'New' Life

As Jim puts it so well, no news is good news! Dave and Kathy are enjoying there 'new' life together and that's all that matters. He gets a little stronger every day. He actually visited the 'guys' on the job recently and had a blast. The guys were happy to see him as well. As much as I miss 'blogging' every day, like I did a year ago, I am happy for Dave that I have very little to report. With Spring around the corner, hopefully?, I am sure that Dave is looking forward to getting out in the yard, changing screens on the porch, etc. It's nice to see him doing so well. We were all a little flipped out when he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, 'how could this be he takes such good care of himself?' And what I think we have all learned is that taking good care of yourself doesn't necessarily mean that you won't get sick, but it does mean that you will prevail over the illness and get better.
Until next time, keep thinking happy thoughts.
Marilyn


I would like to thank Wendy Marshall-Hudzik for always remembering to put a blip about Dave in the Lion's Pride. She is the Class Agent and she writes a very nice article for each publication. Thanks, Wendy.

Snippet of News

Wow! Very impressed by the number of friends who answered the call to make the Guestbook hit the 100 mark! Thanks everyone and keep your entries coming. They are your Happy Thoughts in print. Dave and Kathy like reading them. Well, there is not much new news to report on Dave's condition other than the Docs continue to be very pleased with his progress. He still experiences back pain which puts him down for a few hours, but he is learning to listen to his body and take the break. Kathy's Mom has recuperated nicely. She is doing alot better, but her sister, Lynn, was sick and still no diagnosis. So we should keep her in our thoughts. Hopefully, it is just a passing thing. If I hear anything, I will let you know.
So, life at 2 Flying Rock Road has changed, and changed again. A bit more normalcy has returned to the happiness of the occupants.
Bye for now,
No slacking on the Happy Thoughts, if Dave doesn't happen to need them, someone can use them.
Marilyn

Good News

Well, here it is. For the last few weeks Dave has been having some trouble with back pain. Indicative of exactly a year ago and scaring the beejezes out of him and Kathy. So they called the Doc and asked to move up the tests that they were planning to take anyway. Last Saturday he went in for an MRI, blood work and urine testing. And it is all great news. He has not had any additional compression fractures, no additional tumors, and no increase in the Myeloma. He really couldn't be at a better place, considering the circumstances. So, he has now decided that his pain must be caused by overdoing, which is typical. And what he is doing to combat the pain is to do whatever he is doing, at smaller intervals and resting in between. Hopefully, this will help him with the pain. He's feeling pretty good otherwise.
Hope you all enjoyed the "Love' holiday.
Happy Thoughts got him this far.
Marilyn

P.S. Just a reminder that the ads on the blog do generate a little bit of income for Kathy and Dave. If you see something that interests you, please have a look at it. Thanks.

Getting His Life Back, A Little at a Time...We'll Take It!

I sure do like opening the blog and seeing those happy faces of Kathy and Dave! Perhaps, that's the reason why I haven't written in two weeks. I am working on bringing that photo to a more permanent place on the blog, so that we can all see it as soon as we log on.
Well, my friends, it has been nearly a year since Dave was diagnosed and last year at this time he was pretty miserable, as I recall. I remember Moe coming home from work almost every day and telling me how awful Dave was feeling. Debilitating back pain, and working all the while, thinking that it was nothing. He has been through more in one year than most of us in a lifetime. When I spoke with him the other day he gave me the 'run down' of his daily activities, and it is mounds better than the daily activity schedule that he has been keeping in recent months. He has been working out, adding a little something more to his routine when he feels that he can handle it, (anyone out there think that he wouldn't get back to that?!); he has been driving himself all over, he actually popped in on the guys at the job one day last week. They were all very excited, as was Dave. He has been tooling around in his garage, putzing with this and that. Even the snow blower, I believe. And, of course, he is still cleaning and cooking! He seems to know when he has overdone it, but not until the next day when he wakes up and can hardly move. For the most part, his life is getting a little bit more normal. He held down the fort while Kathy was away helping to take care of her Mom, who is not out of the woods yet. I haven't heard much, but I will keep you in the know as soon as I hear. I know that she is home from the hospital, recuperating. Thanks once again for pulling those 'crazy New England vibes' together for a lady that deserves it. She was a huge part of Dave's recovery, and as I said before, Kathy's sanity.

