BUSY BUSY BUSY

Time flies when your preparing for cancer treatments!

This weekend has been interesting, getting used to the care of Jason's feeding tube.  We had a couple scares....a scare to us but the doctors tell us it's all ok and normal.  Like I said...this will take some getting used to.  We are not using it to feed him yet, honestly I'm a little nervous about that!  I don't want to screw it up!   The other night Jason's tongue started to bleed and that had us up most of the night.  The dog's are doing their best to help Jason feel better.....

This week is PACKED!  Today we went to a doctor who will be putting in a central port for Chemo and any blood work.  The rest of the week is as follows:

Tuesday 1/10 - Radiation
Wednesday 1/11 - Possible surgery to implant port and then radiation.
Thursday 1/12 - Radiation
Friday - Chemo for 6 hours then followed by radiation.

Next week should be radiation only unless they throw us any curve balls.  With that I bid you Good night!  Sleep is something we take very seriously around here! Some nights it's hard to come by!

Thanks again for all your support!

Romantic Night Away

Greetings from the beautiful and peaceful Bethesda North Hospital, well unless you count the old lady down the hall screaming at me when I walk past her room!  "HEY GIRL, COME HERE GIRL......HEY GIRL.....COME HERE!!" Yes, I ran away!

Yesterday we arrived a little nervous, but ready to get going!  They took Jason back and got his IV and gave him a very pretty gown!!  I got to spend some time with him before they took him in to surgery, we spoke to LOTS of doctors and gave them all the same answers...they really need to compare notes!  They wanted to try using the "twilight" gas and hoped that he would not keep coming out of it, but because he is young and fit they were not sure.  I found out after that they did have to fully sedate him.  This proved to be an interesting time in recovery!  He teased the nurses and asked them the same questions over and over again.  They really enjoyed him, and I took a video!  When waiting for transport to his room I told him he was to close his eyes and pretend he was asleep...no talking to strange people or they may place him in a padded room!

Once we got to the room it was a lot of shuffling around and MANY questions!  By the time everything settled down it was 9:30!  Up and down all night and a fever made for a busy night.  He has been doing well this morning, his fever is going down and he is keeping his pain meds going.


The GI Dr came in already today and said he wanted to do some blood work, a urine test and a chest x-ray......then......he may discharge him!!  That makes Jason a happy boy, he wants to be home to watch the Bengals lose today!  HA HA

Communication was not the best yesterday...but it was hard to text or call people when I had 100 other things going on...so for that I want to apologize to family and friends.  Jason is my #1 priority and he comes first!  

Thanks for you continued support!  Love you all!

Hitting the high speed lane....

We just went from hurry up and wait to FULL STEAM AHEAD!  In 1 phone call we got the following information......

Tomorrow 1/6/2012 they will give Jason his G tube.  They require a 24 hour stay so we are currently working out what to do with the kids.  I guess I don't HAVE to stay with him all night, but I want to make sure I am aware of everything that goes on and any information that may come.  Jason is not the best at relaying info to me.

Monday 1/9/2012 we meet with a doctor who will put in a central line to use for blood work and chemo treatments over the next 9 weeks. Not sure when he will put that in, with everything starting that week I would think it would be SOON!

Our first radiation appointment has been moved to Tuesday 1/10/2012 a day early, and the first chemo treatment will be that Friday the 13th. (great date huh?)   :)  His treatments are 6 hours long, so that will be one LONG day!

With all that information I now must run to keep working out what to do with these kids!

Keep the prayers coming.....Now is when Jason will need them to help him push through.  As ready as he is to get this started and kick cancers butt, he is nervous about it.  Thanks everyone!

I'm a happy girl

Second blog entry in 1 day...I know sorry...but I'm very excited!

Ok, so we had our appointment with Dr Gerson today.  I LOVE THIS WOMAN!  Yes we had to sit in the tiny room for a long time waiting and then when she got to us she had another patient with an issue and had to ditch us....but she is SO worth the wait!  Going into this appointment she knew we were not feeling the news from the ENT doctor.  She took a look and agreed with Jason that YES it had indeed gotten larger...but as she says "That's what it does without treatment!"  She had talked to Dr Chua (oncologist) and was waiting to hear from the ENT doctor.  While we were there she got a hold of him and talked with him about our plan.  Apparently he gave her a totally different answer than he told us!  He agreed with her about doing treatment BEFORE surgery!  This confuses me because he was pretty set on surgery first and I felt like he was trying to scare us into it!

