From Greg

This was written by Greg Hope, Dave’s brother-in-law, and read by Kathy's son, Tyler, at David's Service.

My name is Greg Hope and seven years ago Dave Tousignant became my brother in law. The first time I met Dave it was obvious to me why my sister-in-law, Kathy, fell in love with him. Dave immediately became a member of our family that was held in the highest esteem. Even though Dave is now gone, his legacy of honesty, diplomacy, understanding, fair treatment of people, resolve and goodness will remain with me as it will with all of us. I know that I will not forget the time that I spent with Dave. In comparison to most of you here today, the time I knew Dave was short; however, in this short time I came to know Dave as the type of person who thought things out before he spoke or reacted. Dave and I would be discussing an issue or talking about someone and he would always focus his responses in the positive where I would focus in the negative, as that is my nature. Dave always saw the good in people, where I was always quick to point out the bad or negative. Dave once told me, “If there was a Post office of bad news, that I would be the Postmaster.” -------------- Ever since Dave promoted me to the “Postmaster of Bad News”, I’ve tried to do a better job of being positive in every respect, but I think I still have a ways to go. Today is your day Dave, no negativity allowed. I know that this profound statement from me would put a smile on your face.

Some other members of Kathy’s family had very recent experiences with Dave that they would like to share with you today. Kathy’s sister Kim, her husband Robert and five year old son Landon, recently visited Dave and Kathy about a month ago. Five year old Landon spotted a Tee-Ball set that Dave had purchased for his daughter, Olivia. Landon was very excited about using the Tee-Ball set, and Dave could not resist being the one to show him how to use it. As much pain as Dave was in, he went outside to play Tee-Ball with his nephew. Dave was enjoying himself as much as Landon was. Landon swung the bat and managed to hit the ball way over Dave’s head. Dave reacted like anyone would and quickly turned to see where the ball was going. He really hurt himself that day, but knowing Dave, it was well worth it and an experience that Landon still talks about and will never forget.

Also recently, Dave was watching his beloved Red Sox and decided to make himself some popcorn. He had finished his first helping and went back to the kitchen for more popcorn only to find that it was all gone. The culprit turned out to be Dave’s mother-in-law, Aline, who Dave affectionately nicknamed “The Stealth Bomber.” She had quietly come down stairs and took the rest of the popcorn without even giving it a second thought! Dave made more popcorn, but did not hesitate to share his dissatisfaction with her the next morning, and with his piercing smile, advised her that “she better not do that again!” Of course Aline initially felt bad for what she had done, but when Dave started to laugh she realized that he was just teasing her.
Aline, also known by the whole family as MeMe, has stayed with Kathy and Dave, off and on for the past few years, to help out and has developed a very special loving and caring relationship with Dave. MeMe has expressed to me that she loves Dave like a son. Since Dave became unable to work at the career that he loved, he and MeMe spent a lot of quality time together. Dave told me that most of the time he hardly even knew that she was there; but when he needed someone to talk to or when times got tough he was very thankful that she was immediately available for help and conversation. Dave elaborated that he had many helpful, calming conversations with MeMe.

