Happy Fourth!
We are currently celebrating by watching Sportscenter and listening to some random people in our neighborhood shoot off a few fireworks every five minutes or so. Chauncey thinks that we're in a warzone and wouldn't go out to pee. Really eventful in the Melahn-Huss home tonight.
Even though we're not BBQing and watching fireworks or wearing ridiculous star spangled outfits both of us, as well as the yellow dog, are more than thrilled to be home. "Hospital time" has to be one of my personal least favorite things about this whole cancer-destruction activity. There are clocks in every room, but at the hospital apparently everyone is worse than I am at reading clocks. My parents and Kurtis can tell you that this is a real insult because by the time I can figure out what the analog clock says, the time is no longer correct. In my classroom, students will ask me what time we get out and I'll say something like "at the four"...yea, winner right here. ANYWAY.
Yesterday: "Looking forward to getting you out in the morning"
Today: "Can't wait to get you out this morning"
Us leaving - 3 PM. Um...? Last time I checked that was not the morning.
It was a long morning. As I think I've said, waiting is the hardest part and that doesn't just mean for tests or appointments. The waiting in general can be surprisingly exhausting and when you're waiting to go home, it's even worse. After a quick stop for a frosty, we headed home where Chauncey greeted us with his patented squeal-cry-n-bite. Our fridge was full of groceries and treats thanks to Kurtis' cousin Eric's family and my might-as-well-be-twin Chelsea (as well as some really excellent balloons!!). Thank you!
Kurtis spent the evening where he should be - on the couch resting. I watered our slightly suffering grass and pulled approximately three weeds (an outstanding start...), made some dinner and made sure that Kurtis had clear paths to walk. He is doing incredibly well walking around and hasn't needed any support. Until he is a little more stable, I'll continue to follow him around like a little shadow just in case he ever gets woozy mid jaunt to the kitchen, bathroom, etc. Today he was able to tackle the stairs on his own which still amazes me.
Tomorrow, the shower chair that the PT people wanted us to get (just in case - apparently showers can be problematic due to the temperature change and blood pressure and a bunch of anatomyish stuff that I don't get) will be here tomorrow. This is not important for you to know, but I did want to share that I find it highly amusing that after ordering it on Amazon yesterday, all of the ads on my facebook are for shower chairs, shower benches etc. Like I'm going to start a collection of them. "Oh, do you have this in orange? I have the red and blue striped one, but I'm really looking for the orange one". I mean, really?
We'll head to meet the surgeon tomorrow to go over the port placement that will happen next Wednesday and start looking for a PT to work with Kurtis on improving his stability, etc. If you have suggestions, let us know!! Please! :)
I started a facebook group today so that if you want to be informed via facebook you can - search for: Warrior Kurtis Cancer Smash and you should be able to come up with it. My facebook will go back to normal and I'll be posting all of the links, pictures, etc. in the group for those who are interested.
Thank you for the continued messages of support, it means a lot to both of us.
More tomorrow -
Love, Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncinator
-Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
-GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
-LotsahelpinghandsID: 632922
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Leaving the Hospital Eve
Hello :)
We're at the point now where I have started to put things in perspective as far as time. When you first face a medical crisis, as many of you know, time sort of moves (or stands still) without much consent or personal awareness. However, as things have started to calm down, it is a lot easier to realize that we've been at this a week already. Oh, how time can fly. A week ago, Kurtis was suffering from severe headaches and a little bit of dizziness. Today, he's back to his normal self with no headaches, and we are headed out tomorrow (hopefully in the morning!).
Today was fairly uneventful here at MCR. Several of the doctors came in and checked on Kurtis' progress and all felt like he was doing well. One from the neuro group came in and removed his extremely fashion-forward head wrap and we, well....I, saw the incisions for the first time and both are looking good. One is about two inches long and the other about three inches long - both are closed with staples (he has about 20 staples total). The occupational therapy people came by as well and Kurtis went for a walk and she did some "testing" to make sure that he was ready to go home. This was fun to watch because I think he's doing really well! He was able to pick up items off of the floor, walk with a glass of water, open and close cabinets and the fridge, walk at a fast pace, and stop on command. I still can't express my complete and utter surprise that he was having brain surgery on Monday and today he's doing all the things he is doing.
I expressed this to him earlier today. His response? "When are you going to figure out I'm an f-ing superhero?" Love it.
We also had some wonderful visits today! Childhood friend, staff from school, and a few students! It makes the hospital a lot more enjoyable for both of us :)
Tomorrow we're hopefully headed home in the morning which we are really, really, looking forward to. It will be nice to be in our own house with our pup! So - we're taking in a few last looks at our "high rise".
Many of you asked about helping before and I posted a blog earlier today (called Help!) so if you are interested, check it out! The thing I need the most help with right now is groceries for tomorrow. I have a list up on Lotsahelpinghands, but I am supposed to be with Kurtis 24 hrs a day for a bit to make sure that everything is going okay with his head. I don't feel like dragging him to the grocery store, stuffing him inside one of those little kid racecar carts, crashing into multiple displays, and eventually coming home with like three broken cucumbers is really my best option. I mean really. I can't even push the cart on my own with a success rate of more than like 20% so....yea. I know tomorrow is the fourth, but if you happen to be going anyway it would be a huge help! :)
A few medical things on the horizon:
Friday - Meet with surgeon for port placement (click here to see one). The port is how the chemo goes in and makes everything a lot simpler.
Wednesday - Surgery to place the port at PVH. Should take about twenty minutes. Kurtis has done this before and not a big deal. Not after brain surgery! :)
Thursday - Begin chemo
Other than that, not a lot to report! We had Old C's for lunch and Kurtis was happy to be "off" the really lovely hospital menu.
Lots of love!
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
-Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
-GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
-LotsahelpinghandsID: 632922
We're at the point now where I have started to put things in perspective as far as time. When you first face a medical crisis, as many of you know, time sort of moves (or stands still) without much consent or personal awareness. However, as things have started to calm down, it is a lot easier to realize that we've been at this a week already. Oh, how time can fly. A week ago, Kurtis was suffering from severe headaches and a little bit of dizziness. Today, he's back to his normal self with no headaches, and we are headed out tomorrow (hopefully in the morning!).
Today was fairly uneventful here at MCR. Several of the doctors came in and checked on Kurtis' progress and all felt like he was doing well. One from the neuro group came in and removed his extremely fashion-forward head wrap and we, well....I, saw the incisions for the first time and both are looking good. One is about two inches long and the other about three inches long - both are closed with staples (he has about 20 staples total). The occupational therapy people came by as well and Kurtis went for a walk and she did some "testing" to make sure that he was ready to go home. This was fun to watch because I think he's doing really well! He was able to pick up items off of the floor, walk with a glass of water, open and close cabinets and the fridge, walk at a fast pace, and stop on command. I still can't express my complete and utter surprise that he was having brain surgery on Monday and today he's doing all the things he is doing.
I expressed this to him earlier today. His response? "When are you going to figure out I'm an f-ing superhero?" Love it.
We also had some wonderful visits today! Childhood friend, staff from school, and a few students! It makes the hospital a lot more enjoyable for both of us :)
Tomorrow we're hopefully headed home in the morning which we are really, really, looking forward to. It will be nice to be in our own house with our pup! So - we're taking in a few last looks at our "high rise".
Many of you asked about helping before and I posted a blog earlier today (called Help!) so if you are interested, check it out! The thing I need the most help with right now is groceries for tomorrow. I have a list up on Lotsahelpinghands, but I am supposed to be with Kurtis 24 hrs a day for a bit to make sure that everything is going okay with his head. I don't feel like dragging him to the grocery store, stuffing him inside one of those little kid racecar carts, crashing into multiple displays, and eventually coming home with like three broken cucumbers is really my best option. I mean really. I can't even push the cart on my own with a success rate of more than like 20% so....yea. I know tomorrow is the fourth, but if you happen to be going anyway it would be a huge help! :)
A few medical things on the horizon:
Friday - Meet with surgeon for port placement (click here to see one). The port is how the chemo goes in and makes everything a lot simpler.
