November 10, 2015

Marjie's Memorial Service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Twin Falls, Idaho at 11:00 a.m.  on Saturday, November 21, 2015. A luncheon celebration of her life will be held at O'Leary Middle School immediately following the service. Her obituary and additional details can be found on the website for Parke's Magic Valley Funeral Home at www.magicvalleyfuneralhome.com

Thanks,

Marjie's Family

November 8, 2015

Marjie passed away on Friday, November 6, 2015.  She will be greatly missed, lovingly remembered, and we take comfort in that she is now in God's heavenly care.  The family wishes to sincerely thank all who have loved her, supported her, and followed her journey through this blog.  Services are under the direction of Parke's Magic Valley Funeral Home, www.magicvalleyfuneralhome.com.  Details of her memorial service will also be posted to this blog once it has been arranged.

October 22, 2015

It breaks my heart to pass on the information contained in this update. At the time of our previous post to this blog, Marjie was in therapy at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Sandy, Utah. She had just completed radiation treatments for a tumor on her spine.  Marjie and I have been very pleased with the care she has received at HealthSouth. The compassionate dedication of the staff here is something we will always remember.  She had been working very hard in therapy sessions.  Her balance had improved and she had regained some movement in her right leg until a short time ago when extreme fatigue set in. Marjie had an MRI of the brain and spine on October 20th. She had been declining recently in several ways, including extreme fatigue, some cognitive loss, and loss of balance.  The MRI showed the tumor has spread to multiple parts of her brain and spinal cord. This new growth has occurred over a very short period of time (since the last MRI in September) and despite ongoing chemotherapy and the best known treatment to battle this type of tumor. For reasons we just don't know, Marjie's tumor has been unusually aggressive and resistant to treatment. 

At this point, the doctors are recommending no further treatment as the potential benefit is not adequate to put her through the process. After discussing options, Marjie and Scott have decided to travel back to Twin Falls as soon as possible and arrange for hospice care at home.  We feel this decision will provide the best comfort and quality of life possible in a compassionate, realistic manner.  As Marjie and I prepare to return home to Twin Falls, we are trying to take comfort in our belief that Marjie's primary care is in God's hands now. 

I trust that all of us who know and love Marjie will continue to do what we can to support and comfort her.  She has not been in significant pain, and she sleeps comfortably much of the time. She has some cognitive issues, but during periods when she is awake and alert her memory and ability to communicate is currently quite good.  Unfortunately the chemotherapy she has been taking has caused her to lose much of her voice, so patience is needed to understand her sometimes.  Talking on the phone is no longer possible.  Our oncologist explained that if there is anything humane about this type of cancer, it is the fact that typically there is no significant pain to the patient. Sometimes headaches, but Marjie has been free of those so far. The progression is usually just a more severe version of the symptoms she is already experiencing (extreme fatigue, gradual loss of cognitive ability, weakness, and shutdown of functions.)

Marjie and I wish to thank so many people for their care and compassion.  I have time to include here only a partial list. We thank all of the staff at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital.  We are sincerely grateful to everyone at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Sandy, Utah. HealthSouth has been our home for about the last 5 weeks.  We thank our wonderful friend Griselda, and all who were involved in honoring Marjie at the O'Leary 5K Run/Walk last weekend. And we thank all of you who have followed Marjie through this difficult journey. We are grateful for all of the love, support, good thoughts, and prayers that have been sent our way.  

Much Love to All,

Scott and Marjie. 

October 4, 2015

Hello to everyone.  We apologize for the two month delay in updating this blog.  Things were going quite well a couple of months ago at the time of our last post. Unfortunately, the last 45 days or so have been very difficult ones. During the third week of August we traveled to Salt Lake City for what we hoped would be a favorable, or at least stable, MRI and checkup. However, the MRI indicated that Marjie's brain tumor was showing some regrowth. At that time, Marjie was experiencing no new symptoms.  However, that all changed the next day.  She suddenly lost all strength and control of her left leg. This was very frustrating for her as she had gained back significant strength and use of her left leg after 6 months of hard work and therapy. We attributed this to the brain tumor regrowth that was shown by the MRI.  Marjie started a new infusion chemotherapy and we hoped and prayed this new chemo would improve or stabilize her situation.  But Marjie's situation deteriorated further a couple of weeks later when she lost the strength and use of her right leg as well. Up until this time, the right leg had been totally unaffected.  Plus Marjie's tumor is on the right side of her brain which should affect only the left side of the body.

