The Good, the Bad and the Chemo

Dad goes to the Cancer Institute of Utah every morning for his chemo injections. They check his vitals, do blood tests and pump him full of the awful chemotherapy.

We have been dealing with the yucky side effects of all these drugs for the past few days. A combination of the morphine, the chemo and all the mental, emotional and physical stress has taken a toll on poor Daddy.

The best way I can think to describe it is that he gets a little "loopy" from time to time. It can be a bit scary for us to witness him not remembering how to work a computer or remote control, not knowing whether it is day or night, or why he needs to wear oxygen tubes all day, but we just have to remember that this will pass and it's all part of helping him get better.

The good news is that the doctor told Mom this morning that he is very impressed with Dad's blood counts.

And the best news is that Dad is home. We get to see him whenever we want to and loopy or not, he gives the best hugs.

Here is a really blurry photo taken from my camera phone of some of Dad's grandbabies sitting at the top of his staircase hoping to say hi to Grandpa. When he walked by he heard a chorus of "Hi Grandpa! We love you!"

Love at Home

It's great having dad home! It's so nice to hug and snuggle with him whenever we want to, although I think it's been a lot of work for mom who is taking on the role and shifts of all of his doctors and nurses. She is amazing! She monitors all of his medications and makes sure that what is prescribed is checked and double checked. She monitors his oxygen, she is right by his side whenever he wants to get up and walk around or use the restroom, she's keeps his bedding fresh and cozy and she and April make sure that he has wonderful full course healthy meals.

It's been hard to keep all of dad's grand kids away from him because they are all so excited to see him and have him home and he feels the same about them. He always wants me to bring the kids to him for hugs and kisses but I just bring them to the stairs so they can wave and blow kisses until he is better.

He goes to the Cancer Institute of Utah everyday for his chemotherapy. He has a physical therapist who works with him at the house and nurses that stop by to check up on him.

Last night was a tough night. He was very anxious to leave the house and get some errands done. It was hard to restrain him and explain to him that we weren't going anywhere. So we tried to just snuggle with him and keep him occupied. Sometimes his medications make it hard for him to comprehend what is going on around him. This morning he is doing much better and thinking more clearly.

Thank you all so much for being such a huge support group to our family. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful family and friends and are grateful for all the prayers that we know have been heard and answered.

Welcome Home Daddy!

I didn't realize just how empty and incomplete this house was until Mom and Dad came home and filled in all the emptiness.

It's SO great to have them home.

The babies all really missed Grandpa. They had some big hugs waiting for him; and the ones with runny noses are very upset at not receiving kisses.

April made a delicious feast including Dad's favorites: steak and shrimp, plus salmon, asparagus, zucchini, squash rolls and fruit.

We are so grateful and happy to have Dad out of the hospital and back home where he belongs and where he is needed!

He will be able to stay here for the next two to three weeks while they try to find a perfect match for his Bone Marrow Transplant.

leaving the hospital

We Love You

Marley wuvs Grampa!

On his own couch

...not a sprint but a marathon

We just got back from a consultation at LDS Hospital with dad's bone marrow transplant doctor. I guess we weren't quite prepared to hear what a rough and rocky road we are all in for, especially dad. A bone marrow transplant is a necessary evil at this point because we want him to beat this and without the transplant it will not be possible.

To summarize what the doctor told us: 50% of bone marrow transplant patients survive the procedure. We all know that dad has already beaten all odds so this to us is just another bump in the road. We know that with all your prayers and dad's fighting spirit, he will conquer this obstacle as well.

Most of dad's siblings were tested today and it will take 2 - 3 weeks to see if any of them are a perfect match for the transplant. Once the match is found, he will go to LDS Hospital for 4 - 6 weeks for the transplant and the recovery period which could include several adverse side effects.

Thank you so much to supportive brothers and sisters for their willingness to help their big brother by "loaning him their immune system".

We are so very grateful to all of you for your constant love, support, prayers and comments (dad loves those very much).

We love you all!!!

