New Years eve. It's a quiet contemplative rainy day, appropriate for the end of '06'.

Angela has been out of bed more than in today. That's good. Still shaky, hands tremble quite a bit. She says her eyes are blurring. Hard to say what that is due to. Vitals are stable, seems like the meds are balancing out...

I've adopted a su chef position with Angela. I've graduated from dish washer, egg beater and steak flipper. (Her taste buds are a little off so I have some room for error...) My mashed potatoes/broccoli was a hit with the master...I liked them too.

Angela showed me all the journals she has written through the years...wow. She's determined to have her book written... She's using a digital recorder now...

Hey...If any of you have a picture of/with Angela you wouldn't mind me posting please send me a copy...

Well, May your New Year be a blessing to you and all of yours...Thanks for checking in.

Su d00g

A new day.

Angela is in the kitchen this a.m. rattling 'round pot-n-pans...that's a good sign unless it's in her desperation to get me out of the kitchen...

A's Doc says there was no over-dose of steroids per all documentation. There was an additional amount administered as part of the chemo-protocol. Conclusion=NO MORE STEROIDS other than her daily maintenance dose. She has to take a maint. dose because her adrenals are shot (due to over 20 years of steroid use) and do not produce the natural hormones etc the body requires. This means she may have a more pronounce reaction to the chemo this next go around...15th Jan....we'll see.

Cytoxan is now the drug of choice with all its new and exciting side effects.

It's funny how often I get asked "How's the weather up there?". I figure it's due to either the horror stories related to Michigan winters (no snow yet, global warming is in full bloom here) or that they're trying their best to make conversation (which I appreciate)... To help things out I posted an Ann Arbor weather station at the bottom of the photo column to the left...

She's back to bed...low bioday...

Friday eve...
Busy day. Angela has been up and about, more clarity today than the past week. Stronger, venturing away from her walker more often. Still shy of her norm by about 35%.

Her Doc has called her a couple of times today (big deal I suppose, considering he's a professor and head Lupus dude). He's labeled her as his "most complicated patient".
Wonderful...obviously he's concerned.

She's scheduled for a brain scan (MRI). At least they'll get some readings with her cerebral mass. If I had mine done they'd end up with a dot to dot paint by number schematic ...at least a few scribbles would show some activity...

Angela's on about 20 different medications. I've been charting her intake this past week; trying to see the correlation between dose, time and heart rate. I just want to make sure the present scripts aren't doing her in. Most of her medical issues are pharmaceutically related as it is... ...granted, without them she wouldn't be here...She's alive and working it though. Sometimes I think she's here more for everyone else than herself... It's amazing, the pharmaceutical companies are getting rich from a protocol that is over 30 years old...where's the advancement of medicine??? Oh ya...Viagra.
Okay...I'm a little miffed and it's coming out in my posts...I'll chill.

Check out the x-ray. I tease her telling her that I'm going to cash her in for scrap metal... I'll keep her around though, by the time she gets her shoulder and knees done, the metals market should be up... Ok, twisted humor, I know; it makes her laugh though...

I better call it quits...

d00g out

SHE'S UP...woke up with a smile...eatin'...
getting ready for a visit occupational therapist... lettin' us know how to adapt the house; grab bars, ramp, all the fixin's for a free wheelin' child bride to get around by.

Not than she'll need it anytime soon but it's good to plan ahead...

Busy day...all is well.

Sorry about the missing posts/comments. They work now...

Thanks for the emails and calls on Angela's birthday. Mucho appreciated.
She was able to get up for dinner, and after that she went horizontal again; knees. She says she wants to respond but has little energy to do so. I know you understand.
The doc just called for 6 more chemo treatments; 1 per 2nd week of each month...

The music to the video Little Giant echoes in my mind...
More later...

Today is her birthday.
40 yrs old and still my child bride.
All is good. Up-n-about for a short while...

Check out the video, the music is worth listening to...
Reminds me of Angela for some reason...