We were back in Salt Lake City on Labor Day for chemotherapy and to celebrate Caleb's third birthday. This was about the time the right leg totally gave out.  We met with our oncologist and additional tests were ordered to try to determine the cause of the right leg weakness. We received more bad news when an MRI revealed that the tumor has spread to Marjie's spinal cord. She has several spots on her spinal cord that are "suspect", but one larger one in particular was determined to be the cause of her loss of strength in her right leg-and it would be affecting the left leg as well. Marjie was admitted to the Huntsman Cancer Hospital and immediately began radiation treatments for the new tumor on her spine.  As of this time, she has completed this course of radiation (15 treatments), and she is currently in rehab at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Sandy, Utah.  We have actually been at HealthSouth for nearly 3 weeks. Marjie has been gradually regaining some strength and movement back in her right leg, and a small amount in her left leg as well. She is unable support significant weight, but the movement that has returned is a good sign that the radiation and other treatments have been beneficial.  We hope and pray that her leg strength continues to return, but it is impossible to predict how much improvement will occur. We are very pleased with the care and therapy she is receiving at HealthSouth. It is an attractive facility with dedicated caring staff, excellent therapists and equipment, and she even has a great view out of her window. Plus there is a small hide-a-bed in the room and they let Scott stay, participate in therapy sessions, and help where he can.  Marjie has been having physical and/or occupational therapy 3 times per day, and she even got to exercise in a swimming pool here today. An added benefit is this hospital is located about 10 minutes from Becky's house. We hope to be at HealthSouth for another week or two as we feel this is a good place for continued therapy and progress in the near term. We expect to be back in Twin Falls sometime in October.  But our exact location for the next few weeks is unknown. This will be determined on a weekly basis depending on progress and insurance decisions.

We are able to finally update this blog as we recently broke down and bought an iPad. It has been a great communications tool as it is so much easier to type on than my iPhone. And it has given us a chance to watch some of our favorite tv shows through Netflix streaming video.  We are especially enjoying the show "Longmire" and the series "How the States Got Their Names".  We are embarrassed to admit we are also "Walking Dead" fans.

We continue to be so thankful for the love and good thoughts, visits, cards, and prayers from our family and friends.  One reminder.... we love visits, but Marjie's ability to resist colds and infections has been reduced by the chemotherapy-so please keep this in mind when coming to see her, whether in Utah or Twin Falls. We sure hope the next post to this blog can be a little more upbeat. But at least we will close with some pictures that prove that even when all seems dark, there is goodness and light if you look for it. Below is a picture of Caleb on his 3rd birthday, Claire and Lucas picking out some Halloween pumpkins (with a little help from mom and dad),  Marjie enjoying the company of Matthew, Becky, and Caleb on the patio at HealthSouth, and Claire and Lucas posing with Cooper in their back yard. Our family and friends (and our grandchildren in particular) continue to be our best therapy!

Marjie and Scott

August 6, 2015

First, we wish to apologize for the significant delay in updating this blog.  We have had a good summer so far, filled with lots of traveling and vising friends and family.  We have had several people say they have missed our updates, and especially have missed seeing new pictures of the grand kids.  Also, we have missed updating this blog as it is enjoyable and therapeutic to review events in our lives and the progress Marjie has made.  With so many things to reflect on since the last update, we will just give a quick summary of our travels and activities, followed by some pictures.

 Late May - June, 2015:

• Home to Twin Falls!  Thanks to all who watched our place for us while we were gone, and a big thank you to Steve and Lorie for getting our house ready for our return complete with groceries.
• Celebrated Marjie's 57th birthday with Dave's family!
• Attended our home church in Twin Falls.  It was an emotional and wonderful homecoming.
• Moved out of Marjie's classroom @ OMS.  Thanks Dave, Joan, Claire & Lucas for your help!
• 4K Benefit/Run/Walk at O'Leary Middle School.  Thanks to all that participated and donated!
• Trip to California to see Marjie's parents.

 July, 2015:

• Trip to Bonners Ferry, Idaho to visit Marjie's brother Steve, and his family.
• 3 Dog Night Concert in Libby Montana (Steve & Alethia, thanks for the great birthday gift!)
• To Coeur d' Alene (actually Hayden, ID) to visit our son, Dave, and his family.
• Visit from Bob & Marilee Dunklee from Raymond, Maine.  It was great to catch up with these dear friends from Marjie's Camp Wawenock days.  
• Celebrated Scott's 57th birthday in Twin Falls with special guests, Matthew, Becky, & Caleb! 

 August, 2015:

• Celebrated our 34th Wedding Anniversary!
• Traveled to Boise to visit Scott's brother's family, and listen to Steve's band.

During periods when we have actually stayed put in Twin Falls, we have enjoyed visits from many friends, those who live in Twin Falls as well as out of town visitors.  We thank you all for stopping by.  You are always welcome at our house, and these visits are a constant reminder of how blessed we are with friends and family.

Marjie's therapy continues, whether we are in Twin Falls or on the road.  When we are home, she has been going to physical therapy at CPR 3 times a week.  Thanks to Dennis, Stephanie, and all of you at CPR for the wonderful care and support you give us.

Marjie has also been receiving hippotherapy (therapy on horse back, not hippos) at Rising Stars Therapy in Twin Falls.  Marjie had worked as a volunteer for this great organization for several summers, and is now enjoying the benefits of this therapy herself.  She loves being on the horse, and it is excellent exercise and balance therapy.

