Monday Dec 28, the first day of training - by Bob

I had my final bone marrow biopsy this morning. It hurt like heck, but I am glad it's done. I get the results next Monday at 8:30. I spent the rest of today with Chris playing Wii Nerf and running around. We had a good day overall. We are going go to sleep over at Grandma and Pop's house tomorrow night. He is all excited.I did my first "workout" on my way back to being healthy again.I walked for 20 minutes at Walmart. I need to walk for 20, so I figured I would see if there were any post Christmas specials that caught my eye. I left with a machette, some underwear for me, and wife beaters for Chris. I'll try and get my 20 minute walk in everyday and I'll increase it 5 minutes per week over the next 4 weeks.Michele and I then did our lengthy strength training session of:Pushups: 1x5Body weight squats: 1x5I'll do this Monday thru Saturday and increase a rep each day. The next week the reps stay the same for the days but I add a set per week for four weeks. Thanks to Alwyn for sharing his rehab program with me. The pushups kicked my ass (as hard as that is for me to admit).

Thanks,
Bob

The Day Before the Day Before Christmas - by Bob

Wednesday 12/23
I went grocery shopping for the first time in 7 months last night. It probably seems pretty small to all of you, but it was a big step for me. I am starting to feel stronger everyday. Today, I actually did a bunch of work around the house getting ready for Christmas. I'm a little tired, but overall I'm good. I pick up Chris in 2 hours and then we are going to Blockbuster to pick up some DVDs. Tonight we are just going to hang around the house. Tomorrow we have: breakfast at Cracker Barrell, going to see Alvin and the Chipmonks the Squequel, going to Michele's parents house, going to church, going back to Michele's parents for dinner, and then to my parents house for desert. I'll try and get an update in, but it might not ne until after Christmas.I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a very Happy Holiday Season

Bob

Blogs by Bob and a funny photo for Christmas

Thought you might like to see a funny photo of Bob for once! This is what happens when you buy a six year old a NERF gun.

Here's Bob's logs from the past few days:

Monday 12/21

Spent the day with Christopher doing guy stuff. We wrestelled, shot at stuff, and ate well. Overall, I am feeling better. No real working out as I was spent after running around with a 6 year old for two days. I do have a funny story. I snuck out and went to General Practitioner today as I was long over due to my yearly physical. Mostly I just wanted to touch base and ensure he had received my records from my Oncologist so that we were ready to go next year. They wouldn't even schedule the appointment until they had received my records after I explained to the nurse what I had been through weeks ago. So, I know the Doc has my records. He is a great guy. But, he walks in and asks how has your health been? Are you f'ing kidding me??? I had to get you these records and he obviously didn't even look at them. I said great for someone who just went thru chemo and he might want to look thru my file. It ended up fine, but I was a bit upset at first.

Friday 12/18

Last night my freaking stomach was killing me. I don't know if it was chemo related or my stomach just hurt. I took some of my anti nausea meds and I felt a little better. I slept from 10 last night to 11:15 this morning. Michele was scared as I wasn't answering the phone and she was ready to send my dad over to check on me. But, I am okay and I was just really tired.I am going to pick up Christopher from school and gthen we'll workout together. Yesterday we did some push ups, sit ups, mountain climbers, racing, and wrestling. He kicked my butt on the mountain climbers which he does all the time in karate class. He is all excited as after the new year he is going to sign up for weapons class at his karate school. As if me getting punched and kicked wasn't enough. Not much planned for the weekend. But, I'll update the log on Saturday or Sunday.

Love and Thanks,

Michele & Bob

"Bob Youngs and the Restless" an article by Glenn Buechlein

“We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.” —Seneca

I became acquainted with Bob Youngs well over a decade ago when the internet and lifting forums were still in their infancy. Like many aspiring lifters, Bob served as my guide when I was somewhat lost in the dark, weightlifting wilderness. He was my Virgil. In the Divine Comedy, Virgil escorts Dante on his pilgrimage through hell and purgatory. Bob accompanied me on my trip into powerlifting’s dark side, everything Westside Barbell. I only had the pleasure of meeting Bob in person a few times, but he always served as a steady source of knowledge whenever I sought it. Whether it was in the flesh or by way of the computer, Bob reminded me of a big ole Teddy bear, soft spoken, reserved, and gentle. It seems as though a reassuring smile was constantly etched on his massive mug.

Beginning in the mid to late 1990s, I picked Bob’s brain on anything to do with Westside Barbell. I was restless for knowledge and relentless in its pursuit. The master I sought wasn’t easily accessed, so Bob acted as a gatekeeper. He allowed hundreds if not thousands of lifters to gain a glimpse behind the curtain to see the great Oz. What was once mysterious and opaque was no more. Bob entertained each and every one of my queries, graciously sharing information regarding innovative lifts, percentages, technique, and programming. Thanks to Bob I became well versed in max efforts movements, dynamic day, and GPP. I became like a missionary myself, spreading the word and philosophy of this new program I had discovered. Quiet education.

I always possessed an inner thirst to know how I stacked up against the best of the best, and Bob again served as my source. I bombarded him with weekly inquiries regarding how much the top guns at Westside Barbell were hoisting on various lifts. I anxiously awaited Bob’s email replies. I had the inside scoop on how much Kenny Patterson floor pressed, George Halbert’s close grip record, and Chuck’s training weights on speed day. This was like heaven because it provided me with goals or benchmarks to shoot for. Plus, I knew the information was accurate, not embellished. Quiet motivation.

I generally shared all my workouts and training weights with Bob as I prepared for an upcoming bench meet. He would offer insight, but he never told me exactly what to do. He allowed me to learn from my mistakes. Instinctively, he knew that I alone had to discover my own personal style. I consistently underestimated my ability, and Bob would prop me up where he knew I should be. I was afraid of failure and was trying to be too safe. Bob’s experience allowed him to suggest my opener and what I should ultimately shoot for in the meet. More often than not, he was right. Quiet inspiration.

“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” —Babatunde Olatunji

This past summer I became reacquainted with Bob when I clicked on a blog detailing his diagnosis and ongoing struggle with leukemia. I awaited each update by his girlfriend in the same nervous fashion that I used to when awaiting Bob’s replies to my now seemingly insignificant questions about lifting. There was lots of pacing, fidgeting at my desk, and chomping at my fingernails.

This past summer I took a six-hour essay test so I could qualify and become a licensed school administrator. The scores wouldn’t be available for a month after the test. I spent a week obsessing and worrying about not passing and the embarrassment that would ensue. While I was sweating this relatively small life event that turned out be nothing, Bob was fighting for his life.
This past summer I dealt with an aching knee that caused me much discomfort, so much discomfort that I often had to spend time contemplating how to devise my workout around the pain. While I was worrying about a workout, Bob was fighting for his life.
This past summer I routinely took my four-year-old daughter to the park and then for some ice cream afterwards. Sometimes we worried about what park to go to because some didn’t have shade trees and we might get hot. While I worried about what park to go to with my little one, Bob was fighting for his life.

Bob continues to be my guide. He taught me many things this past summer. I now have an even deeper understanding of the struggles someone with cancer goes through. Education loud and clear. I now know that it’s easy to complain, but I remember just how good my life is and that I shouldn’t take it for granted. Motivation loud and clear. Lifters take pride in being hardcore. I now know what hardcore really is by reading about Bob’s daily challenges and how he takes them on with fortitude and perseverance. Inspiration loud and clear.

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”—Lennon

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Glenn “Apollo” Buechlein is a teacher in Indiana with a 700-lb plus bench press at 242 lbs. Best known as “Power B,” Glenn’s gym is in Washington, Indiana. His gym is perfect—steel, chalk, dogs, and pure mayhem.

(Reprinted with permission by www.elitefts.com) Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit us at www.EliteFTS.com.

