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Hi Everyone this is Rick.I will never be able to express to you my graditure and Love for all of your support and especially your prays. You all have been beyond my wildest imagination. I do not know how to express my love to each and everyone of you. One thing I do want you to do is to understand I do not give a dam about these stats the Dr's are talking about. I have already met a number of people that have beat the odds by keeping a positive attitude and believe you me I have not met any one that has had anything like the support I have had from all of you so I know that with your love and prayers together we will beat this cancer. If anyone ever wonders about the Love and Caring in and outside of AA just have them read these notes to Sharon and me.I You all are wonderful and will never know how much hope you have given me. God Bless each and every one of you and your families.
Love to all of you. Rick
Hi!
Using this blog has been a learning curve for me but with my good friend Nancy to help me through it, I'm beginning to catch on. Jerry Pennington from Kentucky arrived last night and will be with us for about 4 days. Those of you from the "old" days at Bldg1034 may remember him. It has been a delight to have him here and watch the two of them interact. Jerry has taken Rick out walking twice today and they are telling war stories and laughing...always the best medicine. Rick's weight is holding its own and he is eating more although a bit finicky. Many of you may remember that Rick loved all food. That has changed a bit..quite a bit so we are in a learning mode as chemo changes the taste of things.
We have a busy day tomorrow with a visit to his regular doctor and a visit to a physical therapist who will help him to gain back the muscle that he has lost.
We seem to be setting up a routine where he gets up at 8 or 9, takes a nap for a few hours and then is up for another few hours, then another nap. Rick has always recuperated best when allowed to sleep through an illness but this is, they tell me, a side effect of the chemo, also.
For all your prayers and cards and phone calls, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am to you..
We are off to a meeting tonight with Jerry..
I love you all. Sharon
Transition and password glitches have caused a slight delay in passing on news. Here's the update on the "Big Guy". Since he is pretty addicted to golf Sharon, along with Rick & Nancy Sherman took him to his favorite Alma Mater, Pacific Lutheran University, where Sharon bought him a sweatshirt and Nancy & Rick bought him a new PLU golf hat. On Wed. we also took him to a meeting and we all enjoyed that.
Thurs. he was not feeling well and rested quite a bit.
Today has been a calm day. Lots of rest and a little walking. Appetite is better today.
Please keep those prayers coming. Miracles do happen.
Sharon
Happy Sunday, everyone! Thank you all for keeping the comments coming. Rick got a real thrill yesterday when I printed off the entire blog so he could read it.
Yesterday was low profile day. I think we overextended Rick the day before when he was awake from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM. He walked quite a bit with the walker, and spent a coule of hours outside enjoying the sun. Some of you may realize how important it is to enjoy the sun when you're in Seattle. When you live here, you don't get many opportunites to actually see the sun. Usually daytime means the clouds just get a little brighter. When Patty came here a few years ago for Microsoft training she got me a sweatshirt that said, "Seattle Rain Festival: January 1st through December 31st." I actually saw Mt. Ranier when I went to the commissary yesterday!
Rick spirits remain high. We had the first annual J Street Squires house AA meeting last night. There were five of us in attendance, and it was a very good meeting!
Rick seems a little tired again this morning. He's going to take a nap for a bit. After breakfast we'll go for a walk outside.
So, another good day yesterday. Rick is having a great time swapping lies with Nancy's Rick. They certainly have a great time deciding whether the Marines or the Army is a better branch of service. Nothing like living in the present, heh?
Things have settled down significantly since Rick has come home from the hospital. We're settling into a good working routine in the house now. Sharon is like a mother hen monitoring Rick's medications. Rick is able to do most everything without assistance.
It's all good!
Carl
Good morning, everyone!
All is going well in the Squires household. Rick had a great day yesterday.
Rick's strength and balance improved significantly from the day before. He is moving around the house very well with his walker. He's been able to do things without assistance, which must be freeing after being restricted to a bed for such a long time. Rick took a bath pretty much unassisted, and stood up without using the walker for balance while shaving.
I think we pushed a little hard yesterday. Rick was up from 8:00 yesterday morning until 11:00 last night. We were outside quite a bit. Brother Larry came over to see Rick when we were sitting in the back yard. Rick & Nancy Sherman also came by. You should hear Rick and Rick swapping plumb wonderful stories!
Rick has had a couple of minor complaints since returning home. He has had a problem with ear pressure, but that appears to have cleared up overnight. He was also having some difficulty seeing because of glare from his glasses, but Sharon started him on eyedrops yesterday. That situation has improved this morning as well.
We're going to try this thing called "Easy Does It" today. Rick isn't very familiar with the term, but we're going to give it a shot.
Please keep the love and comments coming. I printed off all of the blog yesterday, and it really picked up Rick's spirits.
Carl
Hello, everyone. Here's your little newsie post for the day.
First, Sharon asks that anyone calling for information use the HOME phone number rather than cell phones. The number is (253) 472-5323.