Other therapy and exercise includes regular rides on our recumbent bike at home, stepping and weight bearing exercises, daily walks, and various hand and arm exercises.  Marjie has also recently started occupational therapy at St. Luke's Rehabilitation,  3 times a week.  She keeps herself and Scott busy!

Marjie continues to improve in leg strength and balance.  Arm and hand progress has been slower, and we are hopeful the occupational therapy at St. Luke's will help move this forward again.  She had an MRI in June that indicated things are quite "stable".  We will be heading to Utah for another MRI and follow up appointment with the Oncology doctor in late August.  Marjie continues with chemotherapy each month (three rounds so far this summer).  She feels fortunate that she has very minimal side effects.  This chemotherapy is in "pill form", taken 5 days each month.

We want to again sincerely thank all who contributed to Marjie's GoFundMe campaign.  The emotional and financial support we have received continues to be a huge blessing that sustains us both as we continue through this very challenging chapter of our lives. 

We hope every one's summer is going well.  We will close with some pictures of our travels, and of course grand kids!  Pictures:  (1) Marjie's Birthday, (2) Benefit 4K Run/Walk, (3) At 3 Dog Night Concert (4) Hayden Lake, (5) Lake Coeur d' Alene, (6) Caleb making chocolate birthday cake, (7) Riding Therapy. 

May 23, 2015

As we write this blog entry, we are packing up to return to Twin Falls.  Thinking back, Marjie and I had mixed feelings initially about using a blog (definitely a first for us) to provide updates on Marjie's progress and condition.  However, it has proved to be a very convenient way for us to provide information to family and friends in an efficient manner, and putting it together each week has been good therapy for us.  It has helped us to think about the progress that is being made, and also the blessing we have despite the difficulties currently being faced.  Our plans are to continue this blog after we return home, but with less frequent updates (probably monthly).

This past week we concluded therapy at University of Utah-Sugarhouse.  It has also been a busy week for doctor appointments.  We met with Dr. Edgely, Rehabilitation Director @ the University of Utah, and his staff.  Marjie had an MRI, and we met to discuss the results of that scan with Dr. Colman and his staff.   We learned that it will take several post-radiation MRI's to have a clearer picture of how successful the radiation treatment was.  This will be monitored closely, and we are scheduled to come back to the Huntsman Cancer Hospital in about a month for another MRI.

As we prepare to leave Utah (for the time being anyway), we want to thank all of the doctors, staff, therapists, and other medical providers for the care they have provided.  We have met many wonderful, dedicated, compassionate health care providers during the last 4 months or so-far too many to mention here.  We have come to know several of the therapists well, and think of them not only as therapists, but friends.  Therapy has been hard work, but Marjie says they have made it almost enjoyable.  We also appreciate how willing everyone has been to include Scott in the process.  We have both learned so much, and are truly grateful.

Speaking of therapy, we received some incredible news!  CPR (Center for Physical Rehabilitation) in Twin Falls has offered to provide therapy to Marjie at no cost to us.  We are still trying to get our minds around this unbelievable offer, and we are so grateful to Julie Ellis and the entire staff at CPR.  This offer, the GoFundMe campaign, and the Benefit 4K run to be held in early June are simply incredible.  All of the funds being donated to Marjie will be used for therapy equipment, and various therapy at home and in Utah.  CPR's extremely generous offer will make it much easier for us to insure that Marjie has good, continuous therapy no matter where we are at the time.  We are amazed daily by the love and support given to Marjie.  We will never be able to adequately express our thanks.  We admit that maintaining faith is not always easy when going through this type of adversity.  It is sometimes easy to feel forgotten and frustrated.  But the care, support, thoughts, and prayers of all of our family and friends (old and new), has helped us to cope with the changes that are occurring in our lives more than you will ever know.  All of you, in showing your love and care for Marjie, are a reflection of God's love in the world.  We are eternally grateful.

Some other great news this week, Becky is home from the hospital and has completed this round of IV medications.  It is wonderful having her back home (her home, even though it has stated to feel like ours as well).

We had a fun weekend visit from Scott's brother, Steve, and his family.  We celebrated our niece, Randi's birthday. Between rainstorms, we all went to Wheeler Historic Farm to see the animals and other scenery.  The big news (especially for Caleb) is that one of his favorite characters, Daniel Tiger, was there!  After about an hour's wait in line, we met the neighborly tiger himself, and had a great time.

One of Becky's dearest friends from high school (like a second daughter to us), also came for a visit.  It was great to see Brooke, or perhaps I should say Dr. Jardine.  She was able to help Becky pass the time in the hospital, and she even brought Becky home when it was time for her to leave.

We look forward to returning to Twin Falls, but we also have lots of travel plans already made for the summer.  We are planning a trip to California to see Marjie's parents, to Bonner's Ferry to visit Marjie's brother, Steve, and his family, and to Coeur d' Alene to visit our son, Dave, and his family.  Dave, Joan, Claire, and Lucas are in the process of moving from Grangeville to Coeur d' Alene, and we very much look forward to seeing their new house (and the grandchildren, even more).  And we hope to do a little camping and fishing if we can fit it in-and Scott thinks we can.

