Friday

Barbara had a day of rest She is still very tired. Leanna Brian and Ralene came for a visit. Brain came to paint the facia boards and the soffet so as soon as they arrived we started preparing to paint. He spends more time in perpetration than time in painting That may be one of the reasons he is such a good painter. Barbara watched us work and then went inside to rest.

She seems to be getting stronger each day.

The picture was taken last night as we walked to the "nut" trees. That was all the excerise Barbara needed

Thursday

Today was a day of rest. Barbara did not sleep a lot but she did rest. She was able to get out of bed on her own and move to the sofa or visa versa. We had three meals. Pastor Greg came to visit. We also had a reporter from the Labette Avenue come interview Barbara about an article regarding proton therapy. Then the direct tv guy came to fix the dish that got damaged in the storm earlier this month. Then Herb came and gave Barbara some plants to plant that will grow up and over her arbor. Whew a busy day. Then Barbara and I just sat out on the porch and watched the sun go down. Then Barbara took a little walk to see what the trees looked like that we planted last year. She said it felt good to be out in the fresh air.

She is pretty tired but this was a big day. She still likes to eat and hopefully will continue to gain her strength

Wednesday

Spent the day in Kansas. Barbara still very tired. She rested today but did not sleep. I tried to mow my grass but the battery on the lawn mower was not charged. So I got the mower ready for tomorrow then we had dinner with Sonny and Judy. We talked about the upcoming cruise They will have been married for 45 years. Anyway we are going to go with them to Hawaii. To help them celebrate. Tonight we finalized our trip and printed out our e documents which allow us to get on the cruise ship. The computer said 30 days until the cruise starts. We pray that Barbara will regain her strength and will be able to have a good trip.

Kansas bound

Today was a full day. No radiation. Yippie Now we just have to wait until April 23 (while the brain gets back to normal from radiation and chemo)when we have a MRI to find out if the cancer is gone. So Barbara and I decided that we would go back to Kansas to rest. So we had a doctors appt with our primary physician to keep all the doctors in the know. Barbara has been put back on steroids. Just to keep the brain swelling down. I believe it is called edema when the brain swells to mimic the brain tumor. The doctors agree that Barbara needs to be on steroids. So after seeing the doctor we headed to Kansas. We got here at 7 pm. Just in time to empty the car and then sit on the front porch and watch the moon and listen to the critters in the surrounding fields. Our neighbors had mowed the grass but because of the rains (water still standing in the yard) they were not able to mow. So will have to mow soon as it dries out.

Barbara slept most of the trip. Depending on which doctor you listen to depends on how long it will take Barbara to regain her strength. Our plan is to rest and get some strength back and some fresh air.

Thank you God for allowing us to be able to lean on you during this journey.

Final radiation day

Thirty three days ago we began radiation. Today we finished. They gave Barbara the mask they used to hold her head in the correct position for proton therapy.

We know that God allowed us to be in this facility with proton radiation. It has less side affects than regular radiation.

Barbara has more strength today. She is beginning to use her left hand again keep praying that she continues to gain strength.

One of Barbara's girl scouts came by to see Barbara. She is all grown up working at the university of Phoenix and working on her masters degree. Notice her picture with Barbara

Sunday

Barbara still does not feel great. We did not go to church today. Barbara began to be able to use her left hand today but not very well.

We have an appointment with the radiology doctor tomorrow. Hopefully we can find out what caused her to loose the use of her left side. I understand the tired feeling. Some of the research we have done says that the radiation causes swelling in the brain just like a tumor.

We are just praying that God will provide our needs.

Saturday

Barbara did not have a good day. She had no energy and was having trouble using the left side of her body. She had no use of her left hand and arm. When she tried to walk with the help of others she had trouble moving her left foot

Keep praying that she will get her strength back after the radiation stops.

Thank you all

Friday

Today Barbara was very weak and very tired. I made her eat breakfast and then she slept until lunch. Then she had radiation and she came home and slept. She woke up to eat dinner and then went back to sleep

The Doctor said she would be real tired the last week. Was he ever right? We
have one more treatment on Monday.

We are thankful that we have the weekend to rest up for the last treatment Thank you all for praying for us. We do appreciate that very much

Thursday

Barbara had more energy today. We went to radiation. Only two more. After radiation we had lunch with Pastor Drue and his wife Helen. Very relaxing

Tonight we watched Star Wars with David. For his birthday we got him the 6 part series. So far we have watched 4 of them

I am so glad that Barbara has a little more energy. She is still tired but not exhausted

Continue to pray that the radiation and chemo have done their job and killed the cancer in Barbara's brain

Graduation day

When today started Barbara was very weak She had no energy. She had no appetite. Today was the day she was to graduate from radiation (she still has 3 more treatments). They only do graduation on Wednesday. I was not sure Barbara had the energy to attend graduation Leanna and I went to graduation with her. Barbara seemed to have enough energy and jumped up when her name was called and gave a short speech. So she is the 762 person to complete proton radiation treatment in Oklahoma City.

