Update on Dave

It's been almost two weeks since Dave's last Rituxan infusion. He's feeling better. It's still hard to distinguish between the way the drugs make him feel and the disease. The extreme exhaustion, the wacky blood test results, and the obvious physical changes have routinely been blamed on the Prednisone. He has started to taper down, so we are both hoping he will feel better as his dosage goes down.

Dave saw the Nephrologist yesterday at UCI. We are disappointed that his kidney tests are still showing significant loss of functionality. In fact, he has been given a referral to a vascular surgeon to get a fistula placed in his arm, should he need dialysis.

While that was a little hard to hear, the doctor told him that we won't know for sure if the Rituxan has worked for another 2 months! His kidneys could be healing but they also could be too scarred to ever regain complete function. It would essentially mean that Dave might need a transplant in the near future, and in the interim period be on dialysis. The main objective is to get the Wegener's into remission, so it won't hurt any other organs. Kind of like the old "we may lose the battle, but win the war" metaphor.

In the meantime, he is going to start working out again. building up the muscles he has lost by taking the Prednisone over 6 months. Walking, and a bit of weight lifting...done slowly, will hopefully give him some positive results. We're both looking forward to being active again. I sort of fell into the sedentary lifestyle right along with him! Not good!! Especially being a stress-eater! But all of us will enjoy the pool and some nice walks this Summer.

Anyway, please keep him in your prayers. We still are believing in God's healing! We are holding firm that God is in control, over everything. So no matter what is thrown our way, it will be OK.

On a different note...I have been told that there have been some problems in posting comments here. Sorry, I don't know why or how to fix it. Always know you can email me directly, anytime. lcstrnad@aol.com

Thought for today.....

God will catch you:

There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.
Deuteronomy 33:26-27 NLT

What a sense of comfort this verse brings to me! I read it this morning, and felt God's arms around me and my family. So....I wanted to share it with you, too!

Great News about Mother-in-law

Thanks for all the concern for Dave's mom, Rosalie! She is still in ICU, being watched and monitored...but she has responded very well to the treatment. At this point there doesn't appear to be any paralysis or motor skill impairment. Praise God! They were able to get that second clot out, too!

Please continue the prayers, as they will be closely monitoring her brain function the next few days.

I really want our boring lives back!! Boring, mundane, and very usual...sound lovely!!

Round Two Over

Thanks for the prayers and well wishes! Dave had his second infusion yesterday, and made it through perfectly fine, PTL !!

We got to UCI and were fortunate to get a private room. Which was so much nicer than being in the bay with everyone getting their treatments. It allowed us to have a few minutes to talk and pray together, in private. We had our little portable DVD player and got to watch a movie...one that wasn't even rated G or animated! We even had lunch together. OK, it was hospital cafeteria food, but it was nice to just be together.

I always thought that I had been given the gift of empathy towards sick people. I mean, that's one reason I pursued a career in the medical field. But seeing, first hand, the Oncology ward brings things to a new perspective. I think the saddest thing I saw, was a woman who obviously had Cancer, getting a blood transfusion, while fighting on her cell phone with her insurance company. Wow! That was really something. This poor lady is fighting for her life, literally, and is trying to get her treatments paid by her own insurance.

As we left the hospital, both of us just prayed that this was it. That Dave's battle with this disease would be over in a few weeks. Neither of us is sure what lesson, if any, we are supposed to have learned from all this. But we have definitley gained perspective on things. Health is something most of us in our 30's or 40's don't spend a lot of time thinking about. I mean, yeah, we try to order the fish over the beef. Don't eat too many deserts, sure. But I'm talking about the really BIG picture.

I think our faith has been strengthend as well. It was really hard for us to ask anyone for prayer. While we were so honored to be asked to pray for someone else's needs...we hesitated at bringing our needs out to others. So many of you have been our life line these past months. When I thought I was bordering on being the biggest pest in the world, so many of you would write to me and just be so supportive!

Thanks for all of it. All the love and friendship and support. We just continue to pray that within the next few weeks we can celebrate something really BIG!!

2nd Infusion scheduled for tomorrow

Tomorrow (5/18), Dave will be getting his second and hopefully last infusion of Rituxan. While there is less of a chance to have any severe side effects, after making it through the initial round ok, there is always a risk. He did so well last time that we are expecting to give you an even better report on Saturday!

Please keep him in your prayers tonight and tomorrow. We will see his Rheumatologist next week and find out more about the follow up and when his blood tests should show signs of a possible remission.

His last blood test, taken this week, shows no improvement in his kidney function. Actally showing a slight increase in creatinine, but not enough to make the renal function % any different.

We think the blood thinner issue has improved. He will get that tested today.

Dave was scanned on Monday to see what was going on with that clot. It is still there, but it's smaller. It has even moved DOWN his leg. So that's really good. We're not too worried about it traveling upward now.

Thanks for lifting Dave up in prayer. We are hoping that this is it. God willing, we can announce that he is in remission and has improved kidney function within the next few weeks!

Astrological Junk....

Most of you who know me, know I don't buy into all that astrological stuff. It goes against my faith. My cousin wrote to me and was concerned that maybe I added my "sign" to my profile. I didn't. It all is automatic with this blog thing. The server I use knows my birthdate, and it connects it to my astrological sign...automatically. I think. ?????

I really hope you guys aren't offended. Please know that I don't buy into any of it. If you know how I can edit it out, let me know.


Thanks!

First Post...and some updates

Dave and I have been blessed with so many friends and extended family members that want updates on his condition, that I thought this would be a better venue to get a daily account of the happenings in our lives; specifically in Dave's recovery progress. So, please check in as often as you would like. I am not brilliant when it comes to stuff like this, so if any of you computer-types have suggestions, I will gladly listen!

If I need to request prayer for a specific day...I will still email our usual prayer warriors!


As of today, May 14, the newest piece of medical hoopla is that the Coumadin that Dave was taking to thin his blood, is working a little too well. We thought that when he started bruising from Joey sitting on his lap (our 40 lb son), there might be an issue with his clotting time. After a weekend of not getting any answers from the brilliant doctors in our group, we decided, on our own, to stop his Coumadin. God is always watching out for us! Even after missing a whole dose yesterday, his clotting time is pretty bad. His blood is too thin. So there could have been a risk of internal bleeding, and further worsening the already bad anemia had he not stopped the meds on his own! Man...why are we paying these guys, again?

My poor husband looks like he was in a fight...and lost!

Oh...and to top off the morning, I got a ticket! I didn't wear my seatbelt after leaving Davey's school, and the OC Sheriff got me! Is it Monday, or what??