Playing catch up

 
 
 
 

I think, perhaps, that my New Year's Resolution shall be to do a better job at keeping up with the blog. I apologize, but I truly have had a lot added to my plate recently. Here are a few pics from most recently. I love the one where Bullseye was helping watch over the stable in our Little People Nativity set. Emerald & I went to a Beauty & the Beast play and had a great girl's night out.

I have a lot to update, including news about Walt, Zachary turning 2, and all the other happenings around here. Stay tuned for more :)

H...O...M...E!!!!!!!!!!

 
 
 
 

Walt is finally home! He's been home for about 2 weeks now, and they are settling into a routine. The first week was busy getting things figured out, setting up visits with therapists for evaluations, and adjusting to being out of the house for nearly 5 months! We are so happy for them. Cheryl is the primary caregiver, and that has been challenging. Luckily, many people have offered their help with transfers, meals, cleaning, offering help with rides, etc. If you'd be willing to help, feel free to call Cheryl at home and offer your help.

Walt had a doctor visit yesterday and got his next round of chemo straightened out. He is finished with radiation, and his first round of chemo. He got a small break, and will begin again. This round will also be a pill-based chemo, so Cheryl should be able to give it at home with no extra trips to the doctor.

We want to continue to thank everyone for their prayers, thoughts, and offers of help. I know that many of you have wanted to do something for the last several months. I know Cheryl is constantly creating her "honey-do" lists, and is needing some help with transfers and possibly meal companions. Even if you can offer to help sit for an hour so she can get a break, I know she'd appreciate it! Thanks so much!!

Fun fishing day

This is an email from Cheryl:

Hello all,

Just thought I'd let you all know about the absolutely wonderful day we had yesterday.

Saturday actually began several weeks ago when I found a flyer at Wesley Rehab promoting a fishing event for the disabled put on by an organization called "Fishing Has No Boundaries". I stored the information on my cell phone "To Do List", never dreaming we would still be in Wichita come September 25th. About ten days ago the notification sounded to remind me of the long since forgotten event. With Walt's recent decline and his upcoming radiation and chemo treatments, I really wasn't sure if this should even be a consideration, but I mentioned it to one of Walt's wonderful friends (a true fishing buddy). Brad called to say his Saturday was clear and he would be happy to take us to the event held at El Dorado Lake (with the loan of a van from another truly dear friend--Dave). Still unsure of how Walt would tolerate his first week of treatments, I called the number from the flyer to explain our situation. They were so wonderful and invited us to come for whatever amount of time Walt could tolerate. Midweek, I began asking about the possibility of us taking Walt out of ManorCare to attend this event (red tape, paperwork, and learning to give his noon insulin shot).

Saturday, the Lord's creative hand painted the most beautiful fall morning with perfect conditions for our excursion, and after breakfast we set out for El Dorado Lake. The Fishing Has No Boundaries organization provided all the equipment (rods, reels, bobbers, bait, boats, and volunteers) necessary for a most pleasant fishing experience. Although I didn't witness the catch, Walt landed a "monster" measuring in at a whopping 5 (the kid measuring had to really stretch the tail to make the 5� hash mark) and was probably in the running for smallest catch from the bank (although we weren't able to stay around for the closing events on Sunday).

Around 11:45, Walt really began to tire and didn't even want to stay for lunch, but the lure of pizza changed his mind. A couple of slices of pizza and a salad which he enjoyed immensely (not having had either in over 3 months) perked up his spirits and we were able to make it back to ManorCare with only minor complaints of "Tired Butt" during the last 10 minutes of the drive.

No sooner had Walt been tucked in for a well deserved nap, than the skies darkened and the rain came down. I only hope the storm didn't dampen the spirits of those who remained for the rest of the day and those that camped overnight (hope they brought their long-johns as it got quite chilly overnight) and continued to fish on Sunday.

At supper, Walt reveled in telling his tall fish tale (with a little assistance in recounting the event) and was very grateful for the friends that helped him to enjoy the experience. To check the organization that prompted our fishing outing go to
www.wheatlandfishinghasnoboundaries.com

By the way, Walt seemed to tolerate the first week of radiation and chemo successfully with only minor body soreness.

All our love,
Walt and Cheryl

Some long overdue pics

 
 
 
 

I thought I'd finally get around to posting some pictures of the kids with Pop Pop!

Path results are in from Mayo

Today is the start of a new chapter. Walt & Cheryl met with the oncologist, Dr. Moore, and received the results from his biopsy (performed 2 weeks ago) that had been sent off to Mayo Clinic. Walt has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 Anaplastic Oligoastrocytoma. This tumor is located in his brain, and there is not a plan to have any future surgeries on the tumor due to its location. Walt has received a treatment plan from his oncologist which will include a mix of a daily chemo pill and daily radiation treatments. This particular form of chemo is said to be "well tolerated". His radiation will be done at Wesley as an outpatient service. There is a plan to continue with radiation and chemo 5 days a week for the next 3-6 weeks. Both Walt & Cheryl are very positive about finally having a diagnosis and knowing what lies ahead of them. They are ready to work hard toward this path to recovery. Walt has a great attitude ready to attack this thing. For now the plan is to remain at the rehab facility and take his daily trips to the hospital from the rehab facility. We aren't sure exactly how much therapy he will be able to tolerate during this time.

