We made it through this week will all the appointments.  Nice to have a day where you do not need to go to a hospital!!  Now we wait for the doctor to call with the CT scan results.  Hoping for early next week. 


Randy has been battling tummy troubles since the PEG insertion and the chemo on Wednesday.  He feels not quite nauseous but crampy, bloated and gassy.  He has been able to take a little of his food at night but still not up to his 5 cans a day.  His weight did not go down since last week which is great. 


It is quiet around the house as Andrew and Matthew have gone back to school after the 3 week exam break.  Andrew is in his last semester of high school!!  Hard to believe how the time has flown by.  Seems like yesterday that I was taking him for his first day of school. His Grad is in May.  Matthew is doing well in his first year of high school. This semester should be a challenge as he has 3 core courses, Math, English, and Science!!  Dan continues to do well at SAIT, he will be graduating in April with a degree in Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Technology.  Loves working on the airplanes and helicopters. 


Getting together this Sunday with Jeff, Shelly, Mom, Tim, Rhonda and Glen to watch the Super Bowl.  Go Broncos Go!! 





Love to all and thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.


Lord, I surrender my heart to you, I give you all my disappointments pain and suffering, which You alone can understand. Please give me the strength to move forward!

It had been an up and down few days for Randy.  Still pretty sore from the PEG tube insertion, every movement causes pain, even yawing!!  He also has not been feeling well.  He says his stomach is not right,  he kind of feels hungry/upset/bloated.  Has been struggling to eat his normal 5 cans of Ensure each night which has caused him to lose more weight,  we are a bit concerned and he really tries to eat what he can.  Hopefully his tummy settles down. 


He finds it easier to swallow now that the nose tube is gone.  Still can take only small sips, has not tried solids.  No more gagging when he moves and talks which is a blessing.  Does think there might be a small ulcer type sore in the back of his throat from the tube rubbing for 5.5 months.  Should get  better soon.


There are a few spots which are painful for him.  There is one where his liver is and in his back a couple of the lymph nodes are swollen so they cause pain.  We pray the chemo will start to reduce some of the size of the tumors to alleviate the pain.


Today we went for blood work and on Wednesday at 8:15 am Randy will have the long chemo treatment.  (4 hours or so)


On Thursday Jan 30 Randy is scheduled for a CT scan to see if there has been any change in tumor size since chemo has started.  Please pray for a positive report. 


Dear Lord, as my loved ones and I await the results of my next CT scan about my cancer, let us offer you our anxieties for our good and your glory.
Calm us in our worries, knowing these don’t add wisdom but rather stress to this situation.
Enlighten us, though the power of your Spirit, to make wise decisions as to treatment.
Help us not to turn away from You in these fragile, painful moments, but rather towards you for grace and strength.
Comfort us in seeking you now as we place all our concerns in your loving hands as we say “Thy Will Be Done.”

Good News!!!  Randy was discharged today at 5.  He is home now resting peacefully.  Stomach is pretty sore but all in all he feels not too bad. Says you sure don't want to get stabbed in the stomach!!  It's amazing, every thing you do you use your abdominal muscles.  Driving home in the car was hell as every bump in the road caused pain. 


Randy didn't get much sleep in the hospital so he is very tired.  His roommate was quite chatty and left her TV on all night.  Back is sore from the awful hospital bed.  Now he can relax and rest up surrounded by his loving family doting on him. 


Our thoughts and prayers are with our nephew Owen, who is 16 months old, because he fell down yesterday and broke his right arm.  Poor little guy.  Hearing from his mom Kelly he handled it all like a trooper.  His cast is "Flaming" Red!!!




Dear Lord,
You know my friend/family member so much better than I do. You know his sickness and the burden he carries. You also know his heart. Lord, I ask you to be with my friend now as you work in his life.
Lord, let your will be done in my friend's life. If there is a sin that needs to be confessed and forgiven, please help him to see his need and confess.
Lord, I pray for my friend just as your Word tells me to pray, for healing. I believe you hear this earnest prayer from my heart and that it is powerful because of your promise. I have faith in you, Lord, to heal my friend, but I also trust in the plan you have for his life.
Lord, I don't always understand your ways. I don't know why my friend has to suffer, but I trust you. I ask that you look with mercy and grace toward my friend. Nourish his spirit and soul in this time of suffering and comfort him with your presence.
Let my friend know you are there with him through this difficulty. Give him strength. And may you, through this difficulty, be glorified in his life and also in mine.
Amen.

