July 13 8:45 pm GREAT NEWS The Dr. appointment went really well today. First off, Michael does not get the tube
removed because the tumor is still slightly compressing on the kidney. That is the bad news...he was really disappointed
about that...But...everything else is "tremendous" as Dr. Pan says. The tumor in his body cavity that was the size of a
football in late May is now 1/3 that size. That means in 2 chemo treatments, it is more than half gone! The testicle tumor
is 1/2 the size it was in May! They are shrinking!!! God is answering our prayers! In addition to this...the nodules on his
lungs and liver are completely gone!
The other thing Michael really wanted to do was to do the next round of chemo at home. I'm not so sure about it, but...he
asked Dr. Pan anyway. He really wants to try it, so Dr. Pan said yes. On Friday at noon, he goes into the infusion clinic.
They will set him up with a portable pump for the chemo that lasts for 24 hours a day. He will spend a couple of hours
there getting hydration and the Ifosomide (the chemo that lasts one hour) as well as the medication that protects his
bladder and kidneys. He will then go in again on Saturday and Sunday to repeat that process.
I am a little worried that he will be pretty weak by Sunday if his past treatments are any indication, but Dr. Pan said that
isn't an issue. He said if he needs more hydration or anti-nausea meds in the iv, they can do it there at the clinic without
making him go in to stay in the hospital. They will do the urine and blood tests when he goes in for the 1 hour chemo
teatments. So, we will see. I have faith in Michael. I have faith that he knows what is best for him and he feels that being
home will make it easier and more comfortable for him.
Please pray for him and that this works. I want so badly for him to have some sense of normalcy and if doing this at
home, he will feel normal....then that's what I want to have happen.
Dr. Pan wants Michael to do two more rounds of chemo and then another CT scan. We know that God is being faithful to
us and answering all those who are faithfully praying for Michael. Things will be good!
July 14 10:00 am Chris just called me from Chicago. He wanted to tell me what he had just experienced. Chris is in
Chicago because he is attending part of "Pond College". He has attended different classes and dinners and been getting
inspired. The actual "Pond College" starts this morning for most of the people. To start it off The Pond Guy, Greg
Wittstock, gives a kick-off talk. There are hundreds of people there. Greg's talk revolved around team work. Near the
end of the talk, he talked about how Aquascape employees and their contractors are a team. For example, last yea one
of the Certified Aquascape Contractors (CAC's) had a really rough year as he is in Florida and had to endure all the
hurricanes. The other contractors donated money to go to Motel (the contractor) and then Aquascape matched the
donations.
Well...the staff at Aquascape came up with this remarkable idea. There is a purple bracelet available from a Sarcoma
webiste (you can click on the picture of then for more information). The ADI staff and the CAC's got a bunch of these
bracelets. Greg talked about Chris and I and all of the hurt this disease has caused our family and Michael. Chris said
that he thought half the people in the room crying. He said it was hard to stand up when Greg asked him to stand. It was
humbling and touching. Greg then explained that these bracelets were going to be given out to everyone that would
make a donation. The ADI staff understands that the type of cancer Michael has is rare and that there is not much
research done on this cancer because of that fact. They want 1/2 the money raised to go for research. They want the
other half of the money raised to go to Michael. On top of the donations made, Aquascape will match the amount of
money raised.
Chris said that after the talk he just couldn't believe the number of people in line to get the bracelets. He said that people
were coming up to him and talking to him. Many people knew of an ADI customer had a young family member that had
cancer, but didn't realize that is was our family. Chris said it was so touching and so humbling when he looked out across
the crowd and saw all the people wearing purple bracelets.
One of the first places I asked for prayer from was the CAC's on our chat forum. We got incredible responses from it. I
just really wanted everyone to pray for Michael. Word spread and we got such a huge response. In addition to our real
family, Chris and I have often talked about our extended ADI family. We really love all the people that work at ADI and all
the contractors we have met through them. We can't thank them enough. I don't know what to say. ADI & contractors:
all of your generosity and caring is so incredible. Thank you. Thank you so much.
Michael is 18 years old. The plan was for him to go to work for Chris right after graduation. Michael's younger brother,
Taylor, had been trying to get Michael's bedroom for the last year. The plan was for us to help Michael get his own
apartment this summer. He was looking forward to that as was Taylor. We had all these travel plans this summer. (A
saying comes to mind now...If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans). This last week, Michael has been talking
about moving out as he feels he is going to be healed soon, especially after the good report yesterday. He has
somewhere picked out that he wants to live already. There is no way Michael is going to be able to go to work full time as
soon as he is healed, and will need to build his weight and strength back up. We will help him move out as soon as he
feels ready. We are going to put any money that comes from ADI & the contractors into an account for Michael so that
he will be able to hopefully fulfill his dream of living on his own. Thank you so much.
(Just a quick side note: even when Michael moves out...Taylor doesn't get the bedroom! The new baby does! Sorry
Taylor!)