Wednesday - Surgery to place the port at PVH. Should take about twenty minutes. Kurtis has done this before and not a big deal. Not after brain surgery! :)
Thursday - Begin chemo
Other than that, not a lot to report! We had Old C's for lunch and Kurtis was happy to be "off" the really lovely hospital menu.
Lots of love!
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
-Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
-GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
-LotsahelpinghandsID: 632922
Help time!
Greetings!
Many of you have been calling, texting, emailing, facebooking, etc. asking about how you can help...and I promised I'd ask when I knew what was going on...so here we go!
We learned last time about a website called "lotsahelpinghands" that helps us coordinate what we need - meals, help with house, etc. It has a calendar where you can log-in and sign up for different things if you would like to. Once someone has signed up, it will show up on the calendar so that we don't have multiple people on the same day. All of the information about everything else will be here still (I think there are some weird little other tabs...all you need to check out is the calendar)...so check here for updates!
In order to get into this "community" you'll need to go through a simple log-in process and "request" to become a member of the community. Here are the instructions:
1. Go to this website: https://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/
2. Click "Find a Community" (top bar on the right side)
3. Enter the following group ID number: 632922
4. Click "Join the Community"
5. Enter your information
6. Wait for approval
7. Come back in and log-in normally
We've got some dinner help up as of now, other things may be added as we need them.
Thank you!
Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtisLotsahelpinghandsID: 632922
Many of you have been calling, texting, emailing, facebooking, etc. asking about how you can help...and I promised I'd ask when I knew what was going on...so here we go!
We learned last time about a website called "lotsahelpinghands" that helps us coordinate what we need - meals, help with house, etc. It has a calendar where you can log-in and sign up for different things if you would like to. Once someone has signed up, it will show up on the calendar so that we don't have multiple people on the same day. All of the information about everything else will be here still (I think there are some weird little other tabs...all you need to check out is the calendar)...so check here for updates!
In order to get into this "community" you'll need to go through a simple log-in process and "request" to become a member of the community. Here are the instructions:
1. Go to this website: https://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/
2. Click "Find a Community" (top bar on the right side)
3. Enter the following group ID number: 632922
4. Click "Join the Community"
5. Enter your information
6. Wait for approval
7. Come back in and log-in normally
We've got some dinner help up as of now, other things may be added as we need them.
Thank you!
Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtisLotsahelpinghandsID: 632922
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
One Day Past Craniotomy
Good Evening!
I really do look forward to updating you all on Kurtis' progress daily. We are so thankful to have each of you in our lives and I love how easy it is to keep everyone in the loop.
I'm sure you're anxiously awaiting information about what Kurtis' first day post-brain surgery was like...so here we go!
First off - think about what you would imagine the day after a craniotomy would be like. Now scrap that...crumple it up, throw it in the trash. Kurtis was quite awake when we started our day at 5:30. The doctors started to come in around 6:30 and around 8 he was taken off to the MRI. I thought that he'd be pretty tired after the MRI, but he returned even more chipper than when he left! I was astounded. He apparently fell asleep in the MRI so he got some sleep (we're pretty tired to be honest...) which made him feel better. Not too long after that, the PT folks had him out of bed and walking down the hall.
I still can't believe that less than 24 hours after brain surgery, Kurtis is walking around like almost nothing happened. Absolutely crazy.
He also was able to eat so he upgraded from ice chips and water to a banana, yogurt, fruit, and lemonade. Not too long after that, we were sent to our new room (4th floor!) so we're spending the next few days in a quieter place which is awesome. Kurtis had some dinner. I had some dinner. We're watching the Rockies now and hoping that the pick it up a little (5-0 LA in the top of the fourth). Tomorrow, I'll take Chauncey to 'camp' for the day which should be really fun for him...he's been alone a lot lately and it will be good for him to get to play with other dogs :)
We're hoping Kurtis will get out on Thursday, but it could be Friday. He thinks he'll be up for visitors tomorrow, so if you would like to drop by, shoot me an email or a text message (970.232.5268) and I'll let you know how he's feeling.
Thanks for your continued love and support :)
More tomorrow!
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
I really do look forward to updating you all on Kurtis' progress daily. We are so thankful to have each of you in our lives and I love how easy it is to keep everyone in the loop.
I'm sure you're anxiously awaiting information about what Kurtis' first day post-brain surgery was like...so here we go!
First off - think about what you would imagine the day after a craniotomy would be like. Now scrap that...crumple it up, throw it in the trash. Kurtis was quite awake when we started our day at 5:30. The doctors started to come in around 6:30 and around 8 he was taken off to the MRI. I thought that he'd be pretty tired after the MRI, but he returned even more chipper than when he left! I was astounded. He apparently fell asleep in the MRI so he got some sleep (we're pretty tired to be honest...) which made him feel better. Not too long after that, the PT folks had him out of bed and walking down the hall.
I still can't believe that less than 24 hours after brain surgery, Kurtis is walking around like almost nothing happened. Absolutely crazy.
He also was able to eat so he upgraded from ice chips and water to a banana, yogurt, fruit, and lemonade. Not too long after that, we were sent to our new room (4th floor!) so we're spending the next few days in a quieter place which is awesome. Kurtis had some dinner. I had some dinner. We're watching the Rockies now and hoping that the pick it up a little (5-0 LA in the top of the fourth). Tomorrow, I'll take Chauncey to 'camp' for the day which should be really fun for him...he's been alone a lot lately and it will be good for him to get to play with other dogs :)
We're hoping Kurtis will get out on Thursday, but it could be Friday. He thinks he'll be up for visitors tomorrow, so if you would like to drop by, shoot me an email or a text message (970.232.5268) and I'll let you know how he's feeling.
Thanks for your continued love and support :)
More tomorrow!
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
Monday, July 1, 2013
Brain Surgery: The Complete Overview
Hello there!
I am finally sitting down and getting a chance to update you on the goings on of today. It was, as you might imagine with brain surgery, a very busy day for all here. However, things have quieted down and Kurtis is resting comfortably and I have a cup of chai, so all is right with the world.
This morning, we were expecting to have a super early morning wake up where Kurtis would be whisked away at around 6:30 for an MRI and then begin surgery at around 9. Once the clock had made it's way to 7:15 or so, we found out that the surgery had been moved forward to 11:30. Thankfully, it didn't get pushed again. The Rockies posted a special get well for Kurtis on their instagram: http://instagram.com/p/bOeEf6x-y1/ which was very cool :) Things like this, along with the lantern letters from all of you make such a great impact.
I was really pleased to get to travel with Kurtis to his MRI. Once we were down there, the neuro surgeon shaved a bunch of small spots on his head so that he could stick these small sage green donut things to his head. He should probably not be a hairdresser (unless it is for some star who has gone off the deep end or something...). I learned that the small donut things help to make a 3D MRI picture that the surgeon would use for the surgery. Kurtis wore them in the MRI today - along with the special helmet packed with pads so he couldn't move. The MRI turned out great and we were then herded to pre-op.
Pre-op is not my favorite place, I won't lie. From my eyes it's the beginning of surgery, so I start to get really nervous and feel a slight sense of panic in my belly. I have to fight it back down with my brain, using the mantra "I am good at my job. Surgeons are good at their job." which usually works well enough to remain calm. There are multiple nurses plus the anesthesiologist roaming and flitting around and I usually find the best way to get into their way. Skillzzzz, right? Right. Anyway, they were all very kind and after Kurtis repeated his name and date of birth about a hundred times, we said goodbye and he was rolled away to surgery.
We went to the waiting room.
It was supposed to be an uneventful few hours in which I told myself I would get work done for school, and I did. For about the first twenty minutes at which point, I (along with everyone else in the hospital) was met with the blares and flashes of the fire alarm. I sat in shock not sure if I should pack up and get out or...?
The volunteers came over and let us know that the issue was on floor five (we were on two) and that we were okay. The sound continued for several minutes and the blinding flashing light for another several minutes. All in all, a really enjoyable seven minutes of my life. Seriously, who doesn't want their husband to be having brain surgery during a fire alarm? Kurtis' parents, sister, my mom, my dad anxiously awaiting by text, my grandparents, and I had a lovely time passing the hours. Reading, writing, watching TV, playing games, and...waiting. Waiting is the hardest part of this whole 'activity'.
