt had fallen early last week and was bruised pretty badly. His uncle seemed to be doing better than the last time we had seen him. Neither of them got up and moved while we were there. They stayed sitting in their recliners the entire time. Their daughter has moved in and is providing care for them. D's uncle had prostate cancer back in the late 1980's. He had the seeding procedure done back then and has had no more problems at all. That was very encouraging news.

Thanks again to all who are praying for us and keeping up with us on this blog. I plan to post again this week. D meets with the nurse tomorrow (Tuesday) or Wednesday. We should get a date for his seeding procedure at that time.

Day 11 at Siesta Key (the Mennonites)

We are getting more comfortable with our surroundings every day. There’s a very nice lady here in the neighborhood who was telling us about some of the area "attractions". She mentioned a Mennonite neighborhood (which really seems out of place in this part of the country), but as I listened attentively, my brain was thinking "Good food"! Yesterday, when we were out and about, I remembered our conversation about the Mennonite neighborhood, so we set off in search of it. Down one of the busy thoroughfares, we saw a sign that said "Yoder's". YES! We found it! There are a couple of restaurants (we just had to stop and try one ~ delicious!), a quilt shop, Amish furniture store, and best of all ~ a WONDERFUL produce stand. A girl has to have a good produce stand! D had an appointment for an EKG (routine procedure) this morning, so when we were finished, we headed to the produce stand. I was in produce heaven ~ fresh fruits and veggies at good prices, fresh baked breads, Amish canned goods, Amish cheese, REAL butter, and on and on. I told D that I didn't know if I could have made here it for the next 2 months without the Mennonites. He said, "Mennonites to the rescue!" Funny!

Week 2

Well, we are into Week 2 of our stay in Siesta Key. B and E came over the weekend and we had a very nice visit with them. It is always wonderful to visit with Daughter and Granddaughter! They bring a lot of excitement and laughter with them!

We are trying to stay busy and to get into some sort of routine. Most days are up early, a little fishing for D, work for me, jigsaw puzzle in between, and visit to the clinic, then a little driving in the evening. We visited some of the neighboring Keys over the weekend. I'm saying it again, We are Blessed! God has provided us with some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable!

D's simulation last Friday was uneventful (Praise the Lord!). He had his first radiation treatment yesterday. That, too, was uneventful (and again, PTL!) He has 27 more days of radiation.

I cannot tell you how much it means to us to receive the encouraging emails, comments, and calls. We can definitely tell that we are being covered in prayer. There is a peace that passes all understanding. Thank you all for your faithfulness to pray for D (and me). We love you!