al rastrello...

...italian for "to rake". i think we should change our street name from GREEN street to AL RASTRELLO street.

tim had a good day yesterday-he got to spend some time at the pepsi plant and sat in on some stuff again...it really makes him tired, but i think it is good for him. not only do we have to build up his stamina physically but we also have to work on his mental stamina as well. he is starting to try and read more and that has been helping. it is totally unbelievable what that major dose of chemo can do to a body. he needs to start playing cards and board games and stuff like that. (i might actually be able to beat him at cards now).

now that the port is out and has healed he is allowed to start to exercise as tolerated. we are looking at different gyms...he can't be outside because it is so cold. the kids have put their request in for a gym with a pool so i think we are going to run by the friendship center and check it out. i find it hard to believe that someone would want to pay so much money to torture themselves!! family fitness...this is going to be fun!!! (pray for me...)

well, have to get the kiddos moving. we have a kinda free day today-i think the weather is supposed to be nice-hopefully i can get him outside for a bit today. we make another drop in the steroids today-hopefully we will get through this drop without incident.

take care and thanks for checking in.

tim and tammy

sunday update...

...things are pretty good. i worked this weekend but tim took the kids to church this morning. he is still not liking this WINDY stuff. he stays mostly indoors but i hear that there is some milder weather coming mid-week. maybe we can get out and walk.

thanks for all the comments and cards and encouraging words. we knew that we would have emotionally good days and emotionally bad days but it is still hard sometimes. he seems a bit better today. we still talk about it a lot, but he isn't dwelling on it so much. it is just so hard to get them off our minds.

hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. i think he is going to try to get out to the plant again for a bit monday.

take care and thanks for checking in.

tim and tammy

a day to reflect...

...yesterday we went to the hospital to visit a friend who had back surgery (who is doing well) and while we were there we decided to go and say HI to his cancer wing nurses...it was a great visit, we had the twins with us and there was a lot of rejoicing and hugs when they saw how good tim looked. i think that times like that are important and seem to encourage tim and help remind us how far we have really come.

...as we were getting ready to leave one of the patients wives heard that we were there and came out to see us. her husband who is about the same age had been diagnosed a week before tim (two days before christmas) and had his transplant 4 days after tim. after spending 5-6 months in and out of the hospital together we became kinda close, compared stories and were always routing for the other. she came out to tell us that in august his cancer came back-full blown. he is scheduled for another transplant in feb '07 if they can get him back into remission and find a donor. after 8 months he had to start from scratch. i had known that he had been back in, but what a blow to tim (and the girls). sometimes tim is doing so well that they tend to forget that this is a possiblity. kelsey asked us if we felt bad feeling so good while that lady seemed so sad!!!! and now both girls are wondering if this can happen to their dad. (i think it hasn't left tims mind since yesterday either).

...so... keep praying. pray for peace. pray for wisdom with dealing with the girls. pray that this does not become our story. prior to the transplant i was a numbers person-i needed to know statistics and know the odds...now that the transplant is over-i don't care about the numbers any more. i guess there comes a point where all the numbers and all the knowledge and all the faith in doctors can't get you through some of the days. only GOD can do that and that is where we have to stay. those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...everyone can use a little boost today.

hope you all have a great weekend.

tim and tammy

not too bad...

the last two days were not great, but tolerable. another headache and a messed up stomach yesterday and a very sleepy day on tuesday...but he got thru them just fine.

tomorrow is his b-day. hopefully we will have another one of those great days.

well, gotta run.

thanks for checking in.

tim and tammy

two more good days...