Getting to know Dave has also provided me with the privilege of getting to know Dave’s immediate family, his mother Phyllis, his brother Ray and his daughters Lauren and Olivia. I enjoyed spending time with Dave’s Mother, his brother Ray and Dave’s daughters, and look forward to a continued relationship with all of them. They are a very caring and close family and have always been there for Dave during his long ordeal with cancer. While spending time with Dave, I was also privileged to meet some of his friends who I enjoyed very much.
Cancer is a very devastating disease and Dave fought a long valiant fight. To me, it was very impressive that Dave, as sick as he was and as much pain as he suffered, still continued to work out in his basement gym to keep his atrophying muscles toned as much as possible.
When my wife Lynn and I came to visit Dave and Kathy in April of this year, we admired all of the finish carpentry work that Dave had completed through the years in their home and the furniture that Dave had built. My wife Lynn and I were complementing Dave on his craftsmanship, and Lynn mentioned that she really liked a particular small cherry table that Dave had designed and built. Without hesitation, Dave looked at me and said, “Greg you used to be a carpenter. Let’s get some wood and build Lynn a table.” I replied, “Dave we came here to visit and spend time with you, Kathy and your family. Dave replied, “What better way could there be to spend time together than to build a table.” So we got the wood, and Dave patiently showed me what to do and put me to work between his knaps, as he could only supervise me for about a half hour at a time, due to his pain. I might add too, that I required a lot of supervision, because I was not a finish carpenter like Dave. I knew that it would be a challenge for me, but I also knew that it would be a fun project because doing anything with Dave was always a pleasure. So I had to exceed my very best capabilities before my limited craftsmanship abilities would pass Dave’s inspections. Dave and I had a few laughs about that. I won’t elaborate though. I have to retain some of my pride. Needless to say, I learned a lot from Dave about pocket joints and table construction during those four days that we worked on that table. I crated up the table and we shipped it back to Arizona, and have it on display in our home where we see it every day. I’m extremely glad that Dave talked me into the table project, as it is beautiful and a cherished reminder of Dave and the close relationship I will always have with him.
Dave has left a big footprint in our lives. Even up to the end, Dave portrayed an extremely admirable persona that was positive, caring and irrefutable. Dave cherished every minute that he was able to spend on this earth with his family, step family, friends and his soul mate Kathy. When we leave here today, I think we all should consider living our lives by Dave’s example.
Thank you.

Brian Corey's Message

I am hoping to get as many of the Tributes to Dave as I can and post them on the Blog. This was written and read by Brian Corey at David's Service.


