Our journey over the last almost 10 months has included many highs and lows. Today we were able to celebrate some good test results. As we left Cancer Care today Rob made a comment to me about how good it feels to leave smiling and I wholeheartedly agree!
Rob had a follow up with the Radiation Oncologist Dr. Butler today to get the results of the CT Scan that was done on January 16th. We had assumed if the scan showed something bad they would have called us in sooner but there are still thoughts and worries that creep in. As we have said before the waiting and not knowing is often the worst part. We went there today not anticipating bad news but until we heard the words that the scan was clear we were a little anxious. As I reflected afterwards on how I felt this morning before we went I had a sense of peace and was able to sleep well last night but we have been told bad news before when we didn't expect it so our human nature kicks in and we worry. We got called in and at first we met with the nurse and shared some concerns. He told us Dr. Butler had a resident today and he would see us first. I figured we wouldn't hear the test results until Dr. Butler came in but I was pleasantly surprised when the resident came in with a smile and said he was coming to share good news with us. The CT Scan had come back saying the lymph nodes from the September scan (before the second surgery) were gone and there were no new abnormalities! PRAISE THE LORD!!! What a huge answer to prayer! As soon as we heard those words the weight that I didn't even realize I had was lifted off my shoulders. I could have hugged him and danced up and down the hallways but thought maybe I shouldn't! He did the rest of his exam and left us in the room rejoicing and smiling. Dr. Butler came in after that and shared how pleased he is with how Rob is doing but added that he will be monitoring him closely and would do another scan in 3 months. This does not mean that Rob is out of the woods yet but it means that it looks like all the cancer is gone and we pray that God has healed him and it never comes back. We will celebrate this good news and give all the glory to God for His goodness!
Rob also talked to the doctor today about the stiffness in his neck. One of the side effects of radiation and surgery, as we have said before, is muscle stiffness. Over the last week Rob has really noticed his neck stiffening up and has been trying to do his stretches more often. This is going to be a life long issue for Rob. We take for granted how easy it is to hold up our heads and have our shoulders in place but Rob will always have to make a conscious effort to do this. He also talked about the thrush he had over the last month and Dr. Butler feels that it is gone which is great news too!
Last week we met with Dr Hayakawa and he confirmed that debulking is needed for Rob. He explained the surgery to us in more detail so now we have an understanding of what will happen. Basically they open up the flap and take the extra tissue out and then place the skin back down. It is a day surgery and they just sedate Rob. I know Rob does not look forward to this but it will help him talk a little easier and even eat easier when he is all healed. This surgery will be booked last minute and won't be done until later in March, April or May. We had thought that Rob might be able to go back to work sometime in April but that will not be able to happen until after this surgery. So until then we wait for the phone call with the date.
On Wednesday this week we met with the dental specialist and learned more about new teeth for Rob. Unfortunately the news was not what we wanted to hear but it is good to know the reality and move forward with it. We had been hoping Rob would eventually be able to get implants but were told that a jaw bone that has had radiation can not be drilled into. There is too much of a risk of infection or it not healing so they will not even consider it. So option 2 is dentures...not exactly something a 32 year old wants to have but better then no teeth! Unfortunately when Rob's surgery was done they didn't leave the ridge where your teeth sit visible so there is no where for dentures to be placed. So next week we are meeting with an oral surgeon at HSC to discuss options. One thing that will be looked into is if when the debulking surgery is done if they can fix the flap so he can get dentures. This would mean that the surgery is much more extensive and recovery would be longer. At this point we are not really sure what is going to happen but we will take it step by step and see what the oral surgeon has to say. Please pray that we are able to get answers and that the team of specialist are able to figure something out.
A friend sent me this verse today from James 1:12, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." I can't help but think of Rob as I read this verse. He has been such an example to me and to so many people around him of truly relying on God. I pray everyday that Isaac grows up to be a man like his father.
Thank you for celebrating some good news with us!
Love Karen
Thursday 29 January 2015
Friday 16 January 2015
"You look good!"
When a doctor stops in his tracks to comment about how good you look you know it is a good thing...this is what happened to Rob this week. Rob had a follow up with Dr Nason on Monday and he hadn't seen him since the day he started radiation. We knew that without any scans he wouldn't know any more news than us but we were pleasantly surprised by his reaction. He walked in the door of the exam room and before he even got fully in and shut the door he looked at Rob with a smile and said "You look good. Do you feel as good as you look?". He then did an exam of Rob's neck and inside his mouth. We asked him about some small concerns we had but he said everything looked great and he was very pleased with how Rob is doing. We talked about the upcoming scan and how things will look in the next while. He told us that Rob will need some debulking of the flap done. This is something we knew might be needed but not done until 6-12 months after surgery. Basically the flap they put in is too bulky so Rob will have a procedure similar to liposuction on his flap to make room for teeth. We meet with Dr Hayakawa (his plastic surgeon) next week and will find out more about it then. We also talked about getting teeth on the bottom and he sent a referral to a dentist who specializes in reconstruction after cancer. The debulking needs to happen before teeth come so likely it will be later this year but it is good to get the ball rolling on it. It was so encouraging to have a good appointment and to be reassured that things look normal. There is no test to confirm that the treatment got rid of all of the cancer but it was obvious that Dr Nason felt very good about Rob's recovery. We left there on Monday feeling encouraged and relieved and we continue on each day praying for complete healing and walking each day in faith.