...we are going for a record. sunday we wanted to go somewhere that kelsey could take some fall foliage pictures (she is my camera nut) and so we went to a state park called little buffalo and HIKED a 1.5 mile trail thru the woods and over a stream and up a hill...it was wonderful (i almost cried-i actually did later on that night when i was thanking GOD for allowing me to keep my husband a bit longer). then on monday morning he went to see the guys (and gals) at the pepsi plant and never came home until 4pm. he sat in on some conference calls, sat in on some work sessions, came home with some ideas for decorating his office...it was more than wonderful. (not that i am ready to boot him back to work just yet, but there are days that i am close).

his stamina is getting better and better...his headaches are less frequent and somewhat less severe...this last medication change must have done some good.

thanks for all the comments and cards.

thanks for checking in.

tim and tammy

ps...hello to paulette-i miss you-get better
prayers go out for daniel g who is having back surgery today-i will be in to harass (i mean visit) you tomorrow.

beautiful fall day...

...and tim even helped rake the leaves today. it was a great day today-went to a soccer game and then to a church soup and pumpkin sale and then raked the leaves and went for a walk. tim and kelsey just finished carving a happy face pumpkin and things are good. it is 5pm and i think he is ready for bed...but it was a good day!!!

tim's birthday is coming up (oct 27th), but i think i want to wait and have a big party on his other birth-day in may...the anniversary of the transplant would be a great time to celebrate with family and friends. maybe a huge pot luck dinner at a park somewhere...what a celebration that would be. i will have to give that some more thought.

well...hope you are all out there enjoying this wonderful day.

thanks for checking in.

tim and tammy

sorry...

the headache is back. not a great day today. up most the night with a headache and today he is just plain 'ole exhausted. we are going to make ourselves get up and go to middleton this afternoon for kelseys last field hockey game. (thank goodness the kids have stuff going on or i am not sure some days he would ever get out of bed). the increase in the anti-rejection medicine has him VERY shakey too. one day at a time!!!

enjoy this warmer weather we are having...

thanks for checking in.

tim and tammy

headache is gone...

the doctors appt went well yesterday. we have made some more medications changes...dropping a bit on the steroids and going up a bit on the anti-rejection medication. it is just a game of "wait and see" right now. try this for a couple of weeks and see...so we wait.

another round of re-staging next in three weeks...more CT scans and such.

overall the doctor seemed very pleased with everything. yesterday was a very good day. and as long as the good days are more often than the bad days i think he is going to be OK. now that the central line is out we are going to try to improve his stamina a bit...start to exercise a little. (that will be good for both of us).

well, gotta get the kids moving. thanks for all the birthday greetings for megan.

thanks for checking in

tim and tammy

monday morning blues

the headache is back...he had a really rough night last night with that nasty headache again.

we are going to try to get to the doctor today...sometimes the morning after a bad headache he is sick to his stomach all day. ( i haven't gone in to wake him yet). we are not sure what sparks these things...they have done the CAT and the MRI and feel that it is not directly lymphoma related or sinus related but other than eliminating causes we haven't gotten that far.

i should have been suspicious yesterday because he was just laying around a lot...that seems to be an indicator that one is coming.

well...overall it was a good weekend up until the headache. meg survived her 16th birthday and her friends threw her a surprise party...she had a great day. now she needs to study that drivers ed book. pray for us all.

thanks for checking in...have a great day.

tim and tammy

church today

all is well in the dewalt house today--so we are off to church.

hope all of you had great weekends. the cold wind has kept tim indoors most of the weekend, but luckily there were many sports games on TV this weekend to keep him occupied. unfortunately his mets and penn state didn't have very good weekends.

off to see the oncologist tomorrow.

only 4 more field hockey games and 3 soccer games and the crazy season comes to an end. although it is insanely busy we always miss it when it is over-but this year tim can't stand the cold weather so i guess it is time to move on to indoor sports. usually the twins play basketball and meg plays indoor field hockey...

well, gotta get the troops moving.

have a great day and as always thanks for checking in.

tim and tammy

ps...for those of you monitoring my blood pressure-all is well. this new combination of medications seems to be doing the trick.

go hanna

today is susquehanna school "spirit" day...everything is red and white and black in our house today...including shoes, clothing, skin, hair...homecoming tonight and the kids are PUMPED.

the eye appt went well yesterday. the upper lid is doing what it is supposed to do with the eye weights help, but the lower lid is not rising to the occasion, so the lid does not still fully close. (but he can blink which is good) they discussed other options for down the road if the bells palsy never clears up. they also are a bit concerned about the tear duct on that side...especially with the cold weather coming. but for now, it is just something to watch.

