Blaine's Progress

Final Post

2010-09-14T15:10:00.032-06:00

I have been putting this off, but I feel the time has finally arrived. This will be the final post for Blaine's Progress. I am no longer able to track that, others in another place will. I know he is doing well. I will leave this post up for 2-3 weeks for people who would like to comment to do so.

How are we? There are surely days and parts of days that are hard, and we grieve, but we are handling things. We are moving forward, not moving on. We will not move on from him, ever, but we will move forward. He is eternally part of us.

-Dani is back in school, still loves BYU, has great friends and a good apartment with good roommates who have chosen to room together, taking a basketball class with half of the BYU football team. Hmmmmm.... She has worked hard this last year, paying off a good chunk of her student loans from her earnings. She is moving forward towards her degree. She makes us proud.

-Josh is getting to know Laie, Hawaii as a new freshman at BYU-Hawaii. Today is the last day of orientation and classes start tomorrow. He has made incredible choices this past year and done everything we have asked him to do. He put the family's needs ahead of his own several times, sacrificing things he had worked hard for. He will now, we hope, gain some of those things in Hawaii. We are also very proud of Joshua.

-Alexis continues to choose well, keeping a great circle of friends as close as she can while attending early morning seminary and working in her classes. She looks forward to Basketball season, and will benefit from her now 5'10" frame. She sings in the Advanced Ladies Choir which she enjoys very much, and for whom there is a fabulous director. She finds ways of offering small acts of service that help others. She is a joy and a delight to me. I am proud of Alexis Leigh.

-Kyle has done very well also. I am very proud of the growth and development I see in him. Yesterday I looked outside and Kyle was mowing the lawn. With no prompting from anyone! (Insert angels singing.) He has gained confidence and self esteem, and is enjoying his scout troop and friends. He also looks forward to basketball. I am pleased with, and proud of Kyle.

-Marleigh is teaching music part time at Heber Valley Elementary School as well as teaching private voice, and taking a class at BYU. Yes, we are busy.

Our household make up has changed drastically. It went from six people, to five, to six again this summer, to suddenly three: Alexis, Kyle and I (and Jarah, our golden retriever). I hardly know how to cook for so few! We are learning. My children find it very weird to be part of a one parent home, but we are managing that just fine. They are helpful and kind to me, and mostly to each other. We spent the weekend together in Jackson, Togwotee and Yellowstone Wyoming, in honor of where Blaine and I spent the first part of our honeymoon. It was wonderful. We continue to find joy in each other's company, and seek it first and foremost.

I need to tell you a bit more about who my husband is, not was! He still lives, just in another sphere. He is full of faith in Christ. He was prepared to meet his God, and I am sure did so with joy, and perhaps relief to no longer have to suffer, for suffer he did. He bore cancer with such dignity. He lived his life as my husband and our children's father so very well. I cannot express my pride in him, and the joy I have to be his wife. I am so very proud to call him my husband.
He taught me to be steady in my emotions. He taught me to stand still when all around me was in turmoil. That turmoil never had to reach inside. He showed us how to bear things with dignity and grace, and not just cancer. He had the faith to be patient while things worked out, or didn't, while he stood on solid ground, even when his surroundings were not so solid. He stood still and held firm.

Hel. 5: 12 (Book of Mormon)
12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

He lived this injunction. He helped me to live it better, and we pass it on to our children with the hope that they will continue to live it in the excellent manner they have chosen. Blaine built his personal house on the rock of his redeemer, Jesus Christ. The success we have had, and I feel like we have had much of it, is because of that sure foundation. We move forward, continuing to put our faith, hope and trust in our loving Heavenly Father who is the God of life. We put our selves in His loving hands, knowing that He knows how to do His work, and that He does it perfectly. In matters of life and moving beyond this life to the next one, He does not make mistakes. Though I miss Blaine terribly now, I can't wait for the day when I get to rush up to him and throw my arms around him. I look forward to that day with joy, and know that this life still holds much joy for the Blaine and Marleigh Savage family. We are grateful to have shared this part of our journey with you, and look forward to keeping in touch we hope, with so many. God Bless, and take care.

Blaine and his sister, Shauna, one of his life time best friends

Weeks before our wedding

Engagement photo

Dani's blessing day

Joshua's birthday

Alexis, just days old

Kyle at one year

The four amigos

Alexis

Alexis

NH family

Heber vacation

Portland, Maine

Boston, Mass, Freedon Trail

Maine again

Acworth winter!

Bishop Savage and his counselors, Paul Liberty and Daryl Hodgins

Memorial Information

2010-08-17T11:46:00.005-06:00

John 14: 27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.

I copied this scripture because it is what I have been feeling since Blaine was interred in Bicknell, Utah. I cannot describe the sense of peace and serenity I have with all that has happened in the last year and a half. Though it has been exceedingly difficult and he suffered much, he is at peace, at rest. Everything was done that could be, including vitamin and herb supplements, careful diet, and the medical community's level best efforts. Nothing was left untried. He was able to spend his last year in his Utah home which he loved, surrounded by his family, including extended family. Though the kids and I are very sad and miss him tremendously, the peace that surpasseth all understanding remains. It's quite a mix, and one I am grateful for. I think I will be closing this blog soon, but will wait for the final post until after his memorial with family in New England, the beloved Ascutney ward (which is very much family), and any others who wish to participate. Though we will not be there in person, we will have an audio feed so we can hear everything. Until then.

Marleigh

When: 6:00 PM Sunday, August 22
Where: Ascutney Chapel, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Who: All are welcome and appreciated
Dress: Sunday best

Directions from 91
Exit 8, towards town (right off ramp from south, left from north)
Left at light onto route 5, towards Windsor
1/4 mile on right, brick chapel set back from the road

Directions to Funeral

2010-08-07T10:45:00.003-06:00

Directions to Blaine's services at the LDS Chapel located on 2395 South Mill Road in Heber City, UT (1200 East Mill Road)

From Salt Lake:
I-80 East through Parley's Canyon to Park City
40 East (right exit)to Heber City (follwo signs that say Heber City)
Stay on 40 through town, through all lights (5 or 6) past hospital,
Take a left onto Center Creek Road (just after Log Works)
Chapel will be on the left, about a 1/4 of a mile

From Provo:
Take Provo Canyon (Route 89 East)
End at light in Heber City (about 1/2 hour)
Turn Right, go about 1 mile
Left onto Center Creek Road (just after Log Works)
Chapel will be on the left, about a 1/4 of a mile

Just to reiterate:
Viewings:
6-8 PM Sunday August 8,
9:30-10:30 AM Monday August 9

Funeral:
11:00 AM Monday August 9

All services will be at the Mill Road Chapel (directions above)

There will be a service also in Ascutney, Vermont. Details will be forthcoming.

Thank you again for all of your love. We are sorry we cannot respond to everyone, but please know how much your calls and messages help us even if we can't respond individually. Don't be afraid to try and reach us. If we can respond we will, if not, please know that we are aware you reached out, and that means a great deal. Thanks.

Marleigh

Funeral

2010-08-05T19:48:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone,

My dad's funeral is going to be on Monday, Aug. 9th, 11:00 AM at the Old Mill Ward LDS Chapel in Heber City, UT. There will be a viewing the night before on Sunday, the 8th, from 6-8 PM and another viewing monday morning from 9:30-10:30 AM at the chapel. We will be having the burial the next day, Tuesday the 10th, in Bicknell, UT. Everybody and anybody is welcome:) We would love to see you there, even if you didn't know my dad very well.

If you have any questions or need directions, please email us ( nhsavages@hotmail.com )

We love you! Thank you so, so much for all of your kind messages and phone calls. Almost everyone we've talked to has offered to help us in any way they can, and while we don't really have anything specific or tangible, your messages, prayers and phone calls really do mean the world. We're thinking of all of you, too. Thanks again. We have been blessed with the best friends and family. Your love is invaluable.

Love you, and God bless. :)

The Savages

-Here's the address for the chapel:
Map of 1200 E Center Creek Rd, Heber City, UT 84032-3676

2010-08-04T23:09:00.008-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Tonight at 7:20 MST our dad joined our Heavenly Father, our Savior, Grandma Savage, his sister Becky, and countless others who love him and have been waiting for him to rejoin them.

When we stepped outside after he had gone, we found that there was a giant double rainbow outside. We all felt like Heavenly Father and Dad had sent it to us to let us know that they love us, and he's okay.

Love you Dad. We sure do miss you.

Love,

The Savage Family

2010-08-04T15:59:00.002-06:00

Hey everybody, this is Dani.

Yesterday morning at about 7:00 I got a call from my mom asking me if I could go up to the Heber hospital to see her and my dad. The night before my dad had checked into the hospital, and my mom stayed with him all night. It was a hard night. That morning, my mom and dad made the decision to move my dad to our cousins the Haderlie's home to be with us for this last little bit. He doesn't have much time left, we're expecting him to pass away either tonight or tomorrow. Most likely it will be tonight. He has been in a lot of pain for a long time, and it is a blessing for him that he gets to go back home to our Heavenly Father now.

My mom says to tell you all that it's a New England blustery day, which is a tender mercy for her, especially as we have received so many phone calls from that side of the country. To our friends from both coasts and all over, thank you so much during this time, we've felt your prayers, blessings and love. Please keep praying for us. We love you so very much. Take care, and know that even if we don't answer the phone, respond to emails or other messages yet, we will and are so grateful that you've taken the time to show how much you care.

Love from all of us,

The Savage Family

To Seattle and back....

2010-07-29T13:43:00.020-06:00

Marleigh and I have always wanted to go to Seattle, to view the coast and maybe see a whale or two.

Well, it never really worked out with work and then moving to the East. But it's always been in the back of our minds. Maybe on our twentieth wedding anniversary -which didn't work out so well since I was on an airplane headed to Huntsman on that day.

This past week we were able to make it happen, with the help of many, many people; my cousin John and his wife Mary and their great kids, Jenn at the Huntsman clinic for making the arrangements with the Seattle Cancer Clinic, Josh Smart (Captain Josh), James and Jesse for making sure our van was road worthy, Toni at the kennel, and Sue & family, to name a few. Thanks to all those who helped, it's been a long time in the making and has created memories that will last a lifetime for me and my family.

We had a GREAT time. Captain Josh took us out to the San Juan Islands were we saw Orca (Killer Whales), fished, jelly fish, seals, eagles, and even some big horn sheep (go figure).

The kids loved going to the beach with their cousins where they caught clams, oysters, and jelly fish (the dead and non poisonous kind). They also swam and kayaked.

Again, we had a great time. I'll throw in some photo's and call it good for this blog.

Blaine

He's home.

2010-07-14T19:30:00.007-06:00

Blaine's nose is bleeding a very small amount now, just residuals. He is home, and has had his final radiation treatment for the tumors he is currently presenting. We are amazed again at everyone's kindness and love. We so appreciate all that everyone does for our family. We are amazed and lifted, as well as very touched. It never gets old, ever. We hope as a family, to one day be able to give to others as we have been blessed. God bless each and every one of you.

Quote of the day:

"Josh, you up to replacing the radiator in the van?"

Silence...

"Whatever happened to super-glue and duct tape?!"

Have a wonderful, wonderful day.

NBFH

2010-07-11T06:35:00.015-06:00

Marleigh has mentioned the difficulties of the week. But I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The tipping point that brought us to the ER was a nose bleed (from here on I will refer to it as NBFH-nose bleed from heck) that started 8pm Wednesday and is just now subsiding. The cause is a vein on the back side of a cytoma pressing in my nasal cavity. This cytoma has been a double whammy; it has blocked airflow in my right nostril and caused this NBFH in the other. Nasty bugger, and kind of gross. The treatment has been Radiation, Chemo, and inserting a Nasal Foley (sp) which is a tube placed in through my nose into this cavity. The Foley is then inflated to put pressure on the bleeding vein. They've packed my nostrils with everything from Afrin nasal spray, gauze, and tampons (weird but very effective). Again, the good news is that it seems to be working. The NBFH is nothing but a trickle this morning, whereas on Wednesday is felt like a rather large stream. The eye also has begun to resolve, with reduced swelling, and no more gross discharge. The vision is still not good.

It is 7am as I look out over the beautiful Salt Lake Valley. From Huntsman Cancer Hospital we have a great view of downtown including Temple Square. We will be here until the NBFH is no more, so if you've never prayed for a nosebleed-now's your chance. I'm hoping to go home tomorrow... we'll see what the Doctors say.

On a side note... I know we've confused everyone with our email address. Our nhsavages@myfairpoint.net address has blown up, never to be used again. This means our distribution list also went away. So I'm switching to comcast.net. We will still be using hotmail.com, but Comcast offers better distribution list options. As I send out this blog if you receive it more than once, let me know. If there are people who are on the list but don't want to be, let me know. If you notice someone from previous lists that have disappeared, let me know. The best way to get a comment to us is on the comment area of this blog. If you are not sure how to do that, remember to use the 'anonymous' tab when publishing the comment, but please let us know your name in the comment. We like to know who is thinking of us.

Thanks to all who have helped us this week, thanks for your comments and support, thanks for your love.

Blaine

Hard

2010-07-08T20:57:00.004-06:00

Blaine is in the hospital and oh boy, has it been rough. I won't try to share everything. He developed progressive symptoms and landed in the ER last night then was admitted. He may or may not get to go home tomorrow. He has new tumors causing him grief, incuding visual impairment in one eye. We've been monitoring changes in his blood pressure along with a slew of other things. He has received multiple rounds of chemo and radiation today, as well as other procedures and meds. This one has been rough. Will blog later, either one of us.

Would it spoil some vast eternal plan?

2010-06-24T06:03:00.013-06:00

It’s 5:30 am (MST), haven’t slept a wink… that means I’m back on Dextamethasome. I take this in conjunction with a Chemo medicine called Cytoxan, which seems to be the most effective (if not only chemo that has an affect on the Cancer).

There are blogs that I’ve really hesitated writing and posting. There have been many that I’ve written and deleted because I thought they would be too hard to read. This is one of them. I know the affect they have on those who have been following. You have faith, joy, and hope when we have faith, joy, and hope. You also mourn when we mourn. You suffer when we suffer. And I know you weep when we weep. To me this blog has reasons to weep, but also reasons to show faith and hope. I’ll explain.

We met with Dr. Tricot on Tuesday and frankly the news was mixed. He did his best to put a positive spin on things. He said the results from the PET/CT Scan were inconclusive or could be clouded by the Nulasta shot that I recently had. But upon reading the report, they made the statement that the results were not clouded by the Nulasta shot. Also, when we spoke with him on Monday the results from the Bone Marrow Biopsy were not in. The report came in Wednesday and again, the news was not good. It showed 60% plasma content. 10% means you have Multiple Myeloma. 60% is obviously a very high, discouraging percentage.

Marleigh seems to think that he is trying to protect me from the bad news.

The simple fact is that those who are diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (MM) will die from it (unless they are first struck by lightning, run over by a car, etc). There is no cure, yet. We’ve known this from the beginning and I hope we’ve communicated that through these blogs. The million dollar question is ‘how much time do we MM patients have to live’. We’ve heard numbers ranging from 2 years to over 10 years. From the beginning my MM has been very aggressive, I’ve made Dr. Tricots’ top 5 list of aggressive cases (of over 5000 patients). So, right off the bat the odds have been against me.

Nobody has been willing to give their best guess for the amount of time I have left… until now. When we met with our Oncologists/Medical professions at both Dartmouth and Huntsman they estimated less than a year. One estimated less than half that.

Things we know… I have tumors that continue to grow; both internally and externally. You should see the nasty ones on the top of my head and the equally nasty ones growing on the two ports on my chest. We are going to radiate the big ones on my head and the ones on my chest. The radiation worked on the tumors on my lip and gum, so we think it’ll work on these four. We know the Cytoxan has had an affect on the tumors. After each round they have been reduced. We also know that they come back quickly (except on the radiated ones). This is an indication that the Cancer is alive and well.

Things that we don’t know… we don’t know the affect the new routine/mix of drugs will have. At the onset, Dr. Tricot said it would take 6 weeks to 3 months (and maybe up to 6 months) to know if it is having any affect. So we are still waiting for these drugs to kick in. For me, this still gives me hope and encouragement. I know it’s a long shot, but somehow, someday, and on someone they will find a cure for MM. Why not THIS? Why not NOW? Why not ME? Again, stealing a thread from Fiddler on the Roof; Tevye asks ‘Would it spoil some vast eternal plan, if I was a wealthy man?’ Well, I’m asking ‘Would it spoil some vast eternal plan, if I were to beat this Cancer?’

Now, there are things the Medical Professionals don’t know when they make their prognosis… They don’t know that I am full of faith. I believe I’m going to beat their time frames, maybe by a lot. It could be this new routine/mix of drugs that I’m taking. I could make medical history with this new treatment. Maybe that’s my mission.

I’m more inclined to think it’s because of the faith and prayers of my family and friends. Because of blessings and Temple and Church prayer rolls. As I pray, I’m comforted. I know that I’m in Gods hands, that His Will will be done. If that means the short end of the time frame then that’s what it means. But I hope it means the longer end of the time frame. I’d settle for somewhere towards the upper end of the time frame, say 7 years- Do you think God negotiates ; ) Again, I’m at peace. And I think my family is getting there too, at least that is what I pray for.

Marleigh keeps reminding me of the account of Abraham and Isaac in the Old Testament (Genesis 22 for those interested).

Genesis 22: 1-2, 6-13
“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of… And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”
(end of scripture).

It was at only at the LAST MOMENT that the angel of the Lord called ‘Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him’ and then the Lord provided him a ram caught in the thickets to be offered instead. I believe that my life may come down to the last moments, but there will be a ram in the thickets to be offered instead.

The good news… My appetite has been good and I’m gaining weight. Both positive signs that I’m still battling. My energy level is good and I remain active; this past week I’ve been fishing 3 times and went up in an ultralight airplane (may be a stretch to call it an airplane) once. Picture a lawn mower with wings (check out the pictures). Thanks Glen, Van, and Grandpa. It was a blast and I hope for a repeat of both activities. I’m still working, I have a great job that allows me to work a majority of my time out of my home office. My next scheduled travel trip is to Chicago in August. I plan on being there. I've just purchased Elk hunting tags for this fall and plan on taking my boys on a great hunting trip.

