Our Journey Has Ended

Larry passed away last night, October 26, at home surrounded by his wife and children.
This journey was much too short, and as I try to wrap my head around it, I know that he is in a better place.  The kids and I have spent today doing the unthinkable. We picked out his casket and burial plot. It was a really sad thing to do, but we found a beautiful casket that looked just like the furniture in our house. And that made us all feel better.
We were so blessed to have him in our lives. He was a great husband, dad, son, brother and uncle.
Over the last few days, we have heard about a how lucky he was to have us, and we all agree that we were definitely the lucky ones. He never missed a ballgame or a dance recital. If the kids were sick during the night, he was right there with me taking care of them.  Anyone who knew Larry, knew about his kids.
We have spent some time today sharing funny stories about Larry, he was quite a comedian.

A friend of the kids, who knew Larry wrote something this morning that was just perfect:

The streets of heaven are celebrating the arrival of Larry today. I know a wonderful father and loving husband will be missed, but the Lord will be laughing and enjoying his company as much as we all did. Always smiling, always cheerful, always remembered!

Visitation Friday, 10/28 6:00-8:00, First Baptist Church in Madison
Funeral, Saturday 10/29 11:00, First Baptist Church in Madison
Burial in Madison City Cemetery

 

Thank you again for all of the love, prayers and support during our journey. 

God bless Larry

 

October 25

I just realized that it has been 20 days since my last blog. I do apologize, but in those 20 days the whole world is starting to change, and I thought that if I wrote it down, it would make it too real. I was hoping that it would change back.
Let me go back from my last post and start from there.
Larry did have his port put in, and did great with the procedure. His appetite continued to be a major issue. In the time since that last post, he has only eaten part of a boiled egg and about 6 bites of yogurt.
He was still drinking pretty well until last Tuesday morning, when he threw up twice. He had been drinking Carnation Instant Breakfast(which has pretty much the same nutritional value as Ensure, but with a better flavor and consistency.) a couple of times a day until last Tuesday when he threw it up. He said "no more of that". So we were left with coke or sprite as his drinks of choice.
When we went in for new chemo last week, I asked the doctor what this chemo would do for Larry. He said that is was for pain control only. Larry had not responded to the first line chemo(aka the big guns),  Dr Shreeder said that there was little to no chance that the new chemo would be effective for anything more than pain. After the initial shock, I asked the doctor about Larry's prognosis, and he said "months".  We then asked about Larry's other options, and the Dr. said that we could stop all treatment and just let hospice take over, but he wanted us to think about it. They gave him a bag of IV fluids and sent us back home with a follow-up appt for today, which we have since cancelled.
That Tuesday night, while I slept, Larry got up and pulled random stuff from his wallet, spilled about half of a Sprite in the middle of the bed and then lost the bottle itself. I had noticed a decline in his mental state for the weeks prior to this, but when he had no memory of any of it, I knew that the situation had changed. So last Wednesday morning, I called to set up Hospice. Larry and I both agreed that there was no point putting his body through more chemo for no real reason, and I realized that his mental state would not likely improve.
Since last Wednesday, he has been in a steady decline.  Last Thursday evening, I knew it was time to tell our kids and families about the decision to stop treatment.  Those were some really hard phone calls. Our oldest son, Phillip, had not seen Larry since the end of July, and was not prepared for that phone call. The other two kids, Courtney and Chad, live with us, so they had watched the decline. It was gut-wrenching to call his mom and brothers and sisters. After losing his nephew less than 3 months ago, it was so painful to tell them that Larry was not going to make any sort of recovery.   Hospice started last Friday and the first thing I asked for was a hospital bed. I was so concerned that he would get out of our bed and somehow get himself hurt. The "intake team" came in and did an assessment, and then set up delivery of the bed and some oxygen. There is a special place in Heaven for the hospice staff, they made us feel so comforted and loved, even though they were complete strangers.
Since Friday, Larry has gone from sitting in a chair most of the day, to staying in his bed all day yesterday. He did have a rough day yesterday, the nurses came in and gave him a catheter and then another nurse came in and gave him a bath. So he was really worn out, and was pretty much out of it the rest of the day. Since last Friday he was up to 2 Lortab at time, every 4-6 hours, even with the pain patch. Yesterday the nurse changed him to morphine, because he was getting too much Tylenol with the heavy dosing of Lortab. They also told me to put on a second pain patch. The number one priority with Hospice is the comfort of the patient, and to that end, that make sure that pain is controlled.
The one truth about lung cancer is that it doesn't discriminate and that no one ever beats it. Larry was diagnosed so late that he didn't really have a chance. I was thinking the other day, that if there was a survivor's walk for lung cancer, no one would be there.  Lung cancer kills more people, per year, than breast cancer, colon cancer and pancreatic cancer combined. I only wish there was more awareness about the disease. And I wish with all my heart and soul that I didn't have to know all of those statistics.




Please read Courtney's latest post on her blog "The Hoopla". You can find a link at the top of my blog page. It is a very moving post.


Thank you again for all of the love and support.
Please keep Larry in your prayers.

