December 25th

Today we realized the joy of Christmas and the power of believing as we watched the boys open their gifts. Nothing gives us more joy then watching the excitement in their eyes, as the open the presents left under the tree. We recognize that Christmas is not just about the presents -but the belief that something magical has occurred, the joy of giving, and the time spent with family and friends. We know that Santa's elves, angels, and/or really good people- call them what you want- are surrounding us. THANK YOU- doesn't even begin to demonstrate our gratitude for all of the gifts that we have received. Physical gifts and the gifts of love & support. Thank you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

December 9th - 18th

It has been a long time since my last post. Maybe shaving my head caused my literary skills to suffer. ;)

Things have been relatively uneventful. I have continued with radiation and chemotherapy for this entire period. My final radiation treatment is scheduled for December 28th.

Then we will move on to the next phase of the treatment, which is a four week rest period. Chemotherapy will continue the end of this rest period. The schedule for the chemotherapy is five days on and twenty-three days off for six months.

The doctors will be scheduling regular MRIs to track the progress of the treatment.

I will keep everyone updated on my progress.

Hair be gone!

And now they have no hair. I finally shaved all my hair off my head along with my brother-in-law, Brian and my neighbor John. We both think we have pretty good heads!

December 3rd - 6th

Everything is going really well. My blood results came back on Tuesday in normal range. My radiation treatments are going really well. Basically, everything is going really smoothly.

We are going to bring Bryce and Trey to the hospital to get a tour of where I get my treatment. Tammy and I think they will really like this. The nurse is going to get them a present and put it in the radiation room for them to find.

Tammy and I are really thankful for all the help everyone is giving to us. We are blessed by very thoughtful family and friends.

November 30

We continue to try and find the humor in our daily interactions at Johns Hopkins. For anyone who has every spent time there- you know that it is a 'world' within itself. They have their own time zone and a specific set of procedures for maneuvering through the hospital. The fact that they do not provide patients and families with a rules and regulations handbook has caused Robert and I to find ourselves in some sticky situations. Ex. Showing up for an early morning appointment to find that the admittance office is closed and no one could tell us where we were scheduled to be. Finding a person sitting at a desk with a plaque titled 'patient service coordinator' who abruptly told me that he didn't know how to direct us. After a radiation treatment, Robert was handed his medical file and told to take to his appointment with the doctor. Let's just say- we got caught reading it -which is apparently not allowed. We inevitably wind up learning something new about what we are supposed to do, how we are supposed to do it, or where we are supposed to be. I have also discovered that emotional spouses get quick reactions from nurses. Seriously- Robert and I are grateful to be at such an amazing hospital. We have met so many amazing nurses, medical staff, and doctors that have provided us great care and attention. We have met so many patients and families that have told us their stories and remind us of how fragile and special we all are. They inspire us and remind us of how much we have to be grateful for. We are grateful for our support network that lifts our spirits and allows us to focus doing what we need to do to get well. You are the best. Thanks

November 28th

I went to get my radiation treatment today and the machine was not working. So much for high technology equipment. The repair technician came and diagnosed the issue. I will go tomorrow for another treatment.

I got my blood count numbers yesterday and everything is going really well. I am tolerating the chemotherapy very well. I will keep you updated on my progress.

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November 24th

Had a great Thanksgiving. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving as well.

We have a busy week ahead. We will update the blog as soon as we can.

November 21st

We received good news on Tuesday. Roberts weekly blood levels all went up. Robert continues to feel good. As we enter into this Thanksgiving, we are thankful for so many things. Friends and family are the support system that keeps us positive and make the impossible seem possible. We thank all of you for your positive energy and positive thoughts. We celebrate this Thanksgiving with you!
Love!

November 16th - 18th

First week complete
I have completed a week of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. I feel really good at this point. I have no nausea and have all my hair still. The doctor expects some of my hair to fall out. I will get a picture if it happens.

Beach trip
Tammy and I (without the kids) spent the weekend at Bethany beach in Delaware. We had a wonderful time. We got a free rental and just enjoyed the time alone. We shopped, ate and relaxed the entire weekend. This was a really fun trip.

November 14

Robert began treatments on 11/13. Our treatment plan consist of radiation and chemotherapy. The radiation schedule will be Mon. thru Fri. and chemotherapy seven days a week for six weeks. We will be going to the hospital for the radiation treatments and the chemotherapy is an oral medication. After the six weeks, Robert will have a month off without treatments. Chemotherapy will continue beyond that for the next 6 months with a cycle of 5 days on and 23 days off.

November 12th

My first radiation went well. The first treatment does not involve any radiation, just x-rays to make sure the alignment is good. Everything was fine and we are ready to begin actual radiation tomorrow @ 8:45am. I will keep everyone posted on my progress through the week.

First radiation treatment

Tammy and I will be going to Johns Hopkins Hospital on Monday for my first radiation treatment. This will be a dry run to make sure everything is in order. My appointment is at 1:30pm. I will let everyone know how it goes.