There's never a good enough reason to stop thinking Happy Thoughts!
Marilyn

Kathy and Dave Start the New Year for Us!

12/31/07
Happily, this is the 100th post to Dave's blog and all is well. I have asked Kathy and Dave to ring in the New Year properly, and be the ones who send out this post to everyone who reads this blog. What a joy it is to have this message from them:



Wow! What a year it’s been! We went from fear, sadness, pain and uncertainty to happiness, joy, relief and hope. The year 2007 began as our worst nightmare and has turned out to be the biggest miracle we could have hoped for.

All of this would not have been possible without the overwhelming show of love and support and without each and every prayer we have received. We have been fortunate to have had the best Doctors and Nurses, Friends, Family, Neighbors and Co-workers. For that we will be forever grateful. Because of your generosity, we have been able to concentrate on healing and recovery instead of financial worry.

Dave is getting stronger with every day. Exercise is part of his daily routine. His hair is growing back, slowly but surely. His positive attitude is an inspiration to all who know him. He is the best Christmas gift I could ask for.

We wish everyone good health for the New Year.


Love,

Kathy and Dave

HOLIDAY CHEER!!

Well, it is something to cheer about. Our Dave only has to go to the hospital once a month now, that's right, just once a month, for blood work, a Zomader infusion, and his anti-biotic. This is huge! Once a month! It is truly a wonderful Christmas gift to his family to see him so not having to go and get this test and that test, and have this pain and that pain, and have purple skin or blue skin?!?? He certainly still has a ways to go, but his present situation is more tolerable than before. He does have some pain, but not so much that he has to take lots of drugs, just some drugs. (He has moved out of 'loopy-ville' for the time being.)
So, as we get together with our family and friends this year to celebrate our love for one another, let's keep a happy thought for Dave and his family, that there will be no more set-backs and no more side effects, he's had enough already!
Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday and the anticipation of a Terrific New Year. And thanking you ALL again for whatever you have done to support Dave, Kathy and their family this past year. Every one is a link in the chain, helping to heal him, inside and out.
Marilyn

Yikes!!!

Time sure does fly. I can't believe that it has been nearly two weeks since a post has appeared. The good news is that it means there is nothing much to report. I have spoken to Dave a few times, and he remains very upbeat and positive. He has a bit of the sniffles of late and is hoping to get rid of that soon. This week he is having his 'calcium' infusion and antibiotics through an aspirator. The Docs feel that it is the antibiotics that have given him the skin problems, so he actually breathes them in. He is in this big tent thing. It sounds funky. He had his blood work done on Monday, so hopefully I will get a chance to talk to him today to find out the results from all of his tests.
I will keep you posted.
In case you had any holiday ideas, I must remind you that Dave can only have food that has been freshly prepared within the last 24 hours. Anything beyond that time period he can't eat.
Stay safe during the holidays-Be well-And keep a happy thought.
Marilyn

He Is So Getting There!

Dave and I finally made a connection the other day. (I got kicked out of the library for being on my cell phone when he called, so I left. Talking to Dave-much more important!) He has been doing very well these days. Aside from some muscle and bone pain, which I think he expected but not quite this painful. So he still needs to take some pain medication, but he is not doing the full blast 'loopy-de-loo' dosage. He is up and around, ignoring the pain and the skin thing as much as possible. (He still is having issues with his skin!) But for a 'newby stem cell transplant patient', I would say that he is medically and mentally a whole lot better than we all thought he would be at this stage.
It has already been 10 months since Dave was diagnosed, and from the Myeloma standpoint, he is healthier now than he was in February. And in these past 10 months, lots of other things have taken place. We watched as our friend fought for his life; we stood by him and his family and helped in all the many ways that we could; we threw one hell of a great party: we all became connected through this Blog and with our happy thoughts; and we now get to enjoy the fruits of all the labor that went in to getting him well.
And I am very happy to report all of this wonderful news.
Stay connected with your happy thoughts.
Marilyn