From Robert:

Diana's update is accurate,
I spoke with the cancer doctor. She said that the first step of chemo is going well. The chemo has basically reset the bone marrow to nearly empty. There are only a few cells and only a small percentage are leukemia.
He will continue chemo without the need for an IV for now. He will start an oral chemo drug called gleevec.
He will be able to go home next week.
Because he is positive for the philadelphia chromosome, chemo will not be enough in the long run. He will eventually need a bone marrow transplant. We will hear more about this tomorrow.

Dad's family circa 1979

Thank you to my awesome aunts and uncles for your willingness to donate!

Love you

Results

Dad receives the results of the Bone Marrow Biopsy today. When we have those, Robert will call the doctor so that he can translate Doctor Jargon into something the rest of us can understand. Hopefully he can update this blog with those results as soon as possible.

In the meantime, what we do know for now is that Dad will need to have a Bone Marrow Transplant.

The first candidates for a donor will be his siblings. So luckily for us, Dad has plenty of those!

Thank you for your prayers. Please keep them coming. We are a family who believes in miracles.

Dad with some of his siblings and cousins. Missing are Warren, Joy, Tim & Bryan. Dad is the extremely handsome man in the middle.

(This was the only photo I could find online. Dena et al, if you have one with everyone, please email it to me. Thanks!)

Bear Hugs and Biopsies

Last night Mike, Karen and I were all able to give Dad a big bear hug. This was the hug I've been anxiously waiting for. Bending over to hug him while he's lying down while trying to avoid bumping his incision is quite different than getting to wrap your arms completely around him and squeeze him while he's standing.

It was a great Valentine's Day gift. Thank you Daddy!

He has been walking around quite a bit and his physical therapist is happy with his progress.

Tomorrow he will be getting another Bone Marrow Biopsy to see where he is with the Leukemia. This is a big day for us because it will determine what treatments he will receive and how much longer he will be here in the hospital.

Please pray for good news!

Baby Buzz

The "K" Crew with Crew Cuts

Christian, KK, Coco and Cohen have now officially joined Grandpa's support group. It's OK if Grandpa loses his hair, he'll look just like these beautiful buzzed babies! We miss you Grandpa. Get well soon!

R & R

Dad hasn't had a full night's rest in years. That is, until last night. We know that it is thanks to all your prayers that he is progressing so well.

Mom hasn't left his side. Before the surgery she would cuddle up next to him and sleep on his hospital bed with him. But because of the foot-long incision on his stomach, she now has to sleep on a chair at his bedside. Because Dad slept all night, so did Mom! We are so happy that they were both able to enjoy some sleep; they needed it!

They are starting him on chemotherapy again today.

He has really enjoyed hearing your comments. They mean so much to him, so please take a moment to leave him a message, no matter how short.

I know that your words of support and encouragement will be just what he needs to get through this next round of chemo.

Thank you!

Food Glorious Food!

Dad finally got to eat today!

He has been living off ice chips and electrolytes via IV for the past few days so for him to be able to have food was such a blessing.

And those of you who know Dad, know that Jell-o is on the bottom of the priority list when it comes to food. At Thanksgiving dinner he doesn't even bother to contaminate his plate with it. My dad is a steak and shrimp kind of man.

But Mom said he ate his entire bowl of Jell-o, drank all his broth and even had two small cups of juice.

And he was GRATEFUL!

The Dietician came in and asked if there were anything else he would like. He said he was so full he couldn't imagine eating anything else. But he did mention that he'd love some shrimp or steak later.

Mom joked that perhaps they could bring him some shrimp-flavored Jell-o or some steak-flavored broth.

Baby steps, Dad.

Thank you again for your continued support, prayers and comments on this blog. Together we will beat this disease and bring Dad home; and you'll all be invited to come celebrate with us over a steak and shrimp feast!

Making Progress!

The doctor came in today and told Dad he could start moving around. He said this would help get his stomach going again. With the help of his physical therapist dad walked 120 feet and did really well.

He is going to receive 8 units of platelets and red blood today. They are holding off on chemotherapy for now.

I just talked to him and he said he is feeling pretty good. He was even able to get up and take a shower today. He is making so much progress!

