Mission Accomplished

Paul had his surgery at Huntsman Cancer Institute on December 17. He had to be to the hospital by 11 a.m. so we spent the night before at Brent and Angie's home in Layton. The surgery was supposed to begin at 1 p.m., but they were running behind schedule. They finally took him back to the operating room just after 2 p.m. Paul said he still had to wait for a while before they put him under. There was a doctor in a different surgery who wanted to sit in on Paul's surgery. So they waited for him to finish up so he could watch the master surgeon, Dr. Andtbacka, at work. Brent and Angie took the day off work to come and wait with me. They took me to lunch and kept my mind busy. Mom and Dad Carling came at about 4:30 p.m. so Brent and Angie could get to Cory's concert on time.

The nurse called my phone at 5:30 p.m. and said the surgery was finished, they were just sewing him back up. Dr. Andtbacka met with us at 6:15 p.m. He said everything went well. He removed 32 lymph nodes, two of which were the size of his fists, from Paul's arm, underarm, and neck. The lump we could feel and thought was a tumor was actually one of the lymph nodes. There was no cancerous tissue except what was inside eight of the nodes. And that cancer was dead. None of the arteries or nerves that he was concerned about were involved, so everything went smoothly. Paul did get a bit nauseated when he came out of the anesthesia, so he stayed in recovery longer than the usual hour. They brought him out to the room at 9 p.m. and we left the hospital at 10 p.m. We drove to Mom and Dad Carling's, spent the night, then drove home to Rexburg the next morning. Paul and Tyler drove back down on Wednesday afternoon. Paul had a post-surgical appointment with Dr. Andtbacka on Thursday morning. He said everything looked good and he didn't need to see him again until April. When Tyler asked the doctor how many stitches Paul got, Dr. Andtbacka said, "about 30, but you can tell people 200."
Paul has a drain in his side that he has to empty twice a day. It will stay in place until the amount of fluid is below 30 ml in a 24 hour period. That will probably be another week or so. He is feeling a little better with each passing day, but it's going to take a while for him to regain full use of his arm and to build up his strength. Our staff Physical Therapist, Lynn, gave Paul some rubberbands and pulleys along with some exercises to help. Paul worked part of the day yesterday and today.

We had a wonderful Christmas! Santa came on Christmas Eve and left some packages on the front porch. The boys were very excited. Santa really knows what they like! We have been blessed by kind and generous friends and family who seem to know when we need a little help. You know who you are. Thank you! We hope someday to be able to repay your kindness. It has been a very humbling experience to be on the receiving end of things. We are grateful for a loving and knowing Heavenly Father who blesses us through the hands of those around us.

Parker and Hayden were able to serve at the VIP day for the Rexburg Temple Open House yesterday. They helped by putting shoe covers on the people who attended. Parker put booties on Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve. He addressed the 20 or so youth volunteers in the chapel before the tour. Afterwards, they got to have a tour of the temple themselves. It was a neat opportunity for all of them.

The boys go back to school on January 3rd and my first day at BYU-I is the following Thursday, January 10th. We are all anxious to get back to work, especially the boys (ha ha ha). We hope you have a happy and healthy 2008! Stay warm and safe.

Christmas comes early

Paul had another appointment at Huntsman Cancer Institute with Dr. Andtbacka yesterday. This time, it was an actual pre-surgical appointment. He checked Paul out thoroughly. He said the tumor is definitely smaller and the progress Paul has made was "fabulous" (his word). When he asked when we could come for surgery, we said, "We're free right now." He went and checked his schedule and came back and asked if we were available on Monday the 17th. We said YES! We went to lunch then went back to have bloodwork done and to fill out all the pre-op paperwork. Paul will have to go back on Friday for an MRI so the doctor can get a more up-to-date picture of the tumor and what surrounding tissues may be involved so he knows beforehand what to expect. He and Tyler will drive down Friday afternoon (the MRI isn't until 8 p.m.) then come back Saturday morning. Then on Sunday afternoon, Paul and I will drive down. We won't know what time his surgery will be until Friday afternoon, when they have the schedule finished. We are in the process of lining up accomodations for the boys to stay here in Rexburg. The surgery is out-patient, but they may want to keep Paul overnight. Either way, we will stay over Monday night in Utah to give him some time to recuperate before driving home on Tuesday.

We know our prayers have been answered. We appreciate all that has been done for us. We don't have words enough to express the love and gratitude we feel for our family and friends. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And it came to pass...