We again want to the Marcellus family for mowing our lawn, and the Lairds and Steve and Rob Atkins for watching our home in Twin Falls while we have been away.  We want to sincerely thank Matthew's mother, Eileen, for all of her incredible help over the past couple of weeks.  She came at just the right time, and it is hard to think how we would have managed things here at the Swank residence without her.  Her cooking was outstanding, and she has spruced things up inside and out.

Lastly, we want to sincerely thank our hosts of the past 3+ months, Matthew, Becky, and Caleb (oh, and we will be back in June, so don't rent the basement out).  We appreciate your taking such good care of us.  Things would have been so much more difficult if we were staying in a hotel or apartment.  Nothing beats having family close by.

We will end this blog update with a few pictures from the past couple of weeks.  They include (1) a picture of Marjie by a statue of Col. Conner at the Fort Douglas Museum on the U of U campus.  Col. Conner is most famous (or infamous) for his campaigns against Native Americans, including Idaho's Bear River Massacre (2) a picture of Caleb and his parents with Daniel Tiger, and (3) a picture of my brother, Steve, with a friend he met at Wheeler Farm (Steve is on the right). 

  

May 12, 2015

Now that radiation and chemotherapy are done (until additional chemo starts up this summer), we have been going to therapy 3 times a week, and sometimes three sessions per day.  On days where we do not have regularly scheduled therapy sessions, Marjie has been going to the gym at Sugarhouse and working on the NewStep exercise machine, the recumbent bike, or the parallel bars.  The bikes are great for exercise and conditioning, and the parallel bars are used to improve balance, posture, and knee bend.  And speaking of parallel bars, Scott took Caleb to gymnastics lessons this week.  It was way out of his comfort zone (Scott's, I mean), but as it turned out everyone had a great time.  The parents (or grandpa, as the case may be) walk around with the kids, and partially participate with the youngsters.  Fortunately for Scott, no video evidence exists.  Caleb did great though.

We ask that you all please keep our daughter, Becky, in your prayers.  She was admitted to the hospital this week for a round of IV antibiotics.  This is something that is done on a fairly regular basis when her lung function has reduced, and is a common treatment with her cystic fibrosis.  We hope this round of antibiotics is successful in improving her lung function.  Matthew's mom, Eileen, arrived this week to help with Caleb (and the rest of us) while Becky is the hospital.  Thanks Eileen!
This has allowed Marjie, Scott and Matthew to spend more time visiting Becky at the hospital.  We have been playing pinochle to help pass the time.  We hope Becky will be back home in about a week, and we all miss her very much while she is recuperating at U of U hospital.

We had an enjoyable visit with two of Marjie's former students this week.  Amber, her brother Ryan, and Amber's husband Conner met us for coffee and brightened up our day.  It was fun for Marjie to reminisce about  the past at O'Leary.  Also, we had a nice visit with some friends from Twin Falls-the Harris families.  We met for breakfast with Ray and Shirley, and Susan.  Gordon was technically absent, but very much in our minds, hearts, and prayers.  The two Harris couples are in SLC due to Gordon's surgery and hospitalization.  We ask that you all also pray for Gordon's health and recovery.

While this week has been one where we have visited various hospitals more than we would like, it has also been filled with good visits with friends, thoughtful Mother's day wishes and phone calls, and continued gradual progress for Marjie.  The Salt Lake City area received an excessive amount of rainfall this past weekend.  While the moisture was much needed, it delayed our plans to visit the zoo.  We are looking forward to a visit from Scott's brother and his family this next week, and hoping for better weekend weather.

As has become our habit, we will end this blog update with a picture.  Below is a picture from a picnic with Becky, Caleb, and the two Grandmas on the lawn between the U of U hospital and the Moran Eye Center. 

May 5, 2015

The big news from this past week is Marjie completed her radiation treatments (33), and the initial phase of chemotherapy!  Some tears were shed on the last day, with hugs from the technicians at the Huntsman Hospital, and flowers from a fellow patient.  We celebrated with the Swanks by going out for pizza at the Mellow Mushroom, which is located near our out-patient therapy in the Sugarhouse area of SLC.  It was delicious, and the 4 of us (5, including Caleb) did our best to consume 3 large pizzas.

So, when are we coming home to Twin Falls?  At this point, we plan to head home sometime the last week of May.  Marjie has several doctor's appointments on the 21st, plus a baseline MRI.  We will continue to fill our time while in Utah going to therapy (Speech, Occupational, and Physical), going to the wellness gym at Sugarhouse, and exploring the Salt Lake City area with our favorite tour guide, Caleb.  He wears many hats.  We are hoping to go to the zoo this next week, weather depending.

Marjie has started to read again this past week, an activity she has really missed.  She finds it easier to concentrate and enjoy it more now that radiation is completed-allowing her brain to relax a little.

