One Foot in Front of the Other

You might remember that song around Christmas time from the old animated show “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” that to me is somehow – in my own distorted way of looking at things - is indicative of Susan and her healing process:


You never will get where you’re going
If you never get up on your feet
Come on, there’s a good tail wind blowing
A fast walking man is hard to beat
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door



She has – and is still doing – just that. Let me give you today’s examples.


She visited Dr. Nguyen. Again today, as he was last week, he was pleased with her blood test results. He was genuinely smiling today, which he rarely does unless Susan says something really funny off the cuff. This time, the Great Houston Healer was free style grinning. For the record and as future reference for you folks, normal blood platelets level is 140. She was at 139 today. To put it in perspective, when Susan was in ICU last month, her first platelet reading was at .01. See how far she’s come? Her red blood cell count is still low but higher than it was the last time around; the same goes for the white blood cells. Dr. Nguyen said that the numbers were where he expected them to be because of the chemo. We are hopeful that chemo therapy will be a go next Wednesday. I think so at this rate.


Susan spent much of the day outside in the nice 75 degree weather. Doug did a fine job in the garden not too long ago, and it was a perfect time to spend some time there.


It was also a time of discovery for her. She discovered that she can lie down in our bed, lift herself up, and stand up from it. This for those of you who didn’t know this, she couldn’t do that before for nearly two months. She can’t sleep in our bed still, because the “tick arm” is too uncomfortable for her to lie completely on her back. Hence the reason for the chaise lounge when she first arrived from the hospital, and why I bought the coma couch. But she’s getting there, and in no time she’ll be back where she belongs.


This morning I left a cooking magazine on the dryer and Doug and Susan found it. They found a recipe and decided to make a very good ham and potato casserole from it. Susan’s been aching to cook again. So this was the first opportunity to actually do it. She peeled the potatoes, defrosted the peas, put the cheese on, and oversaw the whole operation.


Here's the end result: A fine ham and potato and cheese casserole. It was awesome.



As a reward for her labors, she and Doug went to Marble Slab Creamery and bought ice cream. This was her first actual foray into a public place – not including a doctor’s office that is.
One foot in front of the other….That’s exactly what she’s doing. First across the floor, and soon she’ll be going out the door. There’s a good tail wind blowing, and she’s doing just fine thanks to Dr.Nguyen, Dr. Shree, and all the love and prayers from her family and friends.

So Much Better and Stronger!!

Remember this picture??

It wasn't that long ago, maybe 4 weeks, Sue was in a wheelchair and needed help doing basically EVERYTHING!! Now, just a mere 4 or 5 weeks later she is doing AMAZING and I am filled with such hope I feel like I am riding on angels wings! She can do alot by herself, with supervision, and alot of WOO-HOO's from her family!!

Here is my dad's update for the day...

We had a really nice productive day. Very positive and fun, we made 2 road trips today, Sue got in and out of the shower (over the tub's high edge) without assistance. She is looking forward to her Drs appointment tomorrow at the oncologist to check her blood levels and see if she is on track for her chemo next Wed! Tim, the nurse who comes every Tuesday to draw blood for the kidney specialist came today and did his stuff, so all in all it was a very good day. We need lots more prayers and love and support from all, the beast (her cancer) is still here waiting to see if we will continue to fight, but we will never ever give in to it and we will fight until every cancer cell is gone. Take care and thanks again for your help. Dad

SO, I am asking you once again for your prayers, for they are really working! Please continue to pray that Sue's sodium levels and potassium are just right, so she may drink fluids normally and get off the antibiotic that makes her feel sick and tired. Could you also please pray for her blood levels to be SO SO SO G R E A T that they even surprise her oncologist, Dr Ngyuen?!! Thanks so much for caring enough to visit and for everything that YOU, our faithful blog readers and prayer warriors do, as YOU really make a difference to my sister, Sue! Your comments and your prayers lift her higher than you can imagine! Thanks again for your love & support!

XOXO Kaylee

On the Road Again

Monday may be a bummer to a lot folks, but Susan was going to have none of that. She decided to go for an outing. It was road trip time for her and her dad. Well, for people like us who take driving around town for granted, it was something of a voyage for her. First, they made a stop at Home Depot to pick up a couple of items for the garden. After that, it was Sonic – a drive-in fast food joint. Then it was a quick jaunt to the apartments to pick up Kay.

With her driving cap on, she was off on her journey.

Here she is in front of Home Depot. I wish she picked up a couple bags of mulch.

They surprise Kay when they pick her up.