So Dr. Gerson says, "He is on board with our plan of chemo and radiation then if need be....surgery.  THANK GOD!  I'm done questioning why he changed his mind.....I'm just happy that we can proceed as we all think is best!  Jason was wanting to know about his ear pain and the swollen lump of a lymph node.  Dr Gerson said it may go down right away!  It's hard to tell but she said he has youth, healthiness and non-smoking on his side! She also thinks after treatment he will heal fast thanks to those 3 items!  Dr Gerson wants him on a regular vitamin, extra D and extra protein. She also said none to a little caffeine and no soda....well he can have 1 a day.

They will most likely start chemo the same day they start radiation and that date is still set for next week.  1/11/12. We are waiting to hear back about when Jason will have his G tube placed.  We are getting so close to starting this fight and we are so very  much ready!

I just wanted to let everyone know that today went as well as it could have and we are so happy! They also said they sent an order in on the biopsy....they want it tested to see if it has traits of HPV.  If so....that means it will be easier to treat!  Same treatment plan, but it usually responds better.

THANK YOU for all your kind words, thoughts and prayers! Today was just what we needed to help our mood! :)

Who are we and How did we become us?

Many of you may not know how Jason and I met or anything about our family. Well, I'm going to give you a sneak peek into just that!

It was my senior year of high school, and my friends and I would often go to the bowling alley to shoot pool.  This weekend the billiard was packed and in the far corner I could see a group of 3 guys.  One in particular stood out to me!  I was never the one to go up to a guy so I was not sure what to do....but I knew I wanted to meet him!  I turned to my friend JJ and told him I thought the guy over in the corner was HOT!  JJ jumped up and went over to talk to him!  After many trips back and forth and many questions on if I was 18 or not he came back with a piece of paper, it said Jason Smiddy and his phone number. Yes I giggled and got all weird, AND I had not expected him to come over and sit down to talk to me before he left....WOWZA!  :)

Jason told me to call him after 8 because he would not be home, I think he had a class. COLLEGE BOY!!!  I called him and we talked most of the night.  Our first date, I had to pick him up because he had his license taken away after an accident.  We went to Frisch's and I ate french fries because I was scared to eat REAL food in front of him. After that we went back to his moms apartment and hung out.  Asking Jason now, he said he was nervous....not as much as me!

After that first date we were together most of the time! Mr. "I'm so big and bad" started wearing his seat belt in my car...only because I wouldn't drive until he he buckled up.....AND he started to listening to country music!!  Jason was my date to my Senior prom and shortly after Senior year we decided to move in together. We got married on April 25, 1998 and had our first baby Noah - December 8, 1998.  (We wasted no time!) We had a small wedding, close family and a few friends gathered at a gazebo behind the church, then went back to our place after.  We have plans to renew our vows on a beach VERY soon!  Our marriage was not the easiest in the beginning, I'm sure it had something to do with the wasting no time part....but no matter how many arguments we had.....I loved him more than anything!  We had our beautiful daughter Faith on July 21, 2001 and Austin was a surprise showing up August 20, 2002!  Our family was now complete and  it was time to enjoy it!  Through the years we moved from Finneytown to Glendale and then to West Chester- where we are now!

Jason and I have had our ups and our downs....we were even separated for a short time....but even while we were separated and I did not want to see him, we were dating!  I just can't seem to get enough of him!  You may hear people say, "He completes me" well as corny as it is.....he does!  Jason fills me with love, he helps me when I'm down and we fit together perfectly!  NOTHING can make me feel better faster than being wrapped in his arms!  He makes me smile when I want to be mad and laugh when I want to cry!  I LOVE him!

Funny facts -

My grandpa never called Jason by his name.  When I introduced them I said "Grandpa, this is Jason"  His quick reply "Hello Jasper".  Jason was quick to correct him, "No sir it's Jason".  "I know that Jasper!"  {{Giggles}} Until the day we lost my Grandpa to cancer, Jason was always Jasper!

Growing up Jason and his family used to drive past my house ALL the time to drop his brother off at St. X.  They probably passed me while I did cartwheels in the front yard!  :)

BOTH of our families have ties back to Glendale Ohio - AND know many of the same people!

Noah's middle name is 'Jay' which was my nickname through H.S. AND Jason goes by that name at work and with some friends.

Jason has many names.....Jason, John, Jay, Jasper.......

CURRENT
Today we meet with Dr Gerson again.(Radiologist)  She called yesterday and wants to change how they have his head placed for radiation next week.  She also said lets do treatment BEFORE surgery!  She thinks she can cure him with out it!  We LOVE her!  Update on that appointment later!