This marks the sixth week of Bryon's treatment. Monday's treatment sailed by without a hitch and he even got home before dark. His arm is still sore and needs some time to finish healing, but the treatment has not caused any problems with the left arm. That means "so far, so good" and we will continue to hope it will hold up.
The significant thing happening now is that we are 2 weeks away from the MRI and doctor's consult. The MRI should be conclusive enough to decide if the experimental drug is working or not. Bryon has one more week of treatment, and then we will know. If they decide to continue with this course of treatment, they may put a port in Bryon's chest. For convenience and to save the veins in his arms any further trauma.
Even though Bryon is able to work, the future is still unknown. If he has a bad week on the chemo he could miss several days. The financial stress has plateaued, but being on edge is not the best for anyone. The warm weather helps, and being able to do family activities has made life feel a little more normal. We are thankful for the little things(our kids), our friends & family, and the many blessings bestowed by our Heavenly Father.
Now, pray for sunshine so we can get our yard work done.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Week 5
This week the post is not done by Sara as she is enveloping herself in yard work and house work at this time----some much needed theraputic relief, I'd say. So if this post isn't as entertaining and witty as Sara, I am so sorry :) She shall return!
Once again no news or not much news in this case is very good news. So this week's treatment went without a hitch. It was a very good day. The drive was good, and they even got done in record time which was amazing with an added treatment of the original chemo Carboplatim and a delay with the pharmacy. The burned vein arm was not touched so everything was done in the left arm.
To put a little humor in the day, Sara and Bryon were trying to decide what to eat in terms of hospital food, again.....hmmmmm the same day of the week which means, the same food to choose from.....again. Then all of a sudden Bryon's nutritionist who says that she is there to make him happy, suggests that they can choose from the grill (well why didn't we know about the grill a long time ago?). So Bryon jumps at the chance for hamburger and fries...not once but twice; once for lunch and once for dinner. The grill must be better than the cafeteria.
So to close things off for this week, Sara and Bryon wanted to make mention to give a big thanks to Aunt Karla and cousin Junior for the Jeff Dunam tickets that were so graciously offered. Junior bought tickets for them to go to which happened to be the same day that Bryon got out of surgery a couple of months back. Since Bryon was just not feeling up to it at the name, Aunt Karla took them and she found out that Jeff Dunam was going to be in Pocatello in the near future!!! She is even providing extra money for dinner for the two of them. Thanks for the date night!
Once again no news or not much news in this case is very good news. So this week's treatment went without a hitch. It was a very good day. The drive was good, and they even got done in record time which was amazing with an added treatment of the original chemo Carboplatim and a delay with the pharmacy. The burned vein arm was not touched so everything was done in the left arm.
To put a little humor in the day, Sara and Bryon were trying to decide what to eat in terms of hospital food, again.....hmmmmm the same day of the week which means, the same food to choose from.....again. Then all of a sudden Bryon's nutritionist who says that she is there to make him happy, suggests that they can choose from the grill (well why didn't we know about the grill a long time ago?). So Bryon jumps at the chance for hamburger and fries...not once but twice; once for lunch and once for dinner. The grill must be better than the cafeteria.
So to close things off for this week, Sara and Bryon wanted to make mention to give a big thanks to Aunt Karla and cousin Junior for the Jeff Dunam tickets that were so graciously offered. Junior bought tickets for them to go to which happened to be the same day that Bryon got out of surgery a couple of months back. Since Bryon was just not feeling up to it at the name, Aunt Karla took them and she found out that Jeff Dunam was going to be in Pocatello in the near future!!! She is even providing extra money for dinner for the two of them. Thanks for the date night!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Week 4
Not much to say about Bryon this week. It is week 4 in the treatment process and that means he gets the week off. The much needed rest has been good for him since it gets him back to a semi normal schedule. His confidence has been better this week and he has been much more like his old self.
The right arm has been slowly healing over the past week, but not gaining much ground. The burned veins are not visible any more, but he feels pain whenever he stretches his arm, puts on his shirts, or if his wife grabs him by mistake. Darn woman! Things are mostly positive since the spring weather brought sunshine in the windows for a brief time.
