Auntie Pastos' last night...Lincoln today

Rich is mostly feeling tired. His best time is the early am. But last night we did a family dinner at our favorite restaurant Auntie Pasto's. Rich ate some salad. His appetite is very little in the evening. This morning I put icing on a fresh backed banana cake. He ate a piece for breakfast and it was too sweet for him to finish it. wow how his taste buds have changed. We are still eating a 'good' shake with kale and lots of greens but he is mostly a jello guy now. Today at 11:40 we will be in a theater to watch 'Lincoln'. Rich has been wanting to watch this movie for awhile so ...it's gonna happen today.

Suz and I revamped the meds. I think I will color code them for me. In 33 yrs I have not once given my husband meds. So now I am paying attention. Dr. Emma will come tomorrow to 'tap' Rich's tummy. It keeps filling up with fluids and makes it difficult for breathing. We tried some meds to help the flow but.......didn't work. Oh well, no biggie. Rich likes to be tapped. It gives him immediate relief. wowowo.

Christmas + 4

Good morning. I am sorry for not keeping up with this blog for a couple of days. We did have both the hospice nurse and doc visit yesterday. The nurse came at 8:30 and the doc at noon. They were simple visits. Rich has had some very bad and very good days. Doc is going to tweak his meds to get the best state of alertness. Rich was able to Skype with his sister Stacie yesterday. It was wonderful.  For all of you who would like to talk and see Rich this may be the best alternative. Grandma Stercho will be here with his sister Janet in early January. The doc felt that Rich has 2-3 months at best. We focus on comfort and whatever pleases him. He asked Suz to drive him to the North Shore to see the waves (they are huge in the winter). Andrew spends lots of time with us. My work schedule is light as most of my kids are on the mainland visiting their grandmas so we are having exceptional family time. So grateful. Rich seems at peace with everything. We are keeping a positive house- as much as we can.  

Christmas plus 1

Quiet day. Rich slept most of the day. Little appetite. Met with the hospice social worker and she had good information for us. She felt we were in good shape for all of this. It just came so soon. 

Silent Night, Holy Night Christmas 2012

We are celebrating big this year with good friends and fabulous foods. We transitioned well from Straub and had a wonderful ride home. Christmas Eve is definitely the time to drive on H-1. We got home in 20 minutes. The Hospice gal met us here at 6:30 and we straitened out all the details and will get going tomorrow. Today was a Holy day. We started with giving thanks for having Dad home for this day. Thanksgiving was hard to enjoy without him. The Barone's, Loretta, Kurt and the Reyes came and it was a wonderful time. I made the strata, Andrew made crepes and Suz did the fabulous cookies. More food came and it was a lovely time of sharing and enjoying one another. Kurt installed one hand rail  in the shower...good.

We just had a mile walk with all four of us. Slow but steady!

 Our dear friend, Marilyn Reda, made us a quilt and it arrived a day before Christmas. wow. Dorothy was right......there is no place like home. amen.

Hospice

Nobody was expecting it this soon, but here we stand (or lay, in my case). After a more proper examination today, cancer nodules were found in my Dads lungs, infection in multiple organs, and in his blood. The medication my dad was on to prevent his blood clots from getting bigger is making things worse.

The procedures to help with these things will cause more harm than good. And with him not eating or breathing properly, he would not be able to recover from them very well.

So the team of doctors agree hospice is the next step. On the night Christmas Eve, my Dad will come home to us. We will have Christmas together.

We are all real sad and appreciate all your prayer and love and hugs.

our ten foot tree with tinsel

this tree is almost a month old.......got to buy it soon after Thanksgiving or else you won't get one. The first thing Rich did when he got home was to put on the silver stuff. btw......since they drained about 2 liters out of his tummy today he is breathing much better now and is sleeping like a baby. maybe this will be a short stay.....

Back at Straub

ok.........Rich had a doc visit with Dr.Barton, and she highly recommended that Rich go to the ER for testing. Good thing.  A CT scan showed two small clots in his chest. He is receiving continuous heparin that will help with the clots. He also is having fluid removed from his abdomen that will greatly make his breathing easier.He got a DVT by sleeping in a chair in the hospital. What a mess. So glad we did that trip to Vegas. It was fun to fly while we could.  

day 4 of chemo

I am not sure exactly what is going on with Rich due to other concerns and issues he has but last night he had a real tough time catching his breath. Kurt was able to come over and we spend a couple of hrs praying over him. God did some amazing things like bring his blood pressure down significantly. His countenance was also dramatically changed. He feels lousy. How could he not? Chemo going in was ok, but now we see the after affects. Our days are filled with doctor appts. Suz is doing today's runs. I will take Mon and Wed. It's pretty crazy with keeping up with his docs. We see doc Maldini on Monday and that will be a treat for all of us. We don't have much Christmas cheer but we are making cookies in spite of it. Aloha.............

Finding a routine

Vegas was good as it got us into a different venue of thinking and moving. But now that we are back we need to look at the best possible way to manage the days. Rich and I went to see Doc Kwan this morning. She has medically helped all of us plus Grandma Stercho. We trust her. Rich needed a new GP so he decided to jump on board with us. This woman is very thorough. She reviewed all of the hospital stays and current meds. We only had two requests: an abdomen x ray to see if Rich had any blockage and to see about getting a handicap placard. Both were addressed and successful . Rich's digesting is difficult for him. We wanted to make sure nothing was in the way. We got the placard within an hour of asking for one. wow. Rich is snoozing away. His energy is fairly good in the morning. His eating is best around noon. We can work around those times. Suz will be his primary driver while she is home. I will rework my schedule when she returns. It should be good. Andrew is only a call away. Such good kiddo's we have.

