New Addition

2-22-09

We are looking forward to spring-like weather again this coming week! The lawn is finally snow-free, and the lacrosse team is grateful to be practicing in 40* weather!

The family continues to remain busy….Ron with school and high school activities; Savanna with student teaching, coaching lacrosse, and working at the MTC on Saturday; and Marie with school, lacrosse, and friends! My week was busy too with radiation and school every day! Yes, it was great having renewed energy and being able to work each day!

We had a new addition to our family this weekend….Junior! Marie has had the opportunity to be a single-mom this weekend for her adult roles class at high school. She was assigned a “mechanical baby boy” that imitates the demands of a real baby! He cries when he is hungry, fussy, needs to be changed, or when he needs a burp! Marie is proving to be a great mom and has taken the challenge of not leaving Jr. . Jr. has had a fun weekend attending a Bingham Basketball game where he was quite fussy (maybe it was too noisy?) . He also joined Marie for lacrosse practice (luckily he slept the entire time). He also went with Marie to workout on Saturday morning and then to the school play last night. We heard him cry a few times last night and then early this morning. We are hoping that he will be a “good baby” during church! I’m sure that this will be an eye-opening experience for Marie!

I have enjoyed renewed energy this week. I met with Dr. Avizonis on Friday after my radiation treatment. I asked her about my “raspy” throat. She explained that she made the choice to radiate closer to my “voice box” than to my saliva glands. So the result is that I have lost my voice. I really have to strain to talk, so I just whisper. This may be an blessing to my family and the kids at school! She explained that my “voice box” will heal faster than my saliva glands. Dr. Avizonis also told me that the lumps in my neck feel like they are breaking up…she can now fill two or three lumps instead of one big one! Yippy!!!

I am grateful that the side effects of my cancer remain minimal. My hair is becoming thinner so I may be losing it in the next few days…I’m sure that this will be emotional, but I am getting tired of all the grey! My next “double dose” of chemo and radiation could be harder on my body so I am not looking forward to that! So I will enjoy next week and then plan on being down for the next two weeks while I deal with chemo again! I have to keep reminding myself that each treatment is helping me get the cancer under control.

We again want to express our thanks to friends and family that continue to support us through this trial!

Marie's Night at the Ball!!!!

Draper Temple Open House

Renewed Energy!

2-16-09

I hope that you are enjoying “President’s Day”! I am!!!! No radiation, no chemo, no school….what a great day!

It has been a busy week for us….

First of all thanks to mom and dad for taking care of me and my family these past 10 days. Our family has loved mom’s cooking, organizing, and cleaning! My family and I have loved dad’s gifts and I have enjoyed the seat warmers as he has taking me to my treatments. The first week of February has been the hardest week for me so far! Chemo and radiation made me feel totally exhausted, I never knew that I could sleep so much during the day and then sleep all night! I am so grateful that mom and dad were here to “hold down the fort” so that I could just sleep and do what my body needed to do to fight this cancer. We truly felt blessed to have them be here at this time! We will miss them, and Cleo will miss dad!

Ron remains busy with school, his classes, and Bingham High activities. Last week he went to basketball games on Tuesday and Friday. On Saturday he was able to help out at the Sweetheart’s Dance.

Savanna remains on the go with student teaching, coaching lacrosse, and being involved with institute and the singles ward.

Marie is always going….school, lacrosse, friends, and social events with her friends. She really had a lot of fun at the Sweethearts Dance on Saturday.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day the Hansens got tickets for us to join them at the Draper Temple Open House. We loved the VIP tour of the temple. (yes, cancer does have some benefits!) It was a great experience to share with the Hansesns, especially Sarah and Kela. The girls loved the beauty of the temple. We were in awe of the beautiful paintings, murals, chandeliers, and the peace that was in that holy structure. Kela always makes thing interesting because she is so observant….the midgets that were with us in the sealing room and the celestial room made things memorable. One of the highlights for Kela was riding in the wheel chair from the chapel to the temple and then enjoying cookies after the tour!!!!

I am now regaining strength and energy….I was able to go to school for half a day on Friday. I am hoping that I will be able to work at least part time during these next few weeks as I continue with radiation treatment. The first week of March will be hard again because I will face chemo and radiation, luckily Ron will be off-track so he will be able to help me during this time.