PRAYER AFTER SURGERY

Blessed Saviour, I thank you that this operation is safely past, and now let Randy rest in your abiding presence, relaxing every tension, releasing every care and anxiety, receiving more and more of your healing into every part of his being. In moments of pain, may he turn to you for strength, in times of loneliness, may he feel your loving nearness. Grant that your love and joy flow through him for the healing of others in your name. Amen.

Thanks Kelly for the above prayer.  Thanks to all who prayed for Randy today.

All went ok today.  Randy has his new PEG Feeding Tube now.  The old tube through the nose has been removed.  It was a rough start today as we were told to check in at 10 am in the unit.  They were not ready for us.  The bed they had for Randy was still occupied by a patient not yet discharged.  Sat in the waiting area for 45 minutes.  When it was time for the surgery they sent us down to Angio in a wheelchair.  We got there and sat for 25 minutes before someone talked to us.  Didn't have a bed there so had to scramble to find one.  Randy finally got to lay down at 11:45 am.  Went in for the procedure at 12:15 pm.  Took 30 minutes or so.  We had been at the hospital since 8 am due to "stat" blood work that needed to be done before the insertion, so a very long morning for Randy.  Took it like a trooper. 

It was an unpleasant experience for Randy.  They said they were going to give him "relaxing" medication but they did not.  Froze the area and started the procedure.  Lots of pressure and pushing and pulling.  They had to fill his stomach with air so he was very "full" after the procedure.  As of this evening he is feeling not too too bad.  Sore around the insertion area, but resting nicely.  He will be without food for 2 nights as they don't want to use the new tube for couple days.  Probably shouldn't have removed the old tube just yet.  Has a saline drip so shouldn't get dehydrated.  Going to watch the Flames game tonight. 

It's quiet in the house tonight.  Randy has been a permanent fixture on the couch and he's not there!!  Thank goodness for cell phone we can text each other....

Randy will be going in Wednesday Jan 22nd for the PEG feeding tube insertion.  His scheduled chemo treatment, that was for tomorrow,  will be put off for a week ( Jan 29th).    The doctors felt it was more important to get the tube situation fixed.  He will be admitted to the Foothills hospital tomorrow for 48 hours to make sure there is no complications/infection.  The scheduled time for the procedure will be 11 am.


We first have to go for blood work at 8 am and then have the chemo bottle removed at 8:30 am then check in at 10 am.  Another busy day. 


Please pray for a successful insertion and no complications - infection being the biggest one. 

A Prayer Before Surgery

Dear Father, we thank You for this beautiful day and for the blessing of calling upon You for help with a prayer before surgery. We love You, Father and we know You love Randy.   We love Randy very much too. We are grateful he is in our lives.

We ask You to please bless Randy to feel Your love and our love, in comforting healing power now. We ask that You give Randy strength to be at ease and free from worry or concerns at this time.

We thank You for the talented doctors and good medical staff that are all around us now. We ask You to bless the surgeons that will attend Randy now; that they will be directed by You, that their skills be heightened and their hands be made steady and sure. Please bless our humble prayer before surgery to cause all to go smoothly with this surgery before and after during surgery recovery.

We thank You for all You have given us, and humbly ask blessings on all; especially Randy. This is our prayer and we ask for these blessings to be given if it is Your will, in Jesus' name, Amen.

 

Had our Doctor's appointment today and it went well.  Long day for Randy.  Again he had to tell the same thing three times.  First the nurse, then the family doctor working for Dr. Tam and then Dr. Tam himself.  While we were there Randy had a couple episodes of the gagging and heaving caused by the feeding tube in the back of his throat.  They were able to witness what he has to go through and it was agreed that a different approach is needed.  Randy will be getting the feeding tube placed directly into his stomach through the abdomen.  No more tube in the nose and throat.  Just waiting for the appointment time for this procedure.  Hallelujah!!!!  This should help Randy immensely, no more gagging and such!!


They will also be setting up a CT scan within the next few weeks to see if the chemotherapy is having any effect and we can decide from the results what to do.  For now the chemotherapy will continue. 


Had a good and bad weekend.  Saturday Randy was not feeling well at all.  His stomach was feeling very bloated, could not eat that night.  Sunday was better he was able to eat during the day and felt not to bad.  Just the aches and pains he has been experiencing through out.  Morphine takes care of most of the pain.  Mom Pawelko, Jeff, Shelly, Jaret and Tim were over to watch the Bronco's win their football game.  Now on to the Super Bowl on Feb 2!! 


      Go BRONCOS GO!!! 

We can't do great things in this life . . .
We can only do small things with great love.