Many people have called or emailed asking us how they can help. Knowing that Walt & Cheryl will remain in Wichita for awhile longer, we have a few suggestions. If you would like to help, we would love to gather some gift cards for Cheryl. She has had to eat out for several meals, unable to spend time cooking meals. She loves Panera Bread, Sonic, McDonalds, and Starbucks, and could possibly use some gas cards to places like QuickTrip or Dillons (there is a gas location located near my parents house, where Cheryl is currently staying). We aren't saying that you have to do this at all, but for those who have asked, this would be extremely helpful. If you are interested, please call me, or email me at spjunk@embarqmail.com and I will give you an address to mail the cards to her as she really isn't getting her mail from McPherson all that frequently.

Our family continues to ask that you pray for Walt during this time of healing. We ask that you pray for the doctors who are working toward his recovery. We pray that Walt continues to stay positive and keep up his spirits as he is undergoing his treatment plan. We also ask for prayers for Cheryl as she continues to support her loving husband. We ask that prayers for her peace of mind, her well-being, and her ability to stay strong throughout this trial. We ask that your prayers show your continued love and support of her as she fights this battle with Walt. We ask for prayers for Walt's children who are trying to understand this diagnosis and continue to show their support for their father.

More waiting

Cheryl spoke with Dr. Morgan today. The path results are back, but are not really making Dr. Morgan satisfied. In order to clarify the results, he is sending it on to Mayo again to evaluate there. While this is somewhat frustrating, it is also reassuring in that we will have definitive results in the end. I am going hold off on any slight details of today's results until we get confirmed results from Mayo. In the meantime, Cheryl has been speaking with Dr. Moore's office (a wonderful oncologist referred by Dr. Morgan). He will hopefully be meeting with Cheryl and Walt this week.

Keep praying for patience. The move and transition was especially hard on Walt this time around. He has seemed nervous in his new surroundings. Today he got back into therapy sessions, which we all feel will help him. He is also able to use a loner wheelchair again, and this will hopefully make him feel better to get up and out of bed. Hoping for a speedy trip to Mayo............

Yet another new address

Walt has been moved from the ICU to a place called Manor Care. This is a place in which he can receive therapy, but less than at his previous rehab facility. We are still being patient and waiting on the path results from Tuesday's biopsy. Dr. Morgan has been fabulous at answering all our questions and will continue to stay on top of this, even promising to come in and speak with us this weekend (while he has scheduled time off) when he gets the results. Walt was in some pain after the surgery, on Wednesday, and was able to get some relief. He had another procedure done on Wednesday as well. I think he kind of feels like he's been put thru the ringer. He is still struggling with speech, but the pain seems better now than was on Wednesday. We are hoping that the new facility will be able to fit him for a wheelchair today so that he is able to get out and enjoy some of this fabulous weather! Cheryl has been staying strong thru it all, but we can tell she is tired (not that she is ever complaining).

This process has been a lot of "hurry up and wait", and has been teaching us all just a little more about being patient. Hoping and praying for some positive results soon........

Another surgery

Walt went in for another surgery this morning. He had a biopsy done. We were hoping for results from the biopsy this morning (or at least a quick look from the doc), but it was unclear. They have sent off the samples to pathology and we will get results within a few days. Until then Walt is happily (not so much, rather grumpy and unfiltered) recovering in the neuro ICU again, same hospital as before. We are at least quite familiar with the area. It is funny that we led the hospital volunteer to the right location in the hospital, told him where to go, and nearly walked right in ourselves.

This biopsy was minimally invasive, so recovering will be less than before. They are hoping to move him out of ICU w/in a day or so, then moving him to a regular room in the hospital. Until then we will try to keep Walt happy, and get rid of his grumpy face.

I will post more info on the biopsy as I hear results.

Tomorrow.....

We are waiting for tomorrow, and enjoying today. Walt's cognitive has decreased significantly this week. They ordered several CAT scans and an MRI on Thursday. Dr. Morgan (his neuro surgeon) called Friday morning and wants to meet with Cheryl Monday morning to go over the scans. We are all anxious and making a lot of guesses as to what we think might be happening. We are asking for prayers for both Walt & Cheryl.

A long time.....sorry

So sorry for not updating about Walt lately! We were without a power cord, then got a virus, then had issues with an internet connection, and that's not even to mention the life & happenings keeping me away from the computer!! So, I do apologize for all those who had been checking the computer to keep updated on Walt.

The first and best news I can post, Walt is WALKING!!