Long Week

It has been a topsy-turvy week for Larry.
He is still really struggling with his appetite, to the point that some days he barely eats at all. And now he isn't drinking enough fluids, causing him to get dehydrated. We went into the E.R. on Saturday evening for a couple of bags of fluid and today into CCI for a bag of fluid.
The radiation really took a hard toll on him. Today was our last radiation treatment, YEAH!!!!!
Tomorrow morning, he goes into the hospital to have a "port" placed in his chest for chemo and blood work. The veins in his arms are just wrecked from all of the needle sticks. The port will make things much less painful for him. He starts new chemo in a couple of weeks, and the port can be used immediately.
The doctor has also given him a pain patch. It gives him consistent pain relief for 3 days and then the patch is changed. Consistency is the key, it is really rough on him when a pain medicine stops working and he has to wait for another one to kick in. It is very much a balancing act.
I guess I have gotten everything caught up for now!
Thanks for the love and support.

Rough Week

Larry has had a really rough time over the last week. The radiation is really kicking him in the pants, but the good news it that he only has 4 more treatments. We will finish next Wednesday.
Larry has had some trouble with medications interacting with each other, which brought on a whole new set of problems. He had several episodes of what the nurse called "hallucinations", I called it talking out of his head. He is on so many pain meds and when you add in medicine for anti-nausea, it is a recipe for trouble. I think we are getting it all worked out, but it was a very worrisome time.
 Larry has lost most of his hair, and is losing more weight than he needs. His appetite is gone and what little he eats doesn't taste good to him. I am hopeful that after the radiation is over, he will get back to normal eating habits.
We will see the oncologist on Tuesday and I think he will have a plan for the next step in his treatment plan.
Thank you again for all of the love and support.

Radiation Week 3

The radiation is going pretty well so far. He is still very exhausted and his appetite is non-existent. They started a 2nd spot on his back yesterday which means that we will go an extra week. My guess is they will finish the brain and the original back spot this week or maybe early next week. Then they will concentrate on this new spot. We will go back to chemo after all of the radiation is over. I am not really sure which is harder on him, the once weekly long chemo days or the daily quick radiation days. Both seem to take a toll, They both wear me out but mainly because I seem to do so much sitting and waiting. I never knew how tiresome it could be to sit in a chair.
Everything else seems to be going well. The kids are doing great. Chad starts his new job tomorrow morning, he is really excited.  Phillip and Casey are doing great in Atlanta and Courtney is enjoying her new school year.
Once again I want thank everyone for their love, support and prayers.

Radiation

Larry started radiation last Wednesday and it seems to be going well. Although, it seems to be kicking him in the pants a lot more than chemo. I think it might be the trip to CCI everyday, although most weeks we go in at least 2 times a week.
He is eating pretty well now. He tries really hard and most of the time he really struggles with getting the food down. He says that nothing tastes the way it should, but if we find something that tastes good to him, we concentrate on that food until he gets sick of it.
Larry's weight is staying stable for the time being. His other tricky thing is that he doesn't drink enough fluids, he tends to sip his drinks instead of gulping them down. This did cause a problem last week, because he got dizzy from being dehydrated. I told him he could get the fluids through his mouth at home, or through his vein at the hospital. Tough love.
Larry had a nerve test done on his leg last week at the neuro surgeons office. He was having trouble lifting his right leg and the test showed that it was a nerve problem due to rapid weight loss.
Everything else is going well around here and I hope all of you are doing well also.
Again, I can't thank you enough for the love and support.

Test Run for Radiation

No chemo for today and no chemo for about 3 weeks. Today we had "dry run" for radiation. We start radiation tomorrow for about 3 weeks, once a day, Monday thru Friday.
Larry gained 3 pounds over the last two weeks. He is doing well with only some back pain now and again. The pain can be controlled with pain meds. His spirits are still very good, although the fatigue seems to be in full force these days. I am in the dark as to what to expect with the radiation. He has had such an easy time with the chemo, I am hopeful that he can get lucky twice.
On Sunday, our little dog, Zorro, was hit and killed by a car. It was such a sad day for us, he was a sweet boy. Beau, our other dog, keeps looking for him. It just hurts my heart for both of them, they were buddies.
The kids are all doing great. All are busy with jobs and/or school. That is the bright spot these days, knowing that the kids are doing well.
I hope all is well with all of you.
Thank you for your love and concern.

August 31, 2011

An update on Larry's recent doctor visits.
He went in to CCI yesterday for a MRI of his brain, no results yet, maybe on Tuesday. Also met with Dr. McCarty, radiology oncologist, and he explained how the radiation will work. Basically, once a day, 5 times a week, for 3 weeks.
Today we met with the neurosurgeon who didn't feel that surgery on Larry's back would be a good idea, that radiation would be the better choice.
We should find out for sure tomorrow about the radiation, but for now we have an appt on Friday to get 
marked for radiation.
Otherwise, Larry is still doing quite well, his back is giving him some pain, but that is about the worst of it. He seems to be eating much better, another good thing.
Thanks and love to all.