Marleigh mentioned our recent trip to New England. We love and miss the good people there. It was so good to see our many friends and family. We felt your love and support. Thank you.

Well, I’m going to end this. I know it’s been a mixed bag. Please keep us in your prayer (thoughts if you’re not inclined to praying). I can’t tell you what it means to us, it fills us with love and support.

Blaine

New England

2010-06-11T22:27:00.011-06:00

May 24 - fly out of Salt Lake City, snowing
May 25 - 1st day of work, 94 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade, travel to Dartmouth (2 hour drive) for labs, slightly elevated CRP
May 26 - return to Dartmouth, 2 units of whole blood, 1 unit of platelets
May 27 - saw the ocean, Hampton beach, 60's, ocean breeze, beautiful

May 28 - saw Prince of Persia with Blaine
May 29 - Travel to Ascutney for church, see ward and family, HATE to leave, Dartmouth for labs, 2 more units of whole blood
May 30 - work, labs, 2 unit of whole blood
June 2 - 1 unit of platelets, very high CRP
June 4 - Kyle's birthday, totally taken care of by Heber family,even higher CRP, tumor marker, decision to give Cytoxin (chemo) despite counts being low. Blaine receives Cytoxin, 2 units whole blood and 1 unit of platelets over night
June 6 - back to Ascutney for church, stop at house (sniff-sniff), back to Westford, pack, tumors visibly smaller every day
June 7 - fly home to cooler weather, see kids
June 8 - labs ok, no infusions needed
June 9 - Joshua graduates high school with honors, Alexis' birthday
June 12 - Put Josh on a plane for Texas to work for the summer

OK, so a lot has happened in the past three weeks! Emotional roller coaster. Today was a very poignant day. Our oldest son, Josh, has grown up and moved away for the first time. We are SOOO going to miss him. Did I mention that he graduated with honors? Kyle will help pass the Sacrament for the first time tomorrow. Alexis is getting ready to take the test to get her driving permit - I went to the garage to do an errand to find her behind the wheel - !!!! Dani will be moving back to Provo to work and take a summer class, but be home most weekends, I hope. So many changes. Check out Dani's blog - you'll love it.

What a Day!

2010-05-31T20:37:00.009-06:00

(cemetary at Normandy, France)

What an emotion filled day! Yesterday Blaine and I were able to travel to Ascutney and visit the congregation we were a part of for 10 years. We were so very happy to see everyone and overwhelmed by the love we felt for them and from them. We miss them! We were then able to spend just a brief hour with most of my family. It was way too short. It was hard to leave both groups, but leaving was a must. We needed to get Blaine up to Dartmouth to get his counts checked. A plug for Dartmouth Hematology/Oncology staff - they made special arrangements to be sure Blaine could get what he needed on a weekend and still go to church and see family. We love them. We also got to see Carol who now works in the HISCU (sp?) unit. Such a treat. Blaine was not in need of platelets yesterday, though by no means were they great, but he did need two units of whole blood, and his whites had dropped again. He is neutrapenic once more. He wanted me to head home today to be with the kids. He'd be fine... he always says that. Just so you know, I am typing from Westford! The kids are doing fine with Aunt Shauna, Uncle Todd, Grandpa, cousins, and a ward that is taking special care of us there. We are so blessed. I will watch Blaine. Docs say that patients adjust to living with low blood counts and can't always tell when they're in trouble, even if they WERE the kind to admit it, which Blaine is usually not (serious understatement here). A second pair of eyes is needed to watch, and a second pair of hands to help. Who's he kidding? He knows he needs me. :)

We're so glad to see everyone we have and sad to have missed the ones who were sick or taking care of sickies. You know who you are! But we love you. Hope Mom and Brian are doing ok.

May we just say a very sincere thank you to those who gave the greatest measure of devotion to this nation. Our freedom isn't free. We also thank sincerely those who served and came home, those who are currently serving, including family, and those wounded warriors who need our care, as well as their families. God Bless America.

Sunday...

2010-05-26T19:32:00.003-06:00

We are going to try our best to be at the Ascutney chapel on Sunday for church and then stay from 1:30 - 2:30 approximately. We would love to see anyone who can come and is not sick. We cannot risk exposing Blaine to anyone who could pass on germs, unfortunately. I am not sure we will be able to stay much past 2:30, so please don't come too late. We will update Saturday or Sunday and let everyone know if he is still able to be there. He's felt great the past couple of days.

New England is hot and humid! I love it. It feels good on my skin, and I love, love, love the green and trees. The Celtics are giving me a pain, however. The kids are all wishing they could be here. Hope to see you on Sunday.

Marleigh

New Frontiers in Medicine

2010-05-21T12:19:00.004-06:00

So here's the deal. Blaine is severely cytopenic, meaning that his counts are very down, but not pan-cytopenic, meaning that all cell lines are down. His whites are recovering, though clearly not ideal. He is getting platelets and red blood cells today.

We met with Dr. Trico this morning. Blaine's Pet scan shows numerous new lesions, meaning progressive disease. They are not large, but they are present and growing. We knew the disease was progressing by the lesions that we could see on the outside. None of the lesions on the inside of his body are extramedullary, or outside the bone, which is good. Since his counts have not recovered, they cannot do any further chemo until it does. Chemo controls active disease, which he has, as well as affecting bone marrow. Thus the low counts. His platelet count needs to hit 100 before they can treat him again. They were 16 this morning, so pray for Blaine's blood counts to recover so they can treat the active myeloma! He responds to the chemo, but it always 'reseeds' as Dr. Tricot says.

The million dollar question is ... how to keep it from reseeding? Well the dedicated Dr. Tricot has a possible solution. There is a regimen of three common, non-chemo drugs that do NOT affect marrow function and therefore will not drop Blaine's blood counts, that in combination have been shown effective killing cancer stem cells in lab animals and test tubes. Just as healthy plasma cells develop from healthy stem cells, myeloma cells differentiate from defective stem cells. This regimen has not been tested on humans. Blaine will be the very first. Dani says, "He will boldly go where no human has gone before. Sweet!" They will also give carefully dosed and monitored amounts of chemo to control active disease, tapering it off as the stem cells deteriorate. He said this should take 6 weeks to 3 months. But since this has not been done on humans before, we will not know for sure until it gets underway.

To be very clear, this is Dr. Tricot's last line of defense. He says after this, he has nothing else. Blaine's counts are too fragile to try any trial chemo, and he would not qualify for most trials because he is post-transplant. So we are praying for that miracle. If this shows promise, then it has the potential to help many people. This is what Dr. Tricot has been working on. Half of his job is taking care of patients and the other half is looking for a cure. As stated, Blaine will be the first to try this approach.

We leave Monday for the east coast, but I am very unsure if we will be able to do any visiting. We will however, have to go to Dartmouth a time or two, so maybe we can see a few of you there, but this may be at very odd hours ... we hope Gaylin will be working during at least one of those visits. The kids would REALLY love to come as well, but alas, not this round.

That's the news today. Blaine is asleep while he gets his infusion, and I am here typing. It is a beautiful spring day, and we continue to count our blessings. While there are certainly trials, there is also hope. Hope springs eternal. We know in whom we have placed our trust, and we will continue to do so. Take care.

Bear in Heber

2010-05-16T10:24:00.009-06:00

Blaine spent Monday night through Friday afternoon in the hospital. He spiked that fever, at first refused to go in (is anyone surprised?), went in growling, then spiked a good, high fever in-patient. He stopped growling. His blood counts were shot. He has required two units of whole blood and three units of platelets since Tuesday. His white counts were about as low as they can get without reading 0.0. His reds were up a little bit yesterday, as were his platelets. His whites only came up marginally, but were none-the-less up a hair. He was treated with high-dose IV antibiotics, and will continue that at home for the next week. His fevers are gone, but he is very neutrapenic, and therefore will stay home except to get his blood checked, until his counts recover. He had a bacterial infection in one of his ports. This came because his of the low white counts, which happens after high-dose chemo which he has recently had.

His face and mouth are exceedingly sore from radiation. He has been in a great deal of pain and could use your prayers. Needless to say, he is NOT getting on an airplane today. The plan is for us to fly out the 24th. Pray that we can! Or that the right things will happen. It will be a joy to see everyone we can, but what we can do is a big question mark right now. I will do what he needs, and that's it. If we can make it to NH, we will. If not, it's for very good reason. Remember we love you, and are DYING to see you, but can only do what health will allow.

We are so very grateful for all of you who have prayed and fasted for us, especially Blaine, and we gain great strength from it. We really do, it is no imagined thing. It is very real. We also thank all of you who send their love through comments on this blog. It also lifts us. We check almost daily to see what people say. We know we don't communicate back as well as we would like, and pray that you will understand. We hardly see or talk to anyone out west who isn't very close either! Thank you. We love you, and pray you will all have your needs met, and joy and laughter in every day.

Speaking of joy, congratulations to our very good friends, the Halley-Streeter family on the arrival of their new bundle of joy, Sarah! She looks beautiful. Take care.
Marleigh

Simple Math Equation

2010-05-12T10:55:00.004-06:00

Here's Cancer/Chemo's version of a math problem:

Neutrapenia + High Fever = Hospital.

On Monday I had a fever spike at 102.7... I've been here at the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) inpatient unit since then. Not sure how long I'll stay, hopefully I go home tomorrow.

It's very common when your Bone Marrow gets blasted with chemo to have fevers, nobody seems to be overly concerned. Definitely better to safe than sorry. So the hospital it is.

I'd rather be home, but I sit here and work on my laptop, have my meals brought to me, have people clean up after me. I have a great view of the Salt Lake Valley. Not a horrible deal.

Blaine

Whew!

2010-05-07T11:32:00.009-06:00

Just wanted to send out a quick update...

The tumor on the top of my head is virtually undetectable (I hope that means gone). The tumor on my chest is still there but has reduced in size almost to the point of being undetectable. The two tumors on my face are still there, but they have also gotten significantly smaller. Seems to be a very good sign.

I had my lab work drawn on Tuesday, and my 'Myeloma Markers' are holding steady, neither increasing nor decreasing. Again, good news.

You may also notice eyebrows and there's short, stubbly hair under the hat.

So the long and short of it is that between low dose chemo, high dose chemo and radiation, things are holding steady (MM markers) and/or improving (tumors). The high dose chemo takes my energy for a few days (but it is starting to rebound), makes me neutrapenic (compromised immune system-so I need to be very careful with germs), and could take my hair (not a big deal-I've gotten used the the 'bald is beautiful' concept). I'll take it!

Apologies to Vic St. Pierre for not running this through him first, but he had a comment on the last post that hit me right where it was intended and I couldn't agree more; 'near misses' don't count . So thanks Vic!

He said..
'You better not get discouraged!! Someone, somehow we have to keep a strong outlook. Nancy and I were in NY City eating dinner 3 blocks away when they tried to set off the bomb in Times Square on Saturday. They failed and we are still here!! The moral is near misses don't count. Trust that life will prevail. God is looking out for us.Vic'

BTW- I will be in New England for a about three weeks starting May 16th! I hope to be able to take some time on the weekends and go visiting. Marleigh may come out for a portion of that as well.

Blaine

Not Discouraged... anymore

2010-05-02T08:29:00.003-06:00

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. This blog has been a tremendous source of strength for us.

On Friday I had my heavy dose of Cytoxan, as well as my 6th session of Radiation, and I'm still on the lower doses of chemo. I'm sure I glow in the dark.

So, the bottom line is the tumors have started to decrease, slowly. Still hideous, but not quite so much. And my hair continues to grow, it looks rather fuzzy.

So cautiously optimistic is my outlook for this week.

Thanks again for all the support.

Blaine

Discouraged

2010-04-29T14:00:00.004-06:00

I'm Discouraged. Not sure what more to write. The tumors have not subsided, and possibly continue to grow. The ones on my face are being blasted with Chemo AND Radiation, but they're still there. Tomorrow I'm getting a higher dose of Cytoxan to try to combat it. We'll see how it goes.

Some good news... my hair has started to grow back.

The bad news... higher doses of Cytoxan normally take my hair. Oh well... if it goes then it was good while it lasted.

I'll be in touch.

Blaine

Radiation

2010-04-23T22:26:00.018-06:00

April 23, 2010
As the previous post mentioned, I have a total of four Plasma Cytomas; one on the top of my head, one on my upper lip, one on the inside of my mouth and one on my chest. The plan is to radiate the two on my face because they are without doubt the most difficult and uncomfortable (hideous is a better word). The other two will be left as a measure of the effectiveness of the Chemo. If they shrink and go away, that is good news. It means this mixture of Chemo is working.

First day of Radiation; piece of cake. It took longer to park the car than the treatment. No pain, no discomfort. Like I said- piece of cake.

I'm going to receive a total of eight radiation treatments, day one is in the books. Seven to go.

Blaine

Prayers

2010-04-22T00:24:00.004-06:00

Just in case you missed it, let us restate.

This Sunday our family will be fasting for Blaine. We will miss two meals, or not eat or drink for 24 hours. We will dedicate our prayers to his healing, or asking God to grant us that miracle, if it be His will. We are also very concerned for a young wife and mother who is listed as a 'chronic cancer' patient with Hodgkins Lymphoma. She has been battling for years, and is under a constant struggle to live and maintain an acceptable quality of life that allows her to parent her son. She has life threatening disease that is only controlled by life threatening side effects. Her name is Hillary. If you feel to add her to your prayers as well, I know it will be deeply appreciated. God speed and God bless each of you.

Ben Hur...

2010-04-17T12:01:00.022-06:00

It’s 3:30 am, Saturday morning. Guess what chemo drug I’m back on? Dextamethasone; which keeps me from sleeping at night. Seemed like a good time for an update (although I’m not going to actually post this until Sunday).

To quote a line from the movie Ben Hur (and Bryson Cook); Pontius Pilate made the statement that “A grown man knows the world he lives in.” To me this means that men and women need to recognize their environment and what works or doesn’t work for them; things that are good and bad, actions and reactions/consequences, what their responsibilities are for themselves, their families, their employers/employees, no rose colored glasses, they see the world as it is.

It’s a great line. To borrow it and apply it a different way; “Most Cancer Patients understand the world they live in”. For most of us, the reality is, in addition to the physical issues (the pain, exhaustion, weight loss, nausea, etc) that there is always a fair amount of anxiety, fear, uncertainty, inconvenience, and anger (to name a few). For example, our appointment today that started at 7:30 am (leaving home at 6:30 am) that we thought would be a couple of hours-tops, turned into an all day event- leaving at 4 pm (arriving home at 5 pm). Fairly common.

The worse part is the uncertainty and anxiety. I’ve known in my heart of hearts that I wouldn’t be in remission long, my Cancer has been too aggressive. At Dartmouth I went from remission to relapse in the blink of an eye. Things have been better here in Utah. However, after my last round of chemo I got sick; a head cold developed into a mild pneumonia. It knocked me down for a couple of weeks. But I’ve shaken both. However, a couple of weeks ago I started to get sores on my head, three of them to be precise. One on the top of my head, one on my upper lip (hideously ugly- imagine the biggest, ugliest wart you’ve ever seen. That’s what it looks like), and one on the inside of my mouth, on my upper gum. I thought they were ‘side effects’ from all the drugs I’m on. Well, again because ‘I know the world I live in- the Cancer world’, I thought that like most of the side effects I’ve had that they would come and go. I had been waiting for these to go- but they didn’t.

Monday morning we called our Oncologist who immediately called the Dermatologist to get an appointment. At 2pm on Monday I was in their office having a biopsy on the bump/sore on the top of my head. We discover another bump on the right side of my chest, next to my single lumen port. Very discouraging.

We were scheduled for Re-Staging on Wednesday (Labs, X-ray, Neurology appointments, the dreaded bone marrow biopsy, and the equally dreaded MRI). We were also told we would receive the results of the biopsy on my head. The results came in, and it wasn’t good. The bumps/sores are Plasma Cytomas… tumors like the one that lodged itself into my vertebrae, compressing my spine. Obviously, the cancer is back. Again, very discouraging.

So what does this mean? It means that, once again I have cancer in my bone marrow. It means that, at the moment, my very aggressive Cancer is winning. (On the bright side, the biopsy showed very small amounts of cancer in my bone marrow. It also showed that the lesions on my bones had actually reduced. So that was good news.)

It also means that my chemo routine changes again. The approach has been to hit me with large doses of chemo and then let me recover over six week intervals. Then hit me with another large dose and let me recover. The new approach is to keep me on smaller doses of chemo all the time. I will take three of the four chemo medications orally (Cytoxan, Dextamethasone, and Etoposide). The final chemo is Velcade that I take through an infusion on Fridays.

Here’s the rub… and if I’ve bummed you out too much already, this would be a good place to stop reading. Go listen to happy music or watch a Disney movie:).

Chemo makes you very weak, it lowers your immune system, makes you very susceptible to catching something that is difficult to recover from.
But even worse… generally, Cancer is smart (and my Cancer has proven to be very smart). It quickly learns how to combat or get around the new chemo. It figures things out and finds new ways to grow. Hopefully it takes it a long, long time to catch on this time. Another Miracle would be nice.

Now the $64,000 dollar question (actually with inflation who knows what it’s worth now?)…… Have I given up?

Complicated answer. The short answer is heck no. I have a wife to take care of and kids to raise. I have responsibilities to them (and the church) that I plan to fulfill. That I need to fulfill. Throughout this whole ordeal I have been full of faith. I’ve always felt/believed that I was going to win. I now know that in many ways I’ve already won. I have a great wife and super great kids. They are strong! Whatever happens, they will survive and thrive. I am still full of faith that my Heavenly Father loves me and knows what is best for our family. We are at peace with that. I’m praying that I have many good years ahead of me (regardless of the medical prognosis). But again I know that I’m in Gods hands and that He knows what He’s doing.