Pain Management Doctor's Visit

Family and Friends,

Bob was finally able to go to his old pain management doctor now that all the chemotherapy is over with. He will be switching from the dilaudid and fentanyl patches (which he was able to get off last month) and will be now taking Nucynta, Soma, Xodol and Lidocane patches. Bob has used this pain management doctor in the past and is very happy to make the switch so that he can eventually be able to get in shape soon.

Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers and happy holidays!

Love and Thanks,

Michele

Tuesday December 15th- from Bob

Tuesday 12/15
Well, I had planned on starting to do a little bike today, but my body still isn't ready. I'm hoping to get on the bike next Monday. I still get winded going up the stairs and my heart rate and blood pressure go through the roof. So, I am going to do some Wii fit stuff tonight with Michele. It isn't much, but I need to start somewhere.
Here are the issues I am having:
1-Resting heart rate is around 100. Need to get this down.
2-Blood pressure is good. Usually 120-125 over 75-80. The problem is the slightest bit of movement shoots it up. Basically I'm in terrible shape.
3-I am very weak. I need to start getting in some resistance training. I will most likely do that next week as well.
4-I still have some areas in my quads that don't have full feeling back. I need to start hitting those areas with the foam roller.
5-I have become more inflexible. I need to get some mobility and flexibilty work going in the near future as well.
6-My diet needs a little cleaning up, but overall it has not been too bad.

Thanks,
Bob

The weekend and today - from Bob

Weekend of 12/12 & 12/13
It was a great weekend. Christopher slept over on Saturday night. Life felt normal again for a little while. Michele and I spent most of the afternoon finishing up Christmas shopping and buying my Mom a birthday present. I was really tired afterwards. The smallest bit of walking still wears me out. I'm going to start on the bike tomorrow and doing some light resistance training with thera bands. I'll outline my needs and goals tomorrow. After taking a couple of hour break, we picked up Chris and then headed to the Christmas light show with Michele's family. They had a small fair and we played some games, did some sand art, and he ate some cotton candy. The light show was okay, but really loud. My son doesn't like loud. He did okay and we made it thru most of the show before it was time to head out. On Sunday we woke up and Michele made us breakfast of pancakes and bacon. Chris LOVES bacon. We then watched some Ben 10. In the afternoon we went to my parents house to celebrate my Mom's birthday. Chris, my Dad, and I watched some football. It was a great weekend.

Monday 12/14
Had my Oncologist this morning at 8. I didn't get a copy of my blood work, but everything was improved. I do know my platelets were up to 44,000. So, hopefully no more transfusions for me. I go back again on Thursday and should get my Picc line out then. I do have to have my next bone marrow aspiration sometime next week. This should confirm that I am cancer free and can get back to leading a normal life after I get back in shape.I'm going to spend the rest of the day laying around reading and watching TV. I'll pick Chris up after school and then just relax after I drop him off.

Thanks,
Bob

More from Bob 12/9, 12/10, 12/11

12/9-
Another lazy day of resting. We did have family dinner and that was fun. Other than that I pretty much just watched the idiot box.

12/10-
More blood work:
WBC-3.5
Gran: 52.4
RBC: 3.00
HGB: 8.8
PLT: 16,000

Everything went up except my platelets. So, to be on the safe side my oncologist had me get a unit of platelets transfused. This took up most of my day waiting for them to arrive and then getting the infusion. Luckily I have nothing to do, so it's no biggie. When I was done I went home, had a snack, and then took a nap.

12/11-
Again not much going on. I'm going to pick up Christopher from school and then go to my parents house. I'm sure we'll end up watching iCarly and Scooby Doo.Tomorrow Michele and I are going to pick up Christopher and he is going to sleep over for the first time in over 6 months. So, it's a big day for all of us. We are going to go with Michele's family to see a laser light Christmas show. It's at the Jupiter Hammer Heads stadium (single A baseball). They also have a bunch of other kids activities. This will also be our first time going out to an event like this. It feels really good to be starting to get life headed back to normal.

Bob

From Bob 12/6, 12/7, 12/8

12/6, 12/7, 12/8
I'm sure you are getting sick of me telling you I feel like crap and I'm tired. So, I won't. I'm going to show you my blood work. Basically chemotherapy is poison and it "re-starts" your bodies production of healthy blood. The problem is there is a lull until the re-start happens. This is a time where I am very immuno compromised and have little energy. Here are the normal ranges for a healthy persons blood work:

White Blood Cells (WBC): 4.1-10.9
Granulocytes (Gran): 37.0%-92.0%
Red Blood Cell (RBC): 4.20-6.30
Hemoglobin (HGB): 12.0-18.0
Platelet (PLT): 140-440

My Blood work on 12/7:
WBC: 1.3
Gran: 8.7%
RBC: 2.72
HGB: 8.0
PLT: 9.0

On this day I had to get 2 units of packed red blood and one unit of platelets transfused. So, I spent the day in the hospital getting blood.

Blood work on 12/8:
WBC: 1.0
Gran: 38.9%
RBC: 3.25
HGB: 9.3
PLT: 19.0

My blood work is starting to come around. My Oncologist thinks my body is starting to produce it's own healthy blood slowly now. So, I don't have to go to the doctor tomorrow. I go again on Thursday. I may even get my Picc Line taken out, which I have had for about four months now. I can't wait to get it out. You can Google Picc Line, but it's basically a central line that has three lines sticking out of my arm for IV attachment. I have to shower with my arm wrapped in plastic wrap until I get it out. I'll check in again tomorrow.

Bob

Today and this past weekend....

Family and Friends,

Bob is back in the hospital for the day receiving 2 units of blood and one unit of platelets. He also needed additional nupogen injections because his white count was very low. Here are the counts as of this morning:

WBC- 1.3
RBC- 2.72
Hemoglobin- 8.0
Platelets- 9,000

Bob is in good spirits, but not too happy he has to spend the whole day in the hospital.

Here is Bob's blog from the last few days:

Friday 12/4
Still feeling tired. Went to my Oncologist to get my last Neupogen shot. The plateles from yesterday didn't do too much as my count were still very low. So, I needed 1 unit of platelets and one unit of packed red. I again had to wait around for the call from the hospital as I need those both to be irradiated. They got everything in at about 3, so I headed over. I got done about 6:15. I then ran to my parents house as we were taking Christopher to see some Christmas lights. One of the parks in the area puts up a cool light show that you drive thru. They even had special 3D glasses that Christopher thought was the coolest thing ever invented.

Saturday 12/5
I felt okay when I woke up. I got caught up on some laundry and other minor chores. In the afternoon we had to go to Toys'R'Us to get some of Christopher's presents. We also ran to Office Depot and the Post Office. For some reason this wiped me out. When we got home I was tremendously tired. I spent the rest of the day on the couch and went to bed early. Bama rolled over the Gators and Texas lucked into a win. Cograts to all of the Southside Barbell members who put up PRs at the Southern States. Great job!!!

Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.
Love and Thanks,
Michele

Bob's blogs from the past few days

Family and friends,

Sorry I haven't written in the past few days. To make up for it, I'm attaching Bob's blog so that you can see exactly how he's feeling. Hope everyone is doing well.

Tuesday 12/1- Overall it has been an uneventful day. I received my Neupogen shot again. They hurt like heck going in. My joints are still killing me. Stairs are the worst for me. I did get outside and meander around a bit. The boredom of laying around is starting to get to me. I watched a couple of movies and read, but I cannot take much more of the captivity. The problem is my energy levels are still very low, so I cannot do much more than sit anyway. Oh well.