Chemo Day, August 23

Larry is still doing quite well, although the chemo seems to be taking its toll on his energy level. He is always tired now. But that is the worst of the side effects, so far.
Today's treatment was the last in cycle 3, next week we go in for a brain MRI and consults with the neurosurgeon and radiology oncologist. Those appointments are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. We are also hoping that Larry can get a port for his  treatments.His poor arms have just been so beat up by all of the blood draws and i.v.'s., and we know we will have at least 3 more cycles of chemo.
Larry also gained just over 2 pounds last week, which makes everyone happy.
Thank you for all of the thoughts and prayers.

Chemo Day and more test results.

Larry has had a good week, he is eating well but doesn't have much energy.
We went in for chemo today, he had lost 2 pounds last week, but all of his blood work is good.
The MRI results showed that Larry has a compression fracture on his spine. We knew he had a "spot" on his spine, and apparently the spot has weakened the bone and caused the fracture. We will see a neurosurgeon for a consult for a possible surgery. We will also meet with the radiation oncologist to determine when he will begin radiation.
So last week's good news about the tumors shrinking was somewhat dampened by the MRI results. But as Dr. Shreeder told Larry today, "You look really good for a guy that is as sick as you are". And to me, Larry still looks quite healthy, even with the weight loss.
More next week.
Good night to all!!!

Chemo and Good Test Results

Sorry again for the long lapse in blogging.
After my lost blog about Larry's nephew dying, we just felt so sad. A week later my cousin died from cancer that she had battled for 13 years. God bless them and their children and families.
As for Larry, he is doing well, all things considered. He is eating better and is more upbeat. We had last week off from chemo, but did go in Friday for a ct scan. And the fantastic news is that the tumors, both the lung and adrenal glands, have SHRUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is a spot on his spine that the doctor wants to investigate, so Larry had a MRI this afternoon after his chemo.
Funny, we were both so worried about the ct scan results, but didn't really talk to the other about our fears. I guess it is the theory that if you speak the words, it might make it real? At any rate, we were both so relieved to get the good news. We are still a little concerned about the MRI results. But since we have to wait until next Tuesday, hopefully we can just bask in the good news that we have now.
Larry did gain a pound this time, which is good. His blood counts are still very good and blood SAT level is still remarkable(97-100%).
And once again, I have to mention that the all of the folks at CCI are just fantastic!!!
Thanks for all of the prayers and good thoughts.
Good night to all!!!!!!!

A Sad Day for Larry's Family

Last night, Larry's nephew, Aaron Thrasher, passed away from injuries he sustained in a car accident.
Aaron has 3 children, Jake, Riley, and Reece, they will miss their daddy. Aaron's mom, Jeff Murphy, is Larry's older sister.
Please keep our family in your prayers.

Chemo, July 26

Great news for Larry, he didn't lose any weight last week. Instead, he gained a pound, which doesn't sound like much, but the fact that he didn't lose anymore was fantastic.
He has had a good week and he is trying his hardest to eat more and moving around as much as possible, which are good things. He still hasn't thrown up the first time and still has all of his hair.
We are off next week, I can't believe how fast this chemo cycle flew by. He goes in next Friday for a CT scan of his chest, abdomen and pelvis. The worst part of it is the contrast liquid that he has to drink before the scan. Two big bottles of "berry" flavored liquid. Yuck!!!! We will go back the following Tuesday to see the doctor, get results and have chemo. Depending on the results of the scan, his chemo will be adjusted accordingly. I am cautiously optimistic, he is doing so well, I am hoping it is carrying thru to the chemo treatments.
All else is well with our family. We are just hoping and praying that we have good news from the scan.
Good night to all!!

Chemo Day, July 19

Hello again. I guess I will just blog on chemo days and/or when there are big changes. I just can't seem to get my act together to write like I should. But on the other hand, just remember that no news is good news!!
Today we went in for chemo. We went in at about 10:30 and got out at about 1:30, which is about the normal time frame.  Larry lost 8 pounds last week, not good. His protein count is low as well. So he is to eat, eat, eat. and exercise as much as possible. The eating is actually the tough part now. If anyone has any suggestions for things that he might like, I would love to hear it.
Other than that, Larry had a very good week. He seems to have the back thing just about cured. There is still a little discomfort, but not so bad that he needs pain meds.
Thank you again for all of the love and support!!
Good night!

Tuesday, July 12

Again I must apologize for the long absence in posting to my blog.
Larry is doing well, but had a rough week last week. Apparently, the blood clot in his left lung was causing some nerve trouble and making him have what he thought was a "catch" under his shoulder blade.  I was very afraid the cancer had spread to that side. Sunday night he was in so much pain that he literally could not move off of the bed. So we went to CCI yesterday morning and got him checked out. After a chest x-ray, the doctor determined that it was the blood clot causing the issue. He is on anti-inflammatory medicine for a while and pain med and muscle relaxers until the
pain gets better. I can't tell you how relieved I was yesterday, I had worried about it for at least a week and it was so good to get good news. The x-ray also showed that there has been no change since his May x-ray which was more good news.We went back to CCI for chemo today. It was a long afternoon, but uneventful.  He will have another ct scan in about 2 weeks to see it the chemo is working.
Other than all of that, everything has been pretty good. Chad finally made it home last week, Courtney is enjoying her last couple of weeks before school starts back and Phillip and Casey are working hard in Atlanta.
Good night to all!!

Finally Back!!

