Life With Jack

He lost the battle, but he won the war!

2009-11-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

The Battle is Over

Jack passed away Thursday November 19th at 5:00 AM. The week before he took a quick downturn and by Sunday we had to take him to the emergency room. While there the doctors consulted with the Docs at the UW, and it was decided that the best thing to do for Jack was to keep him comfortable. After a good night at Harrison Hospital he was transported to Hospice Care Center. The people there were wonderful and took wonderful care of Jack.

Our family was there with him most of the few days he was there. Mae arrived from France on Wednesday and was able to say her goodbyes.

It was a hard time but a good time knowing that Jack was out of pain and ready to see the Lord in person.

We are grateful that he didn't suffer and that now he is truely in a perfect body.

Can you hear him singing and laughing?

We will miss him terribly, but we know he is in a much better place.

LIFE IS NOT ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS.

IT'S ABOUT LEARNING TO DANCE IN THE RAIN.

Jack Leslie Ford

May 25, 1942 - November 19, 2009

“Our wonderful Jack has gone to be with the Lord – He lost the battle, but won the war”

Jack Leslie Ford passed away peacefully at Hospice Care Center on November 19, 2009 after a difficult battle with a malignant brain tumor.

He was born May 26, 1942 in Coraopolis, PA to John and Mae Ford. He worked many years for the U.S. Government as a computer programmer.

Jack was a member of the Hansville Community Church, the Washington Old Time Fiddlers, and Kitsap Wood Turners Guild. He was a founding member of Poulsbo’s “Church of the Checkered Past”. He enjoyed turning and carving wood and camping with his family.

He is survived by his wife Karen, brothers, Jeff (Sue) Ford of Kent, and Don Ford of Seattle, his twin sister, Jean Ford of Poulsbo and sister, Mae Ford-Hellemans of Puget, France and his best friend, his dog, Bailey.

Donations in Jack’s name may be made to Hansville Community Church or “Royal Family Kids Camp” through Christ Memorial Church in Poulsbo.

You can shed tears that he is gone,

Or you can smile because he lived,

You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back,

Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see him

Or you can be full of the love that you shared,

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,

Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember him and only that he is gone

Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on,

You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn yourback,

Or you can do what he would want:

smile, open your eyes,love and go on.

The entire family thanks each of you for your thoughts and prayers during the past 10 months. We will each do as Jack would have wanted and journey on to the next adventure.

November 2009

2009-11-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

Can't believe it's been so long since I last posted. Sorry to you all.
We've had a long Autumn season with Jack. It appears that after all the radiation, it is taking his brain some real time and effort to heal itself. Both his mental and physical being have been set back. My theory is that his brain is working really hard to get it's syntax's reconnected, so it just doesn't have alot of time for the everyday things. However, just in the last week Jack has seen some great strides in his recovery and everyone is encouraged. Of course, now that the fog is clearing, he is mighty aware of his situation and it is frustrating to him, to say the least. He is tough and determined.
He is having physical therapy two days a week, occupational therapy one day, and speech therapy one day. This is a pretty busy schedule for him. I take him for the physical therapy sessions and his sister Jean takes him for the occupational and speech. We are very happy with his therapists and have seen much improvement.
Happily, sister Mae returned from France for another 4 weeks in September and October. Love that great cooking! While she was here, she and Jean took care of Jack for 5 days while I went to Moclips out on the coast and spent a few glorious and SUNNY days in a beautiful condo where I slept alot and read and walked on the beach. I came home much refreshed. Thank you Jean and Mae!
So now we wait and work with Jack and pray that the improvement we are seeing will just keep on getting better and better. With this type of radiation and chemo they say it could take up to two years for a total healing. We are hoping it won't take that long, but if it does, that is OK also. We just keep waiting and praying for the old Jack to come back.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!

