Merry Christmas!

The Woodruff 4 wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! May all of your wishes come true!

Love to all,
Deb

Let the Festivities begin!

The kid's last day of school was today. The Christmas vacation has officially started. Hurray!

Denny is feeling very good these days. He seems to be getting his energy back. His hair and eyebrows, as I mentioned, have returned. The scar on his head is barely noticeable. One would never know by looking at him what he has been through this year.

I'm doing better each day also. The leg is healing slowly from the inside out. I'm not very patient so it is probably doing better than expected!

Merry Christmas, friends & family! Enjoy the time with your family and the memories you are making. We all know how precious that is...

Love to all,
Deb

Surgery update

Hi all! The outpatient surgery I had yesterday was very successful. The doctor was very pleased with the results; closing off the problematic vein to prevent blood clots. I am resting comfortably at home; taking pain pills when needed. Denny and the kids have been excellent "nurses". I let out a little squeak and someone is there to help. Thanks, everyone, for the phone calls checking on me. Recovery time is about a week. All is good in our little corner of the world. Hope you are having a great weekend. Thanks for checking in.

Love to all,
Deb

It's A Wonderful Life!

We had a great weekend! There is a tree farm a few miles from our house. We got the trailer hitched to the SUV and off we went. Bing was singing "White Christmas" and we had our hot chocolate and home baked cookies ready to enjoy after the perfect tree was found.

I've posted pictures from our day. The very top picture is the finished product. Our beautiful tree is decorated, primarily, with homemade ornaments. There is something so special about seeing the once tiny faces of Dana and Daniel dangling cheerfully on the lovely green branches. Dana's baby Jesus that she made in kindergarten graces our table. Someone once asked me why we put out that turd in a pot but WE know it is Baby Jesus! :)

The next picture is of Denny and Dan standing next to the tree. The roles have changed. It used to be Denny cutting down the tree with Dan holding it. This year Dan did the honors. He did a fine job too!

The third picture is of me and the kids after the tree was "baled". We gathered around the trailer and I poured everyone hot chocolate.

The last picture shows Denny holding a very slim candy cane. He used it as a stirrer for his chocolate. There is a reason I posted this close up.

His hair is growing back a different color! He used to be auburn with blondish, red eyebrows. Now, his eyebrows are black and his hair is salt & pepper!

We are all looking forward to the holidays and seeing all of our family. It is TRULY a Wonderful life! Hee Haw!

Love to all,
Deb

Crazy for Christmas!

Wow! Today is December 1st already? Time is flying!

Denny and I were discussing how great this month is because he doesn't have ANY doctor appointments. He is a free man! Woo Hoo! Next appointment in St. Louis will be January 7th.

We do have one little bump in the road to take care of. All the traveling to and from St. Louis has caused some problems for me. Sitting so long in the car caused a blood clot to develop in my leg. Luckily, it was in a superficial vein and is gone now. However, without going into boring detail, I need to have surgery to tie off a vein that is causing problems. It is an outpatient surgery at Vanderbilt scheduled for December 10th. Should only take a couple of hours and then recovery. I'll be home the same day. I want to get this taken care of to prevent something more serious from developing. You know...busy mom...can't afford the down time..blah...blah...blah.... :)

Therefore, the Woodruff 4 has to get all of their Christmas shopping done and the tree up before Mom is out of commission! Oh, what a challenge! Can we do it? You bet! Ho! Ho! Ho! We are crazy for Christmas.........

Love to all,
Deb

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

I'm sitting at the computer thinking of what I want to say to you, our blog friends and family. Thanksgiving seems to be a holiday that makes us remember what we are thankful for. The Woodruff 4 have a tradition at our holiday table. We sit down to turkey, gravy, and all the fixin's and as we go around the table, each of us say what we are thankful for.

As Denny continues to gain strength and get over his infection, my statement this year will be something like, "I'm thankful that The Woodruff 4 had enough faith to see us through this challenging year and that these three dearly loved faces are at this table with me today."

As you think about what it is that makes you thankful, think of these words from John F. Kennedy: " As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them."

We are thankful that you have been with us through the roughest of times and celebrated our successes. The Woodruff 4 wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Love to all,
Deb

Once again!

Here we go! Denny had to go to the doctor today. He has another infection! Luckily, he caught the symptoms quickly and was able to get on medication. We will keep watching this and if it looks like it is not getting under control, we will be back at the doctor! I will post if anything further develops.

Meanwhile, we had a wonderful visit from Denny's Aunt Pearl and his cousins, Judy & Pat. We had alot of laughs, good food and a great time!

Love to all,

Deb

Sweet November

I'm not sure if anyone is still reading this blog. However, I will continue to post periodically with updates.

Denny is doing well. His next round of tests will be January 7th. He will have a PET scan to see if cancer has moved to anywhere else in his body. Another MRI will be taken of the sinus cavity to make sure all is well there. The ENT doctor will be looking up in the sinus cavity with his scope for visual affirmation that all is well. He will also clean out any debris that has gathered there.

We are looking forward to the holidays; very grateful to be able to! We are thankful that everything is working out so far.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours....

Love to all,
Deb

A Wonderful "Moment"

Happy 1st of November! As promised, I'm posting the updates that have occurred since Oct. 21st.

Denny is steadily getting his strength back. It is slow in coming but I can see improvement every day. He has lost most of his eyebrows and eyelashes but they will grow back. His hair will grow back too. We were told that there is a good chance it may grow back different from what he had. Instead of silky auburn hair, it may be blond and curly! The suspense is driving me crazy! Ha!

A concern at this point is possible leakage of spinal fluid. Denny had experienced an incident where some clear fluid suddenly gushed out his nose with no warning. When he saw Dr. Chicoine, Denny mentioned it. Dr. Chicoine said we should monitor any further incidents and to call if another one occurs. The only way to confirm if there is leakage, is to go back in there. So far, we have not seen any further fluid loss. Rest assured, we are watching closely!

I'm finally getting caught up from being gone so much. I've posted the pictures of Denny ringing the bell at Siteman. The sign under the bell says, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Smile - This is one of those moments!" It was such a glorious day! Everytime we see the picture, we get to relive a wonderful "moment" in this journey. We wanted you to share it with us.

Love to all,
Deb

Next Blog Entry-November 1 (unless something happens!)

Home Again

Denny got home about 8pm last night. He said he had a wonderful weekend seeing family and visiting his friend, Kevin.

This week is starting out busy as usual. Denny seems to have more energy each day. His taste is coming back. Everything is going the right direction!

Love to all,
Deb

Family Reunion

Denny is headed back to Missouri today for the Branson reunion. Each year, his mother's side of the family gets together at a restaurant to visit and catch up on each other's lives.

Also, we had a visit from Denny's cousin from Missouri. Adam, and his lovely girlfriend, Amanda, stopped by for a visit and had dinner with us. It was great to see some family!

Love to all,
Deb

Scherenschnitte

Denny is starting to get his energy back. He is feeling better every day. The infection is gone. His life will start getting back to normal now. The doctors didn't give him a total clean bill of health but he is headed in that direction.

I guess you are wondering what that has to do with the blog title. If you have a minute, I'll tell you.

Scherenschnitte is the Swiss art of papercutting. A nice, crisp piece of paper and a pair of sharp scissors are all that is needed to create a design that is quite beautiful. With one cut, the artist can change the original design into something else; different but still very beautiful.

I was looking at the fall leaves, today, starting to change into their vibrant colors and thinking about where we were this time last year. We had no idea of the change that was coming.

However, like the art of Scherenschnitte, with a few changes, the design of our lives is different now. Different, but definitely more beautiful!

Love to all,
Deb

Click "like" if you agree

As you know, Denny went back to Missouri this weekend to meet with most of his doctors on Friday. First, he met with Dr. Custer. This doctor has been monitoring Denny's optic nerve for the past 6 years. The reason is when Denny had radiation, it had to be performed close to the optic bridge. Dr. Custer monitors the optic nerve health and looks for any changes that may be occurring. He does this through a combination of detailed eye exams and a test called "The Humphrey Field test". Each test he takes is compared with previous ones to determine if there is any change in his vision field.

The Humphrey Field Test is conducted on a large computer-like monitor with a black screen. Denny sits in front of it and presses a button when tiny pinpoints of light appear. It resembles a star constellation, if you ask me. This helps Dr. Custer know if Denny is losing any vision. It is subjective, however, on whether a person is feeling good that day.

Denny's test on Friday did not come out very well. He said the technician administering the test was not listening to him when he requested an adjustment before taking the test. Denny repeated the test this morning. The results were better but still not as good as previous tests. Dr. Custer wants to see him again in a month to dilate his eyes for further testing. I should mention that we are not concerned about this. Denny has always accurately predicted when he felt there was a problem with his health. He has noticed no vision changes.

The second doctor he visited was Dr. Haughey, the ENT. Dr. Haughey looked at the sinus cavity through the scope and was very pleased with what he saw. He said that everything is healing as it should be from the surgery in May. In addition, he cleaned the sinus area; removing some congestion that Denny was not able to get to with irrigation. He did notice a small sinus infection but nothing significant.