Sorry for the long delay since my last post.
Larry is still about the same as last week. Although he is eating better, apparently the new "appetite-enhancing" medicine has kicked in!! I thought he would never stop saying "What do you have in there to eat?" But  I am just happy that he wants to eat.
We had a pretty dull weekend and holiday. We just hung around the house, it was way too hot to do much else. The hot, heavy, humid air is really hard on Larry, so he stays in all of the time.
We were off from chemo today, which was nice. I think the break has been good for Larry.
Our youngest child, Chad, will finally be coming home from Auburn tomorrow. He hasn't been home since before Larry was diagnosed. It will be good to have him home.
Good night to all!

Wednesday, June 29

Today was a good day for Larry, and he is still feeling well after the chemo. We went out and ran a few errands this afternoon and then went out for supper. He was able to keep up with me quite well. I tend to walk really(too) fast, and so I am learning to slow down for him.

We are looking forward to the holiday weekend. I don't think we have anything planned, except a trip to the farmer's market for some fresh fruits and vegetables. It is a good sign that Larry is anxious to eat fresh squash, corn and tomatoes.
Good night to all!!

Chemo #3

Larry and I went in for his treatment this afternoon. We met with the nurse practitioner this week instead of the doctor, which was great. She gave us more info about Larry's labwork.
And the good news from the visit today is that Larry didn't lose any weight this last week and his blood work is still very good. Yeah!!!
He is still not eating like I think he should, but hopefully this will improve as they adjust some of the medications.
He is still pretty tired most of the time, but  I am going to try and get him out of the house more. I think that inactivity doesn't help him keep his strength up.  Next week is our "week off" from chemo, and will give his body a rest from the chemo and then he starts back the next week. His chemo schedule for now is 3 weeks of treatment and then one week off.
I can't begin to thank everyone for their love, support and concern for Larry. It has really helped us during our journey.
Good night  to all!!!

Monday, June 27

I think that the chemo is starting to take its toll on Larry. He has had a lot more fatigue this last week. His appetite kind of comes and goes, I am anxious to see if he has lost anymore weight.
Tomorrow is chemo treatment number 3. He is on steroids and I can tell a big difference in him. The steroids make him much more energetic. He was actually cracking jokes at dinner tonight. It was great to see him cutting up with us.
Hopefully, tomorrow will go as well as the other treatments. It will be another long afternoon at CCI, we can never get out of there in under 3.5 hours.
I will update tomorrow night!!
Good night to all.

Saturday, June 25

Today was a quiet day. Larry was feeling really tired, I think the chemo is catching up with him. He seemed better this evening, a little more "chipper". So far, that is the only sign that he is taking chemo, just the fatigue.
I worked in the yard and Courtney started a new project of painting a little iron bistro set, table and 4 chairs. She is very creative and talented and the table and chairs turned out just beautiful!!
Larry's family came over for a visit this afternoon. His mom made his favorite, Cream Puffs!!! It was good to see his family and spend some time with them.
Good night to all.

Friday, June 24

Larry has had a good couple of days. He seems more tired, but that is to be expected. He is trying to eat better and doing a pretty good job.
Still none of the common side effects from chemo. He is not as chipper as last week, but still doing amazing. I am hoping that this trend does not go away.
I am looking forward to a good weekend with Larry and Courtney and my mom. I am going to try and knock-out a few things on my to-do list. We will see how that turns out!!
Thanks again for all of the love and support.
Good night to all.

Wednesday, June 22

Today was another good day for Larry. The chemo seems to zap his energy, but so far no nausea or throwing up. His attitude and sense of humor have stayed the same throughout this whole ordeal.
He has noticed that on these hot, humid days, that he cannot stay outside for very long at all. It is just too difficult to breathe.
My mom is still staying with us and I expect her to stay until Saturday or Sunday. She is starting to realize that she had major surgery 2 days ago. She is very sore and has a good deal of pain and discomfort.

Good night to all!!!

Second Chemo Treatment

Today was Larry's second chemo treatment. And so far, so good. No nausea or any of the other side effects. Yeah!! He has lost some weight since last week, so they gave him some medication to help his appetite. Hopefully, it will help, or maybe he needs a new cook!!!

Update: My mom was discharged from the hospital today. She will stay with us until I feel she is strong enough to be alone. She is doing great, all things considered, and will continue to improve every day.

It was nice to be home tonight and not be split between home and the hospital. I actually cooked dinner and a very sweet friend brought us a couple dozen homemade cupcakes, chocolate and vanilla. They are as beautiful as they are delicious. Larry loves cupcakes because they are just the right size.

I am very hopeful that Larry will continue to do well after his treatments. As I have said before, if you didn't know that he was sick, you wouldn't be able to tell he was sick. I am still just amazed and happy about that.
Good night to all.

