Hands up in the air, all together now "Whhhheeeee...."

What a roller coaster of a ride it has been this week! Dad has just had a rough couple of weeks. We were all pretty much saying, "OK, God, it's all You now." I just picture God responding "well, it's about time you got out of my way! I can handle this so much better than you all!" And then the most humbling thought hit me - who are we to think that we can even get in God's way anyways! He is God - the King of the Universe! And He is very much in control of Dad's situation, just as He has always been. We're just a little forgetful sometimes!

Earlier this week, the Hospice nurse and Dr. determined that Dad was having some prostate issues. This has likely been a big contributor to the repeated urinary tract infections Dad has been suffering from. These infections combined with the chemo and the disease itself have just been about more than Dad's frail body can handle the last few weeks. The bit of good news out of this is that Dad is getting back enough of his feeling that he is now feeling pain and symptoms. So, we don't know how long this has been an issue since his peripheral nervous symptom has been greatly affected by the amyloidosis. He is on medication that should help to resolve some of these problems. And for the first time, Dad is having to take pain medication. The good news is that Dad's nervous system is showing signs of improvement. The bad news is that now Dad knows that he hurts.

The Dr. appointment went well on Thursday. Dad's blood work continues to look good. The Dr. has decided to increase the time between the chemo treatments. So, instead of every four weeks, they will now be every six weeks. Hopefully this extra time will give Dad's body a chance to recover and build some strength between treatments. Mom and Dad also got the doctor's approval to spend a week up north. Traveling with Dad is a lot of work! But, Mom and Dad both need a bit of a break, so I'm glad they are able to get away.

Thanks for your prayers!

Time for a change?

Dad is scheduled to see his doctor on Thursday. The doctor will review his recent blood tests and check his overall progress. At this time, it seems as if Dad has reached a lower plateau. He is still pretty weak, but stable. In the past, he would have a few down days and would rest up and regain his strength. But right now, he is just not bouncing back. On Thursday, Mom and Dad are going to ask the doctor if Dad's body needs a break from the chemo. He has been on chemo since August of 2008 and over time it does take a toll on your body. His test results continue to show a decrease in the amyloid levels. However, he is continuing to get weaker and there has been a general decline in his functional abilities. At this point, we are questioning if his current weakness is a product of the disease or the treatment.

Please pray for this doctors appointment as some difficult decisions may need to be made.

When you're up, you're up.....

and when you're down, you're down.

And Dad is pretty down right now. He had a pretty down week last week and I was hoping he would have a better week this week so I could have positive things to post. But, that just isn't the case right now. So, if you could keep Dad in your prayers, he and Mom would certainly appreciate it (as would the rest of us too!). Dad has been pretty weak and when he isn't doing as well physically as he would like to, he gets very discouraged. His blood pressure is very low and the IVs don't seem to be helping that much. We know HIS strength is made perfect in our weakness and we are all praying that Dad will very much be surrounded by HIS strength right now.

All the older grandkids have been sick, so we haven't been able to visit with Dad due to the risk of passing something on to him. He is just not strong enough to handle that right now. So, we're hoping to get everyone healthy so Dad can visit with the grandkids this weekend. If anything, that gives him a little encouragement.

We appreciate all of you! Thanks so much for praying for Mom and Dad!

Introducing.....

Jackson Walter Sample

The Sample Family is doing very well! Nana and Papa are as proud as can be! Andi and Charlie are hoping to bring little Jack home tomorrow.

He's here!

Baby Sample arrived at 12:53am this morning. Andi checked in to the hospital Thursday morning at 6am for a scheduled induction. She was exactly one week overdue on Thursday. After nearly 2 days of little progress, the Dr. decided it was time to intervene and Baby Sample was delivered by c-section. Baby Sample is still without a name (geez, they had enough time sitting around the hospital to figure that out, ya think?!). He weighed 8lb. 2oz. and is an impressive 21 1/2 inches long. According to Nana he's the most amazing baby with a head of black hair and big feet and hands! Andi, Charlie and little Nameless will be taking it easy today and trying to rest. So, maybe tomorrow I'll be able to get some pictures for you! (and hopefully a name too)

Not Yet!

Many have been asking if we have any new baby news to share. Not yet! Andi and Charlie are expecting a baby boy any day now, but that little guy is quite cozy right where he is and has not made his arrival yet. But, you'll be one of the first to know when he does!

Dad has had a really good week. He has been feeling so good that he has had a hard time getting himself to settle down and take a nap. Last week he had four IVs so he should be feeling pretty good! That's all the news we have for now.

Fighting off another infection

Dad has a pesky urinary tract infection again. Over the last couple weeks, he has been feeling pretty tired. He would keep trying to get himself up and going, but just didn't quite have the energy to do it. He even fell again at home trying to walk. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt. Mom mentioned to the Hospice nurse that she should probably check him for a UTI and mom was right - he had another infection. Part of the problem is that he lays down so much and that makes him more prone to get infections. But, with his blood pressure issues, there really isn't much we can do about that. So, we definitely need to check for these infections more often. They sure do wipe Dad out. He is perking right up again though since he has been on his antibiotics. Dad should have another light chain test in the next week or so. That is the test that measures the amyloid levels in his body. It tells us if the chemo is still doing its job. So far, the past tests have showed a slow but steady decrease in the amyloid levels. We are hoping that trend continues.

Mom and Dad were able to go camping for Labor Day. So many things have changed drastically for Mom and Dad over the last year that it is nice when they can do some of the things they have enjoyed together for so many years. Camping was a much different experience for them this time. They were somewhat of a mobile medical facility, but they still enjoyed themselves.

Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragement!