In the Beginning...

Here we are on our wedding day in June of 1991.  Excitement and joy filled the day and the future was a promise of wonderful things yet to come.  Little did we know then, these two happy people, what else the future had in store.

We moved into new homes, had a beautiful daughter and a handsome son.  We went on vacations, fishing, and camping.  We had the "Woodfest" at our farm.  There were birthdays, Christmas' and New Years to be celebrated.  We were normal; like any other family. Then, in the blink of an eye in 2004, we found that our little world would never be the same.

Sometimes I wonder what our lives would have been like without the specter of cancer hanging over us.  Then again, I would never know that I married Superman and watch his incredible strength rise to meet each battle.  He would never know the warrior he married inside the woman he loves.  Dana and Dan would have never known the strength they have shown to succeed in the face of adversity.

They say things happen for a reason and that God has a plan.  I'm just grateful that plan included more time for Denny.  As a family, we embrace 2014 and are happy to enter this new year together.  Thank you for being with us every step of the way.  We wish you joy, health and happiness always.

TheWoodruff4

Miracles...They Are All Around Us

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from TheWoodruff4.  I have just a moment to spend writing before I begin baking and wrapping.  As I was getting the butter out of the refrigerator, I saw this little drawing that I put up last year.  Dana drew it last Christmas Eve in Church on her bulletin.  I remember seeing it on the kitchen table later that night and cut it out.  Dana was thinking of a holiday tradition we started when the kids were born. 

Each Christmas Eve, TheWoodruff4 sit together side-by-side on our couch to hear Denny read "The Night Before Christmas".  Seeing this little picture brought tears to my eyes.  How grateful I am that the four of us will, once again, be able to sit side-by-side on our couch to hear him read.  We have been given the greatest gift of all...time to celebrate as a family. 

Both of the kids are here.  TheWoodruff4 are together under one roof.  We will have our traditional turkey dinner, open gifts on Christmas morning, and just bask ourselves in yuletide happiness.

Yes, miracles are happening all around us.  We appreciate all of our readers who have been following this journey.  There have been almost 18,000 hits on this blog to date.  We continue to be inspired and are in awe of the wonders we have experienced.  Thank you for being with us every step of the way.  Denny wouldn't be here without the grace of God, your prayers and support.  We wish for you a safe and healthy Holiday.  Enjoy your families and friends.  We are sure if you look hard enough, you will see the miracles in your lives too!

Thanksgiving Blessings

I only have a few minutes but I wanted to share more pages to our story.  Denny finished his last round of chemo 2 weeks ago.  He retired from a distinguished career with the Corps of Engineers and spent the next few weeks at the farm.  He and Dan went back for the annual deer hunt.  No deer but lots of fun.

He had an MRI done on November 21st.  On Monday, we got the results.  He and I were both holding our breaths; trying not to let the anxiety get to us.  I have bitten my nails to the quick over the past week in anticipation of that day.  I am ecstatic to announce that TheWoodruff4 has received Thanksgiving Blessings.  Denny's scans showed that the chemo is still holding the tumor down.  No change from his last scan. 

To celebrate, he and I went to the Flying Saucer; a restaurant/pub in downtown Nashville close to Vanderbilt.  It is a place with good food and a lot of atmosphere!   We enjoyed a good meal and talked about how good it was to be going back to spend the holidays with our families.

Life is good.  We are blessed.  We hope all of you enjoy the holidays as much as we will!

Free Bird

Big news for the Woodruffs!  Denny retired on Friday, November 1st, 2013.  It was quite a big deal.  Dana came home from college and Dan left school early.  We were shown into a conference room crowded with many of Denny's work friends. 

He was given numerous awards, certificates, and a special coin for 36 years of meritorious service.  Congresswoman Diane Black sent him a flag that had been flown over the capital.  His boss gave him a pewter, commemorative antique plate that celebrated 200 years of the Corps of Engineers. 

Denny was given time to give a goodbye speech.  He talked about the many opportunities that he has had and the people he has met along the way.  It was very well done.  Then, without his knowledge, we had arranged for the rest of the Woodruff 4 to speak. 

Dana is terrified of public speaking but she was the first to stand before the crowd.  She gave a poignant and sweet little speech to her Dad telling him how proud of him she was.  Then thanked him for all that he has given her.  I watched his eyes water as she smiled at him. 

Then, Dan took the floor.  He spoke about the move to Nashville and how it not only gave his Dad a better opportunity but him as well.  He talked about the places he remembered visiting because his Dad worked out of town.  He was only four when Denny worked in Mississippi but Dan clearly remembered getting bit by fire ants.  When the laughter subsided, Dan said, "I'm proud of you, Dad." Denny's eyes watered some more.

I went last.  So many memories were flashing through my mind.  I spoke of the trips we made for his job interviews; role playing scenarios to help him get to the next level.  I spoke about driving to Mississippi in 103 degree heat with a 4 year old, a 6 year old, 2 yorkies and a rabbit; unable to turn the car off at restroom stops because the animals would overheat.  In closing, I said, "We are the Woodruff 4 and we stick together."  I looked at Denny and said, "Whatever challenges you face ahead, we are with you."  His eyes watered some more.

In closing, his boss said a prayer for his health and wished him happiness.  A receiving line formed and all of his friends went through wishing him the best.  Everyone had cake and punch.  It was a fine ending for a wonderful career.  Well done, Denny, well done!

On Monday, Denny started his 6th and last round of chemo.  Dr. Murphy told him he looked terrific.  He feels good and has lots of plans for the coming month.  Time for him to fly.  He's a free bird!

The Beat Goes On...

I've been getting some emails and facebook messages asking, "What is going on? How is Denny doing?"  In answer to that, Denny is doing fine.  I think of the line in the song, "The beat goes on."  He started his 5th round of chemo on October 14th.  He will have one more round after this.  He is tolerating the treatment well and feels pretty good.  After the 6th round completes, he will probably have another scan.  Treatment plans after that are undetermined at this time.

He is retiring after 35+ years from the Army Corps of Engineers on November 1st.  There is going to be a luncheon in his honor.  Dana is coming home from school so our family will be together for him on his special day.  He already has his next few weeks planned after that!

We are thankful for every day and this celebration to look forward to.  Thanks to all of our family and friends for keeping hope alive.  He appreciates the cards, emails and phone calls from you.  We could not be as strong as we are without you!

Fantastic, Magical Things

"I'll bet a lot of you folks don’t believe that, about a wish coming true, do ya? We'll I didn’t either.
Course, I’m just a cricket, but lemme tell you what made me change my mind.
You see, the most fantastic, magical things can happen, and it all starts with a wish!"

 

Yes, Family and Friends, fantastic magical things have happened today.  We went to see Dr. Murphy this morning to get the results of Denny's MRI done Monday, September 16th.  I think we have both come to dread meetings with her.  It seems that after every meeting, we find ourselves in a new battle to fight the war. 

 

Today was different.  She came in and said, "We are going to continue the current chemo treatment.  It is working.  At the tumor board meeting this morning when Dennis' films were shown, several doctors thought they were looking at an MRI after surgery.  The tumor isn't even showing up!" 

 

We sat there in stunned disbelief.  What did she say?  The tumor wasn't showing on the MRI?  What?  The answer is: the tumor has shrunk so significantly that it isn't visible on the MRI.  It is, however, still there and he is not in remission.  I asked, "Does this mean he has been taken off of the "you-only-have-months-to-live-list?"  Dr. Murphy said, "Yes!"

 

This chemo regimen has given him more time.  He had his 4th round today and he will have 2 more of this same cocktail.  After the 6th round, he will have another MRI.  Then, he and Dr. Murphy will decide if they should give it a rest or start with something else immediately.  There is a reason for that which I will tell you in a minute.

 

 In addition to that good news, the Foundation One biopsy report was in.  It identified 3 genetic abnormalities within the tumor.  Genetic does not mean inherited to clarify this for family members.  The first marker has 2 medicines to target.  The second has a medicine that is currently in clinical trial.  Denny may qualify for this one if he is off treatments for 4 weeks.  The 3rd has no known medicine or therapy available.  This is all being set aside for later when all other options are exhausted.  We feel immeasurably comforted in knowing there are "options."

 

After we left Dr. Murphy, Denny went into chemo and I called Dana and Dan.  It was a celebration of unimaginable proportions!  The tears of joy from TheWoodruff4 have filled our glass full.  We wished with all of hearts for this day to happen.  However, contrary to my little cricket friend, it doesn't start with a wish.  It starts with a prayer.  God has shown us his greatness.  All of our prayers have been heard and answered.  We will continue to pray for healing but feel so blessed this day to have more time.