A long weekend

I must apologize for not blogging since last Thursday. I have been very busy.
Since Friday afternoon, my mom has been in the E.R., the stroke unit, surgery, ICU, and now the vascular surgery unit. She had a nearly completely blocked carotid artery. The surgery took care of it and I expect her to be released within a couple of days. Another pleasant experience at Huntsville Hospital. They have given my mom the best care and attention, and that is so important.
I have heard it said that God never gives us more than we can handle, but I think he has me confused with someone else!!! 
And now about Larry, he has had a rough weekend, but I think it has a lot do with me being gone more than home all weekend. I made sure to be home at 8 p.m. every evening for his injection, but the rest of the weekend I  was between the house and the hospital. Hopefully, things will get back to normal very soon. He has his second chemo treatment tomorrow morning. I have my fingers crossed that it will be as easy as the first one. He will only have one drug this time, so at least it will be a little quicker.
He has been in the house since Friday, so I will be happy to get him out and about. We really enjoy our time together and have a lot of laughs and fun.
Time for bed. I promise to update tomorrow night about the chemo. Please keep fingers crossed for him!!
Good night to all!

Second Day After Chemo

I am very pleased to say that Larry has had another good day!!!
Larry, Courtney and I met some of my work friends for lunch today. We ate at Terranova's which is  my personal favorite.
I went into work for the afternoon and Larry stayed home with Courtney. Larry and his brothers made it to their planned dinner at Po'Boy Factory.
Today marks 4 weeks since the diagnosis, which is hard to believe. I think it is all sinking in for us. Life has changed, the focus is on keeping Larry as healthy as possible. And most of the time, he is quite cooperative,  most of the time!! I am just thankful everyday that Larry is still as healthy as he can be. If you didn't know that he was sick, then you wouldn't know that he was sick. I am very hopeful that it keeps up. He looks that healthy, which is a blessing.

Good night to all.

Chemo-the day after

Good news again. Larry is still doing great. No evidence of the chemo at all. He had a some trouble getting to sleep last night, so he took a Lunesta, then he slept fine. The steroids were the cause of the sleeplessness. It is my guess that he will need another Lunesta tonight. He took his last steroid tonight, so that should all settle down by tomorrow night.
Larry and Courtney went to buy him a wide-brimmed hat, he has to be completely covered if he spends anytime in the sun. We are planning on going to a t-ball game Saturday, and we know it will be sunny and hot.
Hopefully, tomorrow will be as good as today because Larry has plans to go out to supper with his brothers tomorrow night. They are going to Po'Boy Factory and Larry is very excited!!
Thank you again for all of the love and support.
Good night.

Chemo

Good news.
Larry had his first chemo treatment today and I am very happy to report that he is doing great!!! He said that he doesn't feel like he has had any kind of medicine. He was pre-dosed with anti-nausea medicine and a dose of steroids. He is also taking oral steroids until tomorrow night. He may not sleep too well tonight, but that will work itself out.
The chemo appt took most of the afternoon, we arrived at noon and left sometime after 4:30. There are many steps; labwork, doctor visit, and then the chemo treatment itself. He was on two different drugs today that have to be administered one at a time. The nurse educated us while she worked on his i.v.  There is a lot of important information that we have to know. Luckily, they gave us lots to read, because I guess we had that "deer in the headlights" look. We will learn it and get thru it.
We go back next Tuesday for the next treatment. Keeping my fingers crossed that the rest of the week is as good as today!!
Larry came home and had shrimp stir-fried rice for supper, which he devoured. He ate better than he has in a while, again the magic of steroids. He didn't lose any weight since his last weight check on Friday, which is a good thing.
He is a trouper and spends most of his time teasing the nurses. He did tell me that I do officialy have the "home nurse" position. Boy, that was close!
Good night to all.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Tomorrow is the big day. We go in for chemo at 12:00, should be done by about 3:00. I have been thinking that we need a book like "Cancer for Dummies", because we are so in the dark as to what to really expect. I have heard all kinds of experiences from mild to rather severe. I guess we will know soon enough.
Larry is doing really well today, probably because he started pre-chemo steroids today. We had a busy day, trying to get things done before tomorrow. He was able to keep up better than usual, again the steroids working their magic. The swelling in his arm and leg are somewhat better, and his cough seems to come and go at will. I think one of the hardest things is finding food that tastes good to him. It is so important for him to eat well, but his taste buds are kind of out of whack.
He really enjoys all of the emails and phone calls. He says he never knew how many people liked him until now. And we are constantly amazed at all of the people who read our blog. Please take the time to sign up for being a follower, as he would love to know who all is reading.
Thanks again for all of the love and support, it means so much to our family. I promise to write tomorrow night and let everyone know how chemo went for him.
Good night to all.

Finally, A treatment plan.

Today was the day to meet with the doctor and get a plan of action. We start chemo on Tuesday, and that will be his day every week.
Larry had a rough day yesterday and an even rougher evening and early night. The swelling and pain in his arm is still there, and now his left leg is swelling. He had a low grade fever last night, but woke up around midnight and the fever had was gone and he was covered in sweat. He told me that he felt much better after that and today. He is a trouper and makes it all look so easy.
I keep hoping that someone will shake me and wake me up from this bad dream, but no luck so far. I have such anger that it took so long to diagnose him, even though we have had many trips to the doctor since this began last fall. Somehow, Larry isn't angry at all. 
Larry really enjoys calls and messages, I think he gets tired of the old ball and chain. If you would like to give him a call or email, his cell number is 256-682-9075, his email is lpw3@live.com.
And on that same note, if you call, text or email me and I don't respond, please be patient with me. Some days I just don't have the strength to  respond to anyone except Larry.
Once again, I want to tell everyone how much we appreciate the outpouring of love for Larry and our family.
Good night to all.