From there, Denny went to get his post-surgery MRI. It came back clear! Of course, the microscopic disease cannot be detected but as long as it hasn't formed into any tumors, then it is not considered an issue.

Lastly, he met with his Neurosurgeon, Dr. Chicoine. Dr. Chicoine was as pleased as Dr. Haughey with Denny's progress. The concern was the healing factor in a previously radiated area. Once again, Denny has come through with flying colors.

His next appointments will be on November 12th with his chemo doctor, Dr. Adkins and with Dr. Custer again.

I was on facebook the other day and an entry caught my eye. "God is still performing miracles every day", click "like" if you agree. I'm quite sure you do not have to guess my response! like...like...like...like...like...like.

Love to all,

Deb

Lookin' Good

Denny is headed to Missouri as I write. He has Dan with him. They loaded up the 4 wheeler and some other things Denny wanted to take to the farm in the trailer. Denny has doctor appointments and an MRI at the Siteman Cancer Center tomorrow. Then, he and Dan will be free to be at the farm to do some cabin remodeling work and bow hunting. Denny is looking forward to the peace and quiet so he can work on his projects without interruption.

The infection is looking good. The antibiotic has halted the progression. There have been no fevers or abscesses. Denny will finish out the antibiotic and that should be the end of this obstacle on the road to wellness!

Thanks, as always, for checking in. Have a great weekend! The next blog post will be early next week....

Love to all,
Deb

Infection Update

Our primary care doctor took some blood from Denny on Monday to see what his levels are. We just got the results. His white blood count was at 13. Normal white cell count is between 6 and 10. This indicates that his immune system is in good shape and fighting. The Neulasta shot is doing it's job!

Denny has been on the antibiotic now for over 24 hours. The infection is not quite under control but it is a far cry from the previous incident. He probably needs another day of antibiotics before we start seeing improvement.

I'll keep posting with updates. Thanks for checking in.

Love to all,
Deb

Here we go again

Denny went to the doctor today. He has infection again. Luckily, he was familiar with the symptoms and got antibiotic before a fever started. We are hoping the antibiotic will nip this thing before it can get a foothold on him.

I keep posting with updates as this thing runs it's course. Thanks for checking in.

Love to all,
Deb

Days of Autumn

"Last eve I saw a beauty contest brief; Between a rainbow and an autumn leaf." The days of autumn are upon us. This picture was taken at our house. Denny and I completely missed spring and summer this year so we are going to enjoy the fall! I have all the windows open; feeling greedy for the crisp, fresh air after so much time spent in hospitals and doctor offices.

Denny is feeling a little better today. The fatigue is still getting to him but he is eating well and continuing to go to work each day. Today, he went to work and will take off a half a day to go golfing with the Corps league. Last night after work, he mowed grass with the tractor and worked on his "man-cave". He is like the eveready bunny...just keeps going..and going...and going! Go, Denny!

The emails keep coming with encouragment for Denny. We are amazed by the number of people reading these entries. All we can say is, "THANK YOU!" It makes this journey so much easier to know we are not alone.

Love and Thanks from The Woodruff 4,
Deb

Peaceful Homecoming

Good morning, all! Yes, we are back in Tennessee. Home never looked so good. When we drove in, the dogs were barking and the flowers were blooming. The big wooden rocking chair with it's fluffy checkered pillows looked inviting on the front porch. Tiny hummingbirds were stopping to say a cheery "hello" at our feeder on their way to more southern climes. It was a peaceful homecoming; a fitting end to the odyssey we began in April.

Denny is feeling fatigued and he says he feels, "not like himself". He has a few more days of this before he starts to feel better. I made homemade chicken soup and sweet tea for his dinner last night. He said it was good.

What do I think is "good"? Being home, fixing the soup in my own kitchen with the crisp autumn air coming in the windows; listening to my kids chatter about their day and the plans they have; watching Denny relax and putter around his "Man Cave"; running my fingers through our dog's soft fur while reading a really good book; and savoring the victory that we have won another day in the battle against cancer! That is my definition of good!

Love to all,

Deb

We heard you!

We started the day at 8am with lab work and the doctor visit. Then, the treatment began around 10am. All day long, the nurses were telling Denny, "Don't forget to ring the bell!" They even gave him a T-shirt and a "certificate of completion" that had been signed by all of the chemo nurses. The shirt said, "Our team is behind you all the way" with the signatures below it.

When the last bag emptied about 3pm, he went out into the hall. I got the camera ready and I could see the people watching. Denny stepped up and rang that bell! You should have heard the applause! We also "heard" you, blog friends and family! When the last silvery note faded away, Denny and I smiled at each other. The Woodruff 4 is celebrating victory!

Do we know for sure the cancer is gone? No. However, the road to this day has been full of blind curves and bumps. We have managed to stay the course in spite of horrendous obstacles and that is our victory. Cancer has not changed our outlook or beaten us. We are optimistic that the cancer has been halted in it's tracks.

Denny will continue the monitoring process to stay ahead of this enemy. We will be proactive instead of reactive. On October 8th, he will see most of the doctors and get his MRI. On Nov. 1st, he will see his chemo doctor for a check up. Everyone is expecting the best.

Our thanks to all of you for your support. We could not have done this without you. Thanks to you, the world will hear our noise. Denny's case is being documented and will hopefully help the next person diagnosed with this terrible disease.

What will we do now? LIVE OUR LIVES TO THE FULLEST! We will squeeze out memories from every moment of every day. These chapters are behind us and the book is open to a new page. I will continue to post with updates so please keep checking in. Let the adventure begin!

Love to all,

Deb

Will to Win

We are getting ready to leave for St. Louis tomorrow. The anticipation is building because it is the final treatment. I've got my camera ready for the picture of Denny ringing the bell. We have blog followers from coast to coast; and even in England! So everybody be ready....When he rings that bell, we want to hear the cheers!

"Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory." - Gen. George S. Patton.

Love to all,

Deb

All Systems Go!

Dr. Gupta seemed to think it will be okay for Denny to proceed with his chemo. His treatment will start as planned next week. Thanks for checking in.

Love to all,
Deb

Yay or Nay?

Denny goes to the primary doc today to have the infection site examined. Dr. Gupta will make her recommendation to Dr. Adkins about whether or not to proceed with chemo on September 22nd. Denny and I are holding our breath....

I will post the results later today if available.

Love to all,

Deb

Mild Monday

After a very busy weekend, we are all under one roof. Denny and Dan did their Missouri tour and got home around 8:30pm last night. We are back in the routine of our lives again.

Love to all,

Deb

Decision to Delay

Denny went to our primary care doctor yesterday for a checkup on the infection site. She took some blood samples and said she did not feel he was ready for chemo yet. In her opinion, the site needed more healing time. She faxed her report today to Dr. Adkins in St. Louis along with a picture of the wound.

Dr. Adkins evaluated the information this afternoon and he concurs. Therefore, Denny's last chemo treatment has been rescheduled for September 22nd. He will visit the primary care doc once more to get cleared before we make the drive to St. Louis.

Love to all,

Deb

Weekend plans

Denny has alot planned for this weekend. He is looking forward to attending an 80th birthday party for a very special uncle. He is also going to stop by his friend Kevin's to help him build a log cabin he is working on in the country.

Denny's last treatment will begin September 15th. When he is finished, he will ring the bell. Go Denny!

Love to all,
Deb

The Nightmare

Have you ever had a nightmare that you couldn't shake off when you woke up? It's the kind that lingers uneasily inside for hours; sometimes days. I was in the grip of one of those last night.

It was kind of like "The Christmas Carol", in the setting where Scrooge is watching his life without being part of it. I was outside looking in on a scene taking place in a funeral parlor. I was dressed in black and trying to get through the crowd to find Denny. I couldn't see his face anywhere. There were just too many people. I started feeling anxious so I looked behind me to see if he was there. Instead, there was a man dressed in an antiquated, black 1920's suit with a coal black bowler hat. He had a little bow tie and a name tag on his lapel. You know, the one that says, "Hi, my name is:" and you handwrite your name in? I was too far away to see what his name was so I started to get closer to him. I also thought it was odd that he was smiling so much in a room full of sorrow. While I was working my way back to look at his name tag, I kept scanning the room to see if I could see Denny. Where was he?

When I got close enough to read the name tag of the man, my heart stopped. Chills went down my spine and the hair stood up on the back of my neck. His name tag said, "Hi, my name is Cancer".

I woke up and couldn't shake the image. I got out of bed to get a drink of water and clear my head. As reason returned, I thought, "Fear is a luxury, Faith is a necessity". (Wow! I have my very own quote to add to my notebook!) However, this is another quote that came to mind:

"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead." - Hebrews 11:1

I put this quote on our refrigerator to remind me that Denny is going to win this battle and that even strong people can have weak moments. I choose to turn the weakness into strength.

I have always told the kids that you can change your nightmares; make yourself into the hero not the victim. With that in mind, I picture Team Woodruff in name tags that say, "Hi, My name is Winner." Won't you join us?

Love to all,

Deb

Labor Day Weekend

It has been very busy around our house this weekend. Denny and Dan have played golf and gone dove hunting. Dan had some friends over on Friday and Saturday. Denny and the boys played horseshoes. The weather was beautiful and a good time has been had by all!

