Funny Kidlets

Many of our network of friends and family pray for and ask about the kidlets - how are Alex, Brooke, and Caedmon faring through DJ's diagnosis and surgery and chemotherapy.  The answer is that they are doing very well; the love and the laughter, as well as the to-be-expected childishness and sibling disharmony and learning to get along in the family and in life, continue to occur in the Bigelow household.  Tickling and giggling and joking fill our home, for which I am grateful.  DJ is such an amazing father to our children: I would rather have him as their daddy than a million dollars!

Two months ago, I asked Brookie Cookie to pose on the couch in DJ-fashion, since I wanted a picture of the couch upon which DJ spends much of his feeling-ill time, but I knew that he was weary of being photographed.  Brooke spontaneously acted out a little monologue of DJ, which is HILARIOUS, and which I didn't post to the internet for all to see in order that I would not dishonor my husband.  Now I think it is appropriate for you to view it and have a good laugh (and to get a glimpse of how "normal" life in the Bigelow household is) - but please don't think that Brooke's antics reflect DJ's way of being.  This is just for laughs!! 

Oxaliplatin and Chemotherapy #5

I would like to begin this post by giving a friendly shout-out to our friend Matt Magnuson, a groovy dude who lives right in our home town of lovely Paso Robles and who checks this blog regularly.  You may have seen pictures of Matt mowing our front lawn if you happen to have read and looked at posts from April when DJ was newly post-surgery.  Hi, Matt!  We love and appreciate you!  :-) 

Alrightey then, regarding Chemotherapy Round #5: last Monday July 14 when we met with the oncologist prior to  treatment, DJ informed the doctor that he is weary of and particularly concerned about the peripheral neuropathy, the primary side effect of the drug Oxaliplatin.  According to the information we received prior to and during DJ's earlier chemotherapy treatments, the numbing and tingling sensations of the hands and feet were predicted to last for 2-3 days after each treatment, with possible long-term effect.  DJ's experience has been that the neuropathy annoys him for many more days than that, sometimes for most of the cycle (10-or-so days out of the 14).  So he requested that the Oxaliplatin be removed from his regimen.  Tim Soucheck PA (to whom DJ has been assigned until Dr. Spillane has room in his schedule) suggested that first the dosage of Oxaliplatin be reduced by one-half; and then that if the neuropathy still is a plague, another drug be given in its stead.  And so that was what occurred: DJ received half of the dose of Oxaliplatin along with the other drugs that make up "FOLFOX 6".  Today is day #8 of this cycle, and the desired effect seems to have occured: DJ isn't tingling or losing nerve function as much as before (although he still is careful to not eat or drink foods that are of cold temperature; and yesterday during a trip to the lake with friends, he dipped a toe into the water, but reserved his body from the relative coldness of it).

As far as the rest of his symptoms, DJ is faring about the same, I'd say, as he has for the prior 4 treatments.  More or less, he experiences 6-8 days of fatigue and nausea, and then mostly recovers his energy and digestive well-being.  He is scheduled to meet for the first time wtih Dr. Spillane on Thursday (after having been redirected from Dr. Bonis), and then to receive Chemotherapy Round #6 on Monday July 26th.  After that, he will be fifty per cent complete with the 12-rounds prescribed.  Hooray!  We're almost halfway there!

Are you sad that there is not photograph included in this post?  I realize that "A picture's worth a thousand words..."  I will work towards adding one here!  What would you like to see pictorally depicted?  :-)  Perhaps a panda bear?  Or...a sunset?  Please vote.

Until then..."May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."  Amen and amen!

P.S.  I've decided upon this picture.  :-)  Guess who? 

Join the Club

For a couple years before DJ was diagnosed with cancer on March 8, 2010, I have had attached to the side of my refridgerator a list of people for whom to pray and encourage, cancer patients and their families and loved ones.  Invariably, it seems that every other month or so I either crossed off a name because their body had expired, or I added the name of another friend or acquaintance or family member or family member of a friend who was diagnosed with cancer.  Yikes!  Cancer abounds!  My list has never been empty.  I pray God's grace upon these lives, and upon all that love them.

Within our community here in Paso Robles, there are two people I know and love in particular whose cancer is at stage 4, having metastisized to crucial organs within their bodies.  My heart and my prayers are earnestly toward them.  Please pray for Reese Lewis and family who travel to UCLA, and for Terry Keller and family who travel to Stanford for care. (That's why in a recent post I mentioned that our travel to San Luis Obispo is a cakewalk in comparison to the long distances, and the consequential expenses, that others experience for care of cancer).

