Greetings from the Dennis household,

This blog is becoming progressively more difficult to write as Myron has been feeling so poorly these past couple of weeks. We hate to report bad news, but at the same time, we did promise to keep you all informed by means of this blog.

When we last wrote Myron had just completed his second treatment of the first round of this chemotherapy session. With each round being one session per week for two weeks, followed by one week off (the week off being this week), we are set to begin round 2 on Tuesday of next week. We were at the oncologist yesterday and had his blood work done, so as long as his blood count is still good, we're off to chemotherapy again next week. (the doctor will call us if the chemo is to be cancelled.) We had a scare on Thursday of last week when Myron was suffering excruciating pain and we ended up taking him to Emergency. It was discovered at that time, that on top of everything else), he also had a bladder infection. He is currently on antibiotics to cure that infection, but it seems to be just one thing after another. The doctors still haven't been able to get Myron on a painkiller in the correct dosage that will relieve his constant pain. We went to see a pain specialist in the Palliative Care Department on Wednesday, and she has prescribed a time-released painkiller, with additional supplements for him to take if needed, but life being as it can be sometimes, the pharmacy was out of that medication, so we had to wait until yesterday afternoon before we could get it. He started taking it last night, but so far with no relief. I don't believe that he slept at all last night because of the pain. The medication seemed to ease the back pains, but the abdominal pains are persistent. Myron was also been totally fatigued these past couple of weeks, and it is yet to be determined if this is caused by the cancer or is a side effect of the chemotherapy. Whatever the cause, Myron spends quite a bit of time napping on the couch, he just cannot seem to stay awake.

Myron napping on the living room couch

 



Myron's appetite continues to decline and he has no desire to eat whatsoever. He is forcing himself to do so, and his body is therefore getting some nourishment, but the amounts have greatly decreased from his normal eating habit and he is losing weight. On the bright side, on both Wednesday and yesterday of this week, he did have a few relatively pain-free hours and we managed to get out to the park for a few hours of enjoyment of our Indian Summer weather.

 On the trails at the Westminster Ponds

A walk in Mitches Park

 

We are planning to have some family photos taken on Sunday, November 2nd, so we have been checking out possible photo locations. Myron continues to look good and he is still the same Myron, doing his best to be upbeat, but this damn illness is wearing on him. It seems as if the solution to one health problem simply causes another health issue somewhere else. All of the pain medications cause constipation which continues to an issue for him.

 

Otherwise, we try to continue our daily lives as normally as possible in between medical appointments and treatments. As I mentioned in the previous posting, the kitchen renovations are now complete, and the painting of the kitchen and hall was done last Saturday. I (Wendy) am currently dedicating time each day to scrubbing the grout work between the ceramic tiles on the kitchen and hall floor. A much needed chore (to make the five year old floor match the new kitchen), but a tedious task at best. We held another progressive euchre here last Saturday evening and we had 16 people in attendance, but I think it tired Myron much more than it has previously. We continue to attend our Monday evening bowling league.

At our Monday night bowling league

We still greatly look forward to phone calls and visits from our children, our grandchildren, other family and our friends. On days when we are feeling tired and discouraged, a visit or a phone call from someone will brighten up our day. It is currently 7:30 am and we are waiting for the visiting nurse to arrive for the weekly cleaning of Myron's PICC line. That's about it for now. We'll keep in contact. Please remember Myron in your prayers, and thank you for your continued love and support.

 

love,

Myron and Wendy

Greetings from Chancton Crescent,

It's been 10 days so we last wrote, so we thought we should keep you updated. First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, with all of the family in attendance, along with our great-nephew Alex Mink. A good time was had by all, and we enjoyed a turkey and ham dinner. As a special treat, Maggie made and brought home-made pretzels, and Sadie made and brought a homemade pumpkin pie. Below is a photo of us all around the table prior to Thanksgiving dinner. This photo is special indeed, as originally there were two photos, one taken by Wendy with Myron in it, and one taken by Myron with Wendy in it. Rachael used photoshop and added Wendy (from the 2nd pic taken) to the first photo, so we have us all together.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2014

 

On Sunday of last week we paid a final visit of the season to the trailer and cleaned out the gardens, the fridge and freezer, stripped the bed, turned off the power, etc. readying the trailer for winter. Adios until next spring, Lakewood Campground! Myron's sister Phyllis and her husband Mattie stopped in for a visit last week before they head to Florida for the winter. We also had a visit from our friend Anthony which was a great surprise, as we haven't seen him in quite some time. Myron so loves to have people in for a visit.