monday he is back to the oncologist to look over more labs and steroid review.

i have been feeling a bit left out lately so i decided that i would make an appt for myself today...i get to go to the doctor for bloodwork and blood pressure re-check. no fair that tim gets ALL the fun.

tonight megan plays hershey in field hockey and kelsey plays milton hershey in field hockey. our favorite thing to do down here on a friday night is travel 322 back and forth to hershey. actually, tim can't handle the cold so he is opt'd out of the outdoor fall sports for now. tonight is homecoming ...lots of hot chocolate to be sold tonight.

good luck to all the friday night football teams (go bulldogs-beat curry)

thanks for checking in...

tim and tammy

its thursday already...

...this week has really flown by.

speech therapy was today and they feel that they are no longer doing any good for the bells palsy. there has been no real significant improvement so they are requesting that he transfer to physical therapy...back to the insurance company we go.

thursday a follow-up with the eye guy...his eye looks good. it still doesn't close all the way, but he can now blink.

the mini-van is still at the aamco place...

i work thursday. fred is coming down to transport and hang out. thanks to all who have hauled our family here and there this week. it has been an interesting week or two with only one vehicle, but everyone has been so helpful and accommodating with rides and such. thanks.

after thursday i am off for a few days and that will help. tim has been feeling pretty good the last two days...PTL...now if we can just get his temperature to rise up above "frigid" he will be better. talk about opposites. i sweat and he shivers.

well, gotta get the wash moving.

thanks for checking in...

tim and tammy

tuesday morning update...

the shopping trip was an educational experience for a 70-year old grandmother...she was not familiar with some of the shops she was in yesterday and at times she tryed to figure out why so many skull and cross bones (which my kids are NOT allowed to buy) and why a pair of jeans with paint and grease and holes all over them would cost almost $100.

infact, at times i would turn around and she would be laughing hysterical at a display...we had a great time although we really didn't buy that much.

tim and dad were to spend the day together fixing up a few things around the house...and then they came to megs field hockey game.

all in all it was a pretty good day. tim felt much better yesterday and i suppose his biggest complaint now is the side effects of the high dose steroids. we need to watch the liver a bit ...the enzymes were really good until we started dropping the steroids and then they started to rise again...but he can't stay on the steroids forever.
it is my understanding that the steroids stop the reactions that are caused from the graft vs host. this would be the stomach issues and the liver issues and even possibly the headaches. they talked about another drug that we could try that doesn't have as many negative side effects and it stops the production of the cells that cause the reactions...it is kinda in the "chemo" family of drugs. it is a tad bit risky because it lowers the blood counts, but if they can't get him off the high dose steroids those long term side effects could be worse. so...it is a waiting game of try a little of this and try a little of that.

no appts today-WOW.

kelsey plays field hockey at 4pm so we have a free day to catchup on all the cleaning and laundry from the weekend.

the plumbing is fixed
the van is not...i guess we are going to go and get some estimates today. no one has an old transmission laying around in their back yard do they???

thanks for checking in...

tim and tammy

after the weekend...

...a day of rest is needed, but we decided to go to the park city mall instead!!!

no school today...so nana is coming down to go christmas shopping!!!!

tim had another rough weekend. he made it to one of four soccer games...his thermostat has been altered and he froze on saturday so he camped out in palmyra at his cousins the rest of the day. then on sunday his headache was back which lead to being sick to his stomach and he spent the whole day in bed.

but today is a much better day for all. his eye looks great and the port came out just fine. my dad is spending the day with tim. this is going to be a good week.

off to shop...

thanks for checking in.

friday update...