After a few updates and several hours of waiting, Kurtis was taken out of surgery and up to the ICU. We met with the surgeon who said he did great and told us that the pathologist thinks, at first look, that the tumors are indeed consistent with germ-cell which means that it is what they thought it was, his testicular cancer. For those of you who are "new" cancer or haven't really experienced it much first hand, one of the first things that we learned was that just because cancer is somewhere (the brain in this case) does not mean that that is the type of cancer - i.e., Kurtis doesn't have "brain" cancer, but rather testicular cancer that is IN his brain. A little bit confusing, but important. Different kinds of cancers are treated with different types of chemo, radiation, etc.
At first glance, seeing Kurtis after surgery was a little bit scary. His head is currently wrapped up in a big bandage and when I first came into the room, he had on a big oxygen mask...add a bunch of IV type tubing, hospital socks, the fashion forward hospital gown, and lots of blankets, it was a little surreal. However, he looks great once you can get past that first glance. In pre-op, they told us that Kurtis may have some swelling on his face from laying face down for several hours, but he looks great. His eyes are open (when he opens them...) and he is talking, moving a little bit, and drinking water. Currently, he's still a little drugged up, so he's actually quite the stand up comic. Here are a few gems from tonight:
K: "How much ice is left?"
L: "About half of the cup."
K: "Good. I'm going to eat it all before they come take it away"
L: " Wow, you are really chomping on that ice"
K: "I have no brain left to freeze"
Glad to have him back! :) Right now he's chowing down on ice and water...not moving a whole lot...but doing great. The machines are whirring and beeping in their slightly out-of-tune song that I've learned to love as the "getting better noise".
Tomorrow, Kurtis will have another MRI and we may be in the ICU or in another room back on the neuro floor depending on how well he is doing. Once he's up to seeing visitors again, I will let you know. We'd love to see anyone if you'd like to see us!
Being in the ICU is not my favorite place as there are a lot of sick and injured people here - please throw up some good vibes, love, prayers, or whatever your cup of tea is to those folks around us who are in bad shape. They need some love too.
I think that's all for tonight. Big day. Step one in cancer 2.0. I still can't express how much the outpouring of love means to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you for checking on us and keeping us in your hearts. Cancer is a fickle, nasty, little beast who is about to learn that it's time to take his toys and go home.
All our love,
Liz, Kurtis, and (of course) Chauncey
Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
I am finally sitting down and getting a chance to update you on the goings on of today. It was, as you might imagine with brain surgery, a very busy day for all here. However, things have quieted down and Kurtis is resting comfortably and I have a cup of chai, so all is right with the world.
This morning, we were expecting to have a super early morning wake up where Kurtis would be whisked away at around 6:30 for an MRI and then begin surgery at around 9. Once the clock had made it's way to 7:15 or so, we found out that the surgery had been moved forward to 11:30. Thankfully, it didn't get pushed again. The Rockies posted a special get well for Kurtis on their instagram: http://instagram.com/p/bOeEf6x-y1/ which was very cool :) Things like this, along with the lantern letters from all of you make such a great impact.
I was really pleased to get to travel with Kurtis to his MRI. Once we were down there, the neuro surgeon shaved a bunch of small spots on his head so that he could stick these small sage green donut things to his head. He should probably not be a hairdresser (unless it is for some star who has gone off the deep end or something...). I learned that the small donut things help to make a 3D MRI picture that the surgeon would use for the surgery. Kurtis wore them in the MRI today - along with the special helmet packed with pads so he couldn't move. The MRI turned out great and we were then herded to pre-op.
Pre-op is not my favorite place, I won't lie. From my eyes it's the beginning of surgery, so I start to get really nervous and feel a slight sense of panic in my belly. I have to fight it back down with my brain, using the mantra "I am good at my job. Surgeons are good at their job." which usually works well enough to remain calm. There are multiple nurses plus the anesthesiologist roaming and flitting around and I usually find the best way to get into their way. Skillzzzz, right? Right. Anyway, they were all very kind and after Kurtis repeated his name and date of birth about a hundred times, we said goodbye and he was rolled away to surgery.
We went to the waiting room.
It was supposed to be an uneventful few hours in which I told myself I would get work done for school, and I did. For about the first twenty minutes at which point, I (along with everyone else in the hospital) was met with the blares and flashes of the fire alarm. I sat in shock not sure if I should pack up and get out or...?
The volunteers came over and let us know that the issue was on floor five (we were on two) and that we were okay. The sound continued for several minutes and the blinding flashing light for another several minutes. All in all, a really enjoyable seven minutes of my life. Seriously, who doesn't want their husband to be having brain surgery during a fire alarm? Kurtis' parents, sister, my mom, my dad anxiously awaiting by text, my grandparents, and I had a lovely time passing the hours. Reading, writing, watching TV, playing games, and...waiting. Waiting is the hardest part of this whole 'activity'.
After a few updates and several hours of waiting, Kurtis was taken out of surgery and up to the ICU. We met with the surgeon who said he did great and told us that the pathologist thinks, at first look, that the tumors are indeed consistent with germ-cell which means that it is what they thought it was, his testicular cancer. For those of you who are "new" cancer or haven't really experienced it much first hand, one of the first things that we learned was that just because cancer is somewhere (the brain in this case) does not mean that that is the type of cancer - i.e., Kurtis doesn't have "brain" cancer, but rather testicular cancer that is IN his brain. A little bit confusing, but important. Different kinds of cancers are treated with different types of chemo, radiation, etc.
At first glance, seeing Kurtis after surgery was a little bit scary. His head is currently wrapped up in a big bandage and when I first came into the room, he had on a big oxygen mask...add a bunch of IV type tubing, hospital socks, the fashion forward hospital gown, and lots of blankets, it was a little surreal. However, he looks great once you can get past that first glance. In pre-op, they told us that Kurtis may have some swelling on his face from laying face down for several hours, but he looks great. His eyes are open (when he opens them...) and he is talking, moving a little bit, and drinking water. Currently, he's still a little drugged up, so he's actually quite the stand up comic. Here are a few gems from tonight:
K: "How much ice is left?"
L: "About half of the cup."
K: "Good. I'm going to eat it all before they come take it away"
L: " Wow, you are really chomping on that ice"
K: "I have no brain left to freeze"
Glad to have him back! :) Right now he's chowing down on ice and water...not moving a whole lot...but doing great. The machines are whirring and beeping in their slightly out-of-tune song that I've learned to love as the "getting better noise".
Tomorrow, Kurtis will have another MRI and we may be in the ICU or in another room back on the neuro floor depending on how well he is doing. Once he's up to seeing visitors again, I will let you know. We'd love to see anyone if you'd like to see us!
Being in the ICU is not my favorite place as there are a lot of sick and injured people here - please throw up some good vibes, love, prayers, or whatever your cup of tea is to those folks around us who are in bad shape. They need some love too.
I think that's all for tonight. Big day. Step one in cancer 2.0. I still can't express how much the outpouring of love means to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you for checking on us and keeping us in your hearts. Cancer is a fickle, nasty, little beast who is about to learn that it's time to take his toys and go home.
All our love,
Liz, Kurtis, and (of course) Chauncey
Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
Brain Dig Complete!
Kurtis is out of surgery and it went well met with the doc a few minutes ago and waiting to see him. More later :)
Liz
Liz
Brain Surgery Started!
Hello!
They took Kurtis back a few minutes ago. The nurses are very nice and we know that he'll be just fine. I'll post updates as we hear them :)
Liz
They took Kurtis back a few minutes ago. The nurses are very nice and we know that he'll be just fine. I'll post updates as we hear them :)
Liz
Surgery Moved
Greetings -
We just found out that Kurtis' surgery has been moved to 11:30 this morning. Nothing wrong with him - a trauma case most likely came in and bumped him :) More updates later.
Liz
Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
We just found out that Kurtis' surgery has been moved to 11:30 this morning. Nothing wrong with him - a trauma case most likely came in and bumped him :) More updates later.
Liz
Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
Sunday, June 30, 2013
On the Eve of the Brain Dig
Hello!
