My personal lowest week yet...

Ok....so to bring everyone up to speed....We had a few deadlines we had to meet.....Ray had to be back to work no later then November 17th (Our FMLA ran out....if not back by then...no job...no benefits) Dr. Scott reluctantly gave a note (Ray had to follow it to a "T") only one run per day and no lifting and no carrying things. He is still only supposed to put 50% of his weight on the leg and is still on a crutch (we are hoping to purchase a cane soon when we have the money) So Ray goes in to work and they said they weren't too sure of him driving with those type of restrictions. They wanted to check with risk management. So he was sent home that day. BUT the miracle part of that is....the next day they had some "office" work for him to do. Just a few weeks prior they had gotten a new computer system and they are behind inputting all the paperwork. (ever hear the saying when a door closes the Lord opens a window??? HERE is one of those times!) We don't know how long he will have this opportunity BUT it gives him something to do....gives us a little more income (which is so desperately needed! It is so hard to ask for help from family, ask for charity, etc....but without it we would be far worse off!) Ray and I have worried horribly about bills....our mortgage is still too far behind.....and with the holidays it was even more worrisome for the girls...but again we have had SO MANY miracles on our behalf.....I wanted to personal thank all those again who have sacrificed and provided for our family (even those anonymously!!) Ok....that upbeat part done.....Now to the doom and gloom...(and the lowest of the lows) Ray had his CT scan a couple of weeks ago. (They did chest, abdomen, and leg) Ray and I knew when Dr. Ott asked for both of us to be on the phone that wasn't good.....The upper part is clean as a whistle!!! But there was a "spot" that Dr. Ott said showed up on the leg. And since he is not the Ortho Oncologist he referred us back to Dr. Scott. We called their office (they are in the same building as Dr. Ott) told them that the CT was available to view online (isn't modern technology wonderful!) Lani said she would have Dr. Scott look at it then let us know. Well a couple hours later she called and asked when our next appointment was....we said December 16th...she said...well lets get you in now to discuss options....both Ray and I knew things were even worse then we could imagine....So two days later we went in...Us, Ray's parents, and Ray's two older girls....we all sat in the room and heard the news.....Yes there was a tumor :o( Dr. Scott had seen a spot on his Xray in September...but didn't want to have anything else stress Ray out while the healing from the surgery was so critical, so he was going to watch it. The scary part is...it was NOT there in the end of July.....and since the September Xray has grown quite rapidly so its a more aggressive tumor. This one is located ABOVE the cadaver bone just under the knee cap on the tibia. There is also another "spot" but he is unsure if this is a tumor or not...it may be caused from his rod in the tibia moving....Ray always said he could feel something moving (I thought he was crazy...but Dr. Scott says it is entirely possible) and it is STILL not healed...it has a definite black line all the way between Ray's bone and the cadaver bone....Ok...so.....options......One...is to do a "quick fix" that may or may not get all the tumor/cells out....picture it like a cavity....Dr. Scott would go in...drill out the tumor and use nitrogen to "freeze" the cells...he says the nitrogen goes in about 1mm into the bone...then he would fill it with bone cement. OH and also at that same time he would put another screw in and a plate to help the rod not move so much and "scrunch" the two bone (Ray's and the cadaver) together....Two....amputation....(I don't even know where to begin with this).....Three.....nothing...we just let it run its course.....BUT all this is depending on the complete body bone scan. If there is any more new hot spots....we will not be treating anything. We know this tumor is resistant to radiation (since he was getting radiation to the area) but Ray still isn't a great candidate for chemo.....WHEW....I tell you....we both just wanted to crawl under a palm tree in the Caribbean and forget life for awhile! So the only thing for sure that I know to tell you is that....we are not making a definite decision till after the bone scan...we call on Monday to set that up.....Ok....I am an emotional wreck again to typing this...Please continue to pray for Ray, the girls, me and our Dr's. So we may be guiding to know the right paths. Love to you all!

Radiation Graduation!!!!

WHEW I think I am finally getting this blog and our family blog caught up!!! Well as you can tell from the title.....Ray had his LAST radiation treatment!!! I am amazed at this...sometimes it felt like we had be going forever...and now that it is over...its like WOW were did those 6 weeks go....or that's right...radiation and PT! :o) We made some great friends through radiation. Some we only met and knew by face or type of cancer and treatment. Others we became dear friends with....and the staff became the vital part of each treatment for Ray...without their laughter and love he would not have made it! So for his last day we checked the girls out of school and took them with us....we took some donuts...(some of Ray's fav's) and went and celebrated! Afterwards we even treated ourselves to Olive Garden.....(we really had to get creative on the finances for that trip!) But it was worth it! Ray has had an incredibly hard road and this is another small success that must be appreciated, honored, and most of all gratitude to Heavenly Father for this blessing! Ray is still struggling with PT. We have found out that most likely he is capped out at what his function on the foot is....we will continue with PT to try and help with the still ever persistent edema. Our PT talked to Dr. Scott and it looks like Ray will be in the boot and on crutches for another 2 months (at the very least) so we are concerned with the end of FMLA coming up and the possible side effects from that. Please continue to pray for us.....We love you all!!

