"Did I work today?"

Attention All Perpetual Worriers: HE'S OKAY, REALLY!

After working on Tuesday from 6:00 a.m. until noon, Parker and his friend Mason decided to go for a motorcycle ride near Kelly Canyon. Parker loaded the 225 in the back of Paul's truck, picked Mason and his bike up and headed for the hills around 5 o'clock. Paul and Tyler were working in Jackson, Jacob and I were at his soccer game and Cameron and Hayden were home. Just after 6:00 p.m., I got a phone call from Paul. He said that Mason had called Tyler (he didn't have Paul's or my number) to let us know Parker had crashed on his bike, was acting weird and wondered what he should do. Paul told him to get him home. Mason made sure Parker would be okay, rode down to the truck, then drove it back up to the crash site to get Parker, since he was unable to ride. He loaded Parker's motorcycle into the truck by himself, leaving his own bike behind. He called me to say they were on their way (thank you!). They pulled in the driveway just as Paul and Tyler got home. Tyler and Brandi stayed with the boys while Paul and I took a pretty beat-up Parker to the doctor.


We went to Community Care, but they sent us to the emergency room so Parker could have a CT of his head.


Everything looked normal, all brain matter intact - good thing, since school starts in less than 30 days (YIPPEE!!!) Did I say that out loud?

Here's the damage report:

Mild Concussion - very apparent from his repeated asking of the same questions over and over:

"Did I work today?"
"What day is it?"
"Did Mason work with me today?"
"Did I crash?"
I was supposed to wake Parker up every four hours during the night to make sure he was okay, but I didn't set an alarm. Fortunately, Cameron was clever enough to wake me up at 2 o'clock in the morning to ask for a bucket to throw up in, so I woke Parker up then. Mission accomplished.

Impacted Buckle Fracture of Right Wrist - this sounds worse than it is. He's got a splint on it until tomorrow, when we go to the Orthopedic surgeon to have a cast put on. The ER doc had me help her put the splint on, so I now have even more practical experience as a Medical Assistant! Click on the picture for a larger view. There is a yellow arrow that points to the fracture, but it's still quite hard to see.


Miscellaneous lacerations and contusions - no stitches required. I'm sure more bruises will show up as time passes.

Mystery burn on Right Calf - we've no idea how he got it, since the bike was resting on his left leg.

Very swollen Left Knee



Puffy, swollen bulges on both feet - weird, but painless

Stiff Neck - no broken bones, though


As you can see, he's fine; so no need to worry (this means you, Grandma).

We're grateful that the extent of his injuries wasn't more serious. He was wearing a helmet - that is non-negotiable. And we're thankful that the Mason Jensen Rescue Service was able to get him back home quickly and safely.



Paul update
Here is the x-ray of Paul's femur. It's difficult to tell, but the lesion is somewhere in the middle.


The radiation treatment went well. He isn't having quite as much constant pain, but there's still room for improvement. He started another round of oral chemo on Monday, which is never fun, but this round seems to be particularly unpleasant. As usual, he toughs it out without much complaining.


Parker update
We just got home from seeing the Orthopedic surgeon. They were having a two-for-one sale on casts, so Parker got one on both arms. Really.



It turns out that his left wrist is broken, too. The break is up near the growth plate, so it was hard to see. He will go back in about 2 weeks and have both arms x-rayed again to make sure nothing has shifted and to confirm the diagnosis on the left wrist. Parker is taking it all in stride. The only thing that might be a problem is figuring out how to shower for the next 5 weeks.

There is no charge for awesomeness or attractiveness...

Cameron, Jacob and I went to see Kung Fu Panda this afternoon. I have to admit it was pretty entertaining. And it taught a good message: the secret ingredient to your success is you. After the movie, we had a sudden craving for Chinese food - go figure - so we got take out from Fong's. We ordered our usual: Sweet and Sour Pork, Ham Fried Rice, Cashew Chicken, Broccoli Beef and my new favorite, Crab Rangoon (thanks Kareena and Heidi for introducing me to heaven in a won ton wrapper!). And of course, fortune cookies.

Match the fortune with the person:

1) Paul
2) DeLynn
3) Parker
4) Hayden
5) Cameron
6) Jacob

a) Today, your mouth might be moving but no one is listening.
b) Your high-minded principles spell success.
c) People are drawn to you and look to you for advice.
d) This could be an almost perfect day. Enjoy it.
e) To learn without thinking is effort in vain.
f) Enhance your karma by being kind to everyone you encounter.

Hint: One of them totally pegged the recipient...it's funny how that works.

Leave your answers in the comments box. The person with the most correct answers will receive an all-expense paid trip to inner peace. Or at the management's discretion, a box of almond cookies.