There will be some minor changes to this blog coming in the near future. Don't panic if it looks much different by next week. The order of postings will change to help introduce people to Bryon who have not visited the blog before. His introduction will be the only post listed on screen and you should be able to select the latest post on the right hand column. If anyone has any other suggestions, we welcome them always. Thanks again for supporting Bryon and his family with your prayers.
The right arm has been slowly healing over the past week, but not gaining much ground. The burned veins are not visible any more, but he feels pain whenever he stretches his arm, puts on his shirts, or if his wife grabs him by mistake. Darn woman! Things are mostly positive since the spring weather brought sunshine in the windows for a brief time.
There will be some minor changes to this blog coming in the near future. Don't panic if it looks much different by next week. The order of postings will change to help introduce people to Bryon who have not visited the blog before. His introduction will be the only post listed on screen and you should be able to select the latest post on the right hand column. If anyone has any other suggestions, we welcome them always. Thanks again for supporting Bryon and his family with your prayers.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Just in time for Spring!
Sara would like to think she has a green thumb, so with the welcoming of spring weather she started some tomatoes from seed. Unfortunately, she got a little carried away and planted more than she could ever care for in her own garden. Now, she and Bryon would like to share the wealth with you.
By the end of May, these plants will be up and ready to plant in your own garden. There were 288 seeds planted,and so far half are up and on their way. Most of the plants are beef steak varieties, but there is a beautiful Yellow Brandy wine in there somewhere. These are 'hard to find' varieties of heirloom tomatoes. The colors range from black to white and of course there are a few good red ones in the mix for the less adventurous tomato connoisseur.
When the plants are ready to go to a good home they will be available to anyone who wants them. Donations are welcome, but not required. Remember, even though there is potentially 288 plants available, not all of those seeds may sprout, so they will be given out on a first come first serve basis unless you have already asked for a plant to be reserved for you. Feel free to invite friends and neighbors, who may not visit this blog, to join in and welcome a tomato plant into their garden. Thanks for all your support, and please consider giving these plants a good home.
By the end of May, these plants will be up and ready to plant in your own garden. There were 288 seeds planted,and so far half are up and on their way. Most of the plants are beef steak varieties, but there is a beautiful Yellow Brandy wine in there somewhere. These are 'hard to find' varieties of heirloom tomatoes. The colors range from black to white and of course there are a few good red ones in the mix for the less adventurous tomato connoisseur.
When the plants are ready to go to a good home they will be available to anyone who wants them. Donations are welcome, but not required. Remember, even though there is potentially 288 plants available, not all of those seeds may sprout, so they will be given out on a first come first serve basis unless you have already asked for a plant to be reserved for you. Feel free to invite friends and neighbors, who may not visit this blog, to join in and welcome a tomato plant into their garden. Thanks for all your support, and please consider giving these plants a good home.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Week 3
This week has gone much better than most for Bryon. There was no car accidents, tickets, icy roads, or chemo induced vomiting. He sailed through his twelve hours of treatment on Monday, and was feeling very well up to today.
Tonight he called in sick to work after he had developed a rash on the IV sight. The nurses trade arms every other week so that the medication does not do too much damage to his veins, but he still runs the risk of having trouble. After speaking with the trial coordinator, Chris, we were told that the rash was a tell tale sign of burned veins. When a person receives massive amounts of medications through an IV, especially chemo, it can burn the veins. It is extremely painful and shows up as a rash on the arm. The irritation follows his veins up and down his arms and it is very hot to the touch. Bryon says it burns, but itches terribly at the same time. He will need to apply an ice pack to his arm for about 48 hours to sooth the irritation. Then, he will have to use a hot pack for about 24 after that.
Bryon will stay home tonight but is in good spirits. He and his family have gotten used to things going wrong so this was no surprise to us. There is still rumors of fundraisers being planned for the first part of June so stay tune for the latest info. Thanks for visiting with us this week!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Week 2
This post was done the old fashioned way by simply copy and pasting from our other blog. I only did that because of the amount of time I don't have to fill up two blogs with the same information, only worded differently. Forgive me, but at least your up to date.