Rick had a great day yesterday. He was awake almost almost the entire day. We started moving around with Rick's new walker. His strength and stability are returning quickly after spending almost three weeks on his back in the hospital. Rick's lungs are a bit congested, so we're going to do some more walking today to get them working again.
The regimen laid out by the physical therapist is 5-7 minutes of exercise several times a day. The alley behind Rick & Sharon's is paved, so we'll go out there until Rick is able to navigate the slope down to the street level.
Rick took a bath at home yesterday. We cut his hair, and he shaved with a razor instead of just using the electric shaver as he did in the hospital.
Rick & Nancy Sherman brought a great dinner over last night. We had grilled steak and baked potatoes. Sharon got Rick some sherbet for Rick. Rick complained because the the mixed sherbet Sharon brought hom had pink in it. Next time we'll stick with the orange, I guess. As many of you may know, Rick struggles just a little bit with change.
So, all is well. Rick is regaining his strength and endurance at a great pace. He is much more confident in moving around. Sharon is sleeping. Both are in great spirits.
We may have a couple of potential gaps in coverage. Jerry Pennington will be here from Aug 27-31. I'm not sure of the dates for Ursula and Patti Cothren. We do not have anyone scheduled for the time Jerry leaves until Ursula and Patti arrive.
Once again, please call on the home telephone when calling.
Good morning, everyone.
Good news - we finally sprung the Rickster from the hospital last night. There have been so many activities taking place everyday that keeping track of all of them is more than my feeble little brain can manage!
Rick was awake and alert for most of the day yesterday. Sharon and I took him downstairs for lunch. Rick's brothers - Larry and Curt - joined us. The three brothers were ragaling us with stories about growing up together.
Rick's chemo was scheduled for the outpatient clinic because everyone thought he would be home from the hospital before yesterday. There was some confusion about how the chemo was to take place, but we finally got the treatment done on the ward.
Rick's doctor was in earlier and gave us probably the most complete assessment we've been able to get to date. One of the main problems has been Rick's sodium levels. A byproduct of the cancer attacks the sodium in the body's fluid supply. The impact of that is that the heart requires the sodium to function properly.
The medical team was addressing the sodium levels through several medications. Rick's level was at 115 when Arthur and Julie first helped get Rick to the hospital. The doctor yesterday told us that the medications they were using could only account for level increase to 125. Rick's sodium level was at 131 yesterday, approaching the optimum level of 135. Since the cancer attacks sodium level when it is growing, and the medications could not account for the rise above 125, the doctors believe the additional increase is an indicator that the chemo is working and is destroying the cancer cells.
The chemo treatment took place late in the afternoon, and we were able to get the doctor to write a discharge order. Rick said he was going home with or without the order, so it was a good thing that the doctor was willing to followe Rick's orders. I believe things may have gotten ugly otherwise!
We brought Rick home and got him settled in to his new digs in the livingroom. Some of you may be aware of the way his former Marine pals rag Rick about being in the Army. For some reason, Rick remains loyal to the Army despite these peoples' best efforts to get Rick to recognize a better branch of the military. At any rate, Rick Sherman (married to Nancy Murray from the old Vogelweh days) bought Rick a mink blanket with a huge Marine logo on it. We had the blanket on Rick's hospital bed in the livingroom. Rick wasn't very pleased when he first saw the blanket, but he snuggled right in and seemed to wake up with a much different opinion about the Marines this morning.
We've had Rick on his feet and moving around. His strength and his balance are returning quickly. I expect we can get him to the prescribed physical therapy routine of 5-7 minutes of activity 3-5 times during the day.
Patty is returning to Maryland today, and I am remaining for another week.
Sharon asked me to add their contact information to the blog.
Rick and Sharon Squires
5901 S. J St
Tacoma, WA 94808
(253) 472-5323
All the best!!!
Carl
Hi, everyone.
I thought I'd get an update on yesterday's activities before we all head out to the hospital.
Rick had a good day yesterday. He has been somewhat subdued since the fall on Saturday night, but his spirits were definitely improved yesterday. Rick is really amazed that so many people are sending prayers of support, so please keep it up!
We took Rick to the outpatient oncology ward yesterday for an orientation tour. The original plan was for today's treatment to be on an outpatient basis. However, with the blood pressure and sodium level issues, Rick remains in the hospital. They were again talking last night about letting Rick come home after the chemo today.
Rick has been tired, which is the normal process for chemo. I understand the tiredness starts 4-5 days after treatment, and yesterday was the 6th day following the first treatment. Rick did great when he was awake, but he slept quite a bit during the day.
Rick's blood pressure is under control. It has been stabile for two days now. The sodium level was at 130 yesterday, up from 126. It looks like the areas of concern are within an acceptable range. We're hopeful we can bring Rick home after the chemo treatment, which is now scheduled for 10:30.
Keep the love coming! It is a real help.
Carl
Hey, gang! Carl here. You'll probably notice the difference in writing from Patty's input. ;-)
I was too tired last night to update the blog when I got home. I'll do my best to be more diligent about this.
