Wednesday, February 24, 2010

New Port Is In

Troy had his new port placed today. Everything went smoothly and we both got a little nap in after our 3:30 am start for the day. They placed the new port on the left side since he has had a blood clot in the old right sided location. He is starting to get pretty sore from the procedure (normal) and he now has a small ooze under the dressing from the blood thinners he is on (not so normal, so I'll keep an eye on it.) I may have to run up to the hospital to get extra dressings and change everything myself tom. We will see if the ooze persists. It is nothing life threatening but it doesn't exactly encourage good wound healing either. I just wanted to give everyone a quick update.
Troy is going to start doing a little work from home tom. so please pray for strength and restraint (I can see Troy pushing too hard too fast). Also pray for quick healing and good pain control. Troy went with Grayson and I to Meijer yesterday for a small grocery run. He was exhausted when we got back but he did it. He is making progress with his abdominal incision and the pain associated with that. Now he needs to work on his stamina. I will try to get him out of the house again tom. - Pray for me! :)
Alicia

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Chunky Monkey

Grayson had his two week check up yesterday. He is also off the growth curve, just like Gavin, but on the other extreme. Grayson now weighs 10 lb 12oz! He gained a full pound in a week and half and has grown 1 1/4 inches since birth! The kid does not miss a meal. The doctor was happy with his development and says he will pass Gavin in a couple months :)
Troy is scheduled for his port placment tom. morning at Parkview. It should only take a couple hours an he'll be home. He is scheduled for chemo to start on March tenth. He is feeling better, both belly and chest and hopes to go back to work on Mon. for partial days. It has been so nice to have him home with me and the kids but I know it will be nice for him to get back to a "normal" routine for at least a week or two before chemo starts. I'm so proud of all he's been through and his work ethic.
We got back to church on Sun. It was fantastic! It was a bit of a mess getting the new family there on time but we made it and it felt so good to be home. Everyone was so welcoming to Troy and made efforts to stop by and welcome him back - that meant a lot to him. The music and sermon were great and for those of you that attend Pathway you know how great the tithe song was. Troy's belly hurt from laughing so hard. God knew exactly what our souls needed.
Pastor Ron stopped by late last week and helped give sound advice and encouragement to both Troy and I. That helped a lot. We are so blessed to have our families, church and friends - they help us through the roughest spots and make the bright spots even brighter. We are looking forward to a few good days ahead before chemo starts.
God Bless!
Alicia

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Doctors Appointments for All the Boys


This past week has been busy for us. Grayson had a great first check up at the doctor and was close to his birth weight before he was one week old. He goes back next week for a two week check up and we'll see where he sits on the percentile charts. He slept from midnight to 5:15 last night which was heavenly. Gavin normally doesn't wake up from Grayson so that is another blessing! I feel like Grayson is growing so fast and already changing, it makes me sad. Life in general feels like a freight train and everyday is one blow after another - we're just trying to survive.
Gavin went to the doctor for his 18 month check-up. I was sure he was starting to gain on the percentile scale and catch up with some of his peers....not so much. He only weight 21.4 # which drops him below the 5th percentile. His length and head remained at 25th percentile. I don't know what else I can do to help him get some meat on his bones. The doctor said everything looked good developmentally and we would just watch his weight and see if he continues to drop. Poor little guy, he is going to be passed up by his brother in another year.
Troy visited his oncologist yesterday. He was really happy with the reports from Cleveland regarding 0 lymph nodes with cancer in them. There was evidence that cancer had once been there by little puddles of secretions left in the large bowel but no active cells in the lymph nodes. With this information the doctor said Troy can be considered in remission now but we won't know if he is cured for another 5 years. If rectal cancer is going to reoccur it will most often happen within 5 years. After that you're prognosis is pretty good. Troy will still have to have the intense chemo and we now know it will be for 5 months, not 4 like we thought. This sucks... no way to put it better. Troy will have his port placed in 1 week and start chemo in 3 weeks. The regimen is 2 hours of infusion at the hospital then they hook him up for 46 more hours of home infusion. He then gets 12 days off and starts again for a total of 10 treatments. So our big blowout party will have to wait till August. Gavin will think it is a party for him!
Troy may have also popped some cartilge in his chest which is giving him a lot of pain right now so add that to the list of prayer needs.
Right now I'm tired, overwhelmed and frankly a little depressed with life. When my husband, infant and toddler are all hurting and or crying it is a little hard to take. I know many of you want to help and believe me you are but I also feel like at some point I need to take responsibility for my own life and my own children. I have to figure out how to handle it all because I won't always have a babysitter nor will I always want one. I know this is all in God's plan and so I try to pray and give it up to him and ask for strength. Most of the time I get it, but not all the time - then you can add me to the list of people crying in this house.
Please don't stop praying. We really need it.
Alicia

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Whoa Baby!