Then she went to radiation. I had arranged for some friends to help me surprise Barbara. As many of you know we have been geocaching after radiation to reach 1000 geocaches. Well today when Barbara got done with radiation she was met by 15 people. We gave Barbara a gps and told her that her 1000th geocache needed to be found. Our friends Kim and Michelle had put 2 geocaches on the pro cure property. The first one had a coin that indicated that Barbara had found1000 geocaches. It also had a poem written by Mike Bolen about being a pebble in helping Barbara go through this cancer treatment. It then instructed her to go to another site which had the geocache logbook. Once Barbara found that she signed to logbook and then Kate (person who taught Barbara to geo cache) wrote First to find Barbara had never been the first to find on any of her 999 previous geo caches. Anyway with the help of Kim and Michelle Barbara not only got her1000th find but also got her (first to find). Thank you both for helping me to surprise Barbara.

I have posted pictures of Barbara with her coin and also (first to find)

Barbara seemed to gain strength throughout all of this. Yes she was still tired but she was alert and YES she was hungry again

We went to pick up some t shirts that we had made. Michelle is an artist and made a t shirt design about "Ladybugs Miracle Flight". Yes just like this blogs name we had these made so that we would be able to help support brain cancer research. You will notice that there are many nationalities and many different type workers all praying. In actuality we have had people from all over the world praying for Barbara. Also from all walks of life

Thank you for those prayers and please continue.

Tuesday

Got up and fixed oatmeal for Barbara. She said she had named the tumors in her head. You know we give names to many inanimate objects in our lives. Like mini for our excursion and maxi for the electric car. Well she said she had named the two tumors Frank and Jesse. Like the outlaws Frank and Jesse James. She said the two rumors were outlaws and needed to be destroyed. So our new goal is to destroy Frank and Jesse with chemo and radiation.

After radiation we went to look for shoes so that Barbara could have Velcro shoes. Still looking. we have to make sure that her brace will fit into the shoe.

We received a call from the oncologist this morning. They changed our MRI appointment from April 17 to April 23. This was due to the fact that we added radiation treatments. We have to have 4 weeks between the last radiation to the time of the MRI

I am so thankful that we have good doctors that are taking care of Barbara. But we know that God is in control and can take care of Frank and Jesse

Monday

Today was rainy. It rained all day. Last summer it was very hot and very dry. So we are glad for the rain.

Barbara went to bed with a slight sore throat but woke up with no sign of sore throat. She took a nap and we went to radiation. After radiation we met with the doctor. We found out that our last day of radiation would be Monday the 26. This is longer than we thought but we are ok with that. As long as the radiation keeps on killing the cancer. The doctor said that the "boost" that they started last week was to narrow the field of radiation but with the same intensity. This was to zero in on the cancer cells. The doctor was impressed that Barbara only had 2 adverse effects to the radiation( very tired and loss of hair). He said that most people have more adverse effects. I think that all of you praying have helped to keep Barbara from having adverse effects.

Met a 14 year old boy from Wales that has brain cancer. This is his first week of radiation. Also met a 6 year old from England. His first day was today. He was trying to be brave about being in the radiation by himself. Barbara must have taken a extra long time because several finished their radiation while she was having her treatment. They have 4 radiation rooms so they take 4 at a time. Sometimes it takes about 15 minutes and sometimes it takes 45 minutes

I am just glad that Barbara is taking proton radiation which is much easier on her than regular radiation

Sunday

Today it was hard getting Barbara up. Once she ate breakfast she wanted to go to church. Church was good. It was about putting on the armor of God and putting up a good fight.

Then we ate lunch with Leanna and
Brian.

Barbara took a nap.

We were able to have dinner then Barbara was ready for bed. I think she is tired. She said that she felt like she was getting sick. Pray that she has the strength to fight the sick feeling

Saturday

No radiation no chemo. Barbara is tired. She ate breakfast and then took a nap. Then she and Leanna went to the st. Patrick's day parade. Leanna's troop was the second entry in the parade. They had a good time but Barbara came home and took another nap. Then AC and Virginia came in to eat and visit. Tomorrow is their 51 st wedding anniversary. Enjoyed the meal and the friendship. They are a special couple.

Since Sarah painted the room yellow Barbara has been looking for some yellow sheets. Well Sarah dyed some white sheets yellow. Ok they are bright but exactly what Barbara wanted.
Sarah is so talented.

Friday

Barbara slept this morning. Then we went for radiation. We found that they are still using same power for radiation but it is going to a smaller area.

