More updates

Heidi Again. Just wanted to ask everyone to pray specifically that Dad will be able to keep down food. so far, he has only been able to keep oatmeal down. Food is crucial. There are the most obvious reasons of nutrition, but also, Dad has to take Potassium in order to keep his heart under control. If the potassium is taken without food, it does not get absorbed into the body so it doesn't do any good. We need Dad to be able to keep food down and get all the potassium that he needs. A little while ago, I talked to my brother who told me the nurse called and said that the doctor's orders were to back off the potassium to twice a day. I guess that is a good thing. They will re-assess Dad's condition on Monday. Please pray specifically for Daddy to be able to eat some more food and to keep it down. Thank you again for all your prayers.

We are going home

I will be posting from Mom and Dad's for a while. The family wants to be together so someone is coming to get me and the kids. Doug will probably come down tomorrow. We aren't sure what the near future brings but we feel we need to be together. Please continue to pray!

News from the Doctor

Mom just got a call from the head of Dad's medical team up at Cleveland Clinic. He apologized for being off duty when Dad was released. He was able to give Momma some numbers that we hadn't heard yet. The chemo only killed 20% of the leukemia. That means there is still 80% left in dad's bone Marrow. The Doctor suggested that Dad quit taking the meds and just spend what time he had left around his family. Dad, after hearing all this, decided to go against the doctor and keep taking the meds. He is taking potassium to keep his heart under control and some other things that I am not sure about. My brother Ed is not home yet but I am going to assume that he will arrive soon, but again, I could be wrong. It is hard to make any decisions at this time when things are still so up in the air. please pray for everyone in the family that we make wise decisions. Please pray for Daddy and Momma. Thank you so much. We love andcherish you all!

Dad's doing okay

Hello all. I talked to Momma this morning. Daddy had a good night sleep. He is keeping food down but he isn't eating a lot. The Hospice nurser took blood today and they will probably make arrangements for Dad to go to the hospital for an outpatient blood transfusion and platelets. Melody and Joe and Marcus and Elizabeth are there. They are taking calls, organizing the house making meals, cleaning and arranging visits. Doug and Ia re still at home in the hopes of getting totally over our colds before we go down to visit. I am going down on Thursday for Momma's birthday. We girls are going out for lunch and doing some shopping. It should be fun.
Please continue to pray for continued strength for Daddy and for him to continue to eat well and sleep well, keep all his Meds down and keep Momma from getting sick.

More News On Dad

Dad is coming home today. In fact, he should be here soon. I am headed home in the next few minutes because I have a cold. After talking with Momma this morning, she said the doctor said he can have months not a few weeks, but he has to stay healthy. This has changed some of the family plans so not everyone is coming home as we thought. However, there are enough of us here that Momma wont be alone for a while. As soon as I am better and make sure that my kids are well, we will come back down. I don't know how much visiting Dad will want, I will check with Mom but, if you are sick or have been around sick people, please make sure you are healthy before visiting. I had better get going. Please continue to pray.

News

Oh dear friends, how I hate to have to write this to you. The bone marrow biopsy told us that the leukemia has not gone away. The chemo therapy did not do it's job. The doctors have told Dad that there isn't any more they can do. Dad was able to sit down with the doctor and tell him that he had been saved since he was a little boy and he was not afraid of dying because he is going to heaven. Dad told me that he had been wanting this three weeks ago. He has been in so much pain and so uncomfortable. We don't have much more information then that. They are sending Daddy home as soon as Hospice can get into the house to set up everything he will need. We do not know a time line yet but you can bet that I will post it as soon as I know it. My siblings will all be coming home as soon as they can so please pray for their safety. Mom and Dad have talked about this a lot so they are probably more prepared for it then the rest of us. I would ask you to reread the note he wrote back in February when we got this news the last time. I am sure it all still applies. If you can't get to that posting, let me know and I will re-post it. Please pray for comfort and strength through these next few weeks. We love you all and thank you so much for all your prayers. We know God can do anything but fail, so even if Dad goes on to heaven, we know it is God's will.