Thank you so much for checking his blog for updates. We have been amazed at the number of hits this site has received. We read him your comments every day and he appreciates them so much; so please keep them coming!

Love Birds

Mom and Dad have been like two twitterpated teenagers. These two are so in love! My mom does not leave his side. I keep catching the two of them sharing sweet glances at each other, or my mom caressing Dad's cheek or Dad cupping Mom's chin in his hand.

They are so cute!

He is her sweetheart and she is his angel. If there were ever a fairy-tale romance come true, it would be these two.

I have been singing lullabies and primary songs for my dad at his bedside, but there is one song that is most requested. It is a song from my demo CD that was written by a friend of mine. As I am singing it, the two of them will just stare into each others' eyes and smile.

"Butterflies"

Someday when we're all gray I will turn to you and say,

We're still just kids at heart babe take my hand, let's run away

Fifty years spent by your side we've shed our tears we've smiled our smiles

you know babe if I could I wouldn't change a single day

Now our bones are old and frail

now our lips are dry and shriveled

but I must confess your kiss, your kiss

still gives me butterflies

Someday when we're all gray I will turn to you and say,

Now our bones are old and frail now our lips are dry and shriveled

I must confess, your kiss

your kiss still gives me butterflies

Back to the hotel.

Dad is back to the nice quiet room he was in last week. He is doing miraculously well. The surgery went very well saturday, and he has had a great recovery since then. He is making all the steps he needs to make to get back on track. He looked very strong today. He was up and walking. He is more with it. His blood counts are still very low, and he is still at risk for infections, but he looks great.

I am really impressed with the care he is getting.

We are still waiting for his guts to wake up, but that will come with time.

Dad is really grateful to all of you for your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes.

We hope he will be able to get some sleep tonight.

Families Are Forever

Last night six of the seven of us Rose kids were at the hospital with Mom and Dad. The nurse allowed us all in his room and we circled around his bed and laughed, cried and prayed together. We reminisced fondly of the love that was always abundant in our home as we grew up and we expressed repeatedly the love we each felt for our wonderful parents and each other.

We are so grateful to know that our family is eternal. We have been witnessing miracles together and have felt the loving arms of our Savior Jesus Christ encircling us and comforting us through these trying times. We know that through His eternal plan, we will be together forever.

I am so grateful to be a witness of my Savior's love, mercy and tenderness. I have felt His love so strongly this week: through the embraces of loved ones, the assistance of complete strangers, the support of friends and the miracle of my Dad's strength through his surgery and trials.

I know that my Heavenly Father will continue to hear our prayers and the prayers of the abundance of people who care for my sweet dad and his family.

Support Group

Dad's support group is so amazing!!! On behalf of dad's disease and the great possibility of losing all of his hair, the boys shaved their heads to show their love and support. Amy volunteered to shave her's too but dad so NO WAY! The girls are not to touch their hair!!! You know we'd do it for you. Love you Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Strength, My Hero, My Dad

Last night was the scariest night of my life! It was one thing to learn of dad's cancer, it's another to see him in pain everyday but to hear the doctors say that he probably won't make it through surgery were the worst words I've ever heard in my life!

When I learned of dad's lacerated spleen and saw his body all bloated and the pain that he was in was very very difficult. When I thought it was our last few moments with my dad, I was at a loss for words. They were worried that with all of his internal bleeding, he would bleed to death. To see the fear in his eyes and my mom's and to feel her trembling with fear of losing her sweetheart, I was heartbroken and felt extremely empty.

The OR staff were working very fast to get dad into surgery and told us to grab our cell phones and computers so that dad could say goodbye to all of his kids. I've never felt so helpless and scared, wondering if I'll ever get to see my dad alive again. We didn't want to say goodbye and hugged eachother very tight and bonded closer than ever as a family. Mom and April ran down the hall as they were wheeling him away to tell him that "Families Are Forever!"

The waiting room of the ICU starting filling up very fast. With all of his kids, his mother and most all of his siblings either here or on skype, we formed together a big cheering squad for my sweet dad. We not only had family prayer but I could see many of us pleading with Heavenly Father to help dad to make it through the surgery.