2009-08-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

Once again - sorry to be so long in posting. The summer has kept us busy with travel as well as trials. I went to Royal Family Kids Camp in July where we ministered to 36 hurting children from the Foster Care system. This was our 17th year. Hard to believe but every year is better and more fun than the last.
At the end of July we took our new trailer and travelled to Kittitas, Washington (just outside of Ellensburg) where we attended the Washington Old Time Fiddlers Workshop for 5 days. This was during the hottest days on record for the state of Washington. The classrooms were air conditioned, but the auditorium and outside were scorching hot. We had a good time in spite of it and really enjoyed our new 20 foot trailer.
Our next trip was to Centralia where we camped out at the Centralia Oldtime Campout. There we enjoyed 6 days of oldtime fiddling, etc and reunited with many friends made there over the years. Jack doesn't play, but he loves the music and people.
Next week we are off again to Scenic Beach State Park in Seabeck. This will be just the two of us. We are looking forward to peace and quiet and solitude. Lot's of naps and reading.
Due to a couple of falls and some memory and comprehension issues, Jack had another MRI two weeks ago here in Poulsbo. The good news is that the tumor has shrunk and looks to be much more compact. The peripheral is no longer spread out. However, the jury is still out on his other issues. It seems to be a form of dimentia, but it seems to be getting a little better every day. We will see the chemo doctor on September 3rd to discuss the possibility these issues are derived form the chemo treatments. Meanwhile Jack's sister and I continue to keep him busy and active doing brain exercises. He is sleeping alot and hopefully this is giving his brain time to heal.
Once again - Thank You to all of you for your prayers and well wishes.
We will beat this thing!!

Another Trip & Update

2009-06-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the UW for an appointment with Jack's Chemo doctor. According to the lab in Silverdale Jack's platelet counts were over 100,000 and high enough for him to start some chemo again. When his doctor got the blood tests back from the UW the count was much lower, and he, of course, will use the numbers from his lab. So, once again, we were disappointed but understand that the doctor gets to make all the BIG decisions. Now we will wait two weeks and return the the UW for an MRI and blood draw.
Meanwhile, Jack continues to feel better. His "brain" is working much better, but his energy level is still down. Maybe he just needs some excitement in his life. This weekend we are off to Sequim for some serious fiddle music. That should help.
We did have 5 wonderful days at the ocean. Slept alot, but the weather was beautiful and we really enjoyed the change of scenery. And it was great to be with the family for a couple of days. Everyone had a good time.

Follow-up Visit

2009-05-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

On Thursday we travelled to the UW via our usual car-ferry-car route. It was a beautiful day. We went with high expectations of finding out how much Jack's brain tumor had changed in the past month. He did a blood draw, had an MRI and then a visit with our Chemo Doctor. We were glad to hear that his white blood cells are finally in a safe zone. His platelets are still climbing, but still not great. The MRI showed that his brain is still healing after all the radiation and the doctor could not really tell yet how it is doing except that the tumor is still there.
We had a good discussion with the doctor and understand that Jack will continue the chemotherapy as long as is needed to keep the tumor at bay. However, this treatment will not start until his bone marrow is back in full force. He will likely be taking the oral chemo 5 days on and 28 days off in higher doses that before. The good thing is that Jack has tolerated the chemo quite well, so hopefully it won't slow him down too much .
We were disappointed in the findings, but grateful to know that Jack has lots of good years left in him. Right now we are digesting the information and making an effort to get back into the "swing of things" here at home. We are looking forward to our trip to Moclips and family reunion at the end of May and a summer full of camping fun and fiddle camps.
Once again - Thank you to all of you for your prayers and well wishes.
I will continue to post as we find out any new information.

Finally - At Last!

