August Birthdays

We have a lot of August birthdays in our family. First up is Dad - he turned 62 on August 12th. Next is grandson Nathanael - he turned 10 on August 14. Oldest granddaughter, CJ, turned 14 on the 24th and last but not least is Elana Grace - she will be 6 tomorrow, the 28th.

Here is the August birthday crew.
Dad is doing pretty well. He has not been to the hospital in months and only goes to the doctor for his regular appointments. Having Hospice has done so much to help stabilize him. He is able to go on little outings - church, out to eat, grandkid birthday parties, etc. But, he still has to pay very close attention to his body and know when enough is enough. When his blood pressure is low or his output is too high, he gets an IV. If he is worn out, he stays in and gets rested up. It does make it hard to plan since Mom and Dad don't really know what each day will bring. But, they have learned to roll with it and they do what they can when they can. And some things just have to be saved for another day.

We are grateful for the progress Dad has made. He is getting stronger little by little. Instead of his walker he often walks with two canes. He does not need to sleep nearly as much during the day as he used to. Thanks for your prayers and all the love and support you give to Mom and Dad.

Mom's Turn

Not wanting to feel left out, Mom got to take her own trip to the hospital today in the back of an ambulance. This morning, she had some type of an allergic reaction to medication that she took. Fortunately, she felt it coming on and was able to call and ask for help. She is now back home from the ER. She is pretty exhausted and is resting, but we definitely will need to be sure she follows up with her doctor. This is the 2nd reaction she has had within a couple of weeks.

Dad is also feeling a little wiped out. He finished chemo this past Saturday and the week following chemo can be a bit more challenging than normal. He usually has high output and needs to be very careful about checking his blood pressure and getting IVs when needed.

Summer Fun

Dad's condition remains relatively unchanged. Every day brings new challenges and surprises! Some good, some not so much so. Mom and Dad continue to take each day as it comes and celebrate the little victories and work through the challenges. Dad was able to enjoy a week at Gull Lake Ministries Family Camp last week. That was a goal he had set for himself and we are all very proud of the fact that he succeeded in achieving his goal! His test results have shown a slight decline in the amyloid levels, but not enough so to change his treatment. Dad has now been on chemo for a year. His doctor does not like to keep anyone on the same treatment plan for more than a year. However, in Dad's case, this is the treatment with the least complications and test results show that it is continuing to work. His body is still responding to the treatments. So, for now, his treatments will remain the same.