 



Ready for winter!

 

The kitchen renovations are now complete with the exception of a new coat of paint which will happen next weekend. We purchased the paint today, so it all systems go when our neighbour Medou is available to paint it for us. We are loving it, but still adjusting to the high tap which we manage to spray everywhere whenever we use it. I expect we will adjust to it eventually. Many thanks to our friend and neighbour Chris Cain for the many hours work he put into helping us with the kitchen.

 





Our new kitchen!

 

On the health front the news is not so good. Myron has had a rough couple of weeks. He had his first chemo treatment with the new chemo on Monday of last week and he had the second treatment today. While the treatment is much shorter and easier for him, it has made him incredibly tired and he slept for a good part of last week. He is so fatigued that he has a hard time keeping his eyes open. He is still experiencing frequent pain, and we're not sure yet if the new pain medication he has is working or not. The doctor asked him to take this medication only so she can determine whether or not it is effective, but unfortunately she did not prescribe enough to last until Myron's next appointment. So Myron was rationing them to make them last, which didn't relieve his pain as it should. We called the Cancer Clinic to get the prescription renewed, but the Thanksgiving holiday interrupted business and we didn't get the renewal. We managed to get him into the after hours clinic at his family doctor on Saturday, and the doctor gave him a renewal, but it still wasn't enough to take in the recommended dosage. Today at his chemo treatment we told the nurse our problem, and she got the doctor to give us another prescription for two weeks worth, so now we have enough medication to take as recommended until his next oncologist appointment on Thursday of next week. Hopefully now that he doesn't have to ration it, it will work and relieve the abdominal and back pains that Myron has been suffering. Myron's appetite has decreased considerably, but he is doing his best to make certain he eats enough to get the nourishment his body needs.

 

Otherwise, our lives continue on as usual. We are still bowling on Monday evenings, we are planning to hold a progressive euchre here next Saturday evening, we have booked a friend to take family photographs on November 2nd, and we (especially Myron) are looking forward to going to Toronto to see a Toronto Maple Leaf/Detroit Red Wing game on November 22nd, with my sister Barb and her husband Keith. Guess which team Myron will be cheering for. That's all the news for now. We'll keep in touch. Thanks for all your support, and please keep up those prayers for Myron.

 

love,

Myron and Wendy

Greetings once again!

It's been a while since we last posted, but we have been waiting to see Myron's oncologist and find out what is happening, so we at least had some news to pass on to the rest of you. It has been a busy couple of weeks, what with medical tests and appointments, our regular activies such as bowling, shopping, housework and laundry ... and kitchen renovations.

We went to see Myron's oncologist on Thursday, and the bad/sad news is that his tumours have grown somewhat over the summer. Exactly how much we have no idea as the doctor didn't tell us, but we suppose it is to be expected since it has been over 3 months since Myron last had chemotherapy. The good news is that his chemo begins again on Monday next week (two days from now). They are trying a different kind of chemotherapy this time, and instead of his going for chemo one day (all day) every second week, he will be going on a schedule of one day a week for 2 weeks, and then a week off, repeating this cycle. And the treatment is only about a half hour so we will not be spending all day there - hopefully only an hour or two. He also doesn't need to come home with the pump attached to him for 2 days following each session. The doctor assures us that side effects are much more minimal with this type of chemotherapy, so let's hope it works to shrink the tumours and that Myron feels better also.

The doctor is trying a new type of pain medication so we are hoping that Myron's chest/abdominal pains will go away - or at least lessen. The biggest problem is that all of these painkillers cause constipation which furthers the pain, so they are working to get the correct combination that works for Myron. Myron is still feeling very tired, but part of that we have been assured is his adjustment to the pain medications. In addition, as you all know, Myron is a very hardworking man. He just doesn't give up. And while I (Wendy) worry about him and try to prevent his overdoing things, I do realize that Myron must live his life as he sees fit, and he does assure me that he feels less pain when he is working because he is not thinking about it. Myron, however, sadly must give up his riding/supervising on his bus route for the time being as it is just too risky for him to be exposed to kids and their multiple viruses while he is undergoing chemotherapy which lowers his white blood count and his resistance to infections. He's going to miss those kids for sure.