Tonight at 8:30pm Rob has his follow up CT Scan. The first time you go for a scan it is a little scary but now it feels routine for us. We will not hear any results tonight but are thankful to get this scan done so they are able to see what Rob's new "normal" is post surgery and treatment.
Rob finished radiation on December 3rd but some of the side effects can linger. One problem some people have is chronic thrush. The radiation changes the balance in your mouth and can encourage the growth of thrush. We thought that the medication had gotten rid of the thrush before Christmas but last week Rob woke up with a sore throat and knew right away it was thrush. It is down his throat which makes it hard to treat. Luckily he had a refill for the Nistatin mouthwash and within an hour he was able to start treatment for it. I also spoke to the nurse and let him know what was going on. When Rob sees Dr Butler at the end of the month he will have a look and see if it is gone. We pray that this round of Nistatin works and it is not a chronic problem for Rob.
Last Sunday we met with a couple that went through the same diagnosis 9 years ago. We were introduced through Cancer care and were told that we were similar to this couple. It was great to meet with someone who knew what we went through and to be encouraged by them. We talked about each of our stories and asked them questions. For me it was good to talk to a wife who had been in my position. To hear her talk about leaving the hospital every night while her husband lay there and to have felt the same emotions that I did was very interesting. Rob and I both pray that 9 years from now we will be able to do the same thing for someone else. We are grateful that we were able to spend time with them and they are open to us contacting them anytime.
Rob continues to improve each day and is getting his strength back. When you think about all his body has gone through he is doing very well. Rob has had a lot of time to think over the last 8 months and he has also dreamed of a lot of things he wants to do with his life. We are still unsure about when he will return to work but while he is off he has started some new hobbies and wants to plan a trip to BC in the summer to see the mountains (neither of us have ever seen them!). He says when you are diagnosed with a life threatening illness you realize life is short and you need to live each moment to the fullest. As a family we look forward to going on adventures and making the most of each day!
Love Karen
Tonight at 8:30pm Rob has his follow up CT Scan. The first time you go for a scan it is a little scary but now it feels routine for us. We will not hear any results tonight but are thankful to get this scan done so they are able to see what Rob's new "normal" is post surgery and treatment.
Rob finished radiation on December 3rd but some of the side effects can linger. One problem some people have is chronic thrush. The radiation changes the balance in your mouth and can encourage the growth of thrush. We thought that the medication had gotten rid of the thrush before Christmas but last week Rob woke up with a sore throat and knew right away it was thrush. It is down his throat which makes it hard to treat. Luckily he had a refill for the Nistatin mouthwash and within an hour he was able to start treatment for it. I also spoke to the nurse and let him know what was going on. When Rob sees Dr Butler at the end of the month he will have a look and see if it is gone. We pray that this round of Nistatin works and it is not a chronic problem for Rob.
Last Sunday we met with a couple that went through the same diagnosis 9 years ago. We were introduced through Cancer care and were told that we were similar to this couple. It was great to meet with someone who knew what we went through and to be encouraged by them. We talked about each of our stories and asked them questions. For me it was good to talk to a wife who had been in my position. To hear her talk about leaving the hospital every night while her husband lay there and to have felt the same emotions that I did was very interesting. Rob and I both pray that 9 years from now we will be able to do the same thing for someone else. We are grateful that we were able to spend time with them and they are open to us contacting them anytime.
Rob continues to improve each day and is getting his strength back. When you think about all his body has gone through he is doing very well. Rob has had a lot of time to think over the last 8 months and he has also dreamed of a lot of things he wants to do with his life. We are still unsure about when he will return to work but while he is off he has started some new hobbies and wants to plan a trip to BC in the summer to see the mountains (neither of us have ever seen them!). He says when you are diagnosed with a life threatening illness you realize life is short and you need to live each moment to the fullest. As a family we look forward to going on adventures and making the most of each day!
Love Karen
Tuesday 6 January 2015
Good bye 2014...hello 2015!
The start of a new year is a time when people set goals for the year and celebrate the year that just ended. I am having a hard time with both of these things because last year was such a tough year and because I am fearful to plan too far ahead because we just don't know what the next year will look like. I know that this is not right and I need to walk forward in faith but sometimes that is easier said than done. On our bathroom mirror we have the verses from Philippians 4:6-7 which say, " Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I am not sure that it could be any clearer in the bible what we are supposed to do when we are fearful. Living in a state of fear makes us anxious, irritable, unable to enjoy the moment we are living in and it takes our trust away from God. I know that God loves us and he is in control and when I pray he hears me so I just need to get better at giving him all my fears and enjoying each moment we have together.
