Feeling ------ Better

The gout toe is getting better -- it was a major attack of gout - but it looks like it is on the way out.  I guess I didn't disinfect well enough or something because I got the flu that Jessa had - but I'm on the mend too.  Hard to believe it's almost March - looking forward to spring!

 

More on the Toe

Who knew that chemo can bring on gout?  Hyperuricemia - (High Uric Acid) can be caused by chemo (because of an increased turnover rate of cell death).  So this, and the fact that Emery is in the Lundgren/Lindgren family --- you know who you are!  -- the gout family!  He is in bad pain -- today he is working on getting ahold of his doctor - as we read on the internet - there can be some underlying complications that we need to make sure are not happening --  he has gotten ahold of his doctor and has more medicine to take for the pain and also to treat the gout -- so hopefully his toe will soon feel better.  Apparently this is extremely painful! 

My Toe Hurts

Ask Emery today how's he's doing....  He'll tell you his toe hurts - enough so he really can't walk.  Don't know what the deal is - but that's what's going on around here.  Jessa is feeling much better.   Bryan is home for the week-end.  I'm fine.  We're trying to decide if someone should cook something or if we can just eat pizza.  I vote for pizza!  Hope you're enjoying a relaxing Sunday.

An Apple a Day....... or something please!

Our daughter Jessa

Jessa is sick - - She has been in bed, since Sunday - she missed the last basketball game of the season.  She wasn't there to get her All District Award.  - - Today we found out she has strep.  She's on antibiotics now so hopefully she will be better soon.  She told me she had to go to school today at noon because it's so boring to stay home all the time.  I hope she's back to her happy self soon! 

Emery has been feeling "flu - ish" off and on this week, but thinks this round has been easier than last round.  That is good news.  Hopefully that will continue for the next - 2 rounds.  -- for now we're just taking it day by day. 

I'm gonna go home and disinfect and wash bedding - - hopefully the germs won't find me!

Cruisin' and Meeting People

Say Hi to Ken and Lucille

We had breakfast with them this same morning 

on the cruise ship -

 they are farmers from  Iowa

(hey, I'm only stating the fact!)

I know you thought they were locals

 because they certainly do not look like tourists! 

Ok - blending in was easy - here's a "local"

See -- almost the same!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  Just thought I'd check in and let you know how the post chemo days are going.  Emery is feeling flu-like again.  He says it comes and goes.  Hopefully he will be over it soon.

Emery has not lost his hair yet -- hopefully he won't -- but if he does we found him this "hair" in Antigua -- so we've got it covered!  We have gotten some good laughs over this!

We got a couple inches of snow, and have been home one week. When we feel cold and the winter feels long - we just pull out our pictures and go back there in our minds.  We are very thankful that we got to go on this trip this year!

Wishing you lots of love - today and throughout the year!

Round 2 - Day 3 - update

Emery got home around 12:30 and headed to school for the afternoon.  He's feeling pretty good - but
a little wound up from the steroids he gets.  Maybe they'll give me steroids??

(Emery has a few different medications he needs to take while taking chemo.  He also has a couple things to take in case he's not feeling well.  One of the pills is an anti-nausea medication.  When we were on our cruise he had taken this with him.  He never needed it -- but I did!  --- and it worked great!)

Round 2 - Day 3

I just talked to Emery.  He is back at the Roger Maris just starting his infusion - at 8:00AM -

Yesterday he got to Fargo at 3:00 and was done by 5:15 - everything went well.  He said he feels pretty good still -- he's ready to head straight home when he's done today -- hoping to finish off the day at school and go to basketball practice -- it feels like we've been gone so long!

The sun is shining and the roads are good - so he should be able to make it home fine.  Tomorrow he needs to be in Jamestown for his Neulasta shot - but we start basketball tournaments there - so it will work out great!  --

Round 2 - Day 2

We finished Chemo about 4:00 yesterday afternoon.  It went very well.  No real reactions.  We headed home on roads with "winter conditions" but not bad.  Got home to dirty laundry and snow to shovel.  But it feels good to be home. 

Today we are back at work.  At noon Emery is going to leave and head to Fargo for Chemo at 3:00 today and spend the night in Fargo - have chemo at 7:30 tomorrow morning and hope to be back to finish the day at school.

Emery took a bunch of pictures -- there will be more to follow!

We're Baaaaaack!

We're back at the Roger Maris Cancer Center -- with a little bit of a sun kissed look.  We had a wonderful week in the Carribean - on board a beautiful cruise ship - enjoying the islands of the West Indies --

Today Emery had blood work drawn - and GOOD NEWS!  -- the chemo is working well and his numbers have dropped dramically - they actually look normal!  -- His spleen has shrunk and his white counts are at 5000 (that's from 90,000) -- wow!  -- so the chemo is doing what it's supposed to do!  His doctor is optomistic that this is already working great!  - Emery calls this a "Thank you Jesus" moment.  After the third treatment he will need another bone marrow biopsy to see if the leukemia in the bone marrow is shrinking - if it is - he will be able to stop after 4 treatments.

We are just getting started now this morning - getting fluids before he starts any infusions.  I'm heading out to pick up a couple supplies - and Emery is going to start working on the 4000 pictures he took on our trip - maybe you'll get to see a couple of them soon.

For now I'll leave you with Emery - today.