Bouncing Back!
Well, after a grueling five days of sickness, we have finally bounced back today. I finished up my share of the stomach flu, which I caught from the kids, but thankfully, it was quick and not too painful. (Plus, I felt like a wimp complaining to J about it after the months of pain he has endured.) Yesterday, I was so exhausted, I had a constant, thick, dizziness sitting in the center of my forehead. I was absolutely wiped out, and poor J was just tortured unable to help, quarantined yet again inside our bedroom away from the germs. But, I was able to provide him solace reminding him of our crazy ordeal when we first moved into our new house a few months ago. He definitely paid his dues taking care of all of us back then! And, actually this was the beginning of J's cancer, now that we look back...(This is from an old email to my girlfriends, recapping our move in May):
"Craziness hit the past few weeks!! So, we got thru the move, and the unpacking was crazy with all of us sick with head colds, and having so many parties, graduations, etc....to attend in the process. Then, just last Friday, Brother got the stomach flu and hurled Friday through Wednesday!!! Then, J got it Sunday and was in bed ALL day and night, except to get up and run to the bathroom. In the almost ten years of marriage, I have never known him to stay in bed all day! THEN, I got it Sunday night! Brother and I slept on the living room floor and threw up all night together! Everyday, I was going thru a dozen towels....AND my laundry machine was leaking!! AHHHH! Then, on Tuesday I was still recovering, feeling dizzy and still weak from not eating for four days, AND....I slipped and fell down our stairs!! I was home alone with the kids....I couldn't even move, couldn't crawl, nothing...THANK GOD I was carrying the phone!! I called J at the fire station, and he said he would rush home...then, as I sat and waited in pain, brother threw up on me!!! Hah! So, J comes home, my mom comes over to watch the kids, and we go to the ER. I was in a wheelchair waiting for 3 1/2 hours because there were no beds due to the flu going around! But, no broken bones, just a badly bruised left him and tailbone. THEN, that night my girlfriend comes over to help us. J was at Longs getting my Vicoden and she and I are with our daughter, and she says her tummy hurts...then she starts throwing up....I yell to my girlfriend, "Wash your hands and GET OUT!!" She said she didn't want to leave us like this, but I told her, "J will be back any minute, GET OUT!!!" Hah! For the next two nights, J slept with our so sick daughter on the living room floor as she threw up every twenty minutes!! It was crazy..and REALLY hard for me not to be the one to be there for her, but I was in the bed healing from my broke okole!! (Hawaiian word for 'bottom')
I tell you, I married the right man!! He is just incredible! He took care of all of us, installed our front door, fixed our closets and repaired our washing machine! He is a winner!! I have fallen in love with him all over again, but more deeply, and more appreciative of his quality to care, protect and provide for us. I have no clue why I was so controlling before and thinking I had to take care of the kids all by myself...I realize now that this all has been so good...thru the bad we have really come together as a family! We are more like a team now....life is good. GOD is good."
So, that was the beginning. During the end of the summer J started experiencing pain, and when he started taking my Vicoden from my fall down the stairs, that was when we knew he needed to see a doctor....and one thing led to another...and here we are today. J is doing really well. We got the extension for the TPN, that got delivered this morning. J has successfully eaten poi, organic apple juice jello with beef protein gelatin, mahimahi in coconut oil, a whole wheat sprouted bagel and quinoa pasta. Long ago are the days of plate lunches and McDonalds! Hah! He is able to exercise everyday doing push ups and strength training, and is now addicted to Sudoku, thanks to my parents! Hah! We also got a strong referral from a friend of a friend's father, who is the Chief of Surgery at UCLA, for a surgical oncologist here in Hawaii. So, we are meeting with him next week for a second opinion regarding J's upcoming surgery. We were thrilled, to say the least, at his oncologist appointment yesterday about his blood work. When we left the hospital, his blood work showed his body was still very depleted and not in healing mode. His pre-albumin was at an 11 (with a minimum of 18 to be normal) and his albumin was 2.4 (minimum 3.4). Everyone told us it takes a long time for those numbers to come up. But, yesterday, after only two weeks, his pre-albumin was at 26!! And, his albumin was 3.2 yesterday! So, J is really bouncing back quickly! Now...if he could just gain back those fifty pounds...
(Thursday evening...)
Once again, I spoke (or rather blogged) too soon...J caught our colds! Hopefully, I will be able to FEED this cold away! Or was that feed a fever?