Paul has finished his fourth (and FINAL!) cycle of chemotherapy. His doctors have decided that since he is responding so well...actually the cancer is responding well...Paul still got just as sick from the treatments...that he won't have to go through a fifth round. We have another appointment with Dr. Andtbacka at Huntsman Cancer Institute on Wednesday the 12th for a pre-operative exam. We are hoping and praying hard that he will be able to have the surgery this year instead of after the first of next year. Paul hasn't had another PET scan since the one on Halloween, but the tumor under his arm continues to shrink and it is more mobile, meaning it isn't attached to his chest wall like it was. The doctors are very encouraged with the progress. He still lost quite a bit of weight this last cycle, but he is slowly getting his energy and appetite back and is able to work some.

We are so grateful for all the faith and prayers and generosity of our family and friends. It means alot to us!

The boys are as busy as ever. Jacob and Cameron are going on a school field trip to Idaho Falls to see the Nutcracker Ballet today. Cameron did a great job on his Japanese culture book report. He learned sumi (Japanese calligraphy) to share with his class. Next Monday, Jacob has a presentation about how Christmas is celebrated in the Netherlands. He was practicing on Paul last night. Hayden had a dance recital(?) last week with his 6th grade class. The teacher taught them proper etiquette and several dances. Then they performed for their parents. Yes...he had to dance with girls. I have video, if any of you want to see it. Parker was in heaven last Thursday or Friday...I forget which. He didn't have school since he didn't have to take finals, so he went with friends up to Grand Targhee for some snowboarding. He still has a silly grin on his face! Speaking of finals, grades are in and everyone did well. Parker...all A's, Hayden...A's and a B+, Cameron...A's, Jacob doesn't get letter grades yet, but he's doing fine. Tyler is working with Paul and will be moving to a different apartment next week (cheaper rent). If any of you have a couch and/or dresser you want to get rid of, contact Tyler.

Thanks again for your love and support!

Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. We had so much fun visiting with everybody that came to Idaho. The kids had a great time playing together and getting to know their Utah cousins a little better.


















Thanks again, Darla and Scott for opening up your home to all 46 of us! The food was great and the company was better!




I hope those of you who were crazy enough (see picture above, person on left) to hit the early sales had good luck and the hassle was worthwhile.


Paul is trying to get rested and ready for the next round of chemo, which starts on Monday the 26th. I registered for school this week. I was able to get the classes I wanted. I am starting out slow with just two. They are Book of Mormon and an English class that covers several plays by Shakespeare. I will have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Jacob asked me if I would be living in an apartment with roommates. I guess he thought that if you go to college you don't live at home anymore... hmm...I wonder. Nah, I would much rather live with a bunch of boys than hormonal females any day. Besides, I like my roommate. And he never wants to borrow my clothes.

Round 3

Paul finished his third round of chemo last Thursday. He was able to work in the morning most of the days. The weekend was pretty rough again, but he toughed it out until his appointment on Monday. He lost 20 pounds in 4 days. On Tuesday, we got a phone call from the Huntsman Cancer Institute. They wanted to know if we could come down for a consultation with Dr. Robert Andtbacka at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. He is their Oncology Surgeon, specializing in Melanoma. We quickly packed, farmed Hayden out, and took Cameron and Jacob to Utah with us Tuesday night. Parker stayed home. The appointment went well. He recommended that Paul complete the last 2 chemo treatments to try and get the tumor as small as possible. Then he wants to take it and the lymph nodes in Paul's right arm out after the first of the year.

Thanks to Lynn for driving us to Salt Lake (and for lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory). We stopped by Cathy and Brian's house and saw their new baby boy, Zachary. He is very cute! We also figured out that one of Paul's doctors used to be Cathy and Brian's home teacher! Small world. Thanks to Mom and Dad Carling for room and board. Sorry everyone else that we didn't visit, it was such a quick trip. We'll see you next time.

Paul gets a break from now until November 26, which is the Monday after Thanksgiving. Hopefully he can build up his strength and energy levels by eating lots of pie and Turkey.

Hayden finished his merit badge Pow wow at BYU-I last Saturday. He was able to meet Del Parsons, the artist. He has done some paintings for the Church. Parker is chomping at the bit to go snowboarding. Grand Targhee opens on Saturday. Cameron and Jacob had a good time in Utah. They got to play with Brandon and Grandpa and Grandma. They were good company on the drive down and back, since they actually talked to us instead of being plugged into headphones the whole time! (Does this sound like anyone you know?)