Riding Cloud 9

Oh, it's such a lovely story to tell. David had his all day doctor visit, Tuesday, and by all accounts he is doing great!! Dr. Anamur has told him that he is like a new patient and will have to be medically treated as such. So that means the tests all have to be done over again. And, hopefully, what it also means is that the transplant has put him in an earlier stage of the Myeloma. And that is fantastic news.
Although his day was very long on Tuesday, it was not without pleasure. He had to go back and forth a bit, but when he finally got over to the Cancer Center, and was able to go in and see 'his nurses', he was greeted with tears and hugs and kisses from Theresa, Ellen and Indy (because they all miss him). He's like a celebrity, he is.
Kathy likened her new 'medical' schedule with Dave to 'being on cloud 9'.
What a relief.
Oh the power of those Happy Thoughts!
Marilyn

It's a Turtle's Pace

I had the pleasure of talking to Dave last night. He sounds really great. Aside from some knee pain which he has determined is due to 'overdoing it', he said he feels pretty good. He feels that his medical progress is definitely going forward, as opposed to backward. It's just going 5mph! But luckily, he has learned the art of patience and positive thinking, both of which have helped him be triumphant. His progress is slow, but gaining each day. He has had the pleasure of Olivia's company overnight already, and felt strong enough to drive her home once. So that's huge.
Next Tueday he will be seeing Dr. Anamur, and we will have some proper numbers. But it appears from how he feels, that those numbers will continue to be good.
He and I made a pact to check in with each other on Wednesday's, like we used to before the stem cell transplant, so that I can keep you all up to date on what's going on.
Happy Thoughts Accepted Gratefully,
Marilyn

Getting to the Edge of the Woods

I had an opportunity to speak with Dave yesterday, and he sounds pretty good. I happened to have caught him on a day when he was a little wiped out, because he did a little too much the day before. But, it's nice to report that he was 'able' to do something, (a small workout, changing screens on the porch), even if it means that he feels crummy the next day. He said that he just needs to figure out how much is too much.
It was nice to hear that he was feeling well enough to do something. Hopefully, he is through the worst of this thing. Obviously, time will tell. But it appears, for the moment anyway, that the stem cell transplant is going to work for him. His numbers still remain very good.
No slacking with the Happy Thoughts. He still needs us and as long as we all 'think' they work, they will.
Marilyn

A Small, But Funny, Diversion

Since the beginning of this blog, I have kept us all up to date on Dave's medical, physical and emotional condition. Except for maybe one or two posts, they have all been pretty much related to Multiple Myeloma, compression fractures, purple skin conditions, etc, etc.
Well, not today. Come with me if you will to Las Vegas, where we meet John Pyle, a very good friend of Dave's, who after reading one of the blog posts becomes concerned, as many of you did, about Dave's cold, little, bald head. Well, John decides that since he is taking a business trip to Pakistan, he might as well pick him up a nice little warm turban. But he couldn't find a turban ?? so he makes another choice. John phones Dave's mom from Pakistan to tell her that he can't find a turban and that he has purchased another kind of head covering, but he can't remember what they call it so he tells her that it's the little hat that the organ grinder monkey wears. - a fez. Dave and his mom had quite a giggle over that one and John, wanting to protect his purchase, carried this thing through 4 different airports to get him home safely.
So without further ado, I give you Dave, with his permission, in his new Fez!
He's a Cutie!
Marilyn

Posted by Marilyn Tremblay at 9:30 AM 0 comments

I WANT MY MONKEY

He Sounds Good!