Rest assured, I am going to continue to fight this thing has hard as I can. I’m not giving up! I’ll certainly do my part to beat it.

Again, We Cancer Patients know the world we live in and the struggles that exist in that world. I can honestly say that Cancer Patients are the toughest group of people you’ll ever meet. Football players… wimps in comparison. We tread onto the ledge of death on a regular basis and with great medical teams, most of us fight our way back.

One of my favorite Old Testament stories is that of Moses when he led the children of Israel out of Egypt. They faced impossible odds that the children of Israel just couldn't quite see through, they failed to grasp the big picture, they lacked sufficient faith. When Moses led them to the Red Sea, they were convinced he had led them to their death. Hear Moses’ response: “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Our family will be fasting this next Sunday. Join us if you can.

I’m going to end this very somber, depressing blog. Sorry to bring you down.

On a funny note, I was in Huntsman’s gift shop today and got a kick out of some of the t-shirts for breast cancer. I’ll share a couple:
• ‘Of COURSE there fake… The real ones tried to kill me!’
• ‘Cancer has taken both my breasts, but at least men look me in the eyes now.’

Take Care, We love all of you.

Blaine

Yeah, right!

2010-03-28T22:10:00.006-06:00

Blaine has decided that I am his 'Mother Hen.' Shall I tell you why? I said, 'You have a fever, and you're coughing up stuff.' He said, 'It's just too many blankets and a cold, I'm fine.' I called Huntsman, and they had him come in. He was NOT happy with me, but he went in, and guess what? He has pneumonia! Relax, it's not the scary, in the hospital kind. It's the 'he caught a bug that filled his sinuses, and got a secondary infection in his lungs that is responding to antibiotics nicely' kind. The fever has subsided, and the coughing has lessened. He's totally wiped out, but that's normal with pneumonia.

With chemo patients, there comes a point where returns are diminishing, in that blood counts don't recover as quickly, the body's reserves begin to be depleted, and infections come more easily. I think Blaine is there. His counts have been much slower to recover, and still haven't completely come back from the last round of VD-PACE, which is by the way, very heavy chemo. Therefore, the third round of consolidation VD-PACE which was scheduled for this past Friday was canceled. Restaging was also canceled. They are going to monitor his counts and start again after they have recovered. I think we will now be moving away from consolidation chemo to maintenance chemo, as that is what his body is indicating he can handle. We will speak to Dr. Tricot after his counts recover and they restage. So you understand, the docs pushed him very hard because he could take it, and knew that this was probable. It is not an unexpected or fearful scenario to them. They pushed him harder than most knowing that they could pull back if needed.

Kyle underwent a colonoscopy and endoscopy recently, and is now on medication that finally seems to be helping him with the almost constant pain he has had to live with lately. He has some serious inflammation in his bowel and sores in his stomach that seem to be responding quite nicely to medication. We have also altered his diet. He seems to be improving quite a bit. Phew!

Everyone else is fine. Dani is still working very hard, and having some fun as well, Josh is playing baseball and getting excited to go to Texas to work for the summer then off to Laie, Hawaii for school in the fall. He will be 18 in just a few weeks. Where has our time gone? Alexis is taking a sports season off, and is relaxed and seems happy. No major projects going on right now, and it looks good on her. She loved Disneyland with the Band/Choir/Theatre group.

I am breathing a little easier, though still working and on my guard. It has been over a year since Blaine started chemo, and many, many changes have occurred since he started having symptoms. I am getting used to the west again, as it is a big adjustment. It is good, just different. We look forward to warmer weather, gardens, fishing, etc. Hoping to see our dog soon, we miss her!

We will update again when his counts recover and he is restaged. For now, please keep him and Kyle in your prayers. We are as always, so very grateful for those. Take care
Marleigh

2010-03-06T02:58:00.002-07:00

Hey everyone!

So I took some pictures from my dad's first round of backpack-chemo. We have lovingly dubbed the bag "Chuck" because it makes my dad look like some sort of secret agent when he wears it. Although these pictures are a little bit outdated, I thought you might be interested.

Enjoy.

At Josh's basketball game last Saturday (Dad was still neutropenic.)

PS: sorry the pictures are a little grainy, my camera is kind of dying on me. It's lived a good little life, served me well..(hint hint my birthday is in JULY...jk).

Oh yeah, and I can't help but show this one off:
(it's Josh cutting down his part of the net from the Championship game)

Hope all is well with you and yours.

Brags and Updates

2010-03-02T13:47:00.009-07:00

(Photo from last year, but I like it!)

Joshua's basketball team just won the State Championship! They have all worked very hard, and been unstoppable. Their record was 22-1, the loss coming from a team in a higher division. The only other games that were even close came in the playoffs, and two of those were great games on both sides. The final game wasn't much of a contest. Wasatch kept the other team to 8 points in the first half. Not bad! The team stayed up very late celebrating. Josh has very little voice left from all the yelling they did. Now he has a long break between seasons. That is if you consider one day between the final basketball game and the first day of baseball tryouts long... that's why they do this when they are young.

Joshua also has some other exciting news - he will be attending BYU-Hawaii this fall. Yep, he gets to go to school where the head librarian is also the surfing instructor. According to US News and World Report, BYU-H is the most diverse campus in the nation. They draw heavily from Polynesia and the Pacific Rim, as well as other areas of the world. Part of the stated mission of BYU-H reads:

"Preparing men and women with the intercultural and leadership skills necessary to promote world peace and international brotherhood, to address world problems, and to be a righteous influence in families, professions, civic responsibilities, social affiliations, and the Church."

It has the international business program Josh is looking for with the above as part of the school's stated mission plan. That it's in Hawaii isn't bad either! It has been a wonder to watch the class and composure Josh has shown this past year as he gave up his senior year and all that goes with it in New Hampshire to come here and try to be involved in programs that were WELL established, with athletes that were not only talented but very connected to each other as boys who have played together for years tend to be. He had been a starter and one of the leading scorers his Junior year on Varsity, to come here as a guy on the outside trying to break in with little chance as a senior to make teams. He made the basketball team, but spent most of his time on the bench. He never complained, ever. He stuck it out, and found joy in practice and in the team's success, and worked his heart out. He celebrated as much as any starter. What a great group of young men. I am so grateful for the amount of class Josh has shown in this. He is trying out for baseball, and has thrown some bull pen sessions. I understand that they need pitchers, so baseball may provide more playing time. We'll see. He has also worked very hard academically, which is evidenced by his acceptance to BYU-H. All in all, he is ready to fly, and has shown himself capable, able, willing, and hard working. His parents are very proud.

Other news:
Blaine is in Massachusetts this week for work, though he will not be able to get up to New Hampshire this time around. He would very much like to be able to do that, and will try again on the next trip. He has had his second round of consolidation chemo, and seems to be recovering a little faster this time than the last. They removed one drug from the mix that he just didn't tolerate well. He has two more rounds to go between now and about the first of June, then a year of maintenance chemo, which we hope won't be so intensive. We wait to find out.

Marleigh is teaching music at Heber Valley Elementary, part time, and teaching voice students, also part time.

Alexis is getting ready for a band/choir/theatre trip to Disney Land on Thursday. Her basketball team finished and she is deciding whether or not to do track, as the state of Utah does not have triple jump, her best event, at the high school level. She is sooooo not happy about that. She has fit in nicely here, as she makes friends easily wherever she goes. Did I forget to brag about her recent test scores? In English, she scored - get this - in the 100th percentile! She did well in everything else also, but her English scores were phenomenal. Thank you, Linda Ferland! (English teacher at Vilas Middle School)

Dani is working very hard. She has a part time job in the evenings and a full class load. She is working very hard to keep up those good grades. She feels that her French has improved even since returning from Europe because she is reading and writing the language a great deal. She is even finding time for some social life again. Hurray!

Kyle had his first all A's and B's report card. Great job! He just finished his basketball season, and is going to play spring basketball as well. His team is also very good, with an 8-3 record. He has had his own health challenges, and docs are running tests to try and get to the bottom of it. Will update, but nothing too scary, just problematic.

We are adjusting to our new home, and looking forward to spring. Hope the flowers blossom soon wherever you may be.

Moving Forward

2010-01-19T14:22:00.006-07:00

Well Blaine is back at work, and in San Jose, California this week running training classes. Wow! He has recovered, I think, from the last round of chemo. I keep hoping Dr. Tricot will say, "He's done so well, his body has rebounded so much that we have decided he won't need all four rounds of VD-PACE. Two will be enough." It is SO good when he recovers and begins to gain energy, and does not have to be SICK anymore. I just hate it when he has to go through it again. But chemo is better than cancer, and we want him to stay around. He is looking very good right now, and gaining strength. I love that. He has eyelashes again, and is even getting some fuzz on his head. He's no shrinking violet and is willing to put forth the effort even when it's very difficult to work so that he can care for his family. He truly is a provider in that sense, and I can't tell you how much we respect and appreciate him for that. Working also helps him.

Since we are now in proximity to BYU, it is my intention to finish that degree that has always been just beyond my fingertips. I had four general ed classes to fill, and music history to go for a Bachelors of Music. There are a few classes that I must repeat since it has been so long, and Music History, which was covered in two consecutive classes, is now four consecutive classes. I would need to go part-time this spring, summer, next fall and winter to finish, because of the order in which the Music History classes are offered. So, if I add a few more courses, not too many, and a semester of student teaching, I will be certified to teach. Unbelievable! I will have accumulated more undergraduate credits than any other person I know before I am done! Crazy. It would be easier to just knock off the Bachelors of Music, but I would still need to certify to teach another way, so the Bachelors of Music Education makes more sense. It is the most credit intensive major at BYU. I have to re-audition for the Music-Ed program, as it is intensely competitive here, and since I have been gone for a long, long time. I am re-taking one class right now, and hope to be able to afford to continue. Wish me luck.

We are also in the process of moving. We are renting a duplex in town, and leaving this little haven that has been provided for us. We are so very grateful for the long-term use of this guest house that we have been so generously given. But alas, we must move forward. We have thoroughly enjoyed being here, and will miss it, and those who live near. May they be blessed for their loving kindness, and generosity.

In that vein, we have a golden retriever who my sister, Lael, has been taking excellent care of. They feed her more carefully, and she has lost weight. We will have to be sure and follow her lead, so Jarah can stay healthy. We miss our dog. It's a long shot, but I must ask any way. Any of our friends headed west want to bring the nicest, mellowest, sweetest dog in the world to us...? Anyone...? She can fly with someone or (!) ride in a vehicle. If you dare. I know it's a long shot, but we gotta try!

We hope you are all well. Take care, and stay warm!
(Who can resist a face like that?)

Life is Good.

2009-12-29T15:11:00.009-07:00

(Huntsman Cancer Institute - ground was broken for new wing on bottom left of photo)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSpz1rFgPNs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmpDsSBESus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0KyzSEmzPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oaEDKv3Jf4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEnXhhJ5DCc&NR=1

Above is a link to an interview/special about a man whom we have never met, but who has figured prominently in our lives. His name is John Huntsman Sr., founder of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He is a very wealthy man who has given, as of the figure I heard this morning, half a BILLION of his own dollars towards this. We are the recipients of his generosity, and are in the process of watching a whole new section of the hospital being built into the side of the mountain HCH rests against. Please, if you have a problem with Glenn Beck, set it aside for us, and watch this for the story of the man who has funded the saving of many lives, including Blaines. It is broken up into five parts, thus the five links, but it is well worth the time.

Having said that, we must now report on our news. Blaine underwent restaging last week (bloodwork, PET scan, beloved bone marrow biopsy), and today we received the results. Are you ready? Completely clean. Completely. Can you believe it? The PET scan also showed evidence that his bone lesions were now healing. That is the GREAT news. However, since his cancer was so VERY aggressive, and there could still be cancerous cells hiding in his body that will mature over the next several months, he will undergo a rigorous Consolidation Chemo regimen until May to knock those out and prevent this thing from ever heating up again. He will receive the same protocol he received at Dartmouth before we brought him here, every six weeks until May. That will be four cycles of what's called VTD-PACE. One chemo light, one steroid, and five (yes 5) chemo heavy drugs. These will be delivered 24 hours a day over the space of four days. He will not be inpatient, however. He will be hooked up to a back-pack which will deliver the medicines through two IV lines. That starts tomorrow. Sleep will be interesting! But they've done this many, many times, and we are confident that they know EXACTLY what they are doing. There are side effects, but we've seen them before, and they are aware of how Blaine responds to the different drugs. And, he has recovered. We expect that he will do so again, with faith and prayer. We are so very blessed to have him here with us, and so very thankful to ALL of those who have made that possible. I think that calls for a very, very...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From all us Savages to all of you.

PS - Congrats, Nicki and Craig! When's the big day?

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T00:27:00.003-07:00

'Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house,
Only Mom was stirring, Quiet as a mouse.
The stockings laid out, presents wrapped with care,
Kyle hardly sleeping, excitement in the air.

When all of the sudden, he woke with a start,
headed downstairs, to check it all out.
Go back to bed, you need your rest,
We need to sleep, we'll give Santa your best.

The Savages are all under one roof snug and warm,
We have been blessed by your friendship, love and concern
Dropping off presents, sweets and much kindness,
We find ourselves grateful for this seasons happiness.

May all of you on both sides of the country, or wherever you may be, have a safe, blessed, and Merry, Merry Christmas.
God Bless each and every one of you.

Love,
The Blaine and Marleigh Savage Family

What a year...

2009-12-08T12:42:00.011-07:00

Every holiday season we receive cards from family and friends, often reviewing the events of the past year. As I sit here looking out over the new snow fall, I keep thinking about what a year this has been for the Savages and the significant life changing events of 2009.

- My Mom passed away: after battling diabetes and knee issues for years, my Mom was diagnoses with Inflammatory Breast Cancer. It was very aggressive and by the time it was found, it was too late. She stayed optimistic and never gave up. It has now been 8 months since she passed away and we are still trying to adjust. I know things are well with her, that she is engaged in the work on the other side... but we still miss her.

- Last January, I started to have some back pain- that I thought was just a strained muscle. This turned out to be not a strained muscle, but a tumor that had lodged itself onto and had compressed my spine- leaving me unable to walk or with very little feeling from about the bottom of my ribcage down. Surgery quickly followed and the tumor was removed. It has now been 10 months, and I still feel the effects of the paralysis but things have improved significantly and I'm optimistic that someday soon I'll be able to hike, ski, and play basketball (somewhat) again.

- The tumor on my spine was analyzed/diagnosis; Multiple Myeloma. This is a blood cancer with a high mortality rate. It has no cure yet, though it can be put into remission. To date, I’ve undergone several rounds of chemotherapy, two bone marrow/stem cell transplants and am currently in remission. Looking forward, I will undergo maintenance chemotherapy. Again, I'm very optimistic that everything is going to work out. The goal is to keep my cancer in check (hopefully for many years) until a cure can be found. As we talk with many of the patients at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital (HCH), it is encouraging to hear their stories. Many have been in the program for years. I would also like to add how grateful we are for the medical team at HCH. Dr. Tricot, I feel saved my life. All the prayers, blessings, fastings led us to him and his staff. The aggressive nature of my cancer needed an Oncologist who is very aggressive. Many cancer centers around the country don't recommend having tandem transplants because it is too difficult on the patient, but it is exactly what needed to happen for me. Dr. Tricot is a pioneer in the field of Multiple Myeloma and I thank God that we have been led to him.

- In order to be near the Huntsman Cancer Hospital we relocated the family from New England to Utah. It has been difficult taking the kids out of the only home environment they've ever really known and transplanting them into a brand new one. New schools, new friends, new Church Ward (congregation), new home... I'm proud of how well they've adjusted. They jumped in with both feet, with rarely a complaint. They miss New England, they miss their friends but they are involved here and are making friends. Josh worked hard and made the High School basketball team (who is ranked #1 in the state for their division) and he is doing well in school. Alexis also worked hard and made her freshman basketball team. She also works hard socially; she has made some good friends here and enjoys hanging out with them. She is involved with choir and also with staying busy at church. Kyle is doing well... he is liking his new class and I think is slowly adjusting to his new environment. He really enjoys his cousin Seth who takes him horse riding. He likes to shoot guns and is looking forward to hunting this next year. But he still misses his buddies in NH, he talks to them as often as we allow. Dani has spent the semester in France. She returns today and we are so excited to see her. She has had a great time and we have lived vicariously through her. She has been to Italy, Belgium, England, Normandy to name a few. She'll miss it, but we are so glad to have her back.

As I said earlier, it has been an eventful year. We've had our challenges but we've grown from them. A wise man once said: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable... (Orson F. Whitney).

Thank you again for all that you have done for our family. We have felt your love, strength and support. I hope you have a terrific holiday season.

Blaine

European Capers

2009-11-30T12:08:00.003-07:00

That is Dani, and that water is the Mediterranean. As Dani would say, that is all!

Day +18

2009-11-28T09:15:00.005-07:00

What a difference a week makes! Blaine is able to eat again, and as a result, is gaining energy. He is walking better, staying up all day, and even cooking occasionally. His weight is much lower than it was last winter, so we hope to put some muscle back on his frame. I don't know that he will be able to grow hair for a while yet, since he probably has at least one more round of significant (though not lethal this time) chemo to go. He was able to spend Thanksgiving at his sister's house with many of his family. It has been 10 years since we have even been on the same side of the Continental Divide as his family for the Holidays! It was a great day. Our friend, Clara, a student at BYU and a member of the Ascutney ward, was able to spend the day with us as well. What a treat.

Josh's basketball team smoked Orem High's team this week. Holy cow! These boys know how to play basketball. Alexis' team hasn't had a game yet, and Kyle's hand is recovering from a mild fracture he sustained in tryouts. He didn't play, but his team dominated in last week's game. Did I mention that boys basketball around here is REALLY GOOD? Dani is coming home in less than 2 weeks. Can't wait to have her on THIS side of the Atlantic. Well technically, closer to the Pacific. Weird.

Janet McDonald wrote the following on her blog, Singing Woods. "In America, the first Thanksgiving was a sincere act of joyous celebration. The Pilgrim company had survived the winter and harvested sufficient to feel themselves bountifully blest. "O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever" Psalm 107."

I echo her sentiment. Did you know that Europe doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, just North America? The pilgrims landed here, so the celebration was here. I wish the concept would catch on around the world, since we are all God's children, and it would be appropriate to render Him thanks together.

We're well and Blaine is improving. We are grateful for many things, and will thank the Lord above for all that we have been blessed with. Thanks for being our family and friends. May all be well with you and yours.

Day +11

2009-11-21T22:33:00.006-07:00

Blaine has engrafted. His white counts are now back in the normal range. Though he is no longer neutrapenic, his new immune system is still very young, and not able to handle a lot. So we will reintroduce him into society (again) slowly, and begin lifting dietary restrictions. He won't be able to go out to eat for a few weeks at least, probably longer. Small price to pay. He is still very, very tired, and suffering from other side effects of the chemo. It will take some time to recover, but his immune system is on the way. We will talk to Dr. Trico the week of Thanksgiving, and go from there. No more Stem-cell transplants, if we're lucky, ever. He's not done with treatment, but he seems to be done with the worst. Maintenance chemo will be discussed at our appointment and we'll let you know what his analysis is of the success of the stem-cell transplants. That is, after all, why we came.

Brad and his friend Tony just drove cross country - again - to bring us our belongings. The truck wouldn't go over 65 miles per hour, and that was on flat ground or down hill. Wyoming is uphill. Then they couldn't get over 45 MPH. Bottom line, the trip took 10 hours longer than they planned. When they arrived, they were exhausted! We are so appreciative. Thanks to all those who helped pack up our stuff, care for our house, and get us and everything we own out here. What a blessing.

Speaking of houses, ours is still for sale! If interested, please contact Galloway Real Estate in Walpole. Just a shameless plug. :)

Dani was in Normandy, France last week, the site of the Allied invasion in WWII, I believe at Omaha beach. She took many pictures, but this one seemed to stand out.

Hope all is well with all of you.

Day +7

2009-11-17T14:32:00.005-07:00

So far, this transplant has definitely been easier in some ways, and definitely harder in some ways. I will explain.

Worse because...
-Worst reaction to new chemo; very painful, but blissfully short-lived
-Serious throat pain, ongoing
-Less ability to eat and drink
-Digestive system misery

Better because...
-We are able to stay in Heber!
-His red counts have been stable, no blood needed. Wow!
-More energy on some days
-Did I mention we were able to stay in Heber?
-Less worry about the kids
-Blood pressure more stable, less likely to pass out
-Known quantity

His counts should start to rise anywhere between now and Friday. He plans to be well enough to attend a Thanksgiving dinner at his sister's house. We'll still have to cook a little differently for him, but he can have mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry, and Stove-Top stuffing. His Dad is getting him a small turkey roast, because they have warned us off a full bird and stuffing cooked inside one. He'll have to have extra pie and of course, ICE CREAM to console himself. No egg nog.

For me, I am grateful for a listening ear, or steam valve, in the person of Geri at Huntsman. There have been a few times when things were a little overwhelming, and each time when we arrived at Huntsman, this lady was there. She let me talk, vent, or cry until I felt better or less stressed. Imagine, me stressed! She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who's job is patient and family support, and am I grateful she's there! She is very good at seeing who is there each day, taking a look, and asking if they need to talk. Each time I've needed her, she was available. Good job, Geri, and good job, Huntsman! I highly recommend that patients, caregivers and/or families take advantage of such resources available where they are receiving care. They can help people talk about the things they need to in a constructive way. It helps!

Josh also made his varsity basketball team, and is now working for a starting spot. We are going to have a very busy basketball season, but hey. That feels just right.

On the Way

2009-11-11T10:38:00.003-07:00

Transplant #2 is now in. Blaine received 10 million of his own stem cells yesterday, after Monday's round 2 of killer chemo. No nasty reactions this time, just the normal. He is tired, has less appetite and more discomfort, but not above the norm at this point. His counts should start to fall precipitously in the next few days, and we will have to be in Salt Lake probably this weekend until they either recover, or it is determined that he is doing well enough to rest at home in Heber. Then we wait for the stem-cells to engraft. We will visit with Dr. Tricot after engraftment, and at some point they will schedule a re-staging, and discuss treatment for the next year. So far, so good. He is wiped, and we're all sorry he has to do this, but we are so grateful that the treatment is available.

Alexis has made the freshman basketball team for sure, and we will find out if she gets any playing time with other teams as we go. Kyle has made the AAU 'b' team, which is great. He will play teams in Salt Lake and the Provo/Orem area. Josh will find out some time in the next 4-5 days, but frankly, I think he'll be fine. Dani is going to Normandy, the Alsace-Lorraine area at the base of the Alps, Straussburg, and Italy all in the next month. We can't wait to hear. And we can't wait to see her in December. We are well, and thankful for our blessings, for there are many.

Friends
Family
Church
Community
Warm house
Opportunities to learn and grow
God's love
Healing
Dedicated medical staff
Modern Medicine
Our good men and women in uniform, and our veterans

That's a partial list. Take a moment to count your blessings. If feels great. Hope you are all well.

Marleigh

Worst Chemo Ever!!!

2009-11-07T17:47:00.004-07:00

As they hooked me up to BNCU (carmustine) one of the two new chemo medications I received yesterday, the nurse told me it could make me sick. What an understatement! She said 'you could get sick and not really know how to describe how you feel'. Bingo! Now, 24 hours later, I'm still not sure how to describe it other than to say it was as sick as I have EVER been. Headache, bone pain, nauseated. The car ride home was miserable, scary. Marleigh thought I might need to be admitted to the hospital. I took an oxycodone and after some time felt a little better. Once home, I couldn't lay down for more than 5 minutes. Believe it or not the only thing I could do was pace around the kitchen. My Dad and a new friend/neighbor Burke Roney gave me a Priesthood blessing and I felt better immediately. By the time evening came, I felt almost normal. I took an Adavan (Vitamin A, as the nurses like to call it), and slept like a baby last night.

So that was my day yesterday. Not to complain, but my worst 'cancer' day so far (what a big baby I am). On Monday, I go back for melphalan, gemcytabine, velcade, and dexamethasone. I've had this batch before and it wasn't too bad.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Blaine

Bach, Beethoven - Amateurs!

2009-11-03T16:04:00.005-07:00

Dani went to Dr. Tricot's native land this past week, and said she saw the prettiest town she has ever seen - Brugge, Belgium. She also raved about the food. She will be disappointed by the bland fare she receives when she gets home in a month.

Josh, Alexis and Kyle are getting ready for basketball tryouts, and Alexis is LOVING being involved in "The Wizard of OZ." Great theatre and chorus teachers here. Josh is loving AP Spanish, and is getting better and better with the language. Kyle misses Jarah, our dog. So do I, but it sounds like she is loved where she is. Thanks, Lael and Jeff.

Last week Blaine went through restaging - Bone Marrow biopsy, Pet Scan, etc. At today's follow-up and preparation for stem-cell transplant #2, we learned that Blaine's cancer's level of aggressiveness is probably exhibited in only about 3-4% of Multiple Myeloma patients. Since Dr. Tricot has been using this protocol since 1989, he has case histories to draw from. So if he has treated 5,000 MM patients over the past 20 years, then he has seen at least 175 cases like Blaine's. He knows what he's doing.

We have heard a lot of good music in our lifetimes, especially me. As a music student and as a musician, I've heard live performances from world class musicians ranging from the Boston and Toronto Symphonies, the King Singers, Metropolitan Opera and Chicago Lyric Company singers, amazing Jazz ensembles, and lets not forget, the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Include this with the performances I have participated in with some of those same musicians, and I've got some very sweet musical memories to draw from. But today surpassed them all. The sweetest melody ever came from Dr. Tricot as he said that there was "no evidence of disease," (though there are left-over effects of disease) and he also said that he was "likely in complete remission." I cried. Blaine came mighty close. I gave Dr. Tricot what for him I am sure was an uncomfortable hug. I don't care. He got one anyway.

So we move forward to wipe out any last cancer cells that can be unearthed in his body. Things look very good right now. He still has to go through round 2, which by all accounts is rougher than round one, and a year of maintenance chemo, but for the moment, we are sailing. Surprise, he can't WAIT to get back to work!

Reminiscing

2009-10-25T18:02:00.010-06:00

Brian and Dani in Paris!

Amy and Dani in Paris! (We received these photos right after I posted this, so I'm adding them after the fact because they are just too good of all three of them. Love it.)

The Mill Road Ward held their Primary Program today. It's an annual Sunday church meeting where the children present the entire thing, singing things they have learned, and addressing a theme they have studied throughout the year. They were great. There were lots of them, and they sang well. Kyle, of course, the biggest kid there, couldn't hold still. He even tried to scrunch down a few times as he is now as tall as I am, and towered over all of the other kids. The kids did a great job, and there were some wonderful talks about experiences kids had in their own families, that were touching. They concerned faith and healing, both physical and spiritual. The theme was families.

I thought of our wonderful ward family in Ascutney, Vermont, and missed the kids who sang as loud as they could, just for the joy of it, who were so out of tune (Adam, Parley, etc.). We LOVED that. I missed Sarah, Rachael, Melissa, and the rest. Then they said or sang something about seeing family members who had passed away again, and it was hard not to cry. I was thinking about, and missing, Rainee. If I feel that way, I have to wonder how Brian, Erin, Patrick and Sam are doing. I haven't talked to any of them, really. Partly because we have cell phones, which are at times crazy, we're busy, etc, but I want them to know that we miss them, miss Rainee, and we are a little tender right now missing home and everyone there, including Jarah, our very lovely Golden Retriever. So, we are fine here, but at times, a wave of missing everyone and everything so dear to us there hits. As someone says, the rug has been pulled right out from under us. My reply was, yes, but there is a new rug here, and loving hands have caught us, we just need some time to adjust.

Blaine was able to attend all three meetings at church today, and has been able to stay up much more. Energy is slowly returning, and he has been using exercise equipment at his sister's house like he's been told. :) He's also been eating pretty well. Yesterday, his head was down on his arms on the table, and I thought he didn't feel good. I was watching him to see if he was OK, when he suddenly raised his head and said, "I DEMAND ICE CREAM!!!" The kids scrambled to grab money and race away in the van with Josh driving. They came home with a whole tub, and big grins. A good time was had by all.

Summing up, we're grateful for home; both of them. We miss everyone back east, and want you to know. We are grateful for these good people here, who it will take time to get to know. Thanks for all your love, and for all the good things in our lives.

Remember Me?

2009-10-21T13:54:00.003-06:00

Remember me? It's been a while since I've written on the blog, I blame the chemo and the transplant. As far as excuses go... these are pretty good one's, I suppose. It has been 20 or so days since my transplant, and it has been a bit of a roller coaster; some really bad days where it seemed impossible to function in any capacity and some pretty good days (like today) where I feel somewhat normal. I still have issues with neuropathy, my legs are still numb and it can be difficult to move around. But it is slowly improving. My neuro-surgeon in NH said it could take up to 18 months, so I need to show patience. It made Marleigh's day when Dr. Tricot told us that my job until the next transplant was to exercise, she's been tying to get me to exercise more for years. Curse Dr. Tricot :)

I am enjoying Utah, it is good to be home. Last week we took a drive down to Wayne county to see my Mom's headstone. After the cemetery we drove up to the east end of the Boulder mountain. I can't tell you much I enjoy being down there.
I still miss all the good people in NH & VT, thank goodness for blogs, email and cell phones so we can stay in touch.

So for now, things are good. Obviously, I have mixed feelings about the upcoming transplant; not looking forward to the killer chemo that'll wipe me out and the period of time until I engraft, but am looking forward to putting my cancer into remission. I've said it before and I'll say it again... I feel like we are in exactly the right place at the right time. We have a lot of confidence in the folks here at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital. Dr. Trico is the best at what he does and we feel like the treatment I am receiving is just what I need.

Take care and we'll keep everyone posted.

Blaine

Round 2

2009-10-20T09:17:00.004-06:00

Holy fast, Batman. We spoke with Dr. Tricot yesterday, and apparently things will, again, move very quickly. Blaine will start the necessary restaging workup on November 2nd (the beloved Bone Marrow Biopsy, MRI and pet scan routine), will begin high-dose chemo on the 6th, receive his 2nd dose on the 9th, and his stem-cells on the 10th. Chemo will be a little worse this time around if you can believe it, but it's what does the job. They say he will be even MORE wiped out, though he can hardly believe that. But off we go. His job for the next two weeks is to eat and work out, building up as much strength as possible.

We spoke to a 10 year survivor yesterday who had had an initial single transplant, relapsed 7 years later, and then had a tandem transplant with Dr. Trico. He was in the clinic for his 6 month work-up. He looked great, and spent plenty of time talking to us. Very nice man, and helped us see what positive things can happen. Good luck to Stefan.

Hope all is well with you and yours. Enjoy life!

Marleigh

Happy Hikers

2009-10-16T17:09:00.012-06:00

The Andersons are in Salt Lake visiting family, and invited Alexis to climb Mount Olympus with them. The photos were uploaded, but are showing last to first. Click on any photo to see large. Here goes!

Tired at the bottom, ten hours after they began

Mary Alice does a monkey impersonation

Climbing down the rocks they earlier scrambled up

Conquering the Summit!

What a view from the top

At the trail head in the morning

Oh Give me a Home...

2009-10-14T23:04:00.007-06:00

Today I realized that we are truly in the west. As Josh and his cousin came home with two 17 inch cut-throat trout they had just caught, they were stalled. The road they were coming down was filled with a herd of cattle, being moved by a man with a cowboy hat, on a horse. They had to wait until the cattle were herded down the road and into the corral they were headed to before coming home to show off their catch. It brought back memories. Their Grandpa, Kent, had been on plenty of cattle drives in his day in more rugged territory than this. He also used to ride the bulls in rodeos. He was a real cowboy.

Over 20 years ago I was riding in a pick-up in central Utah, on a road with no houses, and no traffic - except for the herd of sheep (must have been over a thousand). They were in no hurry. We had to go extremely slowly through the herd, as they were not going to run just for a truck. Sheep and cattle herds roam free during certain times of the year on range land, and are herded back to their winter grounds in the fall. Yep, real cattle drives. Just after Blaine and I were married, we were in his Dad's Dodge Ram up on the Parker Mountain in southern Utah. We saw a cloud of dust moving toward us, and kept going. The closer it got, the more excited we got. It was a herd of hundreds of antelope (well, at least 50) and they were headed right for us. We sped up and they kept coming. They weren't veering off, and instead seemed bent on hitting us. When they got really close, as we were still going plenty fast, they simply turned as one and ran next to us. It was sooooo COOL! I opened my window, as they matched our speed. I could see and hear their breathing, the straining of thier muscles and the thunder of their hooves. I could have easily reached out and touched them. It was amazing that they didn't hit the truck. Eventually they went in another direction, and we slowed, in awe of what had just happened. It was so exciting.

Just as the sun goes down, and just before it comes up, is prime wildlife viewing. Yesterday evening, Blaine and I took a ride not more than two miles away where there are fields near some foothills. There were hundreds and hundreds of deer feeding on the green grass. We have seen a few turkeys, though nothing like the number we see in the east. When driving on the Alpine Loop on Mt. Timpanogas a week ago, we saw a HUGE bull elk with a rack of antlers that would make the most avid hunter drool. He was magnificent, and the views were some of the most stunning I have seen. That's saying something here in the Rockies. While I miss the foliage, this corner of the west is still just a little wild.

Good News!

2009-10-10T17:00:00.003-06:00

So Blaine's white counts went from .02 (with normal being from 3.0-11.0)three days ago, to .07 two days ago, to .23 yesterday, to 1.7 today! That means that the stem-cells have engrafted, officially, and are producing white blood cells. It means that he once again has an immune system, though a very young one, and one that is about one third of normal strength. He must still be careful, but we can lift some dietary restrictions at home. The docs say to wait a few weeks for crowds, like stores or church, and wear a mask if there is any doubt, but he is on the road to being able to be reintroduced into society. They say it will take a few weeks for him to start feeling better, and 6-8 weeks before he gets to do it all again.

The second transplant will be worse than the first, but they say he sailed through the first one. He looked incredulous at that news, and said HE didn't think it was a breeze. That's ok, one down, one to go. The myeloma response in the next 6-8 weeks will be critical. His markers all look good right now, and I will feel better when he is producing red blood cells and platelets again. He will be getting both tomorrow. So, we are very happy that the stem-cells took, and everyone at Huntsman was smiling at the news. We will watch carefully for the next while, and hopefully get through Thanksgiving before starting again!

Speaking of Thanks, we continue to be very grateful for the love and support sent our way, and all of your thoughts and prayers. They mean so very much. We don't mean to be incommunicado, we are just very focused on things right in front of us. Thanks for your understanding. Brian, you are still in our prayers as well.

Cancer is so limited. (or other physical illnesses)
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot eat away peace
It cannot destroy confidence
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot shut out memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot quench the spirit
It cannot steal eternal life

(Poem seen at Huntsman)

Our real enemy is not cancer, but despair. Don't let that in, and you don't let the others in either. Keep the faith, and remember, God is real, he loves his children, and you are one. Miracles happen. Just open your eyes.

Love, Marleigh

Day +6

2009-10-05T20:37:00.004-06:00

Blaine's white counts are shot. That's what supposed to happen. He's extremely tired and has to lay very low. If he stands too long, and believe me that's not long, his blood pressure drops. So he stays down. We are trying to keep him full of fluids. No fevers or signs of infection, and that's the biggest concern. Lots of hand washing and hand sanitizer for me and anyone who comes into contact with him, though his contact with people is very limited. He has required blood twice, and will again. His platelets are now plummeting, so by day 8 they say he will need those as well. He's been nauseaous, but meds are keeping it in check. Mostly, he sleeps. It's all part of the program.