Monday 11/30- First of my follow ups with my oncologist this week. I have to go in everyday for Neupogen injectons all week. But, I'll meet with the doctor on Mon, Wed, and Thurs. The Neupogen hurts like hell and make your joints even more sore if possible. I was going to start working out a bit today too, but after my office visit decided to wait until next week. The plan is to monitor my blood all week. My counts usually start to near the bottom around Thursday. So, we're thinking I'll need a blood transfusion on Thursday or Friday. Then, my counts should begin to climb next week and I can start doing some light working out. I'll keep you filled in on my progress through the week.

Sunday 11/29- I had a great weekend. I was still pretty tired all the time, but it was awesome. Chris and I slept over my parents house Saturday as Michele was out of town at a wedding. We watching GI Joe the movie and a bunch of other cartoons, we ate like pigs, and had a burping contest. It was a blast. We hung out Sunday at my parents for most of the day and then went to my aunt and uncle's house for my Thanksgiving dinner. It was just a great weekend. I needed to stop and take a break a couple of times, but overall I was okay.

Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers. We are still awaiting the results of that specialized blood test. When Bob goes to see the oncologist we are hoping she'll have the results. So far no news is good news.

Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob out of hospital, hopefully for good!

Family and friends,
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and long weekend. I'm happy to report that Bob is finally out of the hospital as of 9:30am yesterday morning. He got home, took a shower, and spent the afternoon with his parents. Last night he picked up Christopher and they watched GI Joe and had a sleepover at grandma's house. Both of them really enjoyed themselves.
Today we are going over to Bob's aunt and uncle's house to re-create Thanksgiving dinner for him.

Finally, Bob should get the results of his specialized blood test tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed and please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and thanks,
Michele

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Thanksgiving

Family and friends,
We are so thankful to have family and friends like all of you. Thank you for all the love and support you have given Bob and I. I have attached a photo of Bob's Thanksgiving surprise from his son. Bob has been extremely tired and sore all day. He doesn't want me to bring him turkey until 7pm since he's still sleeping.

Here's his blog from today:
I was going to put this up last night, but felt like crap and was very tired. I watched the UConn vs LSU basketball game. Then, I got really nauseous. It sucked. I had my forth bag of chemo at 4:00am, so I didn't get much sleep. I was already tired to begin with and now I am exhausted. I'm going to spend the day napping and watching football. I did get my three walks in, but it wasn't easy. My knees were really sore. I'll report on today later.


Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.
Love and thanks,
Michele


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 2 of last round of chemo

Family and friends,

Today was a super busy day for me. After work I brought Bob and Christopher McDonalds at the hospital. Did you know a double cheeseburger has 1,150mg of sodium? I'm sure that can't be good for Bob. I read that on the side of the happy meal box. That's scary. Anyway, Bob is sore and tired. He's excited to see what surprise his son has in store for him tomorrow. I'm sleeping at my parents' house tonight in order to help with prep early tomorrow. With Bob and my brother-in-laws family we will be about 25 people. That's alot of turkey!

Here's Bob's blog:
Day 2 went without event. No nausea yet. Not much too good on TV. I am starting to feel more tired than usual. I did do my three laps around the floor again. My joints are still killing me, especially my knees. My son, Christopher, came over for a visit. He made the Honor Roll at school and had a really good report card. I was very proud of him. We played on the computer for a while and thumb wrestled. We finalized our plans for Saturday. We are going to sleep over my parents house. Michele will be out of town at her cousin's wedding. So, I figured I should stay at my parents to make sure I'm doing okay after a week of chemo. We are planning on watching GI Joe the movie. Christopher is VERY excited to see it. Talk to yopu tomorrow.

PS. I'm really looking forward to Sons of Anarchy tonight. It's one of the few TV shows I watch on a weekly basis.

Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Love and thanks,
Michele


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 1 of last round of Chemo

Family and friends,
I'm going to let you read from Bob's blog first and then I'll tell you what the doctor said regarding the blood abnormalities...


From Bob's Blog:


Day One of chemo...
I arrived today at the Bethesda Memorial at 9:30. I was in my room by 10:30, not bad by hospital standards. They did the usual panel of blood work. I received my first IV bag of chemo at 2:00pm. I'll get the next one at 2:00am. so, not much sleep tonight. How consolidation chemo works is you get chemo twice on days 1, 3, and 5. You are off on days 2 and 4. If all goes well, I should be released sometime Saturday morning.My Oncologist told me they found some abnormalities in my blood cells while doing their review. She thinks it is due to some of the drugs she has me taking to aid in white blood cell formation. She's not too worried, but she is going to do further testing to verify that he cancer is not back. I should get the results in 3 days. I have gotten semi used to stuff like this and just try and roll with it. But, it's always in the back of your mind that you could be sick again.The chemo doesn't really make me feel worse for a couple of days. I feel fine right now. Well, fine for being on round 5 of chemo. I'm still tired most of the time and my joints are killing me. For exercise I took three walks around the whole floor. I would guess the distance to be 1/8th of a mile. I don't have much stamina right now. I'm hoping to improve that once I get this last round of chemo done.


Michele- Okay, Bob is in good spirits today. Bob's doctor called me yesterday and wanted to fill me in on the blood abnormalities. She first wanted to start off by saying that she was very happy that Bob's counts had recovered so quickly. His hemoglobin was at 11.1, platelets at 244,000 and white cells within normal ranges. The problem was that when they did the initial blood test they found that Bob had 1% blasts in his blood. The definition of "Blasts" is the following:

Blasts: Immature blood cells. Leukemic blasts do not grow and age normally; they proliferate wildly and fail to mature.

Bob's oncologist said first that everyone has blasts in their body, but that most likely Bob's could be due to the fact that because his counts recovered so quickly the blood cells didn't have time to mature, or because of the Nupogen injections this could possibly cause the increase in blast cells. She is sending his blood off for full spectrum testing but that it could take as long as week to get the results back (although she has expedited them). She had originally thought to ask Bob if he wanted to go back home and wait for the results because in the off chance that it comes back positive for the Leukemia (which she does not think is the case) Bob would unfortunately need to have re induction chemo again and it would be time to consider a stem cell transplant. Bob is very positive and knows that this is just an anomaly and wants to continue with his last round of consolidation chemotherapy so that he can finally be done. I cannot blame him. 6 months of this is tiring for me, I cannot even begin to think how hard it must be for Bob.

So now we just sit and wait for the results. Both the doctor, Bob and myself feel that it is not the Leukemia coming back.

Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers and I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.

Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob is back at Elitefts.com and answering questions...

Family and friends,

Bob made his first public apperance yesterday at my neice's 1st birthday party. His white blood counts were high enough that he could fight off infection of 25 germy 2-5 year olds. Everyone was thrilled to see him and alot of people didn't recognize him with hair and long sideburns. (The picture I'm posting does not do him justice).

Bob is back in the hospital this morning for his last round of chemotherapy. He was very anxious to get there just to be over and done with it all. (I can't blame him). 6 months of this fiasco and I'd be anxious to get it over too! Anyway, as most of you know Bob is very active in the powerlifting community and for the last 7 years or so has been a fixture on the Q&A and logs at elitefts.com. Bob is finally strong enough to reintroduce his log. Here is a brief exerpt:

"Hi Everyone!For those who don't know I was diagnosed with leukemia in June of this year. I have been under going chemotherapy for the previous 5 months. During that time there have been some complications. To the point where I was read my last rights and my family was told twice I wouldn't make it through the night. My fiance, Michele, has been keeping a blog from the start of this and it can be found at:Bob Youngs - Cancer Blog The reason I am doing a log now is in an effort to promote the Lift Strong line of clothing Elite Fitness Systems is offering. I am going to chronicle my last week of chemo and then my rehab. I am hoping to bring more awerness to the EFS community."

If you are interested in either reading Bob's blog or asking him a question on the Q&A you can do so by going to http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/training-logs.asp?tid=61&__N=Bob%20Youngs

Bob will be missing Thanksgiving this year because he will be in the hospital but everyone is going to come and visit him and he's expecting an extra special dinner prepared by his son Christopher. Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and thanks,

Michele

Bob has kicked the cold and is in good spirits...