In our spare time, we have been exploring this area in case we ever moved near here to be closer to the Huntsman and to the Swanks.  Future plans are unknown, and will depend on the medical outlook as we go forward.  But it has been fun to explore and get to know SLC and the surrounding area better.  We recently took a drive to Heber City.  The mountain views there are spectacular.  Marjie also has her eye on a couple of museums she would like to visit.  We went to the movies recently as well (with buttered popcorn of course).  It was great to have a relaxing time doing something totally unrelated to therapy of any kind (except maybe good emotional therapy).

We also had an opportunity to attend the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at Maxtec, where Matthew is employed as a mechanical engineer.  Maxtec is a company that specializes in the design and manufacture of oxygen sensors and other medical devices.   Matthew gave us an excellent tour of the new facility, and we had a delicious taco lunch. 

We again thank everyone for their good thoughts and prayers.  We are also so grateful for the love and support being shown through Marjie's GoFundMe site.  We hope and plan to get personal thank-yous out to the many friends and relatives that have supported us in this way.  Until  we find the time, however, please accept this less personal, but heartfelt thanks to all of you. 

And thanks again to all who are working on the Benefit 4K Fun Run/Walk planned for June 2nd.  Attached is a flyer that was sent to us in connection with this event.

And, we can't end this entry to the blog without at least one picture of Caleb.  I had trouble narrowing down the pictures this week, so I have attached a few.  They include (1) a picture from our end of radiation pizza celebration at Mellow Mushroom, and (2) Caleb, engineer in training, working on a project at Maxtec, and (3)  a picture of Marjie at Wheeler Historical Farm, with the farm house (built in 1898) in the background.  

April 27th, 2015

This week was not too eventful, and rather relaxing.  We have no major new developments to report.  Marjie's left arm continues to make gradual progress.  We use the neuromuscular electrical stimulator at home about 90 minutes a day on her arm, shoulder, and hand.  This, along with the weekly therapy at Sugarhouse is helping to strengthen the muscles.

Walking with Scott is Marjie's favorite activity.  She is working very hard on returning to a more natural gait, and leg work continues to be a combination of strength training and exercises designed to improve motor skills and balance.  One of Marjie's favorite activities for "cognitive exercise" is beating Scott at backgammon.  This week she and Scott enjoyed playing outside on the beautiful terrace at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital.  The view from there is spectacular (but Scott's view on game strategy was not so great).  He is demanding a rematch.  After therapy one day this week we took advantage of the nice weather to go on a picnic  along Parley's Creek.  There is a nature path along this creek, located right in the heart of the Sugarhouse area.  It was a perfect area for a picnic, and we forgot for a few minutes that we were in the middle of a very big city.

This coming week is the final week of radiation!  Only two treatments to go as I type this blog update.

Friends from Twin Falls have been hard at work on the Miles 4 Marjie Fun Run/ Benefit, scheduled for Tuesday, June 2nd @ 6;00 pm at O'Leary.  We are humbled by the event, we thank all who have been involved in it's planning, and we are looking forward to the the fun!

We continue to be so thankful for the love, good thoughts, support, and prayers that are being sent our way.

This past weekend was wet and cool in the Salt Lake City area.  Our family spent some time in the kitchen making various comforting treats.  We end this week's blog update with a picture of head chef Caleb making biscuits.  They were delicious!

April 21, 2015

We are a little late this week getting an update to the blog posted, but have quite a bit of news to report.  As of this date, Marjie has finished 27 radiation treatments, so 6 to go!  She still has minimal side effects from the chemo and radiation except for hair loss.  She has continued to have good energy for physical therapy.

PT for the leg is focusing on shifting more weight to the left leg, bending more at the knee, and developing a more normal gait.  The electromuscular stimulation machine (EMS) that we use at home, plus the great therapy sessions we are receiving at U of U Sugarhouse Therapy continue to result in gradual, but steady progress on Marjie's left arm.  Her left shoulder and back area are strengthening as well.  Joanne, our Occupational Therapist, has been very pleased with recent progress of the left arm and shoulder area, and we are thrilled that she stays late with us after sessions and gives us good ideas on what to practice at home.  Marjie still has virtually no feeling along the left side of her body, except for some tingling.  We hope and pray that as additional time passes, and after the radiation treatments are over (so the affected area of her brain is given a rest) that feeling and sensation on the left side of her body is restored. 

Last Saturday was a beautiful spring day,and we joined the Swanks on a picnic to the park.  Marjie spent a lot of time practicing her walking around the outdoor basketball court (with Scott's assistance).  It was great to be outside!

MacKay, Anika, and Karl, fellow runners from Twin Falls, came to see us on Saturday as well.  We had Ice Cream Sundaes and had a great visit!