July 16 6:00 pm Michael began doing chemo at home yesterday, which is kind of a misleading. He has to go to the
infusion clinic daily for 3 days and then on the 4th to get unhooked from the pump. We thought he would just go in for an
hour to do the Ifosomide chemo. It ends up that he is there for several hours. He went in Friday at 12:30 and then went
home around 5:00. They have lazy boy chairs that lay back. He is able to relax, but still is there for several hours.
Today, there was a trace of blood in his urine sample so they had to give him extra hydration. Chris took him in at 9:30
and they got home around 2:45 today. He was ok yesterday as he left the clinic, but overnight the chemo started kicking
in. He was pretty tired when he went in this morning. He took some "Queasie Pops" with him. I found these great
candies called Preggie Pop Drops that are basically a very sour candy that gives you a little burst of sugar and lessen
the morning sickness (all day sickness). The company that makes Preggie Pop Drops also makes the "Quesie Pops", so
I ordered 150 of them for Michael. He used a couple more later in the afternoon as well. So far, no vomitting. He is very
tired though. He has been sleeping for the last few hours.
One more day of going in for the Ifosomide chemno and then on Monday...he gets to go in and get unhooked from the
other chemo. The pump is a small little thing that is in a bag he can either lay on the bed next to him or wear around his
neck if he wants. He was afraid it was going to be some big thing that would be hard to take around. Chris feels this is
going much better as he is able to sleep better at home...Except...last night I slept with him. Everytime he woke up or
moved, I woke up. I would ask him if he was ok. Chris said he told him this morning that I was driving him nuts. So, I will
just leave his door open tonight and check on him everytime I get up to use the restroom (5 times last
night...remember...I'm pregnant!)
Big Dan and Little Dan called from Chicago this afternoon. Part of pond college is finding out who the top 40 installers
are. Last year, we were hoping to be in the top 40 and we made #10! This year, there was a lot of talk about us being
higher. Well...we are #2 in the nation! I am extremely happy with that, but for any of you that know Chris, you know he
always wants one better. He is already planning how to make #1 for 2006. We feel that we will still be in the top 5 for this
season, but this year is already half over so may be too hard to get #1 this year. We will definitely work hard for the 2006
year.
July 18 5:15 pm Chris just returned with Michael from the clinic. He is really weak. He is unhooked from the chemo
about 12 hours earlier than he would be if he were in the hospital. He still got the same amount of chemo, but should be
a little ahead of schedule as far as feeling better. We hope for him that is what is going to happen. He isn't feeling well at
all. He is set up to do the next round at the clinic though. Chris and I think he has handled this better than he did while
he was hospitalized even though he is having a hard time with the driving to the clinic and the walking around. Once he
checks into the hospital, he lays in bed and only gets up for a bathroom trip. Doing it at home, he has to get up and walk
to the truck, ride the wheelchair to the clinic and vice-versa for the trip home. The car ride makes him nauseas. Overall
though, we still feel that he is doing great.
This morning, Dan and Dan let Chris know that our team won the 2nd Annual North American Waterfall Building Contest
that was held in Chicago! Fun stuff! Every year Aquascape takes a big panoramic picture of all the people that attended
Pond College. They usually all give a thumbs up. This year, they had everyone raise their purple wrist bands for the
picture! I can't wait to see that picture!!!
8:30 pm On the guestbook, Donna Peltz was letting Michael know that Pat Hyland is in the hospital having her surgery
today for breast cancer. Pat is the principle of Mtn View High. She and her staff were so good about supporting Michael
through the end of school and the graduation. We are praying for her and her family as well and hope that all of you will
add Pat to your prayer list. She is at Santa Clara Kaiser and will be there for about a week. Donna said the surgery went
well and that there was no cancer found in her lymph nodes. That is of course good news. They were unable to
complete the reconstructive part of the surgery today though because the surgery took so long.
July 19th 10:22 pm Michael had a nauseas day. He didn't get sick except once late this morning. He got up and
changed his clothes and let me change the sheets on the bed. At this point, that is a big deal. He has to take off his shirt
and pants, lay down and rest, then get up and finish dressing. He's exhausted when the process is finished. I spent the
whole day with him in his room watching tv though. I kept him up so that maybe he will sleep well tonight.
This evening, he came out in the living room a couple of times. He gets so weak though it's hard for him to get the
energy to get back to the bedroom. He layed down on the living room floor tonight and Chris and I was just sitting here
looking at him. All of the sudden he does a push-up. Then a minute later he did another. Then one more...not fast...in
fact...you'd wonder if he fell asleep in between...but he did 'em! Chris had to tell him not to over do it though as he
needed to make it all the way back down the hallway to the bedroom. Chris didn't want to carry him that far.
Kelcie brought him some Jone's soda which is a soda he can have that doesn't have caffeine in it. He got to talk to
Grandma Whiteley on th phone tonight and then got to talk with his sister Rachel. He had been asking to talk to both
lately, so was a nice thing for him. He's back in bed now and probably out for the night. Hope he sleeps well.