Ray's LAST "walk" from the treatment room! Wahoo!

Everything is better with a donut involved!

The girls eating their dessert before Olive Garden....life is even better when dessert comes first!

Ray and Courtney ringing the bell together!

Ray's certificate......WAY TO GO honey! I am so proud of you!
Some of the wonderful staff! Kimberlee, January, Natalie...we missed Carolann that day :o(

A special moment with a special friend...

I seriously haven't blogged a lot since Ray started his radiation and we are NOW done (that story to follow)....so sorry to my faithful followers! Well a few Tuesdays ago we had a jam packed day of Dr's. We took the girls out of school. Courtney had another follow up for her stomach issues at the pediatrician. The meds she is on helped these past 3 weeks but still not enough....so her Dr. upped the dose. We also did a well child exam. She is really healthy! And the nurse was astounded at her eyesight...it is 20/13!!! BOTH eyes! She says she never sees it in kids and only occasionally in teens! If the old wives tale proves right...it must be all the carrots she likes to eat! :o) She was also put on a VERY small dose of Prozac. (Yes we know the risks and don't plan it long term, but with careful consideration and advise from the pediatrician we think this is the best step right now) So hopefully it will help within a couple of weeks. So then we took the girls for the 1st time to Ray's radiation treatment. The girls were full of questions and the always helpful and friendly staff were very accommodating. After his treatment was done the girls got to go into the room where it is done and use the controls to lower his bed and help him off....they thought that was the BEST! We followed with a dentist appointment for me! WHEW! I was done and ready for home after that! But we had a dance class for Cami then FINALLY it was home to catch up on homework!



So as we continue Ray's radiation treatments we get to build relationships with the not only the staff, but those who are scheduled around Ray's time (the treatments happened the same time each day for each patient) The lady before Ray, Catherine became particularly dear to me! It was one of those moments when an instant connection clicked! She is battling breast cancer and was very helpful in answering questions and calming our fears as a newer patient. We saw her each day...Well this past Wednesday was her very last day of treatment! So we wanted to surprise her with a little something. It turned out really nice! We (on the sly) found out she liked carrot cake so we got her a cake. And Tory and Sarah found the perfectly pink fabric that had hearts and the breast cancer awareness ribbons and made her a no sew blanket. We wanted to send her off with our love and wishes for a full remission! We will miss seeing her daily but so glad she had accomplished this and gets to move on! She also surprised us with a VERY generous gift certificate for some good comfort food! We exchanged email addresses and phone numbers so hopefully we keep in close contact! My prayer that is always in my heart may we find a cure for cancer soon so everyone in the world will no longer suffer. And families don't have to see their loved ones suffer.

We walked around the corner to the room and saw Ray HIGH up in the air on the bed (I didn't even know he went up that high!)

A quick rundown on the controlsAnd a down he goes!They took turns!! The yummy but OH SO SWEET carrot cake!
Catherine, Ray, and the blankie! Ringing the bell for her graduation from radiation!!

I have lacked I know...

When I was at church today I had several people ask about the blog....and a few weeks before that I had more people inquire. I am sorry for not updating this more regular. We have had lots going on so yes there should have been some updates...but for some reason lately I have been down.....I have felt no motivation, no desire to do extra....and in fact I have been hard pressed to do the bare minimum. I have updated our regular family blog for the most part...so that said let me get you caught up....Ray's radiation treatments are in FULL swing....in fact we only have 2 more weeks worth left! In the very beginning it was going fine....then Ray hit the point of feeling it all! He is exhausted, in more pain (if you can imagine that), has severe edema, and as of a few days ago he is starting to get blistering on his leg. I don't know if the radiation is causing his stomach issues...but those have increased numerously as well. We do reflect though on our blessings. We have met some great people at radiation (remember we go at the same time each day and get to bond with the other patients) I will have a separate post on a sweet lady we met. Ray loves giving the staff something to laugh about each day. And as we learn of the others and their own struggles we can't help but to get down on our knees and thank the Lord for helping us through ours! Some of them have such a greater trial then Ray does. Another step that is on Ray's horizon is PT (Physical Therapy). We had our initial intake appointment with our therapist. It was eye opening....Ray has a LONG ways to go....he has great knee mobility but on the ankle he has little to none. For example the motion of point/flex of the foot he is supposed to have a radius of approximately 45 degrees he has SIX!!! The others are better but not by much. Right now he is scheduled 2 times a day at PT with daily at home exercises...it will increase as he is able to. I really hope to keep you better informed....I know its frustrating on the outside wanting to help, wanting to keep us up and just not getting enough details. As always we are forever grateful for the never ending prayers on our behalf. The sweet letters, the anonymous donations, the phone calls, and all other support. May the Lord bless you ten fold!