We send out a HUGE THANK YOU to Sarah and Ashlyn Aardema for setting up a GoFundMe site for Marjie.  We have exhausted our medical insurance allowance for out-patient therapy, and this fund will be a tremendous help in continuing Marjie's therapy.  While we are very thankful that we have insurance, we were rather shocked to learn that the provision for outpatient therapy is so limited.  We were committed to continuing therapy by dipping into retirement savings.  The generosity of Marjie's many friends coming to our aide in covering this cost is humbling, and appreciated from the bottom of our hearts.  We have shed many tears of appreciation while checking the GoFundMe "Marjie's Miles" site.

We also want to thank my brother, Steve, for getting our sprinkler system up and running at our home in Twin Falls.  We look forward returning to Twin Falls about the end of May.  

And we want to thank the Marcellus family for mowing and taking care of our spring crop of dandelions.   Thanks so much!

 We end this week's blog entry with a couple of pictures from last week- Crazy Spring Weather!

April 12, 2015

As of the end of last week, Marjie has completed 20 radiation treatments, and has 13 to go.  It is great to be on the downhill side of this.  She continues to feel pretty good overall, but isn't too pleased with the hair loss.  However, Scott thinks she looks cute in her bandannas and scarfs.

Therapy continues at U of U Sugarhouse outpatient therapy.  We are very pleased that the left arm made additional progress this week, and Marjie can now lift her arm up about a foot, and roll the left hand over from left to right, and back again.  We now have a Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulator (NMES) to use at home.  This unit provides electrical stimulation designed to strengthen and encourage muscles in Marjie's left arm, hand, and shoulder.  An alternate use may be to get Scott out of bed in the morning-yet to be tested for effectiveness.  In addition to the NMES, Marjie is having a massage this week at the Huntsman Hospital in hopes that this will stimulate some sensations on Marjie's left side.  We may try acupuncture too.  While Scott has been a life-time skeptic of this type of thing, it can't hurt, right?

On Saturday morning, the weather was beautiful in Murray.  Marjie, Scott, Matthew, Becky and Caleb strolled along the Jordan river.  This was great walking practice plus we saw lots of ducks and Caleb had a great time at a river-side playground.  In the afternoon, Caleb went kite flying.  We all had a tremendous time, and Becky may have enjoyed flying a kite even more than her little boy.

On Sunday, Twin Falls friends Carrie, Delores, and Griselda came to visit.  We went out to lunch and had a wonderful time-lots of good stories and laughs.  They also left us with a delicious lasagna dinner for Sunday evening.  Lastly, they surprised us with the news that a fun run/ benefit for Marjie is in the planning stages.  We feel so loved and are so incredibly humbled by all of the good thoughts, support, and prayers we continue to receive.

We close this week's entry with two pictures from this Saturday.

 

April 7, 2015

We have had a busy week, filed with steady progress, love from friends and family, and some milestones.  Marjie, Becky, and Scott are enjoying speech therapy- which is not as much "speech" therapy as cognitive work, or "brain exercise".  This includes reading out loud and work on comprehension, plus logic puzzles and sudoku puzzles.  Scott and Becky may be enjoying the math and logic puzzles more than Marjie (she prefers history), but the mental calisthenics have been good for all of us.    During Occupational Therapy, Marjie continues to work very hard to regain use of her left arm and hand.  She is gaining strength each week and has been working on moving the arm out, and turning her hand over.  During dinner blessing, Marjie was able to grab a hold and squeeze Scott's hand (causing some joyful tears from both).  Physical Therapy sessions continue to work on fine-tuning use of her left leg and bending at the knee.

In addition to scheduled therapy sessions, Marjie has joined the Sugarhouse Therapy "wellness gym", She and Scott are able to practice what we have learned from our therapists.  She has been concentrating on strengthening, walking, and shifting weight to the left side of her body during these extra practice sessions.

We are half way through chemo and radiation.  Unfortunately, Marjie has been losing hair due to radiation, and she is now starting to wear the nice scarfs and hats that have been thoughtfully sent to her. 

We had wonderful visits this week from one of Marjie's students/cross-country runners, Hannah, and her step-mother, Whitney, and from our sister-in-law, Alethia, and niece, Camille.   

Easter Sunday was extra special for our family.  Not only did we celebrate Easter, but it was also Becky's 30th birthday!  Our son, Dave, and granddaughter, Claire made a surprise visit from north Idaho to help Becky celebrate her birthday.  Becky has a fondness for Holstein Cows (she thinks they are cute, and she loves milk), and we had a "cow" theme for the celebration.  Matthew cooked a delicious turkey, and made Becky's favorite dessert (Boston Cream Pie).

We once again want to thank everyone for their continued love, prayers, good wishes, and support.  Becky and Matthew's mail man has never worked so hard.  We end this week's entry with a picture of our family that gathered for Becky's birthday celebration.    

March 29, 2015

We have really enjoyed the Swank family hospitality this week, and have also enjoyed the beautiful spring weather.  Marjie has been going for walks, assisted by Scott.  She has also been playing with bubbles in the back yard, assisted by Caleb.  We went on a picnic to nearby Wheeler Farm.  The highlight of the trip was seeing several newborn baby calves (although Scott had to point out he had seen thousands of them in his previous life as an ag-banker).  They were exceptionally cute, as were the ducks, geese, goats, horses, bunnies, and other farm animals. 