The kids are with family in Heber right now, but Kyle of course is having a tough time. Grandpa is there and Aunt Shauna, who love him, and his siblings and cousins, but they each are having a moment when it's difficult. I'm content to lay low with Blaine, not doing much, just keeping him as safe as I can. It's very hard for him right now. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel is rough. I know now why they call them cancer warriors. Here's to my brave, valiant warrior.

Happy Birthday

2009-09-29T21:18:00.002-06:00

I have a very tired, bone-weary husband, no pun intended. Today he received 6.7 million of his own stem-cells. They will make their way into his marrow and begin differentiating into new marrow cells, producing red, white, plasma, and other normal cells. There is an overlap between the death of his marrow and the life cycle of previously formed blood cells, and the time when his new marrow comes to life. Again, days 4-about-14 can be very rough. He has, as usual, escaped the worst of it thus far. Knock on wood. We hope and pray that he will continue to escape the worst, as he is so bone weary, and does now have some "chemo-brain," a condition following chemo where it is difficult to concentrate, etc. But it's a fairly mild case. He now has to follow all of the neutrapenic guidelines, so he cannot be in public, eat uncooked foods or foods not prepared at home, wash, wash, wash our hands, etc. He is pretty quiet right now, as his energy is very low.

The staff at Huntsman all wished him a Happy Birthday, as this is the day he gets a new lease on life. Literally. They also gave him a certificate and a new blanket made by a local scout troop. They made 100 for the cancer center, and I think they all go to transplant patients.

Josh is playing some basketball, Alexis is doing lots of homework, and Kyle is having so much more fun outside now that there are kids around to play with all the time. They are adjusting well. I think I am also. Dani is in London today, has seen Phantom of the Opera, As You Like It, Big Ben, will be going to St. Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace tomorrow, and gets to speak English all day long. We are living vicariously through her. Have I mentioned that? I think I have. :)

Congrats to Bishop Ferland. Hope he adjusts well also! Take care.

Marleigh

Day -4

2009-09-25T11:53:00.006-06:00

Today is the day. I am watching the Melphalan drip into Blaine's IV. This is the bone marrow killer, and after this there is no turning back. If he were only to receive the chemo, and for some reason did NOT receive his stem-cells, as the nurse says, he'd be "pushin' daisies." No one has ever done the chemo and not the stem-cells. That's the good news. On Monday, day -1, Blaine will receive another dose of Melphalan, and on Tuesday, day 0, he will be infused with his own stem cells. Then we wait. Days 5-9 are said to be the toughest with symptoms that can range from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and severe mouth sores, to drops in blood pressure and abnormal heart rates (on the bright side, there are those who experience very little of these). His blood counts will drop down to zero at this point. Everyone experiences this. He will be receiving blood products, obviously, and shots to stimulate white cell production. These are all knowns, and they have protocol to handle each situation. During the period from about day 5 through day 14 or later, he will be extremely susceptible to infection, and we will stay within 10 minutes of Huntsman Cancer Hospital until engraftment. We know when engraftment has occurred because his counts begin to rise again, and reach a level where he is still vulnerable, but not to such an extreme. At that point, Blaine and I will return to Heber City, where we are currently staying.

Blaine's Dad has agreed to stay with the kids in Heber while Blaine and I are in Salt Lake. From today on, Blaine requires a 24-7 caregiver. That's mostly me, and family will take part, I am sure. He will not be able to be around crowds, will have to limit contact with people, and cannot be around anyone with a cough, cold, or any other contagion. The kids and I are getting flu shots on Monday, perhaps this afternoon if there is time. In December, the whole process will be repeated, and after the 2nd transplant, he will have maintenance therapy for at least a year.

All of this is why we are here, and though intense, we are relieved to get it underway. We had a very frank discussion with the doctor, and this is absolutely what he needs. It is literally a matter of life and death that he receive this treatment, so we are grateful that it is here. These guys have done this many times. Dr. Tricot has treated over 5,000 MM patients over 20 years. It is all he does, and he is the best in his field. We continue to be grateful for DHMC/Norris Cotton Cancer Center and the good people there, and extremely grateful for Huntsman and the specialists here. Dr. Tricot has seen life extended 10 years and more, and has a confidence we have not seen in prior oncologists. We have confidence, and Blaine is again, very strong. We wait upon the Lord, and know this is the answer to our prayers, and to those of many others who suffer from Multiple Myeloma.

To Liz, God Bless you! Thank you so much for the MM walk, and team "Savage Strength." Please tell us more.

To everyone, we don't mean to ignore you! We're just a little busy - crazy busy - totally occupied - fill in the phrase that fits best - you get it! We love you, and will keep this updated. Feel free to email or call, seriously. Don't think you're intruding. If it's a bad time, we won't answer, but we love hearing your voice messages or reading your words. It lifts us up. If we can answer, we will be very happy to do so. And please, someone update us about Brian.

Thanks to all. Hope everyone is well.

Marleigh

Many Changes

2009-09-20T13:49:00.004-06:00

I have wanted to update for a while, but things have been happening so fast, and we have been overwhelmed.

We arrived safely in Heber City, UT, in no small part thanks to Brad, Thanks Brad! and his wonderful friends near Chicago where we were put up for the night, and treated like family. Thank you, Charlie and Dawn.

We are staying in a guest house, very nice, cozy. We are safe and well. Josh's cousin of the same age, arranged a date for him for homecoming. He had a good time Saturday.

The kids will start school tomorrow, Friday was spent getting the paperwork done, at least for the high schoolers. We will take care of Kyle tomorrow. They are nervous, but I think they like what they see. They miss home, but are seeing good things here as well.

Dani was finally able to access Skype, so we were able to see her and talk to her this afternoon. She looked tired, and happy. It was great to see her face, and see her excitement about everything she is experiencing. She is just fine.

Blaine's stem-cell collection was excellent. He got 30 million in 3 days. That is fantastic - enough for both transplants now, and some to bank for the future. Everyone was quite pleased. We see Dr. Tricot on Wed, and he could start transplant chemo as early as Friday. Yes, MORE chemo. But, they are not wasting any time, and we agree with the urgency. His LDH numbers were once again up on Saturday. We will update.

There is so much to say. We feel carried on pillows of love and security provided by family, friends, and ward members who rose up in a mighty way to help us do what was needed to get us out west in such a hurry. I can't even speak about it yet, it is such an emotionally touching subject. AND.... we have been very warmly welcomed here by family and the ward, and wonderful friends who have given us use of their guest house for the time being.

We will update soon. We love you, and thank you. I can't imagine a better send off has occurred for pretty much anyone, ever. And, the warm welcome here has eased our strain.

We can be reached by email and cell phone. Hope all is well wherever you are.

Marleigh

What a difference a week makes...

2009-09-16T10:32:00.003-06:00

As I write this blog, I'm lying in a bed at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) hooked up to the Stem Cell collection machine. Today is the first day we've been able to collect, my white blood cell and platelet counts have been too low. So today is our lucky day; my WBC has rebounded to (almost) normal levels and my platelet count is good. The goal over the next 2 or 3 days is to collect 20 million stem cells (sounds like a lot). The stem cells they collect will be used for both transplants. The first transplant is scheduled for the first week in October, and the second probably around the first of December.

This past week has been a whirlwind; not sure the best way to describe it, other than to say our lives have changed dramatically over the course of a week. Marleigh has done a good job of describing the situation on the previous posts. So I thought I would update everyone with what has been happening on this side.

As you know I spent almost a week in the hospital at DHMC, returning home on Labor day. On Wednesday (Me and Marleigh's 20th anniversary) I was on a plane headed to Utah. I was greeted at the airport, not only by my father and sister, but also Frank and Elaine Anderson (good friends who reside in UT but also have a home in VT), Richard and Kathy Hall (who are like my second parents), and my cousin (and friend)Tara and her son Jordan. It was quite a reception, and some say that I almost cried (others say there was no doubt about it-I blubbered like a baby) though I would most likely deny it. I headed straight to the HCI from the airport, where they were expecting me. After a long day of traveling, I then had a Bone Marrow Biopsy and an MRI (my two favorite things... see previous posts). Needless to say, it was a long day. I've returned every day since then for my lab work and to meet with the Doctors. We have been waiting for my numbers to rebound so that the stem cell collection could begin, and today is the day. Again the objective is to move as quickly to transplant as possible, so this is the first step towards that. This collection will continue tomorrow and Friday. Then I get a bit of a break.
On Monday I had a 'Central Line' (not sure what the correct medical terminology would be) put into my neck. This allows them to hook up the collection machine. This line has two ports sticking right out of my neck (I'm set for Halloween-I look a little bit like Frankenstein). The collection machine draws blood out of one of the lines, separates the stem cells, then puts the blood back in through the other line.

So that's the situation for me at the moment. I owe you another post to let you know of the wonderful people who have stepped up to help us on this side of the country. I also need express my gratitude for the good folks in New Hampshire/Vermont who have been so good to me and my family. Again, I will do that with a separate post.

But for now, know that I am in good hands. The folks here at Huntsman have been great and I feel very confident in the direction that we're going. I believe that all the prayers and fasting have led us here.

Blaine

Getting Ready to Go

2009-09-12T19:12:00.005-06:00

Dani is in Paris! And so far sounds great. She says she is hungry to learn more. I say go get 'em! Blaine is in good hands at Huntsman, they are moving him immediately to Bone Marrow Transplant (stem-cell variety). They will be collecting stem-cells starting Monday, and he will begin transplant at the end of September. Whoa! When this one's over, they will turn right around and do it again. Back to back transplants. Sounds rough, but everyone feels very positive about this treatment plan. Everyone, including his Dartmouth docs! We still love 'em. He sounds much better, and I'm not sure how much is the treatment plan, and how much is being back in the Rockies, with his family. I know he misses us, but he is also glad to be home.

We have had quite a day! We had an army here helping us pack and move furniture to storage today, and the house is almost empty. Our toothbrushes are even in a box! Thank you everyone. So much.

Heber City Utah is on the Eastern side of the Wasatch Range in a high mountain valley. It gets hot in the summer, and plenty cold in the winter. We are close to lots of great hunting,fishing, and family, who have wrapped their collective arms around Blaine as he came home.

Our plan is to drive out Wednesday. We will be taking two vehicles and an extra driver. Thanks Brad! We'll stop for the night this time. I hated Monster, anyway. When we arrive, we have a place to stay, and will enroll the kids in school in Heber immediately. Josh is changing schools his senior year, and being every inch a man about it. I am very proud of him. Alexis is leaving behind an amazing circle of friends in school and church, (they are having a party for her as we speak), and it is hard to do. But she loves her Dad best. Kyle is both excited and sad, as he's always loved our visits west, but he's realized that also means leaving here, which is really all he's ever known. But alas, he also loves Dad best. We all do. And we are soooooooooooo happy for the hope this new treatment plan has brought us. He is in the Lords hands, and He has made things happen very quickly.
As much as we are leaving behind good things, and there are many, we are also headed towards good things. The saying goes, you need to bloom where you are planted. Or transplanted. Our whole family has experienced that, and is in the process of uprooting again. But we will be rooted in good soil when we get there.

Now if we can just sell the house! It's been a wonderful home for us, and will be for someone else. Lots of sports for kids, right near the high school, good community, cozy feel.... anyone know a family looking for 5 bedrooms and a huge back yard? This is the place!

On Tuesday from 6:00 - 8:00, we will be at our very empty house, hoping to say goodbye to anyone who would like to stop. We would love to see you.

We have LOVED living here. It has been so very good for our family. We have all grown while here, and enjoyed the place, but mostly, the people. We will miss it. Hope to see some of you Tuesday from 6-8.

Thanks for being so good to our family. And God Bless.

Love,
Marleigh

What the heck is up NOW?!

2009-09-09T10:02:00.008-06:00

Dani said to us last night, "Have you ever thought about how crazy our lives are?" We said, yep. I am cutting and pasting from an email I sent out to family last night here, so if it is repetitive, please forgive me. There is also more info now, so you might want to read it anyway. :)

When Blaine went in the hospital for chemo, he had elevated LDH numbers, which indicates inflammation in the body. As he received the infusion, LDH numbers kept coming down, until Sunday, when they were brought into the normal range. Chemo stopped Sunday evening. By Monday morning's labs, LDH levels had already significantly risen.

The docs have been great, doing everything they know to help Blaine, and consulting with Dana Farber. However, they themselves have been surprised at every turn by the aggressive nature of Blaine's disease. The last time I spoke with them, they suggested we take him out west to be with family, and did mention Huntsman Cancer Institute, since we had discussed it previously. Knowing that Huntsman has docs that come from a program that is VERY aggressive with MM, and that starts out with the very approach that was Blaine's third line of defense, I emailed them yesterday since it was a holiday, and called today. I spoke with Dr. Tricot who has 20 years experience with MM and has treated over 5,000 MM patients. He asked me to get Blaine there NOW. He has seen this response before and told me how he would handle him based on the info I gave him.

So bottom line, Blaine is on board a plane for Salt Lake City, UT. He arrives at 11:50 AM, Mountain Time, and will drive straight to the Huntsman Cancer Institute where they are expecting him. They will begin his workup when he gets there. Dr. Tricot can piggy-back on the just completed chemo and neulasta for stem-cell collection, so he is on schedule for harvesting stem cells in two weeks. If they can harvest enough cells, then he will be moving right on to transplant within the month. If he cannot produce enough cells, we look at matches immediately in his family for a donor. He will have a tandem (back to back) transplant. This will keep us in Utah for 6 months at the very minimum.

Starting tomorrow, our house is for sale. 5 bedrooms, 2 baths, hardwood floors throughout, 2 acres of land, a mature garden spot, updated septic, new drainage system, enclosed porch, and a 2 car garage. Any takers?

That's the news. Kyle said yesterday, "You know all those fasting and praying and stuff? Well, this is the light." We think he is correct, and this is the answer we've been seeking.

We are sorry Blaine didn't get to see so many of you, but this is what he needs. We send our love and prayers to Brian and others who are hurting, and will continue to update this blog with things as they unfold. We can still be reached by phone or email. Wish us well, and we you.

Love,
Marleigh and Blaine.

From room 101

2009-09-07T12:27:00.005-06:00

Blaine is going home later tonight, after he finishes his second unit of blood. He is finishing up the first unit as we speak. He has again, done incredibly well with chemo. He has had some nausea, but no vomitting, and has been able to eat enough. He gained 20 lbs of water, which is now coming off. As far as in-hospital side effects, he has virtually sailed through. What a suprise, eh? He has even been out walking a bit. He will come home, and they will draw blood twice a week to watch his blood counts untill he comes back to do it all again in about three weeks. In the meantime, we'll drive him crazy, watching him like a hawk.

Yesterday, our kind friends, the Martins, brought dinner to the kids. They packed it up and drove here to the hospital. We ended our fast together, with a prayer, then ate. I felt SO good. I know the kids did as well, because they all made it, even Kyle! We are so VERY appreciative of all those who fasted and prayed with us in whatever capacity they were able. Perhaps that is why he is doing so well.

Saturday was a very emotional day for me. We ran around like crazy putting all the finishing touches together for what was, in my mind, a very special goodbye to a loved family member. What a wonderful spirit was felt during the service and during the wonderful meal provided so kindly and well by our wonderful Relief Society. Thank you so much, sisters! And everyone else who pitched in to help our family with the service that day. :) It was a blessing to be surrounded by family, some whom I had not seen, and neither had anyone else! for years. I think everyone had a chance to express their love for Rainee, Brian and family, and it seemed healing. I hope anyone who didn't and needs to will be able to talk to someone close to them. Everyone's concern was evident for Brian, Erin, Patrick and Sam, but also for Blaine and us Savages. I deeply felt and appreciate it, very, very much.

After we dispersed from the chapel, and I was driving to the hospital, I realized that Brian needed our fasting as much as Blaine, and perhaps more so, since he was the only remaining parent. So, I fasted for both Blaine and Brian. I know miracles can happen, and I see one in Brian's imroved condition, at a time when it was CRITICAL for him to be functional, upon the death of his wife, and his children's mother. They needed him to be better, and he is. Though not out of the woods by any means, he is improved. Our Loving God knew what was coming, and in His tender mercy, helped Brian. Miracles can and do come, some through medical, explainable channels, others through unexplainable ones. Either way, I am grateful.

More than anything, I have needed to express my feelings of appreciation for the service on Saturday and the love expressed for Rainee. I was so glad to see all of my siblings, Mom and both Aunt Scott and Aunt Rusty, Uncle Terry and Kathy, and members of Rainees family. I think they felt the love there for her and that it was a fitting goodbye. I hope Brian, Erin, Patrick, Sam and Rainee's family feel that way also. I felt good leaving, and it seems that others did as well.

I also needed to express my deep, deep gratitude for the fasts and prayers. They came from many of different faiths, and from those who I don't know to be particularly religious necessaruly, but who did this wonderful thing in our behalf. I know they will be blessed for it, and we already are. Thank you so very, very much. We will continue to remember Brian and his family in our daily prayers, and know you will as well. And whoever else is in need.

So, to finish up this long, perhaps repetitive submission, I wish to just say one last thing.

Rainee, I love you. Until I see you again, God be with you, God be with you. We love you.

Marleigh

Update from Rm 101

2009-09-05T13:45:00.004-06:00

They say humor is great medicine, so thanks for the jokes.

I'm sitting here in room 101 at DHMC; floating between reading, watching football, and dozing off. If I were at home enjoying these activities, it might be the perfect Saturday (but I'm sure Marleigh would tell me to get up and do something).

I have three IV lines hooked up to me, pumping all kinds of medicine into me; several Chemo medications, several anti-nauseua medications, etc. They've warned me that I'll be very sick, but mostly now I'm tired and pretty hazy. Hard to focus on too much. Maybe that's par for the course for me anyway. But I feel good.

I appreciate all the words of encouragement and support, that's the best medicine of all. I'll update this as often as I can.

Blaine

Chemo from Heck..... Day 2

2009-09-03T20:02:00.006-06:00

The word for today is exhausted. He was up last night with steroids, and his body is processing amazing amounts of toxic stuff, so you can imagine that he's a little wiped out.