We continue to benefit from everyone’s prayers….the side effects continue to be minimal and the treatments are going well. Thank you again for your thoughts, concerns, and prayers….

Exhausted...

2-8-09

This week I have been extremely tired….it feels like I have run a half-marathon each day and that I can’t regain my normal energy level! Thank goodness that my parents are here to take care of me this week. Mom’s cooking has been the best, my family is getting spoiled!!! It seems that I just eat, sleep, go to treatments, exercise, and then go to bed and start over again!

Everything is going well, minimal side effects basically just exhaustion! Radiation is every morning and only last about 10-15 minutes. Chemo varies from 4 hours on Monday to 1-2 hours on Tuesday through Friday. I am looking forward to a break from chemo after tomorrow, after my treatment tomorrow I will enjoy 3 weeks off! Then I can relax and see what effects radiation has on my body!

Again we are grateful for the continued love and support that is given to us from family, friends, and neighbors! I am so grateful that all continues to go well and that the side effects remain minimal!

Day 2 of Round 2

2-3-09

Day two of radiation and chemo was better than day one! Thanks to Nelda, Ron’s mom, for taking me and sitting with me during the chemo!

Yesterday was very uncomfortable at radiation. I had to lie still for an hour on a very uncomfortable table while the radiation machine took x-rays of my lung and neck and then zapped me! The worst part was my neck since the form that my neck rested on was not padded!!! Talk about a pain in the neck!!!!! Luckily I was given permission to move half way through the treatment, and I only have to go through this once! I am now wondering how the radiologist does this process with children, they must put them out! It felt good to move my neck around when I was done!

Today I was just in that position for about 5 minutes. They zap the cancer in my lung 6 different times, each at a different angle, and then they zap the area of my neck where the cancerous lymph nodes are 6 different times at different angles. It is quite amazing..thank goodness for modern technology.

Yesterdays chemo lasted 4 ½ hours!!!! It appeared that they put about 3 liters of liquid into my body, so yes I was going to the bathroom a lot last night! The chemo treatment is more comfortable than radiation, but it did last longer yesterday! I didn’t leave until 6:30 P.M. so I felt like I was getting a private treatment since everyone was gone except my nurse, my doctor, and a few people in the reception area. What individualized treatment!!! I came home, ate, went to the bathroom, and lay down in bed. I was tired! Because I was so tired Ron asked his mother if she could take me today!

Today’s treatment was only 1 ½ hours, but by the time I got home I was tired so I ate some lunch and then took a welcome nap. I will just have to listen to my body and take it easy until I figure out how this round will affect me.

Ron will be taking me tomorrow and then my parents will be in town for a couple of weeks!

Thanks again for all the support that everyone is providing to me and my family! Each day I receive encouraging emails and cards in the mail! Your faith and prayers are a strength to us during the trial!

Super Bowl

2-1-09

Half-time during the Super Bowl…..come on Cardinals…what a defensive play by the Steelers to end the half! We are enjoying the game with Greg and Jake….rating the commercials has been fun, so far the Mr. Potato Head driving has won!

Life continues to move along!

Ron is busy, but he is enjoying the Bingham High basketball games, he is going to two games each week for administrative hours.

Savanna has decided to go to the Singles Ward at the Institute at SLCC near our home. Student teaching is demanding on her schedule, but she is able to help coach lacrosse.

Marie enjoyed an easy week at school, especially getting out of school on Friday to go to UVU to cheer on the Bingham drill team for state. Bingham came in second. Next week she will have a few days of sleeping in because it is test week for the sophomores! On Wednesday Marie turned 17 years old, but since we were so busy we went out to dinner on Monday. Thursday her friends brought over a birthday cake! Marie really has some great friends.




I have enjoyed a week off from chemo, tomorrow I will start round 2. I am nervous about how my body will respond to chemo and radiation. Again I am hoping for minimal side effects!

We look forward to seeing mom and dad later this week. It will be nice to have them here with us for a couple of weeks!

Enjoy the rest of the Super Bowl, go Cardinals!!!

Love,
Jolene