We were able to enjoy a nice Christmas together with the 3 of us on Christmas morning and then in the afternoon we were with Rob's family and exchanged gifts and had a delicious meal. It was a good day and Isaac was a very excited little boy this year. On Boxing day my mom arrived for a few days and we had a great visit with her. She even made us a turkey dinner and I didn't have to share the stuffing with my siblings!! It was a good Christmas all in all but I sure did miss seeing my whole family as well. Thankfully we were able to Skype with them and for a few minutes it felt like we were in the chaos at the Farquharson house!
Rob has been doing pretty well and feeling better each day. He is getting his strength back and wants to get back into shape. He was able to maintain his weight pretty well during treatment however he has lost his muscle mass and would feel better to gain that back. He also still needs to sleep more. Before his first surgery he had no problem getting up at 6:30am everyday and working 55 hours a week. Now he has the energy to get through the day but he doesn't have a lot scheduled usually. It will take some time before his energy levels are back to what they should be. As far as eating he is getting back to where he was in the summer. He is able to enjoy soft foods if they are cut up but it just takes him a little longer.
On January 16th Rob has his follow-up CT Scan to see how things look. We are anxious to have this done and pray for good results. When you are in limbo like we are the smallest little thing makes you wonder and worry. Please pray with us for peace as we wait for those results and also that the scan shows that everything is good and nothing is growing. We will have to wait until Jan 29th for the results so it feels like it could be a long month! All along we have prayed that the treatment (which wasn't fun) would do what it is supposed to do and get rid of all of the cancer forever. Now that we are on the other side of treatment we are thankful to be done and praying for complete healing. I have often thought about Rob and I sharing our story and showing how good God is even when things seem unbearable. I pray that we have a lifetime together to do this.
Isaac is back at school for his 3 afternoons starting this week and I am back to working my regular hours. Rob keeps himself busy with jobs around the house or if he needs to just relax he is able to do that. The muscles in his neck have fibrosis from surgery and radiation and he needs to do daily stretches for the rest of his life to make sure it doesn't stiffen up. The speech language pathologist referred to the side effects of radiation as the gift that keeps on giving!
Monday evenings we usually have at home together as a family and it feels like we are normal on those nights. I even said to Rob last night after we had just had a dance competition (you can imagine how funny it was!) how much I love Monday nights and our fun times as a family. Sometimes it just feels good to forget about everything and just have a good laugh.
Thank you again for all your prayers and support.
Love Karen
We were able to enjoy a nice Christmas together with the 3 of us on Christmas morning and then in the afternoon we were with Rob's family and exchanged gifts and had a delicious meal. It was a good day and Isaac was a very excited little boy this year. On Boxing day my mom arrived for a few days and we had a great visit with her. She even made us a turkey dinner and I didn't have to share the stuffing with my siblings!! It was a good Christmas all in all but I sure did miss seeing my whole family as well. Thankfully we were able to Skype with them and for a few minutes it felt like we were in the chaos at the Farquharson house!
Rob has been doing pretty well and feeling better each day. He is getting his strength back and wants to get back into shape. He was able to maintain his weight pretty well during treatment however he has lost his muscle mass and would feel better to gain that back. He also still needs to sleep more. Before his first surgery he had no problem getting up at 6:30am everyday and working 55 hours a week. Now he has the energy to get through the day but he doesn't have a lot scheduled usually. It will take some time before his energy levels are back to what they should be. As far as eating he is getting back to where he was in the summer. He is able to enjoy soft foods if they are cut up but it just takes him a little longer.
On January 16th Rob has his follow-up CT Scan to see how things look. We are anxious to have this done and pray for good results. When you are in limbo like we are the smallest little thing makes you wonder and worry. Please pray with us for peace as we wait for those results and also that the scan shows that everything is good and nothing is growing. We will have to wait until Jan 29th for the results so it feels like it could be a long month! All along we have prayed that the treatment (which wasn't fun) would do what it is supposed to do and get rid of all of the cancer forever. Now that we are on the other side of treatment we are thankful to be done and praying for complete healing. I have often thought about Rob and I sharing our story and showing how good God is even when things seem unbearable. I pray that we have a lifetime together to do this.
Isaac is back at school for his 3 afternoons starting this week and I am back to working my regular hours. Rob keeps himself busy with jobs around the house or if he needs to just relax he is able to do that. The muscles in his neck have fibrosis from surgery and radiation and he needs to do daily stretches for the rest of his life to make sure it doesn't stiffen up. The speech language pathologist referred to the side effects of radiation as the gift that keeps on giving!
Monday evenings we usually have at home together as a family and it feels like we are normal on those nights. I even said to Rob last night after we had just had a dance competition (you can imagine how funny it was!) how much I love Monday nights and our fun times as a family. Sometimes it just feels good to forget about everything and just have a good laugh.
Thank you again for all your prayers and support.
Love Karen
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