Myron hard at work. Top: Kitchen renovations with our neighbour Chris. Bottom: Helping Chris install a new storm door at his home.

We remain busy with many activities, but kitchen renovations have been in the forefront in the past few weeks. We are still awaiting the drawer fronts for the cabinet between the stove and fridge, and we are waiting for one more stool for the breakfast bar to come in, and we need to get the mirror over the sink downsized and put back into place.We also intend to repaint the kitchen and hall (the same green colour which I love), but things are nearing completion and it is exciting for us. The new kitchen gives the house an entire new look and we are so happy with it.

Top: Myron eating breakfast at the new breakfast bar. Bottom: The kitchen as it looks this morning.

Tomorrow we are planning to drive up to the trailer and clean it out for the winter, as in emptying the fridge and freezer, stripping the bed, cleaning out the flower beds, turning off the electricity, etc. We may still go up for part of Thanksgiving weekend, weather permitting, but we want to get things taken care of this weekend just in case Myron's new chemo tires him as the last chemo did, and he is unable to drive up there next weekend (which is the final weekend of the camping season). We are also planning to have the kids and grandkids over here on the Monday of that weekend for a Thanksgiving dinner. Yesterday I (Wendy) had a great surprise. When Myron came home from work, he brought with him a bouquet of roses for me, "just because", as a thank you for all I do for him. I just love them - yellow roses with baby's breath, the same as I carried in my bouquet on our wedding day. Myron is one sweet man, I cannot thank him enough!

My beautiful roses!

 

I think that's about all the news for now. I will try to get back to you sometime next week following Myron's chemotherapy treatment, and let you know how he is doing. Feel free to drop by for a visit some time, or give us a call. Myron loves to hear from and visit with everyone, and it does help to keep his spirits up. Thanks for all your support and prayers. Please keep it up.

 

love,

Myron and Wendy

Greetings from the Dennis Household,

Myron still continues to suffer from chest/abdominal pains, but he is coping with it so far with the aid of extra strength Tylenol. He keeps himself busy, which also distracts him from thinking about it. He goes for his ultrasound tomorrow to check the stent that was put in last February, and then he goes for his two CTscans on Wednesday of next week. We are just keeping our fingers crossed that all is well, or that he will be put back on his chemotherapy regimen soon to continue to shrink the tumours. Until the tests are completed and we see his oncologist, we really have no idea what is happening in his body. Hopefully the results will be in quickly and he will see his doctor not too long after the upcoming tests are completed. The nurse continues to come here weekly to change the dressing on and flush out Myron's PICC Line. We are really hoping that something comes about soon that will help to relieve the pain Myron has been suffering. It is so frightening, and I (Wendy) really hate to see him suffer. He is, though, a man of incredible courage, and he does his best to hide it and continue about daily life as usual.

On the home front we have been as busy as ever. Nothing stays still for long in this household. We were up at Barb & Keith's place on Saturday of last week for a Sanderson Family barbecue and a good time was had by all.

Myron and Keith at the Sanderson barbecue

 

There was a big storm here in the London area last weekend, and the wind and rain were really wild at our campground. A number of people lost their gazebos, sheds, had their trailers moved by the wind, etc. We were very fortunate as the only damage our trailer suffered was the roof of the gazebo (and it was on its last legs anyway, I had just purchased a new one here in London on Friday and the old one was destroyed that same evening). Thanks to our neighbours Joe and Karen for checking up on things at the trailer for us and for removing the torn roof, etc.

The gazebo roof at the trailer following the storm

 

We went back to our bowling league on Monday of last week. Myron did well and beat his previous year's average. Wendy (as usual) did really rotten, but hey, the season is young yet. There's still time for improvement. Myron is still working as a rider on his bus run and is enjoying his time with the kids. He especially loves the little ones in JK and SK. We began a new season of progressive euchre here on last Saturday evening and we had a record turnout of 18 players. A great time was had by all, and Derrick was the top winner of the evening, with Anna and Myron being tied in second place. We went up to the trailer for a brief visit yesterday afternoon to personally check out the damages, and to pay the winterization and winter storage fees.