Treatment update:

Paul and I met with Dr. McAllister, the radiation oncologist, on Thursday. He showed us the X-ray of Paul's femur, pointing out the lesion on the bone. It's about 7cm in length. He recommended that Paul receive radiation treatment. We have three options: 10 treatments over two weeks, 5 treatments over a week, or 1 treatment. We chose to have one treatment and be done. There is a 95% success rate for relieving bone pain, so we're optimistic that this will help rid Paul of the pain he's been suffering for the last month. He went yesterday for a simulation. They did a CT scan of his leg. Then they fed the data into a computer to work out the physics for the treatment. Paul has four Sharpie marker X's on his leg that they used to help aim the lasers, which in turn, will aim the X-ray. He is scheduled for the actual treatment on Monday morning at 9:15. He may get relief within the week or it might take a month to see results. We're praying for a quick response.

Happy Bastille Day!

Let me be the first to wish all of you Francophiles out there happy Bastille Day! Viva La France! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, now is a good time to brush up on your French history. It's roughly equivalent to our Independence Day.

And now, on to a completely unrelated subject...

Paul got a call from the doctor today. He will go in tomorrow afternoon for his first IV dose of Zometa. I don't know what type of treatment schedule he will be on, or if it's a one-time thing. We'll keep you posted when we have more information. Thanks for all your love and concern.

Scan Results

Yesterday we met with Dr. Hancock to learn the results of Paul's latest PET/CT scan. We've been concerned because Paul has had a great deal of pain in his right leg for the last several weeks. The scan looked good, with no new growth. The area near his esophagus that had lit up on the last scan looked much better. There were still a few spots here and there, which the doctor attributes to some lingering infection, due to Paul's compromised immune system. But overall, things look good. The next step is to figure out what's causing the pain. After meeting with Dr. Hancock, we went to the hospital, where Paul had an x-ray of his femur. This will help the doctor to see if the bone is compromised (moth-eaten were his words). If this is the case, there are several options: an I.V. drug called Zometa, which helps rebuild the bone; injecting the bone with medical-grade cement, or irradiating the bone to kill the cancer. We have a consultation on July 16th with a radiation oncologist in Idaho Falls. We'll let you know which treatment(s) we choose. We'll start with the Zometa, as soon as we get approval from the insurance company.

Now, on to lighter topics --

Cameron and Jacob went to Cub Scout Day Camp. This time they stayed all day - no snow! The theme of the camp was Wild West. They shot BB guns, tied knots, panned for gold, baked biscuits, rode a bucking bronco, learned to write using Indian picture symbols in a tepee, did exercises, ran an obstacle course; and hiked a nature trail, searching for footprints. Somewhere in the middle of all that, they ate lunch and found time to shop at the trading post. Jacob says he bought Sprite, two boxes of candy, and a snowcone...you know, to remind him of the Wild West.

Jacob had his first soccer game last night. He loved it. His team played really well together. They won 5 to 0. He got to play every position, including goalie, where he did an excellent job defending for his team.



He said he likes soccer because, "you get to run a lot, and I like running." (He takes after his mom). His next game is Thursday.

I'd like to thank Sherry, sister-in-law, fellow blogger and kindred spirit, for planting the seed (it began to germinate at 2:30 this morning -- thanks a lot!) which has become today's post.




You Might Be The Mother of Sons If:

You've looked out the window just in time to see the "Full Moon Irrigation Company" watering the tree in your front yard.

Your car insurance doubled overnight without the thrill of being ticketed for driving Highway 20 like it was the German Autobahn.

You can repeat from memory the Cub Scout Promise, the Scout Oath, and all the best lines from Napoleon Dynamite.

The contents of the sandbox have gradually migrated indoors, one shoe full at a time.

Your washing machine can be mined for deposits of gravel, candy wrappers, Legos, chewing gum, missing homework assignments, pocket knives, and the occasional MP3 player.

You've considered buying stock in the following companies: Lego, Hotwheels, Band-Aid, Malt O'Meal, Tide, Skippy, Ovaltine...

You wonder if Fruit of the Loom conducted a feasibility study before deciding to manufacture white underwear in Boys sizes.

You're very familiar with "Puppy Scent," and you don't own a dog.

At least one of the six Star Wars films is viewed in your home every month.

George Lucas could be considered part of the family.

Your food budget is equal to the Gross National Product of a small country.

Someone is always hungry.

You've thought of having your children checked for tapeworms.

There's a mysterious hole of unknown origin in the upstairs window which corresponds perfectly to the size of a BB...hmmm.

You think the Father and Sons outing should be held monthly.

You've achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

Your riding lawnmower has reached speeds that rival those of Nascar.

Clean is a relative term.

You have reminded a child that washing should include the use of soap.

You wholeheartedly supported your husband's idea to install a urinal in the boys bathroom.

Your housekeeping philosophy: Only clean bathroom fixtures you have personally used (see above).

After they clean their bedrooms, your laundry room resembles a scale model of the Himalayas.

Your children do not share your enthusiasm for the works of Jane Austen or William Shakespeare.

They are, however, quite familiar with Dav Pilkey, author of the Captain Underpants series.

No one argues about who gets to be the Princess!