Love to all,

Deb

Thankful

Denny is feeling so good, he is playing on his usual spot on the golf league. Someone else has had to fill in for him all summer. Today, he gets to play.

The kids are dealing with things as well as can be expected. I have to be a little more careful with changes than I used to. For example, a friend of mine offered to give Dan a ride home from golf practice so I said, "Yes! Thanks for the break!". However, an anxious Dan called me to find out if something had happened to his dad and was that why I wasn't picking him up. I assured him all was well. It is just the little things I have to watch. This has been very stressful for them and they have had some problems but nothing we haven't been able to solve successfully.

I'm thankful that we seem to be getting our life back. He has one final treatment ahead but we can do it. I'm hearing the sound of that bell already!

Love to all,

Deb

The End of Summer

Time has flown this summer. I can't believe it is over and the kids are back in school. Denny has continued to work and I am taking care of the homefront. My current job position is "caregiver".

I got a very nice card from Denny's cousin, Teri. She sent the sweetest letter inside addressed to one caregiver from another. I have been amazed by many things during this journey I've traveled with Denny. He and I have been pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of emails, blog comments and phone calls of encouragement from our friends and family. We know you are out there and you have our sincerest thanks for all the support you have given us these last 5 months.

We are still climbing the mountain but I have no doubt that Denny will make it to the top. He has shown his strength in overcoming every obstacle that has blocked his path. We have faith that when this journey is over, he will have won this battle against cancer once again.

When a chemo patient at the Siteman Cancer center finishes treatment, it is a tradition to ring a big bell. When that happens, you will hear a big round of applause. When Denny rings that bell, be ready. I want the world to hear our noise!

Love to all,

Deb

All quiet on the Southern front

It is nice to say that life is normal. Denny went to work at his usual time for his usual day. He is feeling great! The infection is clearing rapidly. There are no medical or insurance problems to deal with. All is quiet...

Love to all,

Deb

Sick person? Where?

It is so crazy around here! Denny went to our primary care doctor to have his infection checked out. She said it looked great to come back before he leaves for St. Louis for a final check. Also, she reduced his blood pressure medicine so he won't have any more problems with sudden drops like last time.

I guess Denny figured that since everything checked out, he was going to do the things he wants to do. Therefore, he and Dan took off early this morning for a "Wildlife Expo". After touring through that, they are headed for a Nashville Sounds baseball game. "Bye, Deb! See ya!" and off he went! That was so quick, the dust hasn't even settled yet! :)

Love to all,

Deb

Life goes on

12:20pm The doctor's office just called. Dr. Adkins has decided to delay Denny's chemo treatment for 2 weeks. He felt it was too risky to proceed considering Denny just had an oral surgery yesterday and is dealing with 2 infections. He said the infection takes priority over the chemo right now. As a result, the follow up appointment with the neurosurgeon and the MRI had to be rescheduled also.

10:15am. Denny is back at work this morning. Last night, he mowed the grass. Nothing stops him! Keeping busy is a positive way to cope with our situation.

His face didn't look swollen and he said he felt good. Things are going in the right direction. Life goes on!

Love to all,

Deb

One Bumpy Ride!

This week has been one bumpy ride so far. Denny actually was able to get in for a consultation with the oral surgeon late yesterday afternoon. As a result, he was in surgery at 9:30am this morning. It was all over in 45 minutes. However, it took us about an hour to get home because there was a terrible accident on the highway and all the lanes were closed. I detoured but it still took awhile.

When we got him home, I fixed him some tomato soup and then ran to the pharmacy to get the medicines he needed. By the time I got home, he was asleep in his chair. The oral surgeon didn't see any reason to hold up the chemo because he got all the infection out of the abscess.

On Friday, Denny will see the primary care doctor about the other infected site. The St. Louis docs will decide whether or not to proceed based on her opinion. Unless something really drastic happens, it will probably move along as scheduled.

I've got to sign off for now. I have to get Dan to golf practice! I'll post with updates as soon as I can.

Love to all,

Deb

"Abscession"

Denny went to the dentist today to see what could be done with the abscess. He has to get rid of the infection before he can receive chemo. The dentist would not extract the tooth due to Denny's unique situation. He has been referred to an oral surgeon. Our dentist got him an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. Denny will go to a consultation with the oral surgeon and hopefully, receive treatment before Thursday. The good news is that the swelling appears to have gone down and he is feeling better.

Love to all,

Deb

Making Progress

5:45pm: Denny is home from the hospital. He is feeling much better. He still has an abscess under his cheekbone so he will be going to the Dentist first thing in the morning. The doctors feel that his tooth should be pulled in order for the antibiotic to be able to work at full efficiency.

The big question remains as to whether he will be able to keep the the final chemo schedule. We are supposed to leave for St. Louis on Aug. 29th for his treatment to begin on Aug. 30th. He will see our primary care doc on Friday who will make the determination as to whether he is up to the final round. If the incision and infection have not healed sufficiently, the the chemo will have to be delayed. The doctors in St. Louis say the infection has priority right now..then the chemo. I will post to the blog as soon as I have any new info.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. Please keep them coming!

6:30am: Denny is still in the hospital at Vanderbilt. I stayed with him until about 7pm last night. He had a pocket of infection up under his right cheekbone that kept swelling. The docs ordered a CAT scan to see what it was and they identified it as an abscess. They had to go up under his gum line; make an incision and drain it. The antibiotics should be able to work better now. He was on pain medicine and resting comfortably last night. There was talk that he would be released today. I will post later with more details. Thanks for checking in.

Love to all,

Deb

Hospitalized at Vanderbilt

Shortly after my blog post yesterday, Denny started running a fever. He went to the Saturday Clinic offered through our primary care physician and was referred to the ER. Due to the chemotherapy, his immune system is at it's lowest point right now. The fever indicated an infection so he was admitted to the hospital to a private room at about 10:30pm last night.

He is receiving some pretty potent antibiotics and his fever is down to normal. Luckily, this was caught soon enough to prevent any serious problems. He will probably be in the hospital today and be released probably tomorrow. This is subject to change at the doctor's discretion.

Please check the blog for updates. I will post as I get new info. Thanks for checking in.

Love to all,
Deb

Happy Birthday, Denny!

Today is Denny's 57th birthday. He says it is just another day. I say it is a miracle; a milestone and a celebration!

I feel this way for a good reason. I went to the beginning of the blog and was reading through all the entries this past week. When we are in the middle of the crisis, sometimes we can't see the details in all the miracles we have been given. Looking back, I am seeing everything with new eyes and I'm in awe, once again, of these miracles.

This birthday is a celebration; a reason to be happy and a stick in cancer's eye. It gives us renewed hope and faith that Denny will beat this disease and I will be writing about his 58th birthday next year!

Love to all,
Deb

A normal life

After a little bit of a rough start on Sunday, Denny has been feeling well the past couple of days. He is feeling a little tired but is having no other problems. The heat and humidity have been a little hard on him so he is staying inside most of the time. Aren't we all? Considering everything he has been through, he is living a normal life.

Love to all,
Deb

The Wrinkle in the Plan

We didn't get out of St. Louis as quickly as we had planned. His shot was scheduled for 3:30 pm. We checked out of the lodge and got to the hospital at 3pm. When we arrived, Denny started feeling bad. Eventually, he got to lay back in a recliner. He said he felt light-headed; like he was going to pass out. His skin looked snow-white and his forehead was beaded with sweat. The nurse took his blood pressure and it was really low. She took it in both arms and got low readings. They called the doctor and hydration was ordered. It took about an hour but then he was back to himself and feeling good. We are not sure what caused the wrinkle in the plan but he wasn't released until they felt he was okay. They gave him his shot of Neulasta and we headed for home. We got back to Tennessee about 11:30pm. Everything is back to normal and he is feeling very good today; just a little tired.

Love to all,
Deb

Leaving the LOU

Denny and I are getting ready to head over to the hospital for his shot. Once that is given, we will be on the road for home. Thanks for hanging in with us through this week. We are coming down the homestretch in the treatment plan. Round 4, which is the last treatment, will start on August 30th. Keep the faith that Denny will beat this thing once again!

Love to all,
Deb

Family Times

We are winding down to the last day of treatment tomorrow. Denny will get his Neulasta shot around 3:30pm and then we will head for the hills (of Tennessee!)

We spent today with Denny's family. His sister, Anita, made a wonderful lunch and we got to have a nice visit. His brother, Mike, brought a birthday cake and we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Denny a little bit early. His birthday is August 21st. We really enjoyed the afternoon.

We had to get back to the lodge by 3pm to meet the home health nurse. Denny had to get the chemo pump removed from his port. Then, he watched the Cardinal game.

Thanks to everyone for the continued encouragement messages. The prayers, cards and emails are greatly appreciated!

Love to all,
Deb

Smooth Sailing

Everything is going well here in St. Louis. Denny is feeling pretty good. He had a little bout with hiccups last night but nothing major. All is well. Smooth sailing so far.

