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
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
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
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
Monday, September 20, 2010
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
"Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory." - Gen. George S. Patton.
Love to all,
Deb
Saturday, September 18, 2010
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
Love to all,
Deb
Friday, September 17, 2010
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
I will post the results later today if available.
Love to all,
Deb
Monday, September 13, 2010
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
Love to all,
Deb
Friday, September 10, 2010
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
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
Thursday, September 9, 2010
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
Denny's last treatment will begin September 15th. When he is finished, he will ring the bell. Go Denny!
Love to all,
Deb
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
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
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
Monday, September 6, 2010
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
Love to all,
Deb
Thursday, September 2, 2010
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 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
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