2009-04-09T16:54:00.001-07:00

Jack finished his radiation treatments on Monday and we are very glad. The only bad thing that happened was that we were so looking forward to a celebration but did not get home until 7 PM. There were several glitches in our day such that he had the final doctor consult at 5 PM. We were so exhausted when we got home that even the champagne didn't help much.
Today is Thursday and he is still fatigued beyond reason. The doctor said it could take up to 4 weeks for him to get back to any kind of "normal". Problem is that after all our great adventures, we are not sure what normal is.
Also, his platelets are not going up yet so we are still going to Silverdale everyother day or so for blood draws. Each time we hope it has gotten better. We will keep going until they really start to grow.
We had planned a trip to the coast next week, but have cancelled. Can't see spending all that time and $$ for travel and a condo when he can relax more here at home and know that he is safe. Maybe even I can get something done around the house. It was not a hard decision.
Meanwhile, thank you once again for your prayers and kind thoughts and gifts. We have been truely blessed by you all. Please continue to keep us in your prayers until Jack completes his recovery.
We have a appointment on April 30th for an MRI and consultation with his Chemotherapy doctor to discuss any further treatments. Until then, we are on medical "sabbatical".

Good News!

2009-04-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday, Jack's radiation treatments are back on track. He had another platelet infusion as well as his radiation treatment. Today he had his 26th radiation treatment and his platelets are looking pretty good. If all goes well his last radiation treatment will be on Monday and our travels will end for a while.
I am off today for a 5 day art trip to PortTownsend and back on Sunday. Jack's sister Mae will accompany him to radiation treatments on Thursday and Friday. Both sisters are looking forward to spending some real sibling time over the next few days. This is a good thing for all of us. I'm hoping to return home refreshed, and with lots of great projects in mind.

More Changes and Delays

2009-03-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

Thursday we went to the UW for Blood test and meeting with Jack's Chemotherapy doctor. We were really hoping that his platelet counts had come back up. However, that wasn't the case. After meeting with the doctor we went straight up to the 8th floor for Jack to have a platelet infusion. Because it is only platelets, it took only about an hour. Afterwards, Jack was still feeling pretty good so we rode back on the ferry as usual. Our challenge came on Friday morning when we needed to have his blood tested again. Although I had been told that our own local doctor's office could do this and get the results back within an hour, when we went in there we found out that was not so. So I made a couple of phone calls and found that we could do it at the lab at Silverdale Harrison. Off we go to Silverdale. At the lab there we had arrangements made through fax and phone that the results would be rushed and transmitted to our doctor in Seattle within the hour. Two hours later I received a phone call from the UW that the results had not been received. Needless to say it was a frustrating day.
The good news is that once this was ironed out, his results came back that his platelets were the same as they were when we left the UW on Thursday. Also, it was great to get a personal call from his doctor in the evening checking on Jack.
Our next challenge will come Sunday morning as we need to get him tested again. This time we will go to Bremerton Harrison lab. Hopefully it will go smoother and we can get the results to his doctor quickly, just in case he needs another infusion.
Through all this, Jack is feeling just fine. Of course, he's tired but feeling better as the chemo drugs continue to clear from his body and we don't need to make the ferry trip again until Monday. Today he is looking forward to a family gathering with all his brothers and sisters and my brother also.

Changes for Jack

2009-03-24T19:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday when we had Jack's regular Monday blood test they discovered that everything was perfect except that his platelets were low. Platelets are what cause the blood to clot. This is caused by the chemotherapy drugs. Today we had another blood test and they are still low so the doctor has discontinued Jacks chemo drugs, telling us that Jack has had plenty enough at this point. We will test again tomorrow and if the platelets are still low, he will suspend the radiation treatments until the counts start back up. We are optimistic that everything will be good to go and radiation will continue. If by chance the count is still low we will continue to have daily blood testing, but it will take place in Kitsap County so we don't have to take the ferry only for a blood test. As soon at the platelet count is back up we would continue the radiation treatments. There are only 5 left.
Meanwhile Jack is relieved that the chemo has ended. Hopefully now he will start to feel a little more energy reviving, and I will stop worrying about waking him up at 9:30 PM to take the drugs.
We are both feeling better already.