Family and Friends,

Thankfully Bob has kicked his cold with minimal issues, the ZPac worked! In addition he's been in good spirits and we spent some time with Christopher over the weekend. He and Bob played Star Wars and Bob's voice is coming back. His voice has improved by leaps and bounds and he's letting his hair grow out. I swear I think he gained hair during the chemotherapy!! He's got sideburns that are funny as heck. I'll try to post a photo later. Bob goes back into the hospital for his final round of chemotherapy on Monday November 23rd (during the week of Thanksgiving) and then he's done. He is very anxious to get it all over with and I can't blame him.

Thanks for keeping him in your thoughts and prayers.
Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob has a cold... and blog reflections

Family and Friends,

Bob got out of the hospital late Tuesday but yesterday started showing signs of coming down with a cold. I was very worried last night because Bob's immune system is so weakened that any little thing can progress very quickly into something large and life threatening. So we went to the doctor this morning and his oncologist prescribed him a ZPac and either Sudafed or Mucinex and said as long as he doesn't get a fever he should be okay. The good thing is that Bob's levels are starting to slowly go up on their own. His hemoglobin this morning was 9.9 and platelets at 29,000 so he won't need any transfusions today. We just have to monitor him closely for any signs of fever, but so far he hasn't had any.

That being said, I'd like to stop for a minute and say something about this blog. I write this blog for all of our family and friends to keep everyone up to date regarding Bob's progress. I know at times I can be a little harsh about what's going on, but because I have an iPhone I have the ability to write from anywhere and usually right as everything is happening. So the majority of my posts are uncensored and mostly stream of conciousness, and I usually don't take time to sit down and reflect before writing them. I know at times I can be hard on both the doctor's and the nurses that are providing care for Bob, but I feel it's my obligation to be thorough because Bob's life is at stake. That being said, I would like to say that for the most part I have been very impressed with the care that Bob has received at Bethesda as well as with his oncologist. She is a good doctor and I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone. I realize that everyone is human and sometimes things just slip through the cracks, but I am confident that she has Bob's best interests in mind. She has gone out of her way to be there for both Bob and myself throughout this process, and has been patient and has answered all of our questions. I realize that sometimes I should stop and say a few good things in this blog as well and going forward I will do more of this.

Finally, I met with the people from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society yesterday morning regarding "Woman of the Year" fundraising event for next April that Bob's doctor recommended me for. I have decided that I will participate and try to give back to a cause that has deeply affected Bob's family. I will post more about this at a later date.

Thanks for all the recent emails and phone calls about Bob. I read all the comments posted on this blog as well and even though I may not respond to all of them, they are all very much appreciated. Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.
Love and thanks,
Michele

Veteran's Day and Bob out of hospital...

Family and friends,

Bob was released from the hospital around 9:30pm last night. His hemoglobin was 8.5 and platelets at 25,000. These are still pretty low but he will go back to the oncologist Thursday and will more than likely need additional transfusions. Both myself and Christopher have the day off today so we are going to bake cupcakes with grandma and possibly go in the pool and have a cookout with Bob's aunt April and uncle Tom if the weather holds up. Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers and have a great Veteran's Day.

Love and thanks,
Michele


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bob still in hospital... Needs more blood still

Family and friends,

Bob is still in the hospital. He received 2 units of platelets and 2 units of packed red blood cells yesterday. He also received an additional unit of blood this morning. Unfortunately his counts are still low- hemoglobin at 7.2 and platelets at 26,000 so he will remain in the hospital today and get two more units of blood, then they will reassess. I have attached a photo of Bob's foot to give you an idea of peticulae - what happens when you have low platelets. The peticulae itself is not life threatening. We hope Bob will be released from the hospital early tomorrow morning if all goes well. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
Love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

Emergency admit to hospital...

Family and Friends,

I am beyond pissed off right now to the point of spitting nails. If you've been following the blog you know that last week I ranted about the fact that no one apparantly except for me feels it necessary about Bob's blood counts. On Friday Bob went to the doctor (and at that point should have gotten two units of blood). Well no one tested his blood counts on Friday because the doctor was moving her office. I was pissed. Fast forward to yesterday... Bob's face was broken out with peticlui (looks like measles). By this morning it had spread all over his body and when he woke up his tounge was twice it's normal size and fill with bloody postules. So needless to say we rush to the doctor, she says his low platelets are causing all of this and that he needs an emergency platelet transfusion. At this point it takes everything that I have to not start yelling because this whole damn thing could have been avoided if someone would have been proactive. So now here we sit, Bob and I at the hospital. It took an hour to get the blood results. His hemoglobin has dropped to 5.8 it's surprising to them he is still concious. Normal is between 12-16. His platelets are at 2. Seriously. They are supposed to be at 150,000-350,000. His white cells are non exisitant which means he has no immune system. I hope everyone can understand how frustrating this is because it all could have been prevented with some proactivity. So they are doing an emergency admittance into the hospital for Bob. I'll be here all day if you need me.
Please keep bob in your thoughts and prayers.
Love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

Surgery stitches removed, throat update...

Family and Friends,

Bob went by himself to the ENT surgeon this morning. He said that the doctor told him the wound was healing perfectly and his voice seems to be making progress. The stitches were removed. Time will tell if he needs further surgery or if his vocal cord will repair itself. After that he went to the oncologist. Bob has been getting Nupogen shots to bring up his white blood cell count this week. They are still low and so are his hemoglobin and platlets. I was very disappointed that his oncologist was not more proactive and would just give him 2 units of red blood cells and one unit of platlets. He's going to get to her office Monday morning and probably need 3 units of blood and 2 units of platlets and without being typed or crossed at the hospital he'll be at Bethesda ALL DAY and most likely all day Tuesday. I just don't get why doctors are reactive and not proactive. I'm in no way a doctor, but I can see the trend in Bob's bloodwork. How you could let anyone walk around with 50% of the blood in their body and not be proactive about it is beyond me. What if something happens to Bob over the weekend? I'm just saying...

It's annoying.

So, it looks like Bob doesn't qualify for unemployment benefits because he is unable to look for a job and from what the lady said Bob couldn't work at his last job so he technally wasn't laid off due to a lack of available work. Whatever. It's ridiculous. I'm just glad I got the long term disability straightened out. I'd recommend to anyone getting this insurance if it's available.

Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers. He only has ONE MORE ROUND OF CHEMOTHERAPY LEFT!!! (Thanksgiving week)

Lots of Love and Thanks,

Michele

Bob out of hospital, doing well after surgery

Family and Friends,

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween. As I said in my last post, Bob's surgery went well. That Friday I really noticed a difference in Bob's voice. He was speaking much deeper and not whispering at all. But then Saturday (most likely due to the fact that the swelling went down) Bob was back speaking in a hoarse whisper. He is going back to the ENT surgeon Thursday or Friday this week to have the stitches removed and once it's healed they will begin vocal testing to see the extent of the damage to his vocal cords. I am hoping things will get better with time.

As expected, Bob got out of the hospital on Saturday afternoon. He was in good spirits and insisted that he walk out of the hospital rather than get wheeled out. (He was very stubborn about this). In addition, he also insisted that I get him a costume for Halloween so that he could trick or treat with Christopher, Bob's uncle Tom, and myself. I went out and bought us matching pirate costumes and Bob was a real trooper. He walked his butt off and let me tell you it was hot as heck. Like 85 degrees, so hot that we had to bring poor Christopher home to change out of his polyester costume and into a RedSox t-shirt and shorts. We all had a fanstastic time on Halloween. I will post photos later.