78 Days Later

My Dad did it! He got his first round of chemo! As I write this he is sleeping peacefully beside me. So far, so good. I think mentally it was just a big deal for him to actually get to a point where he could get treatment.

Life is pretty simple right now. Sleeping a ton and watching Christmas movies for all of us.

Vegas was super fun. I won money guys. Off of my brothers money, but still counts. We went to shows and went on walks and choked on cigarette smoke. Not our dream city, but it was a free trip, and it was time for all of us to be together. So no complaining, even from this sassypants. While my Dad was sleepy, he was a trooper, and on our biggest day we got him a wheelchair. Which he LOVED.

I have the cutest photo ever of all of us. Prepare yourselves. Somehow I forgot my cord that connects my computer to my camera in Colorado, but I'll figure it out and you can see the love and joy that is our family.

I'm sure my Mama will be back here to update, but I probably won't be for a bit. I need to spend some time from my computer after this semester. Have the best Christmas with everybody you love.

Suz

A good start

Rich is on day three at being home. He is sleeping, eating and keeping himself close to the bathroom. The first thing he did was to put some ice cycles on our tree so now it looks 'better'. Church was last night and that went well. He is managing his pain fairly well, not as loopy  as before and his balance and ambulation is good. We do several walks a day. Rich is figuring out how to set up the Lionel train . He is driving well and just feels good to be home. Yeah. Tonight we are doing the 'city lights' tour in Honolulu Hale. Not sure if Rich will go but it sure is a pretty trip. We have started baking our Christmas cookies. Susanne made a cream cookie and I made pecan tassies. It's a good start.

Welcome Home Richie

This in itself is a miracle. Rich is coming home today. I will pick him up at high noon. Docs all want him to go to Vegas and hopefully he will. We are saying....yes......lets go. Staff has been especially sweet and tender towards him. Emotionally hospitals are so draining. He will be happier home, putzing around the house, putting ice cycles on the tree. Pupu's are as scheduled so that will be good. Pray for us.....these are important days. Thanks so much.

Getting better eating

More of the same.....Rich is doing so well. Doc spent a few minutes giving Rich travel tips on how to keep his tummy happy. Rich is seeking the Lord to know if it's His will if he should do this trip. There is alot to be considered. We are content to go or not go. Go would be more fun but ....want to be at peace for all of this. Rich is 'stuffing' himself with his pureed diet so he is learning to do smaller portions and more frequent meals. It's a huge adjustment to how he usually eats so we will do this eating thing together. Friday looks to be the d/c date unless something pops up. All his blood numbers are good. He is very mobile, and looks too darn healthy to be there.

A Date Night

Rich and I had a cozy date night last night in his room. We watched 'The Sting' with Robert Redford and Paul Newman. Andrew stayed awhile so that made it 'more better'. We are missing Suz and her wit. But we will see her soon in Vegas. Rich's stomach is continuously getting better at processing food. Each day he is less distended. Doc Maldini called that one....what a smart guy. Rich continues with a daily walk 6-7x/day so he looks good and strong for a guy who has been stuck in a hospital for 3.5 weeks. Yikes. It was good for Suz to see how much people (docs, nurses, housekeeping, dietary) like him and care for him. He has favor with all these people and knows everyone by name. He is spending much time in prayer and reading the Word. He wants to hear everything the Lord would speak to him. amen!  Later Gator.

WOO WOO

This pic is of Suz and Dad  four days ago....doing something we all enjoy.....stupid tv.
I am a bit excited this am as Rich texted me to say he is 'off his IV' and set FREE. He will be in the hospital till doc sees he is stable on foods. One of his blood numbers came out a little high from his daily blood work but doc said not to worry about it as the bilirubin is still 2. They will watch him like a hawk. I am going to decorate this room 'Vegas' style.......believing we are going there on the 12-17. Join us if you can. ha ha.

Good News from Doc Maldini

Sunday is such a lovely day. We spent about 6-7 hrs walking and praying, laughing, singing. Doc Maldini came in about 3 pm (he visits EVERY day). He said that Rich is making slow steady progress. He advanced the food intake to soft solids. WE are thrilled. He is taking this slow due to the other set backs Rich has had. He said he believes Rich will be out in one week. Lets pray for sooner. 

We told him we have  a planned vacation to Vegas on the 12 and he said he would let us know in a week. Rich looks really good. He is lean and moving on those hospital floors 4-5 x/day. Wow. Andrew dropped by before coming home. Suz will go back to CO tomorrow night.She has finals to contend with. We will meet her in Vegas on the 14th. yeah. I will only be going if Rich goes.....the kids know how to have fun with out their parents.

A Good Day

Suz and I saw Rich early this am, then later this pm. We did a shopping trip to Ala Moana and wanted to make sure Rich started his day with a shower. Well........it gets him going in the right direction for the day. He had a good day, good energy. He is taking a good laxative that is really helping to purge his system. Doc said when he is eating a normal diet he can come home. He may get more 'solid' type food tomorrow. We sure hope so. I don't want this month running too far without him being home to enjoy it. He is loving the Jumba Juice but we do a much healthier smoothie at home from our little kale garden. Sleep tight Richie......tomorrow is another day. A good day.