On the one hand, now that DJ has had cancer, we are "in the club": we are joined in mutuality with other families who experience all that cancer is.  But another way of seeing the situation is that we (and YOU) are alive, we experience difficult circumstances and trying times and pain and disappointment; and as such, we are all, each and every one, "in the club".  If you are alive, you have joined the club - LIFE!  And thereby we are mutually desperate and in dire need for the grace of God and the love of God and the goodness of God and the kingdom of God to come upon us.  O God, we pray, "May Your kingdom come, may Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."  Aaaaaaaaaaa-men! 

In other news, Caedmon Van Bigelow has enjoyed the high priviledge of not one but TWO visits from the Tooth Fairy this week; one tooth was literally lost - we just don't know when or where it fell out of his mouth. 

And regarding DJ's health and well-being at the tail end of Chemotherapy Round #4, he seems to be following the pattern thus far established: varying experiences of fatigue and nausea the first week-or-so after treatment, and the return of his energy and vitality (more or less) for the second week.  He worked many days this week, looks forward to some relaxation this weekend which may include a "Happy Anniversary" dinner at the local Basque restaurant with his wife and a round of golf with Joe "Papa" Benyo :-), and Chemotherapy Round #5 on Monday, July 12th.

The end, for now!  Thank you for your attention!  May the LORD bless you indeed! 

Chemotherapy #4

I know that many of you look at this blog on a regular, perhaps even frequent, basis, interested in and hoping for news about how DJ is faring.  Please pardon me for taking this long to post.  I am blessed and busy here in the Bigelow household!

So, even though DJ's negative side effects lasted longer and were more difficult on his body for Chemotherapy Round Number Three (June 14 - June 27), he did "recover" and feel mostly well and healthy for the last 5 or 6 days of the cycle.  We enjoyed some lovely time with friends who came for a visit, Betty and Brooke and Bronte and Harmony Shelton; their time with us nicely coincided with DJ's feeling better. 

Alexandra and Harmony at the breakfast table

Betty and Bronte

DJ told me on Monday as he was preparing to receive Chemotherapy Round #4 that the nausea and fatigue left him and that he felt healthy and good at the end of the cycle for just a long enough time that he wasn't dreading this treatment.  I'm glad for that - one of the things I especially pray for DJ is that his heart will be filled with perseverance and hope and endurance as he stares down the coming treatments.

The oncologist nurse administered an additional anti-nausea medication upon learning of how difficult DJ's Round #3 had gone; and after receiving Round #4 on Monday through Wednesday of this week (June 28-30), he initially felt more energetic and less nauseous and ill than other times.  Unfortunately, his energy sagged drastically on Tuesday, at just about the same moment that we were blessed by a brief visit from our fantastic friends Yvonne and Brian Downs.  Brian didn't seem to be at all offended by DJ's desire to drift off to sleep as they watched a World Cup Soccer game. 

DJ and Brian "watching" the game

My life is encriched by my precious friend Yvonne :-)

We did travel back and forth to San Luis Obispo to receive treatment on Monday and then for DJ to be disconnected from the pump on Wednesday.  Yesterday and today he is feeling pretty yucky; no vomitting or extreme diharrhea, but he is visibly ill and feeling more-than-crummy.  He attempted to work today, but came home after only 2 hours for lack of concentration and illness.  Thank you for praying that God's grace will grant faith and hope and perserverance and endurance and health and recovery to DJ's body and heart and mind and soul and spirit.  I know that I say so over and over and over, but it continues to be so again and again and again - I am most grateful and deeply appreciative of your part in God's grace and goodness being granted to our family.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

This is the pathology box of "stuff" that is used to draw blood,

administer medications,

and whatever else the oncology nurse does to DJ. 

I took this picture as DJ was disconnected from the pump.

In family news, the children and I took part last Saturday for a short time in a local "Relay for Life" event, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.  My own crowd of friends and acquaintances whose lives are touched by cancer continues to grow; even before DJ was diagnosed, I felt a desire to reach out in love and support to cancer patients and families. And now the issue is close to home.  We walked laps with many others to show our support.  Caedmon walked 10 laps, the equivalent of 2.5 miles ( he wanted to go 12 "or even 13!" laps, but I cut him off).  Alex and Brooke walked even more. 

Brooke, Caedmon, and friend Angelina

Caedmon on the "Relay for Life" track

Today is day #4 of this 14-day cycle of Chemotherapy Round #4 - 4 down and 8 to go.  I hope that in a couple days, DJ's healthy cells will quickly reproduce and that his sense of health and well-being and energy will return.  I pray that, whatever the circumstances, we will seek Jesus and receive God's love and grow in grace and know God more and more deeply.  Aaaaa-men!