 

Many, many thanks to all of you for all the love, encouragement, support and prayers for Denny.  This day would not be here without the power of those prayers.  I speak for TheWoodruff4 when I say, "Thank you."  Now, let's all enjoy this wonderful day; full of fantastic, wonderful things! 

 

Star light, star bright,
first star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might,
have the wish, I wish tonight.
We'll make a wish, as dreamers do,
and all our wishes,
will come true.



Peaks and Valleys

Denny saw Dr. Murphy yesterday and started his 3rd round of chemo.  She has been out of the country for a week and has not had time to go through her mail so we still have no news from Boston. She is very pleased with Denny's condition.  His labs are normal and his energy level is great.

The good news is this chemo cocktail seems to be working and she is going to proceed with a 4th round.  In between this 3rd round and the 4th one, she is going to schedule a CT scan or MRI.  We don't know which one it will be. So it seems Superman is riding a Peak right now.

It is hard to describe what it is like living with this disease; as the patient as well as a family member.  The Peaks are always very high and the Valleys are always very low.  There never seems to be a middle ground.  When I say, "TheWoodruff4 fight to be normal", it has to do with this very subject.  We try to find the balance between the two.  We stay optimistic that the treatment is working but always hope that there will be a way around any bad news we might receive.  It is our way of keeping our balance. 

Does this mean we have stopped being optimistic about Denny's future? Does this mean we have given up?  NO!  It just means we have to keep things in perspective and try not to let the emotional rollercoaster wear us down.  This is very difficult to do.  However, for now, Denny is physically stable and the cancer appears to be in check.  We are going to take things day-by-day and just enjoy it. Life is good.  YOLO  :)

This next little while....

It is already the last day of August.  The days are hot and muggy here in Nashville.  It feels like we are all suspended....waiting for answers. We have survived moving Dana into her first apartment for college and Superman's Epic 2-week Birthday Party (that included a Cardinal's Game and the Rolla Gang Food Fest).

Denny's next chemo treatment begins on September 2nd through the 4th.  Dr. Murphy has decided to give him another treatment when the original plan called for just 2.  I am not certain when the next film is but I know we are getting close.  I have to work on the 2nd when Denny sees the doctor but I'm hoping she has some news from Boston. 

Superman has been doing great.  His energy level is normal and he is doing all the things he has always done.  To look at him you would never know he is in a fight for his life.  That is a miracle. 

It is a holiday weekend and for two special days all four Woodruffs are under the same roof.  For just these moments, we can bask in being normal.  No phone calls to doctors, no treatments, no jobs to go to, no obligations, no troubles, no worries.  We have time to just pull each other closer for this next little while and soak ourselves in "normal".  That is a blessing. 

Thank you for your prayers, phone calls, cards, and emails of encouragement.  Please don't be offended if we can't answer them all.  Please know it is deeply appreciated!

Wishing you all a safe and healthy holiday,

The Woodruff 4

.   

Birthday Wishes

Today is Denny's official birthday.  We celebrated on August 10th but today is his actual birthday.  What a miracle!  Who would have thought this day would come when we started this odyssey in 2004?  That was the year he was diagnosed with cancer and we were told all the hideous statistics of those that had gone before him.  The statistics told us that 60 out of the 100 known people with this rare form of cancer died within 18 months and none had lived past 5 years.  So much for statistics!

Miracles have happened to TheWoodruff4 and are still continuing.  Denny went to see Dr. Murphy on Monday for a checkup between chemo treatments.  She has the lab check his blood levels so she can keep informed of his progress.  She said he is looking so good she doesn't need to see him on August 26th.  She said this chemo appears to be working so he will be getting another round on September 2,3 & 4th. She will probably do a film around that time to see what is going on.  No word yet from Boston on the biopsy.  However, we will take what we can get.  The fact that the chemo is holding the tumor growth down is a miracle.  I think that is a very fine birthday present indeed.  Happy 60th Birthday, Denny! 

Days of Wonder

I've been getting many messages asking, "What's going on with the blog?"  The truth is I have not had a spare minute to write anything!  This summer so far has been crazy; not lazy for thewoodruff4.

I'll take a minute to get caught up from where we left off in July.  My last post described Denny's trouble with staph.  Since he caught it so early, he was able to get it cleared up quickly.  He is doing very well on the new chemo.  It seems to be working because he is not in terrible pain, his eye is settling back into the socket and it has quit watering.  All good signs.  We are greatly encouraged that this is holding the line for the moment.  We are anxious to get news back from Boston.  Hopefully, when we do, we will have something else to blast the cancer with.

The last week in July was spent scurrying around trying to get Dana packed up to leave for college.  As the day grew closer, the University posted the student receivables information to her account.  We were upset to learn that she would be getting $1500 less than we had budgeted for due to some fees we didn't know about.  We had turned in all of her scholarship applications except one offered through our Church.  Since she was finishing up her last day at work, I drove it in to drop at the church office.  As I opened the door, Mark (Pastor of the Church) met me with a surprise that left me speechless. Dana and Daniel have a mysterious benefactor who opened up a college fund anonymously for them in the amount of $10,000 to help with college expenses.  I stood there in complete shock.  My eyes were watering and I struggled for words.  I still do not know what to say.  "Thank you" hardly seems like enough.  We have a "thank you" card written to this mysterious person that will be given to him/her through Mark who has kindly offered to be the "mailman".  Through the generous spirit of this person, we are already looking for ways to "pay it forward."  Those of you who know us well, know we will find a way.

We moved Dana and Justin's stuff together into two different apartment buildings.  Between them, we had a 6 x 12 travel trailer, 2 SUV's and a car loaded down with Tuscaloosa bound loot. The Woodruffs and the Fergusons spent August 3rd unloading all the stuff.  Denny and Dan left Sunday morning for home because they had to get the trailer back.  I stayed until Monday to help get school and apartment business done.  We also put together 2 BBQ pits and I installed locking doorknobs to their rooms.  It was a full day.  I got home about 11:30pm Monday night.

Then, it was time to put my party hat on.  I had already sent out about 55 invitations to Superman's 60th Birthday party and the RSVP's were rolling in.  The date was set for August 10th.  Over 130 people RSVP'd - 95% were family and friends coming in from Missouri. Denny and I were amazed at the turnout. 

The party wouldn't have happened without help.  I didn't do it as a surprise because it was too hard to coordinate Denny's schedule between work and his treatments.  My mom, my friend Dana, Ben & Ashley, and friends, Ron & John came in early and worked diligently to get this thing off the ground.  Our sincerest thanks to all of you for making Denny's Birthday so very special.

As the party came to a close on Sunday, we had to regroup for the coming week.  I was not feeling so well by Sunday night.  Being in the heat and humidity on Saturday got a staph infection going.  If you have ever had one, you know how painful this is. 

Denny went to get his chemo treatment early Monday morning and I took the rented tables, chairs and tents back to the rental company.  Dana and Justin returned to college. Dan went to school. I went to work Monday evening and Denny came home; relaxed and said he was doing well.

By Tuesday, the staph thing had gotten worse so I went to the doctor to get some medicine before going to work.  She didn't want to lance it because she was afraid that with a boil that size, it would get in my bloodstream.  I am trying oral antibiotics first.

While I went to the Doctor, Denny went in for his second chemo.  He is tolerating it very well and just went to work afterwards.  He gets home around 5:30pm and is usually in bed by 9:30 or 10.  He woke up at 1am and noticed I was not home yet.  He thought I was working late.  By 2:30am, he was really worried.  So was I.

I was in the ER.  I had gone to work and at 9:30pm started having some symptoms that were of concern:  pain down my left arm, shoulder, and neck.  We were short-handed, so I stayed until the end of my shift at 11pm.  I debated about whether to go home and take an aspirin or go to the ER and find out what the heck was going on.  The ER won.  It was 2:40am before the ER doc decided he was going to keep me overnight for "observation".  I texted Denny where I was but didn't go into details. I did not want him coming down to the Vanderbilt ER and getting exposed to all the sick people in there while he was going through chemo.

They ran all kinds of tests and finally discharged me with the diagnosis of "Acute Tension". The good news is my heart is 100% okay.  Denny was waiting in my room when I came back from the last test around 11:30am.  He had just finished up his last chemo for the week.  What a pair we are!  I told him he could go to work if he wanted since it would take a couple of hours to get all the results and I would call when I knew something. That's what we did.

After leaving the hospital, I went home and changed clothes.  I had to take our old beagle dog in to have him put to sleep.  He was suffering and starting to fail badly this past week.  He died in my arms.  The comfort to me is that he didn't die alone or unwanted.  I buried him out behind the house next to other old friends who have passed: Peeps (Dana's 9 year old chicken), Hunter and Stewie-Woodle (the kid's hamsters).