Getting There

2009-03-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be so far between postings. I'm happy to report that Jack is doing very well and that we are at the end of the fifth week. That means only 6 more travel days to go. Only 12 more ferry rides. Can't believe we've been on the ferry 48 times in the last 5 weeks.

Jack's sister Mae is officially "on board" and is creating wonderful meals for us. We are loving the food and pampering we are getting from both her and Jean. Don't know what we would do without their love and support. Brother Don also, our faithful Seattle side driver who greets us every morning with a smile and two big dogs, drives us to the University Hospital, and patiently waits for us to return us to the ferry.

As we face the last days of this part of the journey, Jack is really feeling the fatigue. Even the naps on the ferry have become precious to his well being. He also is trying to stay away from places where he may catch a cold or the flu. He is not susceptible through the chemo, however, just being so tired can make it easier for him to catch bugs. I'm doing good but more and more need that afternoon nap. We face only one day at a time.

To our friends at HCC, we are really missing seeing you. Hopefully we can get out there for church by the middle of April. By then Jack should have most of his strength back and will feel like venturing out. Meanwhile, we covet your prayers, cards and e-mails.

We will truly celebrate the end of his radiation treatments and chemotherapy next week. After that we have to wait 4 weeks for the MRI that will tell us the results for all the treatments. We are optimistic that this will be a "done deal". We are seeing miracles all around us and know that we are truly blessed with each and every one of you.

P.S. - For those who are keeping track, today is our 12th wedding anniversary! It goes by fast, and we appreciate every day we are together.

Almost Half Way!!

2009-03-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

Can't believe it's Saturday again so soon. Seems that time is passing quickly and that's a good thing. On Tuesday we will be half way through this radiation and chemo adventure. I know it will take a couple more weeks for Jack to be up to full speed again, but it will be good to have the daily trips to Seattle over. We will be able to sleep in again.

Jack's sister, Mae, arrives from France on Monday night and will take over cooking our meals. That will be a wonderful thing as she loves to cook and we love to eat. Jack has a huge appetite right now so we're encouraging him to eat as much as he can in case he looses his appetite in the coming weeks. Also, Jack wants to learn to cook, so he will be challenged as well. I'm hoping she can at least show him how to read a recipe and do the shopping. It would be great to have a hubby who cooks AND does dishes.

His hair has started to fall out. Good thing he didn't have an awful lot to start with. Not so much to loose. I keep teasing him that we will get him a wig with a pony tail. He's not so keen on that.

We have been so blessed by the meals being furnished by the Hansville Church family. I never dreamed what a burden would be lifted for us. By afternoon we're pretty pooped out and having to shop and plan dinners would be just a little too much. Thank you!!

Jack is feeling fine and looking forward to another Saturday next week, knowing that we are past the half way mark.

Once again thank you for your prayers, well wishes, notes and e-mails. We are blessed!

One Week DONE!

2009-02-25T18:59:00.000-08:00

It feels so great to know we have finished the first week. Jack is doing very well. He has had no problem tolerating the chemo drugs and his radiation treatments have gone by seamlessly. Our travelling back and forth has gone well thanks to Jack's sister Jean on the Poulsbo side and his brother Don on the Seattle. Practically door to door service. We've learned to sleep on the ferry quite nicely. Today I was thinking it would be nice if they had beerths like on the train. HaHa. We eat breakfast at home and are back to Poulsbo for lunch. Not a bad day.

We had our first "doctor day" on Tuesday. According to the doctor, Jack is doing just great. He was having a little confusion (Jack, not the doc) so they prescribed an additional steroid to keep his brain from swelling. We'll know for sure if that is working in another 24 hours. I can already see a change to the better. After our doctor time we went out to lunch at the Portage Bay Cafe in the U district. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a great meal.