I will be registering for school on the 20th of November so I am trying to narrow down my choices for classes that I will take during my first semester. I sure hope my brain can remember how to think!

Miracles

Paul met with the doctor yesterday to discuss his follow-up PET scan. When Dr. Hancock called on Friday and said the scan looked good, that was an understatement. The difference between his two scans is nothing short of miraculous. Dallin, the P. A. that works with Drs. Dickson and Hancock was giddy. He said that Paul's scan was the best he'd ever seen. The nurses said this was what they became nurses for. The cancer is responding extremely well to treatment, so Paul started round three of chemo. So far, everything is going well. He hasn't been nauseated and was able to go to work this morning. His next appointment is today at 1 p.m.

We are so thankful for all the prayers, fasting and support from everyone. We know that miracles are taking place and we know their source.

The Light of Hope

I got a phone call today from one of Paul's team of oncologists. He said he didn't want us to have to wait until Monday for the results of the PET scan. My heartbeat sped up as I waited for his next words. He said that most of the spots that showed up on Paul's bones in the last scan are now GONE!!!!! His sternum area still lit up some, but he said that might be partly due to the marrow. And the lump in his armpit area has shrunk. I felt it the other day, and it is about the size of a marble instead of a golfball. Dr. Hancock is conferring with a colleague of his at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, who is a Soft Tissue surgeon, about going back in and removing the lump, now that it is much smaller. We should have more detailed information on Monday.

We want to thank you all for your prayers and faith on our behalf. We truly believe that miracles happen. Have a great weekend!

Return to the long, dark tunnel...

It was Halloween morning and a thick blanket of fog lay over the road as he drove to Idaho Falls. Paul had been summoned yet again to the lab for more testing. He knew what awaited him - a dark room, needles, radioactive isotopes, and of course, the long, dark tunnel. But he was ready...for another PET scan. Everything went well. We have an appointment with the oncologist on Monday to discuss the results of the test and decide what course to pursue. If things look good, then we'll continue with chemotherapy. If nothing has changed, then we'll look into other options. Paul is feeling good and has been working since we resolved a glitch with one of his medications (thanks, Carol!). The boys are busy with school activities. Cameron was in his 4th grade play and did a great job. Parker had fun on his date and at the Halloween Dance afterwards. Hayden is getting ready to attend the Boy Scout PowWow at BYU-I for the next two Saturdays. He was ordained a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood last Sunday by Parker. That was a neat experience for us. Parker did a good job, in spite of being a little nervous. Hayden is also going to be working for the same guy that Parker works for, filling nail holes in the trim work on a house he is building. Jacob is working hard at school and very interested in Transformers, especially after seeing the movie multiple times! Tyler is staying busy working with Paul. I am trying to get ready to register for school in a few weeks. I'm going to visit with an academic advisor to get some suggestions. I may be rethinking my major. But I can still get busy with my Generals. The University has reworked the General Studies curriculum so that it is pretty much the same for all majors. Theoretically, you can change your major anytime in your freshman or sophomore year and you won't have any wasted credits that don't apply towards a major.

It's hard to believe it is November already! Thanksgiving is just about three weeks away and we are looking forward to seeing many of you then.

Paul - update

Hi everyone! I decided that starting a blog would be a great way to keep you all informed of how things are going here with Paul and his medical treatments.

He started the second round of chemotherapy on October 15. The new nausea medicine that the doctor prescribed for him did just that, made him nauseated. That was pretty much the story for the rest of the week. I ended up taking him to the hospital at 2 a.m. Sunday morning. They finally got the nausea under control by around 11 a.m. that day, but wanted to keep him for observation. He stayed until Monday at 1 p.m. when I was able to bring him home. He spent the rest of Monday and most of Tuesday resting. Today he felt well enough to work half the day. I think he will feel stronger as the week progresses.

Saturday Paul had me give him a buzz cut, as his hair is starting to thin somewhat, due to the chemo drugs. He has lost about thirty pounds and it shows. But he is in good spirits and taking it all in stride.

The boys seem to be dealing with this whole experience fairly well. They are being helpful and understanding and trying to keep the chaos level to a minimum on the days that Paul is having treatments. Other than that, it's pretty much business as usual.

Alot of you have asked if there is anything you can do for us. The short answer is not really. The long answer is to just keep doing what you have been doing, i.e. prayers and continued love and support. We love you all and appreciate your care and concern!