Drs. Visit

Steve had a good week overall. He has been able to keep all his medicine and food down. In fact, he is up 9 pounds on the scale since last week's visit to the hospital! He is getting little bits of his energy back here and there. His leg still hurts a whole lot - in fact it is the main source of his pain. He uses a cane to get around so that he is more stable. He looks quite dapper, if I do say so myself.

Steve went to see the oral surgeon on Friday. He got a good report. In fact, Dr. Roser said that Steve's healing in his mouth is about a month ahead of what he expected it to be based on the fact he has had radiation in that area. That was good news! He told Steve that when they put teeth in (probably in about 4 - 5 months) he can try to place them so that they will "shore up" his tongue so he can speak better and this could possibly help him swallow. This is the carrot of hope that Steve needs right now.  He has been very discouraged about not being able to swallow.  Despite the pain from his leg, the doctor said it is healing very nicely and the pain is to be expected. (I don't think it helped that Steve got ambitious and stubborn one day and started tilling the garden with a gas powered tiller - HA!) 

Steve and I were able to spend some time together on Friday night and Saturday going to a few stores to get my errands run. It was nice for me to slow down and not rush through grabbing what I needed and hurrying home. We took our time, even walking along and window shopping at a few of the stores in between! We had a nice visit to Home Depot to get paint so we can start painting the living room over Spring Break. It's the day to day moments that you make special that really count!

I am always amazed how God works with Steve and I. All our married lives we have taken turns encouraging one another. When one of us is down and out, the other one has just the right words to help. When I was out of sorts the other day, Steve reminded me not to give up my faith. He said, "It's easy to have faith when things are going well. It's when times get tough that your faith is tested and you get closer to God." That is so true, isn't it? My devotion this morning was from John 16:33. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." So, keep your chin up and remember that God always uses the tough parts of life for good! 

Mondays update

We had a pretty good weekend. At least Steve is keeping food down now. He is still very weak because his body is recovering from a week without food. He is sleepy from getting used to his medicines again (since he was unable to keep those down last week either). His weight is down even more (I think he has lost about 45 pounds!) We were able to spend a little time outside both days. We moved all of Steve's roses out of the garden and into the back yard so he can keep them watered and plan his rose garden. 

Steve is frustrated that he is not feeling better. It is hard to take a step backwards when you are working so hard to recover from surgery. Reality is sinking in for him. He needs your prayers and encouragement. He is concerned about not eating again and about being able to get back to work to pay bills. Please continue to keep him in your prayers and drop him an email or note if you can. He loves to have visitors too. He is feeling pretty useless and lonely right now. I know it is all part of the healing process, but that doesn't make it any easier.

I am confident that his positive attitude and faith filled spirit will return when he feels better. He just needs some extra TLC right now : )  Have a blessed day!

Home Again

After spending the day in the ER at Emory, we are back home this evening. Steve was given 2 liters of fluids and some zofran (stomach medicine). He feels MUCH better this evening. It is amazing what liquids will do for your body! We came home with more nausea medicine to continue with. Steve has kept down some water and beef broth so far : )

Thanks for your prayers - they have helped us through today.

ER again

Just a quick note to let you know we are leaving to go to the emergency room at Emory. The doctor wants Steve to get some IV fluids. Not sure how long we will be there or if we will stay. Please pray for us.

Thanks!

Another bad stomach day...

It seems that there is a stomach bug going around. Alli came home from school in tears, complaining of a stomach ache. I guess that must be what Steve has too. My stomach has been upset, but I have so many stomach issues I never know if it is a bug or not. I suppose it is good news that Steve's stomach problems are caused by illness instead of medicine or food or whatever. 

It does not make it any better though. Yesterday, all I was able to get in him was water, broth and ginger ale. I tried to give him some Boost before bed, and he was not able to keep it down. Pepto-bismal helped soothe his stomach last night. Today he had ginger ale and water. He is feeling very weak, and rightfully so. Evidently the stomach bug lasts about 2 days. Hopefully Steve will feel better tomorrow so we can start getting him some food again. I'm worried about his weight and his energy level.

Upset Stomach Again

Well, Steve was doing pretty well until last night. We had a nice weekend, despite all the rain. Steve was able to go to the Band Festival and see Alli play with the 7th grade band Monday afternoon! (She was chosen along with about 6 other clarinets to play with the 7th graders because they did not have enough clarinet players - what an honor! They did a great job, earning all "Superiors", which is the best score you can get.)