I have looked at these days with wonder: wonder at the response and the crowd drawn to Denny's party, wonder that it had to be now that I get a staph infection when I never do, wonder why the "Acute Tension" is surfacing now when this has been going on for almost 10 years, wonder that Denny is doing so well on this chemo that our hope for time is getting stronger, wonder if our Woody Dog is in heaven yet, and last but not least, wonder WHO IS THE MYSTERIOUS BENEFACTOR?  I wonder....

Monday Morning Staph Meeting

I'm exhausted so this entry will be short and sweet.  Denny had to go to an Urgent Care Center on Sunday morning.  We were getting ready for church when he said, "I think I'm getting another staph infection."  That is bad enough in a normal situation.  In his case, it could mean that he couldn't receive chemo.  The Urgent Care doc put him on an antibiotic so he could be on it 24 hours before the chemo was set to begin.  We didn't make it to church, needless to say.  I had to work so we were able to see each other for a little before I went in.

I got home around midnight and tried to switch gears to sleep mode.  Finally, at 1pm I went to bed.  We were up again at 5:30 am to head down to Vanderbilt.  After the usual check in routine, we finally saw Dr. Murphy.  She decided to proceed.  We felt a big sigh of relief at that.

Denny was given his chemo today.  Tomorrow and the next day, at 9:30 a.m., he goes in for an hour to have a little more chemo.  Then, he is done until August 12th.  He will be monitored weekly through blood work to make sure he is doing okay.  We are still waiting for the biopsy information.

Nausea seems to be a major concern with these chemo drugs.  We filled 4 prescriptions; two deal with the nausea aspect.  I have no doubt that superman will handle this well.

He appreciates all of the encouragement and the "get well/thinking of you" cards he has been getting in the mail.  Thanks for checking in .  I'll try to get the info on here as soon as it happens. 

Extinction of a Rare Bird

After the last week we had, these Woodruff's decided to go play for awhile.  Denny bought a used Sea Doo that we took on a maiden voyage.  The Sea Doo looks like it is brand new and runs great.  We had such a good time.  Lots of sun, fun and relaxation! 

Today, Denny and I went to see Dr. Murphy at Vanderbilt.  After the failure of the Erbitux, we were wondering what was in store for us today.  "What is the plan?", we asked Dr. Murphy.  She said, "First of all guys, you have to realize that this cancer is a rare bird.  There are maybe 500 people in the entire world that have it."  As those words left her mouth, I felt the icy grip of fear wrap it's fingers around my heart. 

She said there were 3 options at this stage of Denny's journey.  1) Using the four 1st-line of defense drugs to combat the disease; 2) Waiting for the tumor to be evaluated at Foundation Medicine in Boston for the genetic abnormality; 3) Do nothing and let the disease take it's course.  However, Denny has already been treated with 3 of the 1st-line drugs and could not tolerate the 4th.  The tumor hasn't been sent out yet to Boston as it had to be properly processed by Vanderbilt's pathology lab first. The delay will probably be about 2 more weeks.  Denny doesn't have the luxury of time.  The tumor is a fast growing one.  As for the last option?  Well, he is not ready to give up.

We have settled for working with the 2nd-line of defense drugs.  He will begin chemotherapy with 2 of these drugs on July 22nd.  We have a 5% -10% chance of success with these.  Denny and I are mainly hoping that these drugs will hold the tumor from growing until the Foundation Medicine report comes in.

Dr. Murphy then said, "We will try to do all we can with what we have to work with.  The difficulty in treating this cancer is that there is NO DATA.  There is very little information known about this cancer.  Right now, it is like we are looking at medicines on a shelf and saying  "Pick one".  She said it was time to talk realistically, 

The Foundation Medicine evaluation may reveal an abnormality that a drug exists to treat it with.  It may also reveal an abnormality with no known drug available or one that is still in clinical trial phase.  He will not be able to use the drugs still in trial, if that is the case.  In order to get into a trial, he would have to be without treatment for 4 weeks and Denny does not have that kind of time.

We sat in her office, side-by-side, gripping each other's hand like a lifeline as she laid out this information for us.  I watched her lips move as a bit of a song flashed through my mind.  I felt so angry that Denny; strong, courageous Denny, is fighting such a ferocious battle with limited weapons.  I'm sure you have heard the Eagle's song, "Hotel California"? Isn't it odd that just this part came to my mind?
"They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast;
Last thing I remember,
I was headed for the door,
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before...."

Then, her words came back into focus and I heard her say that we are fast approaching the time when all we will be able to do is make Denny comfortable from pain.  This is known as "Palliative Care".  He is already barely able to take the edge off with 2 Lortabs each night.  She gave him some stronger medication to help control the pain better. 

She said now would be a time for him to do the things he wants to do; see the people he needs to see and say the things that need to be said.  He asked what to expect as this cancer progresses.  She said, "Typically with head and neck cancers, the patient gradually gets more tired and stays in bed longer periods of time.  As the patient becomes weaker, they lose their appetites.  Each day, they get more tired until one day they don't wake up."  I think the horror of this visual overwhelmed us both.

She said that time is limited even with the Foundation Medicine evaluation.  She spoke of time in months not years.  Dr. Murphy said, "I don't have a Crystal Ball.  I cannot tell you how much time is left.  This tumor may grow slower in the next few months or it could speed up.  No one knows.  You need to speak with your kids and tell them time is limited because teenagers need time to process."

We left her office battered but not broken.  Denny said, "I am not ready to give up yet."  "That's good because I'm not either", I thought.  We both dreaded telling the kids.  Picture this scene: The little family gathered around the old oak table in the kitchen of their cozy log home. Then...BAM! A bomb drops in the middle of the table.  Denny did most of the talking; explaining to the kids what Dr. Murphy told us.  If battling this disease was not bad enough, watching the pain on the faces of our children tore our hearts out. 

However, TheWoodruff4 has rallied once again.  When Denny finished explaining the news, I said to the kids, "Look at your Dad.  See him?  He is the strongest, most courageous man I know.  He doesn't quit.  YOU come from that.  That is your heritage.  You need to keep focusing on being successful and not give up.  By succeeding, you are putting a stick in cancer's eye.  If you lose your focus, the disease wins.  Don't let your Dad's fight be in vain.  We can do this...together."

So, family and friends, we are asking for your prayers.  Pray for the extinction of the rare bird.  I hope we annihilate it and it never raises it's ugly head again.  Pray for another miracle.  The doctors said that Denny would probably not live through the surgery in 2010 either.  I think God demonstrated his power through the miracles we have seen.  Pray for strength to help TheWoodruff4 keep their unbreakable bridge strong. Pray for Denny to have relief from pain.  Most of all, pray for Denny to be given a weapon to fight this battle with.  The battle is still on.

Thanks for checking in.  We will keep you informed of any news as soon as it becomes available.

Dr. Murphy's Briefcase

So much has happened since my last post.  Dr. Murphy got out her briefcase and dealt with the insurance.  (See the "Briefcase" reference in my previous post if this doesn't make sense to you.) The Erbitux was approved in the eleventh hour.  In the words of her assistant, "Heads rolled".  Denny was in the infusion room by 8:45a.m. yesterday morning because of Dr. Murphy.

Adrienne was Denny's nurse yesterday.  She was very experienced with the infusion of Erbitux.  Because of the life threatening side effects, we were very appreciative to have her on board.  Denny received large doses of Benadryl and Dexamethasone prior to receiving the Erbitux in an effort to stop any side effects.  The plan was to administer a small dose (100 mg) of Erbitux to see if he tolerated it. If so, then he was going to get 750 mg as a starter dose; following each Monday with
450 mg maintenance dose. 

We held our breath as the Erbitux started.  Adrienne said most of the time the reaction occurs during the first few minutes of the infusion.  We soon breathed a sigh of relief as the time came and passed with no respiratory distress or cardiac arrest.  "It's all good!", we thought.

Sadly, we let our guard down too soon.  As the last of the Erbitux trickled into the IV, Denny's body broke out in a horrible, itching rash.  It was under his arms, between his fingers and toes, on his palms and bottom of his feet.  There was are dark red spot the size of a quarter right between his eyebrows; above the bridge of his nose.  Dr. Murphy called an immediate halt to the administration of the drug.  She felt the risks were too great.  She has pulled the plug on the Erbitux completely.

As you can imagine, that was a heavy blow to Denny and me.  The Erbitux was an excellent prospect for gaining control of this tumor growth.  As I mentioned previously, Denny's pain level has been increasing and he was anxious to get this drug moving.  The rash disappeared about an hour after the drug was stopped.  Adrienne called Dr. Murphy to see if she wanted to give more Benadryl and "Re-challenge".  Dr. Murphy said, "No".

