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.