News

Mom got in writing confirmation that they have qualified fro HCAP that will cover 100% of their medical bills. We wont hear the results of the biopsy until tomorrow. Dad is eating, but very little and he is still in enough pain that they put him back on the morphine drip. I am sorry that there isn't more news.

Dad update

I called Mom this morning and she told me that they are going to do a bone marrow biopsy tomorrow morning. She had planned on going home this evening but has now changed her plans so that she can be there for the biopsy. I had planned to go up tomorrow too but I am now in the midst of either a very nasty cold or the flu. I will be staying away for a while. aunt Carol is still coming in though so she will be there by tomorrow afternoon.
Mom said that they took Dad off the antibiotic this morning because his fever is gone and the infection seems to be gone too. Praise the Lord. Please pray that we get good news from the bone marrow biopsy. I think that is all the news for now.

News on Dad

Hey all,
I just got an e-mail from Momma. She informed me that she can't always tell me how Dad is doing over the phone because he is right there and sometimes he gets upset. I guess the doctors are more concerned right now about the infection and so him not eating has been put on the back burner. He did keep down some cottage cheese and peaches. He is still in a lot of pain and so they are still giving him pain meds which make him loopy and he starts talking nonsense. Sometimes he realizes what he is saying and he will laugh but if he doesn't realize it and Momma laughs, he gets mad. Momma is walking a tightrope and it is making her very tired.
The doctors are going to give Dad some medicine for the infection that can cause "the shakes" and Momma was thinking that she would have to stay all night but the nurse told her that they would take care of him. She really needs to go home and sleep. they are giving him some pain meds that should knock him out to keep "the shakes" under control and let him sleep.
Daddy has been taking trips down memory lane and has people in his room whom he hasn't seen in years. He is busy digging trenches and driving school buses and stuff like that. Momma thinks that he sleep isn't very restful because his mind is so active.
I think that is all for now.

News

(I know it has been a while since I posted any pictures. This was taken in Sept. of '05. We were all at Fairport Harbor for my cousin's son's first birthday)


Dad had the Hickman removed today. They gave him platelets before the procedure to help keep the bleeding under control. When I talked to Dad he said that he had been feeling like he could take on the world. For supper he had tomato soup and macaroni noodles, one of his favorite meals but the soup gave him heart burn and he ended up throwing it all up. He still isn't feeling very good but they gave him some OxyCodone so that should help with the pain and knock him out. They put an IV in his arm to get the meds into him that he needs like the Antibiotic and Potassium. Momma says he really seems to be doing better and regaining strength. What an answer to prayer. Continue to pray for increasing strength and good health for Daddy. I expect that it wont be long before they start talking about the transplant procedure. Please continue to pray!

Dad is getting a new room!!!!!!!!

Hey All,
Dad is moving to a private room as we speak. He still isn't feeling great but he did hold down some food today. Dad's new room is G70-26. It is on the other side of the hall and down further. Dad is happy about the move and I think Momma is too. We aren't sure what more is going to happen as far as treatment but being in a private room is a very good thing! Thanks for your continued prayers!

Alternate Address for Mom and Dad

Mom has been getting a lot of mail at their home address, and while that is okay, she isn't at home to pick it up all the time and so it is a while before she gets the mail there. If you send mail to the following address, she will get it much sooner. This address is where she is spending her nights so she will get mail basically everyday.

Steve & Janice Curtis
c/o Kathy Greve
7365 Fairmount Rd.
Novelty, OH 44072

News on Dad

Hey All.
Dad still isn't able to keep anything down. The Nutritionist told Momma to just keep trying. They think the source of the infection is the Hickman Catheter again but the Dr. said that if they take it out, they aren't sure they will be able to put it back because his blood counts are so low and it could cause bleeding and that would be hard to stop. Mom is hanging in there but she sounds down. Who wouldn't be. I guess I am going to head up there just so I can be with her. Not sure how late I will stay. lease pray for them. Dad is talking a bunch of nonsense and mom thinks it is the lack of nutrition. I agree. So, to boil this all down to prayer request, Dad needs to keep food down. The infection needs to be found and taken care of. Momma needs rest and the doctors need wisdom. Thank you all so much for your prayers. Keep them coming.