...the plumber fixed the cracked toilet tank and the waterfall in the basement
...the plumber fixed the blocked sewer line and the geyser in the basement
...BUT the plumber can NOT fix the transmission is tims mini van!!!!

i really hope that this is ALL the surprises for the week!!! tims van DIED yesterday. of course if it was paid for i would go push it in the river about right now...

this morning we go back to hershey and get labs drawn for the last time from the central line-yeah!!! at 11am he is having the line removed. then at noon we go and see the oncologist. we are really hoping that they back off with the steroids abit-this is a bad level for tim to be on. it effects his sleep and his eating and his personality and he is very anxious and jittery all the time.

i have to work this weekend(nights) and the twins have a soccer tournament in palmyra. it should be a fun tournament-they are scheduled to play atleast 4 games. meg was heading to berwick, but i think (due to circumstances beyond our control) we are post-poning that trip until later on. did you know that she turns "16" in a couple of weeks...hard to believe.

well, hope you all have a GREAT weekend and as always thanks for checking in.

tim and tammy

pray for us...

...pray for our home. the waterfall in the basement was attended too but now we have a geyser in the basement. apparently we have a sewer line blockage which is keeping me from being able to do many normal household chores...like dishes and laundry and stuff like that.

when i ran the washer yesterday i thought the toilet was "going to explode". and then the drain in the basement started spewing (?) all this stuff from under the house...YUK!!! the plumber is coming back this morning. he says things come in threes but i am determined this is his last trip to our house this week.

tim had a bit of a rough evening...i think it was a combination of the eye surgery and the high levels of steroids...didn't sleep much last night either. (nice storm came through though) i love storms. hopefully he can rest this morning abit. keep him in your prayers and pray for wisdom and low cost solutions to our plumbing problems!!!!

central line comes out tomorrow morning...see the doctor after that. his stomach is still pretty good.

as always...thanks for checking in

tim and tammy

lagophthalmos...

...the inablity to fully close the eye. (hopefully this is behind us)

in addition to getting his first IMPLANT he also increased his intrinsic worth by getting a GOLD weight inserted into his eyelid today.

i requested to be in the room during the procedure-very cool!!!!! he is now home and resting. it was a bit stingy and a little uncomfortable but other than that he said it wasn't too bad. the eyelid is now pretty swollen and will turn a pretty purple over the next day or so.

you would be amazed how much skin is actually on an eyelid...and how much it smokes when cauterized. poor tim...i am sitting here totally in awe of modern science and he feels crappy. sorry.

well...pretty much going to rest today.

thanks for checking in. the central line comes out on friday-yeah!!!

tim and tammy

things are OK...

tims stomach has been behaving...unfortunately we don't know if it is because of the new stomach medication OR the increase in the steroids!!! no headaches in about 72 hours!!!

this is a busy week...the hospital called and made some schedule changes. so over the next few days we are:

having the central line removed
having to go to speech therapy
having the eyelid weight put in
having bloodwork done
having a clinic appt with oncologist (hopefully not a 3+ hour marathon like last friday)

in addition to that we have 4 field hockey games (easy week) and a plumber coming tomorrow. yes, we now have a very modern home-comes with its own waterfall in the basement (everytime someone flushes the toilet).

other than that same old same old...i am very thankful to have a job that has been so accommodating. i had to call and change my schedule because they changed tims schedule AGAIN and they were very understanding and helpful. thank you hershey med.

as always...thanks for checking in

tim and tammy

back on the 'roids

yes, after a very interesting appt with the doctor tim is back on the steroids in the grand amount of 100mg a day (this is from a gradual drop over months down to 20mg every other day). he was sad. in addition to sleeplessness and puffiness and a host of other side effects this amount seems to really break down his muscle mass (especially his thigh muscles).

there was a bit of confusion since the appt was never put in the schedule-they didn't have his chart or any other info and that kinda slowed us down. but 3 hours later we decided to try a different stomach medication and increase the steroids with the assumption that we are probably dealing with a graph vs host issue. (waiting for the biopsies to get back)

we have to go back this friday and see how he is feeling. good news though...he was able to make a soccer game and a wedding (congratualations heidi and alan) on saturday. this weekend has been pretty good so far-time to get him up for church now.

hope you all are having a great weekend.

thanks for checking in

tim and tammy