Back home in Coeur d' Alene

Oh brother! Sorry I kept hitting the wrong key as I tried to get started on this blog. I wish Abbie was here to show me how to delete things like that!

My goodness! We got home at 9:45 or so last night from our dream vacation at the Oregon Coast. It's great to be home but I'm sad that it's over. I'm sorry that Jerry and my Billings sisters didn't get to come because our planning was so last minute. But I got to see my other four siblings and Mom and Dad too.

Thank you, Dad! Mom and Dad have hardly been apart, even for a night, in their almost 59 years of marriage. But Dad went home with Robert and Easton on Thursday and Mom got to stay and go home with Darrel and Kathy on Saturday. It was so great to have Mom there to make sure I was eating and resting and taking care of myself. She really spoiled me. I guess we never stop being our Mom and Dad's children, do we? It was hard to say goodbye yesterday.

A real surprise and one of the best highlights of the week was that four of my cousins came to visit on Friday. Lauri had called and said she was coming, but it was so amazing to get to visit with all three of her sisters too! I have had a special bond with them my whole life because our mothers were twins and we shared so much of our childhood. They feel more like sisters to me than cousins. There is a picture of all four of them with my brother Darrel, sister Liz and me.

I am so thankful for the past week. We stayed in a beautiful home, God gave us lots of sunny weather, and we shared so many wonderful times with loved ones.

Tomorrow I will meet with Dr. T's assistant, Susan, who I really feel comfortable with and like, and she might be able to assess whether last week's chemo is having an effect. I am praying that the chemo is winning against the creepy cancer cells yet having confidence that God is in control.
Thank you so much for your prayers. I have never been depressed, I've never felt consumed by cancer--I know these are answers to your prayers and I'm so grateful. Love, Julie

Back home in Coeur d' Alene

Dream Vacation

Yes, I'm sitting here by a fireplace in a beautiful home by the Oregon Coast. I can see the ocean from where I'm sitting and it's so peaceful. Weather at the Oregon Coast is so unpredictable and even when it's stormy, it's beautiful--but we have been blessed with lots of sun these past few days.

One little blip in my perfect week was that this new chemo is actually spread over exactly four days and I started it on Friday. I carried it around in a fanny pack. My little four-day friend. So I had to return to the Cancer Center Tuesday at exactly 11:45 a.m. so they could take it out and then I had another chemo drug in an I-V. Jake (my good unselfish son with a lead foot) volunteered to drive me back and forth so that's what we did. I think the trip was a little less than 500 miles and we made amazing time. We left Coeur d' Alene at 2:45 and drove into the driveway at this house at 10:00 p.m.

Sunday was a special day because Betsy and Cam and the boys came from Cannon Beach where they were camping and met us at Rockaway at a great beach! There were hardly any people on the beach and it was a wonderful sunny, not windy day. It was so fun to watch the kids play in the sand. To see all five of my grandchildren playing on the beach. One of my favorite things was watching Uncle Jake with Matthew in one hand and Sebastian in the other--all three of them laughing while they jumped waves and then ran back.

Betsy and Cam had to go back to Seattle Sunday evening and Emily and Nick left yesterday. It's so quiet with no little children in the house. But Liz is coming today with her kids! And Mom and Dad and Robert are planning to come. So it won't be quiet for long!

Greg just told me something so cool that his assistant, L.J. told him. She just reminded us that Dr. Tezcan and the other doctors are physicians with knowledge and experience. But I have the Great Physician to depend on! My Creator who knows me and loves me more than I can imagine. And my life is in His hands. That's so comforting!

Thank you for your love and your prayers. Please pray that this new chemo combination will shrink my tumors! Thank you! Love, Julie

Catching you up...

The past few days have been challenging and I'll catch you up on the latest...

I had a cat scan on Monday and because I've been coughing, wheezing, and running out of breath, I expected that the darn old pneumonia was still bugging me. But it wasn't pneumonia. We met with the doctor Tuesday and he told us that the good news is the blood clot is gone. But the bad news is that the tumors are growing again. The symptoms are back because my airway is getting blocked. He was very kind but he explained some very tough realities. He has already used all the statistically most effective chemo drugs to fight the cancer. What we're left with is deciding between three not very cool options:
1.stop treatment
2. take part in a phase 1 clinical trial at a university in Seattle or Portland (this sounded like a good idea until he explained what it involved and the risks...) 3. try another chemo drug that hasn't proved to be as effective statistically, but has worked with some people
We decided on option #3 and I'll start with this new drug tomorrow. If my symptoms start to improve, we will know that this drug is working.

Greg and I have been feeling like we did that first week I was diagnosed almost a year ago. It was so disappointing and shocking and difficult to process. I am not afriad of what's ahead and I know that the Lord has me in His loving hands. But it's still hard.

But this weekend we are going to the Oregon Coast for a week and we'll be enjoying lots of family. I am so excited about this trip! Jake is coming from Nashville, Besty and Cam will be camping not too far from where we'll be staying, and the Russells will get to go for a few days. We've also let my brothers and sisters know so if it works out, maybe some of them can come for a few days.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us. We love you and are so thankful for you. Love, Julie

Can it be Wednesday already?