"Craziness hit the past few weeks!! So, we got thru the move, and the unpacking was crazy with all of us sick with head colds, and having so many parties, graduations, etc....to attend in the process. Then, just last Friday, Brother got the stomach flu and hurled Friday through Wednesday!!! Then, J got it Sunday and was in bed ALL day and night, except to get up and run to the bathroom. In the almost ten years of marriage, I have never known him to stay in bed all day! THEN, I got it Sunday night! Brother and I slept on the living room floor and threw up all night together! Everyday, I was going thru a dozen towels....AND my laundry machine was leaking!! AHHHH! Then, on Tuesday I was still recovering, feeling dizzy and still weak from not eating for four days, AND....I slipped and fell down our stairs!! I was home alone with the kids....I couldn't even move, couldn't crawl, nothing...THANK GOD I was carrying the phone!! I called J at the fire station, and he said he would rush home...then, as I sat and waited in pain, brother threw up on me!!! Hah! So, J comes home, my mom comes over to watch the kids, and we go to the ER. I was in a wheelchair waiting for 3 1/2 hours because there were no beds due to the flu going around! But, no broken bones, just a badly bruised left him and tailbone. THEN, that night my girlfriend comes over to help us. J was at Longs getting my Vicoden and she and I are with our daughter, and she says her tummy hurts...then she starts throwing up....I yell to my girlfriend, "Wash your hands and GET OUT!!" She said she didn't want to leave us like this, but I told her, "J will be back any minute, GET OUT!!!" Hah! For the next two nights, J slept with our so sick daughter on the living room floor as she threw up every twenty minutes!! It was crazy..and REALLY hard for me not to be the one to be there for her, but I was in the bed healing from my broke okole!! (Hawaiian word for 'bottom')
I tell you, I married the right man!! He is just incredible! He took care of all of us, installed our front door, fixed our closets and repaired our washing machine! He is a winner!! I have fallen in love with him all over again, but more deeply, and more appreciative of his quality to care, protect and provide for us. I have no clue why I was so controlling before and thinking I had to take care of the kids all by myself...I realize now that this all has been so good...thru the bad we have really come together as a family! We are more like a team now....life is good. GOD is good."
So, that was the beginning. During the end of the summer J started experiencing pain, and when he started taking my Vicoden from my fall down the stairs, that was when we knew he needed to see a doctor....and one thing led to another...and here we are today. J is doing really well. We got the extension for the TPN, that got delivered this morning. J has successfully eaten poi, organic apple juice jello with beef protein gelatin, mahimahi in coconut oil, a whole wheat sprouted bagel and quinoa pasta. Long ago are the days of plate lunches and McDonalds! Hah! He is able to exercise everyday doing push ups and strength training, and is now addicted to Sudoku, thanks to my parents! Hah! We also got a strong referral from a friend of a friend's father, who is the Chief of Surgery at UCLA, for a surgical oncologist here in Hawaii. So, we are meeting with him next week for a second opinion regarding J's upcoming surgery. We were thrilled, to say the least, at his oncologist appointment yesterday about his blood work. When we left the hospital, his blood work showed his body was still very depleted and not in healing mode. His pre-albumin was at an 11 (with a minimum of 18 to be normal) and his albumin was 2.4 (minimum 3.4). Everyone told us it takes a long time for those numbers to come up. But, yesterday, after only two weeks, his pre-albumin was at 26!! And, his albumin was 3.2 yesterday! So, J is really bouncing back quickly! Now...if he could just gain back those fifty pounds...
(Thursday evening...)
Once again, I spoke (or rather blogged) too soon...J caught our colds! Hopefully, I will be able to FEED this cold away! Or was that feed a fever?
posted by GODisgood at 4:06 PM
4 Comments:
Dear Jim and Rem, I'm so happy to hear your good news! After reading your blog about "equal surface tension", I wasn't sure what I could say or do to cheer you up...I remembered how I was when I cared for my mom...the whole thing made me very cynical about life and I was bitter for many years towards God, family, friends, doctors, you name it.
So I know that there will be hard and even harder days. But hearing good news like this is so uplifting and it reminds me that God is listening to everyone's heartfelt prayers for your family.
Miss you,
Christina
Hi guys, it's been quiet for a while, and I was just wondering how you're doing.
Aloha,
Kanani
Praise the Lord for FOOD! Isn't it great how God created our bodies to enjoy such things? Glad that you are able to keep some foods down now. I will never complain about morning sickness again (whenever we do decide to venture out and have another one)! =) Thanks for keeping us posted...this brings me joy to read the progress one step at a time! Love you guys!
Hiya Rem & Jim,
been thinking of you, hoping that Jim is kicking that cold... was so glad to hear about the home TPN extension & especially the additional pounds on Jim thanks to Rem's nurturing creativity in the kitchen!
Lots of love,
Toni
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