Wednesday Evening

Today turned out to be a pretty good day for Larry. He got thru the MRI without any trouble. His cellulitis keeps improving, ever so slowly. But he did feel a lot better today, which is the important thing.
Tomorrow is the PET scan and it requires an altered diet tonight and nothing to eat or drink after 7 in the morning.
I am both anxious and scared about the dr appt on Friday. It will be good to finally, after almost 9 months, to have very definitive diagnosis, but on the other hand, that diagnosis will not be a good thing.
I have spent some time at Clearview Cancer Institute(aka CCI), and have been very pleased with the entire place. All of the staff seemed to be very cheerful and helpful. We will be spending a lot of time there and it is nice to know it is a great place.
Good night to all.

Wednesday, June 8

Sorry that I am slacking on the blog. Sometimes I am just too tired to get to it.
We had our appt with the oncologist yesterday afternoon. We both really liked him and his attitude.
Larry has a brain MRI and blood work today, a PET scan tomorrow and Friday we go back to see the dr to go over results.  If all is favorable, he should start chemo Monday or Tuesday.

His cellulitis is rough for him, as it is painful. We almost ended up in the ER last night because he started running a fever, only 100 degrees, but any higher and we were on our way! I gave him some Tylenol and the fever went away. I am hopeful that the Keflex will kick in today and the cellulitis will get better.
Have a great day!!!

Monday, June 6

Larry seems to be feeling a little more tired. And a new wrinkle, he has cellulitis in his right arm. He started Keflex tonight and should be okay fairly quick.
Tomorrow is the day we have been waiting for what seems like months, but is has only been a couple of weeks. We are anxious to see what the oncologist has to say. The good thing is that no matter who we talk to about the new doctor, he always gets rave reviews. There is great comfort in that.
 Good night.

Saturday, June 4

Larry is still having pretty good days, although the cough is trying to come back and he seems to get winded much easier.
We went to see "Bridesmaids" today. It was a cute movie and I enjoyed it, but Larry didn't. We grilled hamburgers for supper tonight.
The appointment with the oncologist was moved from Tuesday morning to Tuesday afternoon. I am anxious to get in there and see what kind of plan he has for Larry.
Enjoy the weekend.
Good night.

Thursday, June 2

Today has been a pretty good day. Although it seems that Larry has been coughing a lot more today. Not as bad as before, but still aggravating for him.
We went to Publix this afternoon and the girls in the pharmacy were so thrilled to see Larry. They hugged on him and told him to be strong and that he was in their prayers. I think he was surprised at how happy there were to see him.
I am hoping that we both sleep better tonight. I spend most of the night checking on him to see if he is resting okay and he sleeps pretty light so  I probably disturb him. It is kind of like when you are in the hospital and the nurse comes in to wake you up to see if you are sleeping!
Hoping tomorrow is another good day and that the coughing today was just a fluke.
 Good Night to all!!!

Wednesday

It is hard to believe how much life has changed in 2 weeks. Two weeks ago, we knew that Larry had a mass and were dealing with the possibility that he would need a lung removed. Not at all prepared for what was to come the next day.
I guess it is sinking in, but still hard to comprehend.
Larry is still doing quite well. Still eating and sleeping well, and the cough is still minimal.
We had to go in to the lab and get his blood checked to make sure the blood thinners are working. We won't find out until we go to the oncologist on Tuesday.
Good night to all.

Memorial Day 2011

I am very happy to report another great day for Larry. We stayed at home all day and just relaxed.
He is planning on going into work tomorrow morning. So that will be a big change to our new schedule. We have been just sleeping until we wake up with no alarms. We still get up at a decent time, but I think that we both need all of the rest we can get.
Tyler will be with us tomorrow, which will be nice. He keeps us laughing with his antics and he is such a sweet child you could eat him with a spoon!!
Good night to all.

Sunday

Another good day for Larry. He is still resting and eating well.
We mainly stayed around the house today, too hot to do much else.
Larry's mom and niece and great-nephew came over for a visit this afternoon. It was a nice visit, although I was a little embarrassed that they woke us up from naps in front of the t.v. I am sure it bothered me more than it bothered them! Later my sister-in-law Janice came over and brought us a yummy supper!!
Larry drove for the first time today since before he went into the hospital. No other reason for stopping except being lazy, his words not mine. Now that the cough has subsided, he can drive without fear of a coughing fit.
It is still surreal to me, I look at Larry and just can't believe that he is as sick as he is. I guess the reality is slowly sinking in, but he looks better than he has in a long time. Crazy, crazy, crazy.
Good night to all.

Saturday

Today was another good day!!
Larry went to lunch with his brother Grif at PoBoy Factory. A favorite of Larry and his brothers.
His mom and sister came over this afternoon and his mom brought  him cream puffs that she made for him. So Larry had a great food day right until I dragged him to Zaxby's. He hates chicken, says he can taste feathers. Oh well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad!!
We came home and watched "The King's Speech", a good movie.
 These good days are so nice, he is eating well and getting lots of rest. This will help him when chemo starts.
Good night to all.

