SATURDAY - DECEMBER 29, 2012

We are having a great Christmas and New Year's.  Christmas eve with Joyse who served wonderful fondue,   arrival of All kids, grand and regular, on Christmas Day, and we had the traditional dinner for 14.  Glad we have the new room.  Since then we have been hiking and trying to walk off any unwanted lbs.  Cam and kids left this morning and Amy and Kevin will depart tomorrow.  Amy and Kevin's friends from Houston, Roger and Catherine, came to visit and are staying at the Inn at Brevard.  Good to see them. 

I am doing fine and cells seem to be hanging in there.  The loss of weight which was caused by fluid retention has really given me energy and a normal existence.

Happy New Year and may 2013 be good for all of you.

"There must be an APP for a cure for AML".  Doug

SUNDAY - DECEMBER 23, 2012

"Ain't it funny how time slips away?"    I thought Christmas was on Wednesday so spending this afternoon catching up instead of watching the Redskins! Also got to buy some new britches as what used to hold them up is gone.

We have had a great week.   Scott Johnson, NGC friend, visited from VA Beach. Sure is good to see old friends.  Friday, we had a wonderful Christmas Party on our new Carolina room with our Brevard friends.  I have a new group to tell old stories to.  Most old friends had heard them several times.

Doc says all counts are good for now.  We are hopeful that all will remain good for the next Duke visit in Jan. 

Ali, Joyse's daughter will be here tonight and we will celebrate her 29th birthday.  It is going to be great to have this family together.

IN summary, I am very blessed to have a wonderful family, which will be here by Christmas night,  wonderful relatives, and friends who contact us often. 

"God bless us, everyone."   Tiny Tim

Merry Christmas

Saturday - December 16, 2012

We visited Duke this week in Durham and, no, Coach K did not summon me for advice.  However, the latest plan on treatment is for me to have one more round of chemo via stomach shots which will begin on 7 January 2013.  After that, I will go back to Duke on 16 Jan and have another bone marrow biopsy which should give us information on whether the leukemia cells are down to less than 5%.  If not, I will get more chemo through an IV at the hospital for 30 days (5 days of doses and 25 days of recovery monitoring).  Either way, I will then consult with the Bone Marrow Transplant Team who will decide if I am a viable candidate.  When the transplant which takes only a couple of days is complete, I will stay near the hospital for at least 90 days for daily monitoring.  We understand that various apartments or condoes are available for use for patients being monitored.

An interesting, to me, side effect of medication that I been taken to relieve the fluid retention which was putting pressure on the heart is that I have lost 25 pounds and have good energy and no shortness of breath.  Guess I will have to start taking out the garbage again. 

So, we have a plan.  

 

Jane, Joyse, and I went over to Asheville last night to see Ike perform at Asheville Gymnastics where he coaches and participates in their Adult Gymnastics Program.  It was a great show with all gymnasts included.  Ike did a solo floor exercise performance which was as good if not better as he performed while in high school.  His routine included a double and other impressive flips which resulted in gasps from the crowd.  His still ring performance was also impressive as he has really gotten his body in shape.  We all had dinner at Tupelo Honey Cafe after the performance.  At 31, he might want to slow down the show a little, but he has certainly still has the talent.

Here is a picture of skinny Doug/Papa with hair.

"Pray for intestanal fortitude, work hard, and keep the faith.  Oh and pray for good luck, you're going to need it."  Jerry Reid, Musician

Saturday - December 8, 2012

SUMMARY:

"MWM (Married white male) ; age 68; two artificial knees, one good - one not so good; one bad right rotator cuff; healthy installed pig valve and one bypass; full head of hair;  diagnosed with leukemia - currently answers to name of Lucky.  Any takers?"

Last week there was some concern about fluid retention and harm to the heart.  But there is good news from the cardiologist.  After three days at Mission Hosp for fluid withdrawal and removal the Echo cardiogram shows improved lung effusion and greatly improved heart pumping function up from 20% to 45%, normal is 55%. Now after this "toad in the road", we can go back to concentrating on AML.  BTW I have lost 25lbs with the aid of Lasik.  We will visit Duke on Tuesday to discuss future treatment possibly to begin in mid-January.

It is good to be back on track and I am feeling alot more normal.  Yesterday, we went out and cut fresh Christmas trees on a mountain-side outside of Brevard for us and Joyse.  The smell of blue spruce in the Carolina Room starts our Christmas Season. 

QUESTION:  "If you could live forever, would you and why?"

ANSWER:  "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever."  (Miss Alabama, 1994 Miss Universe Pageant)

SATURDAY - DECEMBER 1, 2012

It has been an interesting few days.  Last Wednesday Jane and I visited Leukemia doctor at Duke.  She would like for me to go for another  round of chemo at Duke beginning Jan 15 and last once again about 30 to 40 days, However, she was more concerned about my fluid retention so our Brevard Hematologist sent us to Mission Hosp on Thursday for fluid removal around lungs and belly.  After seeing how much fluid I had, he recommended that I be admitted for further fluid treatment so that I "could be dried out completely."  That could be misinterpreted.

The fluid as it turns out is coming from the heart so I have some new drugs and continuing the fluid withdrawal through meds.  I was given an echo cardiogram which showed a leak in the mitralvalve.  The replaced aortic valve is in good shape but because of the leak my heart is not pumping as hard as it should,  The new meds are supposed to heal.  Just a toad in the road to the other treatment.  For those who want to know the new drugs are Aldactone and Diovan.  It is possible that previous chemo may have caused the heart problem.  This is  officially called Congestive Heart Failure,  but this family does not recognize the term "failure" so let's ignore it or call it something else as it is easily curable with drugs.

Jane and Joyse have been great even though they left yesterday to host "Girls on Grapes" which is a great crew of women in Brevard whom we have met.    The porch is complete so it was a great place to party.

"I hope I didn't bore you too much with my life story" Elvis Aaron Presley