Bob and I went to his oncologist this morning so that he could get a check up and a Nupogen shot. His counts are actually pretty good today and he didn't need any blood. He'll be going back every day this week for more shots and follow up. I also got a call from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Palm Beach wanting me to participate in their Woman of the Year. I have to call them back today. Bob's doctor was the one that nominated me and I was very honored that she'd think of me.

I will keep everyone posted of Bob's progress throughout the week. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob's surgery a success

Family and friends,

Bob's surgeon just came out to see me and said everything went well. The hole in his trachea was covered by muscle and he has 5 stitches that will need to be removed next week. He also looked at Bobs vocal chord and said the left one is "bowed out". At this time there is nothing they can do about it but wait until the stitches heal. Overall a success. Bob is in recovery and I'm hoping his voice is better. Thanks to everyone for you support.
Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers. If recovery goes well he'll be out of here by noon tomorrow just in time to see Christopher dressed up for Halloween.
Love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

Surgery scheduled for Friday...

Family and friends,

After calling the oncologist and explaining how it doesn't make sense for Bob to have a surgery scheduled for the same day that he is supposed to be discharged (Saturday), she spoke with the ENT and they have scheduled surgery for Friday - time TBD. I guess we'll take it and hope Bob recovers quickly before he is discharged. I also submitted the final paperwork for Bob's long term disaiblity claim. That was a nightmare. I am hoping finally that they will approve him and send him the last month's worth of checks. Other than that, everything is going pretty well with Bob. He is very tired, but spends his day watching NCIS, CSI Miami and playing on his iPhone. He wanted me to say hello to everyone for him.

Thanks to all who keep reading the blog. Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.
Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob saw ENT doc, going to have surgery...

Family and Friends,

Thanks so much for all the encouraging words to myself and Bob regarding his neck and speech. I really think it did the trick because when I woke up this morning I got a text from Bob saying that the ENT doctor came by and Bob let him put the scope partially down his throat. I was very proud of him. Now for the not so good news. There is still a hole where Bob's tracheotomy site is and the doctor wants to close it. It would involve placing a flap of muscle over the hole in the trachea and sewing the skin together above that. Bob would not be fully knocked out, but in twilight. The doctor would then put the scope down Bob's nose and see what else is wrong. The doctor said Bob's left vocal cord is not fully functioning. The ENT doc is going to consult with Bob's oncologist to see about a timeline for surgery, but it sounded like he wanted to do it on Halloween morning (Saturday). Now I spoke with Bob's doctor last night and she said that if he had surgery she'd preferably like to do it as soon as possible because of the chemotherapy and the fact that all his blood counts go down exponentially day by day as well as his immune system and his ability to clot. Since I had to go to work today I told Bob to tell the oncologist that he wants to see if they can do the surgery tomorrow. Bob's response was "The doctors know best". I started laughing!!

So needless to say, I'm going to call the oncologist today and see what we can do about pushing this surgery up. It doesn't make any sense to do it on Saturday, the day he's supposed to be discharged. If they did it today, at least they could observe him for a few days - one would thing that would be the most logical thing. But as I have learned over the past few months, there is no rhyme or reason to the doctor's decisions.

I am still fighting with Bob's insurance company trying to get him long term disability. They won't release any checks yet. I did however get him unemployment. Did you know the max unemployment in the state of Florida is $275 a week? what the heck can you buy for that?? It's ridiculous. I've got to get this crap straightened out ASAP.

Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and thanks,

Michele

Bob back in hospital...

Family and friends,
Bob is back in the hospital for his second to last round of chemotherapy. He's in good spirits (as you can see from the photo), but still very tired all the time. He's going into this round with high counts which is good, but still having issues with the tracheostomy site not healing. I actually think it's infected again. But... Bob is stubborn and does not want the ear nose and throat doc to look at it with a scope unless they knock him out. The doctor won't do that because of the chemo, so everyone is stuck looking at the wound from the outside only. I'm just hoping there is no permanent damage to his vocal chords. He's still speaking at a whisper and no one can understand him on the phone. That's about it. I'll be hopefully giving regular updates this week since he'll be in there until Saturday.
Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.
Love and thanks,
Michele


Bob with hair? Not...
-- Posted from my iPhone

Bob doing well, going back in for next round on Monday...

Family and Friends,

Sorry it's been 10 days since my last post. Things here have been hectic but good. The good news first - Bob has been doing fantastic on his blood counts - White blood and platlets are back in normal ranges and his hemoglobin is at 9.6 which is pretty high for him. Bob has been very tired and spends most days sleeping on the couch. We are working with his doctor on tweaking his pain medication which causes him to twitch -especially at night when he gets tired. They are trying to wean him off the pain patches first. Bob is still having issues with his tracheotomy site. At one point it looked like it was getting better, then we decided it would be a good idea put neosporin on it, and now it's getting worse. While Bob is in the hospital next Monday for his next round of chemo, they are going to have the surgeon look at it. I don't know how well that's going to go seeing as Bob won't let them look up his nose to get to his throat, but we'll see.

I'm still fighting for Bob to get long term disability. They have approved it finally after a month, but won't disperse until I get a letter from one of his doctors from 2008 stating he was receiving muscle relaxers for his back pain and not for cancer. It's just ridiculous. In addition, I received a phone call last week from Bob's work advising me that they laid off Bob. THANK GOD my company offers domestic partner medical and dental benefits, or Bob would be screwed. Cobra wanted almost $600 a month for medical alone. In addition, Bob has racked up over $1,000,000 in medical costs (yep, that's a Million with a capital M!) It's pretty screwed up- the insurance company tells you that you have a $5k co-pay, but then once you've reached that then they tell you they'll only pay 90%. So Bob's portion of the medical bills for the last 4 months is $100,000 out of pocket. Nice. I think we're better off living in Canada or Switzerland or something, but Bob won't have any of that. Sorry for the complaining, but it gets very frustrating fighting with these companies. At least Bob has Aetna now. I'm hoping they are much better.

Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers. He'll be in the hospital Monday October 26 and get out on Halloween afternoon - just in time to watch Christopher trick or treat!!

Love and thanks,

Michele

PS. I'll make sure to post some pictures of Bob soon.

Bob hanging in there...

Family and friends,

Bob is hanging in there. He's been napping alot. His blood counts unfortunately have been dropping steadily to the point where his platelets were at 6,000. Normal is between 150,000 and 350,000. He went in as an outpatient yesterday for two units of platelets. He's keeping busy today watching football and wanted to say hi to everyone.

Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and thanks,
Michele

Ps. Thanks to Powerhouse Gym for the t-shirt and get well card. That was so thoughtful!


-- Posted from my iPhone

Bob is home and happy

Family and friends,

Sorry its been a few days since ive updated the blog. Bob is home now and doing pretty well. He's been trying to sleep as much as possible. I'm going with him to the doctor tomorrow so they can show me how to flush his picc lines. His counts are doing surprising well so far too.

Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

Chemo a success so far, Bob coming home tomorrow...

Family and Friends,

Bob is holding his own very well with regard to the chemotherapy. His blood counts are holding steady and so are his platlets. The doctor said that Bob will be going home tomorrow. Bob is looking forward to eating real food (as opposed to hospital food) and getting to have Christopher come over to our house to play video games. The only issue that I'm dealing with now is fighting with Bob's insurance company Guardian to get him long term disability. They are making prove that Bob's Leukemia isn't a pre-exisiting condition (which is ridiculous).

Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers. As soon as he gets out tomorrow, I'm going to take a picture of him and post it so you can see his progress. He's been mainly living off snickers bars and whatchamacalits so he's putting on a few pounds since the hospital food isn't the greatest.