This week is flying by! Busy, busy. We had a short but great visit with Tim, Mika, and Elijah. Tim has to teach till June 17 because of making up four snow days. Whew. It's so fun to talk to him about teaching. He gets so excited when he talks about it. They are such conscientious parents! And they just love toys that make lots of noise in case you were thinking about giving Elijah a gift. Just kidding. Elijah is a sweet boy and it was so fun to watch him play with my dog, Boris. And one more thing, Elijah can read lots of words!

Mom and Dad came Saturday night and left Sunday morning. They were on their way back home from Amanda's graduation in Billings. They are amazing.

I went to Dr. Denny, my family doctor, this morning for my "yearly" check-up. The really fun one. I'm in great health except for stupid cancer.

Jake is coming from Nashville for a week at the beginning of July. He'll be able to go to his 10th high school reunion and celebrate his 28th birthday with us! Hurray!

I felt great today! Yesterday I had to go to get an I-V of magnesium and this time I really noticed a difference in how I felt before and after the magnesium. Dr. Denny told me that low magnesium causes muscle weakness and now I understand why I was feeling so lousy and tired before--and why I feel like my old self today!

Thank you for your love and friendship and prayers. Love, Julie

Surprise, surprise!

My brother, Tim, called me this morning and he and Mika and Elijah are coming for the weekend! He tried so hard to come to visit during his Spring Break, but Mika was sick. It will be so nice to see them and have them all to myself. Elijah is 3 1/2 years old already.

I'm a little tired today so I'll just rest up before my company comes.

It was Hannah and Adam's last day of school yesterday and they could go home after lunch if someone came for them. Adam told me he wanted to spend the whole day at school, but Hannah was excited to have me pick her up. So I got a burrito at Taco Bell for her and sat outside with her while she ate. I brought her to my house--but before we got home we did a little shopping at Target. It was really fun. Hannah's last day of elementary school.

Hope you have a good weekend. Thank you for your prayers. Love, Julie

Finally wrote it...

This evening I finally wrote my official retirement letter to the school district. It isn't a surprise to them of course, but writing the letter was a formality I had to take care of and I've been procrastinating for several months. I've enjoyed many years of teaching music for the Coeur d' Alene School District and it's still hard to think that I'm really not going back.

Yesterday was a long day of chemo. But I had my favorite nurse and I had my new bag that Kathy made filled with lots of things to occupy my time. My nurse gave me the option of having a good chair or a little room with a hospital bed...I chose the bed and it was so comfortable!

It's been very quiet today. No chemo, no company. But Greg surprised me and came home to eat lunch! And I feel pretty good, just tired.

Thank you for your friendship and prayers. I love reading the comments you write. You are so encouraging to me. Love, Julie

And the fun never stops...

What an amazing week this has been! Starting with Darrel and Kathy, then Mom and Dad and my very cool Retirement Party at Lana's house, and now Betsy and Cam and Sebastian and Julian are here. The weather is beautiful and we're having a wonderful time.

Last night I felt like I was in Grandma Heaven as I watched all five of my grandchildren running and playing in our backyard. The cousins love each other and I love having them at my house.

I loved my Retirement Party. Tons of people from Fernan were there and lots of people I worked with in the past. There were even some parents and two boys who are now finishing 6th grade performed for me. Trey played the piano so well while Colby sang. It made me so proud! And I totally enjoyed the teacher's white-glove performance of a rewrite of one of my good old favorites, "Dancing on the Rooftop". It was almost overwhelming that so many people came. Their kindness and generosity was humbling.

I'm enjoying these last days before I have chemo again. I feel so good and I have so much energy. Then it will be back to the sleepy sicky days after chemo on Monday. But I'm so thankful that the treatment is causing the tumors to shrink. It's worth a few sicky days.

Thank you so much for your love and prayers. Love, Julie

Thank you friends & colleagues!

THANK YOU!

I want to thank you very much for being such a great friend and colleague to Julie over the years. Your cards, calls, meals & visits (as well as notes from the students) have been powerful medicine for her. I know she was deeply touched by you at her wonderful retirement party. I almost lost it when Colby & Trey performed “You had a Bad Day,” but I couldn’t stop grinning when the ensemble did their rendition of “Dancing on the Roof Top.” So, here is a short story that best conveys how I feel about you being there for Julie.

When Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ²So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. ⁴Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. ⁵When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
⁶Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ⁷"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
⁸Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? ⁹Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? ¹⁰But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, ¹¹"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." ¹²He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" Mark 2: 1-12

You have been like these four who brought their stricken friend to Jesus. Your prayers to the Lord totally lift Julie up and she is supported by your faith that God will see her through. This is evident because cancer has never been able to stop her from loving other’s well. She said that God’s love keeps her from being consumed by this illness or its treatment.

Again, thank you for your love & prayers!
Love, Greg

Eventful Weekend!