-- Mother Theresa

So it all worked out, got the feeding tube fixed on Monday afternoon.  They had to replace it again.  BOO!! it is not fun at all getting the tube shoved down your nose and throat while awake. 


Randy had been fighting bouts of nausea and being very weak.  His energy level is very low.  Probably was little dehydrated from not being able to have enough water for 2 1/2 days.  :(

We have our appointment on Monday with the Oncologist and hope to discuss a more permanent way for him to get nutrition.  Whether they insert a stent into his esophagus or a tube directly into his stomach through the abdominal wall, either will have to be better than the feeding tube in the nose and the problem of it plugging up.  Even following all the rules for taking care of the feeding tube it still can plug up.


Wednesday will be the long chemo appointment.  Hoping and praying that the drugs are doing their job and slowing the growth of more tumors. 


Matthew and I attended another counselling session with the physiologist at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre on Thursday.  Matt has been struggling quite a bit.  Christmas and New Years were not what he was used to and felt very sad because it wasn't.  Hard to be joyous and festive with this situation but we made the best of it.  Hoping these sessions help Matt, and the rest of us, ways to deal with this awful diagnosis and offers us encouragement to get through it.


It will be the 3rd cycle for Randy and we expect to have a CT scan to see if there is any changes.  All prayers for a positive report are greatly appreciated.


Dear Lord, as my loved ones and I await the results of medical tests about my affliction, let us offer you our anxieties for our good and your glory.
Calm us in our worries, knowing these don’t add wisdom but rather stress to this situation.
Enlighten us, though the power of your Spirit, to make wise decisions as to treatment.
Help us not to turn away from You in these fragile, painful moments, but rather towards you for grace and strength.
Comfort us in seeking you now as we place all our concerns in your loving hands as we say “Thy Will Be Done.”

Had a rough weekend,  Randy's feeding tube plugged up late Friday evening and because this happened on the weekend there is nothing to be done till today.  We have an appointment at 1:30 pm with Radiology at the Foothills to get it fixed.  Probably going to replace it again.  Randy would not wish that on his enemy.  It is an awful experience.  So he is pretty weak and hungry!! 

We have an appointment with the Oncologist on Monday the 20th and will be asking to have a more permanent solution to this tube thing.  They can either put a stent in his esophagus or have a feeding tube put through to his stomach and not through the nose.  Fingers crossed.


Prayer For Strength and Wisdom

 Thank you, Lord, for being there for me and allowing me to cry out to you in my times of need. It is amazing to me that the Lord of the Universe would take time to listen to me and to care about what I say.

 God, there are things happening around me right now that I do not understand. Some of these things make me feel weak, helpless and afraid. Even in the midst of this, I know that you are the Lord. I know that the situation is in Your hand, and I trust You

I beseech you for strength and for wisdom that I would be able to endure this situation and be able to handle it in a way that would bring glory to Your name.

 In Jesus name. Amen. -

These past few days Randy has been battling bouts of nausea. Feeling sick makes him not want to eat but he still manages to "drink" his food every night.  His stamina is really low.  No energy to do much at all but sleep.  Sometimes you think he is sleeping and he's not, just can't keep his eyes open. 
So thankful the pain in his leg is gone and he doesn't have to contend with that anymore.


The boys and I still struggle everyday to understand and deal with this situation.  Feel guilty for going on with life while dad is struggling...but we need to keep going.  Sleep in our house is a long lost friend most nights.  Randy and I are so proud of the boys for still keeping up with school, work friends etc. 


Received a wonderful gift from Randy's cousin Karen.  She had a prayer shall made for him.  The whole time a lady was knitting it she prayed for Randy and then had it blessed.  Gave us some ideas to help ourselves with our own health.  She discovered through her and her family's own struggle with cancer that we need to make sure our bodies are more alkaline rather than acidic.  Cancer thrives in an acidic body.  You can get PH Ion Test strips at a local health food store to test your urine to find out what PH level your body is.  Karen also gave a recipe from an oncologist to help bring your body back in balance:
Boil water, NOT in a microwave.  add 1 teaspoon of baking soda, use 1/2 teaspoon of either natural organic honey or maple syrup.  Let it cool and sip on it.  It will take your body to an alkaline state where cancer cannot thrive.


As Randy can sip water, juice etc now I am making up this recipe for him and the rest of our family.