Was she tired, one might ask? Of course she was not. Which it is a testimonial how bit by bit she’s regaining more of her original self. Her and Carol (her hair stylist who you may remember from an earlier blog entries who shaved Susan’s head and styled her wig) spent some LHOTP time together – for those who are not in the know (which I wasn’t, but could have been better off not knowing)is Little House on the Prairie on the tube.

After LHOTP time, it was nap time. For dinner, Doug made delicious BBQ.

This morning she rode around again. Doug and Susan dropped off Kay at her apartment. They went to Chachos - a Mexican fast food restaurant – and she had a nice bowl of tortilla soup.

But the biggest news was that she was able to take walk in and out of a shower without the assistance of a chair and a walker. She was very proud of herself.

Later, Tim the guy from the Home Health Care came by to take her blood. Tomorrow she should hear from Dr. Shree about her sodium levels. She really hopes this time everything is where they need to be.

Along the same vein (excuse the pun), she goes in for yet another blood test with Dr. Nguyen for a weekly examination to gauge where she’s at compared to where she was last week. Pray that the test indicates that she is on the right track for her 4th chemo next week.

Doug and Susan complete the evening by buying us dinner from Whataburger.
We can only guess what she’ll do tomorrow. Keep it up, honey. You’re doing so well and I’m proud of you.

Ray

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Susan's Journey has been viewed 1,000 times in 13 days! We are all so thankful you care!

I placed a counter at the bottom of the page to show how many "hits" per day we were getting of people stopping by to check on Sue! We all couldn't believe how many per day there were! Thanks so much for caring enough to check on Sue! Please keep praying, cause she is getting BETTER and STRONGER each day!!

Quite the Cake Walk

Hello, Everybody

Huge thanks to Kaylee, Mike, Ash and Al! It was great to have you guys back. I’m glad I was able to enjoy your visit more thoroughly this time. Your visits are really, as Ray so aptly put it, a great beam of sunshine in our lives. Thanks for all the fun and laughs, love and care, I miss you all tons already. Hurry back.


More thanks: Jerod - the fish tank looks awesome and our fish look happy and healthy.


Carol – my wig looks beautiful, and I’m looking forward to some LHOTP time this week. ; )


Deb – your visit brightened my day. Thanks for all of the laughs…I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.



I walked outside to the front of the apartments. Then back to our apartments. Then my dad suggested that I go look at Greenie – my car. By the way, a huge thanks to Kaylee and Ahslee for making her look all nice, shiny and beautiful. I didn’t think I’d be able to walk nearly that far. When I returned to the house, I realized I could have walked even further as my legs weren’t even that tired. I did use my walker outside, but inside I’ve really haven’t been using it. My therapist Velma will be getting my cane hopefully this week.

Here I go between the cars with my Dad behind me and Ray nowhere to be seen.

The day was nice. It was windy. Ray's eating the dust I was kicking up.

We made it! We're standing at the front of the townhomes.

The walk must have invigorated my appetite. I was suddenly hungry for mac and cheese. I told my dad if he’d boil and drain the noodles; I can make it the rest of the way. This is my first foray back to the stove. I really miss cooking. Even though technically this wasn’t cooking, it felt good to be able to be stirring something at the stove.

Mmmm...Mac and Cheese.

Every day I feel God is blessing me more and more with my strength returning. Thank you all for your prayers. I know that it is through God, the doctors’ treatment and your prayers that I have gotten to where I am. You all are in my thoughts and prayers, and I am more grateful than words can say to all of you. Wishing you all a great week.

Susan

The Ministering Angels Short Visit

Though the overall Walstad visit was short, it was great to see them again. Thursday and Friday passed rather quickly – too soon yet again. But in the small amount of time they were here, it was refreshing. If I may use such a comparison, they were like a beam of sunlight stretching across a cloudy sky. There was much laughter and a greater appreciation for family while they were here. Susan was more lucid and didn’t have to nap as much as she did in their last visit, in spite of her recent chemo. So she was able to enjoy their visit even better than before.


Saturday we find Kaylee and Ashlee spending the morning and much of the day with Susan. It started with a delicious breakfast. Susan had eggs and French toast with berries on top. Kaylee had a breakfast burrito, while everybody else had pancakes the size of hubcaps.



While the men enjoyed a day of golf – not me, though; golf is not exactly my bag, baby – it was a great day just to hang at home (except for the occasion when Kaylee ventured out and bought snacks).
The two sisters on the swing. It was a nice day just to sit and chat.