Love and thanks,

Michele

Day 1 of Round 3 chemotherapy finished

Family and Friends,

Day 1 of Bob's chemotherapy is finished and I must say that Bob is in good spirits. His counts before chemotherapy started were higher than they had ever been, 335,000 for platelets and hemoglobin at 11, his white count was in normal range as well. Bob has had no fevers in the past week, but has suffered from a screwed up internal temperature system. He's got the thermostat set at 65, and yet he's sweating through all his clothing. The doctor said it could be a side effect from the chemo, but as long as he's not showing a temperature everything is okay. They tested him again last night for MRSA in his neck area. I'm assuming it's going to come back positive again. Other than that, Bob's in good spirits and the doctor said as long as things go well, they can get him out of the hospital as early as Saturday which would be great!

Please continue to keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.
Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob heading back for round 3 of 5

Family and friends,

Bob is doing pretty good. He was happy to see his friends Mike and Ed yesterday who came from NYC and Ft. Meyers to see him. We had lunch and Bob got to do some catching up. This morning we went back to the hospital for antibiotic infusions and then over to my parents for lunch. Now we are hanging out with Christopher and hanging Halloween decorations.

Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers as he heads back in to the hospital.

Love and thanks,
Michele
Ps Bob wanted me to say hi to everyone for him


-- Posted from my iPhone

Bob coming home today

Family and friends,

They kept Bob an extra day yesterday because they wanted to load him up with blood, magnesium, and potassium IVs so he wouldn't have to get any more this week. They are saving his IV lines for the antibiotics for the MRSA. I changed the dressing on his tracheostomy site last night and it's still infected. I'm hoping once he gets home it will get better.

As most of you know I bought Bob a blackberry so that he could keep up with his emails while he was in the hospital. He didn't like the way the internet connection was (so he said, I think he was jealous that both Dave and I had iPhones) and now he wants one. So I bought him an iPhone today. He won't get it until I get off work, but I think he's going to be happy with it.

Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers. He goes back into the hospital on September 31 for the 2nd round of consolidation chemotherapy.

Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob might be going home Monday!

Family and friends,

After a couple of days with no fever and increasing white cell counts (thanks to nuprogen injections) the oncologist said that as long as Bob would be willing to go home with a picc line and get IV antibiotics everyday for the MRSA they might let him go home tomorrow. Needless to say he was very happy to hear the news. Christopher stopped by to see him which made him happy too. Although Bob is tired he is in good spirits. Please continue to keep him in your prayers and thoughts.

Love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

Bob feeling better...

Family and friends

Happy to report that bob is feeling much better today. No nausea, vomiting, or fevers! Also the doctor decided to put Bob's blood on standby (genious idea) and when he needed blood yesterday, he got it in 15 minutes. It's funny how effective a squeeky wheel is!

Bob is much happier being back on dilaudid, rather than morphine. The doctor also said bob has MRSA in his neck and backside. They had him on vancomycin, but had to change it due to him having hearing issues. Bobs appetite is back, so I know he's getting better and he's checking his emails too.

Lots of love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

Infection at tracheostomy site in neck

Family and friends,

Tonight was a rough night for Bob. He spent the night neaseous and throwing up every hour (even though he didn't eat anything all day). We think it might be from switching from the dilaudid to morphine. The nurse had to give him ambien just so he could get some sleep.

When we woke up this morning the nurse came in and hung a precaution sign on Bobs door saying everyone who comes in has to wear mask, gloves, and blue gown. She said he has some type of infection at the wound site in his neck. It takes 3 days or so to figure out exactly what he has because they grow it in a pietri dish so we are still waiting. Bob is tired sore and miserable. He is NOT checking his email or texts or phone calls.

Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

24 hrs later, we got platlets. No blood yet

Family and friends,

After writing the blog last night I went out and spoke to the charge nurse about getting Bob some ice packs. She was nasty to me and told me to sit in the room and wait for the nurse. I was so mad I was beside myself. I called the nursing supervisor over the whole hospital and complained. 2 minutes later my ice packs magically arrived. 10 minutes after that, so did the cooling blanket. The dumb nurse set the blanket on 45 degrees and after 10 minutes bob had enough. He said he'd rather die than freeze like that. I tried to explain that I could increase the temp to 98.6 like they did in the ICU but it was too late. There was no convincing him. I just had to take it off. He used ice the rest of the night. Although Bob had a fever throughout the night the nurse didn't bother to give him Tylenol until 7am. I had to call down to the bloodbank to give them hell at 6 to find out where the blood was. It was here but no one seemed to be in a rush to bring it up. Bob got the platlets at 10. And were now waiting on the red blood. Bobs temp is still at 102. He's packed in ice, he is neaseus and refuses to eat. I talked him into one jello and a Gatorade. The infectious disease doc came in and we told him about the MRI debacle and he said they'd do a CT instead. When Bob realized he had to drink contrast dye, he refused. That's been our day thus far.

Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and thanks,
Michele
Ps. They put Bob on a morphine PCA pump not dilaudid. And he's getting 1mg every 8 minutes.

Fourteen hours later and NO BLOOD STILL

Family and friends

It's almost 11pm and to say today has been frustrating would be a severe understatement. Bobs oncologist came in around 8:30am and ordered blood and platlets for Bob. We are still waiting on them. If you have been following this blog from the beginning you'd know this has been an issue before. Bethesda contracts with the big red bus which is community bloodcenters out of Orlando. They are waiting for blood to get here from there. Although my girlfriend is the director of the rival blood bank of south Florida and has previously told me whatever blood bob needed they would send it over in a matter of minutes, Bethesda hospital has refused. Time and time again have I asked. 11pm and still no blood. In addition Bob has now spiked a fever of 103. The nurse told me she ordered him a cooling blanket. That was an hour and a half ago. I have swiped some ice from the supply room and have stuffed rubber gloves with them and put them under Bob's arms to try to lower his fever. Tonight's nurse is USELESS.

Here's the icing on today's cake. They came to get Bob for an MRI. He wanted me to go with him. As the transporter wheeled Bob out of the room they were wheeling a person out of the room two doors down in a body bag down to the morgue. We had to wait next to the body bag while we took the elevator to the basement. I asked Bob if he was ok, he said yes, but it freaked me out. The MRI was one of the closed ones that's tight as a coffin with no room to breathe. As soon as they pushed Bob in he freaked out. He couldn't do it and I couldn't blame him after what he saw. Not to mention he had a fever, was in pain and was exhausted.

That was our day.

The only bright spot for Bob was that they gave him a pain pump that he could push every eight minutes and it would give him 1 mg of dilaudid. Now he was previously getting 2 mg if dilaudid every 2 hours. I'm no mathematician, but that's like 15 mg of dilaudid every two hours if he presses it every eight minutes which he's been doing. The nurse assured me when I pointed this out to her that the pain pump distributes the medication differently than an injection, but I think she's an idiot and I don't believe her. I'm exhausted and have had it up to here tonight. I'm going to raise some hell about getting Bob some proper ice packs.

Bob needs lots of prayers tonight, and I need a stiff drink...

Love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

Bob back on cancer wing, will be here awhile

Family and friends

Last night they admitted Bob back to the cancer wing. They gave him blood, platlets, and antibiotics throughout the night. Unfortunately when the oncologist came to visit this morning none of his counts had come up. He still has a fever albeit a low grade one. We had a consult from the infectious disease doctor as well. He is taking cultures of his tracheostomy site as well as his bed sore site to see if they are infected and are getting him an MRI to see if the bed sore wound got deep enough to infect bone in his back. In addition they have to put a picc line in but his platlets are still too low so they stuck poor Bob a million times for IVs and blood. He neausous, tired, and in lots of pain.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

Bob taken to emergency room

Family and friends,

When I got home from work today I went to pick Bob up from his parents house. When I got there he was complaining he was nauseous. We took his temperature and it was 101. I called his oncologist and she wanted us to immediately bring him into the ER. She said because he's on antibiotics he shouldn't be getting a fever and if he is that it can't be good. We are sitting in the ER room right now, they've done a million blood tests and so far his platlets are at 20,000 (normal is between 150k-450k) and his white count is at .3 we are awaiting the rest of the tests. In the meanwhile they have him a chest xray, IV fluids and gave him vancomycin. I'm very worried about Bob and will stay with him as long as it takes


until they get him stable. Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers tonight. He's going to need it.

