Saturday, October 27, 2007





























1st pic. (from back to front) Jeff, Parker, Gilma. Ethan, Nana, Aiden, & Josh on the hayride to pick pumpkins.

2nd pic.- Parker and Aiden playing with Josh's umbrella

3rd pic. -Josh, Jeff, and Parker pushing our pumpkins back to the tractor.

4th pic.- Josh is sitting behind the boys while the play in a big thing of corn!

Josh had his second chemo treatment on Tuesday. On Wednesday he went back up for a shot that's supposed to boost his immune system. I'm not sure of all the details so I'll post more when I find out more about it. We were told this chemo was really supposed to knock him down, but he's being feeling really good. He's a little tired, but he said Monday was the best day he's had since the last surgery. Last Saturday we all went to the Apple Annie's Pumpkin Patch in Wilcox and Thursday he spent the whole day at the park for a company picnic! We're praying that this energy and strength will continue! He has a week off from the chemo and then will go back for another cycle starting the first full week in November.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Yeah! Started chemo today!














The Whole Family

Back row (left to right): Rosie, Aiden, Josh, Angie, Jeff, Julie, and Baby ??
Middle Row: Nana and Pop Pop
Front Row: Ethan and Parker

(We took advantage of having Angie here and got everyone together to get some long over due family pictures! I will post more with future updates!)

YEAH!!!!!! Finally some good news! Josh started chemo today! The infection is still there but I guess it looked good enough to go ahead and get the chemo started! We are all so happy! He called me on his way home tonight and he said he felt fine, he was just tired! From what I understand his next chemo will be next Tuesday! Pray that everything continues to go our way. This next chemo is supposed to be the one that really knocks him down so we need to pray for his strength! He went up yesterday to have the port checked. They said it looked fine!

On a sad note, Josh lost his bird Sprocket yesterday! Rosie said they didn't notice anything wrong with him and then she found him dead at the bottom of the cage. Please pray that he will be able to deal with this new grief. It seems like he just keeps getting kicked while he's down! Today is hopefully the day that all of that turns around! Hopefully things will only continue to get better from here on out!

Sunday, October 14, 2007






Josh and Aiden at swimming lessons last year!







Josh's blood transfusion went well, but because he still has an infection in his incision they won"t start the chemo.! AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! They gave him another Rx to treat the infection, but we don't know how long it will take to get rid of it. As of this morning he said it was still "oozing". On Friday I took him up to see the urologist and have the port put in. He's still having problems with being able to void on his own. When he saw this urologist he just gave him more catheters and scheduled him for some kind of test. I think that's in several weeks! He didn't even really tell him much about the test except that it will take an hour! The port was done through outpatient surgery and went really well. He's a little sore, but doesn't have any real complaints about it. After they did that we went to Olive Garden for lunch and he was able to eat a bowl of soup and his whole meal! I thought that was a good sign! Nothing like Olive Garden to fatten you up! He's supposed to go back up on Monday for them to check the port and then again on Tuesday to see the oncologist and HOPEFULLY start chemo! Please pray that the infection will clear up by then and that they won't have to put the chemo off any longer!

On a positive note: Our half-sister Angie is here from FL to visit for the week! I picked her up yesterday and will take her back on Friday! We haven't seen her since Jeff and I got married 5 yrs ago! We're going to try and get a whole family picture done while she's here! This is the first time she's met the boys and it will be nice for us to all get to spend some time together! Dad will be home in a few hours, so he'll get to see her also! Special thanks to Angie's family for giving her the money for the plane tickets and the time off from work! It's really nice to see her again after all these years!

Well that's it for now! Please continue to pray for the infection to go away, for Josh's strength to fight this, and for God to completely heal him!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007



Josh, Aiden & Rosie

(These were taken on their trip to Europe. They went over to visit Rosie's parents when they lived there.)

Josh just called on his way home from seeing the Dr. in Tucson. He was supposed to start chemo today, but like we expected they wouldn't let him because of the infection. They also found out he's still anemic and his potassium level is too low. They did a culture of the infection in his incision to find out if the antibiotics he's on will get rid of it or if there's something else he should be taking for it. Tomorrow he goes back up to have a blood transfusion to help with the anemia. He was supposed to meet with the pain Dr., but is going to have to cancel it because the transfusion is supposed to take anywhere from 5-7 hrs. On Thurs. he will meet with the oncologist and surgeon. They will do some more blood work to see what is the count is. If it's good he will start chemo that afternoon. On Friday he will have outpatient surgery to put in a port. The port will allow them to give the chemo, draw blood, give IV medicines, etc. Basically they won't have to poke him with needles for everything! If he starts the chemo this Thursday he will have the second dose the following Thursday. Then the Thursday after that he gets something else and I can't remember for sure what it is, but I think it's blood cells or more blood- something like that and then the chemo starts all over again. He said it's a 21 day cycle. I hope I have all of that right! When he told me that part I was in the car driving and couldn't write it down. He said the second dose of the chemo is supposed to be the worst. I guess it's usually the dose that really knocks people down. Please pray for his strength (mental, spiritual, and physical) to get through all of this! I know I say this all the time but- Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support! It really means a lot to all of us! We know God is going to answer all of these prayers! We just have to stay strong and keep the faith!

Saturday, October 6, 2007


Aiden and Josh reading a bedtime story!


Josh had a bit of a set back today! This morning he went to Urgent Care here in Sierra Vista because he was afraid that the incision was infected. He was right. They sent him home with a prescription for antibiotics. Pray that the antibiotics will clear up the infection without any problems. We got a prayer request answered though and his bowels are finally moving! YEAH! Please pray that the other will start working better and that he'll be able to get rid of the catheter within the next couple of days. He's supposed to start chemo on the 9th so pray that he's healed enough to do that and that the infection doesn't cause a delay. He also has an appt. with a pain management Dr. on the 10th. I guess the pains aren't all that bad right now, but his Dr. recommended that he get in with this Dr. just in case because it would be easier to get in later if he was already his patient!

Friday, October 5, 2007

He's out of the hospital!




Josh & Ethan

Josh, Ethan, & Dad


Thank you for your prayers! Josh is home! Yesterday they told him he could go home when he could void on his own. They waited all day and he wasn't able to so they sent him late last night with a catheter and taught him how to do it himself. Please pray that he will be able to get rid of the catheter very soon! As of right now that's all the new info. Please pray that he will heal quickly and that they will still be able to start the chemo on 10/9.

Monday, October 1, 2007


Josh and Ethan at the park

Mom and I spent the day in Tucson with Josh and Rosie at the hospital. Today was another bad day when it came to pain management! They finally came in and just removed the epidural and started over again. After they put the new one in he felt much better! He had a fever of 101 all day and he wouldn't listen to the nurse about doing the inspirometer (not sure how it's spelled- it's the breathing thing he's supposed to do). But he got up twice and went for a walk. He also sat in the chair for a little while. There still isn't any news on when he'll get to come home. I guess it depends on his pain and when his bowels start moving again. Mom will be going up again tomorrow and I will let you know if she has any news! Please continue to pray for a quick recovery and that he won't let this bring him down!