Thanks to all of you for your cards, e-mails, visits and phone calls. Special thanks to Marcia and the families of HCC for providing some meals. I don't know what we would do without that. I've pretty much lost interest in cooking. so if it wasn't for them, Jack would be eating lots of TV dinners.

I'll post again next week after our doctor day.

Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes. It means alot to us!

First Treatments

2009-02-19T07:19:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that Jack had his first radiation treatment yesterday and it went very well. We arrived 30 minutes early (ferry schedule) and they took him in right away. Within 15 minutes we were back on the elevator and out of there.
He also took his first chemo pills last night with no problems. One of the sde effects could be nausea, but he had none at all. And he feels great this morning.
We're off again to Seattle. Glad to have good weather to actually enjoy the ferry ride.

Getting Started

2009-02-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

We got the call from the University of Washington late yesterday regarding our start-up for chemo and radiation. On Tuesday (17th) we will be at the U for the "filming" (dry run through) at 5PM. This seems awfully late, but it is getting us in the door and started. At that time we will be able to start making appointments for the next 6 weeks. The actual radiation and chemo will begin on Wednesday. We're relieved to know that the process is starting and we will now be able to see the light at the end. Jack's already talking about a vacation as soon as possible when this part is over. Me too!
Jack is doing great. He is healing rapidly from his biopsy surgery. His spirits are high and he's ready to get going on treatment.
Thanks to everyone for the cards, meals, and prayers. We are in good hands.

Wednesday and Friday

2009-02-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry to take so long with this update. Guess it just takes a while to absorb some of this stuff. Our Wednesday trip included Jack's brother Don and sister Jean. Always good to have extra ears. The first thing that happened is the removal of Jack's staples. He was very brave and Cynthia was very gentle. Even today his scar is looking very good. He is a fast healer. This is a good thing.

Next we met with his surgeon to get the results of the biopsy. This is the scary part, but read on. Jack has a grade three brain tumor. http://www.abta.org/index.cfm?contentid=263&oligodendroglioma-%20oligoastrocytoma-%20oligo This is the link to the ABTA.Org website which gives the most current and objective information. The good news is that the radiologist we met with is VERY optimistic that he can at least slow this thing down and give Jack many good years to look forward to. The chemotherapy doctor was also very optimistic.

We had thought that we would get the radiation done in Bremerton. However, we have decided to stay with the UW because they are specialists who work ONLY with brain tumors. This was a tough decision because of the logistics of the matter. We will have to travel to the UW 5 days a week for 6 weeks for the radiation. We have it figured out that we can leave our house at 8:15 AM and be home by 12:30 or 1:00. Breakfast at home and lunch at home on our return. We will have to put in about 4 and a half hours of work each day for 6 weeks. Now if you compare that to most people who hold down regular jobs for 10 hours a day and that we will look forward to "retirement" in only 6 weeks, that's not such a bad deal. For the first couple of weeks at least we can walk on the ferry. After that we will drive on the ferry and get priority loading on the ferry, free parking at the UW and also handicap parking privileges if we need that. All these things make the travel much more palatable. Gotta look at it as an adventure!

Today we went over the the U and Jack was fitted for a mask that he will wear during the radiology treatments. The mask will act as a map for concentration the "rays" within two Centimeters of where they belong. This is a pretty amazing science. It will take a few days for his plan and map to get put together and we will probably start radiation the week of February 16.

At the same time we will start chemotherapy which will be administered orally at home every day for 42 days. While he gets weekends off for the radiation, the chemo goes 7 days a week.

This can all seem overwhelming. The side effects, though not horrible, can be rough. The good news is that Jack is a real trooper and is looking forward to getting through this with the best possible outcome. And we see a great vacation coming at the end of the 6 weeks. A time to CELEBRATE.

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. If you have any questions or comments, pleas e-mail or comment on the blog and I will get back to you when I can. We look forward to the next few weeks and know that God has a great and wondrous plan for us.

Home at Last!