Let me take a step back and describe in more detail since it has been so long since I've posted. Walt is still at Wesley Rehab Center in Wichita. He is actually becoming the senior member there, becoming quite well-known by all the staff :) He has been making fabulous progress. They have continued to work him VERY hard with 3 hours of therapy a day, and even making him work while at meal time. He spends a majority of his days in a wheelchair these days. His physical therapist (PT) has been pushing him hard. His left side is gaining so much strength. He can lift his left arm parallel to his shoulder, can lift his left leg up off his chair, and can move his hand around. It was such a blessing to see this out of him. He has such a positive attitude, too. Well, except for those few rare moments when he is rolling his eyes at Cheryl for making him work too hard (this was good to see, too, b/c it reminds us of the old Walt we remember).

Back to my good news--last week the PT was working with him and got him to walk along the set of parallel bars, which is about 15'. That huge milestone even brought tears to his eyes, and brought back encouragement to him. He told us he wasn't sure he would ever walk again before those steps. He has moved on to walking with a walker, and was walking around the gym yesterday for a total of almost 100 feet!!!! With each step he takes it makes him more determined to take another step. We are all so very proud of him for his determination and hard work!!

At this point the rehab facility is talking about a possibility of Walt coming home in the next couple of weeks. It is all very dependant on various things Walt has to accomplish. Cheryl is working very hard at preparing the house for his homecoming. There is a bathroom remodel going on, and a ramp being built. I will post more on this when we hear definitive dates. For now we know that he does have a surgical follow-up visit with Dr. Morgan, the neurologist, next week. We are thinking Dr. Morgan may run a battery of tests on him at that point, but again, we will just have to wait and see.

Cognitively, Walt is still struggling a little. He seems to do better on some days, and other days are rough, most especially when he is tired. His short-term memory is challenged, but you can see in his eyes that he is trying so hard to remember the right name, or get out the right word. We will just keep cheering him on to work hard at this area.

We have some sad news to share. Maggie, Walt & Cheryl's beautiful, sweet puppy went to Heaven. Maggie had been staying with us, and had been doing really well. She passed away in her sleep, peacefully. We were saddened by this event, and hated to share this news with Cheryl. We especially hated having her have to tell Walt about Mags, as he loved her so very much. She was a great hunting dog, a sweet companion, and she loved Walt (and all those extra special food treats he always shared with her) very much. We miss and love you Mags!!

Walt celebrated his birthday last week. We are thankful to have him with us to celebrate another wonderful year.

Pathology results...sort of

After Walt’s procedure to insert a filter into his leg, he stayed in the Wesley ICU for a day for observation, and then was moved to a recovery room on Saturday night. This room is fabulous--single patient (no roommate), on the 10th floor, with a wide window looking out west. We watched a storm roll through, and he is able to enjoy the beautiful sunsets. We were thrilled to have him move to this room, as he was able to see all 3 of my kids at the same time (that is a first in this long 5 week ordeal). Walt loved seeing the kids. We visited for quite some time. We were happy to see his spirits so high! As nice his new room is, though, he will hopefully be moving back to the Rehab center soon. This could likely happen on Tuesday.

Walt continues to regain some movement in his left side. He can wiggle his left fingers and toes. He can raise his arm and knee a little bit. He can even give a “single-finger” salute to his brother, who was never so happy to be given the bird.
The neurologist (Dr. Morgan) who did Walt’s craniotomy last month spent about an hour with us on Saturday explaining the results of the pathology test, and answering all of our questions. We had been waiting such a long time to receive these results, and he had briefly told us last week that the results were “inconclusive”. That word didn’t satisfy us, and we had many questions about what this all meant. He understood our frustration, and was frustrated himself about the delay. But he explained that the length of the test and the “inconclusive” finding were not necessarily a bad thing.

A pathology test tries to positively identify abnormal cells as a certain type of cancer, and origination of the cancer. He said that in Walt’s case, they tested all of the available samples thoroughly, but still were unable to definitively identify the cells, for various reasons. When we asked if he would be passing Walt’s treatment to an oncologist, Dr. Morgan said that there was really nothing for sure to pass to an oncologist, at this time. This doesn’t necessarily mean that he doesn’t have cancer. But the current treatment plan is a “wait and see” approach. He said that Walt is exactly where he needs to be at this time…at the rehab center, getting stronger. There is a follow-up appointment scheduled in about a month with Dr. Morgan. At that time, he will do another MRI and other scans to observe the region from which the tumor was removed. He will then be able to compare that MRI to the scans taken immediately after the surgery, and tell if there is any cancerous growth reforming. He assured us that during the next month, we are not losing any time in fighting possible cancer. He says that Walt needs to be physically stronger in order to do any further treatment. Periodic follow-up visits will continue, which will allow him to keep an eye on any areas of concern.

Dr. Morgan also explained his opinion about the lesion on the other side of Walt’s brain. He said the lesion was much smaller than the tumor which was removed, and of a different type. It is highly unlikely that the two items are related. He said that he could try to remove the lesion, but it would be much riskier than to leave it alone. So his treatment plan for this lesion is also to watch and observe.

For now, we are working with Walt to get him stronger and more mobile, and he is doing a great job.