One week later

Last Friday was Larry's birthday and the day we found out he has lung cancer.
Since then, Larry and I have tried to keep our chins up. Not always easy, but it is the only way we will get thru this journey.
Larry had another good day. He had to go and have blood drawn to see if the shots were effective. And they were because we can stop them for now. And that was my one thing to threaten him!!!
We went to his office and several people told him that he looked much better than before he went in the hospital. He also feels better now than before the hospital.He really enjoyed seeing his work buddies.We went to lunch and he ate really well.
His cough has been absent most of the day, but did resurface later in the day. I sure hope it was just a fluke, we haven't missed that cough! He was tired earlier than usual, maybe too much running around? Tomorrow maybe a "take it easy" kind of day.
I guess that is all of the news of the day.
Thanks for sharing our journey with us.

Better Day x3. Fantastic!!!!

The title says it all. Larry had another great day today. He is well rested and eating well. Both things important to get him in good shape before chemo starts. His cough was also minimal, too.
We decided to go with a different doctor at Clearview Cancer Institute. He comes highly recommended and I think it is a good thing.
Everyone is so kind to us. It just makes my heart swell at all of the love we have been shown. And if I haven't told someone how much I appreciate you...I really appreciate every kind word, every gift, every bite of food. We are truly blessed to have such great friends.
I guess I will keep this one short and sweet. I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.
Good night and sweet dreams!!

A Better Day x2. Hooray!!

Today has been a very good day for Larry. He woke up well rested and has hardly coughed all day.
Not sure why he hasn't coughed, except that he started on Naproxen last night. That is the only change and it has made a world of difference for him.
We went out today and ran some errands and grabbed a bite to eat. It was great to spend time with him and know that he was feeling good. He has felt so rotten for so long, it was good to see him feeling good.
We talked today about the oncologist that we have and decided that he was not the dr for us. I am sure he is a good doctor, but he didn't seem to have Larry's well being as a priority. So we will figure out where to go, probably another doctor at Clearview.
Hopefully tomorrow will be better day x3!
Good night to all.

A better day

Today was almost like normal. Larry and I both slept well last night. I actually had to wake him around 8 for his shot. I hated to wake him because he was sleeping soundly on his back.
He was much more himself today and was able to shower and trim his beard. Sounds so simple, but it is a good sign.
I bought him an electric razor today. Because of the blood thinners, he cannot use a wet razor. He is not that thrilled about it, but it will do the job.
I went into the office for a few minutes today and was able to talk and hold it together.
I am tired tonight so I will stop here.
And tomorrow my title will be "A better day x 2".

Home

Today Larry was released from the hospital. The whole thing really wore him out.
We met with the doctors today. Not much new really, the oncologist said we will start chemo in 2 weeks
and the lung dr. told us that he would see us in about 3 months.
It is nice to be home and I will be happy to sleep in our nice, comfy bed. Larry took a nap when we got home and said the bed felt so good. I think that hospital bed was making both of us miserable.
After we got him settled I ran out to get his prescriptions filled at our usual pharmacy. Everyone knows us and it just broke my heart to tell them about Larry. He is such a  cut-up and they all love him.
I am still really struggling to make sense of all that has happened in the last 5 days. Larry seems to be coping as well as can be expected. He was on the couch and he was cutting up with Courtney and Will(her boyfriend) and it just seemed so normal. But it wasn't.
Today has been hell, I can only hope that we both get some good sleep tonight and tomorrow will be a better day.

Sunday

I missed blogging yesterday, it was just not a good day. Larry was okay, actually perkier than he had been in a long time. But I was a mess. And I just didn't want to think about "it" for a while.
My son Phillip and his wife Casey came home from Atlanta. It was great to have them here. Phillip stayed with Larry last night so that I could home and get some sleep. And a shower.
We have had lots of friends and family to come and see us. Larry really enjoys that and even though talking wears him out, he loves seeing everyone.
We are supposed to go home tomorrow, but Larry has been running a fever and I think that might keep us here until they determine the cause.
Tomorrow, we will meet with the oncologist and get more details on Larry's treatment plan.
He has been up and walking yesterday and today, which is good. He got up late last night to go to the bathroom and got light-headed, luckily he called Phillip and he caught him just as he passed out and got him back in the bed, safely. Larry told me that he thinks he just got up too fast and didn't give himself time to get steady. Luckily, he was not injured at all.
Yesterday, they started bringing Larry a bottle of Ensure with his tray of food. He was not willing to eat the hospital food and I worried that he was not getting any nourishment. So he drinks the Ensure and doesn't even complain about it!
I am sure the staff at the hospital thinks it is strange when they walk in the room and I am laying beside Larry on his bed. It a a great comfort to both of us, and the chairs here are murder on my back.
Everyone has been kind and caring, and we are so grateful.  It is almost five and I have to give Larry his injection of blood thinner.
He has told me that he is interviewing other candidates for his "home nurse" and that I better not take it for granted that he will pick me. I say "Bring It On". He is such a comedian.
That's all for now.