I am honored and thankful to Kathy, Ray, Phyllis, and Lauren for the opportunity to share a few words about my friend Dave.
As I was thinking about what to say today I thought about the many stories we created while growing up. While reminiscing with Mel, Gerard, Bobby, Jackie and Butchy, we laughed a lot about the experiences and events that bonded us through our youth. We remembered stories that covered football, wrestling, church dances with the Victors, fun days at the training school, girl watching, and some really crazy antics we did for amusement. With their input, I have compiled a few of those memories to share with you today.
Phyllis I need to also state with the highest respect… The statue of limitations on these stories has run out.
I met Dave in the 7th grade when Chelmsford Junior High brought kids together from all over town. We became good friends quickly and I was welcomed into Dave’s circle of North Chelmsford buddies.
It was clear at a young age that Dave was a great athlete. Dave immediately introduced me to weight lifting. We would work out regularly up in his attic on Gay St. Now…I was a REALLY SKINNY little kid that had never touched a weight but Dave was determined he was going to turn us into championship body builders. He started teaching me proper technique on how to breathe, how to bend, how to balance. He was always very serious about the workouts but to be honest… all I could think about was the Tuna fish sandwich Phyllis was making for our snack - Phyllis always made the best Tuna. I was also more interested in listening to Ray practice his guitar.
Later on in High school we would lift at Gerard Cronin’s house at the Middlesex training school. Gerard and Dave again were very serious about the routines. They were constantly competing to see who could lift the most and the heaviest. The rest of us would finish our routine and just hang around. Dave would always show up with a new muscle magazine and then proceed to define yet another GRUELLING regiment. He was forever telling me to just keep lifting.
When we we’re freshman, Dave, the Carpenter boys and I played “Pop Warner.” We actually made the “All Star” team playing Lowell for the championship. It was a real wet, rainy day and Shed Park was a huge mud
bowl. While covered in mud we gave it our all but lost 7-6. However it was from there that Dave and the Carpenters went on to become starters for Chelmsford High’s Varsity Football Team.
While Dave was off becoming a football hero I chose to go the wrestling route. I wrestled alone our freshman year but aggressively recruited Dave our sophomore year. Along with Dave came Gerard, Mel, and Bobby. The gang was all together, and we were all on the same team. Let me tell you we had plans for that team. However Coach Schrock made it clear quick…this was one team we weren’t running.
Dave, Bobby and I were the only ones to stick it out through our senior year and we made some memories. Coach Whitehead remembers Dave as a natural athlete with an extraordinary talent. Dave had the ability to perform both physically and mentally at the highest levels and with the right amount of determination and timely guts. Yet he was always humble, approachable, kind and friendly as well as a great team mate.
However at one point…there was one small problem that put the team at risk. Dave developed a RASH. He had very sensitive skin. Now we all know Dave was very conscience of his appearance and extremely “BUGGED” by any kind of imperfection on his body. We were blown away when Dave said he wanted to quit because of “THE RASH”. Well….That took some talking, and OK, some begging from Bobby and me to get Dave to reverse his decision. Dave did rejoin the team and went on to win two State championships and a New England Championship for Chelmsford.
Not only was Dave a great athlete…. He was fun, a practical joker, and always a loyal friend. I remember the year Dave, Bobby and I won the states. We celebrated, and celebrated… and celebrated at my parent’s lake house. Our coach got wind of our never ending merriment and was stating as a result of our actions… we would suffer the consequences. Bobby and I got nervous, but Dave assured us… We were the team. The Team needed us. And … He was right… we went on to wrestle, we won and then we began to celebrate again.
There was the time Dave, Gerard, Mel, Bobby, Jackie and I made home brewed beer in galvanized trash cans we stole…I mean we borrowed from Quinn’s Hardware. We bottled the beer and left it in my parent’s lake house attic to ferment. After some time had passed the bottles started to explode in the attic and the beer stained the ceiling tiles everywhere. When it was clear I was in trouble…Dave and the gang disappeared faster than you can say bye. We ended up moving our operation to the woods. But… that career was short lived because….The Beer was AUFUL.
Then there was the infamous Demolition Derby with Dave and me in Kleynan’s 64 Chevy driving against Mike Gilotti and Gerard in Cronin’s 58 Chevy wagon. This daylong event started on High St. in North Chelmsford before school, continued in the high school parking lot and finally peaked at the Middlesex training school. Remember this was a boy’s reform school. After much crashing and slamming, the cars looked like a couple of crumpled banana’s, and now we needed to find a ride home. The resident reform kids who watched this derby couldn’t understand why they were residents and we weren’t.
Dave and Jackie’s first job out of high school was collecting trash for the town of Chelmsford and boy…. They had some great stories about some of the stuff that was in that trash and what they did with some of the trash.
Other crazy antics included climbing the North Chelmsford Water Towers, racing across the top of the steel girders of the Tyngsboro Bridge, and fighting our way out of the Billerica Battle of the Bands.
It was years later at Pat and my Tyngsboro home that Dave and Kathy got engaged. They were out canoeing on the lake when Dave popped the question. When they came up from the water they were both very happy and couldn’t wait to share the news.
After Dave was diagnosed with Cancer we spent a lot of time together reminiscing about old times, friends, events and family. Since we were both avid Red Sox fans…We were able to solve all the issues resulting from the game the night before.
I knew Dave was a carpenter, but I learned more about the love he had for his craft. He shared how he got started in the trade and his passion for building staircases. He also enjoyed showing me the work he’d completed in his home.
One day after LOTS of reluctance on Dave’s part to leave the house, I convinced him to let me take him to his last job site to see Moe and the crew. Once on site, Dave became a different person. He was excited about seeing the work that had been completed, admiring all the intricate details, and eager to hear about what was happening next. You could see Dave loved being back on the job, even if it was only for an hour. Phyllis called me that night and said….”I usually want to smack you Corey but today I could Kiss you.” Yes!!!... I finally got Phyllis to like me.
When Dave was in remission after the stem cell replacement and feeling stronger he wanted to still work. We talked about him finishing off some molding around windows in my basement. Well, he came over to scope the job and ended up replacing all the interior doors, building a new mantle for the fireplace and a window seat in the master bath. He also designed, constructed and installed cabinets in the garage and finally six months later we made it to the basement to focus on the original plan.
While replacing the interior doors, my job was to do all the lifting. One Day while I was carrying a door from the garage to the bedroom, Dave stood holding the kitchen door open for me and said “who would of ever thought you would be carrying doors for me.”
Dave was a prankster right up to the end. When Dave’s back got tired while working at the house, he would pull out his sleeping bag and lay flat on the garage floor. Ruth and George (my in-laws) would stop by and think Dave was sleeping. He got a kick out of listening to them shushing each other and tip toeing around to not wake him up. Dave would continue to fake sleeping, listen to their conversations and then… sit-up and join in the conversation scaring them both.
Dave’s attraction to wood work never stopped. Occasionally on his way to my house after a treatment, he would stop by Barry Bells to checkout and admire the work Barry had done on his old Victorian Home.
Dave was very happy at this stage of his life and it was very easy for him to talk about his love for his family. He just wanted more time with Kathy, his girls, Mom and Rae. His concerns were only for them.
Our friendship started strong and ended strong with some gaps in the middle. I will always be grateful to have known Dave and all the memories we have shared will be forever cherished and remembered.
So buddy…. Where ever you are… I know you have a gym set up, and you’re working out. I’m sure you have already targeted a few and are encouraging them to join your routine. Lucky them.
Oh yea…and build us one more staircase.