It was a fun and busy and eventful weekend! We had such a great time with Kathy and Darrel. We had a BBQ with the Russells, Darrel and Greg went to two movies, Kathy and I had lots of great visiting time and she patiently reviewed crocheting 101 with me. I'm making a scarf! Darrel and Kathy took us out to Red Lobster to celebrate my retirement. I got to go to church! And Kathy and I designed, and she made, a very cool bag for me. And somehow Darrel was able to sneak in some time to work on his doctoral disortation. He's amazing.

I'm very excited about my Retirement Party tomorrow afternoon. And I'm so glad that Mom and Dad are going to be able to be there.

This morning I was scheduled to have an I-V of magnesium and it was supposed to take about two hours. But things ended up taking such a long time today! I got home from my 8:30 appointment at 1:45. I was going to write about why it took so long. But it's really not that interesting.

I appreciate your prayers and concern for me and for Greg. Please know that we both feel so supported by our family and many friends. Love, Julie

Harry Potter

I'm just a little behind the times I guess...but the first Harry Potter book came out in 1997 and I'm reading it now. Fantasy books aren't usually my favorite, but I'm enjoying it. Historical fiction is my favorite.

You probably figured out that if the most exciting thing I had to write about was that I was reading Harry Potter, I'm having trouble figuring out what to write about today. My life hasn't been very exciting this week. Chemo on Monday, felt good on Tuesday, felt lousy on Wednesday, feel good today. That pretty much sums it up.

Here are some things I'm looking forward to: *Julie Powell is coming in a few minutes and we're going to have lunch. She's a great friend and fellow music teacher. She'll catch me up on all the music teacher news. *Tomorrow morning Emily is coming over and we're going to plant flowers! *Darrel and Kathy are coming tomorrow and I can hardly wait to see them. We'll share grandchildren stories and have a good time together. *Next weekend Betsy and Cam and the boys plan to come to visit. I am so anxious for that! *My friend, Lana, is planning and hosting a retirement party for me that will take place at her house next week. Mom and Dad will be able to be there and it will be wonderful to see people I've worked with. But a little bit sad too.

Thank you for praying for us. I'm so thankful for my family and friends. I feel so blessed. Love, Julie

Exciting news...

I'm excited that Darrel and Kathy plan to come to visit Memorial Day Weekend! We always have so much fun with them and they might even bring their puppy, Charlie Brown. So Boris is excited too. But I'm afraid I'll be disappointing my very patient crocheting teacher, Kathy. I finished the pot holder I started when she was here. But I didn't even start another project and now I've forgotten how to crochet. I have to start all over again. Sorry Kathy.

Another exciting thing is that when we went shopping the other day, I bought hair care products for myself! I actually have some hair now. It's so weird because my eyelashes are falling out again, but I still have hair on my head.

I had to go to the Cancer Center yesterday to get an I-V of magnesium. I didn't get a good chair, but that was okay because I only had to be there about 2 hours. I've been there so frequently that the staff at the C.C. feel like my friends now. All of them are such caring people and I'm enjoying getting to know them.

Thank you for your prayers. Love, Julie

Pretty Good News

We met with Dr. Tezcan this afternoon at 5:30 and he showed us the cat scan I had yesterday and was able to compare it with the one I had a month ago. The great news is that my shortness of breath and cough is not a result of the blood clot growing. It's smaller than it was a month ago. And the tumors are the same or smaller. So he doesn't think the symptoms are a result of cancer either. The doctor pointed out an area in the lower part of my left lung that looks much different than it did a month ago. It is cloudy and gunky looking. He said it looks like pnemonia and he prescribed some medication and told me to try to breathe deeply so I can try to get it to break up. We are so relieved that what's causing my cough etc. is treatable! So I'm saying it's "pretty good news" because it's wonderful that it isn't the cancer or blood clots...but it seems so strange to be thankful that it's just pnemonia. I'm looking forward to getting well!

Thank you so much for your prayers. I appreciate your faithfulness and love.
Love, Julie

Happy Mother's Day

It was a great day! Greg and I went to the Russell's for a BBQ to celebrate Mother's Day. We had chicken, corn on the cob, watermelon...it was like a summer BBQ menu. And it was a beautiful warm sunny day. So nice.

And I'm feeling pretty good! I feel like I'm coughing less and not so out of breath. I hope that means the blod clot is smaller. That would be so cool. Thank you for your prayers!

I have a cat scan tomorrow and I meet with Dr. T on Tuesday afternoon to find out the results. I'll let you know about the results--we're expecting good news. I appreciate your love and prayers. Love, Julie

That's it, Liz!

Just another manic Monday...yes, that's it! I can't believe you figured it out, Liz. You are brilliant with that 80's music for sure. Just another chemo Monday...

I feel good today! After three days of feeling lousy and not having an appetite, it is great to have a little energy today. But my coughing and running out of breath is really making me mad this week. I'm pretty sure it's the stupid blood clot in my lung that is causing the annoying symptoms. I have a cat scan on Monday so Dr. T will be able to see what's going on. I would sure appreciate your prayers about this blood clot situation. Thanks. It's so good to know that no matter what, God is always in control.

I hope you all have a good weekend. Happy Mother's Day. Thanks for your prayers.
Love, Julie