By this time it was 1:30pm.  I had to be at work by 2:40 p.m.  Denny wanted to go to work also.  So, I drove him to his office and returned to Vanderbilt.  I worked until 11:30 p.m. and didn't get home until after midnight.  Denny went to work; rode home with a friend and then proceeded to mow the field last night.  While we experienced a major setback yesterday, Cancer does NOT control our lives.  We fight to maintain a normal life in spite of it.

Where do we go from here?  On Monday, July 15th, we will find out.  A doctor of Dr. Murphy's caliber cannot be at the level she is without a contingency plan.  I really feel that if there is a solution out there, she will find it.  While we wait, he has at least 100 mg of Erbitux working on the tumor. In the meantime, let's not forget the tissue sample in Boston.  It is undergoing evaluation as we speak.  Let's pray the scientists there can find an abnormality that has a drug available.  Let's also pray to give Denny strength, peace, and another miracle.

The battle is still on.  Thanks for checking in.

Rage, Rain, and Red Tape

Denny and I have had quite a day.  I'm not sure if it was a full moon but the odds were not in our favor today.  We left the house at 9:30 a.m. to get to the oncology department for his labs.  They always draw blood to check his levels before administering chemo.  Today was supposed to be the Erbitux infusion.

As soon as we got to the office, Dr. Murphy came in and explained that Denny would not be getting the infusion today because of his insurance.  His insurance is primary and mine is secondary for him.  If his doesn't approve a procedure; mine cannot be engaged nor will it pay either.  Dr. Murphy said her assistant had spent 4 hours on the phone arguing with the insurance and then she, herself, tried to do a peer-to-peer conversation with the insurance doctor.  She said she couldn't start the treatment without precertification because then the insurance would definitely not pay.  The cost for this drug is $20,000 per month.  Nothing got resolved so Denny went without.  At that point, we rescheduled him for tomorrow morning; hoping it would get resolved  sometime today.

From there we went to the Surgery Center at Vanderbilt to have the biopsy done. Strangely enough the insurance HAD pre-certified the biopsy which had been scheduled AFTER the pre-certification request went out for the infusion.  All of the doctors and nurses were very nice and the procedure was over in about an hour and a half.  Denny was done around 5:30 p.m.

While Denny was undergoing the biopsy, I called Dr. Murphy's office again and left a message.  I wanted to see if anything had been resolved before we left the hospital.  His appointment was for 7:30 a.m. tomorrow.  I didn't want us to have to fight Nashville Morning Rush Hour traffic just to find out the insurance wasn't cleared.

Denny came out of recovery and we left the hospital about 5:30 p.m.  Nashville had just gotten a huge downpour and traffic was a mess.  Accidents all over the interstates.  After the day we had, my patience was about at breaking point.  I was trying to hold in the rage because it doesn't do Denny any good to hear me rant.  Between the people riding the bumper and people cutting in front of us, it was close to becoming a "Murder She Wrote" episode.  We couldn't get home too soon for me! 

While we were driving, Dr. Murphy's assistant called and said the insurance still had not approved so there was no sense in coming in tomorrow.  Dr. Murphy had evidently done some screaming as well.  Supposedly the insurance had submitted the paperwork to the precertification area and forgot to hit the "submit" button.  Wow!  Really?  It has been elevated to the highest level because some yo-yo forgot to hit the "submit" button?  Denny has now been tentatively scheduled for Wednesday morning.

I told Denny I would give Dr. Murphy's office until Wednesday to get this sorted out and then I was going to get involved.  Yes, at that point it will be time to drag out the briefcase.  It is sort of a joke in the family that if I drag out the briefcase, it is "lock and load" time.  In other words, I  go into missile mode and lock on until I get it resolved.  I'm hoping Dr. Murphy can get this done because "lock and load" takes a lot of time and energy.  Something tells me she's got a "missile mode" too.  This doctor is one feisty lady!

When we got home, I made Denny some homemade chicken soup because the doctor said he needed something light.  He's sitting in his chair watching TV from behind his eyelids.  It has been a long, long, long day for both of us.

The good things today?  The good things are he didn't have any bleeding issues and has been able to come home; sleep in his own house and eat homemade soup while watching his favorite shows.  He isn't in any pain (thanks to pain meds) and the tumor tissue is on it's way to Boston. 

I'll keep posting as soon as the info becomes available.  Thanks for checking in and if you have the time, please say a little prayer that a solution becomes available.

Magic Monday

We went into Vanderbilt this morning expecting the biopsy to happen.  Neither of us knew they intended for this to be done in the Doctor's office.  That has never happened since the day he was diagnosed.  We expressed our concern about the procedure not being held in an operating room due to the excessive bleeding issues Denny has experienced in the past.  He wasn't even on blood thinners during those!  The doctor took a look up inside and decided it was too risky to attempt.  The biopsy will be done on Monday along with the Erbitux.  Denny's poor body will be going through the wringer that day.

The doctor is an ENT that has never seen Denny before.  She expressed disbelief upon seeing him for the first time.  "Most of the time, people look noticeably sicker than this when battling this type of cancer for this long.", she said.  I smiled and said, "He's our SUPERMAN."  She said, "He definitely is!" 

The good news is, after careful evaluation, the Woodruff's will not have to pay the $5,500.  That was quite a bit of stress to lift off our shoulders.  When battling a serious life situation, the last thing you want to worry about is finance and insurance issues.  Dr. Murphy stepped in and got the situation corrected.  We cannot thank her enough.

Denny is not feeling 100%.  He has had to resort to using some of the pain pills.  The tumor is starting to affect some of the nerves in his teeth along with the headaches and eye-watering.  He only uses them when he absolutely has to which is good.  Cancer is no match for Superman.  Hang in there, Denny!

As always, I'll post new information as it becomes available.  I'm not expecting anything new over the weekend so Monday will probably be the next time I sign on.  Thanks for checking in. 

Pulling Back the Curtain

Bewitched was a favorite TV show of mine as a kid.  I used to laugh at poor Mrs. Kravitz as she struggled to get her husband, Arthur, to believe her stories of the strange things going on across the street.  Let's pull back the curtain to see what has been going on since my last post.

Denny's biopsy is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. this morning.  There is some concern on our part about bleeding.  He stopped the blood thinning injections yesterday to help with this.  However, the last biopsy he had when the tumor came back in 2010 landed him in the hospital overnight for bleeding and breathing issues.  The second concern is that Denny was told this tumor evaluation that costs $5500 at Foundations Medicine is NOT free to us.  We are going to have to try to file a claim because it is out-of-network and the insurance typically won't pay for it.  This unexpected cost is extremely upsetting because even with insurance, Cancer is an expensive disease.  Just paying 10% of the usual treatments and doctor visits adds up quickly.

The first treatment of Erbitux is scheduled for Monday.  Fortunately, I am off of work at the new job.  That is going to be a problem for me because as a new employee, I have no vacation or sick time available.  Dana will have to go with Denny to the treatments if I am not available.

She tried to put in her 2 weeks notice at Bath & Body Works at the Prime Outlets this past week.  She figured that would be the best thing to do since she would have to be asking off frequently and didn't think that would look good.  The manager said, "I am a businessman and want quality employees for my store.  You are a hard worker and I don't want to lose you.  We can work around your family needs."  She gets to keep her job and Cancer lost another round to the Woodruff family.

The Woodruff family received another miracle with Dan this past week.  He was driving home in a big storm after meeting a friend at the movies.  In Tennessee, there is so much rock that the water has nowhere to go.  He was slowing down for a 90 degree turn on a back road when his truck hydroplaned.  He went off into a ditch; hitting a bricked-in mailbox on the way.  He was not hurt.  We are so very thankful for that.  His truck needed a new front bumper, skirt, and right headlight assembly.  Denny and Dan got the parts from a junk yard and fixed it themselves. Dan stood back and looked at it when they had finished because the parts are a different color until it gets painted.  His comment was, "Now it looks like a catfish!"  The lady with the mailbox said her insurance would pay for the damage since somebody else had already hit it and she had called in the claim.  All is well.

Some of you following the blog from the beginning will remember our neighbors, BJ and Bill.  They helped take care of the kids while Denny was in St. Louis getting surgery in 2010.  Bill passed away suddenly on July 1st.  We are sending our love and prayers out to BJ and her family at this sad time.

It is almost time to leave for Denny's Biopsy.  Like Mrs. Kravitz, I'm pulling back the curtain hoping to see a little magic today.  I'll post any new information as it becomes available.  Thanks for checking in.  Oh...and remember to wave if you see the "Catfish" driving by!

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Denny had his films done on Friday as scheduled.  We spent a long, tense weekend waiting for results.  This morning we met with Dr. Murphy to discuss them.  Dr. Murphy started off with, "Well, the films didn't give us the results I was hoping for."  Life changed again for us with that sentence.  The bottom line is the chemo is not working.  The tumor has grown and has now broken through to the bone at the base of his skull.  This is what has caused Denny's headaches and eye-watering symptoms. 