A little after 2:30 Velma returned for a little physical therapy with Susan. I was amazed to hear that Susan was able to lift her bad arm higher than before. The chemo is shrinking the blockages that’s hampering the flow of her lymp fluid, and keeping her from moving her arm properly. In fact, Velma had to stand up to assist in lifting Susan’s arm since it’s able to stretch further than before. Indeed it is the miracle of medicine and prayers.

Velma stands to lift Susan's arm higher. Two days ago the arm couldn't be lifted that

high before.

Not that much later, Deborah came for a visit. The merriment and laughter kicked up several notches. Susan was like her old self – funny, making jokes, doing her Minnesota accent impressions, being like a girl carrying on at a party. Deborah always seems to have that effect on Susan.

Here is Deborah standing next to Susan. Deborah is holding something that represents the Walk that they will do. Deborah's going to have to describe what that badge was for. I forgot to ask. It might have something to do with her being the team captain.

Now that it’s Saturday evening – okay, technically it’s Sunday morning – the house seems quieter now that the Walstads went to stay with Kay and Kari for the night. They have an early flight back to Minnesota, and they will be sorely missed. Maybe one day they’ll want to move down to Texas and continuously bring the joy that they always provide when they come to visit. We all look forward to their return.

Ray

SUSAN IS DOING AWESOME!!

Here is a SUPER cute pic of Susie receiving her blood! Look at how much better she LOOKS!!

We arrived Thurs am, Mike, Ashlee, Alex and I (Kaylee) Mike dropped Ashlee & I off at the hospital where Sue was receiving two units of blood and picked up the am crew of my mom and dad! Ashlee and i arrived to find Sue looking so good we couldn't believe it! She even had some eyeshadow on!1 Her coloring was fantastic and she looked like "herself" for lack of a better way to describe it! Sue is pictured here with Marti, our fave blood bank nurse!! Even Marti, unsolicited said Sue looked fantastic, like a whole different person that she saw two weeks ago!! Sue can move herself around, no need for a wheelchair and help getting up, she used her walker to get out of the hospital and into the car, and I did not need to help her into the car!! Ash and I were AMAZED!!

We got home from the blood bank and shortly thereafter, the lovely Velma, Sue's physical therapist came to work Sue out and give her a little massage!! Look how far Sue can lift her arm!!
Then we had the customary Antonio's Flying Pizza Party, as we were all to tired to go out!! It is awesome pizza! Pictured here is Ash, Kari & Sue on the coma couch! I am amazed that they are not in a coma as that couch Ray bought Sue is the MOST COMFORTABLE couch I have ever sat in "not on" it's like a big comfy hug!! Good job Ray!!

After pizza, Grandma Kay made sure Sue's "ted's" were clean as she has done laundry duty, shower duty...she has worked so hard and has been a daily angel for her daughter!! Ted hose are circulation hose that Sue wears daily and my mom diligently cleans!!

Then, Sue asked Ash and I to stay overnight at her house and the guys went to my mom and Kari's so my dad, Mike and Alex could go golfing early in the morning and we were here with her! It was a great evening and we talked talked talked (can you believe that??!!) It is truly a miracle to see her doing so well and recovering daily!! Your prayers are being answered and Sue can really feel them! Keep on praying!! Thank you so much!

Today we lounged around, and Sue got some mail!! Thanks to all and everyone for your cards, gift packages and well wishes! They mean the world to Sue and it really brightens her day (and ours too!) She is holding the contents of a care package sent to her from ou Auntie Helen in Menagha, MN!! Two awesome books, one with notes and pages already marked!! Thanks so much Auntie Helen, you made her DAY!!

Then, Sue's hair stylist and her husband came over to style Sue's wig and then Jared her husband cleaned the aquarium which was so sweet! They are the NICEST couple!! Thanks so much Carol & Jared!! We had a fun visit with them!
Here is Sue and Carol with her newly styled wig! Sue got the reults back from her blood test for her sodium levels, her sodium is normal, but due to limited fluid intake, her potassium is down, so she was put on a potassium supplement and then she has to take her antibiotic once a day til next Tuesday. She was a little down about that as she feels sick when she takes it and she is tired of not being able to drink the amount of fluids she wants! So for this week we have some prayer requests:

1) that Sue's sodium and potassium levels would be great by next Tues and she could go off the antibiotics and drink fluids normally!!

2) The chemo, as it works its way through her body would work it's miracle and take her cancer away!!

Thanks again so much for all you have done to lift Sue up in prayer. I know with certainty our Great God is listening and helping and your prayers make so much difference to Sue's courage and recovery!! We are so thankful and grateful for them!!

XOXO Kaylee in Houston-where it's 80 and sunny!! :)