I have a request... they say that laughter is the best medicine, right? So, swamp the comments with the best (or worst) jokes you got, funny stories, lame pictures, you get the idea. :) Keep them coming whenever you think about them and have time to write them. He reads all of the comments on this blog regularly, and I will make SURE he reads the laughs. Have fun! Oh yeah, keep 'em clean!

Thanks.
Marleigh

Today's Adventures

2009-09-02T19:42:00.004-06:00

Blaine and I arrived at DHMC at 8:00 this morning. He had an MRI followed by a pet-scan. It was about 12:30 PM by the time we made it to the Hematology/Oncology unit where he will be for the next while. He hadn't eaten since the night before, and was starved. It took until after 2:00 to get the ok for him to eat. They were right to be safe, but he was glad for some food! They took labs, waited for the results, ordered meds, prepared three med pumps (one for his medi-port, the others for two other IV sites they started). They filled him full of anti-emetics (anti nausea), and finally at about 7:00 PM everything was in place and they began delivering the chemo meds through all three sites. The list is frightening, and we're not going to even try to list all possible side effects, save to say they can be scary. He will have 24 hour a day chemo for the next four or five days. He will not be home before Monday we understand, not Sunday, assuming there are no complications. With all the drugs they're hitting him with, my read of the nurses is almost to expect a complication or two. But, he has surprised us all before.

They say he will probably not really start to feel it until tomorrow afternoon. They don't say much beyond that. His spirits aren't as good as they have been, the results yesterday were a blow to him. Even so, his faith is in God. With Him, all things are possible, and as Juanita pointed out, He is the Master Physician.

Blaine is in a double occupancy room since the hospital is full. Apparently, we aren't the only ones with trials! A good friend of ours was just one door over. Since he is not in a private room, I could not spend the night, and am typing from home. I was soooo not happy to leave him there, but he was more concerned with the kids than himself. When I called home to tell them I was on my way, Kyle answered. I told him, and he went silent. "Why?" "Do you want me to stay with Dad?" I asked. "Yeah!" he responded. He was the one I was MOST concerned about, but he wasn't happy that I would not be with his Dad. We will count our blessings.

We love our docs! Can we say that? They truly seem to care about him, and Nandi Reddy, the fellow, says he has spent more time on Blaine this week than on his family. He wanted us to know that and to know that he was very much fighting this one with us. He was a little emotional when telling us this, and we sooooo appreciate it. Dr. Bengston is also very concerned, and doesn't want to miss anything. We are grateful for their dedication, and honest care and concern. They are good, good guys.

We are also truly so very grateful for the love and prayers of so many, especially those who will be fasting with us, and those who have been with us all the while. Check out the 'Sweet Times' link to the side. Thanks Lisa, so much. And everyone else. Also a thank-you to those who fed our kids and picked up Kyle from school when our teenagers were unavailable to do so. So many kindnesses, it would be impossible to name them all, so I'll quit trying for fear I'll miss some.

I'll try to update this nightly, but no promises. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Marleigh

Results

2009-09-01T19:49:00.006-06:00

Well, what do you do when you get bucked off a horse? You get right back on. What if the horse you got on at first wasn't so bad, but got real mad that you were still riding, got mean and bucked you off twice? Then you REALLY have to show him who's boss.

The analogy is to Blaine's condition. News from the biopsy wasn't good. He now has Refractory (unresponsive) Multiple Myeloma. Totally unresponsive? No. Responsive enough? No. The docs are still gathering data, but things are not progressing as hoped. So, what's next? Tomorrow morning, Blaine will go for another MRI and Pet Scan, following which he will be admitted into the hospital for VERY intensive chemo, which will be delivered IV all the time. He will continue with Cytoxin and Dexamethazone, plus a few more high-powered chemo drugs. He will be in at least until Sunday, barring any complications. When he comes home, he will be very out of it. He will be sick as a dog, this time for sure, and have lots of blood count issues. They will monitor his blood very carefully so that he can receive transfusions as needed. He will also have to miss Rainee's funeral. That was his biggest immediate concern with the docs. "Can we schedule it so I can be available Saturday?" No chance. "Can I leave for a while Saturday?" Nope. He wasn't happy. He really wanted to be there. His heart will be. Everything is still on, for those of you who might be concerned. No worries.

As a family, we are going to fast for Blaine this weekend. That means that after dinner on Saturday evening, none of us will eat or drink at all until dinner on Sunday evening. 24 hours, or two meals. During this time, we will also be devoting our prayers to him and his well-being. Fasting is not a droll thing, but can be a joyful one. It is a sacrifice that we are very willing to make in his behalf, and invite any to join us who can or would care to. If you are physically unable, the prayers are still so very appreciated. We will lift up our hearts in prayer to the Almighty in his behalf. Join us if you can.

Birthday Presents

2009-08-30T16:31:00.002-06:00

Everybody loves birthday presents. Kyle says his favorites have been the archery equipment (bow and arrows, quiver, arm guards, etc) and also his BB/Pellet gun. And of course his fishing pole. Josh always likes his baseball stuff; gloves, bats, etc. One of Dani's favorites was the BYU Basketball Camp she went to (which she won MVP at). Alexis favorite 'present' was actually her b-day party this past year. Marleigh remembers the ice skates. It's hard for me to remember all my previous birthday presents.I remember bikes and watches and things like that.
Well, tomorrow is my birthday and I'm spending it at DHMC. This is my Re-Staging day, the day we determine where my cancer is at. Last time we did this the news was good, very good. We determined that it was in remission. Unfortunately it came back very quickly. My medical team made some adjustments to my Chemo regime; putting me on Thalydomide and taking me off Revlimid. They also made adjustments my Velcade. And of course, they added Cytoxin to the list Chemo medication; this is the nasty bugger that took my hair, made me neutrapenic, wacked out my blood counts. However, the cancer had wacked out white, red, and platelets, as the bone marrow was compromised, and could not produce the blood cells it normally did. The Thalydomide had side effects that were hurting more than helping, so I'm back on Revlimid. So I'm not sure what to expect this time. I think it'll be remission again, we'll see. Either way, I will take all the results with me to Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston on the 10th to meet with Dr. Richardson, who is a Myeloma only Oncologist. Then we'll go from there. We don't know what he will recommend, but we are assuming, contingent upon results from tomorrow, that the plan is still to get me into remission, then move to stem cell (bone marrow) transplant.
So my wish for a Birthday present is good results from the Re-Staging. That'll be a present I remember.

Blaine

Service for Rainee

2009-08-27T12:48:00.011-06:00

Please be advised of Funeral Services for Lorraine Marie Currier Farrell, with a meal to follow. If you would like to bring something, desserts would be great.

Saturday, September 5th, 2:00 PM
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Route 5
Ascutney, Vermont

Goodbye

2009-08-23T14:52:00.008-06:00

Today is a sad day. Yesterday evening, at about 7:30 PM, my brother Brian (the one who is waiting for a liver transplant), walked upstairs to tell his wife, Rainee, that supper was ready. He went in to find her very still, and realized that she had passed away in her sleep. She was 44 years old. This was very unexpected. Brian and Rainee - Lorraine Marie Currier Farrell - are the proud parents of a 19 year old daughter and a 16 year old son, as well as a 22 year old niece they raised from a young age. Please keep them in your prayers, as their burdens are heavy right now.

Thanks. Marleigh

Early Morning Update...

2009-08-22T01:43:00.007-06:00

It's been a few days since I've updated the post, so I thought 3:45 am Saturday would be a nice time to do it (the Dextamethasome/Steroids make it tough to sleep sometimes).
It has been an 'On Week', so we've been to DHMC three times this week; twice for labs & infusions and once for an MRI (the dreaded MRI's are getting better thanks to Ativan). I go in for re-staging on the 31st of August (my b-day), but we wanted to get a jump on things by doing the MRI. Again, re-staging includes the other 'dreaded item'-bone marrow biopsy. But even then, the last biopsy I had seemed to be much better than the previous ones. So maybe I'm toughening up to them. Either way, the 31st is going to be the date that determines what we do next. It will be the first day on my next cylce, which will be the 3rd cylce of this round. With the first round of chemo, I had four cylces before we declared 'remission'. Maybe we can do it in 3 cycles this time and get right on with the bone marrow transplant.
We have an appointment with Dr. Richardson (who focuses primarily on Multiple Myeloma) at Dana Farber Hospital in Boston on the 10th of September. September 10th is also the day we send our lovely and talented eldest daughter off to France (how do you say yikes in French?). It has been good to have her home for the summer, she brightens our home-mostly :).
We changed one of the chemo drugs this week, from Thalidomide back to Revlimid. The Thalimide had some side effects that have been tough to deal with, primarily neuropothy. Neuropothy makes your legs and hands numb and for a guy who recently had a tumor removed from his spine, and who is already relatively numb from the rib cage down- I didn't need it. It also caused my feet and ankles to balloon, again... didn't need. So it's back on to Revlimid which is the drug that helped put me into remmission the first time. However, this time around once we determine when the Bone Marrow Transplant will be, I am going to stay on the Revlimid until it's transplant time.
So all things considered, it has been a pretty good week. I'm looking forward to having my 'Off Week' next week. I'll be down in Westford, Ma teaching a course to some of our new business partners from California. It'll be good to be feel productive.

On a side not... my seventeen year old son, Joshua is working on his Eagle Scout project and had the brilliant idea of helping out the cancer patients at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center (at DHMC) with a more comfortable waiting environment.

He's noticed that some of the furniture in the lobby area's are not very comfortable, especially for those who are sick and have traveled some distance. I certainly agree with the assessment. Chemo makes for a long day, and any amount of time sitting in a cramped chair makes it even more so. His project (pending BSA's approval) is to provide the lobby area's for both the infusion area and the radiology with recliner chairs. The goal is to speak with local furniture stores, business owners, and anyone else who would like to make a donation for these new recliners. Seems like a worthy undertaking. We hope he has success with it.

Have a great weekend.

Blaine

Surviving Mondays

2009-08-11T11:41:00.005-06:00

Monday and Thursday are my infusion days. The first Monday of the cycle (which was yesterday) is the 'Big' day. I get loaded up on all sorts of 'stuff'; 2 or 3 anti-nausea medications, red blood boosters, steroids, velcade, cytoxin (this is the bugger that took my hair), bone strengthening medications, lots of fluids. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

The good news is... I feel great. I took Kyle down to the boat harbor last night so he could fish a little and today I feel strong. I'm headed into Keene for another shot to help with the white blood count, so that hopefully I don't get nutripenic again. But so far so good.

I'm throwing on some pictures that were taken on Sunday.

Marleigh and the Bald Guy

Me and Paul Liberty

Blaine

My Job

2009-08-05T18:41:00.012-06:00

OK, I'm no Vin Diesel or Bruce Willis. But I'm not Darth Vader either, that's a good thing. Actually, I'm starting to like it. Easy maintenance; faster showers, no shampoo, no combing. Easy. I need to work on the color a little- too white for the rest of my head. It'll get there.

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Westford, Ma- attending a training session for my company: ICS 8400 R6, learning fascinating stuff like XML, PRS, RSI, etc.

So, this is the kind of company I work for. I received an email the other day from my boss's boss (Senior Director of Enterprise for North America Region) telling me that he was riding in the Pan Mass Challenge, he has done so for the last few years. It raises money and awareness for cancer. Obviously it's a terrific cause, I just wanted to share his email with you;

"I just wanted to send a quick note of sincere thanks for your donation to the PMC charity ride. With your contributions, you are part of the PMC family and together we are united in making a difference in the on-going fight against cancer this weekend.

I am amazed at your generosity this year – despite the very unstable economic climate and our nation’s highest level of unemployment in decades, I was able to gain my highest number of sponsors this year and outpace my previous years high contribution mark, by raising over $4,200 in donations!

My ride this year is in honor of many people – some who have lost their battle (Russ, Tracey), some who are in the process of fighting the cancer (Blaine, Tom, Trish, Karen, Cecile) and some that are “Living Proof” survivors (Mike, Annmarie, Britany)

My brother John and I dedicate our ride this year to our Pedal Partner, Patrick (see photo attached) – A great little boy who is bravely and successfully fighting his fight ……

For those of you who are local to Massachusetts – NECN will be broadcasting the opening ceremonies live, starting tonight at 6:30pm and throughout the weekend – please take some time to watch this great event. God Bless."

The support from Alcatel-Lucent has been tremendous; not to mention the great insurance coverage, training schedules and locations have been completely reworked to line up with my chemo schedules. The class I'm attending now was originally schedule for California, but they rescheduled (in large part to accommodate me) for it to happen in Massachusetts; flying a least 5 people in from Texas, Illinois, and California. When I'm not attending or teaching a course, I have a home office. It has been such a boost to be able to have the flexibility to go to my appointments, all with A-L's blessing.

So, in a nutshell; I am grateful for good employment and for the good people I work with.

Blaine

Voila!

2009-08-03T12:33:00.002-06:00

I think that just about says it all.

Hair today, gone....

2009-07-31T15:32:00.002-06:00

I knew this day was coming. We've been joking about it for some time. Doesn't seem that funny anymore. Yesterday my hair started to come out in clumps. I think I have a few days before I shave it, but it wont be long. Dani's post about me be bald, about me looking like Darth Vader... well, we'll see. I doubt that I'll look cool like Vin Diesel or Bruce Willis. I guess we're about to find out. I'll try to snap some photo's, before and after.
Hey it's only hair, right?

Everything else is good; good energy, no fevers, sleeping well at nights. Next week is my 'Off' week- no chemo. Normally that's a good week, but I miss the Dextamethasome (steroids)- it gives me energy. But it'll be good to get a break from the chemo.

Blaine

Back in control

2009-07-28T13:24:00.003-06:00

Fun facts from WebMD:
Chemotherapy (also known as chemo) works by killing fast-growing cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs can’t always tell the difference between cancer cells and fast-growing healthy cells, including red and white blood cells. As a result, one of the most serious potential side effects of many types of chemotherapy drugs is a low white blood cell count. Chemo that causes this side effect is described as myelosuppressive (my-eh-low-suh-PRESS-iv), because it suppresses your production of white blood cells. A low number of a specific type of white blood cells called neutrophils,—also known as neutropenia (new-tro-pee-nee-uh)—can put some patients at risk for severe infections and may interrupt chemo treatment. In fact, complications associated with a low white blood cell count are the most common causes of dose reductions or delays in chemotherapy. A sufficient white blood cell count may enable your doctors to administer chemotherapy according to their treatment schedule.

After my Monday trip to DHMC (for labs and infusion) life seems to be settling back to normal. I feel like I'm back in control. My White Blood counts have returned to normal (almost 3.6 where 4.0 is normal). My other numbers have all rebounded, so I'm feeling much better than the last time I posted. Before my white blood counts made me 'neutrapenic'- see the above description. So I really had to lay low for a few days with very limited exposure to the outside word.

But, as of yesterday my numbers have bounced back and I feel much more in control. My energy level is good, no fevers, no night sweats.

So for now, I feel like I'm back in control.

Included is a shot of the Three Amigo's; Dad, Alexis, and Kyle.

Enough is enough

2009-07-23T17:02:00.008-06:00

Ok, enough with the optimism.... I'm sick of being sick! Tired of being tired. Tired of the immobility (remnants of the spinal tumor), tired of my digestive system (lost another 10 pounds this week), tired of all the trips to DHMC. LAB work, CAT scans, PET scans; sounds more like an animal hospital than a world class cancer center.

It would be nice to hit the rewind button back 2 or 3 years when I felt great. When I get through all this, I'll sure appreciate things more.

But for now... I'm not having fun.

Alright, now the news of the day. I went in for my normal routine (Labs, consult w/ Dr. Reddy, and infusion) today. Labs came back and my white blood counts are shot, almost non-existent. This was somewhat expected with the more aggressive chemo regimen I am now on.

So for now I'm in my own version of isolation (at home, limited exposure to others, face masks, lots and lots of hand washing), and if you have a cold, or are otherwise sick in any way, I need to keep my distance, etc. The good news is that my counts should recover by next weekend. Then I'll have another round of chemo.

The other good news is that my LDH levels continue to drop, which indicates that I am responding to the misery.

So this has been my one (and hopefully only) complaining blog...

Blaine

BTW-Dani sent me this photo of Mt. Timpanogas. This is where I grew up.

Monday at DHMC

2009-07-20T12:50:00.011-06:00

(Fessing up - photos from last Thursday)

(Grandpa getting warm)

It is 3pm, Monday afternoon. I'm sitting in my 'chemo' chair along with another 20 or so patients. It's always a busy place, the medical team is great; very busy but very responsive. Today, things have gone well. My LDH numbers which have been astronomically high (over 1900 at one point), have come down substantially to 638. This in response to my return to chemo last Thursday. My fever's are gone, haven't had a high temperature since Thursday. I'm still having some night sweats, but they even seem to be subsiding. So all things considered, things look good.

(Work while you drip)

One thing that's new to me is that I'm getting a couple of units of blood. With the new round of chemo, I am receiving Cyclophoshosphamide (Cytoxin), which can cause red, white and platelet counts to drop substantially. The Myeloma cells also crowd out production of those cells. Between the two, my red counts were low as well as my platelets. White counts were OK thanks to a drug called Neulasta (sp?). The Dr.'s will correct me if that's not it, but I'm pretty sure it's right. I am receiving 2 units as well as platelets if they have enough on hand. It makes for a long day. Not too freaked out by getting a blood transfusion, more freaked out that it's a donation from Rhode Island ;).

(Citrina - pronounced Katrina - much sweeter than the hurricane)

But again, today has been a good day. We had a good talk with Dr. Bengston and Dr. Reddy. Talked about schedules, chemo changes and about our overall plan of attack for the cancer. We have great confidence in our medical team; we are also involving Dr. Richardson of Dana Farber in Boston, who focuses on Multiple Myeloma.

So that is what is happening now. We'll keep you posted.

Blaine

The Snake...