More News

The Nutritionist Dr. came in to talk to them about Tube feeding. They prefer for him to eat normal but they are going to if they have to, However, Dad has had an infection and so they don't want to do the feeding thru the tube. They could do it thru a Tube into his stomach or a tube thru his nose and that would be more safe as far as infection goes. There is a GastroEnterologist coming in to talk with Dad and the other doctors to make a decision about how best to feed Dad. The GE specializes in Nausea, diarrhea etc. Daddy has been wondering how long they are going to let him go without eating but they wont let him go too long. They would like him to drink Ensure but the chocolate gives him heartburn and he isn't anxious to start that all over again. He would like you all to pray that the right decision is made as to how best to get him food and also that they will find the source of infection and get that taken care of.
I need to get going. Thank you again for all your prayers. I know we say that alot but it is always heartfelt!

Daddy

I just got off the phone with Momma. Daddy has been experiencing very bad heartburn lately. little things can set it off. He had two sips of chocolate milkshake from McD's yesterday and he had to stop because of the heartburn. They gave him Maalox to help yesterday but it has only gotten worse so they are doing an EKG as I am typing this to make sure his heart is okay. They upped his Morphine dosage to help with the pain. He wants some pain meds called Dilauded because it makes him feel no pain but they wont let him have any because they need to know when something is causing him pain so they can fix it or find out what is wrong. They should be starting the Tube feeding soon. Momma sounds down and I know Daddy is probably worse, although he isn't awake enough to say much. Please pray for Momma. She has so much on her plate and so much that only she alone can do that she isn't able to accomplish until Dad is feeling better. We really thought he would be doing better today but he is worse. There isn't much more I can ask for but prayer. It is really the only thing that can help them right now. Thank you so much!!

I spent the day with Dad yesterday

Hello everyone. Yesterday I spent almost all day with him. Oddly, we didn't speak much. He slept most of the time. He is still in a lot of pain and he still isn't eating well. There was talking of feeding him thru the IV. They don't like to do that since it is hard on the veins but Dad needs the energy in order to fight all this stuff off and get better. He really should start feeling better soon. I expect by the weekend but you never know.
Momma went home yesterday to get some things done. That is one reason why I went up yesterday. It gave Momma peace of mind to know Daddy wasn't alone. His feet are still a little swollen but they look a lot better then they did last weekend. They are still giving him Lasix to help get rid of the last of the fluid in is legs. His back is giving him some trouble from laying in bed so much and his throat and stomach are stilling causing him quite a bit of pain. it seems as if he forgets that he has the Morphine pump to help with the pain and I reminded him of it twice yesterday to help with his throat and his back.
We got a close up view of the lightening from yesterdays storm. It was kind of scary to see it up close. Glad I wasn't in Elyria last night. I guess they got a tornado. I waited for Mom to get back to the hospital and then she spent some time with Dad and when he sent her home to sleep, I followed her to the Greve's to make sure she made it okay. She had been really tired when she left the hospital to head to Lowellville in the morning and she had planned on taking a nap. It never happened. I wanted to drive her home and then I was going to drive her back up this morning while Danny was in school but she wanted her car. She did fine and she unloaded a bunch of food she brought back from the house in Lowellville and gave it to us. What a blessing!
In my encounters yesterday, I met a lady from Medina who's 26 year old daughter Megan has the exact same kind of Leukemia as Daddy. She was in remission for a year and it came back. they too, are trying for a transplant. I told her we would be praying for them. I don't know anymore then what I just told you. Also, Dad's roommate was told that there was nothing more they could do for him. He feels great and he is anxious to get home to get everything done. They gave him 4 months. He has a leukemia mass on his heart. I don't know his name. I am sorry. As you pray for Daddy, please keep these other families in your prayers as well.
I will write more as I hear things. Thank you so much for your prayers! We feel them daily. God continues to provide for Momma and Daddy in so many ways and we know your prayers are helping! Momma says that when they are feeling their worst, something just comes over them and things turn around. It usually coincides with prayer meeting times or times when someone tells them that they are praying. I can't tell you how much we appreciate your prayers. It is the most important thing you can do.