2009-01-31T16:44:00.001-08:00

4 days seems like an eternity sometimes. We are home at last! Don and I bailed Jack out this morning and had him home before noon. He is doing well and enjoying his own couch. He came home with a "walker" because he is still a little unsteady on his feet. I'm hoping he won't need it for long. I'm looking forward to him being back to his old self within a few days. there's no reason for him not to be.
He has a wicked looking stapled up incision on the side of his head, but other that that he's looking great.
We go back to the UW on Wednesday to have the staples removed and to discuss the results of the biopsy. Hopefully it will be a good report.
Meanwhile we will be trying to get back to normal around here. Jeannie is going to keep Bailey dog for a few more days until we're certain that Jack is getting around soundly. Already missing him, but it's for the best.
I'll post again after our appointment on Wednesday.

Blessed are the Flexible

2009-01-30T16:52:00.000-08:00

Another day, another story.
When we arrived at the hospital this morning at 7:15 AM Jack was getting lots of attention because he had been sick during the night. Vomiting, etc. The nurse was just giving him an injection to help this. We thought the injection would be the end of it, so we got Jack some Oatmeal and dry toast. He ate a little then laid down. Shortly thereafter he was sick again and complaining of being dizzy. This was disappointing as we were so excited to get him home today. As the day progressed I decided that I just didn't want to take the chance of bringing him home before this was worked out. He received a different medicine and it seems to have worked. Now it is approaching dinner time and after a break I am on my way back to Jack. Don and I will get him to eat a good meal and also to walk around a little more to get him mobile.
My plan is to "break him out" as early tomorrow as we can and get him back home.
Needless to say I am beginning to reaklly miss "home sweet home".

Later on Thursday

2009-01-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

Just left Jack in his room at the UW Medical Center. I'm soooooooo pleased to say that even as we sat there he looked better and better. By the time we left he was ready to go to sleep and was happy and feeling great. One of his docs came by and is quite sure that Jack will be sent home tomorrow. That was good news too. However, we will wait until morning to be absolutely certain.
Hugs to you all!

Surgery Day

2009-01-29T16:36:00.001-08:00

Jack did very well in Surgery. He looks great and is resting quietly in his room Don and I are on our way back there after a break and nap (4:30 AM comes early) The doc says that Jack will quite likely go home tomorrow. We're hoping for that. The pathology won't be back for a week so we'll be waiting again. At least the worst is over and we can start a new plan soon.
Keep those prayers and happy thoughts rolling in!

Wednesday

2009-01-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

My brother and sister-in-law drove us to the UW today to meet with Jack's doctor at 1:00 PM. Thankfully everything was pretty much on schedule so we didn't have to wait in suspense. What he told us was that Jack's language is pretty much coming from the place in his brain where the tumor is and that any surgery to remove the tumor would be very dangerous. The option to the removal is a biopsy and further treatment with radiation and chemotherapy. We, of course, opted for the biopsy and it will take place tomorrow morning at the same time our original surgery was scheduled.
We are staying about a half mile from the University hospital at a place that was attached to the old Safeco building called the Collegiana. It is a dormitory style "hotel" with very nice rooms with private baths and common kitchen areas on each floor. We do have a fridge and a TV in our room. It's pretty plain and pretty inexpensive and mostly comfortable.
Don, Jack's brother, will pick us up at 5 AM and transport us to the hospital. Jack should go into surgery about 7 AM and it will take approximately 2 hours. After that he will go to recovery and hopefully to a regular room for the night. If all goes well (and we know it will) we will be on our way home on Saturday.
When the pathology from the biopsy comes back in about a week, we will meet with the doctors again to make a plan for further treatment. The good news on that is that the treatment can take place in Bremerton. That is a relief. If we had to do many more trips to Seattle we wouldn't be too happy.
Jack is feeling great. Still a little sniffles and coughing, but much better than over the weekend. He will get a good night's sleep tonight and be ready for the big day tomorrow.
Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.