We Will Miss Him

On August 27th at approximately 9:15 pm, surrounded by his loving family, our Dave lost the battle that he has been waging for the past 2 1/2 years against Multiple Myeloma. He was at home, where he wanted to be. The cancer won, but not without a good fight from Dave, his wife, Kathy, and the staff at the LGH Cancer Center. And, of course, all of you 'Happy Thoughter's' out there who held them up with your unconditional love and support. I do hope that each of you have a little something in your life that reminds you of Dave's life. A memory, a letter, the 'shirt' off his back. He led a good life and each of us was a part of that.
Dave's wishes were to be cremated, and have no wake or funeral. The family has decided to have visiting hours from 4pm to 5:30pm and then a service from 5:30pm to 7pm at Dolan Funeral Home on Wednesday, September 2nd. Please join us, if you can, to say Good Bye to our Very Dear Friend.

Marilyn

His obituary is on the Dolan Funeral Home site.

A Message From Kathy

I'm sorry to say that it's been a very long time since Dave or I have read the posts on the blog. It's heartwarming to know how many people care for us. I thought I'd give an update on Dave's health.

As many of you know, I took a leave of absence from work so that Dave and I could spend as much time together as possible. It turned out to be the best decision I could have made. We've had a lot of family visiting us which has been fun. We managed to take a couple of 2-day getaways, one to Kennebunkport and the other to Newburyport. We just got back from Newburyport today. It was nice to have a little change of scenery, but it's so nice to come home where Dave seems to be the most comfortable.

I'm so sorry to report that Dave's health is rapidly deteriorating. He is no longer taking chemo or radiation. He is becoming more tired and just the smallest of tasks exhausts him. Up until about a week ago, he maintained a ferocious appetite, however I have noticed that food is not all that enticing to him lately. His pain is severe, but managed with lots of drugs.

It is very sad to watch a once very strong, very muscular man diminish. This disease has really taken away all that he strived for his entire life, however, it is because he took such good care of his body that he is still able to fight. We try not to dwell on the inevitable. We try to laugh as much as possible and think happy thoughts. We love all you "happy thoughters."