I want to start out by writing that Kurtis and I are blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by the love and care of so many wonderful people (which, if you are reading this includes you) and the outpouring of support from so many of you has been uplifting and incredibly meaningful. Thank you for taking the time to write notes, text messages, donate money, share things with others who want/need to know, visiting, hugs, etc. etc. etc. Each of those small things act as a lantern and when we are able to hang all of those lanterns in the tunnel we're standing in right now, it is possible to see the end. I don't have, and I don't think I will ever have, the words that are right for expressing the gratitude that we both feel for all of those 'lanterns' - so think of the best words you can and then multiply that by the biggest number you can think of and that will put you somewhere close.
So, tomorrow is the brain dig. We're both a little rattled if I'm being honest, but I don't think that we would be human if we weren't. Kurtis' surgery has been moved up to 9am (due to neuro cancellations - not emergency status - stop freaking out) which we are pleased about so we don't have to wait around all day. Here is a quick rundown of what will be happening tomorrow:
=Before 9...probably around 630...Kurtis will be taken for an MRI to make sure that the computer and surgeon know where to go
=9 am...surgery begins
=1-2pm...surgery should be completed
After surgery, Kurtis will go to the ICU for a few days most likely and then we'll come back to the Neuro unit. The surgery plan has changed a little bit, so if you want to know about that keep reading...otherwise jump down a paragraph. There are about five tumors in Kurtis' brain right now. Three are in a club by the cerebellum on the right side, one is on the cerebellum on the left side, and one is "on his brain" on the left side. As of this moment, the plan is to remove the clump as well as the tumor "on his brain". The tumor on the left side cerebellum is very small and buried a little bit more so they will use pinpoint radiation to zap the hell out of that little thing. I know that it sounds really scary, but the surgeon is top notch and everything will be okay :)
Kurtis won't be up for visitors for a few days at least, so it was really nice that we had a group today - part of Kurtis' family and one of our lacrosse families came by as well as our old cancer doc. It was a good day full of resting, TV (even though the Rockies lost, Cuddy extended his streak so that was excellent). Perhaps the best thing was that Chauncey got to come and spend the day with us. He would stay the night, but everything starts so early tomorrow that we sent him back home. We're now winding down and preparing to sleep!
I'll update more tomorrow. Keep those positive vibes, thoughts, etc. coming. Please feel free, as I've said before, to share this with anyone :)
Love,
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
I want to start out by writing that Kurtis and I are blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by the love and care of so many wonderful people (which, if you are reading this includes you) and the outpouring of support from so many of you has been uplifting and incredibly meaningful. Thank you for taking the time to write notes, text messages, donate money, share things with others who want/need to know, visiting, hugs, etc. etc. etc. Each of those small things act as a lantern and when we are able to hang all of those lanterns in the tunnel we're standing in right now, it is possible to see the end. I don't have, and I don't think I will ever have, the words that are right for expressing the gratitude that we both feel for all of those 'lanterns' - so think of the best words you can and then multiply that by the biggest number you can think of and that will put you somewhere close.
So, tomorrow is the brain dig. We're both a little rattled if I'm being honest, but I don't think that we would be human if we weren't. Kurtis' surgery has been moved up to 9am (due to neuro cancellations - not emergency status - stop freaking out) which we are pleased about so we don't have to wait around all day. Here is a quick rundown of what will be happening tomorrow:
=Before 9...probably around 630...Kurtis will be taken for an MRI to make sure that the computer and surgeon know where to go
=9 am...surgery begins
=1-2pm...surgery should be completed
After surgery, Kurtis will go to the ICU for a few days most likely and then we'll come back to the Neuro unit. The surgery plan has changed a little bit, so if you want to know about that keep reading...otherwise jump down a paragraph. There are about five tumors in Kurtis' brain right now. Three are in a club by the cerebellum on the right side, one is on the cerebellum on the left side, and one is "on his brain" on the left side. As of this moment, the plan is to remove the clump as well as the tumor "on his brain". The tumor on the left side cerebellum is very small and buried a little bit more so they will use pinpoint radiation to zap the hell out of that little thing. I know that it sounds really scary, but the surgeon is top notch and everything will be okay :)
Kurtis won't be up for visitors for a few days at least, so it was really nice that we had a group today - part of Kurtis' family and one of our lacrosse families came by as well as our old cancer doc. It was a good day full of resting, TV (even though the Rockies lost, Cuddy extended his streak so that was excellent). Perhaps the best thing was that Chauncey got to come and spend the day with us. He would stay the night, but everything starts so early tomorrow that we sent him back home. We're now winding down and preparing to sleep!
I'll update more tomorrow. Keep those positive vibes, thoughts, etc. coming. Please feel free, as I've said before, to share this with anyone :)
Love,
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
Email notes to: rockieslizard@gmail.com
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Evening Report!
Greetings and Salutations!
In getting back in the swing of things, you can probably expect more blog posts than are probably necessary, but I know that many of you have questions and this is the best way for us to get out information :)
Today was quite restful for both Kurtis and myself. There was only one test today, an EEG, which is a brain wave test. They did that mid-morning - it involved hooking Kurtis up to a bunch of wires on his head and then doing a few things including a memory test, a strobe light test, and then rest with his eyes closed. Through the cancer "experience" Kurtis has had a lot of testing done, but never an EEG - I asked the tech a lot of questions and got to watch along on the monitor. They were running this test to check for seizure type activity which they didn't find which is great!
We had visitors, both family and friends, which helped to keep the mood light and cheerful. To those of you who visited today - THANK YOU! :) Fortunately, the Rockies played today and we enjoyed spending the afternoon watching them - especially with a great walk-off win!
Tomorrow is more of the same, relaxing and monitoring. Looks like surgery is tentatively scheduled for around 2pm...I'll update that if it changes! We met with the neurosurgeon again and he still feels like the surgery should be no big deal.
Thank you to all of you who texted, emailed, and called today. We are so thankful to have such amazing families as well as such a wonderful collection of friends, coworkers, students, and lacrosse players/families and fellow coaches. It is so nice to have heard from all of you and it is so wonderful to know that there are so many of you that care about us. We're also thankful that our gofundme is now rolling and working - thank you for that initial donation :)
Again my email is rockieslizard@gmail.com - please don't hesitate to send notes to Kurtis there :)
All our love and another update soon.
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
In getting back in the swing of things, you can probably expect more blog posts than are probably necessary, but I know that many of you have questions and this is the best way for us to get out information :)
Today was quite restful for both Kurtis and myself. There was only one test today, an EEG, which is a brain wave test. They did that mid-morning - it involved hooking Kurtis up to a bunch of wires on his head and then doing a few things including a memory test, a strobe light test, and then rest with his eyes closed. Through the cancer "experience" Kurtis has had a lot of testing done, but never an EEG - I asked the tech a lot of questions and got to watch along on the monitor. They were running this test to check for seizure type activity which they didn't find which is great!
We had visitors, both family and friends, which helped to keep the mood light and cheerful. To those of you who visited today - THANK YOU! :) Fortunately, the Rockies played today and we enjoyed spending the afternoon watching them - especially with a great walk-off win!
Tomorrow is more of the same, relaxing and monitoring. Looks like surgery is tentatively scheduled for around 2pm...I'll update that if it changes! We met with the neurosurgeon again and he still feels like the surgery should be no big deal.
Thank you to all of you who texted, emailed, and called today. We are so thankful to have such amazing families as well as such a wonderful collection of friends, coworkers, students, and lacrosse players/families and fellow coaches. It is so nice to have heard from all of you and it is so wonderful to know that there are so many of you that care about us. We're also thankful that our gofundme is now rolling and working - thank you for that initial donation :)
Again my email is rockieslizard@gmail.com - please don't hesitate to send notes to Kurtis there :)
All our love and another update soon.
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
The Morning Report!
Good Morning!
We already know quite a bit more than we did when I wrote last night, and we've set up a donation page to help with all the fun medical bills so I wanted to get that out :)
Our donation page is through gofundme and you can reach it using it's main link or through the tinyurl. Please don't feel like you have to help with money - your positive thoughts, good vibes, and love are what we need the most and keeping Kurtis in your thoughts in more than enough. That said, we learned last time that this 'activity' is expensive and know that for some of you, this feels like a good way to help. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Main address: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
TinyURL: tinyurl.com/helpkurtis
Here is the latest information...