New room for Dad

Hey All! Dad is in his new room now. It is Room G70-18. He is using his cell phone again and just as a reminder, his new number is (440) 821-7182. They are taking his room phone out of the room so they don't have to pay for it. Dad is really doing a lot better but he is feeling worse. I don't know how soon he will be feeling better but I hope by early this week. Thank you so much for your continued prayer. We are so thankful for friends and family like you. Don't forget to change your clocks tonight!!!

A Lot To Tell

Hello to all. Doug and I were up to see Dad tonight. Aunt Carol was there for a few minutes so we got a chance to catch up. Melody showed up a little while later! We found out a lot of info tonight. I guess they found out yesterday that Aunt Carol is NOT a match to Daddy. This is not too disappointing as they have already found 2 potential donors who are good donors, at least as far as the initial testing is. (ANSWER TO PRAYER) Dad's white blood cell count is down, his platelets and hemoglobin is up. These are all good things. His kidneys are functioning almost normally (MAJOR ANSWER TO PRAYER HERE FOLKS!) and there doesn't seem to be any problem with his liver. That was just a rant on Dad's part. The fluid around his heart and lungs is gone but his feet are still swollen.
The doctor was very positive about the bone marrow transplant possibilities. Dad WILL NOT have to be in remission for sixth months. They can do it as early as 6 days after remission! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She was also positive about the fact that Dad's age is a plus for him and also, Dad is doing very well for a cancer patient and that is very good for the transplant too!
More news. They are talking about moving him back to his old floor but they have to wait for a bed to open up. When this happens, Dad will be back to using his cell phone. Now, the number to his cell phone has been changed so here is the new number (440)821-7182. Mom and I talked some tonight. She is very tired but she is really doing very well! She gets good sleep at night and has tons of help with all the paper work and stuff that needs to be taken care of. She has mentioned a number of times that it has been obvious from the start that the Cleveland Clinic is right where they need to be right now. God has shown them this over and over and over again. There are still some hurdles to get over but Mom and Dad are taking it one day at a time.
Dad was not having a great day. He was vomiting some and he felt really weak. We are hoping that he will start feeling better starting tomorrow.
I think that is all the news for now. I know I am probably forgetting something but I will try to add more as I know it.
I know that many of you are anxious for news everyday. Please know that when I get news, I will add it to the blog. I do not update the blog everyday because quite often, there just isn't anything to report. I really don't want to get on the blog everyday just to say there isn't anything new to report.

Here is the Latest

I should have written yesterday. Dad is doing much better today though. His legs got pretty swollen fomr the meds. He was also very confused and had trouble speaking clearly. When we were talking on the phone, I would worry about him falling asleep while he was still holding the phone. Mom told me that although his knees and ankles are still swollen, he is doing better. He was up for a walk today. The Infection Dr. came by and Mom also talked to the Cancer Dr. At the Cleveland Clinic, the Oncologists take turns being in charge. I believe it is a monthly rotation. Not easy for Dad since that means he has to learn a new face and name but I guess we will have to deal with that. He is done with this round of chemo tomorrow, I think. Maybe it was tonight. Mom was hoping he would still be feeling okay tomorrow. Aunt Carol is coming in tomorrow and Mom is hoping to go back to Lowellville to get some extra work done. Melody is supposed to be coming in at the end of the week too. I probably wont be able to go back up until nest week. Doug is hoping to get up to visit him soon but that will probably be the end of the week as well.