Then before we went to bed, Steve was overcome with the nausea that had been bothering him since Sunday afternoon. It took so much out of him to get sick. He looked so weak and tired. I hate seeing him that way! He looks up at me and says, "Hey - at least I made it to the sink and didn't make a mess on the carpet!" with a big grin on his face. Can you believe his positive attitude and enthusiasm despite everything! He just never ceases to amaze me. He has been keeping us all laughing with his humor and his love. His one liners crack me up all the time.

Anyway, I am home from school today to help him get back on track. He thanked me for staying home with him - like it is a favor I am doing for him. When in truth, it is an honor and a privilege for me to be able to stay home and spend time with him. I find that I am homesick, missing him during the day while I am at work. Do you ever feel that way? I am such a homebody that I live for the times when we are all at home just hanging out together - watching TV, playing games, doing homework, or even going to the store together. While I was taking the girls to school this morning, Steve wanted to ride along - despite his raw stomach - just to be with us.

So, please pray that Steve's stomach will get better and that he will regain his strength, energy, and weight. He really is antsy and wants to be able to do something productive. What he really wants to do is get back to work and provide for his family : )  Always thinking of us! 

Treasure your family today. Tell them how much you love them and appreciate them. Tell them how proud you are of them. Give extra smiles, hugs, and cheers to people you meet. Together, we can make this day brighter for someone who needs it. Have a great day!

Saturday, Mar 14th

Time flies doesn't it? Hard to believe it's already the middle of March. And hard to believe I haven't gotten back to you since Tuesday! Everyday people I see ask how Steve is doing. It's hard to know what to say. I don't want to short change everything he is going through by saying he's doing fine, but I don't want to sound negative or take too long giving details either. 

Steve has had a pretty good week. He has been getting a little of his strength back - slowly. He has spent some time outside working with his roses. He counted about 75 of them! He repotted each one of them all by himself. He kept saying "I can't believe I repotted them all - all by myself!" He was so funny - so proud of himself.  Steve asked me to let you all know that he would love visitors - especially those that want to help him with his garden : ) He wants to rehab himself by having the best vegetable garden around and by finishing his pond! 

Steve took Becca out driving this morning in his truck. Evidently she did fairly well for her first time driving. This is a special honor for him to be able to teach her and have this experience. He considers it part of his privilege as a father! I am just thankful that I do not have to shoulder this task because I am not good with the whole loss of control thing! Becca is thrilled that Steve trusts her so much and believes in her abilities!

A lot of you have mentioned that you would like to chat with Steve on facebook. I've been trying to get Steve to let Becca or I set up a facebook account for him. He keeps putting us off. In fact, he told me tonight that he would rather do nothing and go to bed early than to set one up - HA! He says please feel free to email him at stevebowman@bellsouth.net. 

We are looking forward to getting back to church tomorrow. It's nice to have some sense of normalcy return to life. 

Steve has not been able to swallow anything yet. He has tried jello, baby food, coffee, and milkshakes. He just cannot move his tongue at all and therefore cannot get anything to the back of his mouth in order to swallow it. So, eating family dinners or going out to eat is not an option yet. We are hopeful that one day this will be part of our lives again. For now, we are thankful what we have! Praise God for his many blessings. 

New Update

Steve had a rough day on Monday. I guess he did too much on Sunday. He couldn't seem to keep himself awake and therefore he did not get the food and water he needed.  I guess I spoiled him over the weekend by doing too much for him : ) He mentioned that his throat feels sore. So, last night we tried to get all caught up on his liquids. He seemed to perk up a little last night. He was weak and a little shaky though. When he got up to open the locked door for Alli, his head started spinning and he fell on the floor and kind of fainted. I think that must be from a lack of nutrition. (I will call the doctor today if I can.) Since he was not having a good day, Steve decided not to try swallowing anything yet. 

This morning when I checked in with him, Steve said he was doing better. His voice is hoarse and harder to understand. I guess that is from his sore throat. Please pray that he is not getting sick and that his dizziness will go away! Thanks so much!

What a Beautiful Day!

Wow! We have had such a beautiful day here in Georgia. Sunny and 74 degrees. We had such a nice afternoon sitting on the porch visiting with friends. We did not want the day to end! 