Here we go!

2009-01-28T09:27:00.000-08:00

We spent yesterday at Harborview. Jack did the Angio/Wada test early then because of the way it is done had to lay flat on his back for SIX hours. It made for a very long day.
When the Doctor who administered the test came in late in the afternoon, she told us that Jack had not done well on the test, meaning that it showed that his memory is on the right side where the tumor is and his language is on both sides of his brain.
So today we are meeting with his neurosurgeon at the UW at 1:00 to discuss the results and decide what comes next. My brother will be with us as well as Jack's brother, Don. We are packing as if to stay for his surgery tomorrow, but it is possible that the surgery will be changed of cancelled. We will know more this afternoon.
If in fact we do come home today, I will post tonight to let everyone know what is going on. If there is no post tonight or early tomorrow you will know that we are at the UW.
We covet your prayers.

One more week!

2009-01-23T16:05:00.000-08:00

We spent the day yesterday at the University of Washington doing all of Jack's pre-op work. It was a long day starting at 10:00 AM and dragging out to 3:30. We hit the ferry, landed on the home side and went straight to JJ's Restaurant in Poulsbo. Seems like it's hard to get a meal when you're in the middle of all those questions and pokings. We had had just a few snacks so were quite famished.

As we arrived in Poulsbo I had a call from our Doctor's assistant telling me that he wasn't happy with one of the tests that Jack had, the preliminary test for deciphering where his language comes from in his brain. On Tuesday we will go to Harborview for a complete test for this and depending on the outcome, he may have to choose another course of treatment. We are very confident that the doctor in not going to do anything that will endanger Jack's quality of life. Thus the possible change in direction. Meanwhile we will go on presuming we will have surgery next week.

Today Jack has a pretty bad cold. Runny nose, coughing, some sneezing, etc. That set off a new round of worries, because we know that the test on Tuesday can't be done with him in that condition. And no test, no surgery. So I went off to our local pharmacist to get Jack some over the counter stuff to try and waylay the cold. After speaking once again to our UW doctor's assistant we were off to Jack's local doctor to get him checked out. He prescribed some antibiotics and cough stuff so now Jack is all drugged up and sleeping on the couch. I plan to keep him there until the cold is gone. We're trying to knock it out before Monday afternoon when I will report again to the UW. Hopefully we can get him well enough, fast enough that we won't have to delay the test and surgery. They tell me that this can really be done. We'll see!
So, it's been a hairy couple of days. We're learning to take one day at a time and be glad the sun is shining.

It seems we now have enough "frequent flier miles" at the doctor's office to warrant a free stay on the cots in the basement.............. Hmmmmm that could make for an interesting evening........... I've promised Jack a vacation when this is all over. Perhaps Kitsap Family Practice B&B will be the place.

Thanks once again for your prayers and good thoughts. We can feel it around us as we move through another day. We know we are covered!

Itinerary

2009-01-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

Today we received the call from the University of Washington regarding Jack's "Itinerary" for surgery.
On Thursday 1-22 we will go to the UW for all the pre-op work ups. This will include a physical, pre-anesthesia and an EEG. On Tuesday 1-27 we will be at Harborview for the testing to see where Jack's language is coming from. I'd call this a test to see how he is "wired". Then, finally, on Thursday 1-29 he will report for surgery. This date could possibly change depending on the doctor's schedule. We also don't know what time this will be. I will let everyone know as soon as we know. It's good to finally have a plan.
Meanwhile, Jack is feeling very good, a little tired but overall healthy. We're both a bit stressed, but know that he is in the Lord's hands.
Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes.