I got a phone call from David today and he sounded pretty darn good. Kathy took him into Boston today for a follow-up visit and the Docs are very impressed with his numbers. They said as far as the Stem Cell Transplant goes, he is still doing quite well. His skin is healing, but slowly. He claims to look like he has a really fantastic tan. Thin, though. But he was optimistic that if he could bulk up like he did before the transplant, then he could do it again. So he is taking baby steps towards gaining weight, bulking up, getting the rest that he needs and just being him again. It was oh so lovely to talk with him, he sounded the same to me, except just a bit pooped.
He apologizes to everyone for not having the strength to get back to each of you who have emailed him or written in the Guest Book or sent snail mail to the house. Not to worry, hang in there, he will get back to you soon.
I wanted you all to rest your head on your pillow tonite with the image of David being 'Good'.
Thanks to your Happy Thoughts.
Marilyn

There's a Light

According to Kathy, there is a tiny light at the end of this tunnel for Dave. He is getting better each day, but it is slow. This morning he did call Moe and have a chat. He said he was feeling good enough to chit-chat with someone, good sign. Kathy sounded pretty up beat on the phone today, also a good sign.
The healing continues.
Keep a happy thought.
Marilyn

It Gets Better and Better.

Well, Dave's coming home tomorrow! The purple skin has turned a 'lighter shade of pale' and he appears to be free of infection. He is still a little bloated, but that is also getting better each day. He's a fast healer. The power of wanting to go home badly enough, I guess.
The Docs are pretty sure that they have isolated the medicine that caused the reaction and they have taken him off of that. He will still have to be pill popping, but not that one!
The folks at Brigham and Women's, although very concerned about this skin problem, are extremly pleased with the way Dave is progressing as a Stem Cell Transplant patient. His blood count numbers continue to improve and that is some really good news. Once he gets all of these annoying, uncomfortable issues out of the way, he should be good. Kathy told me tonite that the Docs are very pleased with his health otherwise.
So, he is on the road to recovery. I will try to keep you informed of his progress at home.
Keep a happy, healthy thought.
Marilyn

The Power of the People

I just got off the phone with Kathy and she is feeling very upbeat tonite because David is getting better!! Woo-Hoo!! She said that the Docs are pretty positive that they are battling an infection and a drug reaction at the same time. Narrowing it down to that has helped them to bring Dave some relief. Kathy said that his arms are not as swollen, and Dave feels that by tomorrow his legs will get back to normal. So, good news tonite!!
He will be in Brigham and Women's probably for the rest of the week, and hopefully they will not send him home until this skin condition has cleared up.
Way to go people, your happy, thoughtful energy went right to the healing process.
Marilyn

He's Got Them All Stumped

Dave has a herd of Specialists, coming in and out all day at Brigham and Women's, and not one of them has been able to get a handle on what is causing his symptoms. The way that Kathy describes him, he sounds like a 'Purple Shrek'. The rash is all over his body, and it's itchy and painful, and now he is swollen again because of the fluids. They would like to try to take him off the anti-biotics to see if he is allergic, but that might have devasting consequences, being that he has little or no immune system. It's a pickle, and still Dave does not complain. He is, incredulously, still the mild mannered, sweet guy that we all know and love-he actually apologizes to Kathy and the medical staff for making them work so hard to care for him. It's amazing that he can maintain his humility in such a chronically frustrating and uncomfortable situation.
We still need to keep it happy, for Dave and for Kathy.
Marilyn

Oh Yeah, They Found Him a Bed at Brigham & Women's

I just got off the phone with Phyllis and she said that they will be transporting David to Brigham and Women's before the night is over. His physician, Rick, and the oncologist, Dr. Ardman both agreed that he needs a more sterile environment. Of course, Dave is not happy about having to go back to Boston, but the rest of us are thankful that they have a bed for him. Hopefully, they will be able to get a handle on this skin and mouth condition. But, in the meantime, they can keep him hydrated.
I will continue to update the Blog as I get info from either Kathy or Phyllis.
Stay tuned.
Keep it coming. Happy Thoughts, that is.
Marilyn