New contact info for Dad

Good evening all. Dad was moved to a new unit where he is now on a heart monitor so that they can keep an eye on him. He is back to having those bad coughing episodes that can cause him to pass out. This way they can make sure he doesn't get out of bed without help and if there are any problems with his heart, they will know as it is happening. So His new room number is H81-36 and his new phone number is (216)444-7909. He was pretty out of it today. He wanted someone with him when they moved him to his new room so that everything made the move with him. I got there just as they got him into the wheel chair and he was thrilled to see me. I was able to go with him and get to his new room without getting lost and then tell Momma where we were. I was also able to get started in the unpacking and then I sat down and read 1 Thessalonians to him. He faded in and out but I think he caught most of it. Dad's cell phone will no longer be turned on because he is on a heart monitor and there are no cell phones allowed when there are heart monitors because they interfere with the signals or something like that.
I am at the home of the Greve's where Momma is staying and Uncle Jon is letting me update this from his very nice laptop. I will continue to keep everyone as updated as I possibly can. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray!

Prayer request

Mom and Dad met with a guy who does the financial aid for the transplants and Dad would like everyone to pray that the packages of financial aid that are needed for the transplant will be accepted in a quick and timely manner. They guy told them that if they qualify for HCAP that they will know in the next week.
Mom wants me to remind everyone that if you want to visit, make sure you are healthy and haven't had contact with sick people either. They also request that you keep it short. 5 - 10 minutes. You wont get much more then that anyway since Dad is on pain meds that knock him out. He may sleep thru your visit or may fall asleep during you visit. Please don't be offended. He can't help it.

Some updated information

I know many of you check this site a couple of times a day to see if there is any news and I apologize for not keeping up with things this week. It has been crazy! Dad was feeling pretty good on Tuesday when I was up to see him. He was a little tired and weak and by supper time his stomach was a little queasy but we got some really good conversation in. Yesterday he was feeling pretty horrible all day, but that is normal. He had started the chemo on Saturday evening and at the Clinic they do three days on Chemo and 5 days off so He was done with the chemo by late Tuesday evening. Today he was in and out as far as sleeping is concerned. He was experiencing pain quite a bit but they were able to give him some OxyCodone and that pretty much knocks him out.
Dad has a different phone number now. A dear friend add Dad to his cell phone program and got him his own phone. The number is (440)313-4157. Please give Dad plenty of time to answer the phone since he may be sleeping or int he bathroom. He may not have it on at all if he wants to sleep. When he is on the pain meds, he most likely wont hear the phone but you never know.
Ed and Tina and Melanie and Marc and Elizabeth and Hosanna and our friends Jon and Kathy Greve, who Momma is staying with, plus another family friend, Pam were all up to visit Dad today. They even let the kids in today as long as they didn't hug or kiss Dad and didn't get too close. Dad faded in and out but was able to share a few moments with Melanie. Ed and Tina and Melanie came here for dinner and to spend some time with us before they went back to PA. Our kids had been sick at the beginning of the week so they hadn't had a chance to see Melanie at all so they were thrilled to be able to spend some time together. Kali and Melanie had so much fun that they asked if Kali could go home (to Mom and Dad's in Lowellville) with them. Since Marc and Elizabeth are coming up tomorrow and they agreed to bring her up with them, we let her go. It wont be often that they get to do anything like that so it will be a great memory. Hopefully the girls will get along for the most part. Both are pretty bossy and stubborn but I am pretty sure that Ed and Tina can sort things out.
There really isn't more to say right now. I wish I had more. Dad is doing really well I think so that is a praise. Please continue to pray for him. that he will have the physical strength he needs, the mental strength and the emotional strength. His attitude factors in a lot on how well he can fight this.
We know that we have said this so many times but we sincerely mean it each time we say it. THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!!!! We can tell when people are praying. Just about the time people were in Prayer meeting on Wednesday, Dad started feeling good enough to start talking to his room mate, which he has to do in a shout because he room mate is almost totally deaf. It takes energy to do that so we know he was feeling better. Your prayers matter! We see those prayers answered everyday and there are too many to list. Just know that God is answering, even though you might not see or hear about it.
Have a good night.