One step er I mean hop forward...

Ok so Ray is working on apply 50# of pressure on his foot....not an easy task...its SO tender! We also went to our Radiation Oncologist Dr. Thomson. They did his intact evaluation. Got him tattooed....Yep I am now married to a man with tattoo's! Whoulda thunk it?? :o) They are 5 VERY VERY small bluish dots...this is so the radiation machine laser will line it up exactly each time! Our first appointment for treatment is this coming Wednesday...we will have a "dry run" then an actually treatment. Then he will go Monday-Friday same time each day. Dr. Thomson has decided to lengthen his days of treatment but lessen the amount each time to make it a little easier on Ray's body. The office he practices at is amazing! I got to see how they interact with patients while Ray was in CT. They are very personally involved and I got to experience a lady who was having her LAST treatment! They have this HUGE bell hung in the hall that is the celebration bell and she got to ring it hard and loud! They also gave her a lei and a certificate of completion! All very loving! I guess if someone has to go through this....this is the place to be! Ray also went to his primary care doctor. Ray's sleeping has been getting worse and worse.....so we found a new sleeping pill and so far so good! He sleeps over 5 hours!!! That should go a long way in helping him heal I hope! So please keep your support and prayers coming his way! Its gonna be another long month and a half! Love to you all!

It's a KEEPER!

So we had Ray's doctor's appointment with Dr. Scott today and it looks like we dodged another bullet! Amputation looks like it will pass over the Wojtasek household!! So what else went on??......X-ray...CHECK....Cast removed....CHECK.....foot soak in warm water.....CHECK....a mini scrub with wash cloth...CHECK....select color for new cast...CHECK.....new cast on.....CH....awww not so fast! We are in a boot baby!!! Ray can actually shower normally!!! The X-ray looked good....well the important part that is! Down where the ankle/foot connects with the leg there was a little "fuzz" You wanna know what....this time the FUZZ is GOOD! Who knew I'd like the word fuzz! That indicates the healing!!! The upper part ironically is NOT healing....but Dr. Scott dismissed that with a "I'm not concerned with that....if that part doesn't heal I can go back in and correct it" "The part that was a MUST, is showing signs!" So what does this mean??? Well for starters...the BOOT....Ray can take it off now and then to let his leg "breathe" he can also shower without restrictions (well besides no weight-bearing....still has his companion of the "crunches") He is to now "practice" putting weight on his leg (ONLY WHEN IN THE BOOT) on the bathroom scale and work towards 50lbs these next two weeks....then increase it 10lbs a week...each week after that. So Ray and Dr. Scott had a funny conversation at this point....Ray was doing his quick calculations of the weight bearing and we knew we were following up with Dr. Scott in 4 weeks (this was discussed prior to this conversation) so Ray said "So by the next time I see you...lets see...50 pounds week 1 & 2...then 60 pounds then 70!" Without skipping a beat Dr. Scott said "So I guess that means you will be walking with ALL your body weight bearing!" We all loved it and laughed at that....but then Ray and I had that look between the two of us....That it hits too close to the truth! But we are proud to report Ray did gain TWO pounds!!
We also got the go ahead to start the radiation....now this is bittersweet....it could make Ray more tired and healing ground to a halt...but it will be monitored and it is a step FORWARD! We also talked with Dr. Scott about a possible return to work....and barring any major set backs due to radiation or a recurrence....Its possible by Thanksgiving!!!! WOW! We know we still have major hurdles....and will continue to be tried....money (or lack there of) continues to be a huge issue...but we are blessed beyond measure!!! Oh and also yesterday we heard from Dr. Staskus...and Ray's lab to check for the Insilinoma...was at a .01....No Insilinoma tumor!! Yahoo! I have also included a few pictures for your for lack of better words enjoyment :o) Thanks again to all those who send love, prayers and well wishes...we are also still being blessed with some financial help from family, friends and even the anonymous...if this includes you....THANK YOU!

Love from us to you all....till next time!

A shot??? A blood draw??? Surgery???Bad news??? A smashed toe???Nope....Ray's nerves as he was having his cast cut off :o) Look at this sexy leg!!! NO REDNESS! We still have some dead/black skin but minor!!A look at his NOT so sexy heal! It needs some TLC!! A basin of Heaven! Warm water soak!

Peek A Boo....don't faint....I am updating!