Larry's Birthday Part 2

It is Friday night. Larry and I are here in his hospital room, alone. I sent Courtney home to get some rest.
More new vocabulary words this afternoon. The important one is ADENO CARCINOMA. That is the type of lung cancer that Larry has. The oncologist said it was the "best" lung cancer to have, as it is a slow growing cancer. He said that Larry has had the cancer since his symptoms started, which began in September, 2010. He will begin chemo in about 2 weeks. The plan is that he will be released on Monday and they are hoping to get his breathing and coughing in better shape.
We have had lots of friends and family to visit with us. Larry is well loved wherever he goes, and it really shows now.
My tears seem to be getting a little better, or maybe exhaustion has taken over.
I felt bad earlier when I was having a crying spell, and Larry saw me and then we were both crying. It was a touching and heartbreaking at the same time. I have tried to hide my tears, but sometimes it just doesn't happen.
I know we will get through this, but as I had said before life changes on a dime. We just need to get over the shock and just move forward.
I have to give high praise to the staff at the hospital, they have been so kind and helpful.
I guess I will stop for tonight. Tomorrow is a new day.
Good night.

Happy Birthday Larry

So today is May 20, 2011 and it is Larry's 61st Birthday.
It is another beautiful day and our whole world is upside down. And still I cry.
I cry for Larry, I cry for our kids, I cry for his family.
I cry because I just don't know what else to do.
I am sort of a control freak. And I have no control at all.
I don't have any clue what the next hour will bring for us. Or the next day, etc.
Larry askes me questions about what the doctors have told him, and he seems calm and almost accepting.
He loves to flirt and tease the nurses. So he keeps us in smiles and laughter with his wicked sense of humor.
He is not in any pain. And his cough is actually better. His breathing is still labored.
For now, we are in a holding pattern.
It is only 10:25 in the morning and I feel like we have been awake for days.
I will stop for now. Hopefully for my next post, I will have some idea about his treatment plan.

Kicked in the gut.

I guess the title says it all. Life can change in a split second.
Larry  and I  have raised three beautiful children, and made a good life for ourselves.We have both been healthy for the most part, until now.
Larry developed a rather nasty sinus infection just before Labor Day, 2010. After a couple of rounds of antibiotics, he was better except for a nagging cough. He had a chest x-ray in October, it was clear. Still the cough persisted. We thought it might be sinus related, so in January 2011, Larry had sinus surgery, or as I call it, he had his sinuses Roto-Rootered. Still the cough persisted. In mid February, he started having shortness of breath occasionally and he was having a hard time working because he was so tired all of the time. By this time the cough was not only persisant, it was constant.With one exception, as soon as he laid down in bed at night, the coughing stopped. Completely stopped.
After many frustrating doctor's visits and feeling hopeless, we found out about a Lung Doctor who was supposed to be the best in town. He was the first doctor that I felt was on our side. After the first appointment, even though he only talked to us and did a minimal exam, I felt like we were finally on the right track.
He wanted Larry to come back on Monday, May 16 for a Pulmonary Function Test in his office. The test confirmed that he did not have asthma. So that same afternoon, he ordered a new chest x-ray and VQ scan(this checks for blood flow and air flow in the lungs), We went back to his office on Wednesday and he showed us the x-ray. Larry had a mass on his right lung. Dr. Smith said he needed to see this better and sent us for a CT scan the next day. He also planned on performing a bronchoscopy
after the CT scan, so that he could biopsy the mass.
So on a beautiful Thursday morning, we went in to the the CT scan. I guess we should have known something was not good after the tech told Larry that the dr had already called wanting to know about the scan.
From the scan we went to have the bronchoscopy. They took Larry back and I waited and wandered around until finally I saw Dr. Smith coming toward me. Lets just say he should not play poker. I read the look in his face and knew it was bad.
And it was really bad. Larry had a tumor on his right lung that was pressing on his airway passage. This was not something that could be surgically removed. And then the dr told me that he has a blood clot in his left lung and that he would be admitting Larry to the hospital.
Suddenly, I felt like I was in the worst nightmare and couldn't wake up.
New vocabulary words like chemotherapy, radiation, oncologists, blood thinners, and cancer.
I had known there was something wrong with him, I just didn't really see this coming. No one has a cough for 7 months and shortness of breath for 3 months without something being wrong.
Back in the waiting room, I fell apart. I didn't know what to do and who I should call first.
I called my mom. And after that it kind of blurs.
Our kids knew that Larry was sick and that we were getting tests done, but they had no idea of the bomb I would drop on them. Tears fill my eyes now as I think about the sound of their voices on the phone. Phillip lives in Atlanta with his wife Casey. Courtney lives with us and is school teacher. Chad is at Auburn and had just started a 6 week marine biology class down at Dauphin Island.
Then I had to call Larry's brother, Dan. Larry's family knew he was having some trouble and knew also about the tests we were having done. But I don't think they had any clue about what they were going to hear.
I cried so much that afternoon and evening, I thought I couldn't cry anymore. But I could. And I did.
I just couldn't make sense of any of it. I still can't understand how that beautiful day could have turned so upside down. I went back over the whole day just trying to figure out what in the hell was going on. I just could not wrap my head around it.
Courtney and I stayed with Larry at the hospital. It was a rough night and I don't think any of us got more than a few very short naps. And the night seemed to drag on forever.