The euchre crowd last Saturday evening (Sorry Hughie, I think I missed most of you)

 

Kitchen renovations are now underway. Myron and I emptied the cupboards over this past weekend, and now, even as I write this blog, Myron and Reuben are busy removing the old cupboards from the kitchen. The new ones will be here and put in place this coming Saturday. Oh my, what a mess! Things will be wonderful when it is finished, but ever so challenging during the transition!

Myron and Reuben disconnecting the range hood

 

That's about all the news for now. Life goes on and he keep hoping and praying for the best. Please continue to add your prayers for Myron to ours. We'll take the help we can get. Thanks again for your continued support and caring, and we'll write again soon.

 

The old cupboards, counter etc. are now gone

 

love,

Myron and Wendy

 

 





Greetings Family and Friends,

It has been a week or more since we last posted, so we thought we should touch base with you all again. On the whole, things are going quite well, but Myron has been suffering with some chest/abdominal pains just the last week to 10 days and it is a worry.  As we mentioned previously, Myron went to University Hospital on Tuesday of this week for a new CTscan, to determine the size/state of his tumours and for a decision to be made as to when to recommence chemotherapy. Yesterday we received in the mail a notice from his oncologist, letting us know of two booked CTscans (one abdominal and one thorax) for him on the 24th of this month. This frightened us immensely, we were thinking that something was majorly wrong on the last scan - but once we calmed down and thought rationally we knew that he could not have had a test Tuesday morning, the results sent to the doctor, the doctor schedule two follow-up tests, a notice put into the mail  - and we receive it two days later! Just impossible! So we checked the form we received in the mail, and sure enough, the orders were put in on August 28th. So we worried for nothing it seems. Whether or not there is a mix-up and duplication, we'll just take Myron to all booked appointments and tests as requested. Myron also has 2 ultrasounds scheduled at future dates. He has a chest/abdominal one being done on the 16th of this month, to make certain that the stent that was put into his bile duct last February is still operating correctly. He also has another ultrasound on the 26th of October, a follow-up to check on the blood clots in his right leg.

Otherwise, things have been going well on the home front. We spent last weekend at the trailer, and you can see us in the photos below, playing washers with Karen and Joe, our neighbours both at home and at the trailer. It was a landmark day as Karen and Wendy won 2 out of 3 games against Myron and Joe!

 

 

We have been very busy both visiting and dining with our neighbours. We are so fortunate to live in a neighbourhood with such friendly and supportive people. We went out to a movie with a couple of neighbours the other night. We saw "The Grand Seduction" with Gordon Pinsent, and we would strongly recommend it to you. It is a lovely story, set in Newfoundland, and we laughed throughout the movie. Myron went back to work with Elgie Bus Lines this week on Tuesday, the first day of the new school year. While he is not driving a bus at the moment, he is riding as a monitor (tending to and supervising the children) on a run to Fairmont Public School. Below is a photo of Myron, getting dropped off at home after his morning route on Wednesday.



 

 

We have decided to go back to our bowling league this year, so we'll be heading to the bowling lanes on Monday evening of next week. Myron has decided to use a lighter ball because of his PICC line, so he had Wendy's old 12 pound ball plugged and re-drilled to fit his hand. We are heading up to Ajax tomorrow to the Bachmeier home (Barb's and Keith's) for a Sanderson Family barbecue and we are looking forward to seeing our family. We are also running our progressive euchres here again, and the first one of the season will be on the evening of September 13th.

 

That's about all the news for now. We'll be in touch again in a week or so. Keep up your prayers and support - they are greatly appreciated. Talk to you soon.

 

love,

 

Myron and Wendy

Greetings,

Well, we've passed another landmark and Myron celebrated his 65th birthday on Wednesday of last week. We were at the trailer at the time with our four granddaughters and they wished their Grandpa a Happy Birthday in 5 different languages.