Blood test this week showed no infections. That is the third week in a row. I think that is because of the prayers from all of you

Barbara slept this afternoon. She is very tired and in fact is fast asleep.

She will have the weekend to recover and gain some strength.

Thursday

Niece Becky and her daughter Elena came to spend some time with Aunt Barbara. We enjoyed their visit very much. Today at radiation they (boosted) Barbara's radiation. The way Barbara explained it to me was that they narrowed the radiation field but kept the intensity of radiation the same. They told Barbara that they do that toward the end of her radiation.

Our prayer is that it will kill the cancer cells

Wednesday

Barbara felt pretty good today. We went to the procure lunch. There were 4 people who finished their treatment. Only one of them had brain cancer. After the lunch we met another person who had the same thing as Barbara. His wife and I talked while Barbara and her husband were getting their treatment. I realized again how fortunate we are. We feel that we are just where God wants us. We are able to live with family. We have a support system with friends scouts and family. We have good insurance.

Barbara received a revised treatment schedule. They have added 3 more days of treatment. We thought we had only 7 more days but now we have 10 days of radiation. I don't think it is bad it is just that for this type of cancer they give 33 treatments. So we will be staying with David and Sarah another week.

Thank you so much for your prayers cards and phone calls.

Tuesday

It is spring break for OKC schools so leanna is not working this week. So we went to cost Leanna and Brian. Then we had lunch and then went for radiation. Barbara is just so fortunate to be able to have proton radiation. Also we are very glad that we have good insurance. Radiation is very expensive. So far the insurance is paying most of the cost. After radiation my insurance counselor called to make sure that Barbara is doing alright and to determine if there is anything that the insurance company needs to do.

We are just blessed by this whole process. Thanks for your prayers

Monday

Today is 100 years of Girl Scouts in America. Barbara went out to breakfast with some scouts to celebrate.

Barbara had radiation the we saw dr Keole. She has started losing her hair and he said to make sure she kept her head covered when outside as it would get sunburned easy.

We called dr Fink today and informed her that we are done with the chemo. I am sure she knows that but wanted to keep her in the loop. Dr Keole also wrote her to keep her in the loop.

So everything is going as the doctors have planned. They say Barbara may get tired but that is what happens when you take chemo and radiation

Barbara is do so well. She just wants to keep fighting this cancer that is in her brain

After radiation Barbara walked in the driveway. Notice the flowers. Isn't it amazing how God allows the flowers to bloom in the spring

Final day for chemo

Today we went to church. Learned that we need to know what we believe then why we believe it and that we are commanded to tell others using the Bible

Barbara felt good all day. David and I took the limbs and wood to a friends woodpile. Thanks Wes for helping us

Tonight Barbara takes her last chemo. She is excited that she is at day 42 but concerned that she won't be taking something that kills the cancer in her brain. Please pray that she will be relaxed about this

Tomorrow we continue taking radiation. Eight more days of radiation

Saturday

Barbara felt much better today. She was tired but not exhausted. David and Sarah wanted the pine tree in the yard cut down, so the rented a bucket lift and we cut the tree down. David and I were in the bucket cutting the tree off by small sections. We had AC Wes Brian and Mike on the bottom catching and stacking the limbs and trunk. Thanks guys you made it possible.

We started the Star Wars series. We were going to watch them all but with cutting down the tree we got a late start

So we will continue them as time permits. I think that Star Wars might be David's favorite or at least one of his favorites.

Don't forget to set your clocks forward We get an hour less sleep in the spring.

Sunday is coming I enjoy going to church and learning about what the Bible says.

Radiation day 22

Barbara had a very bad day. No energy. For the first she didn't want to eat. I made her eat breakfast then she slept. Then I made her eat lunch and then we got ready for radiation. She was very weak and was having trouble moving. We did radiation and on the way home she said we needed to go celebrate my birthday with AC and Virginia. It was like she was a new person. She had some of her strength back.

So we went to eat with AC and Virginia and then played a game. Barbara seemed to do just fine.

She has done 40 of 42 chemo and 22 of 30 radiation.

Thank you for your prayers.

Day 21

We have two more weeks of radiation. Barbara got up this morning and I fixed her breakfast. She then went back to sleep. I then woke her up for lunch and we went to have radiation. On the way we got one geo-cache. Then we had the radiation. No problems with the machine. We got done and went home. Pastor Greg from Kansas came to visit. Barbara slept most of the time he was here. Sorry she was just tired.

The doctor said that the last two weeks of radiation she would be very tired. Well she is proving that today

Barbara did finish the afghan that she was making for David. You can see it in the picture below.

Thanks for the prayers for strength and that the radiation and chemo will kill the cancer in Barbara's brain.