Love to all,
Deb

Chemo treatment & the therapy dogs

We just got back to the lodge from being at the hospital all day. Denny's treatment went smoothly. The only problem was a glitch with the health insurance filling a prescription he needed. It seems like lately I'm on the phone constantly getting insurance problems corrected. There are too many other things that need to be done so that is getting old.

While Denny was getting treatment, the therapy dogs came in. They were so pretty! Three golden retrievers named "Cherry", "Teddy" and "Tucker" visited Denny in his room. There was also a little Llaso Apso named "Jin Li" that visited. I got a kick out of her "person". She was a little old lady with the funniest sense of humor. You could tell she really enjoyed visiting patients with her little dog. I have to say "Teddy" was my favorite. He had laughing brown eyes that reminded me of my son's dog, Dakota.

St. Louis is under the same heat warnings as Tennessee. We will be glad when Fall comes! We are looking forward to colorful leaves, bonfires and cooler air!

Love to all,
Deb

On the Road Again

Tomorrow we hit the road for St. Louis. I've got most of our stuff packed. It is becoming more of a routine now. The hardest part is getting the kids taken care of with school and their sports schedules.

Denny is still feeling fine. I hope round three goes as well as round two did. I will update during the week from Hope Lodge.

Love to all,
Deb

Round Three

I was looking at the calendar today. It is hard to believe we are coming up on round three of Denny's treatment. The schedule is changed a bit since his doctor is out of town next week. This treatment will go from this coming Wednesday to Sunday instead of Monday through Friday.

Denny's cousin, Glenda and her husband, Steve, are coming down to stay with the kids while we are gone. Steve will probably bring his boat so she said they would make a little vacation out of it.

Denny has really been doing well. I haven't been posting daily because I felt I would be saying the same thing over and over. You would never know he was going through chemo by the way he is living his life. I am so proud of him. I know if anyone can beat this cancer, it will be Denny!

Love to all,
Deb

The Golf Guys

It has been very busy in the Woodruff house since our return from St. Louis. We have been getting ready for a big golf tournament fundraiser, held this past Saturday, to support the high school team that Dan is now a member of.

Denny and Dan played with friends, Aaron and his dad, Kim. They had a great time laughing and joking their way through 18 holes. As Denny said, "We didn't win, but we didn't come in last either."

I was worried about him out in the heat but as he says, "I can't live in a glass bubble." So when I opened an email from a friend today, there was a quote that jumped out at me and is now in my little notebook:

"If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old." - Will Rogers

You know what? He is absolutely right!

Love to all,
Deb

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!

For some reason, I have had trouble logging on to the blog this week. I'm not sure if it is computer related or a google issue. Hopefully, I won't have any more problems with it.

Denny has been doing pretty good this week. He went to Chattanooga for meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. The kids have been gone all week so I'm the only one left holding down the fort. We have 3 dogs, 8 cats, a rabbit and a chicken that need to be taken care of!

Denny doesn't seem to be as tired as he was after the first treatment. He still has fatigue but it doesn't seem as prevalent this time. It makes him happy to be able to keep busy and that is a good thing!

Dan has a school golf fundraiser tomorrow. It is an 18 hole scramble to be held at Pinecreek. Denny plans to play with him along with friends, Kim and Aaron. This should be a fun time for all.

The kids start school on Monday, Aug 2. Denny and I can't believe that summer has come and gone already. It has been like "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" for the Woodruff4! So hang on because we're not done yet! :)

Love to all,
Deb

"Every day is a good day!"

Denny and I got home about 10pm on Friday. We took our time; stopping at an auction place, and Antique shop and Gander Mountain. To me, the drive seems to be getting longer! Denny and I will both be glad when his treatments are complete and he is well.

It has been so incredibly busy at home that I haven't had a chance to update the blog. Dan and I made another 4 hour trip to Missouri on Saturday morning to meet mom and dad. He is going to stay with them for a week. On Sunday, I took Dana to her friend's house to stay for a week. She is going to be a camp counselor for Vanderbilt's Space Camp through the Dyer Observatory. Since she will be exposed to so many kids, she is staying with her friend until the camp is over. We don't want Denny exposed to any more germs than necessary!

Denny went into work at his usual time today. He is feeling a little more tired but still doing better than last time. I think it is a gift to be able to live life normally while we are home. If you ask him, Denny says, "Every day is a good day!"

Love to all,
Deb

"To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with." - Mark Twain

Home Sweet Home

We are packing things up and getting ready to head home. Denny gets his last treatment this afternoon and then we are out of here!

Amazingly, he seems to have energy; not the same level of fatigue he had before. I can see the difference in him. He is tolerating this second round much better than the first. That's a good thing!

To Helen and Gene, thanks for the idea for the blog title! To everyone else, thanks for checking in!

Love to all,
Deb

Enjoying the Lull

We got up early today and went to the farm. Denny is doing so much better this time as compared to his first round of chemo. We were only there for a couple of hours but it was time well spent.

We had to get back to the lodge in the early afternoon so that Denny could have the chemo pump unhooked. He ate a good lunch and is currently napping. Tonight, he plans to meet up with some old college pals for dinner.

Many thanks to everyone who fit us into their busy schedules this week. We enjoyed visiting with all of you: my sister, Diane, Denny's cousin, Pat, my cousin, Greg, friends-John, Ron and Lenny, our nephew, Ben, and tomorrow, the brunch bunch from the STL Corps. All of you helped make this week go by quickly.

Tomorrow after Denny's treatment, we will head for home. This is the lull before the storm as our lives will be very busy in the coming weeks.

Thanks for the continued prayers, emails and comments. We are halfway through the treatment plan and everything is looking good.

Love to all,
Deb

An Apple a day...

5:00pm - Dr. Haughey said everything was looking good. He will not need to see Denny until October. When Denny asked about when we would know the results; if the chemo has worked, this was his response: "We will know if it worked if nothing further develops. There is no scan that will tell us if it is gone because it was microscopic to begin with." Denny and I were hoping for something a little more concrete such as "yes, the cancer is gone" but if no more tumors crop up, we will consider it effective. We will be happy with that.

9:30am - Today, Denny sees Dr. Haughey, the ENT doctor. He will be running a scope up into Denny's sinus cavity to check on things.

I've been tied up with pharmacy and insurance billing issues. What a pain in the neck! Hopefully, I have everything resolved now. It seems to be an ongoing battle....

Hope everyone is having a nice day. The rain has passed through where we are and the sun is shining. It's all good!

Love to all,
Deb

Rainy Day

There is not too much going on today. Denny is feeling okay; a little tired with that bloated feeling. He is eating well and drinking lots of fluids like the doctor ordered.

It's raining so we probably won't go to the farm as we had planned. Denny has an appointment today at 4:30pm so we will hang around for that. It looks so gloomy outside but, as I've said before, with the rain, comes the flowers!

Love to all,
Deb

Round Two

6:00pm - We got back to the Lodge about 4pm. Denny (Mr. Haney) got two watermelons for a dollar at a flea market in Paducah that we stopped at on the way in yesterday. He put one on ice and ate it today after his treatment. I can't stand the smell of watermelons (anything in the melon family, actually!) so he gets to eat the whole thing!

Denny is tired but doing well. All of his blood levels were great. The treatment went off without any problems. Dr. Adkins was very pleased with how he is tolerating the chemo cocktail! So far....so good!


6:55am - We got into St. Louis about 7 p.m. last night. Now, we are off and running for round two of Denny's treatment. He will be in the hospital all day for two of the medicines that have to be given onsite through IV's. Then, they will hook up the pump for the third medicine that will go until Thursday.

That's all for now. Everything is good!

Love to all,
Deb

Helen's Words of Wisdom

We are gearing up for another week in St. Louis. Denny's next treatment is July 19th. I'm starting the process of getting all of our clothes and food packed. In addition, part of my "job" is making sure that all of Denny's appointments are scheduled and that he has his prescriptions filled. I've got to get the pantry stocked because the kids need food and so do the animals! It is a labor of love (with many details!).

The kids only have a few weeks left before they start school on August 2nd. In between the packing, I'm trying to get the school shopping done. On a positive note, Dana got her driver's license yesterday so that will help.[See picture!] She can drive herself to cross country practice at 6:30am every morning. Our neighbors, BJ and Bill, will be taking care of them while we are gone this time.

I was reading my little notebook again because even "doughnuts" need a dose of optimism! I ran across another bit of wisdom from someone who is the poster child for conquering adversity.

"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit." - Helen Keller (or had a teenager drive off for the first time in your vehicle....)

Love to all,
Deb

The Doughnut or the Hole?

I've been watching Denny slowly and steadily gain back his strength. He tries to live each day to it's fullest; showing some accomplishment through his efforts. It is not hard to admire someone like that. I am more optimistic than ever that he will win this battle!

Whenever I am reading and a quote or something jumps out at me and makes me think, I write it down. Those quotes that I've shared with you on this blog came from that little notebook. I was reading through some of them tonight and one of them caught my interest again. I thought I would share it with you.

"Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!" -Oscar Wilde

I laughed again, just as I did the first time. I'm proud to say that Denny and I are doughnuts!

Love to all,
Deb

Recharging the battery

Denny's immune system is at it's lowest point right now. We have been taking care to stay out of crowds and away from people in close quarters. He is going kind of crazy cooped up in the house so he enjoyed being outside at the auction yesterday. Hopefully, his system will get stronger as he "recharges" his battery.