I provided some rather negative information in the last blog. The reason I did that was several people appeared to be unaware of the seriousness of Rick's condition, judging from the questions in the different comments. It is not my intent to keep a running blow-by-blow account of problems Rick is experiencing.
Having said that, I understand that unless I am providing accurate information I'm defeating the purpose of the blog, which will likely result in many additional phone calls.
Rick has small cell, or oat cell cancer. Unlike large cell cancers, small cell has only two stages. Limited stage refers to cancer that is localized to the lungs and has not spread to other areas of the body. Extensive stage refers to a cancer that has moved beyond the original cancer site.
Rick is in the extensive stage. The cancer has spread beyond the lungs. For more in depth details about this type of cancer, please click on "External Links" under the Site Functions menu to the right of this article.
Rick was again in very good spirits yesterday. Rick's brother Curt came up from Las Vegas, so the Rick, Larry, and Curt had a brothers' reunion in the hospital. The guys shot the breeze and traded war stories for a couple of hours. You'll all probably have some difficulty imaging Rick being able to tell war stories for a couple of hours, but there it is!
Rick will remain in the hospital until his next chemo treatment tomorrow. Our expectation is that we will bring him home after the treatment.
There are a couple of reasons for the extended stay in the hospital. The first is Rick's blood pressure. Rick's blood pressure was elevated because of a combination of IV fluids and medications. They altered the meds on Sunday, and Rick's blood pressure is now into the normal range (120-140/75-100).
The second issue was with Rick's saline levels. A side effect of the cancer growth process is that it reduces the saline levels in the body. A normal saline level is around 135. Rick's has been in the 120 range, which is the reason he experienced vertigo and lost concsiousness when he stood up a couple of nights ago. The saline levels were at 126 and climbing yesterday.
Sharon has been getting a full night's rest for the past two nights. This has had resulted in a marked improvement in her outlook and mood.
Today Rick has an echo cardiogram scheduled, and we will all attend the oncology outpatient information seminar. As I previously noted, Rick will remain in the hospital tonight, and will have his second chemo treatment tomorrow. The docs don't intend to do any further evalation with CT scans or other monitoring techniques until after Rick completes the full first round of treatment (3 weeks on; 1 week off).
I haven't read all of the comments yet, but will do so after we get some breakfast.
Tentative coverage schedule:
Patty & Carl Stephens: Aug 12 - 27
Jerry Pennington: Aug 28 - Sep 5
Ursula Windey/Patti Cothren: Sep 6 - Sep 12
Jane Bennett: Sep 12 - Sep 23
For those listed, please confirm or correct the above schedule. I also need to know anyone else who is available to come, so please send me an email or post in a comment your availability. For this site, I'm using the following email address:
cstepmailbox-bad2@yahoo.com
Easy Does It, everyone!!
Hey, Guys,
Here's the Rickster's activities du jour:
Carl went in early, 6 am and discovered that Rick had been very busy in our absence.
Last night, while in the hospital, Rick got up to use the toilet without buzzing for assistance (oh that alcoholic brain!), fainted while in the bathroom, smacked into the trash can on his way down and popped his nose a good one, and bashed his head. YIKES. This was 3 am and he ended up on a guerney strapped into one of those contraptions like they use on Baywatch for a neck injury and had to wait 3 hours for a CT scan to verify there was no damage. There was NO damage except his gorgeous schnozz being bunged up but his neck, sinus, and facial structure are fine.
During the 3 hour wait, Carl and Rick traded war stories and Rick's spirits were really good despite all the extra trauma. He joked with the personnel, and told the "Alcoholic Brain for Sale" story which they all loved.
In addition to the fall, his blood pressure was off the richter scale again and his electr-whatevers were hosed again and naturally his hospital stay is extended. The docs determined that the blood pressure medicine was the culprit for the fainting and as soon as the medicine was changed his blood pressure stabalized.
Since a fall in the hospital generally gets 48 hours of observation, and since Rick is due for chemo part 2 on Wednesday, the theory right now is that he will stay in the hospital at least until Wednesday, at which time he will be evaluated based on his reaction to the chemotherapy treatment.
He is very tired (who wouldn't be) but has made it quite clear that he understands his limitations for now and will stop trying to be a solo agent. After teaching all of us about following directions, we know he too can. Follow, that is.
He is taking the night off for much needed rest so Carl and Sharon are going to a meeting (Sharon's second today) I am going to follow Rick's example and lay low.
Talk to you tomorrow -
Patty
Carl here:
To answer some of the comments:
Rick was diagnosed with inoperable cancer a little over two weeks ago. The prognosis at the time was that Rick had three weeks remaining.
Rick has a small-cell cancer known as oat cell; it has matasticed to the liver. The doctors are confident Rick survive for 10 months with chemo treatment. The docs determined that Rick cannot tolerate radiation therapy.
Rick is in excellent spirits. He prayed for God's will, but also let known Rick's preferences. Rick has not experienced any pain. However, Rick must use a wheelchair to move more than a few steps.
I hope that catches everyone up.
Carl
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