Where we are: MCR -- currently in a much better room! Kurtis is out of the ICU (yes!) and we are now in the neuro room that has a bathroom and Kurtis isn't hooked up to as many beeping, whirring, and buzzing machines which is nice. He is both able to move around better and sleep more easily and comfortably. If you'd like to come and visit, you can send me a text or email me (rockieslizard@gmail.com) and I can let you know when a good time would be :)
Medical Stuff: We looked at the scans of Kurtis' brain with the help of the neurosurgeon yesterday. It's a good thing he was there to show us what everything was - really strange pictures that are confusing until you have a frame of reference! There is a small "clump" of tumors on the right side of Kurtis' cerebellum, a small one on the left side of the cerebellum, and then one on the left side of his brain in the back. They are small which is a really positive thing. Although there was a small glimmer of hope yesterday that Kurtis would not need brain surgery, the doctors have decided that the best thing to do is go in and remove the clump of tumors. This is due to his cancer history and wanting to get those things out. It is my understanding that there is a "brain/blood" barrier which does not allow all chemo drugs to work in the brain. Therefore, this option is the smartest for what we're dealing with :) The surgery will take place on Monday sometime - from what I can tell it looks like the afternoon is what they're aiming for - at MCR. It should take 3-4 hours and the neurosurgeon seems confident that everything should go smoothly so we are trusting that!
Right now Kurtis is just resting and the weekend should be pretty "quiet" as far as tests, etc. go. Today he will have a brainwave scan to help assess his risk of seizures, but that is the only test he has to have today (at least for now). Should be a lot better day for him - much more fun than a 2 hour MRI!
We also met with our oncologist earlier this morning and he went through the treatment plan for the cancer. Kurtis will start with pinpoint radiation for the tumors in his brain (two on the left side) that they didn't remove. Then, he will start chemo. After talking with the doctors at IU, it was decided that we are not in a place where we should be in a clinical trial yet, and there is no need to go to Indy right now which is a relief! Chemo treatments will be straightforward (once a week) and outpatient so that is another positive. He also said that the drugs in this chemo mix shouldn't make Kurtis as sick as some of the other chemo drugs he has had in the past - hooray!
THANK YOU for all the kind words, facebook posts, text messages, emails, etc. They are fantastic and have helped to keep our spirits up! :)
I didn't write this last night I don't think, but please feel free to share this blog with anyone you'd like - it's not an invite only club and the more positive energy we have flowing Kurtis' way, the better.
Love,
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
We already know quite a bit more than we did when I wrote last night, and we've set up a donation page to help with all the fun medical bills so I wanted to get that out :)
Our donation page is through gofundme and you can reach it using it's main link or through the tinyurl. Please don't feel like you have to help with money - your positive thoughts, good vibes, and love are what we need the most and keeping Kurtis in your thoughts in more than enough. That said, we learned last time that this 'activity' is expensive and know that for some of you, this feels like a good way to help. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Main address: http://www.gofundme.com/helpkurtis
TinyURL: tinyurl.com/helpkurtis
Here is the latest information...
Where we are: MCR -- currently in a much better room! Kurtis is out of the ICU (yes!) and we are now in the neuro room that has a bathroom and Kurtis isn't hooked up to as many beeping, whirring, and buzzing machines which is nice. He is both able to move around better and sleep more easily and comfortably. If you'd like to come and visit, you can send me a text or email me (rockieslizard@gmail.com) and I can let you know when a good time would be :)
Medical Stuff: We looked at the scans of Kurtis' brain with the help of the neurosurgeon yesterday. It's a good thing he was there to show us what everything was - really strange pictures that are confusing until you have a frame of reference! There is a small "clump" of tumors on the right side of Kurtis' cerebellum, a small one on the left side of the cerebellum, and then one on the left side of his brain in the back. They are small which is a really positive thing. Although there was a small glimmer of hope yesterday that Kurtis would not need brain surgery, the doctors have decided that the best thing to do is go in and remove the clump of tumors. This is due to his cancer history and wanting to get those things out. It is my understanding that there is a "brain/blood" barrier which does not allow all chemo drugs to work in the brain. Therefore, this option is the smartest for what we're dealing with :) The surgery will take place on Monday sometime - from what I can tell it looks like the afternoon is what they're aiming for - at MCR. It should take 3-4 hours and the neurosurgeon seems confident that everything should go smoothly so we are trusting that!
Right now Kurtis is just resting and the weekend should be pretty "quiet" as far as tests, etc. go. Today he will have a brainwave scan to help assess his risk of seizures, but that is the only test he has to have today (at least for now). Should be a lot better day for him - much more fun than a 2 hour MRI!
We also met with our oncologist earlier this morning and he went through the treatment plan for the cancer. Kurtis will start with pinpoint radiation for the tumors in his brain (two on the left side) that they didn't remove. Then, he will start chemo. After talking with the doctors at IU, it was decided that we are not in a place where we should be in a clinical trial yet, and there is no need to go to Indy right now which is a relief! Chemo treatments will be straightforward (once a week) and outpatient so that is another positive. He also said that the drugs in this chemo mix shouldn't make Kurtis as sick as some of the other chemo drugs he has had in the past - hooray!
THANK YOU for all the kind words, facebook posts, text messages, emails, etc. They are fantastic and have helped to keep our spirits up! :)
I didn't write this last night I don't think, but please feel free to share this blog with anyone you'd like - it's not an invite only club and the more positive energy we have flowing Kurtis' way, the better.
Love,
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
Friday, June 28, 2013
Back on the Carousel
Good Evening -
Although writing in this blog the first trip around the cancer carousel served both as a way for us to pass on information on to those who care and as a therapy of sorts, I didn't really miss it that much. I mean, there are positives to working on your writing skills, spelling, etc. but I'd prefer to attack that in a different venue.
Bad news is, the blog is back. We're back. Back on the carousel.
Over the last several days, Kurtis has been suffering from some pretty strange and severe headaches. Yesterday, I eventually called our cancer doc and it was decided that we needed to make our way to urgent care. After some tests there, we were sent to the ER where they did a head CT and discovered some masses in Kurtis' brain. So far, we don't know a lot...but we do know enough to fire out our first update.
As it stands this is what we know:
-Kurtis has four tumors in his brain. There are three on the right side on/near his cerebellum and one on the left side above the cerebellum in the actual "brain" part (look at my science knowledge!).
-The neurosurgeon and neurologist both described the tumors as "small" - we don't know exactly how big that is, but if the neuro guys are calling it small, I'm good with it.
-It looks like Kurtis will be having brain surgery, most likely on Monday. They will be removing some of the tumors near his cerebellum. After that, they will use pinpoint radiation to get rid of the remaining tumors.
-Kurtis also has one or more tumors that have started to grow in his lungs ... they may be cancerous or teratoma (benign tumor that doesn't respond to chemo/radiation and has to be surgically removed) due to his past history.
-One of Kurtis' lungs also had fluid in it. Today, they drained that doing a fancy procedure that I both don't remember the name of and have no chance of spelling - so look it up or ask someone who is a doctor if you really need to know that name. Seriously. I think it starts with T. He feels better now to have that fluid out and it doesn't sound like the procedure was as painful as you might imagine which is positive.
-Currently, we are in the ICU but later tonight we will be moved to a room - either to oncology or neurology
-Kurtis isn't feeling the possible impacts of the pressure on different parts in a huge way. He is having headaches and he has a small problem with fine motor skills (trouble signing his name) and occasional slight slurred speech...but other than those things, he isn't too super
This news has been quite a shock to us as I am sure it is to you if you're reading this! Kurtis' last clean scan was in April and everything has been clear for a long time. I know that the first question out of your mouth or in your head will be "what can we do to help?" My answer right now is -- we don't know. We're going to need help, I know that from experience. But, we're learning about what this ride around the carousel is going to look like. As soon as I know what we need, I promise I will ask. We may need some food help and/or some help with Chauncey. Until then we can always use positive vibes and love.
If you want to send Kurtis a note, I know he would appreciate it. The best way to do this is to send me an email (rockieslizard@gmail.com) - and I'll get it read to him :)
I'll put more information here as I get it.