The kids have not had any of their friends over to decrease his risk of exposure. I've been wiping down the faucets and light switches with lysol wipes hoping to keep as many germs as possible away. Maybe it helps; maybe it doesn't...but it makes me feel like we are doing SOMETHING good to help Denny get through this.

Love to all,
Deb

Just another Saturday morning

What a beautiful Saturday morning we are having! Denny and the kids took off to go to an auction (Estate sale). I thought it would be nice for the kids to spend some time with their Dad and they like to go to auctions too.

Denny has spent so much time cooped up indoors that he is looking forward to spending some time outside while it is cool.

It is a good day here... wishing you a good day, wherever you are!

Love to all,
Deb

Can't keep a good man down

Denny has been off and running this week. He has a business trip to Wolf Creek in Kentucky that has taken him out of town overnight. He will be back tomorrow.

He has been eating really well and seems to be getting more energy as the week goes on. Like the title says, "can't keep a good man down!"

Love to all,
Deb

Back to Business

Yesterday was beautiful here in Tennessee. I took Dan to Windtree so he could play 9 holes of golf to practice for the school team. Dana stayed with Denny while we were gone. He was feeling much better as the day progressed.

Last night it was cool outside so he was able to go out for awhile. It probably felt good getting out of the house.

Today, he went to work. It seems like things are back to business. Our lives will be as normal as possible for a couple of weeks. It's all good!

Love to all,
Deb

Happy..5th of July?

I can't believe it is the 5th of July already. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to post yesterday. We hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July.

Denny is feeling a little better today. The bloating and fatigue are the main effects he is dealing with. The good news is that he is eating well. I made some homemade chicken soup that seems to taste really good to him. It has been a little tricky coming up with food combinations that don't taste "metallic" to him. Therefore, he has been eating chicken soup and made-from-scratch fruit smoothies.

A big "thanks" to our niece, Brooke, again! I was in Wal-mart Saturday, armed with the recipes and shopping list from the literature she gave me to help Denny's nutritional needs. It was the day before a holiday and the store was packed. I was talking on the cell phone to her and trying to push a loaded cart one handed through the crowds. It was not pretty! I was getting alot of dirty looks but I was too busy trying to find out if Brooke thought regular ice cream or yogurt ice cream was better choice for Denny's diet. During summer in the south, ice cream is serious business! :)

I'm sending out another big "thanks" to the Motley crew for the wonderful card they sent to me. You guys made my day! At first, I thought it was a mistake as it was addressed to "Debbie Woodruff" instead of "Denny Woodruff". Imagine my surprise, when I opened it and the little note inside was telling me to hang in there! That was so nice of you!

Thanks to everyone for the continued prayers, comments, cards and emails. We appreciate them!

Love to all,
Deb

"Heart" is where our home is!

Denny got his last treatment about 3 p.m. yesterday. After they watched him for side effects, we were finally able to leave to come home. The heart and soul of Team Woodruff is here; the 4 of us together under one roof.

Denny is not feeling well today. He feels bloated, "stuffy" and has pain in his head. He said he just doesn't feel good. That says it all for me with no details required. Chemotherapy is not an easy treatment to endure for a cure.

He took a shower, ate breakfast and is now resting in his own bed at home. Hopefully, he will feel better as the day progresses. If you would like to send him an email to cheer him on, try: thewoodruff4@yahoo.com

Denny's cousin, Glenda, headed out early this morning for her home. She has been staying here with the kids during our trip to St. Louis. Both kids told me they are going to miss her. Thank you, Glenda, for all you have done. We appreciate you! :)

Love to all,
Deb

Life's little hiccups

Today, the weather has been great in St. Louis. The heat has backed off and there is a wonderful breeze. We plan to spend a little time outside.

Last night, Denny had a reaction to the chemo. He got the hiccups. These hiccups lasted for over an hour. They stopped for about 15 minutes and then started for another hour. This cycle kept repeating. About 7pm, I called the on-call doc for chemo patients. He called in a prescription that has helped. Denny will be disconnected from the chemo pump today at 4:15pm. We are happy about that!

The other "Incident" happened about 11pm. Denny and I were sleeping when I heard the alarm go off on his pump. It showed some kind of error message that caused us some anxiety! I called the home infusion after-hours service and they told us how to stop and reset. It all happened in about 8 minutes so everything worked out fine. Whew!

Other than that, we are wishing all of you a very nice day. I hope the weather is as great wherever you are as it is here.

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." - Henry Ford

Love to all,
Deb

In Limbo

Nothing new has happened since the last post. Denny still has the pump attached to his port. It has been pumping the 3rd chemo since Monday evening. It will be taken off tomorrow around 3pm. He has not had any problems dealing with this.

He has been feeling and eating normally. We got 3 cases of Ensure and some healthy recipes from our niece, Brooke, yesterday. (A big "Thank You" to our nephew, Jason, who brought it to us. We appreciate it!)

I'll keep posting with updates. Thanks for checking in!

Love to all,
Deb

Tonto and "Chemo-sabe"

Well, Tonto was always the Lone Ranger's sidekick! Although it was terribly sad in the chemo area, Denny was far from being a Lone Ranger today. There were so many sick people in there; it was just a revolving door. I had a tough time when a 13 year old girl with a port in her chest was in the next bed to Denny. It made my heart bleed for that little girl. What is going on in our world that so many people are suffering from cancer?

We just got back to the lodge and I wanted to let everyone know that Denny's chemo went better than expected. All of his blood levels were great. He didn't have any reaction to the new chemo. (They tested a small level of it before starting the required dosage.) He has a pump attached to the port in his chest so the next few days will be interesting. We have done this before - we can do it again!

While he was resting in bed, the nurses went over everything we are supposed to watch out for. Of course, the list is as long as my arm. He has a boat-load of medicines to take for nausea and anti-infection. Just keeping all of that straight will be a full time job!

The nurses talked to us about nutrition and how important it is for Denny to stay hydrated. They were very relieved to hear that our niece, Brooke, is in the picture. She has a Master's in Nutrition from Purdue and has kindly stepped in to help manage that area of Denny's care. She is getting together some recipes and info for me to help keep Denny physically strong. We appreciate that more than these words can say.

Denny handled today probably better than I did. Everything in me rebelled at the fact that we had to be in there again. Seeing all the mortally sick people suffering with this disease makes me even more angry and determined that Denny can beat this thing. Between the anger and sadness, I felt sick to my soul that this has become Denny's path to survival; suffering through the treatment to get to the cure. However, I also know that this therapy was successful the first time and I believe it will all be worth it the second time around.

I also say he is a VERY LUCKY man - so many wonderfully, caring people out there supporting him. With Brooke's help and all the wonderful comments he gets on the blog, Denny has everything possible to help him fight this battle. Keep the prayers, emails and comments coming! You have no idea how good it feels to open the blog and know that even though we can't "see" you, we know you are behind him. Each day is a victory!

"There is no time like the present. No present like time." - Author unknown

Love to all,
Deb

Medicine Man

Tomorrow the chemo begins. to try to keep that off of our minds, we spent the day relaxing with Denny's cousin, Kent, by the pool at his house. Denny sat in a shady spot, dipping his feet in the pool. The kids were swimming and we had a nice visit.

We came back to the lodge and I fixed some dinner. Now we are both trying to get mentally ready for what the week will bring.

Denny will be in the chemo area tomorrow for about 8 hours. It will be a long day for the medicine man! I'll post tomorrow night to let you know how things are going.

Love to all,
Deb

Doing fine

Denny had the port put in about 11:30am this morning. They put it on the left side. The first time he had a port, he developed a blood clot. Because of that, the right side did not have a viable vein to tap so they decided to go to the opposite side. I was there when they did the ultrasound because it was a big concern for me. I was worried Denny would develop another blood clot. However, the medical personnel were aware of his previous situation and took good care of Denny.

He is just taking it easy after the sedation. I fixed him a nice lunch and he is resting in an easy chair. He is doing fine.

Thanks for checking in!

Love to all,
Deb

Back at the Lodge

Glenda got to our house yesterday about 3:30pm. Things have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to update the blog. We are now in St. Louis at the Hope Lodge. We got here about 6pm tonight.

Denny is having a port put into his chest tomorrow. It will be done as an outpatient surgery. He will be in and out in about an hour or so. Then, first thing Monday morning, he will go to the lab to have his blood levels checked; see Dr. Adkins, and then begin his chemo. We will be at the hospital all day. It is going to be a long one!

I'll update the blog as things develop. Thanks for checking in.

Love to all,
Deb

Still Digging for the Pony

Things are moving quickly. We don't have specific appointment times, just dates. It looks like Denny's chemo will begin the week of June 28th. The first cycle will be complete by July 2nd. We will leave St. Louis to come home after he finishes treatment on Friday.

Denny's cousin, Glenda, is coming down from Missouri to stay with the kids while we are gone. We are very appreciative of her generous offer to help us out. That brings alot of relief to our situation.