We are really enjoying the new therapists we have met at Sugarhouse Therapy.  Unfortunately, our insurance severely limits the number of out-patient therapy visits.  We were spoiled by the 6 sessions a day during in-patient therapy (but I think Marjie is one of the few that would feel that way-she loved the hard work).  However, Scott says "That's what savings are for".  We will continue with adequate speech, occupational, and physical therapy to keep her left arm progressing, and to accomplish the "fine-tuning" phase of Marjie's balance and walking.  We are also learning so much to practice on our own, and Marjie has joined the Sugarhouse "wellness" program which allows for use of their gym for additional exercise. 

This past week we have enjoyed visits from O'Leary Middle School friend, Lynn, and from Scott's cousin Rob, his wife Laurie, and son Clark.  We also had a great visit from the Withers family (school and running friends from Twin Falls).  We thoroughly enjoy these visits, and really appreciate the stories and updates from Twin Falls.  In addition to personal visits, we continue to be amazed and humbled by the volume of mail (both regular and email) that we receive each day.  Thanks so much for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.  Please know that while we are not able to respond to all of these notes, you are also in our thankful thoughts and prayers. 

One note on personal vists- while we love to see you, please remember that Marjie is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, and as a result her immune system will be weakening.  We ask that you please keep this in mind, as we are doing our best to avoid colds and flu. 

Speaking of chemo and radiation, Marjie just completed week number 2.  So far, side effects have remained quite mild, and manageable with the various drugs that have been prescribed. 

One of Marjie's goals this week is to take a "Scott-assisted" stroll along the Jordan River pathway near the Swank family home.  We are also very much looking forward to a visit from our sister-in-law and niece, and to Becky's 30th birthday!

We will end this week's update with a picture of Marjie coloring with her "still favorite therapist", Caleb. 

March 22, 2015

It has been a busy week, highlighted by leaving the hospital on the 18th.  After saying some tearful goodbyes to the excellent therapists and other staff we met at the U of U Inpatient Rehab Facility, we moved into our new "home" at Becky & Matthew's house (and grandson Caleb of course).  Caleb wakes us up in the morning with a huge smile and giggles.  This is much better than the early morning "vital check" and meds at the hospital.  We are thoroughly enjoying our time with Becky, Matthew, and Caleb, and sincerely appreciate the efforts and the accommodations they have made for us.  They are making us feel right at home, and we are getting great food and good rest.  Marjie is even taking an occasional nap.

 Last Friday we went to evaluations at Sugar House Therapy near the U of U, and plan to start out- patient therapy there.  Part of their evaluation was for Marjie to walk for 6 minutes with minimal assistance- which she did!  During the Occupational Therapy Evaluation, Marjie surprised even herself with what she was able to do with her left arm.  While there is still a long way to go, the arm is progressing more than we were actually aware. 

 We had a very nice visit with Phil, our Pastor from Twin Falls, and his son Eric today.  It was great to see them and catch up on some of the events back home.  Again we want to thank all of our family and friends for their cards, gifts, letters, and prayers. 

One week of chemotherapy and radiation is now completed (but who is counting- Marjie is!).  So far Marjie has had a little nausea and headaches.

We will conclude this entry with a picture of our best therapist, Caleb! 

March 17, 2015

We are a few days later than planned getting this update posted. We have kept very busy over the past week, and Marjie continues to make good progress in her therapy sessions. We have been so pleased with the staff and therapists at the U of U Inpatient Rehab Facility that we requested an extra five days here. We will be moving to Becky's house on Wednesday, March 18th.

Marjie continued to make progress with her balance and left leg strength this past week. Today, she walked a lap around the therapy gym area using just a cane-no one holding on to her (but Jonathan, Geoff, and I were close at hand just in case she needed help). She did lots of stair work over the last few days in preparation for the move to Matthew and Becky's house. She also showed continued gradual improvement with her left arm and moved her fingers some today. Scott wanted to celebrate with coffee ice cream and M&M s, but Marjie vetoed that on the basis that we have been eating a little too much during our stay at the hospital.

We had a wonderful weekend full of visits from friends and family. Bart, a good friend from high school and college came to see us. Scott's brother Steve, Lorie, and Dave came for the weekend. We even had a picnic outdoors with them and shot a few baskets.  Twin Falls friends Dolores, Carrie, and Griselda made our Sunday afternoon extra special. We had a great visit with them filled with good stories and laughter. It was the perfect mental therapy before chemo and radiation started.

Chemo started Sunday evening, and radiation began on Monday.  So far the side effects have been very manageable. We hope this continues to be the case. We are confident Marjie can get through this with the help of the prayers and good thoughts of our wonderful friends and family.  The only good thing about an experience like this is it has shown us how blessed we are with love from family and friends.