 

Unfortunately I cannot get the video of the girls singing to upload here, so if you want to view it, you will have to go to my (Wendy's) page on Facebook. Following our return from the trailer on Thursday evening, we got ourselves busy preparing for a Saturday evening barbecue to celebrate Myron's birthday with our family and friends. Here is the man of the hour with his birthday cake.

 

 

On Friday of last week Myron returned to the oncologist for the first time since the end of May. She was very pleased with how Myron is feeling and looking, and wants him to have another CTscan before recommencing chemotherapy. So, the scheduled chemotherapy for Monday (tomorrow) has been cancelled, and following the CTscan in a couple of weeks time, the doctor will then determine how to proceed with Myron's treatment. Considering the news we received from the doctors last January, all of this seems to be a blessing. We didn't even think that Myron would get to his 65th birthday, and here it is over already and he is still feeling good. Myron is going back to work at Elgie Bus Lines again next week. While he will not be driving yet as we don't know when his chemo will resume, he will be working as a rider on a bus run to assist the driver in tending to the children. We're hoping this will work out for Myron, but if it is too hard on him, then he'll just stop doing it. We are also hoping to get in some more time at the trailer before the season ends, and we plan to go back to our bowling league this fall - Myron is just going to use a lighter ball so it doesn't hurt his arm. Myron has been out golfing twice in the past week and has enjoyed himself in doing so. That's about all the news for now. We'll keep you posted as we learn more. Thanks again for all your prayers for us. Keep it up, it seems to be working.

 

love,

Myron and Wendy





Greetings Family and Friends,

It has been a while since I have written in this blog, and I apologize, but as they say, "No news is good news". No excuses, we have simply been busy with day to day life. It is almost two weeks (tomorrow evening will be two weeks) since we returned home from Newfoundland. As I expect you have gathered, we had a wonderful vacation in Newfoundland and it did a world of good for Myron's spirits. We were in Newfoundland, we visited with so many family and friends, we saw so many sights, both familiar and new to us. It was just super! Many thanks to everyone who helped contribute to this vacations of ours, but most especially to Vern and Dale Arndt who drove all the way here from Wisconsin, and then drove us to and all around Newfoundland. We couldn't have done it without them! Since our return (and the inevitable unpacking, laundry marathon), we have still managed to keep busy. We were up at the trailer on Sunday last week and we were amazed at the growth and beauty in our flowerbeds (actually, both at the trailer and at home).

Myron had a doctor's appointment with the haematologist last Friday. Overall he is pleased with the current state of Myron's blood clots, but he is leaving him on the same mega-dose of blood thinners for the time being as Myron is restarting his chemotherapy and it has been known to cause/increase blood clots. We go back to see the haematologist again in three months and he will make further decisions at that time. We go back to see Dr. Richter (the oncologist) on Friday of next week (August 22nd), and as long as Myron's blood work remains good, he is scheduled to resume chemotherapy on Monday, August 25th.

As I (Wendy) am writing this blog, Myron is being his normal self and is currently busying himself by cutting the lawn.

 

Since our return home we have also been out to dinner at a neighbour's home, enjoyed visits with our kids and grandkids, baked the "August cookies" for the kidlets, and had some friends over for a movie evening to watch videos we purchased in Newfoundland. We even watched the video of Sadie, Rachael, Lissy and Maggie getting "Screeched In" seven years ago in Newfoundland! We have decided to do some remodelling/renovations in our home, and these past couple of weeks we have been busy discussing kitchen cupboards, sinks, countertops, islands, etc. as the kitchen remodel is scheduled to begin in September. Myron spent all day yesterday at a training at Elgie Bus Lines as he is still hoping to be able to return to work at a later date. Next week, from Sunday until Thursday we are going up to the trailer for a few days with our beautiful granddaughters. We're really hoping for decent weather while we are there. As you may already know, Myron's 65th birthday is on the 20th of this month, so I have been busy making a memory scrapbook online for him for his birthday (don't worry, I'm not letting the cat out of the bag as he already knows about it as it's an impossibility to keep a mega project like that a secret when we are together almost 24/7 - but he hasn't seen it anyway). 

I think that's about all the news for now. I'll write again on Friday next week after we have returned from the trailer and seen the oncologist. Thanks again to all of you for your ongoing support and concern.

Cheers!

Myron & Wendy