Please accept our apologies for not emailing, writing or calling all of our friends. We appreciate your respect of our privacy. Our love to all of you.
Love Kathy

A Little Info

Moe has been over to visit with Dave and what we know at this point is that the radiation treatments are done. Dr. Anamur wants him to try Thalidamide, the drug that was given to pregnant women in the 70's that caused birth defects. Needless to say, they make you watch this video and sign a paper saying that you will not get pregnant. I had to watch it with my 75 year old mother. Hilarious. Anyway, time will tell if this therapy will knock the Myeloma down a bit. It does have its side effects, but not so bad as some of the other medications that the Docs were considering. All in all, Kathy and Dave are attacking each day with a positive attitude and a hopeful future. He looks fantastic, and aside from the pain, he feels pretty good. So.. let's keep plugging happy thoughts for him.
Thanks,
Marilyn

I Had the Bump In!

I happened to 'Bump In' to Dave at the Cancer Center on Monday and he looks great. He said that the treatment is working. Thank goodness for that. The Docs are going to continue with the Radiation for now. I will let you know how is doing as often as I can. Thanks to everyone, particularly Anne, Jim and Wendy, for keeping up with the lovely comments in the Guest Book. I know that they mean a lot to Dave and Kathy.
We should all be so lucky to have such great friends.
Happy, Happy, Happy
Marilyn

Calling All Happy Thoughter's

Your presence is required. It seems that our friend Dave has entered, yet again, another uncomfortable ride at the 'Myeloma Circus'. As you know, he has been having a combination of Chemo and the new drug, Revlimid, to get the Myeloma cells under control since they discovered that the cancer was back. Neither of which has deterred the cancer cells from migrating to his T1 vertebrae and causing alot of pain. So, the current treatment of choice is radiation for 2 to 4 weeks. He seems to be doing quite well with it so far. His docs are sure that it will help with the pain. He is a tough guy. But he still could use everyone's mental power right now. Let's get it together, shall we. Pray, meditate, chant, think happy thoughts; whatever it is that you do, let's do this thing and slow this 'ride' down a little for him.
Thanks
In Friendship
Marilyn

This is a very nice commercial that Wendy sent to Dave and Dave sent to me. Enjoy!

He Is Quite A Guy

I know, I've said this before, but he really is! Last Tuesday, commonly referred to now as a historical day because of the Inauguration of President Obama, Dave called Moe in the early am and wanted to know if he could come over and use his lathe for a project he was working on. That was about 7:30 am - I was leaving for work. When I came home from work around 1:30 pm, Dave's van was still in my driveway. At first, being the little mother that I am, I was a little worried that he was in trouble. Not so. When I came into the house, I was surprised to see the two them, Moe and Dave, working side by side, in my kitchen, doing cabinetry, listening to good ole' Howard Stern and smiling from ear to ear, like they were getting away with something. And they had lunch together! It brought me to tears. Dave looked great and he was so happy. When I asked him what the heck he was doing, he said that he felt so good, he was gonna keep on trucking through the day. It was a truly fabulous thing to see!
It was a mere 2 years ago this week that we all got the news about Dave's situation. Reading some of the old Blogs really puts things into perspective, and enforces the fact that 'Happy Thoughts' do work. Yours, His and Ours. Keep them coming!
Marilyn

He is Still Waiting for Some Answers

Sorry guys. Haven't had time to write. So let me fill you in as best as I can. Dave has been trying that new drug, Revlimid, which seems to have some side effects that are not pleasant. What he doesn't know, is if it is working on the Myeloma. So far, he has had no confirmation of results from any tests that have been taken. In the meantime, he is keeping a positive attitude, although a little frustrated. He developed some painful bumps on his back, which they think are a side effect of the Revlimid, but these test results have not come back yet. For now, he has discontinued this medication and is just taking the Velcade. Hopefully, he will get some answers soon.
Stay in a Happy thought for him,
Marilyn

And the Doctor Says...