Dr. Murphy explained that she wanted to begin a new treatment.  She wants to begin using a drug called Erbitux, which is a "targeted therapy".  To put it simply, the targeted therapy drug will interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow, divide and communicate with other cancer cells while leaving the healthy cells alone.  Chemo drugs affect both cancer cells and normal cells.  That is the difference.

The Erbitux comes with life-threatening risks.  Stopping the ability to breathe and stopping the heart are the most notable.  Dr. Murphy then mentioned a curious thing.  She said 20% of the people born and raised in this area experience terrible side effects; meaning people from Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina.  Whereas people from other areas experience on 1% - 3% risk.  I asked, "Why?".  Oddly enough, she said people in this area are so adversely affected because of their exposure to fungus in the soil. Since we are not originally from here, she thinks Denny will be fine on this drug.  She also expects it to work!

To date, he is scheduled to received a tiny dose on July 8th to see how he reacts to the drug.  If he doesn't have a reaction, he will begin treatment with this drug every Monday for the rest of his life.  What happens if he does react?  Read on...

Dr. Murphy is working to get a biopsy scheduled for this week.  With the holiday, we may be looking at the beginning of next week before it happens.  She wants to send a tissue sample off to "Foundations Medicine" in Boston.  She said they can break the tissue down to it's molecular level to look for genetic abnormalities.  Once they know this, it will be cross referenced with the drug used to treat that abnormality.  Since Vanderbilt is a research facility and Denny has a rare cancer, there will be no cost to us to examine the tumor. Normally, this costs upwards of $5,500.  However, since his cancer is so rare, they are very interested in him.  To date, his cancer has been excluded from all clinical trials and research because it is so unpredictable.  This sounds very promising to me.

Denny wore his "Superman" hat to the appointment.  When we got the news, we sat in the Doctor's office as we struggled to process it.  This was tremendously difficult news to receive when we had such high hopes for the Taxol.  However, the "Man of Steel" has returned and he is ready to get moving forward.

I cannot explain to you how terribly helpless it feels being there with him as he goes through this.   I wish you could be in the room with me to see the awesome strength of this man. The grace and courage he displays during the darkest periods of his life are a beauty to behold.  Daniel, Dana and I are not standing behind him now.  We are standing with him; providing an unbreakable bridge over the troubled water he is facing.  We know we are not alone.  The prayers and encouragement he is receiving from all of you makes a difference. Thank you.

I will post updates as they come in.  There will be lots of phone calls and scheduling in the days ahead.  Please bear with me and I will see that the info gets posted as quickly as possible.

"I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down."

-Simon & Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" lyrics



 

Happy Father's Day!

Denny is actually in Missouri today.  He had to go back to take care of some business for our farm. 

He and Dana went to dinner at Cherokee Steak House & Marina on Thursday night before he left.  She was glad to have him all to herself for some quality one-on-one time.  Dan is still in Martin, TN at Governor's school so he will not get to see his dad.  He will be coming home on June 21st which happens to be our 22nd Wedding Anniversary.

Denny had his chemo treatment as scheduled on June 10th.  We are holding our breath; waiting to see if the chemo is working.  June 28th seems very far away.  That is the day the first CT scan will be taken.  So, we will do what we always have done - live our lives as normally as possible.  One of the Woodruff 4 is feeling a little too much stress with our situation so we are doing our best to strengthen coping skills.  This is difficult for all of us so we are pulling each other closer and holding each other a little tighter these days. This is just part of the battle to help Denny win the war.  We know this and are not defeated.  The fight continues.....

Happy Father's Day!  Take some time to enjoy this day because these moments become treasured memories.

Eye Spy

Denny had his 3rd chemo treatment on Monday, June 10th.  He also saw Dr. Murphy.  We have been very concerned at the return of one of the symptoms he was having prior to receiving chemo.  His eye has been watering; just the left eye as it had previously.  Dr. Murphy said that a CT scan has been ordered for June 28th.  We will see if the tumor is shrinking at that time.  She said there could be a few reasons for why the eye is watering and to wait to see what the CT scan reveals.

He is feeling well and tolerating the chemo.  We are both a little uneasy about the eye watering but don't want to borrow trouble until we know the facts.  The CT scan will help with that.

I will update the blog as more information becomes available.  Denny wishes to thank everyone for the cards and emails.  They are so appreciated!

DAW & Son

Things have been moving along pretty well at the Woodruff's.  We took our son, Daniel, to Governor's School for the Agricultural Sciences at the University of Tennessee-Martin this past Sunday.  I've attached this picture for you to see.  Denny is doing well and he was so happy and proud of Dan this day.  I thought this was a great picture of the two of them together.

Denny has been feeling pretty well.  Other than dealing with continued bleeding issues, he seems to be enjoying a fairly normal life.  He had a doctor appointment yesterday to check his blood.  Since he is on a blood thinner to manage the clot in his neck, the doc wants to keep a close eye on things.  It appears he will need to be on blood thinners for a couple more months.  The clot in his neck was substantial and will take a long time to dissolve.  That being said, the blood thinners are causing him to have the bleeding problem.  The Nurse Practitioner that he saw yesterday said that the thinner is causing the tumor to bleed.  She said they will keep a close eye on the bleeding problem but the clot was large and takes precedence.  It needs to be dissolved so it doesn't break off and cause a pulmonary embolism.  They will continue to monitor the situation.

He is scheduled for his third round of chemo on June 10th.  Unfortunately, he will have to go to this one by himself as I will be working in my new job by then.  I have had the good fortune to be hired by Vanderbilt.  (I'm so glad I was offered the job as it was quite an adventure to be interviewing while all of this has been going on!)  We are both very happy about this as this will provide greater benefits for our family.  Denny has health insurance through his job but the coverage still requires us to pick up 10% of the costs.  Cancer is an extremely expensive disease so this new job is Godsend for us.

We hope that all of our readers are enjoying the lazy, crazy days of summer.  Each season brings it's own flavor and we intend to enjoy each one.  Thanks for checking in.  We'll keep you posted on Denny's progress.

Roll Out The Red Carpet

Yesterday, Denny had his 2nd Chemo treatment.  The labs came back fine so he was able to continue treatment.  We also met with Dr. Murphy.  She had only met Denny a week ago and she greeted him with a hug and "How are you doing?"  I finally got to meet her and really liked her.  She is a very caring person yet refreshingly straight forward with her information.  She introduced us to her staff and told us to call if we need anything. I was encouraged by this because sometimes it is difficult to get past the "gatekeepers".

We were so amazed at the care he received.  The chemo rooms were private suites that had lights that could be dimmed.  Each room had a TV and a comfortable recliner for the caregiver as well.  The décor was done in soft earth tones with nice artwork and different colored woods.  It was very soothing and not that cold, clinical feeling you get in a hospital.

 Healthcare in the south moves at a slower pace than in the Midwest but we appreciated the genuine caring attitudes we encountered.  In St. Louis, they move faster and the chemo is given in "Pods".  The walls are white.  The floors are white.  There is no privacy from the 5 other people in the room.  Caregivers sit on a regular chair; not very comfortable, I must say.  We were truly given the Red Carpet treatment yesterday.

Dr. Murphy looked Denny over and answered our questions.  She told us that the chemo is working.  The tumor appears to be shrinking.  Due to the reduction in some of the symptoms, Denny's headaches are going away and his vision is better. (An MRI will be done at the end of the third cycle.) We are very thankful for this improvement!

Denny also met with Dr. Netterville for the first time.  There was some concern about the amount of blood coming from his nose at different intervals.  It is complicated by the blood thinner he is on.  Dr. Netterville is the Director of Head and Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt and is an international leading authority of treating head and neck cancer. Denny is in great hands.

Yesterday was wonderful.  The chemo is working. The facilities are wonderful.  The doctors are extraordinary.  Life is good.  Our hearts are a little lighter today.

The picture above is Denny wearing his Superman hat.  His cousin, Glenda, gave it to him over the weekend in response to the previous blog post.  He was so tickled by the hat that he chose to wear it to his treatment.  Thank you, Glenda! [P.S. Denny is only wearing a Chicago T-shirt because it was probably free.  haha!  Go CARDINALS!)

This is all I have for now.  Denny will be going back to Dr. Murphy in 9 days for a follow up.  She wants to keep an eye on his blood counts and make sure he is tolerating the blood thinners and chemo well.  I will post again as soon as more information becomes available.  Thank you for checking in!

Headline From the Daily Planet: "Superman is NOT Clark Kent!"

That's right.  Superman is NOT Clark Kent.  He is Denny Woodruff.  The man is out of the hospital less than 24 hours and he left for work at 6:15am as usual today.  Why I'm surprised is a mystery.  He has always had the strength of 10 men; unfortunately, Cancer is his Kryptonite.  Superman managed to find a way around that so Denny will too.

