Reporting in on DH

[PattyJo]

I just wanted to let you know how we are doing. Bill has had 2 chemo treatments and has lost 5 lbs. Right now, that is the thing that the Dr is most concerned with. In fact he told Bill to start eating at the fast food places, hamburgers, french fries, milkshakes, etc, anything to get some weight back on him. Since he was originally diagnosed in March of 2007, he has lost about 30 lbs. and he has never been even 5 lbs overweight. So needles to say, he is now very thin. We would appreciate your prayers for his appitite to increase. He is also experiencing a lot of fatigue. He take 4 or 5 naps a day and sleeps about 8 to 10 hrs every night. So I\'m just trying to stay busy, and keep quiet so that he can get all the rest that he needs. It\'s been a roller coaster ride, but we are still in the fight. This may be too little too late, but we were talking and decided that if he makes it thru this 4 to 6 months of treatments, we will take a cruise. I\'ve been trying to get him to do this for 10 yrs, but now he says yes he\'ll go. So maybe with this cruise as a goal, it will give him incentive to eat eat eat. Maybe he could consider it as training for the cruise? Thanks to all of you. You are a special group of people.

[barbm]

Patty,

Hang in there - our prayers and best wishes are with both of you.

And you never know what the Lord has in mind for Bill: my DH\'s father (another Bill!) suffered from prostate cancer which metastasized to his bones and then to other organs. Back in 2005, we took a New England cruise with his Dad and stepmom, for their 20th anniversary. He was so fragile at that time that we paid extra for trip insurance because we believed that he wouldn\'t even live long enough to take the trip. He not only enjoyed that trip (and the surprise renewal of vows!) but rallied enough to come visit us for Christmas that same year. He finally succumbed to his cancer last November, but he had more time on this earth than anyone dreamed possible - we can only hope and pray for a loooooong respite for your Bill, as well!

[Guest LA]

Patty Jo,

Bill is a trooper, I have no doubts that he will make the goal!

I remember when I had morning sickness (24/7 for 9 months)

my Dr. Had me drink the heavy syrup of canned fruits.

I thought he was crazy, but it worked!

What\'s his favorite food? Start him out slowly with that & he\'ll be sporting those fun tropical shorts in no time!

Best, Linda

[gable428]

Patty Jo, sorry to hear about your husband\'s illness. Have you heard of the nutrition drink Ensure? It\'s great for people who are sick without much of an appetite. Drinking one or two (or however many the doctor says) a day should help him to not lose so much weight. Thoughts and prayers are with you.

[Sandra Darlington]

Patty Jo,

You and Bill are in my thoughts and prayers.

Sandy

[Mary Beth]

Patty Jo,

You both are being very strong right now. Prayers are going out daily!!

Love ya girl!!

[kennan100]

Still praying Patty! Thanks for the update, it really helps to know how to pray specifically. Hugs to Bill!

[Bonnie]

I too keep you both in my thoughts and prayers.

[lindasewsit]

keep leaning on Him! linda

[Stagecl]

I will kepp your family in my thoughts and prayers

Cheryl

[Lsilver]

There is a prescription drug, Megace, that is often used in conjunction with chemo. It\'s an old line medication, and can help with the weight battle. You might ask the oncologist about it.

Prayers continue unrelenting for both of you. Be sure to take care of yourself, as well.

Linda

[nora123]

PattyJo,

I sweetie. I cannot wait to see you both hopefully on the 7th at our meeting.

I know this will sound like I am out of my mind but smoking medical marijuana increases your appetite and helps with the side effects of treatments.

I know there is a moral issue with my idea but many doctors are suggesting this to get weight back on.

As always I am praying for you both.

Nora

Millennium

Washougal WA

[MarieBrewer]

PattyJo, I, too, will be praying for your DH. Think of all the yummy desserts you could make!!! How much do you need to gain? Could be hard on your body too. I\'m all in favor of medical marijauna. If it can help a person who is ill, why not. I\'ve never used so don\'t known anything about the nitty gritty of it but if I needed it, I would try it. Hopefully, all of the resting time is giving his body a good chance to recover. May God bless both of you and pull you both through this.

[Bekah]

Patty Jo, Oh my friend, I can only imagine what the both of you are going through but not really understand as I have not walked this path. Know that my prayers have joined those of the others. when my mom was so sick she did drink Ensure and it did seem to help with her weight loss. I know where your strength and hope comes from and as you lean on Him He will give you both the strength and wisdom you need during this time.