It truly amazes us to find out how much family and friends care when life brings challenges like the one we are facing. The "No man is a Island" quote is very true. No one could go through something like this without a support system. Denny and I are very grateful to have such a wonderful team cheering us on because the battle continues. At this point, we are still "digging for the pony." [See previous blog entry]. We have appreciated every prayer, card, blog comment, and email sent. To all of the "team", we say "Thank you"!

Love to all,
Deb

Looking Forward

We got home about 3pm yesterday. As we drove up the driveway and the familiar things came into view, it was like the house was saying, "Welcome Home! Glad you're back!" That never gets old for me. I could tell Denny was glad to be home too.

I was mentally exhausted when I wrote the last blog so my thanks to our friend, Jill, for pointing out something obvious that I forgot to put in. Denny will be doing his chemo treatments in St. Louis. The doctors work in a team. We discussed the idea of getting chemo in Nashville, but that would take his chemo doctor off of the team. (Barnes is ranked #5 for Ear-Nose-Throat as compared to Vanderbilt at #16.) We want to keep Denny with the doctors that know his history and that work on the same team; communicating with each other about his case.

[As a side note: "Thanks" to Anita & Travis, and Brooke & Jason for taking time out of their busy schedules to have dinner with us on Tuesday night when we got into town. It was a nice, relaxing visit.]

Denny went in to work today. He couldn't wait to get back to his life. Work is important to him. It helps keep his mind occupied with positive things. He is an amazing man!

We are looking forward..... We are looking forward because dwelling in the past isn't productive. Everything that needs to be in place for success, is there. He has the A-Team of doctors, he is strong, he is positive, he has a huge team of family and friends supporting him, and the most powerful..He has prayers. We are looking forward to conquering this disease and claiming victory! Carpe Diem...Seize the day!

Love to all,
Deb

Exercising our Options

Today has been a long and interesting day. Denny's doctors are very pleased with his progress. It was mutually agreed between the ENT and Neurosurgeon, that the sinus cavity is healing exceedingly well. Both commented on how good he looked. For those of you that haven't been able to see him post-surgery, you wouldn't be able to tell that anything is different except for a thin scar on his head.

We also had an opportunity to sit down with the chemo doctor, Dr. Adkins, to discuss our options. He said that because Denny is now in a high risk category for re-occurance, chemo would be the best option. A new chemo drug has come on the market since he last had treatment that has shown great promise in treating other sinus cancers. Dr. Adkins said that there are no guarantees but to do nothing is not an option. The plan is to start chemo near the end of June and continue treatments, 1 week on, 2 weeks off, until the first week of September for a total of 4 treatments. This chemo cocktail is designed to kill malignant cells and not just shrink them out of existence. We feel very optimistic that there is still an option open as radiation is out of the question.

Denny has been cleared to drive and to return to work to the limit he feels capable to handle. That is a huge victory for him. He is 'back in the driver's seat" of his life. Go, Denny!

In a short time from now, the battle will begin. Denny has been gathering strength these past few weeks; physically and mentally. We will be facing the enemy with strength and faith that Denny will emerge the winner. Remember our motto: "Accept no defeat!"

Love to all,
Deb

A Letter to Denny

Denny is really doing well. His life seems back to normal. He doesn't sleep much during the day anymore. I know he is looking forward to driving and being able to do more things. As it is, he has fixed 2 leaking sinks, the couch leg that broke yesterday, and the headlights on my SUV. He seems to be feeling better each day.

I've been thinking about the coming week as a "re-engagement" in the battle. I think Denny and I have had this on our minds; but separately. We haven't really spoken our thoughts aloud; but each of us is wondering what the week will bring. This blog entry is for him as much as it is for our readers:

Dear Denny,

Cancer is a formidable foe but it CAN be beaten. Between the 4 of us and the team we have behind us, if it can be done; we will do it. NEVER will you be in this battle alone.

I know the news we received when we left St. Louis was a huge body blow to us. However, you have made the most of the last few weeks gathering your strength. I also know that you are aware of the research I have been doing to see what else is out there. I told you what I've found.

The doctors working with you are published forerunners into the cures for this type of cancer you have. They started publishing their findings in 1996; ten years after the discovery of Sinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma. (As an aside, Washington University is ranked #4 in the nation for their medical school, right behind Harvard, Princeton and Yale. Your doctors teach there!) The National Institute of Rare Cancers says that you are receiving the best treatments known to be available and then some.

I know it is difficult to keep the fear and uncertainty at bay, but we have to try. Keep the faith that you will overcome this disease and we will be celebrating your victory once again. Everything that I have will be fighting with you.

"Take the first step, and your mind will mobilize all it's forces to your aid. But the first essential is that you begin. Once the battle is started, all that is within and without you will come to your assistance." - Robert Collier

Love to Denny,

Your "PMS" (Personal Medical Secretary),
Your # 1 Cheerleader,
Your wife, and
Your Warrior,

Deb

The Nashville Nut House

Laugh if you want but counting hairs on the dog for entertainment is getting old. Then, the phone rang, lost our train of thought, and now we have to start over!

Seriously, things are going well. The days are filled with cutting grass (which seems to be growing at an alarming rate), and eating Kool-pops. It's so darn hot & humid down here; Denny has the "clip and zip" Kool-pop procedure down to a science!

Love to all,
Deb

No place like Home

I spoke with the ENT Doctor's office today to see about getting Denny more antiobiotic. (When he was feeling "stuffy", he lightly blew his nose and some sticky black discharge was the result.) I told them about this and how it is still a week away for his appointment. The nurse said, "That doesn't sound good. If it happens again, call us ASAP." Then she called in another round of antiobiotics. Now we won't be so worried about infection getting into his sinus cavity. Denny said after the black stuff came out, that he could breathe better again. It just happened the one time so we will be carefully watching from here on out.

The Neurosurgeon decided he wants to see Denny so we have an appointment with him on the 16th also. We are happy about getting all three appointments on the same day.

We will be staying at the lodge again. It is so convenient for us. We just jump on Hwy 40 and we are already in Illinois! It will be nice to get the appointments over with and get back on the road. As Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz says, "There's no place like home."

Love to all,
Deb

Maris sent a hug!

Denny got one very special get-well card in the mail. When we stopped to get the mail, all of the usual junk fell out: the circulars, Geico insurance, "We buy Gold", publisher's clearing house, blah, blah, blah.. Then, a pretty blue envelope dropped out of the stack. Denny opened it and it said something like, "Sending you a hug".. Inside was a snapshot of our sweet, little niece, Maris, with her arms folded in front of her. She was sending her Uncle Denny a big hug! He thought it was the greatest gift he could have received! "Thanks, Maris!" "Love you, honey!" from Uncle Denny! It was a good day!

Love to all,
Deb

P.S. Happy Belated 16th Birthday to our niece, Haley. Hope it was VERY SPECIAL! xoxo

If it ain't deer, it ain't here!

Tonight it was cool enough that Denny was able to be outside for awhile. He BBQ'd some deer steaks that I had marinating all day. He cooked it with mesquite. It was nice to sit and relax in the cool air. When it was done, we came in and had a nice dinner together.

Love to all,
Deb

Cardinals and Kleenex

This has been a very relaxing day. Denny has been watching golf, boxing and Cardinals baseball. He has been having problems with feeling "stuffy". That is the first thing on the agenda when we get back to STL. Dr. Haughey, the ENT doc, wants to "debride" the sinus cavity. That means he wants to go in and clean all of that stuff out of there. Denny's job has been to keep it irrigated and soft so that the doctor can clean it out easily. If it gets too hard or crusted up, Dr. Haughey said it will have to be removed surgically. Yikes! That is all for now. Keep checking in for updates...

Love to all,
Deb

Has anyone seen our kids?

You would think it is summer or something! Dana and Dan have been in a social whirl this week. They have been swimming, golfing, and hanging out with friends.

Meanwhile, Denny and I are counting hairs on the dog for entertainment. He is doing well; getting a lot of rest. Life is good!

Love to all,
Deb

Return to STL!

The date for Denny's checkup has been confirmed. He will see Dr. Haughey, the ENT, on June 16th at 1pm. Then. he will go to see the chemo doctor, Dr. Adkins, at 2:40pm the same day. Dr. Chicoine, the neurosurgeon, does not need to see him at this time. There will be no scans taken. It was unanimously agreed between the three docs to wait 3 months for scans. We'll keep you posted about any info we get from these appointments. Thanks for checking in.

Love to all,
Deb

Dates with the Doctors?

We are still waiting for confirmation of the dates for his checkup. Looks like it will be somewhere around June 15, 16, or 17th. That is what they are shooting for. We'll post the actual dates when it is confirmed.

It is very hot and humid here in the south. Denny is laying low.

All is quiet and peaceful. (Insert cricket sound here...)

Love to all,
Deb

Following Doctor's Orders

Things have been pretty quiet around here. Denny has been resting and sleeping...just like the doctor ordered. He has had visitors twice since we have been home. We have been keeping a low profile; not going anywhere. We are still trying to keep the infection down.

Denny is eating very well and sleeping good. Yesterday, he took a pain pill. I think that is the first one since he has been home. His head was hurting "like when you eat a cold ice cream". The incision looks good and is healing rapidly.

Can't ask for better than that.......