Love to all -
Although writing in this blog the first trip around the cancer carousel served both as a way for us to pass on information on to those who care and as a therapy of sorts, I didn't really miss it that much. I mean, there are positives to working on your writing skills, spelling, etc. but I'd prefer to attack that in a different venue.
Bad news is, the blog is back. We're back. Back on the carousel.
Over the last several days, Kurtis has been suffering from some pretty strange and severe headaches. Yesterday, I eventually called our cancer doc and it was decided that we needed to make our way to urgent care. After some tests there, we were sent to the ER where they did a head CT and discovered some masses in Kurtis' brain. So far, we don't know a lot...but we do know enough to fire out our first update.
As it stands this is what we know:
-Kurtis has four tumors in his brain. There are three on the right side on/near his cerebellum and one on the left side above the cerebellum in the actual "brain" part (look at my science knowledge!).
-The neurosurgeon and neurologist both described the tumors as "small" - we don't know exactly how big that is, but if the neuro guys are calling it small, I'm good with it.
-It looks like Kurtis will be having brain surgery, most likely on Monday. They will be removing some of the tumors near his cerebellum. After that, they will use pinpoint radiation to get rid of the remaining tumors.
-Kurtis also has one or more tumors that have started to grow in his lungs ... they may be cancerous or teratoma (benign tumor that doesn't respond to chemo/radiation and has to be surgically removed) due to his past history.
-One of Kurtis' lungs also had fluid in it. Today, they drained that doing a fancy procedure that I both don't remember the name of and have no chance of spelling - so look it up or ask someone who is a doctor if you really need to know that name. Seriously. I think it starts with T. He feels better now to have that fluid out and it doesn't sound like the procedure was as painful as you might imagine which is positive.
-Currently, we are in the ICU but later tonight we will be moved to a room - either to oncology or neurology
-Kurtis isn't feeling the possible impacts of the pressure on different parts in a huge way. He is having headaches and he has a small problem with fine motor skills (trouble signing his name) and occasional slight slurred speech...but other than those things, he isn't too super
This news has been quite a shock to us as I am sure it is to you if you're reading this! Kurtis' last clean scan was in April and everything has been clear for a long time. I know that the first question out of your mouth or in your head will be "what can we do to help?" My answer right now is -- we don't know. We're going to need help, I know that from experience. But, we're learning about what this ride around the carousel is going to look like. As soon as I know what we need, I promise I will ask. We may need some food help and/or some help with Chauncey. Until then we can always use positive vibes and love.
If you want to send Kurtis a note, I know he would appreciate it. The best way to do this is to send me an email (rockieslizard@gmail.com) - and I'll get it read to him :)
I'll put more information here as I get it.
Love to all -
Friday, August 24, 2012
Has it already been a year?
Hello All,
It is hard to believe that it is already getting close to the end of August, and that soon the leaves will start to change and the weather will finally start to cool down enough that our air conditioners aren't on all the time.
Liz and I just got back from my doctor's office and we have some wonderful news. I am now officially cancer free for 1 YEAR!!!!!! All of my blood work came back normal and the stuff in my lungs is either getting smaller or staying the same.
We could not be happier with the news, especially since I started my first full time teaching job this last Monday. For those of you that do not know, I am now also a Polaris Penguin and work right next door to Liz. It was an amazing first week and I could not be happier!
Thank you again for all the love and support you have given to the two of us! I don't get to talk to or see all of you enough, but just know that we are so lucky to have each and every one of you in our corner!!
All of our love,
Liz and Kurtis (and Chauncey too...)
It is hard to believe that it is already getting close to the end of August, and that soon the leaves will start to change and the weather will finally start to cool down enough that our air conditioners aren't on all the time.
Liz and I just got back from my doctor's office and we have some wonderful news. I am now officially cancer free for 1 YEAR!!!!!! All of my blood work came back normal and the stuff in my lungs is either getting smaller or staying the same.
We could not be happier with the news, especially since I started my first full time teaching job this last Monday. For those of you that do not know, I am now also a Polaris Penguin and work right next door to Liz. It was an amazing first week and I could not be happier!
Thank you again for all the love and support you have given to the two of us! I don't get to talk to or see all of you enough, but just know that we are so lucky to have each and every one of you in our corner!!
All of our love,
Liz and Kurtis (and Chauncey too...)
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Nine Months Clean!!!
It doesn't seem like it has already been three months since I have written in here, but it is that time again. Last week, I had my nine month CT scan and blood work, and once again it all came back clean. This is perhaps the biggest "all-clear" so far because it means that Liz and I will be able to get married on June 16th with clear minds that are not worried about having to continue the fight!! Thank you all so much for your continued support, love, prayers, and good vibes. It means the world to me.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Six Months Clean
I know that Liz and I have gotten out of the routine of updating our blog very often, but we both agree that is a good thing since there is really nothing for us to tell you. However, today is different. We found out that my tumor markers are all still normal and the nodules in my lungs are all still shrinking!!!
This marks six months clean for me and that is a huge relief for all of us. It has been a long journey, and we are all so glad that I have passed another hurdle in having this whole ordeal behind me.
Love to all,
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
This marks six months clean for me and that is a huge relief for all of us. It has been a long journey, and we are all so glad that I have passed another hurdle in having this whole ordeal behind me.
Love to all,
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Almost a month into 2012!
Hello!
It has been a bit since we've sent out a real update. Amazing to me that this blog used to be my lifeline to everything. I used to feel this almost obsessive feeling about updating it. Now, it doesn't cross my mind daily, and it is nice to know that Kurtis fighting off cancer probably doesn't cross your mind too often either.
Life in northern Colorado is treating us well. This year, so far, winter has been insanely warm and mild. In some ways that is really nice, but a small part of me misses the large piles of snow...and we've yet to have a snow day this year. That is one of the great things about working in education...the chance for a snow day doesn't go away when you become an 'adult' :).
Here are what the three of us have been up to -
Kurtis:
Working more and more as a substitute teacher in PSD. He spends all of his work days at my school (Polaris) which is great! He gets quite a few calls from the other members of the staff and enjoys getting to know the kids better each time he's in a classroom. I think he enjoys being able to be a teacher a few days a week and still spend some time working around the house on his days 'off'. When at school, he covers for almost any class ... French to math and back again ... and the kids seem to really like him. He's also done some major work around our house including cleaning up and organizing our office so that I have a nice place to work which is beyond awesome. He's started to work out now that his body is finally recovering from his treatments. Unfortunately, normal person mode can still wear him out, but it is NOTHING compared to where we were a year ago. In February, we'll be celebrate SIX MONTHS clean! Whoop whoop!
Liz:
I've been working and working. And working. I'm teaching two US history classes and one English class right now and I love them all. I was initially a little worried about my English class as there are thirty-three kiddos (!!) but the class has been structured in a way to accommodate all of their learning and it is going quite well. My US history class is making their own history books and loving it. My classroom constantly looks like a pinata exploded due to the construction paper scraps, etc. but the students are really performing well. Lacrosse is about to start up and I couldn't be more excited. We've started our winter season, lovingly referred to as 'winter ball' and the kids are 2-1. Winning doesn't matter in this league, the point is for the girls to remember how to play before we start having games in the spring, and they are doing a mighty fine job. There is a group of them participating in a speed, agility, and conditioning training program that my assistant coach and I are taking with them that is really fun. Butt-kicking, but fun.
Chauncey:
Chauncey is looking forward to his birthday that will happen in February. On 2-22 the puppy will be two! We can't believe we've had the little (well...kind of little still) guy for two years! He's been enjoying going on runs with me and making a mess of the house by dragging out all of his toys. The snow and ice are finally melted in the back yard and he seems to like that better than when he struggles to run on it. He's claimed one of the upstairs bedrooms and spends a lot of his time laying in the sun on one of the beds and staring out the window. Often when I come home from school his little cute face is waiting for me in the window :) When it is warm outside, he gets to go to the dog park that is not too far from our house. There are usually a lot of dogs there and it is quite funny to watch him try and get all the other dogs to chase him. We also got him a 'zipline' for the car. This is a system that keeps him in the back seat via a cord that runs across the handles in the back and then a tether clips to his harness so he can go back and forth, but not forward. Chauncey doesn't understand it yet, and it's pretty hilarious to watch him try to jump out of the car only to be completely thwarted.