I found a link that has a PDF that shows which foods are more alkaline/acidic to help your choose the correct food to eat:
http://greenopedia.com/sites/default/files/media/alkaline_diet_by_degree.pdf




Love and God Bless
Kim


O God, our Creator, all life is in your hands from conception until death. Help us to cherish our children and to reverence the awesome privilege of our share in creation. May all people live and die in dignity and love. Bless all those who defend the rights of the unborn, the handicapped and the aged. Enlighten and be merciful toward those who fail to love, and give them peace. Let freedom be tempered by responsibility, integrity and morality. Amen

Update:  Randy started to feel yucky on Thursday and Friday after his chemo treatment. It continued throughout the weekend.   He described it like the flu...body aches and tummy not feeling well.  The treatment did knock down his energy level quite a lot.  Spends most of the day sleeping.  A trip to the bathroom takes all he can muster. 

On a positive note his leg is much better.  Can walk on it now with out pain.  Yeah!! 

This week will be pretty good.  Had blood work today and we go to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre on Wednesday to get the bottle changed.  I have a doctor's appointment on Friday.

Boys all caught a colds so I am busy making sure they stay away from Randy and that they wash their hands lots.  Also bought masks so they can wear them around dad...don't need Randy getting sick as his immune system is already weakened from the Chemo.

Got the Christmas tree taken down and most of the decoration away.  Still a few snowman out and about.  lol

Glad to see the weather turning warmer this week.  Makes it much nicer when we have to go out.

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

     Happy New Year!!

Randy, Dan, Andrew, Matthew and myself are so blessed to know and love so many family and friends who take time to make sure we are all doing good. Your thoughts and prayers for our family encourage us to get through this most difficult time.  Our freezer is filled with good food, our sweet tooth has lots to choose from, your words of encouragement strengthen us and the thoughtful gifts brighten our day.  Thank you all so much!!

 

 

It has been a busy week already.  Monday we had to go to the Foothills to have Randy's  lab work done (1 pm) and then we met with the oncologist (2:40pm) to have an update another long day of waiting.  It's quite an ordeal.  Saw the nurse first then saw a family doctor that works with Dr. Tam and then saw Dr. Tam.  Have to tell your story 3 times!! Crazy....It was discussed and since his first round of Chemo went good it was decided to add the third drug to the chemo treatment plan.  As it is the harshest of the three so they also added another anti-nausea drug plus it could be hard on his heart muscle.   His leg is still very sore so they ordered an ultrasound. 

Tuesday we had the "big" chemo treatment plus the ultrasound.  It was discovered that there are more blood clots in his upper thigh and lower abdomen.   Doctors have increased the amount of Tinzaparin in order to combat these new clots. 

It was very busy in the oncology ward as they had to fit in all the Tuesday and Wednesday patients together.  They were running 1 hour behind so we were there for 4.5 hours. Very long day again for Randy :(   The addition of the new chemo drug does not add any time to the process.  It is in two syringes which they push through with the 1st saline drip.  It is red in color so it will change the color of the urine to pink/red thank goodness they told us or we might have thought something was wrong!!

As of now Randy is not feeling too bad no nausea  YEAH!! just a little off, flu like symptoms and very tired.  The addition of the new drug will definitely increase the amount of fatigue Randy will feel.

Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future.

We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of us—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to humbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will for our lives during this coming year.

In the midst of life’s uncertainties in the days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.

In the midst of life’s inevitable disappointments and heartaches, help us to turn to You for the stability and comfort we will need.

In the midst of life’s temptations and the pull of our stubborn self-will, help us not to lose our way but to have the courage to do what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost.

And in the midst of our daily preoccupations and pursuits, open our eyes to the sorrows and injustices of our hurting world, and help us to respond with compassion and sacrifice to those who are friendless and in need. May our constant prayer be that of the ancient Psalmist: “Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end” (Psalm 119:33).

We pray for our nation and its leaders during these difficult times, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace and justice to our dangerous and troubled world. We pray especially for Your protection on all those who serve in our armed forces, and we thank You for their commitment to defend our freedoms, even at the cost of their own lives. Be with their families also, and assure them of Your love and concern for them.

Bring our divided nation together, and give us a greater vision of what You would have us to be. Your Word reminds us that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).

As we look back over this past year we thank You for Your goodness to us—far beyond what we have deserved. May we never presume on Your past goodness or forget all Your mercies to us, but may they instead lead us to repentance, and to a new commitment to make You the foundation and center of our lives this year.

And so, our Father, we thank You for the promise and hope of this new year, and we look forward to it with expectancy and faith. This I ask in the name of our Lord and Savior, who by His death and resurrection has given us hope both for this world and the world to come.

Amen