Love to all,
Deb

Let the healing begin!

Yesterday was very busy. Dana and Dan had to go to their last day of school. Yes, it finished on Saturday...very strange. Then, Dan went to a friend's house for a birthday party/sleepover. Dana went to a graduation party for her friend, Aaron. Denny rested. He has been very relaxed and resting alot since we got home. His boss, Johnny, came by for a little while to visit on Saturday. Denny really enjoyed that. However, for the most part, he has been keeping a low profile and following doctor's orders. Let the healing begin!

From The Woodruff 4: we hope you have a very fun and safe Memorial Day!

Love to all,
Deb

A Well Loved Man

I finally got the pictures off of my camera that I've promised to post. The bottom picture is of Denny with his Aunt Anna & Uncle Glen, sister Anita, Brother-in-law Jim and brother Mike at Rigazzi's. (I'm not sure if I spelled the name correctly. You know...it's that Italian place on the hill! :)

The top is a picture of the warm welcome home Denny received from the kids. He is a well loved man!

Love to all,
Deb

Home Sweet Home!

It is so good to be home! (Denny is still sleeping!) We got here about 5:30 p.m. yesterday. There was quite a welcome waiting for us. The kids made a big "WELCOME HOME" banner and hung it across the doorway. Mom had made my favorite dinner (Lasagna) and Denny's favorite dessert (banana creme pie). It was ready for us when we walked in the door. After we enjoyed the meal together, Denny sat down in his favorite chair to watch TV. When I looked in on him a little later, he was sleeping. The King was back in his castle!

My mom and I sat on the deck with a glass of wine and enjoyed the evening breeze. I know the battle isn't over, but for this moment in time, all is right in our world. Time will give Denny the opportunity to heal and me, a chance to regroup. Then, The Woodruff 4 will stand together to face the enemy again. We know there is a great "team" standing with us. Thank you for the cards, visits, gifts, emails, and prayers. You have made all the difference!

Love to all,
Deb

Homeward Bound

It looks like we are headed home to Nashville. The chemo doctor, Dr. Adkins, is booked solid for a week and a half. We have to come back to town in 3 weeks anyway so we will see him then. That will give Dr. Adkins more time to look at Denny's situation and come up with a plan.

I will continue to update the blog daily. Please know that Denny and I appreciate your support and prayers. As I mentioned before, all of you are links in the chain that make Denny stronger. Thank you!

Love to all,
Deb

The Battle Continues

We just got back from the doctor appointments today. Dr. Chicoine, the neurosurgeon, was very pleased with Denny's progress. The staples were removed from the incision. I counted 47! He said he wanted to see Denny in a month and that it would be okay for him to work remotely from home. He also said the 24 hour supervision is over! Yay! Dr. Chicoine said he wants to do an MRI in about 3 months.

Then, we went to see Dr. Haughey, the Ear-Nose-Throat doc. It was there that we found out the battle is still on. The tumor and margins taken during surgery were clear. However, he did little biopsies around the area as a precaution. The pathology report confirmed that there are still SNUC cells present. Malignant cells were found in his nasal floor and the lining of the sinus cavity. Dr. Haughey said it is not possible to surgically remove these because they have no shape. They are just intermingled with healthy cells. They are so miniscule that they do not show up on scans.

We have to stay in town to talk to Dr. Adkins, Denny's chemo doc from the first time. Chemo may be an option and that is what we need to find out from him. However, Denny would not be able to start right away. It is necessary for him to heal from the surgery first. Denny also has a "superficial" sinus infection so he will be starting antibiotics again.

The other option, at this time, is to monitor the cells and wait for them to form a mass. Then, Dr. Haughey can go in and surgically remove it (if the location allows). Time will tell.

We will do everything possible to save Denny's life. How can you help? Keep saying prayers for him. There is immense power there. Remember our motto - "Accept no defeat!" We are not giving up or giving in. The Battle continues....

Love to all,
Deb

And the Winner is......

Today is Denny's follow-up day. He will see both Dr. Chicoine and Dr. Haughey. I think they are going to be very pleased when they see Denny. We have been careful about infection so his incision looks pretty good. I will be sure to post to the blog afterwards so that you know what the outcome is.

Yesterday, we had visitors. Uncle Glen and Aunt Anna came in from Farmington. We met Mike, Anita & Jim on the hill for an early dinner. It was a great visit and I got an nice picture that I will post as soon as I can.

Later in the evening, Denny and I got some good news. Dana's High School had their achievement awards banquet last night. This is when they give the scholarship info for the senior class and other academic awards. They give an award to the student with the highest achievement for the 2009-2010 academic year in the various concentrations of math, science and English. Dana received the award this year for the student having the highest achievement in Honor's Geometry. We are so proud of her! On Monday, Dan had his golf banquet. He received "The most improved player" award. This is his first year of golf and he was a varsity player making it to Districts. We are very proud of Dan!

It is unfortunate that Denny and I had to miss these important events. However, I would just like to say, I am so proud of our kids for excelling in the face of adversity. It was not easy for them to stay the course but they didn't fold up like lawn chairs when trouble hit our family. That is one more victory for the Woodruff 4!

"The difference between winning and losing begins long before the game starts - winner's expect to win, loser's just hope." - Will Rodgers
(One of my all time favorite quotes!)

Love to all,
Deb

As I Dwell on the Past 11 Days......

To all, as I sit here thinking about what to write about, I can't help but have a tear in my eye and smile on my face. The past couple of weeks have been very challenging for me and my family, both physically and spiritually. It is not easy to "let go" sometimes because we feel still have control of what happens in our life. WRONG...nothing could be further from the truth. When things get out of control and we cannot do for ourselves or must depend on others is exactly when we need to ask GOD for help.

With that being said, I have many "thank you's"......

1. Thank you LORD for everything you have given me. Thank you for providing the medical staff at Barnes-Jewish Hospital with the knowledge and ability to make such difficult decisions during my treatment process without compromising my physical being,

2. Thank you Deb (my PMS or Personal Medical Secretary) for all the headaches I've caused you during this time. You have truly been the warrior in this battle and I could not have done it without you. Your idea of the blog was "right on", as usual.

3. Thank you to our caring neighbors (Bill & BJ, Richard & Betty, Beau & Jodee) in Tennessee. Without your welcoming support and help with things around the house (including kids), you have made this endeavor much more bearable.

4. Thank you Sandy (Debbie's mom) for driving down from near Springfield, Mo and taking care of Dana and Daniel while we have been away for these past 11 days. We felt confident you could handle it.....as you have.

5. Thank you all for the prayers. My medical situation is a prime example of the Power of Prayer. Thanks to everyone's thoughts and prayers, we have pulled together and overcome this terrible disease yet one more time.

Thanks again!

Dennis W.

Turning the Tide

Since Denny's expedition to the farm, he seems like a new person. He hasn't slept so much and seems to have night/day back in the right order. I greatly encouraged by how well he is doing. His incision looks good; no fever and eating well.
Cousin Gene and Helen came by. We had lunch and a nice visit. Looks like the tide is turning...Denny is on his way back to a normal life again.

Love to all,
Deb

Farm Boy

Denny said he was tired of sleeping so much. (Isn't that an oxymoron?) He said his eyeballs are rolling up in his head from watching TV. Today, he changed his pace. Our friend, Owen, took him for a little ride to the farm. He was able to be outside for awhile in the nice breeze; sitting in the shade in the porch swing overlooking the fields. Our friends, Heidi and Tim, are the caretakers of the farm. They came up to mow so Denny got to power visit with them too. He came back to the lodge with some healthy color and a smile on his face. He will sleep wonderfully tonight.
I took the time for a much-needed break and went for a walk along the river at Frontier Park in St. Charles. Got a bottle of water and my tennis shoes, and off I went. It was good to feel the sun on my face. It was a break that we both needed and truly enjoyed. With the rain, comes the flowers. It was a good day!

Love to all,
Deb

The Coming Week

Wow! Two posts to the blog in one day! I was just thinking about what comes next and thought I'd share.

Denny has follow-up appointments with both doctors on Wednesday. We are hoping that the staples will come out of his incision and we will be cleared to go. If that is the case, we will be out of here by Thursday. We are missing our kids and just want to go home.

Many of you are asking about visiting. Denny is still sleeping alot but I know he would be glad to see you. As previously mentioned, infection is still a concern. Please hold off on visiting if you are sick or have any type of infection. You may want to call my cell to see if we are here before making the drive. Denny seems to be at his best in the early afternoon through early evening. Please do not call the room. If you need my cell number, please email me at
thewoodruff4@yahoo.com. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Love to all,
Deb

P.S. Hope Lodge is very close to Barnes. Get on Kingshighway as if you are going to the hospital. Stay on Kingshighway until you reach Lindell. Turn right. Go about a mile. Hope Lodge/American Cancer Society is on the left - directly across the street from Walgreens. When you pull into the circle drive, go forward to the parking garage gate. It will let you in. Come inside and register as a visitor. We will have to meet you on the main floor as visitors are not allowed in the rooms.