We're hoping that everyone is doing well!
Sending our love!
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
It has been a bit since we've sent out a real update. Amazing to me that this blog used to be my lifeline to everything. I used to feel this almost obsessive feeling about updating it. Now, it doesn't cross my mind daily, and it is nice to know that Kurtis fighting off cancer probably doesn't cross your mind too often either.
Life in northern Colorado is treating us well. This year, so far, winter has been insanely warm and mild. In some ways that is really nice, but a small part of me misses the large piles of snow...and we've yet to have a snow day this year. That is one of the great things about working in education...the chance for a snow day doesn't go away when you become an 'adult' :).
Here are what the three of us have been up to -
Kurtis:
Working more and more as a substitute teacher in PSD. He spends all of his work days at my school (Polaris) which is great! He gets quite a few calls from the other members of the staff and enjoys getting to know the kids better each time he's in a classroom. I think he enjoys being able to be a teacher a few days a week and still spend some time working around the house on his days 'off'. When at school, he covers for almost any class ... French to math and back again ... and the kids seem to really like him. He's also done some major work around our house including cleaning up and organizing our office so that I have a nice place to work which is beyond awesome. He's started to work out now that his body is finally recovering from his treatments. Unfortunately, normal person mode can still wear him out, but it is NOTHING compared to where we were a year ago. In February, we'll be celebrate SIX MONTHS clean! Whoop whoop!
Liz:
I've been working and working. And working. I'm teaching two US history classes and one English class right now and I love them all. I was initially a little worried about my English class as there are thirty-three kiddos (!!) but the class has been structured in a way to accommodate all of their learning and it is going quite well. My US history class is making their own history books and loving it. My classroom constantly looks like a pinata exploded due to the construction paper scraps, etc. but the students are really performing well. Lacrosse is about to start up and I couldn't be more excited. We've started our winter season, lovingly referred to as 'winter ball' and the kids are 2-1. Winning doesn't matter in this league, the point is for the girls to remember how to play before we start having games in the spring, and they are doing a mighty fine job. There is a group of them participating in a speed, agility, and conditioning training program that my assistant coach and I are taking with them that is really fun. Butt-kicking, but fun.
Chauncey:
Chauncey is looking forward to his birthday that will happen in February. On 2-22 the puppy will be two! We can't believe we've had the little (well...kind of little still) guy for two years! He's been enjoying going on runs with me and making a mess of the house by dragging out all of his toys. The snow and ice are finally melted in the back yard and he seems to like that better than when he struggles to run on it. He's claimed one of the upstairs bedrooms and spends a lot of his time laying in the sun on one of the beds and staring out the window. Often when I come home from school his little cute face is waiting for me in the window :) When it is warm outside, he gets to go to the dog park that is not too far from our house. There are usually a lot of dogs there and it is quite funny to watch him try and get all the other dogs to chase him. We also got him a 'zipline' for the car. This is a system that keeps him in the back seat via a cord that runs across the handles in the back and then a tether clips to his harness so he can go back and forth, but not forward. Chauncey doesn't understand it yet, and it's pretty hilarious to watch him try to jump out of the car only to be completely thwarted.
We're hoping that everyone is doing well!
Sending our love!
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
Monday, January 16, 2012
Snowy January Day
Hi,
Nothing new or interesting to report here. Kurtis is doing great! School just started for me, so nothing extremely exciting, but we do have this picture to entertain and amuse everyone. Chauncey doesn't really have any fur that is good for snowy days. He freezes and shivers and it is always rather pathetic. However, we were able to score a REALLY nice Ruffwear jacket for him for only $15! Since it was snowing today, we made him wear it.
He's adorable and we love him...seriously the greatest dog to have around when someone is fighting cancer.
Nothing new or interesting to report here. Kurtis is doing great! School just started for me, so nothing extremely exciting, but we do have this picture to entertain and amuse everyone. Chauncey doesn't really have any fur that is good for snowy days. He freezes and shivers and it is always rather pathetic. However, we were able to score a REALLY nice Ruffwear jacket for him for only $15! Since it was snowing today, we made him wear it.
He's adorable and we love him...seriously the greatest dog to have around when someone is fighting cancer.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Throwing Away Cancer
Greetings!
Kurtis and I have been all into celebrating mini things as time has been passing.
Today, we did something that I really found significant, and made "cancer" even more a thing of the past.
Since we've been home from Indy, there have been cancer pills in our fridge. They were part of the chemo that K was taking after his big treatments.
TODAY WE THREW THEM AWAY.
Not that Kurtis has been taking them for months, but they've been there...just as this little reminder. "Cancer's here"....
Yea, not so much.
It's 2012 now! :)
Love to all!
Kurtis and I have been all into celebrating mini things as time has been passing.
Today, we did something that I really found significant, and made "cancer" even more a thing of the past.
Since we've been home from Indy, there have been cancer pills in our fridge. They were part of the chemo that K was taking after his big treatments.
TODAY WE THREW THEM AWAY.
Not that Kurtis has been taking them for months, but they've been there...just as this little reminder. "Cancer's here"....
Yea, not so much.
It's 2012 now! :)
Love to all!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Happy New Year!
Hello!
We've gotten out of the routine of posting often, but know that there are many of you out there who might be wondering how we're (okay...how Kurtis is...) doing. The answer - great! Here is a run down of what we've been up to the last few weeks ...
The end of December meant the end of school for me, and it was busy (as the end of quarters and semesters always are). We went a week longer than 'usual' or than many other schools are currently going, and even though the last week was a little rough and the kids were a little ragged, I am REALLY enjoying being off of work a week into January rather than being back at school...now.
In late December, Kurtis had another tumor marker check and an appointment with the doc. Everything is looking good - tumor markers are still normal and he is set to have another CT in February. The fact that his markers are still good made for a good birthday for me (yes, I'm 25 now...and officially old...I think...) and a good Christmas as well.
We spent the first part of my time off of school in the Springs with my family. My little sister (Christina) was home from her college in Spokane, and it was great to see her while she was home. We got to go out to one of my favorite brew pubs - Phantom Canyon. They make an excellent pile of steak fries, cheese, sour cream, and bacon that I absolutely adore...and the beer is great :). We enjoyed catching up with my family and hours upon hours of board games (including ZERO, Ticket to Ride, Bananagrams, Phase 10, Chronology, Buzzerwezzer, and...maybe a few others). We celebrated Christmas with my family a day early - and although Timmy and the Donkeys didn't pull off a "W", bit was a wonderful day filled with love and great food. On Christmas day we took a trip up to Denver to celebrate with my Mom's side of the family. We had a wonderful time with all of them and Kurtis even won the BIG PRIZE! For Christmas, we all purchased a $15 dollar gift, and then put $5 into the "big" gift. They were all wrapped in similar sized boxes in the same wrapping paper and we drew numbers and gifts. Although Kurtis drew #13 (the last number) he won the prize and walked away with $80! We spent a few more days in the Springs hanging out with my family and trying to help Chauncey understand why Luke and Quincy (my parents' labs) didn't want to play with his psychotic self.
From there, we headed up and out to Holyoke where we had Christmas #2. We enjoyed hanging out with Kurtis' parents, sister, brother-in-law (what is that to me? brother in law-law?), and niece. The days were pretty low -key and I was able to get some work done for school and we both just enjoyed some 'down time'. Christmas #2 was great - although I think the highlight for both Kurtis and myself was the elephant toy we got Aubrey (niece) for Christmas. The elephant toy shoots balls out of his trunk and then they fall into his stomach through his ears. After about 500 hours of wrestling it out of the box (apparently toys for kids need like 100 little tie things and small odd pieces of cardboard), we finally got it working and Aubrey was quite excited. She jumped up and down and exclaimed "WOW, WOW, WOW! Amazing!". She's getting pretty big now (about 1.5 years) and is a lot of fun now that she can talk and play. After a good few days in H-town, we headed home with a very tired dog.