Steve went to church this morning! He was so excited to see everyone at church. His face lit up with every new face he saw. He sat most of the time and was very tired, but he really enjoyed being at church again. He was even singing a little : ) 

Steve had a good week overall. We have been trying new foods by blending them and putting them through his tube. While it is a challenge to keep enough pureed and balance all the nutrition, it seems to be working. He has not thrown up at all this week!!! 

Swallowing has not been successful so far. Steve has tried to swallow some water, tea, broth, and coke but he just has no control over the liquid. He has no tongue movement at all right now. Not sure if that will change or not. I know Steve is worried about not being able to swallow again. He has no feeling in his lips and surrounding area. Since his saliva is not swallowed, he tends to drool. This really bothers him, but we are hoping this is temporary. 

On Friday we were on our way to the church to drop Becca off for a retreat when Steve suddenly realized the doctor took his teeth out on the bottom right back side of his mouth. He was pretty surprised and upset. He thought he was only missing the bottom front teeth. I think he has gotten used to the idea now. 

While Steve is very weak, he has been stir crazy too. So, he has made some small trips to the store with me. You would have enjoyed seeing him terrorizing people in the aisles at Walmart while driving the motorized wheelchair! He was outside yesterday and today repotting some plants. He even played with the neighbor kids next door for a little bit. 

We continue to be blessed by your prayers, cards, visits, meals and gifts. As I am constantly reminded, God is good...all the time. May you be blessed and receive this week! 

P.S. Sorry for such a long post. I had more to say than I thought : ) 

Doctor's Visit Results

We had our appointment on Monday with Steve's oncologist, Dr. Grist. Overall, it was a good report that we received. They removed all of Steve's stitches and staples. He does not have to have the bandage on his leg anymore. Dr. Grist told him to start using his leg more by walking around. Steve is able to put his weight on it now without pain, so he is not using the crutches in the house. Dr. Grist cleaned out the stitches and other surgery "leftovers" from Steve's mouth. (Last night Steve said his mouth felt so much better!)  He told Steve to start brushing his teeth and keeping his mouth clean. Steve was given permission to try to swallow when he is ready. The doctor said he really doesn't know if Steve will be able to swallow at all. He also mentioned that he might only be able to swallow liquids. 

I saw the twinkle in Steve's eyes. I know that now he feels he has permission to start pushing himself more. He seemed pleased and upbeat again. Dr. Grist told us that we should not think about this cancer as having reoccurred from September to December. Instead, he feels that it was the same cancer and that the surgery in September just was not complete enough (they had not discovered the cancer in the jaw at that point). That gives us some piece of mind. We are praying that the jaw bone had the cancer all this time and was feeding it to the mouth. This way, the source is gone. Dr. Grist feels that this could be the case. 

God answers prayers each and every day - little and big. Steve was up and about more today. He was a little bit talkative. He talked about business, our plans for the week and the weekend! While we still have a long way to go with the healing, feeding issues, teeth implants, pain control, etc, it sure is nice to have one good step of progress. Steve has lost about 35 pounds through all of this. Today he told me he has gained back 2 pounds in the past couple of days! Small steps forward. Thank you Lord! 

Monday, Mar 2

Let me apologize upfront if this sounds disjointed at all. I am trying to catch up so I am multi-tasking! 

After having a god day on Wednesday, Steve had a rough day on Thursday. He got sick to his stomach, fell asleep, and slept through the whole day without any water, food or medicine. After talking with the nurse, we decided to make some changes in his food on Friday. I gave him a different "formula" because Steve feels he is allergic to the stuff we have been using. He has not had trouble with it in the past, but you never know. So, we tried just regular ensure type stuff all weekend. We have also used soy protein powder, vegetable supplement, gatorade for the electrolytes. On Sunday I fed him some baby food carrots and we blended mandarin oranges in the Vita Mix we borrowed from Steve's brother. I am working on reading about diets for cancer patients and will work on giving Steve what he needs. 

On Friday evening, I spoke with the pain specialist about Steve  being groggy. We backed off on some of the pain medicine. Steve was more alert and aware of things yesterday. We watched a cute movie and enjoyed our Sunday afternoon while watching the snow outside.

This whole thing is such a learning process. It amazes me and confuses me everyday! I am reminded of my first few years of teaching - all the trial and error, but never giving up! 

We have a doctor's appointment today, so we look forward to seeing what Dr. Grist thinks about Steve's progress. I'll let you know what we find out. Have a great day.