2009-07-15T14:19:00.016-06:00

One of my favorite drives is in Utah; from Northern Utah down to the small town of Bicknell in Wayne county. Often, we'll see mule deer, antelope, elk and an occasional coyote: it's a great area. As you come around Fish Lake mountain there is a stretch of road that my family has always called 'The Snake', this is the entrance into Wayne county. What lays in front of you are several miles of very straight but a very up and down road (a little like a roller coaster; actually that would have been a good name for that stretch - but 'The Snake' stuck). For most of this road you are on the 'higher' ground, but for portions you descend a ways and then come right back up to the higher portion. When we're on the higher portion, we can see Bicknell off in the distance (around 25 miles). When you're at the bottom, you don't see much of anything. At the end of 'The Snake' you are dropped very nicely into the beautiful town of Loa (then Lyman, then Bicknell). Again, my absolute favorite place in the world.

I'm sure by now your wondering where I'm going with this, and to be honest I'm not entirely sure. But in some ways my cancer has been a little like 'The Snake'. I've spent a lot of time on that 'higher' ground; love and support from friends and family, an outpouring of the spirit. For most of it, I've felt like I could see our destination; Bicknell/complete remission with the Bone Marrow transplant. I'm not going to tell you it's all been beautiful, but it has been very tolerable. I've had the low point's; Partial paralysis, poked and prodded and poke and prodded some more, too many MRI's and Bone Marrow biopsies. It has effected somewhat my ability to perform my responsibilities at both work and Church.
Maybe a strange analogy, but it works for me.

So now, another valley is in front of us. For the last several weeks I've had fevers (almost every day), absolutely no appetite (I've lost 25 pounds since the first of June), night sweats (almost every night) and my LDH level has been very, very high; yesterday it was 1500- a normal LDH level is between 150-200. At first my Oncologist thought maybe lymphoma- but testing ruled that out. Yesterday I had another (dreaded) Bone Marrow biopsy (this one was by far the best one I've had). Last night we received a call from my Oncologist, Dr. Bengston (whom we also love). The news wasn't good, she told us that the results of the Biopsy showed that my Multiple Myeloma had returned in force. She said it was very aggressive (It must be because a month ago we announced to the world that I was in Remission). Well, I'm no longer in Remission. We're right back to fighting this thing aggressively. I re-start Chemo again tomorrow; I'll have my three week cycles where I'm 'On' for two weeks, then 'Off' for a week. We are changing the Chemo a little, mixing in a little Cytoxin (I think deep down my Oncologist wants me to lose my hair :).

So, that is where we are - looking at another valley. But just like on 'The Snake', at the end of every valley is another High Point. It gives us hope.

Blaine

Latest Capers

2009-07-11T20:29:00.008-06:00

So you may know that Blaine was shut down for stem-cell prep chemo due to high LDH levels (some kind of inflammation marker, means some thing's wrong). What you may not know is that he also developed fatigue, fevers, and night sweats. When the Bone Marrow coordinator heard this, we quickly received a call from Dr. Reddy, our oncologist whom we very much like. Blaine was asked to come right in. They drew blood, and his LDH was still high. Apparently, Multiple Myeloma patients sometimes develop Lymphoma along with it, and Blaine was exhibiting 3 of the 4 major signs. Dr. Reddy was ashen as he told us about this, and set up a CT scan. Blaine's Dad and I felt like we had just been kicked in the stomach. They clearly thought this is what was happening. The good news is that the next day we were told that the scan came back clear, no Lymphoma. The bad news is that they had no idea what was up. That was Monday.

This week, Blaine was still having fevers, night sweats, and until Thursday, falling asleep anytime he sat down. Today, that fever hit 103.8 F. Not good. We called in, and were told to head to the ER, which we did. They took lots of blood, but found nothing. They also are growing some cultures to see if any bacteria presents itself, and will let us know. It is a mystery right now. If he is in remission, then it can't be the Myeloma. So they are looking at everything else. Our instructions are to treat the fevers with Ibuprofen and Tylenol. If it gets up over 103 again and does not come down or gets worse a half hour after medication, then call or come in again. This is clearly getting old for Blaine, yet he is handling it all EXTREMELY well! His Dad - worry wart. His wife - ask Blaine, I won't venture a guess. No scrap that, don't ask him. We'll just leave that one alone. :)

He still very much appreciates the kindness and prayers sent our way. We all do. Bill Murdoch and his family could sure use some TLC right now as well, as he is not doing well. Keep them in mind, and the Franzens.

Josh is enjoying a car, Dani is at the Hill Cummorah pageant, Alexis is very busy with sports, English, friends, etc, and Kyle has gotten some good time with Grandpa and his parents. We're still very busy, and happy to be so. Take care, and...

I vote Vin Diesel as bald guy - intense eyes. Not Brittany Spears!

Both Bald and Beautiful

2009-07-03T20:54:00.025-06:00

As you all probably know, my dad is getting ready for a bone marrow transplant taking place in August. Prep work for that transplant includes a huge dose of wicked intense chemo. This dose is gonna wipe out his immune system, and most likely make him very sick. One of the things he has to look forward to is losing his hair.

Last night we were watching Hercules, and after watching Hades get his hair blown out by Pegasus this subject came up...

"Okay, guys, name some good looking bald guys."
"Michael Jordan!" pipes up Josh,
"Er," I hesitate, "Paul Pierce?"
"He's not bald."
"Right, Karl Malone."
"Ray Allen!" shouts Kyle.
"Okay, can we name some white bald guys?"
*Pause*
"That guy from CNN?"
"Which one?" asks Dad,
"You know," I reply, "the bald one..."
"Brother Halley!" says Josh
"Common, he's not bald..."
"Then Britney Spears!" retorts Josh, effectively ending the conversation because all of us are laughing too hard.

Basically, I just think my dad doesn't want to end up looking like this guy...

After doing some thorough research, however (yes, I image googled "good looking bald guys"), I found that there are indeed quite a few good looking, white bald guys...
(wait a second...does anybody else wonder why John Travolta is in this set? He isn't bald!)

Vin Diesel...classic.

My favorite baldie, however, has to be this guy:

No matter what, we'll always love dad (even if he does end up looking like Darth Vader ;) ). What does he have to lose? Just hair.

So what do you think? Have I missed anyone? Who's your favorite baldie?

:) Dani (and a little bit of Josh).

AAAARRRRRRGGG!

2009-07-02T18:21:00.005-06:00

Blaine got a good nights sleep last night in anticipation of today's events. He and Grandpa got up early and drove to Dartmouth(I joined later). Blood was taken for labs, and he took medication to aleviate the nausea which would come, and other meds to protect sensitive organs from the cytoxin. Then the Doc came in and said, "Your LDH is very elevated. Let's check again." They ran it again, and the result was the same, although his white counts are still fine. Apparently that little fever and symptoms have affected him in ways which make it necessary to postpone chemo. So, he has to wait another week before starting protocol, providing that his LDH returns to normal. This messes up all of his work plans, and generally drives him crazy, as it is impossible to plan with any certainty. The up side - no nausea, hair for another week, and Grandpa is here. Other family was here yesterday, and we were so glad to see them. Thanks, guys!

Brian is waiting for tests and results to see if he will qualify for a liver transplant, as well as other issues. We await.

We need to shout out a HUGE thank you to the good bretheren from our ward who dug trenches around the back of the house and two dry wells, installed perforated pipe, and covered them with stone. This keeps the drainage away from our cellar, which has been (gasp!) totally dry during this past wet, wet week. The sky just won't stop opening up and pouring water down! But our basement isn't wet! Hurray! This means we can control mold, and Blaine can come home from the hospital after stem-cell transplant instead of somewhere else! Between the septic and the drainage, I cannot tell you how blessed we have been by the kindness of great, great friends. Thank you so much, and may you be just as blessed in return.

Dani and Josh are both working at Subway, Alexis is getting drenched at girl's camp, and Kyle is enjoying many play dates with friends as well as summer soccer and occasionally basketball. We love life. Even when it's insane.

Weekend Craziness

2009-06-30T14:38:00.004-06:00

So Blaine gets a fever, it lasts a day or two, and I call the oncologist. Since he starts stem-cell prep therapy Thursday and cannot have any nasty bacteria hanging around in his blood, the doc says to come in to the ER and get evaluated for pneumonia. WHAT?! Did I mention that it's Friday night? Late? No way, says Blaine. Doc says he'll call in an antibiotic to be sure. I drive to Keene where a 24 hour pharmacy is located, get the scrip, and head home. He takes it, goes back to sleep, and I go to work. Yep, work. Get home, don't get to sleep until it's almost dawn. Blaine improves, his lungs aren't as tight. (Whew!) Spikes fever again Saturday, and that night. Stays home Sunday (unheard of) and rests (me, too). This is good. Feels somewhat better. High powered antibiotics wipe him out, he sleeps a lot for a few days. Monday, still has a fever. Doc says come in, they draw blood to check his white counts, take a chest x-ray, talk. White counts fine, x-ray clear. Blaine says we're a bunch of worry-warts. He may be right.

Quote of the month: "Mom," says Kyle, "I love to feel your cheeks." (He had reached up and touched my face a few times, I was charmed.) "They're sorta roughish, like leather! :)

Smile! And have a nice day.

REMISSION!!!

2009-06-16T20:51:00.006-06:00

I am in Remission.... sounds good doesn't it? I learn something new with every appointment. Today I learned that there are different stages/phases of remission. My remission is VG-Remission, the VG meaning Very Good Remission (this is the actual, medical terminology). This means I no longer have M-protein spikes, they're still detectable in my blood- but the counts are very low. Complete remission comes hopefully after the Bone Marrow Transplant.
I think this is VG news (very good news).
Also, I am done with my 5th cycle of chemo, effective immediately. No more Revlimid, no more dexamethosone (steroids)-also VG news.
It also means that everything gets very serious with the Bone Marrow Transplant. The plan is for me to get my serious round of chemo (Cytoxin) on July 2. I'll get very sick (not VG), I'll lose my hair (not VG), and my immunity system will be down (not VG). From July 13-15, collection of my own Stem Cells takes place. They will have one IV in my right arm, and another in my left. They will draw blood out of one side, run it through a machine that will separate the Stem Cells from the blood-similar to dialysis. The blood goes back into my body through the other IV. The stem cells will be stored until transplant. August 3rd I enter the hospital, August 6th will be the actual transplant. Once I enter the hospital, I will remain there for a month. Not VG.
As has been stated in previous post's, this is exactly what we have been hoping and praying for.

Bottom line; today has been a VG day.

Blaine

Blaine and Marleigh's favorite child...

2009-06-15T15:07:00.014-06:00

Hey everyone, this is Dani. My dad asked me to do a post, and since I wasn't sure what to say this is what my dad said to tell you:

"Tell them that your dad is making you post this and he's a big meanie."

True story.

Haha, don't worry though, he's not a big meanie and I am in fact posting this of my own free will. Just to let you know, my dad is going in for another appointment tomorrow up at Dartmouth, and we'll be hearing what the new news is then. Cross your fingers...

Just some definitions....

Cancer: A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues. Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. There are several main types of cancer. Carcinoma is cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs. Sarcoma is cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue. Leukemia is cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow, and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood. Lymphoma and multiple myeloma are cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system. Central nervous system cancers are cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.

Multiple Myeloma: A type of cancer that begins in plasma cells (white blood cells that produce antibodies).

Remission: A decrease in or disappearance of signs and symptoms of cancer. In partial remission, some, but not all, signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared. In complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared, although cancer still may be in the body.

Bone Marrow Transplant: A procedure to replace bone marrow that has been destroyed by treatment with high doses of anticancer drugs or radiation. Transplantation may be autologous (an individuals own marrow saved before treatment), allogeneic (marrow donated by someone else), or syngeneic (marrow donated by an identical twin). (They're going to do an autologous transplant with my dad, and then if it doesn't work they'll do allogeneic. The doctors are pretty confident the autologous one is going to do the job :) ).

Cure: To heal or restore health; a treatment to restore health.

Sometime I need to do a serious blog about what's going on with my dad, but let me summarize what's going on right now. Two weeks ago my dad went in for restaging, which is like a re-evaluation of what stage the cancer's at, where it's spreading, etc. For him restaging means an MRI as well as they've got to get another sample of his bone marrow. All of the lab results from my dad's chemo treatments have been so good that we're hoping the doctors are going to say he's in remission. GREAT, right??!!? YES, yes yes yes YES yes YES it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If, tomorrow when my dad gets his bone-marrow-lab results back, the doctors declare he is in remission, THEN that means a couple of things.

1) My dad won't have to do his next rounds of chemo (wicked good news, trust me)

2) He has to start getting ready for a BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT.

Sweet, huh? Well, kinda. It's great because that means he's on his way to being cured. First, however, they have to give him a HUGE dose of chemotherapy that will completely kill his immune system and all of his bone marrow (healthy and sick). Then, they are going to regrow that bone marrow using healthy bone marrow they've harvested from his own body. Hopefully the bone marrow will grow more healthy bone marrow, replacing all of the cancerous bone marrow. I'm sure I don't have this down completely correct, but that's the basic gist of it.The way my dad is recovering is literally a miracle. Most multiple myeloma patients aren't given much of a chance, and, as of yet, there isn't a cure. However, we believe in a Heavenly Father who can do all things and will, as long as it is in accordance with His will.

Thank you so so much to everyone who has prayed, fasted, and just been there with us through everything. Prayer really does work, and what is happening with my dad is evidence of that. Thanks so much for all that you do! I don't like using cliches, but your friendship does mean everything, and you will always have a special place in our hearts and home.

***Thanks***
(also, muchos gracia's to the National Cancer Institute
for the definitions!)

Door #4 ????

2009-06-09T15:06:00.003-06:00

I just spoke with Dr. Reddy (Hematology/Oncology Fellow) and the results are not all in. They are still waiting on the Bone Marrow results (which is the big one) and the X-rays. He said the MRI looked better than the last one I had in April. The Lab results continue to look good.

I'm taking 2 Chemo medications; Revlimid and Velcade. In addition to the Chemo medicine I'm also taking Dexamethasone, which is a Steroid (but not the kind that makes me look like a body builder). I also have pills for bone strength, bad stomach, nausea, sleeping, as well as vitamin supplements.

So here is the dilemma... we are not going to have all the results back by Monday. My next cycle (if we are to continue the cycles) is scheduled to begin Monday.

When I posted about my options, I thought there were 3. Apparently, Door #4 is a hybrid of Door #1 and Door #2. I am going to start my 5th cycle, but only take the Revlimid and the Steroids- not Velcade. This is good (I guess) because the Velcade requires an infusion at the hospital. The Revlimid, I take orally. Wake up in the morning, take all my pills, then get to work.

So that's where we are at right now... We'll see what happens when all the results come in.

Blaine

Wednesday...

2009-06-05T10:20:00.003-06:00

The testing on Wednesday was in some ways better than expected; the MRI was an 'open' tube so I could see light out of both sides of the tube-didn't feel nearly as confining. Xray's and Lab's were the easy part. The hard part was still the Bone Marrow Biopsy... Still very painful and uncomfortable. Thank goodness for drugs.

So now that Wednesday has come and gone, we get to wait a week or so for all the results to come back. I'm still optimistic about Door #2... Remission, then Bone Marrow Transplant.

We'll let you know as soon as we find out. Thank you for all the kind 'comments' on the blog as well as the emails.

Blaine

Queue Sound Effects...

2009-06-02T15:37:00.007-06:00

So tomorrow I go in for "Re-Staging" (queue dramatic sound effects). This means a very long day. It starts with an hour long presentation that I'm conducting for my employment (Omni Touch Contact Center- Premium Edition- very exciting stuff. I'll send you the Power Point if your interested : ).

Then we drive (very fast) to DHMC in Hanover for 10am Xrays, an 11am MRI (I hate MRI's- Big guy, small tube- not a good combination), 12 noon Labs, a 1:30 meeting with our oncology fellow (Dr. Reddy- very nice man), and finally 2:30 Bone Marrow biopsy (again, queue sound effects- the scary kind). Didn't do so well the last time I had the biopsy- took them several 'attempts' for them to get what they needed. I say attempts but it was more like several stabbings/diggings/scrapes/torture. Very uncomfortable/painful. Hopefully tomorrow goes better.

Now, I'm generally a very low key guy- not much gets me too worked up (OK- the news that I had cancer worked me up pretty good- but generally). So I'm not going to get too excited about tomorrow. As I see it tomorrow holds several possibilities.
Door #1- the Chemo could be working and I continue on through the 8 cycles that were originally scheduled.
Door #2- the Chemo is really working and they say no more cycles (I'm just finishing up my 4th cycle) and they use the big 'R' word... (queue good sound effect - Remission). At this point we start to talk seriously about the Bone Marrow transplant (queue ominous sound effect).
Door #3- the chemo is not working- back to the drawing board (queue sad sound effects).

I'm also a pretty optimistic guy- I think generally things will work out for the best. I honestly believe I get what is behind Door #2. I believe that the chemo is working and I believe that we are going to move to the next phase- Bone Marrow transplant. I know, be careful what you wish for... But obviously, this holds the best chance for me to survive. Marleigh has posted previously what the bone marrow transplant entails; 3 weeks in the hospital, a serious round of chemo that will kill my living bone marrow (good and bad), wipe out my immune system, certainly take my hair, as well as affect my digestion system in such a way that I may finally lose those 20 pounds I've needed to lose for years (told you I was an optimist). They will then give me my own, previously harvested stem cells, which will regrow a hopefully cancer free marrow (what a world we live in).

Now my optimism is based on a lot of faith/prayers/fasts/more prayers/a great medical team. Ultimately, my fate lies in God's hands, but I feel like we're doing all we can to beat this thing. I know that there is not yet a cure for what I have, but I honestly believe I have a lot of years ahead of me, that I'll get to experience all those husband and fatherly things; weddings, missions, graduations, 30th year wedding anniversaries to the Bahamas/Hawaii/wherever. I honestly believe that I'll be around when they do come up with the cure (queue Hallelujah sound effects). I know what your thinking; it's a fine line between optimism and 'this guys not thinking straight'. But all I can say is... the right things will happen.