The last few days have been both busy and relaxed. With money my grandparents and Kurtis' parents gave us along with Kurtis' BIG PRIZE money, we were able to take a trip down to IKEA and re-do one of our rooms. For Christmas, we got ourselves a new bed and nightstands (the Malm), and were hoping to be able to re-do our dining room next. So, earlier this week we headed down to Denver and picked up a new dining room table, four chairs, two "square" storage units and three floating shelves. and two bar stools. If you're not familiar with IKEA, they are a furniture/home store. We love it. The furniture is reasonably priced and modern...when you pick up what you want, it comes in flat boxes and you assemble it at home. I love that part - it makes me feel like I am 'making' our furniture...that and I like building stuff so it is fun for me. We've spent the last several days moving old stuff (big bookcase into our storage room which is now, thankfully, a lot more organized...old squeeky table is disassembled and in the basement too), and putting together and hanging up new stuff. We are insanely pleased with how everything has come together. Our new table is a lot smaller than our old one, and the room feels a lot larger now that we've taken out a bookcase that was just too big for the space. Chauncey is having a hard time as we've moved his 'house' (kennel) and when we ask him to 'take a time out' (go in his kennel) he gets really confused. Currently, he just goes and sits in the corner where his house used to be and we've got to help him find his house...it's rather amusing.
I head back to school on the 9th and Kurtis has several sub days already lined up. He has really been enjoying coming in to Polaris and will be coming to help me (well, my kids really) as I have about thirty-three kids in my English class. K is feeling stronger and better all the time. In the last few days before school I've been getting in some new recipies(Thai last night - and Madelines, Indian tonight!) which I really enjoy. In addition, we're both huge political junkies and have been getting increasingly excited about the 2012 election. We enjoyed watching the updates on Iowa yesterday and were amazed to see Romney win by EIGHT votes (that makes it easier to tell kids that EVERY vote counts!). Other than that, we've just been relaxing and hanging out with the pup who is sleeping hard right now due to this afternoon's visit to the dog park.
Here is hoping that everyone had a great holiday season and is enjoying the start to 2012. We're counting the days until our wedding (June) and Kurtis' one-year cancer free mark (Aug). Sending love from all three of us to all of you!
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
We've gotten out of the routine of posting often, but know that there are many of you out there who might be wondering how we're (okay...how Kurtis is...) doing. The answer - great! Here is a run down of what we've been up to the last few weeks ...
The end of December meant the end of school for me, and it was busy (as the end of quarters and semesters always are). We went a week longer than 'usual' or than many other schools are currently going, and even though the last week was a little rough and the kids were a little ragged, I am REALLY enjoying being off of work a week into January rather than being back at school...now.
In late December, Kurtis had another tumor marker check and an appointment with the doc. Everything is looking good - tumor markers are still normal and he is set to have another CT in February. The fact that his markers are still good made for a good birthday for me (yes, I'm 25 now...and officially old...I think...) and a good Christmas as well.
We spent the first part of my time off of school in the Springs with my family. My little sister (Christina) was home from her college in Spokane, and it was great to see her while she was home. We got to go out to one of my favorite brew pubs - Phantom Canyon. They make an excellent pile of steak fries, cheese, sour cream, and bacon that I absolutely adore...and the beer is great :). We enjoyed catching up with my family and hours upon hours of board games (including ZERO, Ticket to Ride, Bananagrams, Phase 10, Chronology, Buzzerwezzer, and...maybe a few others). We celebrated Christmas with my family a day early - and although Timmy and the Donkeys didn't pull off a "W", bit was a wonderful day filled with love and great food. On Christmas day we took a trip up to Denver to celebrate with my Mom's side of the family. We had a wonderful time with all of them and Kurtis even won the BIG PRIZE! For Christmas, we all purchased a $15 dollar gift, and then put $5 into the "big" gift. They were all wrapped in similar sized boxes in the same wrapping paper and we drew numbers and gifts. Although Kurtis drew #13 (the last number) he won the prize and walked away with $80! We spent a few more days in the Springs hanging out with my family and trying to help Chauncey understand why Luke and Quincy (my parents' labs) didn't want to play with his psychotic self.
From there, we headed up and out to Holyoke where we had Christmas #2. We enjoyed hanging out with Kurtis' parents, sister, brother-in-law (what is that to me? brother in law-law?), and niece. The days were pretty low -key and I was able to get some work done for school and we both just enjoyed some 'down time'. Christmas #2 was great - although I think the highlight for both Kurtis and myself was the elephant toy we got Aubrey (niece) for Christmas. The elephant toy shoots balls out of his trunk and then they fall into his stomach through his ears. After about 500 hours of wrestling it out of the box (apparently toys for kids need like 100 little tie things and small odd pieces of cardboard), we finally got it working and Aubrey was quite excited. She jumped up and down and exclaimed "WOW, WOW, WOW! Amazing!". She's getting pretty big now (about 1.5 years) and is a lot of fun now that she can talk and play. After a good few days in H-town, we headed home with a very tired dog.
The last few days have been both busy and relaxed. With money my grandparents and Kurtis' parents gave us along with Kurtis' BIG PRIZE money, we were able to take a trip down to IKEA and re-do one of our rooms. For Christmas, we got ourselves a new bed and nightstands (the Malm), and were hoping to be able to re-do our dining room next. So, earlier this week we headed down to Denver and picked up a new dining room table, four chairs, two "square" storage units and three floating shelves. and two bar stools. If you're not familiar with IKEA, they are a furniture/home store. We love it. The furniture is reasonably priced and modern...when you pick up what you want, it comes in flat boxes and you assemble it at home. I love that part - it makes me feel like I am 'making' our furniture...that and I like building stuff so it is fun for me. We've spent the last several days moving old stuff (big bookcase into our storage room which is now, thankfully, a lot more organized...old squeeky table is disassembled and in the basement too), and putting together and hanging up new stuff. We are insanely pleased with how everything has come together. Our new table is a lot smaller than our old one, and the room feels a lot larger now that we've taken out a bookcase that was just too big for the space. Chauncey is having a hard time as we've moved his 'house' (kennel) and when we ask him to 'take a time out' (go in his kennel) he gets really confused. Currently, he just goes and sits in the corner where his house used to be and we've got to help him find his house...it's rather amusing.
I head back to school on the 9th and Kurtis has several sub days already lined up. He has really been enjoying coming in to Polaris and will be coming to help me (well, my kids really) as I have about thirty-three kids in my English class. K is feeling stronger and better all the time. In the last few days before school I've been getting in some new recipies(Thai last night - and Madelines, Indian tonight!) which I really enjoy. In addition, we're both huge political junkies and have been getting increasingly excited about the 2012 election. We enjoyed watching the updates on Iowa yesterday and were amazed to see Romney win by EIGHT votes (that makes it easier to tell kids that EVERY vote counts!). Other than that, we've just been relaxing and hanging out with the pup who is sleeping hard right now due to this afternoon's visit to the dog park.
Here is hoping that everyone had a great holiday season and is enjoying the start to 2012. We're counting the days until our wedding (June) and Kurtis' one-year cancer free mark (Aug). Sending love from all three of us to all of you!
Liz, Kurtis, and Chauncey
Friday, December 9, 2011
Latest CT Scan Update
Hello one and all,
I figured that it would be a good idea to share with you the results of my latest CT scan results from last week. The remaining tumors in my lungs are continuing to shrink and my tumor markers are all still normal!!
This is outstanding news and I am so lucky to be in the driver's seat.
We will continue to monitor my blood once a month or so and do CT scans every 3-4 months.
Thank you all again for all of your thoughts, prayers, and positive thoughts that you all have been sending to me and my family.
Liz and I are very much looking forward to spend Christmas with our families and not with the staff of the oncology ward at Poudre Valley Hospital; even though they were wonderful people.
Love to all,
Kurtis
I figured that it would be a good idea to share with you the results of my latest CT scan results from last week. The remaining tumors in my lungs are continuing to shrink and my tumor markers are all still normal!!
This is outstanding news and I am so lucky to be in the driver's seat.
We will continue to monitor my blood once a month or so and do CT scans every 3-4 months.
Thank you all again for all of your thoughts, prayers, and positive thoughts that you all have been sending to me and my family.
Liz and I are very much looking forward to spend Christmas with our families and not with the staff of the oncology ward at Poudre Valley Hospital; even though they were wonderful people.
Love to all,
Kurtis
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