Love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

Bob's blood dropping again

Family and friends,

This morning Bob went to his oncologist. Over the weekend his platlets dropped to 8,000 and his hemoglobin to 6.5. The doctor gave Bob the option of being readmitted to the hospital or go in on an outpatient basis for transfusions today. Needless to say he chose outpatient and I dropped him off at Bethesda at 9am. It's 6pm now and he's still at it. They gave him 2 red blood transfusions, 2 platlets, and a magnesium IV. He is tired but in good spirits. The doctor said he will need chemo up until December so we won't be having our welcome home/engagement party until January it looks like.

Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.

Love and thanks,
Michele


-- Posted from my iPhone

Bob's platelets dropped to 8,000 - transfusion needed

Family and friends,

Bob has been out of the hospital for the last 4 days. He has been doing good at home and spending the afternoons at his parent's house. It gives him the opportunity to see Christopher and eat his Mom's famous "macaroni and tuna fish" that he eats by the truckloads! He went to see the oncologist today and they said his platelets have dropped dramatically to 8,000. He is back at Bethesda now having a platlet transfusion on an outpatient basis. I am very concerned that he may become neutropenic over the next few days and he will have to start wearing a mask so as to not get any infections.

He has 2 wounds still, the trachesotomy in his throat as well as the stage 3 bed sore wound that he is dealing with. I have gotten pretty good at taking care of these wounds but we have an appointment with a wound care center tomorrow so that I can get proper training in dressing them for him.

Bob wanted me to tell everyone thank you for all the help and support he has gotten. I will follow up tomorrow and let you know how he's doing.

Love and thanks,
Michele

The eagle has landed.... Bob is HOME!!!!!

Family and friends,

It is with great joy that I can finally say that Bob is home!! He got home late last night, I made the couch up for him today and he is getting around with a cane in the house. Christopher stopped by to visit today for about an hour and he and I played while Bob watched. The smile that came across Bob's face was priceless. It is a time for happiness and celebration today.

Bob's counts are still low and according to the doctor may be dropping still so he may have to go into the hospital on an outpatient basis for a blood transfusion every couple of days. Tomorrow I am going to go back to work and Bob is going to spend the day with his parents.

I cannot even begin to thank everyone for all the love and support you have provided Bob and I over the past 70 something days. Bob still has 2 more rounds of Chemotherapy to go over the next two months. I will be still keeping up this blog daily as his progress continues, so please keep reading!! He still has a long road to recovery.

Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob possibly coming home MONDAY!!!

Family and friends,

I don't want to jinx it, but the doctor said that if Bob can show that he's not actively bleeding and it's safe for him, she's going to let him go home on Monday!! His counts dropped a little bit today, but that was to be expected. He's having a lot of joint pain and has his last day of chemo today. Please wish him well!

Bob's friend Dave left us today to go back to Ohio. He was such a help to me during this week, watching Bob while I worked. I cannot thank him enough!

Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers and I'll update his progress over the weekend. Have a fun and safe Labor day!!

Love and thanks,
Michele

Spinal Tap today... not the movie either...

Family and friends,

Bob has finished his second day of chemotherapy and has one more day to go. This morning the Chief of Surgery came into his room and wanted to put a scope up his nose and down into his throat to see the reason that Bob hasn't been able to speak as well as he should. (He still sounds very hoarse and like Darth Vader) Bob refused the scope and I chased after the surgeon and asked if he could come back next week. He said he would try.

I think Bob was just a bit overloaded this morning because his oncologist told him she wanted to do a spinal tap on him today to see if the Leukemia has gotten into his spinal cord and brain. I've seen this procedure done on TV and it look like it hurts like hell. I'll give an update once this happens.

Bob's friend Dave who has been staying with Bob this week has started a "Lift Strong" line of apparel and merchandise which just launched on his website September 1. All proceeds from the sale of this gear go towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Bob is not the only person who has been affected by this disease in the powerlifting community and it is amazing when a group of committed individuals get together for a common goal the things they can accomplish. If you are interested in any of the merchandise or reading about other cancer survivors affected by this, I encourage you to check out Dave's posts at http://www.elitefts.com/documents/liftstrong09.htm
the link for the apparel is : www.Elitefts.com/liftstrong

Thanks again to everyone for their prayers and words of encouragement for Bob. He really appreciates it.

Love and thanks,
Michele

Day 1 of Chemotherapy has started

Family and friends,

Bob's doctor started him on chemotherapy last night at 6pm. He receives it via IV and it takes a few hours to get through. He got his second bag of chemo this morning at 6am. He is a bit nauseous but doing okay. He will get his next round at 6pm on Wednesday night. He seems very mobile and is trying to keep his weight up. Yesterday they weighed him and he was 198. (that's up about 15 pounds from a few weeks ago). Dave is here and is taking great care of him during the day.

I'd like to especially thank Traci Tate today. With her kids starting school and running two businesses, the fact that she can sacrifice her husband for a week to take care of Bob while I work is incredible. I am truly grateful and appreciative.

Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.
Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob to STAY in Boynton Beach...

Family and Friends,

After days of fighting with U of Miami/Jackson about trying to find a bed at their hospital so that Bob can receive his chemotherapy that is 55 days overdue, they finally called this morning to tell me that they had a bed for him. Upon further investigation however, they decided that Bob was going to share a room. I reminded them that Bob needed chemo, that he would be neutropenic soon, and that he had MRSA. They basically told me "too bad" and said it's double room or nothing. In addition, I wouldn't be able to spend the night with him either. I asked about the special air mattress that Bob had been using because of his bed sore wound, and they blew me off on that too. After relaying this to Bob, he'd had about enough. He decided that he was going to stay at Bethesda. Although the doctors may not round 24/7, and they are not on the cutting edge of technology, they do know him as a person and treat him like he matters. Because he's been there for 2 months all the nurses know him, they have a vested interest in keeping him alive. They kept him alive the first time when his liver, kidneys and lungs shut down and he was bleeding internally. I'm satisfied that they can do it a second time with the lesser chemotherapy too. The only way we would transfer him is if he needed a transplant, and he's not at that stage right now.

I spoke with Bob's oncologist and they are starting the chemo today at 6pm. Please say a prayer or wish him luck.

Love and thanks,
Michele

Still waiting on transfer...

Dear family and friends,

I have been very frustrated with UM and Bob's transfer. We are still waiting on a bed for him at Jackson Memorial and they are not too friendly in the admitting department there. I really hope that we are making the right decision with regard to transferring him.

For the good news, Bob is getting around so much better! He is now able to walk with a cane and use the restroom on his own. It is definitely giant strides from 2 weeks ago where he could barely lift his hands. We are working on trying to put some weight on him now.

Also, I bought Bob a belated birthday gift. He got a blackberry, so he's able to read his email again (at least temporarily until the chemo starts) and he also has access to his facebook page.

Finally, I'd like to say a big thank you to Mike "paper" Stutchner. He participated in the IPA Power Station Pro-Am last weekend and wore a shirt that said "lift strong for Bob Youngs". I just one of them in the mail. He had all of Bob's powerlifting friends sign it. I am going to give it to him today and hang it on his wall in the hospital. I really think it is going to make him happy and lift his spirits.

I promise I'll write more when we get to Miami. Bob's friend Dave is coming on Sunday to help me and I know we'll have a lot to write about.

