Starting Treatment Today!

We are hoping that dad can get started on the treatment today. He is there right now after having a high fever and low oxygen levels early this morning. Mom was up all night just sitting by his side monitoring and taking care of him the best she could. They called the Huntsman Cancer Institute today to let them know that he isn't doing well and since they were hoping to start the chemo tomorrow anyway, they said just to bring him in today and maybe they can get started a day early.



April just called to let me know that he still isn't feeling well, his head feels like it's spinning and they just said he has pnemonia. They are taking really good care of him and will allow mom to stay there with him for at least the next three days.



We are really hoping that this study will be able to help him since all of his other options have failed. He is a really good candidate for it and we know that he is willing to do what ever it takes.



Please keep him and mom in your prayers. The past few weeks have been especially hard on mom. It's rare that her stress ever shows and lately, since dad hasn't been able to take any medications, I think it is taking an emotional tole on her. Thanks to everyone for checking up on them, bringing meals, taking them to the hospital and keeping them in your thoughts and prayers, it truly means the world to them.

He is allowed to have visitors (and treats)! If anyone is up in the area, he is in room 4521.

Love to all.



Karen

Happy Valentines Day

Dad is at the Huntsman Cancer Institute again this morning. He has gone in several times in the past two weeks for the necessary tests to see if he qualifies for the treatment. They haven't been able to extract enough bone marrow for testing so they had to get permission from his doctor to do the tests on his blood. Hopefully we'll know today if he qualifies, I know they are anxious for him to get started, as are we.

I'll update more today after I hear from mom or dad.

Thanks again for checking up on him and for all of you that have helped with rides to the hospital and meals and everything else.

We love you all!

Karen

Looking for HOPE?

Two nights ago I was in the boys room putting them to bed and Creed was praying?

-"Please let it be a snow day tomorrow, please let it be a snow day tomorrow, please let it be a snow day tomorrow."

When he woke up, there was barely a trace of snow outside. He cried and cried

-"but I stayed up half the night with my fingers crossed. . ."

By midmorning a blizzard hit and they were sent home early from school. Today they have a snow day.

This morning, Mom(Jesusa) was kneeling and praying

-"please let there be another option for dad's cancer, please let there be something else we can do. . ."

By midmorning her phone rang. Dr. Gregg had just heard about a study that started LAST WEEK at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the U of U. The doctor doing the trial was a leading leukemia researcher in Oregon who just came to Utah. He is testing a drug called Ponatinib. Ponatinib is a new drug being tried for patient with Philadelphia positive Leukemias like dad's cancer. It is for patients who have failed Sprycel. So far one patient has been enrolled in this Phase II trial. In phase I it showed positive results Ph+ CML and ALL.

We don't know if dad will qualify for the trial, but we hope he does.

We will contact the trial doctors and dad will be screened for eligibility. After that hopefully we'll get a chance with this medicine.

Of course, we'll try to hold our tears if things dont go exactly how we want. We don't know how far off the blizzard we are praying for may be. We may keep our fingers crossed half the night, just in case.

"Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me." D&C 9:7

Keep up the good spirits

April called me last night, and her voice told me all I needed to hear. I knew that the leukemia Dad has been fighting had relapsed.

I spoke to Dr. Gregg today. She is the oncologist caring for dad and she confirmed the news. Dad has been on Sprycel and for the last couple of months it has been keeping the cancerous white blood cells at bay. This week the medicine stopped working and the leukemia cells were back and high. Dad's platelet(blood clotters) are normal but they are dropping.

Since Dad has failed traditional chemo and the experimental chemo there are no more options for treatment.

Dad has taken this very much in stride. When I talked to him last night he was feeling very good. He voice was happy and he had all the optimism he has had through this battle.

He only has a few options, but if FIGHT is one of them, then that is what he will do.

He will still have the option to get blood transfusions if his red blood cells get low.

We know our time with Dad is precious and limited, but we recognize the miracle(s) that we have benefitted in receiving this year. Dad made it through a surgery he was given 0% chance of surviving. He responded to a therapy that had little chance of working.

So as Little Creed wrote in a card to Grandpa, "Good luck white blood cells".

Keep up the fight Dad, today we battle on, and every tomorrow we have will be a gift.

To those of you wishing Dad well, we thank you. Every prayer and every comment does help. It lifts us up a lot when all of you have carried a bit of our burden.

Goodbye 2010

Just a quick update: Dad has gone four weeks in a row without needing a blood transfusion! This is so incredible and we know it's thanks to this new medicine as well as his daily fight, his faith and the faith and support of all his loved ones. Thank you!

When I came home a few weeks ago for Grandma's funeral I was able to spend some real quality time with Dad. (I left the kids home with Conway so I had no distractions or responsibilities). He seemed stronger than he was when I left him a few weeks before and even more determined to continue fighting and be with us for a long, long time.

2010 has been a rough and rocky year for the Roses. But we've learned a lot, grown a lot and become even more united as a family. We hope that 2011 will bring us health and happiness.

Happy New Year.

Grandma Rose November 20, 1927 - December 15, 2010

Our sweet Grandma Rose passed away December 15, 2010 surrounded by her loved ones. She will be missed by her 10 children, 36 grandchildren and 74 great grandchildren. She leaves behind a legacy of faith, love and devotion to family and the gospel. We will miss her smile, her delicious cranberry sauce, her mouth watering fudge, her Christmas frappe, her birthday cards, her weekly letters and her unwavering testimony; but, we know she was greeted by many loved ones in heaven including our sweet grandpa and her baby Chris who passed away when he was just weeks old.

We appreciate your love and concern for our family and your continued thoughts and prayers.

We will have an informal family viewing on Friday morning, December 17th at 11:00 am for those of you who would like to spend some private time with grandma.

Saturday morning, December 18th will start with a formal family viewing at 9:30 am, followed by a public viewing at 10:00 am. The funeral will start at 11:00 am and will be held at the LDS church at 1100 East Skyline Avenue in Tooele.

Our Gold Medalist

Dad is still pushing it and fighting hard. Here he is on the stationary bike with his friend, Apolo. If they gave a medal for perseverance, I think Dad would get the gold.