[Quilting Heidi]

Patty Jo,

Go get him lots of Ben & Jerry\'s ice cream. When my SIL was fight to hold weight from her chemo (stage 4 ovarian cancer and she survied 7 years now!) her doctor told her that was the most caloric food she could find!

[ramona-quilter]

PattyJo,

You have gotten some wonderful ideas about fattening up Bill here. I have nothing to add to that as I have always tried to make the scale go counter-clockwise, doncha know.

It was great to hear that he is talking about that cruise. I believe that so many folks that face hard fights with their health tend to get so introspective. Once they set their eyes down the road a ways, it pulls them out of their worries and brightens their outlook. Stick some cruise brochures in your handbag the next time you take him to chemo - it beats reading those well-thumbed magazines in the hospital.

And please know that you are both in my prayers. Do what you can and leave the rest up to Him.

[quiltmonkey]

Patty, before I even read this new post I had been thinking about you & Bill a few times this weekend. You are often in my thoughts and prayers, sweet heart. Sending hugs from way up north...

Shana

[Boni]

I\'ve often thought about people in my life who are going through health issues from heart disease, to cancer, to birth defects, and I wish there was something I could do to keep each one in my daily prayers. I\'ve thought about candles, picture albums, chalk boards, dry erase boards, journals, etc. My latest is "quilt blocks"--original idea, eh? I make a very traditional block, write the person\'s name on it with a micron pen, and hang it on the wall in my studio. As I\'m quilting away throughout the day, I glance at the blocks and "breathe a prayer" for that person. When my wall gets full of blocks, they go into a quilt and find a home in time. It\'s a personal way I can deal with the emotional aspect of seeing my friends and acquaintances on their life\'s journey.

Patty Jo and Bill, your block will be a sailboat! May God bless you as you cruise through this journey.

Bonnie R.

[Beverly]

A dear friend of our family had a double masectomy. Her doctor had her take marijuana pills. I do not know if it would help or not. My prayers are with you and your family. You need to take care of yourself too. I know you understand that, but sometimes we tend to forget about ourselves while we take care of others. Take care and God\'s blessings on you and yours.

Beverly

PS I like the idea of a quilt block with a name on it to help us remember to pray at all times.

[Melora]

Patty Jo,

I will continue to keep you and Bill in my prayers.

Hope to see you sat. but will understand if that doesn\'t happen.

Melora

[PattyJo]

You guys are such a neat group of friends, half of which I haven\'t even met yet (notice I said yet!). Your heartfelt words mean the world to us and I thank you for them. They brought me to tears. Thank you so much for your ideas. We bought ensure last week and this week, Dr asked Bill if he liked milk shakes and he does so ice cream is now in the freezer. I\'m with you Linda C. I\'ve ALWAYS tried to get the scales to go counter clockwise, but having all these goodies in the house, I doubt that will happen for awhile. And I\'m going to pick up or print off some cruise info and put in our Chemo tote bag. I made some brownies and a batch of molasses cookies for him and he likes them as they are small amounts at a time. He is also trying to drink at least one Instant Breakfast a day (lots of calories and almost tastes like a milkshake). I don\'t know about the marijauna as he hasn\'t smoked since about 1975 or so. But I will put that out there to see if he is interested. Bonnie R - what an honor to have a block in your studio. I so appreciate it. And what a neat idea. Give us quilters a problem to solve and we always seem to solve it with quilting. I wil take that to heart and do the same here. There always seems to be an abundate number of people in our lives that need prayer.

I\'m still planning on coming to the meeting next Sat @ Bekah\'s. Some friends will be available if Bill needs anything. I\'m also planning on going to Innovations. Bill doesn\'t know that yet, but I have to keep making plans or I\'ll become a hermit. And I don\'t want that.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and good wishes. We pray for all of our prayer warriors every night that the Lord will bless you as well. Thanks

[PattyJo]

OK - No one made me, but I felt guilty saying that I was going to Innovationss and hadn\'t talked to Bill about it yet. So tonight after dinner, we talked and he said that yes I should go to Innovations. Made my class selections this afternoon & put in my registration online tonite after our talk. I would be a terrible one to play poker with. I can not keep anything from that man. Maybe that\'s why we just celebrated our 34th Anniversary.

[Mary Beth]

That must be the key!!

[jmyhogan]

Patty Jo, collecting or printing info on cruises is a great idea. Put them around where you both will see them (refrigerator, bathroom mirror, etc.) Focus on what you Want to experience and Don\'t focus on what you don\'t want to experience.

[lindasewsit]