I thought I would fill you in on the latest news.  This may be lengthy so get comfortable.

As you know, Denny was discharged from the hospital yesterday.  While he was there, he noticed his hair was starting to fall out.  Last night, he asked me to get the clippers and give him a haircut.  It was a bittersweet moment as we both knew it would be the last time he would have hair on his head.  However, we didn't dwell on this.  It is only hair.  You do not have to have hair on your head to live.  He says we will save money on shampoo.

Today, I spent quite a bit of time on the phone trying to get answers for the future.  Is Denny having treatment on Monday or not?  Is it going to be in St. Louis or Nashville?  It is a little frustrating to be hanging in limbo.  Denny and I always deal with the situation better when we have the facts and information.  Waiting is the hardest part.

Here is the conclusion to the day:

Denny has been officially handed off to Dr. Barbara Murphy at Vanderbilt; who will now become the primary on his case.  Dr. Adkins and the rest of the St. Louis crew will move to an advisory capacity.  Dr. Adkins and Dr. Murphy had an extensive conversation discussing Denny's case.  Dr. Adkins felt that since Denny is no longer in a curative capacity but more of a maintenance situation, it would be better to be treated locally due to the complications that he has experienced.  We know for sure Denny will never be cured of this cancer.  Our hope is that it can be contained for as long as possible.  The 6 hour road trips every 3 weeks are very wearing, expensive and unnecessary.  He is scheduled to go in Monday for labs so we will see.  He can't get chemo while on blood thinners so the decision will be based on what the labs reveal.

Dr. Adkins has worked with Dr. Murphy before and has great respect for her in the oncology community.  Dr. Murphy is the Director of Head and Neck Cancer Research at Vanderbilt.  He feels Denny is in good hands.

What will the future bring?  We are uncertain.  Denny will continue the Taxol chemo regimen until further notice.  Dr. Adkins had a patient go through this therapy and she lived for over 2 years.  Dr. Murphy is less positive.  Her comment was, "Taxol is only effective until the third cycle." (A cycle is 9 weeks.)  Both doctors agree that, by nature, this cancer is a malignant wild card.  What works for one patient doesn't necessarily work for another.  That is why he is excluded from all clinical trials, bone marrow and stem cell transplants.  This cancer's track record is unknown and it's reaction unpredictable.  However, Denny has outlived every statistic so we remain hopeful that the Taxol will work.

I asked Toni (Clinical Nurse & Assistant) at Dr. Adkins office if this means Denny is terminal.  She said, "No."  Their definition of terminal is someone with less than 6 months to live; not under active treatment and preparing for hospice.  Denny is not at that point.  Toni also pointed out that new generations of chemotherapy are being introduced every week and that maybe one of these will be the one that works.  The new generation chemotherapies are also used long term because their toxicity to the body's organs is minimal.  That was another concern we had. 

Time is precious.  He is still continuing to be positive and is not giving up.  He is just changing the plan a little bit.  Denny has begun to consider retiring.  He wants to be able to do things he wants to do; spend time with his kids, golf, and relax at the farm.  I support him in whatever decision he makes.  This is his life and he has the right to make the best decisions for himself.  My superman needs to hand off his cape to someone else.  This is his gift - Time.  Time to enjoy and bask in life's simple pleasures.  Time to just BE.

As Dorothy Said

Denny is home.  The doctor released him today.  I could see him just soaking everything in as we drove up the driveway.  As Dorothy said when she clicked her ruby slippers together, "There's no place like home."

His neck swelling has gone down quite a bit.  The blood cultures came back and show no bacteria in the blood.  Dr. Murphy's opinion is it was more blood clot than infection.  He will remain on antibiotics, steroids and blood thinners until everything is back to normal. 

The question remains as to whether he will be getting his second chemo treatment on Monday.  We will be getting the answer to that in the next day or so.  I'll keep you posted.

Our sincerest thanks to Pastor Mark Youngman for his hospital visit with Denny.  It was much appreciated.  We would also like to thank all of you for the cards, texts, emails, and prayers for Denny.  Those words of encouragement make his days even richer.  Thanks for checking in.

Hurry Up and Wait

Denny is still at Vanderbilt.  Today, he is just resting and getting pain medicine and antibiotics.  I wish I had something new to report but it has just been, "hurry up and wait".   We are waiting on those blood cultures to show something.  The redness and warmth in Denny's neck has calmed down.  He is still on pain killer because the swelling is still there.  His voice still sounds funny but not quite as bad as yesterday. 

As soon as new information comes in, I will post it here.  Thanks so much for checking in.

Simple Gifts

At 7:30am, I called Dr. Adkins office, chasing Denny's records.  I wanted to confirm that they had been sent to Dr. Murphy at Vanderbilt.  I also wanted to let them know what Denny's status was; that he had been admitted to Vanderbilt with a blood clot and infection.

At 7:41am, Denny texted me, " Had a good night and feel much better this morning. :)"  I thought, "Great!  Maybe we have gotten ahead of this thing."  I told him I would come to the hospital between 9 and 10am.  However, with phone calls going back and forth between me and St. Louis, I was delayed.  I finally got to the hospital a little before 11am. 

This is what I saw: Denny's neck had swelled even more since the evening before.  He was feeling "better" because they had him on Dilaudid.  As soon as he started talking, I knew something was very wrong.  His voice was slurred and in the wrong pitch. It was higher and nasally-sounding.  He said he had eaten breakfast and was feeling good.  I stepped out in the hallway and flagged down the nurse.  I requested that she call the doctor.  I wanted to know what was going on.

A short time later, the doctor came into the room and spoke with us.  She said they had doubled up the strong antibiotics to cover all possibilities.  They still have no idea what type of infection he has.  The blood cultures should be back in 48 -72 hours.  That should be tomorrow.

An ENT doc came in late this afternoon and ran a scope down Denny's right nostril into his throat.  It appears the infection is pressing on the left side of his voice box but his airways are clear.  Denny has also developed Thrush on the back of his tongue; probably due to being bombed with maximum strength antibiotics. 

I left around 6pm to come home. Denny is still in the hospital.  All the activity had ceased for the day so he was just resting.  No more docs were going to come in tonight.  I came home to take care of some bills and fix supper.  It feels like some kind of crazy time warp, bouncing between two completely different environments but we are managing.

Tomorrow, Dana is taking me back to the hospital since we had 2 cars there.  She is going to visit with her dad for awhile and then take the car home.  That way I won't have to try to find another driver when Denny is discharged because he is convinced he will be driving himself home.  I don't think the hospital will be on board with this but he remains unconvinced.  Stubborn man!

Denny appreciates all the cards, emails and prayers being sent his way.  These simple gifts mean the world to him.  Thank you so much.  As always, thanks for checking in.  I'll keep posting as soon as the information becomes available.

'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be fair,
'Tis a gift to wake and breathe the morning air.
And each day we walk on the path that we choose,
'Tis a gift we pray we never shall lose."
                                 (Lyrics to "Simple Gifts")

Phoenix Rising

I just got in from the hospital.  So much has happened since my last post.  Have a seat and I'll fill you in...

I got to the hospital about 5pm.  Nashville rush hour traffic was a mess. Denny had been put in a private room in the ER (thanks to the efforts of Dr. Murphy).  He looked miserable; laying on the bed with the left side of his neck swollen and red.  He had just come in from seeing Dr. Murphy; after a very lengthy conversation regarding his case.  St. Louis had not sent down the records yet so she was basically flying blind. 

They checked him in through the ER and he was waiting for the CAT scan when I got there.  They had already taken a blood panel.  Blood was actually taken from both arms to see where and what kind of possible infection it could be. 

He was so discouraged and it showed in the misery on his face.  I took his hand in mine, held it tight and said, "This is just one more battle in the war.  Keep fighting.  You can do this."  I think that, just for a moment, fear of the unknown overwhelmed him.  Just hearing me voice that fear took the elephant out of the room (so to speak) and like a phoenix rising, I saw his incredible strength return once again. 

The nurse administered some morphine since his pain level was 8 out of 10.  We waited about an hour for it to kick in.  Finally, she gave him something stronger which helped a little better.  About 10pm, the results of the CAT scan came back.  It showed a clot AND an infection. 

The blood panel will take another day or so before the infection is identified 100%.  However, from the look of the scan, the doctors suspect it is staph and are treating it with heavy doses of antibiotic. The clot is being treated with blood thinners.  Denny has been admitted to Vanderbilt Hospital.   We are not sure for how long; hopefully, just for the night.

Denny, (if you are reading this) I know you are fighting this battle on 2 fronts; physical and mental.  Someday, we will look back on this blog and say, "Wow!  What strength you have!"  Until then, we will eat this elephant one bite at a time.  Stay strong!