Love and thanks,

Michele

R.I.P. Renegade 1998-2009

Family and Friends,

Yesterday was a very sad day for our family. My sister's dog Renegade had to be put to sleep. He was 11. Although he was my sister's dog, my whole family felt like he was all of ours. I remember when my brother-in-law Tony brought Ren home to my parents house for the first time. He was such a cute puppy! He tried to bite my toe, and when he ran, he would always fall over because his head was so darn big!! He reminded me alot of the movie "Marley and Me". He was a big dumb dog that did stupid things sometimes, but we all loved him nonetheless. He would never bite anyone, possibly lick you to death. My dad loved Renegade most of all. He'd go over to Lori and Tony's house with a pocket full of dog treats and Ren would drool all over the place. My dad would hide the treats throughout their house so Rene could find them. Renegade was 125 lbs and died do to complications from hip displaysia on his hind legs. Renegade was a great dog and we are all going to miss him.

I know this blog is about Bob's recovery, and I'll write about that next, but I needed to say this about Renegade. With everything that's been going on, the loss of him really affected me yesterday.



Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob to be transferred to University of Miami cancer center

Family and Friends,

After speaking with Bob and his oncologist last night, Bob feels that it would be in his best interest if he was transferred to the University of Miami Slyvester Cancer Center. I have been making phone calls and hopefully we can get him transferred by tomorrow so that he can start chemotherapy. Everything else is going pretty well. Bob is in good spirits after learning his cancer hasn't come back.

I will write later when I have more to report.

Love and thanks,

Michele

MIRACLES EXIST!! Bob still in remission!!

Dear Family and Friends,

I received a phone call from Bob's oncologist this afternoon. Bob had me on speaker when she got into his room to deliver the news. She said that she spoke to the pathologist this afternoon regarding Bob's prognosis and that miraculously Bob is still in complete remission. They classify remission as less than 5% blast cells in the body and initial reports indicate that Bob has less than 2%. The doctor was very surprised, as was I, because all indications in his blood work (the drop in hemoglobin, platelets, and white cells) are all indicative of the cancer coming back. She had no explanation for it. Bob will still need to receive 3 day consolidation chemotherapy which is still very risky due to his condition, but it will not require him to be transferred to Boston. He and I will be discussing whether or not he wants to remain at Bethesda for continued treatment or possibly go to UM Sylvester in Miami. Either way, they are going to want to start the chemotherapy this week.

In other news, Bob took a barium swallow test to see if he could stop drinking thick liquids and move back to regular liquids like water. He has to drink barium and they do xrays to see if the liquid passes to his stomach or if some gets aspirated into his lungs. He passed with flying colors! Good news abounds!

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone again for all the donations received, and special thank you to Mussa Mohkami, a powerlifter from Germany for writing Bob a letter today. Although Bob has never met Mussa, his letter was very inspirational and I read it to him this morning when he woke up. Here is an exerpt:

"I do belive in an higher power, a power that is bigger than man. The mind is a great tool - it can make the impossible, possible. I belive when you think positive and put all your energy and the energy of friends and family and loved ones fans and iron brothers all around the globe together there is nothing that you can´t do!"

I echo his sentiments exactly. Thank you to everyone who has been pulling for Bob. It means more than you'll ever know.

Love and thanks,
Michele

Tracheostomy removed, Bob needed blood again...

Family and friends,

Yesterday Bob's blood results came back and they were low which was very concerning for the doctor, especially since Bob hasn't been bleeding. She said it may be an indication that his leukemia has come back. We won't know those results for sure until late Wednesday. Hopefully she's wrong. So in the meanwhile, she had to give Bob 2 units of packed red blood. His counts were in the 7s. In addition, Bob had his trachesotomy removed. He said that it didn't hurt a bit. The only thing is that his throat is very sore and he can't speak again temporarily because it hurts too much. He's got his swallow test later on this afternoon that he's looking forward to because if he passes he can drink clear liquids again.

Please say a prayer for Bob in hopes that his leukemia hasn't come back. If it has, he's going to have to be transferred to a specialty cancer hospital possibly out of state and he's going to have a long road to battle, worse than before (if that's possible).

Love and thanks,

Michele

Bone Marrow Aspriation Completed

Family and friends,

I stayed at the hospital with Bob last night because the oncologist said she was going to perform the bone marrow aspiration at 6:45 this morning. She gave Bob Ativan and Demerol to help with the pain and anxiety. He did fantastically. We're now waiting for the pulmonologist to see if Bob's going to get the trach out. I'll let you know as soon as we hear something.

Love and thanks,

Michele

Sunday afternoon update

Family and friends,

Bob is adjusting very well back at Bethesda. We've had tons of nurses come by to welcome him back both from the cancer wing as well as the ICU. (He's a very popular guy!) Bob is getting stronger every day, walking around the room with the help of the walker and setting daily goals. The oncologist confirmed that he is not bleeding in his stool which was fantastic and they feel that Bob is strong enough to have the trach out as early as tomorrow. They were unable to perform the bone marrow aspriation on Friday so Bob's doctor is going to do that first thing tomorrow morning. Bob is also eating like a horse which is great!! We'll know more what is going on by Wednesday as to whether he is going to stay here for treatment or go elsewhere.

I'll keep everyone posted.
Love and thanks,
Michele

Bob going back to Bethesda hospital today...

Family and friends,

Lots of news since the last blog. After speaking with the GI doctors from the Cleveland Clinic, it is their belief that Bob is no longer bleeding from his small bowel. After reading the pathology slides from the surgery that happened, they determined that Bob had small bowel ischemia, where there is a loss of blood to the intestine. They felt the ulcer could have been caused by the leukemia or the overuse of NSAIDS. They did not feel at this time that a double balloon enteroscopy would be beneficial to Bob and would do more harm than good and felt comfortable that he could successfully undergo chemotherapy at this time.

That being said, we spoke to both oncologists at the Cleveland Clinic and at Bethesda. They both agreed since Dr. The at Bethesda had all of Bob's records and had completed the initial bone marrow aspirations, that it should be continued at Bethesda. When the results come in, we'll take it from there. If he's still in remission and only needs the 3 day consolidation therapy we'll see if he wants to stay at Bethesda or go to Moffett center in Tampa, or if he has relapsed (which is a possiblity since he has missed his 2nd scheduled chemo by 30 days) then we would definately not keep him at Bethesda and he would go directly to Tampa for treatment. (Bob has decided to stay in state and not be transferred at this time to Boston as we had originally intended).

As Bob's friend Dave reminded me, this week has not been a loss. Bob can now walk with the aid of a walker, he has full mobility of his hands to the point where he texted me this morning, he can speak now with the aid of a passy muir valve much more cleary than before, he can use the bathroom, and he is getting stronger. This will continue to be our focus this week as we prepare for the chemo treatments he has ahead of him.

Thanks to everyone for their continued thoughts, prayers and support.

Love and thanks,
Michele

Decision time

Family and friends,

I spoke with the GI doctor this morning regarding the unsuccessfulness of the 3rd camera pill. They are going to be reviewing the pathology slides, the results from the 2nd camera pill that worked, and all of Bob's blood work over the past week to make a determination as to whether they want to proceed with the double balloon endoscopy or whether they believe Bob has stopped bleeding -if this is the case they will release Bob back to Bethesda tomorrow. At this point I told them whatever it is, they need to decide today because we've already lost a week that could have been used for giving him chemotherapy. The GI doc said he would call me back later today with a decision. In the meanwhile Bob continues to cough up blood although it is much less than yesterday. I will continue to follow up today with them until a decision has been made and let everyone know.

Love and thanks,

Michele

PS. Here is a photo of the team that hosted the "Pulling for Bob" powerlifting event last week. Again special thanks to both World Gym Power Performance team of Ft. Meyers and Southside Barbell. Thanks to all!