The test results are in again, and one of the tests that Dave has (24 hour urine) showed an improvement in the number of protein cells. That's good news. The MRI, however, still shows some dark spots on the spine and the Doc says that they look a little bigger to him. He also stated that it could be a bone in the way or a shadow on the film, but in Dave's case they will err on the side of more treatment. So, his Velcade has been upped, and he will start a new drug called Revlimid, which has had some very encouraging results in recent studies, but unfortunately, comes with the price of having to take Coumadin to deter blood clots. Dave is a little disturbed about having to add more drugs to the already cumbersome regimen, but he will, however, do what he always does and face it like the positive dude that he is. He spends a few days feeling blue when he hears news that isn't great, and then he gets right up off his duff and shifts into 'DRIVE'. He is such a positive person, Kathy too. We can all learn a few things from the both of them. They are MY heroes!!
Keep them in your Happy Thoughts.
Marilyn

He Still Looks Great!

As you can see by the new photo, Dave is doing great, despite the setback. He said he feels pretty good, except, of course for the fatigue that comes with Chemo. And the pain in his back. But for the most part he is well, physically and mentally.
It's all good.
Happy thoughts, please.
Thanks
Marilyn

Treatment is Going Well

I just spoke with Dave yesterday, and he said so far his treatments are going well, aside from the fatigue and the nausea from the Velcade (chemo). But he expected a little of that so it was no surprise. Today he went for his treatment and the nurse told him that he would be starting his vaccines for all those childhood diseases. He was a bit surprised that they intended to give him about 9 vaccines today. I will let you know how that went when he calls to tell me. Still no word on the amount and severity of the relapse, but he is feeling pretty good, a far cry from when he was first diagnosed, so the Myeloma must be at a low count. His cage does not seem to be rattled much, and for that, I think we can all be grateful.
Keep him in your Happy Thoughts.
Marilyn

The Results Are In

It's not the news we were hoping for. After looking at all of the test results for the past year, and the blood tests that were taken at Dana Farber, the docs have put him back on Velcade, which is chemotherapy. Dave was a little surprised this morning when he went into the Cancer Center for his Zomeda injection. They told him that the Velcade was ordered and they may as well get it started. He will be having the chemo twice a week for two weeks with a week off in between for probably about 3 months. Dave really didn't indicate how bad it is, but the Myeloma is back enough to warrant chemo. Although this form of chemo is fairly mild, he still has some side effects. He has been on this before. No hair loss, though.
He may be in the 'early' stage of the Myeloma, which means that the chemo will knock it back. Dave still feels pretty good and is hopeful about the treatment. He's just a little be-miffed at how he came to this point after feeling so well for the past year. He was so close, having been cancer free from the stem cell transplant. But Multiple Myeloma is a sneaky, stubborn from of cancer.
Let's all keep those Happy Thoughts for Dave, that his treatment goes well without too much discomfort.
I will try to keep you as informed as I can.
Thanks for checking in.
Marilyn

Dana Farber Docs Say 'Relax'

Dave's visit at Dana Farber went pretty well. He was sure that they would want to do another painful bone marrow biopsy and to his delight the Doc said 'not necessary'. They drew blood and are looking over all of his records from the past year from the Cancer Center and they said that they would get back to him on Monday with the results.
So far what we know is that Dr. Anamur was concerned about the spots on the MRI and the protein in the urine, the blood tests from the Cancer Center showed no change. The Doc at Dana Farber told Dave that the spots on the MRI could be just a bad reading. So Dana Farber at this point is going to look over all of those records and check the results of their blood test and let Dave know what the next step would be. The visit was very upbeat and it looks as though, IF, they find anything they will start him on some oral medication for now.
The Dana Farber staff wants to look into his bone issues to see if they can't do something more permanent to help with the pain. The bone discomfort that he is currently experiencing is different than what he had before. Dave, actually, feels soooo.. good right now, physically and mentally. That is a very good thing.
I will keep you as updated as I can.
Thanks again for your Happy Thoughts.
Marilyn