Hey Everyone! Sorry it took so long to update but we've been a little busy here in the Floor house. FYI if anyone is up between midnight and 4am so are we!!! Grayson really likes the night life.
As you all know Grayson finally decided to make his appearance on his real due date so we can't really give the kid a hard time. Labor went really well (esp. since Gavin took 23hrs) and we were all shocked to have a nearly 10 pound baby. He is chunky, healthy and perfect as far as Mom and Dad are concerned. I have a couple shout outs for awesome performances for the delivery date. They include: Mom & Dad, Mid & Dick - for getting up at 3am and coming over in the snow to babysit Gavin and drive Troy and I to the hospital (Troy is still on driving restrictions). Leah Mosher - Doula Extraordinaire- She was with me from 3am till a few hours after delivery helping me breathe through contractions, maintain my composure, walk the halls, and believe in myself. Seriously, if any ladies reading this are interested in extra support during the birthing experience I cannot say enough about Leah - AWESOME!! Troy did great. He wasn't feeling well when I went into labor and through most of my laboring time at the hospital but he fought through it and was definetly there when Grayson and I needed him. I am so proud of him battling through feeling crappy and then sleeping on the hospital couch and dealing with a rough bathroom setup for the entire stay.
Gavin took to Grayson immediately and called him "brother" the first time he saw him....so cute!! He is really loving to him and last night he gave him the sweetest goodnight kiss and hug. Grayson gets more lovin than Mom does! The first morning we were home Grayson was crying downstairs and the first thing Gavin said when he awoke in his crib was "hush" - hilarious because he is used to telling the dogs "hush."
Overall we are getting along - with much help and thanks to our moms. Today Gavin went to daycare so it was just me, Troy and Grayson at home. It has been really nice to have that quiet bonding time. A baby is such a miracle. Everytime I look at Grayson I am amazed at God's power, timing, and perfection. There is no way evolution can create a creature so perfect in his complexity. Thanks again for all the prayers, keep 'em up. We need Troy to keep getting stronger and to gain a little weight before chemo starts in a couple weeks. I hope to post some pictures if I can figure it out. Otherwise be checking your mailboxes (if I have your address).
God Bless,
Alicia

Saturday, February 6, 2010

He's here!

Born at 3:15 p.m.
21 inches long
9# 14 oz-----yes, you read that right!!!!(Big brother, Gavin is 18#--he had better watch out!)
Everyone is doing well.
Will update later.

Floor #4 on the way!

We're at the hospital! Arrived at 6 a.m. Things were progressing quite well until the epidural-slowed down a little but now things are progressing once again.
Will let you know when Grayson arrives!!
(Since Alicia has been a little pre-occupied, she asked me to update the blog)
Proud "Gaga",
Mid

Friday, February 5, 2010

Baby Update

We've made it through another day. Troy is having a rough time adapting to his new system and trying to figure out how to handle an eight handed project with only two hands. Things are working properly but his tube gets clogged more often than he expected and it complicates things. It is hard to tell if it gets clogged because he hasn't felt well after his appointment and hasn't been drinking as much as he should or if the new tube, which is skinnier and less flexible, is simply more prone to clogging. At any rate Troy is having a hard time keeping his spirits up and staying positive. Patience is not one of Troy's strongest attributes. I know it will get better as his body settles down and he has time to do a little trial and error. Please pray for a positive attitude and patience. I know he can do it.
We went back to see my midwife today. Still, absolutely no change in Grayson. It appears that he will be like Gavin in which he is ready to come out but my body won't let him. Everything is still to high to let labor progress. I do have contractions but nothing regular and Grayson is still moving like a wild man. His heart rate is great with good accelerations (a healthy sign). I'm not too uncomfortable so we have decided to see what happens over the weekend and go back to my midwife on Mon. I'll be 40 wks. and 2 days Mon. If nothing has happened by then I'll take a medicine to soften my cervix at home Mon. night and see if that gets things rolling. I've never been fond of induction and since Grayson and I are still healthy I want to see what my body will do naturally. Keep praying for our safety and whatever God has planned will happen.
We'll keep everyone posted. Thanks for all the kind words.
Alicia