Sleeping Booty

I was waiting to update the blog when I had something to write about. Denny has been sleeping. Then, he did some more sleeping. He got up and took a shower. It felt so good, he was relaxed and slept some more. I did the laundry and just kept checking on him. Finally, about 12:30 p.m., he got up and I made him some lunch. He ate really well and is happily lounging in front of the big screen watching his beloved Cardinals.
I have some more "Thank you's":
-To Owen & Carol: Thanks for the nice dinner at Zia's. I appreciated the break and the glass of Chardonnay~
-To Everyone who has been sending cards, emails and writing comments. The list is long and lengthy. We have loved each and every one. I'm putting them in an album when we get home.
-To Cousin Pat & Tim: We got the Gourmet Basket today. It was full of wonderful things. Thanks so much for all you have done!
The supervision thing is about to drive us both nuts. We are both looking forward to his Independence Day. As Forrest Gump says, "That's all I have to say about that!" :)
One last thing: Yesterday, I had to call the doctor because he lost his first meal of the day. That was something they were trying to avoid because it puts pressure on the stitches inside his head. When I called, Dr. Chicoine said to just keep an eye on him and look for certain symptoms which would indicate problems. He is still fever free. So far...so good. He held down his dinner last night and so far lunch today. I don't know...I'm just spit-balling here, but I bet he goes back to sleep soon! I wonder if a kiss will wake him up? With my luck, I would be the one to turn into a frog!

Love to all,
Deb

"Mr. Haney"

Does anyone remember that show "Green Acres"? Mr. Haney was that wheeler-dealer junk man that drove Oliver crazy. "Mr. Haney" is a nickname I gave Denny. Here we are barely one day out of the hospital, and he is making a deal.
He was down in the common room watching the big screen TV and a lady walked in. She was talking about getting rid of her old golf clubs. Like a gopher, his head popped up and he said, "What brand of clubs are they?" She said, "I don't know but they're yours if you want them." We now have a new set of golf clubs. Green acres is the place to be......

What will happen next?

Good morning, everyone! Things were chaotic yesterday. Finally, Finally...we got back to the lodge. He got in bed and that was it for the night. He was really tired. I couldn't even get him up to eat. It didn't worry me, though, because he ate his lunch at 2:30 p.m. I figured sleep was what he needed. This morning finds him still sleeping comfortably and fever free.
I was looking forward to a calmer day when I saw notices put up that the lodge was shutting off the hot water today. "Okay", I thought, "We can live without hot water for awhile". But NO! They have shut off ALL the water! Hmmmmnnn...I wonder what will happen next?

Love to all,
Deb

We're Outta Here!

I'm running around getting Denny's prescriptions and junk together so we can leave. The doctor's discharge instructions were 24 hour supervision for about 3-4 weeks until the swelling has subsided and no driving for at least a month until the next evaluation. I asked, "Does that include tractors, lawnmowers, and 4 wheelers?" Dr. Chicoine laughed and said, "Absolutely!"

I spent the first half of the day getting food and supplies. I also got the room cleaned and ready for him. I suspect he will be exhausted by the time the day is over.

We are out of the valley and headed for the mountain top! Go, Denny!

Discharge - Change in Plans

Dr. Chicoine said he was thinking of discharging Denny tomorrow. Therefore, we are just going to wait to have visitors. Denny is going to be going through alot tomorrow getting moved. Let's hold off awhile longer on the visitation. Thanks for your cooperation and understanding!

It's all good!

3:30 p.m. Denny is getting stronger and stronger. We have had an actual conversation today. I am amazed at the things he is remembering. Dr. Chicoine said he wouldn't remember being here but I'm beginning to wonder. Denny's memory is pretty sharp for someone who has undergone such extensive surgery. He is just an awesome fighter! I forgot to mention in my previous post that the feeding tube was out by 9:30 a.m. He has been much more comfortable pain-wise today. He is off the major stuff and on a lower dose of pain meds now. He said by tomorrow he will be ready for visitors. Visiting hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Because infection is still a major concern, if you are sick or have any kind of infection, we ask that you refrain from visiting until it is cleared. (There is a antibacterial foam outside of his doors to put on your hands before entering his room.) Also, in order for him to get the rest he needs, we ask that the visits be kept to about 15 minutes. We know how much you care for Denny and have his best interests in mind. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Your "team" support has made all the difference. Thank you!
P.S. To friend, Harvey, thanks for the lovely comment. It shows what a big heart you have!

11:45 a.m. Physical and Occupational Therapies both returned to test Denny after I posted this morning. Both feel that unless something drastically changes, Denny will not need therapy upon discharge from the hospital. (No date has been set for discharge yet.) The special sunglasses I requested (called "cocoons") worked wonderfully for Denny. The bright lights in the hallway were too much for his eyes so these did the trick. Thanks, Alan! The sitter has been removed from his room. He seems almost back to normal; still a subtle difference but nothing major. When I left to do this post, he was sleeping. He took a pain pill as opposed to getting the medication through an IV. It has been a busy day in Room 10574. This is progress. He is still not up to visitors. Sleep and food are necessary right now. It's all still good!

8:30 a.m. Wow! What a difference a day makes! I got here this morning and Denny was sitting up in bed eating breakfast. I mean sitting up on the side of the bed with his feet on the floor; like he was pulled up to a table. Occupational therapy had been in working with him. The feeding tube is still in so I'm putting the pressure on to get that thing out. It is making his throat sore.
He really seems like himself. The sitter is still there but I have a feeling they will be stopping that soon. The change in him is subtle now; not as obvious as it was yesterday. That must mean the swelling is going down a little. Dr. Chicoine had a CAT scan done on him when they pulled the lumbar drain to make sure everything was okay. The CAT just showed the swelling; nothing else. It's all good!
I knew today was going to be better. When I woke up, the sun was shining. When I got to the hospital, I got a great parking place. When I walked in, a nice old gentleman said to me, "God's Blessings to you!" Yes, it's all good!

Love to all,
Deb

Heart Notes

8:30 p.m. I just got back to the room. When I left, Denny was sleeping comfortably after eating a full meal. His temperature was down to normal. The doctor came by and checked him. He said he was greatly encouraged by Denny's progress considering the magnitude of the surgery. There was a sitter in the room with him. She will be there all night.
Several of you are asking where to send cards for Denny. The best place is at the Lodge. Here is the address:
Denny Woodruff
c/o Hope Lodge
4215 Lindell Blvd.
Room 303
St. Louis, MO 63108

The day ended well. I think now that he is eating, tomorrow will be better!

1 p.m. Denny finally ate something. He ate a very good lunch along with one of those Ensure shakes. He was kind of crabby when I kept encouraging him to eat. He "scrinched" his face up, shook his head and said, "Who did I marry?" I laughed to myself, "I don't know. The Queen of England? The lottery winner? A wife that cares about you?" We should start seeing some good results now that he is starting to eat again. Now, his body will have something to fight with. His temp is at 102 but I'll keep after him to breathe. It can only get better from here!
As a side note: I had to laugh. Margo, the sitter, was watching TV with her earphones in so the noise wouldn't disturb him. (Bless her heart, how boring a job is it to sit in a dark room making sure somebody doesn't jump out of his bed?) Denny said to me while shaking his head, "Look at her over there, playing video games!" Real Denny would have been asking why she was there. What a hoot!
I will try to post again this afternoon before the computer center closes down at 5pm.

9:00 a.m. Last night was a revelation. The doctors told us that Denny may experience short term memory and judgement problems in the week after surgery. They said he might not know me immediately either. Fortunately, he knows me and is not experiencing memory problems. However, last night I was able to see that his judgement has been affected. The only way I can describe this is: the lights are on and somebody is home...just not the somebody I know. His brain is swelling from the trauma and he is saying & doing things that are not typical for the Denny we know. He tried to get out of bed last night and pulled out some of his lines. As a result, he is now in a bed that goes all the way down to the floor with mats all around it. He has a full time "sitter". Someone has to be in the room at all times with him until this swelling passes. He becomes very angry and agitated at me when I try to ask him to "eat one more bite" or "take another deep breath" so he says things that the real Denny would not say. Dr. Chicoine says this is very normal due to the trauma to his brain. The patient becomes agitated when they see a familiar face and vent their frustrations. Dr. Chicoine said Denny will not remember any of this and it will go away.
I left the hospital last night feeling really ragged. Between Denny's issues and an altercation with another family member, I was not in top form. I called another "team member" whose opinion I respect and got some support. Then I just went back to the room and went to bed.
This morning the nurse's report was very promising. Denny's system is now working. They removed 2 of the 3 tubes in his nose. They left the stomach tube in because he is not eating well. However, he did eat more at breakfast than I've seen him eat in the past 2 days. That is good. All his vitals are good. Temperature is at 99.2. Pain is under control.
As far as things with me... With some good rest and a little distance to get perspective, I have decided how I'm going to handle this. I'm viewing Cancer as a person. He is smirking at us and taunting us with the situation we are now in. One half of the Denny & Deb duo is temporarily down, but the other half is still fighting. I am angry at this hideous disease and I will continue to keep fighting for him. Denny's head may not hear and understand me but his heart does. We are going to beat this thing yet! Keep the prayers coming. Have faith that this is all going to work out. You can't get to the top of the mountain without first going through the valley.

Love to all,
Deb