Dave Needs Your Happy Thoughts

Unfortunately, I must report some 'not so happy' news to all of you. The routine tests that Dave has been having for the past year have been, obviously, to check the status of the stem cell transplant progress. Up until the last tests that were taken everything was fine. There was no sign of the Myeloma. The MRI that he had done just a week ago has shown two spots on his vertebrae, and the urine test came back with a high protein count. This could mean that the Myeloma is back, but we will not know for sure until he goes to Dana Farber on Thursday, October 2nd for more tests. He probably won't have any answers on Thursday, but I will let you know as soon as I do.
After the initial shock, and the all day cry fest, he and Kathy have an extremely positive attitude towards this set-back. Dave is going to do whatever the Docs tell him to. He still has enough good stem cells 'on ice' to have another transplant, and he really has felt good for the past year, so he may do that again. We will have to wait and see.
When I spoke with him, he said that he feels great, and is a little surprised by the results of the tests.
So.....we wait, thinking Happy Thoughts for him.
Marilyn

Happy Re-Birth Day

I was just looking back to a year ago in the posts and it was almost every day we had a little something to say. And now here we are at the one year anniversary (already)-September 13th-of Dave's stem cell transplant. It's hard to believe. He has had an up and down year, but for the most part better than last year. And better than most people expected, including the Docs. He still continues to get the usual tests done; MRI's, blood work, etc. And because of bone damage, he still needs to rest during the day. I heard tell that brother Ray is coming for a visit at the end of September.
Other than that, not much news, only that our Dave has made it through this past crucial year.
Happy thoughts for a healthy life.
Marilyn

I Miss Posting...

I'm going through withdrawals from Blogging (giggle), but it means good news when I don't have anything to say. So, here I am and I am going to say something. We are approaching the one year anniversary of the very successful stem cell transplant. And so far so good. Woo-Hoo! When the year is up, Dave will be able to stop taking the antibiotics, but will have to be vaccinated for all those wonderful childhood diseases. That should be interesting. He is still doing great, and they are both enjoying the summer so far. It's still hard to believe what they have been through.
Sign the guest book when you can. Dave still looks at it.
TaTa for now. I will update you all as the 'one year' anniversary becomes a reality and let you know how he is doing.
I still have to say it-Keep a Happy Thought.
Marilyn

This is Quite Fabulous

Davids' last visit with Dr. Anumar was very much a wonderful thing. Dr. Anamur is quite pleased with the way things are in respect to the Multiple Myeloma. As of this date, they can find no signs of the cancer in his urine, blood, or MRI scans. The Doc actually used the word remission. This is fantastic news. It means that the stem cell transplant was a definite success. However, his bones (his poor bones) are still quite fragile. They are no worse than they were, but they are no better either. The Doc is expecting that they will get stronger, but it will take some time. So what that means for Dave is that he has to listen to those bones and rest when necessary. He was telling me that when he wakes up in the morning, he feels great and he has good posture, and then after about an hour of puttering around his posture starts to droop and he gets a tight feeling in his ribcage and his muscles start cramping. So he needs to lie down for about an hour. And that's what he does all day. Up for an hour, down for an hour. But he said, he'll take it compared to what he was dealing with. He is still going to need anti-biotics at least until October.
So, life at 2 Flying Rock Road has changed. Dave is a very strong willed person, as we have learned in the past year and a half. He does do what he is supposed to do in order to stay on the right track. And he will prevail. Thanks to the love and compassion of his family and friends, and the knowledge of his medical team.
Thoughts of Happyness to all.
Marilyn

A Nice Surprise

Moe and I had the pleasure of a visit from Dave and Olivia a few weekends ago. It was so nice to have Dave drive to our house, get out of the van and hang around. Life is good again. Isn't Olivia a cutie. We all had a blast, checking out the fish in the pond, playing with the cat (Olivia's personal favorite!), and just getting a chance to yak about nothing in particular. I wanted to share the image of him out and about.
Enjoy!
Happyness is in our thoughts.
Marilyn