We began our goodbyes to nursing and therapy staff today, and will complete that difficult process tomorrow. We have met some wonderful, committed, caring people during our time here.  Marjie has shed some tears, and Scott has had some optical leakage as well (not technically crying of course) as we say goodbye to what has been our home for the last month. One of the last things we did with the OT staff was a home inspection (Scott called it a home invasion) of Becky's house. Marjie, Scott, and 3 Occupational Therapy staff visited Becky's home in preparation for our move. This was very helpful and Matthew and Becky are being great sports about our minor remodeling of their basement stairway and downstairs bathroom.  We are extremely excited to move in with Matthew, Becky, and of course, Caleb!

We will close this entry with some pictures of our recent visitors.

March 8, 2015

It has been a busy, productive week. Marjie has continued to work very hard in therapy. She has more strength and motor control in her left leg each day, and can now wiggle her toes on her left foot. We celebrated that with a movie in the room, plus coffee ice cream and m&ms. Her left arm continues to be more of a challenge, but seems to be showing gradual improvement as well.

This week we went to the Huntsman Cancer Hospital where Marjie was fitted for a fixed mesh mask used to insure proper positioning during radiation treatments. These treatments, along with chemo, will begin on Monday, March 16th. We are scheduled to leave the U of U inpatient rehab unit on Friday, March 13th. We will be moving in with Becky, Matthew, and Caleb where we will be staying for the next 6-7 weeks.  Marjie will continue with therapy (on an out-patient basis) during this time.
Their address is:  41 West Lester Ave
                             Murray, Utah. 84107

Becky brings us mail regularly. Again, thanks to all of you for the cards, emails, phone calls, good wishes, and prayers.

This week we had visits from several friends from Twin Falls, including Gene and Marilynn Bright,
Howard, Marsha, and Anna Neibling, and Lori Hazen. Thanks for the visits-it was nice to keep connected to Twin Falls. Lori brought notes and pictures from Marjie's students which we enjoyed very much. The OMS students also made a YouTube video for Marjie. This video warmed our hearts and was a favorite at Marjie's physical therapy class.

Marjie went on a field trip last Friday to the Utah Museum of Natural History. This is an excellent museum located near the hospital. We will end this blog entry with a picture from that outing.  The picture shows Marjie with some of her great therapists-and a very large creature. We can't remember the name of the creature in the picture, but don't worry-he is extinct.

March 1, 2015

First, a HUGE THANK YOU to Katie and Gris for setting up this blog for us.

Second, a big thank you to all of our family and friends for their prayers, cards, phone calls and messages, gifts, and warm wishes. Your love and care for us has been overwhelming and much appreciated.  This blog is being used as hopefully a more timely method of communicating updates to all of our friends and family about Marjie's progress as we navigate through this challenging journey.

In early February, 2015, Marjie was diagnosed as having a brain tumor. After a preliminary visit  with doctors at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital, surgery was scheduled.  The surgery occurred on February 13th. The surgeon was able to remove the majority, but not all of the tumor. Unfortunately, pathology results showed the mass to be an aggressive, malignant tumor.  Because of this, Marjie will need additional treatments including radiation and chemotherapy.  We will therefore be in Utah for an extended period.  We feel very thankful that Becky and her family are close by in Murray, Utah.

Due to the difficult location of the tumor, Marjie experienced significant side effects from the surgery.  
She suffered paralysis on her left side. We have moved from the Huntsman Cancer Hospital to the University of  Utah Rehabilitation Inpatient Unit. Scott is able to stay in the room with Marjie, which we are extremely thankful for.  A typical day for us is 45 minutes of cognitive therapy, two 45 minute sessions of occupational therapy (focusing primarily on the left hand, arm, and shoulder) and two 45 minute sessions of physical therapy (focusing primarily on the left leg and hip). In addition, Marjie asks for additional therapy when possible, and the physical therapists have been more than happy to work in extra sessions for her. We also are practicing what we learn in our room in the evenings. Marjie has been working extremely hard and is showing good progress. She has regained significant strength in her left leg, and balance has improved a lot in the last week. She is working hard to improve motor control with the goal of walking without assistance. We are very pleased and
impressed with all of the therapists we have worked with.

In addition to Marjie's progress in therapy, one of the highlights of the past week was several visits from the grandkids (plus Becky and Matthew, and daughter-in-law Joan and her mother, Julia).
We have decided that grandkids are the best therapy of all.  Thanks Claire, Lucas, and Caleb!

Comment from Marjie (despite objections from Scott):  Much of my progress is due to the efforts of my private nurse, Scott. He dresses me (he calls the sports bra "the beast" and just can't quite figure it out).  He helps me go to the restroom, shower, and with all of the things I used to take for granted. It is much more comfortable getting personal care from my husband than from a nurse I just met-no matter how caring they might be.

Future updates will be more in "bullet point" format providing information on progress.  We apologize that this one got a bit wordy-almost felt like a therapy session in itself.

We will close this first posting by sharing a recent photo of Marjie with the grandkids.