We were all nervous and scared awaiting the doctors arrival to let us know how the surgery went. They had prepared us for the worse but we'd all hoped and prayed for a miracle. If there is one thing I know, I know that I come from a very strong and faithful family. We believe in faith, miracles and the power of prayer. Aunt Dena brought dad a plaque that says "Where there is hope there is faith; where there is faith miracles can happen."

I feel that dad was surrounded by Angels in his operating room. He was stable and did great during the entire surgery. When his doctor walked in and said "everything went great" his cheering squad roared with joy. Mom could not wait to run to his room and make sure he was really alive. They told her she couldn't go in yet, but dad was able to look over at her and smile.

We all love you so much dad! You truly are my strength, my hero and I'm so very proud that you are my dad!!!!

Last Night's Scare

I was going about my day. Errands to run, cupcakes to bake, kids to entertain. It was just another day in paradise when I received a text from April: dad is in the ICU.

I started calling everyone immediately and no one was picking up. Suddenly Hawaii was feeling further away than ever. I finally reached Mike. He said Dad had gotten up to use the restroom and when he returned he was white as a ghost and sweating and nauseous.

Mom called the nurse who called a doctor who sent them immediately to ICU. That was all he knew.

A few hours later, Conway had gone to the pool with the kids and he left me alone to get some things done without being interrupted when I suddenly realized I didn't have my phone on me.

I ran downstairs to get my phone to see that I had just missed two calls. One from April and one from Mike. I tried to call them back and went straight to voicemail. My heart immediately starting pounding and I checked my voicemail. Both were messages from a sobbing April and Amy, each just telling me to call them back right away.

I finally got through to April. She had received word from the oncologist that Dad's spleen had lacerated and he was suffering internal bleeding. He would need to undergo a difficult surgery. The doctor prepared her to expect the worst because the outlook did not look good.

They let them bring in the computer so I could talk to dad via skype. I told him how much I love him and pleaded with him to fight hard. I told him to send in the troops. I said he needed the strongest so that he needed the Marines to go into his body to help to fight this battle. He told me he loved me and said, "Semper fi."

The following hours were extremely stressful and hard. I stayed in front of my computer screen looking in on the waiting room where Mom, Grandma, aunts, uncles and all my sweet brothers and sisters sat waiting for news. We said a lot of prayers and I longed more than ever to be home.

The doctor reappeared a couple hours later and miraculously informed us that the surgery was successful. He said, "So far so good, but he is still in critical condition; let's keep our fingers crossed."

We all cried and rejoiced. And I got on the next flight to Utah.

After a sleepless night transporting a toddler and an infant from Hawaii to LA to SLC, (it would have been impossible without the helpful assistance of countless stewardesses, ticket agents and friendly strangers) I arrived at St. Marks Hospital just this morning.

I just gave my dad the biggest hug he could handle and am ready to give him more.

We truly witnessed a miracle last night and I'm so grateful.

Just got off the red-eye and my first order of business was a visit to my daddy's room

This is mom after the doctor said that dad made it.

DAD'S PERSONAL NURSE

Dad's Personal Nurse

My dad has the best of care at St. Marks Hospital. He has a personal nurse that stays by his side 24/7. She keeps his room clean & sanitized all the time. She makes sure he has clean gowns and clean beddings and makes his bed as often as he gets up and whenever he gets sick from his chemo (which is very often) and she always says to him “you’re fine sweetheart, don’t worry about it, that’s what I’m here for.” She cleans up after him and gives him a shower, even if it’s as early as 2:00 a.m. She only leaves his side to refill his drinks and get warm blankets. She always wears her scrubs, so often times other patients think she is a nurse and ask for her help. She knows where the supply room is, so she keeps clean gowns, towels, gloves, tissue pater, etc in dad’s closet (she has the energy of Sarah’s 5 mules).

She feels so bad that she didn’t recognize the symptoms dad was having, so she promises that she will never ever leave his side again! His nurse, Suzie, loves him more than anything in the world!!!