So, when it rains, it pours at the Gundersen home. So many silly little things have gone on in just the last 5 days. I am not going to dwell on the specifics much. I am really just worn out from it all.
Saturday, due to an act of heroic parenting, I sprained my ankle. Audrey was indoors crying, I was outdoors breathing and getting educated on tree pruning. I ran quickly to see what all the fuss was about and I jumped over a rock and landed in the sandy confines of my driveway. My ankle rolled, my body fell, and I just cried for mommy. Turns out it wasn't broken, and if I applied pressure on it, it would heal faster. As of today I have lost my limp.
Monday morning, Bryon and I drug ourselves out the door at 5 AM to make the journey down to Salt Lake. The morning weather wasn't all bad, and Bryon said he felt confident to drive. We hopped in the truck and were on our way. The roads weren't bad till we got into Ogden. They started getting icy and I was a bit concerned when I noticed a warning sign just before the Roy exit, but it was too late. The back end of the truck started to fish tail and I just braced myself with my eyes closed. When it was all over, Bryon and I looked at each other and asked how we had crossed 3 lanes of freeway traffic and not hurt anyone, or ourselves. The only damage was a dent on the front passenger side where we had demolished a reflector pole. Had there been no damage we would have just gone on our way, but someone had to pay for the stupid pole.
Since we were delayed several hours, the treatment did not get started till 10 AM. Even though we were now present and accounted for, the lab was running late. So, Bryon's blood tests took about an hour to come back. The whole process lingered until 9 PM. By then, the nurse told us to just stay the night as guests of the hospital. The room was no charge.
In addition to this post I would like to announce that there will be a benefit breakfast coming up soon. The event has been taken over by Amy Gittens, who is a dear friend to the Gundersen family. The date has been pushed back to some time in June, but will happen none the less. Also, remember to pass on info to Amber Swann if you want to help with her yard sale in May. She is gathering items to sell and explains that it is a good way to clean out your basement or garage. I fyou live in the Boise area she needs your help. Please leave comments on the blog as this is the best way to get in touch with anyone involved in fundraisers. Thank you everyone for your loving support.
So, when it rains, it pours at the Gundersen home. So many silly little things have gone on in just the last 5 days. I am not going to dwell on the specifics much. I am really just worn out from it all.
Saturday, due to an act of heroic parenting, I sprained my ankle. Audrey was indoors crying, I was outdoors breathing and getting educated on tree pruning. I ran quickly to see what all the fuss was about and I jumped over a rock and landed in the sandy confines of my driveway. My ankle rolled, my body fell, and I just cried for mommy. Turns out it wasn't broken, and if I applied pressure on it, it would heal faster. As of today I have lost my limp.
Monday morning, Bryon and I drug ourselves out the door at 5 AM to make the journey down to Salt Lake. The morning weather wasn't all bad, and Bryon said he felt confident to drive. We hopped in the truck and were on our way. The roads weren't bad till we got into Ogden. They started getting icy and I was a bit concerned when I noticed a warning sign just before the Roy exit, but it was too late. The back end of the truck started to fish tail and I just braced myself with my eyes closed. When it was all over, Bryon and I looked at each other and asked how we had crossed 3 lanes of freeway traffic and not hurt anyone, or ourselves. The only damage was a dent on the front passenger side where we had demolished a reflector pole. Had there been no damage we would have just gone on our way, but someone had to pay for the stupid pole.
Since we were delayed several hours, the treatment did not get started till 10 AM. Even though we were now present and accounted for, the lab was running late. So, Bryon's blood tests took about an hour to come back. The whole process lingered until 9 PM. By then, the nurse told us to just stay the night as guests of the hospital. The room was no charge.
In addition to this post I would like to announce that there will be a benefit breakfast coming up soon. The event has been taken over by Amy Gittens, who is a dear friend to the Gundersen family. The date has been pushed back to some time in June, but will happen none the less. Also, remember to pass on info to Amber Swann if you want to help with her yard sale in May. She is gathering items to sell and explains that it is a good way to clean out your basement or garage. I fyou live in the Boise area she needs your help. Please leave comments on the blog as this is the best way to get in touch with anyone involved in fundraisers. Thank you everyone for your loving support.
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