Trip to the University

2009-01-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a very long day. We caught the 1:10 ferry and were at the University in time for our 2:15 appointment. The doctor sat down with us to look at the MRI (correct pictures this time) and explained to us what we were seeing. After that he presented us with three options.
We could do nothing, do a biopsy only, or have the tumor removed. Jack's brother was with us and after much deliberation and a call to Dr Bethel here in Poulsbo, Jack chose to have the tumor removed. Doing nothing would leave us just hanging there and still no answers and totally uncertain about the future. The biopsy is much less invasive, but after that he would likely still need surgery and that is very dangerous. The third option of having the surgery to remove as much as possible was the best option for Jack's situation. Quite possible after that he will need radiation and/or chemotherapy. Any of that would take place here in Kitsap County.
Because Jack is left handed and that leaves a question of where his language center is (right or left brain) he will have to go into Harborview Hospital in Seattle for a day where they will run some tests to figure out where that language area is. As soon as that can be scheduled, we will know when his surgery will be.
I'm waiting right now for that call and will post as soon as I know. It will likely be January 27th or February 2nd. He will be in the hospital for at least 3 days, maybe 5. We won't know that until the surgery is over. We're praying for the 3 days, of course.
We are so grateful for family and friends. We know we are supported in all ways. We can truely feel that and what a Peace that gives.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers and well wishes.

Practice Run (I guess)

2009-01-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

So, after days of angst we crossed the pond and arrived at the UW Medical Center in time to fill out all the paper work. We were taken into the "room" and sat waiting for the doctor. (Why do they always make you sit there for so long?) So in comes the doctor, young enough to be our son, maybe grandson. He's smiling and pleasant and tells us that we have brought the wrong CD. There he sits holding pictures of Jack's Carotid Artery - Not quite high enough for his brain!!
It seems our Imaging place has given me the WRONG pictures.
We did recieve alot of great information regarding what COULD happen once they have the RIGHT pictures.
We have rescheduled for next Wednesday afternoon, January 14.
Actually this kind of feels like a bit of a reprieve. God's way of getting us off the roller-coaster for a few days. A respite, so to speak.
Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts and prayers. We value each friendship more that you can know.
God Bless
Jack and Karen

Friday

2009-01-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

Thank You so much to you all for your prayers and support. It means alot to us to know you are all there for us.
Today we are off the the University of Washington for our first meeting with the neurosurgeon. We are apprehensive and hopeful at the same time.
I will try to post tonight or tomorrow morning to hopefully give you some idea of what is happening. Jack remains strong and steady.
God Bless!

Jack's Situation

2009-01-07T17:47:00.001-08:00

This has been an interesting couple of weeks for Jack and I. The weekend between Christmas and New Years Jack had a couple of little "episodes" where he kind of "checked out" for just 10-15 seconds. They were short but it was very obvious that something was wrong. This along with some short term memory loss and other moments of confusion prompted us to get him to his doctor. We had an appointment scheduled for today, January 7th, but I didn't think we should wait. So I took him in and the doctor prescribed an MRI.

The MRI was done on Friday and yesterday we had a call from his other doctor to come in. Getting that call was a little odd since we were scheduled for today. That doctor had just received results of Jack's MRI and they have found a brain tumor in Jack's right frontal lobe. Immediately the information was faxed to the University of Washington Medical Center and we were set up with an appointment there on this Friday at 1:30 PM. So our journey began.

Today, because we already had the appointment scheduled with his "other" Doctor, we went ahead and went in. This was with Dr. Bethel who will now be Jack's primary care doctor here in Poulsbo. After having 24 hours to dwell on yesterdays information we now had some questions ready. Most of the answers were not what we wanted to hear, however, we now have a better idea of what is ahead for us. I won't go into detail but, needless to say it could be a rough road.
Jack is feeling great, looks great and is relieved to know that there are finally some answers to several problems he has been having, one being his unexplained weight loss in the last year.
Jack also knows that he is in God's hands and he has a real peace in that, and we hope that all our friends and family will feel the same.

I will try to post again after we see Dr Silbergeld at the University of Washington on Friday.
Meanwhile we covet your prayers and good thoughts for a full recovery for Jack.

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