WOW...I looked at the blog and realized it has been since Aug 30th since I last posted....Let me start with a HUGE "I'm sorry!" I know how many of you depend on this to get the updates on Ray...If I for one was on the OTHER end of this I'd be antsy for some info....But in defense of myself....I have been DEAD tired (oops maybe not the best term to use) Being back to work (albeit not many hours) having the kids up and going to school (one willing, one NOT so willing) homework, housework, repeat has taken a toll on me. So literally I have not felt like blogging (which in itself should indicate how stressed I am.....normally I LOVE TO BLOG!!!) Ok that said....I will give you some updates and fill you in.

We have had the run of the mill usual stuff with Ray. His pain management is going well. The annoyance of the slow healing process is aggravating and STRESSFUL! We are still in the "unknown" areas of things. We could still be looking at amputation. So we pray daily that we get improvement! (Thanks to all those who also do it on our behalf!) He H-A-T-E-S the cast, its awkward, heavy, itchy and its starting to smell! He is so agile though with crutches and hopping around....he even helps with the housework (so he doesn't go nuts) he even VACUUMS!! He is cute hopping around pushing the vacuum and using one crutch. He amazes me! We are still battling the low blood sugars. We finally made it to our old endocrinologist (the bad part since she is out of network and we can't get into our "in" network one till November...we have to pay for the WHOLE visit) :o( But we do like her. She adjusted his insulin both Lantus (24 long acting) and Novolog (sliding scale PRN) and is doing a test. She is looking for another type of tumor called an Insolinoma (a tumor that secretes insulin) we should hear back from this shortly. Also she would like Ray to have a genetic test done if this shows positive. Supposedly this type of tumor can be passed on from parent to child. If the genetic lab is positive then all the girls will need to be tested to see if they inherited the gene responsible for that. WHEW....what else, like we need more!!! Also we had another "date" with the paramedics and ambulance and police officers! Monday night (Labor Day) I had just gotten the girls to sleep in their beds and was talking to Ray from the balcony. I asked him if he was ok. He responding with a very rude "I'm fine" (soooo not like Ray) so I came down and felt him. He was sweating profusely and seeming confused a bit AND ornery! So I told him to check his blood sugar and headed to the kitchen for juice...I returned with juice and he had still not got the blood sugar monitor out. I asked 2 more times and kept getting the agitated "I'm fine" response finally I did it myself it said "LOW" which means under 20 (remember normal is 80-140!) at 20 unconsciousness, seizure and death can result! I got the drink in him (barely!) he was loopy and aggressive and then he started the twitching. I called Brek and Mike (sorry so late guys but thanks for running right over!!) Brek tried to get more juice in him and we collectively decided to call 911...he was now not conscious and have seizures. I handled myself well this time...no break downs....no hyperventilating....thanks again Noice's for being there! The police officers arrived 1st. I had the glucagone mixed and read...but they told me to hold off until the paramedics arrived. Once they arrived they tested his blood sugar again and it was still under 20....so they put some "gel-like" glucose in his mouth at the side of his cheek and I had a PB and J sandwich prepared...He finally came around....the first thing he asked was "What happened to my game???" I had turned off the Boise St./Virginia Tech game....that made us all laugh.....and then the next thing he was worried about was his appearance.....he wanted a blanket to cover his undies! Then the mystery of sorts was discovered. While we waited for the paramedics to arrive Brek kept trying to have Ray drink and talk to him....and she kept saying "I think he is trying to tell me something but he can't talk" So then when he was more coherent. He told Brek "I was trying to tell you to get your COLD hands off me!" We laughed again on that! So since we didn't administer the glucagon we didn't have to make a trip to the hospital. And the good part of this stressful night (The girls slept through ALL the commotion!!!) So we are still closely monitoring it. We also have a Dr.'s appointment on Tuesday for another xray and follow up on the leg. Ray is looking forward to having the cast off (even though its only for xraying purposes) at least I can rub it for a few minutes!!! Then the new (stinky free one) goes on! I also need to schedule a Dr. appointment for Courtney....she constantly has a stomach ache (I am sure stress related) and the liquid Maalox helps....so we need her on a stronger antacid RX.

Money woes are here and I believe we are going to have to be more humbled and ask for help and such......the blessing in that aspect though is that Ray's FMLA was supposed to be done in October but due to the merger of his company they were not caught up on paper work and when we got his FMLA papers he has his job secured till November!!!! Blessings!!! Its hard though...its all without pay....AND we have to cover both sides of the insurance premium! ARGH! We need to go to an island and forget our troubles for just a few days! Whew....ok enough complaining. We are grateful! We are blessed beyond measure. And we know the Lord is mindful of us and supporting our way spiritually through all this! Thanks again for the constant prayers and thoughts on our behalf. We love you family and friends!