20 days

Well today went without any hitches. We went to lunch and 14 people finished with their radiation. This is the largest group of people to finish treatment since procure's beginning

We heard lots of stories about radiation. It just makes us even more thankful that we are doing proton radiation. Much less invasive and less adverse affects. Barbara has done 20 of 30 treatments. No problems with the machine today. Thanks for your prayers about that

Last night when we got (home) from radiation Kari Dawn came to visit Barbara. She is now married has a little girl and is expecting another. She lives in Sweden with her husband. It was so good to spend the evening with her. Barbara leanna and Kari Dawn talked about girl scouts and kids. It was good for Barbara to be able to see one of the many girls that were in her troops over the years

Day 19

Normal day. It is my birthday a d have been talking to a lot of friends and family. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and words of encouragement. We went to have Barbara's blood checked (weekly appointment). Will find out results on Thursday or Friday. Now we are at radiation. We are doing 19 of 30 today. That just came out and said that they were having a problem but that we would get to have radiation today.

Barbara has 6 more chemo's to do. She is excited but also scared that she won't be doing anything to kill the cancer in her brain. Pray that the chemo and radiation does its job and does kill the cancer.

Day 18

Wow what a day. We had a great time in Branson. We were able to see two shows. Both were good. We also were able to see the tornado damage. We left Branson at 5:30 this morning we got back to OKC in time for Barbar's radiation. But we received a call to say that there was a malfunction in the proton machine so we were scheduled for radiation at 9:45. Then they called back and changed it to 9. Then they called to say we needed to see the doctor at 8:30
So Barbara took her chemo and we went for radiation. The doctor appointment was a regular visit and nothing earth shattering happened. Then they took Barbara back for radiation. They came out and told me that Barbara was lying on the table but the machine wasn't working. Then they said that the table she was on was not working. Anyway at 10:15 she got done. So she has done 18 radiations and only has 12 more

While on the table Barbara just kept praying that they would get everything fixed and that she would get the right radiation. Thanks for all for all your prayers.

Barbara got up this morning and felt the best since radiation started. So the prayers are working. Thanks

Saturday

Made it home to Kansas just before dark. There were 20 deer in the back yard. Without our dog there the deer felt they could come into the yard. Got up this morning and was outside doing some cleanup and there were 14 deer in the yard. They have been eating the nut trees that we planted last year. I had wrapped the base before Barbara got sick. So they ate down to the wrapping. Don't know if the nut trees will make it. The fruit trees are budding out and the deer are leaving them alone. We had the insurance adjuster meet us this morning. We didn't know he was coming until late last night. Anyway he said that we needed a new roof and new gutters. We are very thankful that we didn't have any personal injuries.

Then we drove to Branson. We had been given this weekend in Branson. Since Barbara was feel good (except for being tired) we decided to spend the weekend in Branson. We had a nice dinner and saw the Haygood show.
There was not as much damage as the media indicated in Branson

Received word that our friend Leonard had a heart issue. He got 3 new stints and is doing much better. Leonard was my traveling partner when I went to teach pastors in Kenya last fall. He is the chairman of the deacon board for Trinity Bible Church.

Friday

We made it through the week. Thanks for the prayers. Barbara's swelling in the feet went down last night. Don't know if it was the brace, the new shoes, the new compression socks, or elevating her feet or the prayers but it worked. Thanks

Last evening Barbara walked a quarter of a mile. Thanks Leanna for walking with her. The appraiser came to the house and will have that the the bank by Monday. This morning the termite inspector came. We also had a plumber come and move the water heater 12 inches off the pavement in the garage. Another requirement. I then took the termite certificate to the title company. So I think that everything is done so that we can close on the house in April

We are going to go to Kansas this weekend. We want to see the storm damage. Ok we also want to see friends also. Barbara said she can and will sleep all the way so she will get 4 hours of sleep

We will come back in time for Barbara's Monday treatment.

Thursday is shopping day

Yep we went shopping today. Boy did I have fun. Yesterday we got a brace for Barbara's left foot. It makes it so that she doesn't have the brick feeling at the end of her leg. They recommended that we get new shoes so that the brace would work better. So today
before radiation we went shopping.
We got her a pair of new balance. That means that she can do walking if she feels up to it. Then she talked me into taking her out for lunch. I think she is tired of my cooking

This evening they do an appraisal, a termite inspection and a plumber is coming to do some repair. This is all so we can sell the house. It looks like closing date is April 4.

Barbara is still in good spirits. She did take a nap this morning while I was at the doctor for my annual doctors visit. They said I was fine and to come back in six months. Yes I am trying to take of myself. Many of you were concerned about me

Again thanks to all our neighbors in Altamont that looked after our house. I have called the insurance and will be getting new shingles.

God was good to us. We only lost property. No loss of life in Labette County. Storms are continuing so pray that people will be safe from harm.