Blaine

A Treat and a Passing

2009-05-27T15:41:00.005-06:00

We got a huge treat this past Sunday. Our former Bishop from North Logan, Utah, where we lived when Alexis was born, was in town. He was helping his daughter move with her husband and daughter to Georgia, where he will do an internship and residency following his recent graduation from Dartmouth Medical School. He was able to come to the chapel and visit for a few moments and meet our now huge children, including Kyle who was not yet born, and Alexis who was a small toddler when we moved away, as well as Dani and Josh who are grown or mostly so. He is great! What a good, caring man. His daughter and family will do well, I think, and we are so glad to have had a few precious minutes.

Blaine is well, back on chemo after a week off, which is always a bummer, but still well. Restaging still the 3rd. His Dad will be here on the 8th, after the funeral of Blaine's uncle, Arnold Taylor who died yesterday after his own battle with cancer. He was a navigator in WWII, who was shot down over Germany and fought his way out to allied territory. He never spoke about the details, but is a hero who put his life on the line. He is the recipient of the Purple Heart and another, unspecified medal for bravery.

He and Aunt Jaleen raised their children in Logan, Utah. My favorite memory of Uncle Arnold comes from the day he called and asked if he could pick up Josh and his cousin, Brandon, both 4 years old, and take them with him to the cow and calf auction. He came in his pickup truck and got two excited little boys who spent the day with him looking at big cows and baby cows. They were happy little campers when they got home. He was in his 70's at the time.

He, along with Blaine's Dad and siblings, were born and raised in Wayne County, Utah, the fourth of fifteen children. This was serious cattle country. I am sure he had been on more than a few cattle drives, and knew his way around those mountains. He and Jaleen were married for more than 62 years, and were the parents of 4 children. We rejoice for the good, hard working life he led. His family has been blessed to have him, and we are honored to have known him. God Bless.

Marleigh

Explaining the previous post

2009-05-20T17:49:00.004-06:00

Ok, so you may gather from my poor rhyming skills that we had a septic issue. We did! Between Vic St. Pierre, Charlie St. Pierre, and the Sweets, (angels in this case) we are back in business! And not a moment too soon...

We spoke to the docs on Monday, and if we are to move toward Stem-Cell transplant, Blaine has to begin now to stay away from bacteria... the septic issue was a bacteria factory. It KILLED him not to be out there helping dig in the ... well, you know what.

Vic's daughter, Hillary is once again at Dana Farber. Her Mom, Nancy, has also been in the hospital. They could use some prayers.

We hope you've had a wonderful day, and remember to count your blessings! We'll be counting ours. :)

Marleigh

That's the best this musician can do...?

2009-05-20T17:38:00.008-06:00

(to the tune from Gilligan's Island)

So sit right back and I'll tell a tale
A tale of a sinking ship
The basement flooded, all looked lost
The sewage it did stink
The sewage it did stink

We called a friend who felt our pain
Came running to our aid.
Brought an excavator, shovel too,
to help us flush again
We needed to flush again!

He dug and dug and dug some more
No fear did he display
The smell was bad, his courage strong,
He fixed our pipes and field
Yah, he fixed a field
(Our leach field, that is)

His wife she felt our pain as well
dishes, laundry and tempers were high
She brought us dinner, cookies too!
Our thanks we did provide!
Much thanks we did provide!

The dinner was completely scarfed,
the family did disperse,
for ball games called, and cleaning up,
the stinky basement mess
Oh how not fun that was!

The showers were amazing too
The feeling one of joy
as water ran freely through
our new unbroken pipes
Much to our delight

This silly little ditty now
relates a precious tale
of friends whose love and kindness too,
went far above and beyond
and we are blessed by you!

Thanks so much, Sweet family! You SAVED us!
And we love you.

Take care!

The Glass is Half FULL!

2009-05-16T10:35:00.004-06:00

Blaine is doing very well with chemo, and lab results show that his blood serum protien is back in the normal range, as well as many other amazing things, like his white counts are normal, his red blood cell count is close to normal and holding steady, and his platelets remain on the high end of normal. The docs are very pleased about this and the results of the previously mentioned MRI. As a result, they will be doing another Bone Marrow Biopsy on June 3rd, much sooner than expected. If that comes back as positively as everything else, Blaine could be declared to be in remission! Which means Bone Marrow (stem cell) transplant will be much sooner than anticipated. This inspires a lot of gratitude! And a fair amount of panic, at least on my part.

Stem cell transplant requires a month in the hospital, where they will administer a high dose of chemotherapy which will kill his bone marrow. Dead. This will entirely wipe out his immune system. Then they will give him his own, previously harvested stem cells, which will regrow a hopefully cancer free marrow. His immune system will take time to come fully back on line, and we will have to be extremely careful for a time about his environment, contact with the public, visitors, etc. It will be managed, but it will be work. Blaine doesn't like that it could be coming so much faster. He can't fit it into his work schedule! All joking aside, his company has been great, and has adjusted schedules for him, and will get to do so again. His company has been great, and our insurance through them (THANK HEAVENS!) is fantastic. It's Aetna for anyone looking for insurance. We reccomend them highly.

Blaine continues to not be a complainer, though sometimes chemo is hard, but he is again, handling it soooooo well. It had to be him not me, because I am DEFINATELY the bigger baby. However I am not ready to explode at the drop of a hat anymore, and the cup is once again, half full. I hope that now makes me better to live with. :) My family is the best, have I said that before? Our blessings definately outweigh our trials. We see the hand of God in this, everywhere we look.

Someone asked me recently if these posts were real, or just the public face we are putting on. They are real. We can choose to see the negative, or to accentuate the positive. Which one will help my husband regain his health? Which one will make this experience easier, even joyful at times? The answer is clear, and that is what we have chosen. Indeed, with all of the help and blessings we have received and continue to receive, it is hard not to see the positive, and we would be ungrateful if we began looking for the negative. So, yes, these posts, though upbeat and optimistic in general, are real.

Speaking of real, Hillary St. Pierre, a cancer warrior of three years, very patiently spent way too much time answering my questions yesterday. I was like an information vampire, trying hard to suck her brain dry about stem cell transplants and other things. She finally got tired! (Imagine that.) Thanks for your time, Hillary. You are amazing, and gracious. She also has a great blog, and I will ask if she minds if I post a link to it. She's very real.

As always, thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. They are so much a part of the wind in our sails. God Bless.

Marleigh

Good Progress!

2009-05-02T12:40:00.003-06:00

Blaine had an MRI a few weeks ago. He had developed some more significant back pain, and the docs didn't want to take any chances. We decided that his back was probably sore from two days on airplanes, unable to change position or lie back. The radiology report included the words, "Tumor Necrosis" in reference to the remaining spots on his spine and hip. Basically that means that the tumors are deteriorating - Yes! That seems to indicate to his oncologists that the current chemo regimen is doing what it is designed to do. Somewhere in the next three to six weeks there will be another MRI and a second bone marrow biopsy to determine progress. From there an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant will be planned, which is a WHOLE nother kettle of fish, involving hospital stays of a month and other fun stuff. The goal is to get him into remission and to transplant. He will be given high dose chemotherapy which will kill his bone marrow. Then he will be given his own stem cells (which are harvested earlier in a process much like dyalasis), which will hopefully replace his diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow. So far, so good. He is tired a fair amount, but coping well. I find myself ready to explode on a fairly regular basis. Stress? Nah. I am back at work, part time, but it helps.

Brian has just undergone surgery to remove infectious material from his chest cavity, and is draining fluid very well now. He required 2 units of blood, but seems to be feeling much better, and his mind is clear. Thank heavens! His daughter, Erin, was able to leave campus and come home a bit early and is staying at the hospital with her Dad. This is a comfort to both of them, and to his extended family who are very happy to see someone with him day and night. He has a new appointment at the Layhy Clinic for evaluation for a liver transplant in June, and is also first on the cancellations list. It seems to be a race against time. We love him, and know that since God has his eyes on the sparrow, they are also surely on our brother, and my husband. God Bless.

Marleigh

Prayers for Brian

2009-04-26T21:29:00.005-06:00

My brother Brian is currently hospitalized at Dartmouth Regional Medical Center. They drained 1300 CC's of fluid from his lung yesterday, and he is filling up again. They will drain it tomorrow and possibly put in a catheter. He will not be able to be discharged until he has stablized. He is scheduled to be at the Layhy Clinic in Mass on Tuesday to be evaluated for a liver transplant as he is an End Stage Liver Disease patient. It looks like he may not make that appointment, and it took some four months to get him in. He could use your faith and prayers. Our family is all holding it's collective breath. Please keep my mother in your prayers as well as his wife and kids as I think this is hardest on them. We appreciate you all. Thanks. Marleigh

Back in the Saddle...

2009-04-23T15:51:00.009-06:00

Today, I've completed the last chemo/infusion of my 2nd cycle. Two cycles down, it looks like six more to go. I should complete the chemo part of this 'ride' sometime in August. Midway through (3-4 months) I go through another evaluation (MRI's, bone scan, etc.) to determine how things look. If all is well, at the end of the 8th cycle we start to talk about bone marrow transplant (from my own stem cell's).
I've handled the chemo well; haven't been really sick, lost no hair, not too irritable(?). The biggest issue has been fatigue; not a lot of energy and I feel like I could sleep anytime. Actually, I know this is a little contradictory but I've had nights where I couldn't sleep at all. I forget which drug does that to me but I don't like it. Weird.
I've officially return to work; I had been on short-term disability for a couple of months... even though I've been working the whole time (emails, conference calls, preparing my courses, etc.). My company has been great. They've been very supportive and understanding. They've sent me flowers, cookies and I've been bombarded with emails from friends/co-workers who have wished me well. So I'm grateful for Alcatel-Lucent.
I continue to stay busy with my Church responsibilities, which I'm also grateful for. I need to stay active... It's good medicine- better than chemo.
So, for the most part 'I'm back in the saddle again'. We're looking forward to Dani coming home next week for the summer. She'll be going to Paris in the fall (the one in France not Texas) for the 'semester abroad' program for BYU. She's very excited. We are also looking forward to having Grandpa come out to stay with us for a time (we hope a long time). We're not sure how soon that will happen, but hopefully sooner rather than later.
So all things considered, life is good. We have a few challenges, but who doesn't. We miss our Mom/Grandma, but know all is well with her. And we are looking forward to having a great Spring and Summer.

Blaine

Saying Goodbye

2009-04-21T20:26:00.009-06:00

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, and the air was clear when the family of Betty Jean Grass Savage held her memorial service. Lovely things were said that rang true. She was unassuming and kind, truthful to a fault, and devoted to her family. Absolutey devoted. There was a gathering for a family prayer before the casket was closed just prior to the service. That was the most memorable, tender, spiritual part. Kevin, her oldest son, offered a beautiful prayer in behalf of the family while holding the microphone that connected to her 97 year old mother's hearing device. Then one by one, with profound reverence, her children with their spouses and children, came up in family groups to wish their mother, grandmother, and yes, loving mother-in-law, a last goodbye. Finally it was Dad's turn. He didn't say anything we could hear, but gently touched her, probably smoothing her white hair, which had grown back, one last time. Then the casket was closed.

As Blaine said, she would have been suprised at how many had come to the memorial to honor her, as she never sought her own glory, and never expected any. It was wonderful to see all of the family and friends. Truly. The following day, many of us, including all of her children, drove to Bicknell, Wayne County, Utah, a three hours drive, where she was interred. The wind was gusting something fierce. It truly was a Wayne County day. Ron, her youngest son, offered a beautiful dedication for her grave, with lots of words of love for both her and his Dad.

We move forward now, and wrap our collective arms around her husband (Dad/Granpa) who misses her fiercely. They have been an example of pure love that will not soon be forgotten.

Marleigh

Betty Jean Savage

2009-04-10T06:43:00.006-06:00

My Mom's father died when she was only 6 years old. She really had very little memory of him. My oldest sister, Becky passed away after only 2 days on this earth. Not sure how it all works, but I'm sure there is a grand reunion taking place right now.

Mom had been in a lot of pain the last few days, but at the moment when she passed a sense of peace, almost joy came upon her. My sister described it like she had walked into a room full of friends and loved ones- that was the expression on her face. There wasn't an ounce of fear or apprehension.

She is a great woman who is already missed.

I've attached the link with her obituary.

Blaine

http://www.webfh.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=237409&fh_id=10233&s_id=BCDE83649A50FBCBA3575FB23E387EAA

News

2009-04-08T14:10:00.004-06:00

Today at 11:45 AM Mountain Time, Blaine's father told his mother that it was ok for her to go. At 1:00 PM Mountain time, Betty Jean Grass Savage left this life for the next. We will miss her. God Speed.

Marleigh

En Route

2009-04-07T10:57:00.004-06:00

Blaine is on his way home to see his mother for the last time. She took a turn for the worse this last weekend, and is very near the end. He left early this morning and will return Sunday evening. She is a gentle soul who will certainly have a welcoming committee there to greet her as those on this side of the veil wave goodbye. We will miss her loving, kind, gentle spirit, and look forward to seeing what kind of mansion she is preparing for those she loves on the other side. God bless her, and God be with her till we meet again.

Fear not for Blaine, his white counts are high, so he is not at risk of infection right now as he travels, and should be back to continue chemo on time. This is his week off anyway, so he shouldn't miss any treatments. If he needs to, he will be fine. His blood counts look fantastic right now. His platelets and white counts have actually gone up these past two weeks! Obviously our good Lord has heard all of your faithful, loving prayers. Thank you soooo much. We love you, and are in your debt, and our Father's debt. If you ever need to know if prayer is effective, or wonder if your prayers are just words to the ceiling, wonder no more. Your prayers are heard and answered, and Blaine is living proof. You can call down the blessings of Heaven through your faith and prayers, and we hope you will all make daily prayer a pattern of life, as it will bring you so much comfort. It has for us. Thanks again, and God Bless .

Marleigh

Smooth Sailing...

2009-04-01T15:00:00.005-06:00

Tomorrow I complete the 2nd week of my 3 week cycle. A cycle for me is 2 weeks with chemo, 1 week off. So my schedule for the 2 weeks is Monday and Thursdays, then some downtime for the 3rd week.

It's hard to say how many cycles I will have, but it'll be at least 8 cycles (up to 12). If it is just the 8 cycles, I should complete the chemo portion sometime in August. If it is 12 cycles, then sometime in November.

After the chemo portion has been completed (and hopefully remission) then we start to talk about the Bone Marrow transplant (sounds fun, doesn't it?). Not really looking forward to this. In the hospital, they took a bone marrow biopsy from me a couple of days after the surgery. Honestly, this was one of the worst parts of the whole ordeal. Even worse than removing the tumor. At least with the tumor I was knocked out cold, but even afterwards the pain from the wound has been pretty minimal. But the biopsy didn't have all the medications and it took them a few tries to get a 'good' sample from each side of my hip. Again, not fun. And for those keeping score at home, the MRI was the 2nd worse part- I mean I'm a big guy and lying completely enclosed in a tube, on top of a recently operation back- and not being able to move. Not a good combination.

Where was I... oh yeah- chemo. So far I haven't had really any issue's with the chemo; not much nasuea and I don't think I've lost a single strand of hair. My body functions are relatively normal. The biggest effect has been fatique, I've been pretty tired. Tired I can handle (even though I did fall asleep during Amercian Idol last night-what a tragedy).

So, so far... Smooth sailing.

Again, Thank you for all that you've done for us. It is so very appreciated.

Blaine

Wifey's Turn

2009-03-29T20:29:00.003-06:00

Hello all. Blaine has asked me to make the next post, so here I go.

1st, he is doing great right now. He has had two chemo infusions, and is on daily oral chemo drugs as well. All together, there are three chemo drugs and numerous others. He literally has a bag of perscriptions worth about $5000.00. Don't lose that one!

2nd, his outlook is amazing. Incredible. He is definately not a whiner. I don't think I've heard a complaint out of him. His positive attitude will get him far in terms of his recovery, and all of the faith and prayers in his behalf are sending him soaring along so much the faster.

3rd, I don't think that a day goes by that Blaine and I are not touched deeply by something that someone or ones says or does in our behalf. We have had so many people give us a small gift, or a large one, express thier love, tell us that they and their famillies are praying for us, put a hand on a shoulder, give us a hug, take a moment out of thier day, or go way out of thier way to show us their love and kindness with servicce and means, reach out to our children (so very appreciated) call, email, etc. You are making this so much easier to do. We love you so very much, and are grateful in so many ways.

I think we may look back on this as a growing time, and in many ways, a time when we realized how very much the Lord loves us, and how much we are loved by others. What a tremendous, priceless gift. We are ok, thanks to God, to all of you, and to a tremendous willpower and positive attitude. Way to go, Blaine! What a hero, at least to me.

Marleigh

2009-03-24T08:36:00.000-06:00

In case we haven't said it enough...

It is hard to put into words (and more often than not makes me cry like a baby-but I'll deny it asked about it:)) the kind, loving support that we have received as a family. From prayers to meals to baysitting to phone calls to tires, and so many other things it's hard to mention them all. I know that our family name has been placed on prayer rolls across the country (from LDS Temples to the local Catholic & Baptist prayer rolls, and others). Our LDS Stake (12 congregations thoughout NH and VT) and Dani's BYU Ward/congregation will be fasting for us this Sunday (again, the crying like a baby thing-still will deny it).

So again, in case we haven't said it enough; Thank you for the love, kindness and support you have shown to us. This has been a difficult couple of months but it has also been a wonderful couple of months. We have felt closer to family, friends and to our Heavenly Father than ever before. We love you and appreciate all of you. Our faith is strong and we know that we are going to get through this.

Blaine

Here we go....

2009-03-23T12:42:00.000-06:00

March 23, 2009

First day of Chemo... So far so good. Spent the morning at DHMC; lab work, consulting with Dr. Reddy, and Infusion. They say I might not lose my hair. No nausea yet, hopefully it will stay that way, or at least stay under control. Kyle was throwing up last night, he tends to do that when he's worried about his Dad. Now that he sees that I'm ok, he seems much better.