Thursday, February 4, 2010

What a Relief

Troy just called from his appointment. Everything went as well as it could. The infection appeared to be local only to his incision site> Dr. was able to drain the rest of the infection and pack the wound in the office. He is sending Troy home with a couple antibiotics. Troy was able to get the outer bag removed and they tested his internal pouch. The capacity and valve quality look good and Troy can now start learning to manage a new system. Troy is excited to have the bag off but scared of his new lifestyle and learning to manage his new setup, especially out in public. He still has weight lifting restrictions of 10 lbs for another 3 weeks. All of this news is a huge answer to a lot of prayers that I know each of you have been lifting up. We are so thankful. Troy should be home in about five hours and so far no Grayson activity. I am so exhausted that I am going to try to get some sleep now. I don't think my body or brain can take much more at this point. My mom brought Gavin over. I missed him so much. I don't feel like I've been much of a Mom this past week or so. I feel bad, like I'm letting him down but right now I can barely hold my head up. I think we'll both nap and feel better later.
God is bigger than my box.
Alicia

Just said "Goodbye"

It's 4am and I just said "goodbye" to my husband for the second time in a month. Mid and Dick are driving him to Cleveland for his appointments. Neither of us slept tonight. I avoided tears by staying busy, helping him get dressed, packing his bag, fussing like I do. I was fine until I kissed him goodbye and he eased himself into their car, watching him try to stay strong as he adjusted the seat to try to make him as comfortable as possible and strap a pillow over his belly to help guard against the bumps. It was then that I realized he was driving 4 hours away to manage an unfair lot in life and I was alone in a cold garage praying a baby stays inside so that his daddy can meet him for the first time with me. It is just too much right now. This hurdle is so small compared to what we've been through but in my current state it is just as tear worthy.
Troy is getting tired. The pain takes him to his limit and if that isn't bad enough there is always a side of humilitation. I love him so much it breaks my heart. I feel like a part of me dies when he starts to give up. All I can do is pray. I pray for his strength, my strength, emotional and physical stamina...I pray when I don't even know the words. As I give up my control to God he gives me peace.......thank you Lord for that peace....maybe now I can get some rest.
Is it too late to take an ambien?
Alicia

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Drama - Grayson must stay in - Pray for Troy

Wow what 3 days brings. We have great news and stressful news. I don't know how else to explain it but by starting at the top.
1.) On Monday night I opened mail that had Troy's pathology results from Cleveland in it. Praise the Lord- all of Troy's lymph nodes came back negative for cancer and his tumor had been shrunk by chemo and radiation down to 1.1cm. The rest of the bowel that was removed looked healthy. From everything I can understand from the report it looks like an answer to many, many prayers. The only thing that can explain the positive lymph node tests from his ultrasound in October and the negative test results from Cleveland is an amazing response to medicine and the amazing grace of God. - Yeah!!!
2.) Monday night I came home from work and felt awful. I had nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and contractions started that night. It was looking pretty serious but after I got through some of the GI upset the contractions slowed and then stopped completely. I went to see my midwife Tues. afternoon. I wasn't in labor. The contractions were brought on from getting some bug and being sick. My stomach shrank by 2cm and I lost 1 pound. Grayson is sitting so low that my midwife says if he goes any lower we'll see his ears! I didn't dilate or make any further progress though. This was really dispappointing at the time but....God has a plan.
3.) Troy has been having tons of pain in his bottom during this past week. I thought it was from everything starting to heal on the inside and pull. He woke up this morning to definite infection in his incision on his bottom. His Dr. in Cleveland wants to see him right away and get a CT scan to make sure the infecton has not spread to his pouch. Troy is leaving at 4am Thur. to get to Cleveland by 8:15 for his test, Dr. appt and hopefully the opportunity to have his outer bag removed. Please pray that the infection is local to his incision site and can easily be treated without having to admit Troy to the hospital. He was scheduled to have the outer bag removed today but had to cancel the appointment because he didn't want to miss Grayson's birth. Now it seems Troy does not have a choice but go to Cleveland and we all have to pray Grayson stays inside for at least another 24 hours. Hopefully Troy will be home by 7pm tom. night and everything will work out fine. I have put myself on bedrest and my mom has taken Gavin so I don't get contractions. This poor bambino is so confused, "stay in" no, now "come out", no, "stay in."
The worse case scenario includes the infection making a channel on the inside of his body to his pouch and Troy having to stay in Cleveland for treatments and maybe surgery to clean everything up. His pouch seems to be working fine right now and there is no external evidence of infection to anywhere on his abdomen. Pray for encouragement spiritually and emotionally for Troy. He is so scared to have fought this hard to be here for me and Grayson only for this new development to make him miss it. Pray for Mid, Dick and Troy's safety as they travel to and from Cleveland. Pray for the wisdom of Dr. Dietz. Pray for the safety of Grayson and myself. God has not let me go into labor yet for this very reason. Isn't He amazing?
We are stressed out to say the least but we know everything is in God's hands and He has delivered amazing proof of his powerful hand every step of the way for Troy. Just please pray, however you can, whenever you can. I will keep the blog updated as I hear from Troy tom.
Alicia