Thanks for checking in.  I will post updates as soon as I can.

Bacteremia

Denny met with Dr. Murphy for the first time today at 2:30pm.  It was timely because his neck has swelled and is very red.  He was thinking "blood clot".  She listened to his history and is sending him down to the ER at Vanderbilt, right now as I am typing.  I am home; getting ready to head down there.  She feels he has developed a massive infection and is afraid it is getting away from us.  I asked her if it could be sepsis or bacteremia.  She said, "Bacteremia".  Please refer to the previous post for definition.  I'm sorry this is so short but I need to get on the road.  Denny is scheduled for a CAT scan which will tell if it is a clot or infection.  If it is infection, he will be scheduled for a blood panel and be seen by an infectious disease doc.  I will post as soon as I can.

Infection Rejection

We just rolled in the driveway and home never looked so good.  We want to send a "shout out" to my sister for her wonderful hospitality and the chicken & dumplings.  Thank you!

Here is the news.  Denny's port was removed.  It was infected and there was a lot of fluid in the cavity. The medical personnel were VERY disgusted with Vanderbilt.  The comment was: "We treat people here for things like this; even if we didn't put the port in.  You can't leave someone in this condition.  He could have gotten septic.  You got here just in time."

There were 2 new terms.  I had to look them up but I could tell it wasn't good.  The words were "Sepsis" and "Bacteremia". This is what they meant by "septic".

SEPSIS: Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection. Sepsis occurs when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight the infection trigger inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation can trigger a cascade of changes that can damage multiple organ systems, causing them to fail. **

BACTEREMIA:"Blood poisoning" is not a medical term. But as the term is usually used, it refers to the presence of bacteria in the blood (bacteremia) — and not a poisonous substance in the blood. However, bacteremia is a serious illness and requires prompt medical attention. **

** Source: Mayo Clinic Website: www.mayoclinic.com

About an hour down the road, Denny said he was already feeling better.  He has a prescription for a heavy duty antibiotic.  Now, he just has to get the area completely healed.  They are pretty sure it will not be healed in time for the May 20th chemo treatment.  Therefore, at 8am on May 20th, he will have a PICC line inserted into one of the bigger veins in his upper arm.  The chemo for the second treatment will be handled through this.  By the 3rd treatment, they will probably re-install the port to use from that point onward.

The other good news is Denny has a new oncologist, Dr. Barbara Murphy, through The Vanderbilt Clinic who has agreed to take on his case to coordinate with St. Louis.  Dr. Adkin's (the St. Louis chemo doc) clinical assistant, Toni, has personally met Dr. Murphy and says Denny is in good hands.  There will be no problems coordinating treatment issues between these two docs.

Denny and I are looking forward to relaxing the rest of the evening.  On the way home, we discussed how good it was that we did not take the Vanderbilt surgeon's advice of "Let nature take its course."  Denny might now be fighting a life threatening infection along with cancer.  One battle is enough.

That is all for now.  As always, thanks for the love, prayers, and cards of encouragement.  He could not fight this battle without them.  Thanks for checking in... 

The Wheels On Our Car Go 'Round and 'Round

Well, the port is still giving Denny trouble.  It is still leaking reddish tinted fluid; enough to soak through the bandage and stain his shirt. "Let nature take it's course" is not an option.  I called back to the docs in St. Louis to give them this report.  They were not happy with Vanderbilt at all.  As a result, Denny and I will be headed to St. Louis tomorrow.  He will be seen by an interventional radiologist at the Center for Advanced Medicine on Wednesday at 1pm. That doctor will make a determination if the port needs to come out and be re-done.  If that is the case, they will have to schedule a surgery.  I'm not sure if we will be able to get back home by Wednesday.  So, here we go again! 

We also wanted to thank our neighbors, The Stahl family, for the beautiful quilt they gave Denny that is part of the quilting ministry at Gladeville Baptist church.  It will go wonderfully with the prayer shawl creatively made by the "knitwits" ministry at our church, Gladeville Methodist.  It is hard to feel sad when surrounded by so much encouragement.  Thank you so much!

As usual, I will post updates to this blog as soon as they come available.  Thanks for checking in.

Running Ragged

Since we hit the door Saturday morning, we have been running ragged.  Denny went back to work on Monday as usual. We spent the next couple of days waiting to see the doctor.  If you saw my last post, you will see that the Doctor wouldn't help him.  Which brings us to Friday.

Denny was at Vanderbilt bright and early getting an ultrasound.  We thought there was a possibility of a blood clot.  The area around the port was red, swollen, and sensitive to the touch.  An ultrasound was done and it was clear.  The surgeon said that unless a clot or infection developed, they were going to let nature take its course.  I guess Denny is supposed to let this port keep him in pain and weeping fluid.  Needless to say, I searching for another oncologist to interface with St. Louis.  This situation is completely unacceptable.  I've found a candidate that I am going to contact Monday.

While all of that was going on, I had to leave the house at 5:30am; drive to Alabama to pack up Dana and bring her home from college.  Her boyfriend, Justin, went with me and was a tremendous help.  Between the 2 of us, we had her packed up and ready to go in 2.5 hours.  She had one more final to get through before we could leave.  By 6pm, we were on the road for home. 

Denny was already in bed asleep when we got in the door.  I was so exhausted, I don't even remember my head hitting the pillow.  Things should slow down a little now that we are all in the same place.  We are looking forward to summer.....together!

(I took this picture of Denny when he started his first chemo treatment at the Center for Advanced Medicine on April 26th.)

There is Always a Way...

Sometimes I get really aggravated with this medical part of this situation.  Don't even get me started on the insurance angle.  That is a whole other story!  We just have to remember there is always a way to get things fixed; just not always easy. 

Denny is still having problems with that port.  It is weeping a clear fluid.  He put a new dressing on when he left for work this morning.  Then later in the day had to go to the nurse at work and have it re-dressed. 

I called Dr. Smith (the Vanderbilt Oncologist that is on-board here in Tennessee) to see if I could get Denny in today to have it looked at.  The appointment was set for 3pm.  Denny went to the office and Dr. Smith wouldn't touch it; didn't even take the bandage off to look at the incision  He didn't want the liability as he wasn't the one who put it in.  This is really getting frustrating.  Dr. Smith has seen Denny several times since 2010 so this scenario is not new.  What does he expect us to do?  Drive back to St. Louis to get treatment?

Since Denny is prone to staph infections, we are trying to get this thing under control to avoid further complications.  The St. Louis docs are saying "get in and get it looked at down there, now! We are pushing the issue so the doctor finally made arrangements for Denny to see a surgeon at Vanderbilt.  Now, he has to wait until Friday.  I think we are going to look for a different Oncologist.  Denny needs someone who will help when he needs it.

The side effects of the chemo are starting to evolve.  Denny is feeling tired and has been having a bit of a dizzy spell every now and then; nothing major.  The worst effect to surface is aching in his bones. He couldn't take ibuprofen since the port is still bleeding and it would thin his blood.  I called back to St. Louis to see if there was anything he could take for pain.  St. Louis docs called in Vicodin.  That seems to help immensely.  At least now he can get a little sleep!

Therefore, our short-term plans are: 1). keep re-dressing the bandage until he can get into the surgeon on Friday; 2)start looking for a different Oncologist that specializes in head & neck cancers through Vanderbilt.

I will post updates as they occur.  Thanks for checking in.

Dear Denny

Dear Denny,

I took this picture when we were waiting for Dr. Haughey to call us with "The Plan" options.  You were sitting there; watching two little birds right outside the window.  You were so lost in thought you didn't even hear the click of the camera.

I held my breath; thinking that this would be last moment in time that our lives would be unchanged.  As soon as that phone call came in, life as we know it would never be the same.  I wanted to know what the doctor had to say but I also wanted to suspend time. 

When the doctor gave us the options, I remember we looked at each other in horror.  How could this be?  Surgery or Chemo - neither were remotely appealing.  The surgery option was ghastly.  However, through the course of events, chemo has become THE option.

Today, when I talked to you on the phone, you said, "If it's my time to go, then it's my time to go."  After all we have been through, this little statement nearly broke me.  I don't want you to quit fighting.  Sometimes, I think I push too hard; forgetting that you are suffering the physical effects of this disease along with the mental anguish it has caused.  You have always been so incredibly strong that I forget even your well can run dry. 

So, I want you to remember when that happens, I'm here to fill it back up.  Dana says I'm relentless when I'm focused on something.  Right now that focus is on you.  You say you are not "throwing in the towel".  I'm here to say "I won't let you."  We will fight this together until the last breath because only then will hope be truly gone.

+1 Always,

Deb

It's a Woodruff Life!