Christmas day
Yo ho ho ho.
All is well on the home front folks. It's been low key, the Angel has been napping most of the day. A little slower than yesterday but still showing signs of improvement.
We hope your holiday was fulfilling. We missed ya'll...
Great photo...

All is good. No fever. Back on the upswing. Angela is getting around like she drank only 2 bottles of wine and not 2 gallons of gin. Her walker shuffle has now turned into several strides in between a shuffle and a shimmy with an occasional venture beyond her wheels; clinging to what is in reach at the time. Still watching her vitals closely (and other things; she's gorgeous).

She's been up and about with smiles and sweet humor...that's my girl.

Whew....

Rather than filling your emails with updates etc I thought it best to offer a blog for those who are interested in whats going on. I'm not able to respond to everyones email right now so this may make it easier.

As of last night Angela's fever went gone down which means the antibiotics have kicked in, no need to go through another grueling emergency room experience. Her humor is up which is a GREAT sign. Her shuffling stride is increasing with the help of a walker. She shakes worse than her 90 year old grandfather and has difficulties keeping balanced and focused.

After reading more of the doctors reports, what was thought to be a stroke was due to a variance in her heart medicine. Her sodium dropped too low to the point her electrolytes were thrown off. Hyponatremia is the diagnosis of the day (in part). This is one of the main reasons she lost the use of her muscles etc. There is obvious myopathy damage to the muscles as mentioned below.

I'm letting her sleep this a.m. and will give another update as I can. Following is the first update I sent out. I will blog from now on.

update.1

Sorry for the blanket email but with the amount of fans Angela has I have to write a one-fits-all letter. I’ll apologize early for my lousy speling/grammer. As some of you may or may not know, these past few months for Angela have been quite challenging. I have held off giving my updates because situations have changed so quickly and because I felt no need getting those who love her overly concerned especially with her ability to bounce back as she does so well.

In brief Angela was scheduled to go thru chemo the first of the year but the doctors insisted she go through the treatments earlier due to the rapid increase of Osteonecrosis (bone decay/dying…due to steroids). She was scheduled to have her right shoulder replaced after the first round. Her knees would be next. She went through Cytoxan (chemo) the 6^th of Dec. The following week we rushed her back into the hospital because her heart pressure jumped up to over 180/120; stroke potential. We returned home after things calmed down.

This past Tuesday Angela had severe bone crushing pain similar to but greater than what put her into the hospital 4 months ago. The right side of her body seemed to be effected by intense pain but also by sagging of the eye and mouth and slurring of speech. She was unable to walk. For the past 4 days we have been in the hospital. In the nut shell she did not have a stroke although her electrolytes dropped drastically to a point the symptoms were very close. Come to find out there may have been an overdose of steroids given to her (steroids are part of the chemo protocol) which put her into steroid myopathy which again accelerates the necrosis which has now moved into her legs, ankles, wrist as well.

She was counting on spending her birthday/Christmas in New York (a gift from her parents), so the docs did everything they could to help her along. Her immune system is down but we had plenty of precautions in place that would help her get to the penthouse suite she would stay in. We were able to get her home last night. She is still unable to walk; shuffles at best. Her new wheel chair is not glamorous but she loves the idea of mobility. She is still slow and mental clarity is quite foggy.

As I type this letter I realize I am doing so because to be quite honest I will surprised if we don’t end up back in the hospital before Christmas. Her temperature has picked up and she may have an infection. I don’t know what will happen from here. We canceled the trip. I’m monitoring her now and getting her things ready for another journey to the U of M. I hope I am doing so needlessly.

The complications seem to intensify with each visit. She struggles to just keep it together enough to communicate to those about how well she is doing considering what she has gone through…

I am asking everyone to hold off calling for now. You are welcome to email me for updates and I will do my best to respond as I can. It would be appreciated if you were to send her uplifting cards that will bring her humor and Light. She loves all of you so much and is disappointed that she was unable to get her cards and gifts sent out in time for the holidays.

I wish I could be more positive and offer you good news. I know you are concerned and that I would be flogged if I did not let you know what was taking place.

Count your blessings this New Year and safe holidaze to all.