After our adventures at Vanderbilt's ER and getting home in the wee hours of Saturday morning, we have hit the ground running.  Saturday and Sunday were spent trying to catch up after being gone a week.  We hadn't anticipated being gone so long so there was a lot to do.  The grass needed cutting and the driveway had to be repaired and graded due to the heavy rains.

Sunday morning we went to church.  It always gives us a sense of peace; a time to reflect on the miracles we have seen.  We were dismayed to hear that 3 other families have been affected by this disease so after the service, all of the families went to the altar and prayers were said for all.  We were touched by the outpouring of love and encouragement we experienced that day.  Our sincerest thanks to everyone for that support.

Denny is doing well.  Today is the day symptoms/reactions are expected from the chemo.  He got up at his usual time and left the house for work at 6:15am.  I called him around 1pm to see how he was doing.  He said he felt "funny"; something is definitely going on.  He said he had a bit of a dizzy spell at lunch time but it passed.  No nausea at this time.  He took his meds to work just in case he needed them. 

The port is still bleeding just a bit.  Denny is putting bandages over it to protect it from infection.  His nose bled quite a bit this morning so we weren't sure what to think of that.  Obviously, we know now that there is a tumor but seeing the blood can be disconcerting.

As we have always done, we are looking forward one day at a time.  This disease will not take that from us.  It's a Woodruff Life; it's our life.  We are making the most of this miracle called "time".

Today is also special because we are celebrating Dana's 19th Birthday.  At 10:57am this morning 19 years ago, Denny was the first person to hold her.  I'm sure he saw some familiar features in the little face looking back at him.  Some memories remain strong; no matter how long ago they occurred.

I will be posting to the blog as updates occur.  It may not be everyday so please feel free to check periodically.  Please know that we hear your voices and are holding strong because of your encouragement.  Thank you so much!   

Hell on Wheels

I know you probably think the blog title refers to my driving style and you would be right when we hit Nashville last night.  This is going to be a lengthy entry so I'm just warning you in advance.

Yesterday at 7:30am, we were at the Mallinkrodt Radiology Unit at Barnes Jewish Hospital checking Denny in to get his porta-cath for chemotherapy.  Just in case you are not familiar, the port is inserted under the skin with a tube running into an artery just above the heart.  This allows health care personnel to take blood and administer the chemo without having to stick an IV into Denny's arm every time.  There is a 2 inch incision that is on his chest and is held together with stitches and glue. 

After the port was put in, we ate some lunch.  He started chemo immediately afterward at 12noon.  The chemo took about 5 hours from start to finish.  They gave him a hefty dose of Benadryl to decrease the chance of any allergic reaction.  Basically, he slept through the whole treatment yesterday. 

While he was sleeping, our world did a 360.  The ENT's office called my cell phone and said that the treatment plan was changed.  The doctors continued to wrestle with his case even after we thought we had a plan.  Denny is basically in uncharted territory and everything is an experiment.  His doctors are so good; they continue to manage the fluidity by continually monitoring for a better way.  Dr. Haughey (pronounced Hoe-Eee) has decided against debulking the tumor.  He felt that it would be putting Denny through an unnecessary procedure that wouldn't guarantee him any results or buy him more time.  The Chemo doctor, Dr. Adkins, said he needed the tumor to stay in tact so that he could monitor the change; meaning shrinkage.  If Dr. Haughey went in and took part of it, Dr. Adkins would not know if the chemo was shrinking the tumor or not.  So, basically, we have moved to Option 2: Chemo for the rest of Denny's life.

When Denny finished the chemo at around 4:15, the nurse noticed a bit of blood seeping from the port area.  She put some steri-strips on the wound and told us to call the oncology doctor on-call if there was any change.  We left Barnes Jewish and headed home around 4:30pm.

Leaving St. Louis and heading home was a challenge.  In Illinois, we hit a 3 mile backup of traffic as road construction narrowed the confluence of 2 major highways at Mt. Vernon. We got through that, stopped off to eat and then continued on towards Paducah. By this time it was dark and had started to rain steadily. We stopped at Paducah to get gas and off we went; anxious to get home.

About 50 miles from Nashville, Denny decided to pull up his shirt to look at the port site.  When he did, all we saw was a blood soaked bandage.  I was horrified because while Sleeping Beauty rested during his chemo treatment, I was reading the care instructions, "You should not see any blood.". We didn't know if an artery had been nicked or if it was the incision bleeding.  After contacting the on-call doc, we were told to go straight to the ER. 

I was "Hell on Wheels" getting us into Nashville; fighting road construction, traffic and rain.)  We got to the Vanderbilt ER around 11:30pm.  Keep in mind - it was a rainy, Friday night close to midnight.  Vanderbilt's ER was a mess.  They got Denny in and re-dressed the incision.  Then...we waited. They took an xray and saw some fluid in his lung; not enough to be alarmed.  They said it would be reabsorbed.  A new dressing was reapplied and we were sent home.  We got home at 4:15am.  By that time, I had been up almost 24 hours. 

Home never looked so good.  We felt like we had lived a lifetime in just one day.  If we can do that, we can do anything! 

Today, if you could see us, you would never know anything out of the ordinary has occurred.  I had some errands to run at the bank and grocery store.  Denny and Dan are out working on his truck.  The chickens and guineas are pecking for bugs in the yard.  Toby is rolling around in the afghans on the couch.  Supper is cooking on the stove.  We are living an ordinary day in an extraordinary way.  Cancer will find Denny a tough opponent to conquer!

Angels Watch Over Us

There has been a little bit of an update since my last post.  Denny is getting his port put in at 7:30am tomorrow as previously mentioned.  Dr. Adkins has decided to start the 1st round of chemo at 12 noon.  That should take about 5 hours.  Afterwards, we are heading home.

We would like to thank everyone for their comments on the blog, facebook, and texts.  The outpouring of love and encouragement has really made a difference.  A big "thank you" to the Rolla Gang (Bob, Linda, Meg, Randy, Jerry & Mark) for taking the time to get together with us tonight.  It made a world of difference for "Woody"and me.  We love you all!

I want to thank my mom, Sandy, for driving cross country from Missouri to Tennessee to stay with Dan while we went through the testing in St. Louis.  Thanks to her, he had hot meals and good company.  Love you, Mom!  Don't know what we would do without your support.

Last but not least, "Thank you" to Jim and Anita for your gracious hospitality.  We are not far from the hospital and the accommodations have been wonderful.  We love and appreciate you. 

I probably will not be able to post tomorrow.  It will be a long day and I won't have access to a computer.  I'll post first thing Saturday so stay tuned. 

Good night.  Sleep tight.  Angels watch over us...

You Got That Right, Eleanor!

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” . . . You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt~

You got that right, Eleanor!  When you are looking fear in the face, this is exactly the mind set you must have.  Believe me when I say we are looking...right now.

We heard from Dr. Haughey about 11:30am.  It has taken us a minute to wrap our minds around these options and to call our kids before posting this to the blog.  Here are the options as they were presented:

Option 1: Surgery.  All the doctors have viewed the MRI.  All are in agreement this is the same type of cancer they have been fighting since 2004.  None felt the need to do a biopsy.  Dr. Haughey said if Denny chose surgery, he would have to have his left eye, left upper jawbone and left side of the roof of his mouth removed.  Tissue would then have to be taken from another part of his body and grafted into those places.  When he healed, he would start chemo and remain on chemo the rest of his life.  Dr. Haughey said they have no way of eradicating this cancer.  It is microscopic and so they will never know if they got it all.

Option 2: Chemo.  This option is just that: chemo for rest of his life.  They would keep trying to adjust the types and dosages to extend his life for as long as he responds.

Option 3: Transnasal Operative Debulking of the Tumor: This option would allow the surgeons to go up through his nasal passage and remove as much of the tumor as possible without taking his eye or causing damage.  Then, after healing, he would have to go on chemo the rest of his life.

This is Denny's decision (and I support him 100%).  His choice is Number 3.  He wants a quality of life for as long as he is here.  So, tomorrow at 7:30am, he will have a port put into his chest for the chemo.  If the surgeon can do the surgery in the next 2 weeks, he will wait for chemo until after the surgery.  If the surgeon cannot fit him in, he will begin chemo tomorrow and do surgery in about 3 weeks.  Denny cannot wait.  The tumor is aggressive and growing at a very rapid rate.

Most people, I think, would be giving up after hearing this type of news.  Don't get me wrong.  This is devastating to our whole family.  However, this family fights back.  Denny is healthy, otherwise, so that gives him an advantage.  We will continue to build his strength; making him strong enough to keep fighting as new chemotherapies become available.  Medical science advances everyday.  He is looking fear in the face and saying to himself, "I can do this because I have done it before."  Dana, Daniel, and I are standing right behind him.  We have not lost this battle.  We have just begun to fight.