Homecoming

Peyton is home now and Kate and baby look wonderful. Avery meeting her sister for the first time was a hoot. Kate says Peyton is quite a night owl...uh oh.

And I'll say it again, there's nothing better than holding a baby...unless you're holding two...
Final exams tomorrow and Tuesday - I'm ready.

Nothing like holding a new baby

Kate looks wonderful but asked not to have her picture in the blog.
ANYONE that gives me a grandchild gets whatever they want...but seriously, she looks stunning and is doing very well other than a bit tired. We expect Kate and Peyton to be home by Sunday for Avery to meet her new sister.

Peyton Grace Machala

Call me prejudice, but isn't this the sweetest little girl you've ever seen ?

Our sons looked like toads at 12 hours old

HOT DAMN !

7 lbs 2 oz - 20 inches - arrived 12:25 am Feb 19th. Kate and baby perfect according to Matt.
Goodnight for now -

BABY ON BOARD

Anytime now. Matt and Kate left for St. Joe's a couple of hours ago.

Things sure have changed. I remember fondly the unannounced mad dashes to the hospital years ago with a V E R Y pregnant Joann riding shotgun - telling me I better step on it...running red lights and hoping a cop would stop us. Pulling up to the emergency room entrance and seeing everyone move like they were shot out of a cannon. Pretty cool.

Now they call and make an appointment.

I like the old way better.

Photos of our new granddaughter to follow ...soon, I hope.

Gotta love February

Still a bit hung over from last Tuesday's cocktail but things are better. The nausea is pretty much history and not as tired as I have been (getting up at the crack of 7 instead of the usual crack of 10) but the body aches are hanging on. Isn't like after the last round where it felt like being rapped with a baseball bat - more like getting pinged with a ballpeen hammer - always in the joints. Ringing in the ears has been replaced by hissing... like to think of it as the chemo perking -
Sorry I missed the co-op winter get together last weekend. Always nice to be around so many people that look forward to summer, especially since we're just into February.
Joann has scaled back on my plan to demo the kitchen up north. She wants me to do something "less destructive"...takes all the fun out of home improvement, but there's always something that needs doing up there.. or maybe it's just that I like having projects to do.
Good things are going to start happening here in a few weeks, Matt's 32nd birthday, a new granddaughter and my final exams on the 22nd. And Saturday was the eleventh anniversary of my stroke. So all in all, this has been and will be a good month.
Joann did a good job on the last blog - I think she should do it more often, eh ?
Next time we'll post pictures of Avery's new sister..can't happen soon enough according to Kate
LIVESTRONG

Happy dance !

Today was Ken's last chemo treatment and we all did the happy dance!! It's hard to believe these treatments have come to an end. Up until this weekend, you would never know to look at Ken that he has cancer. His hair loss is the only outward sign that the chemo is doing its job. I know that he is very anxious for the CT scan, and waiting is not one of his strong points, but these things can't be rushed.
These last four months have been the toughest times we have gone through together. We've prayed and cried and even laughed at times, but have made it so far and will continue to together, no matter what the future holds.
I have faith that the doctors and nurses have seen enough to know what signs to look for, pain, bleeding, difficulty breathing, huge weight loss etc, to see that Ken is beating this. Thanks to all of you who read his blogs and continue to encourage and reassure him, and me. It's been an important part of the healing process. I hope you have enjoyed his perspective of what he calls "his first rodeo".
This month will be exciting as we welcome our new granddaughter, due within the next 2 weeks. Such a happy and exciting time!!
Thanks again for all your support
Joann

Let 'er rip doll

Don't have to worry about hair loss anymore. Matt give me a buzz cut Sunday, my second in 42 years...the first being at Lakeland AFB, Texas,1968. Didn't like it then, don't like it now, but like less the house looking like I've swung a dead cat around in every room. Lorraine was right, eventhough you're forewarned, it's still a bit of a shock when it happens. Gets your attention for sure.
Monday's bloodwork came out OK so today's (last) big cocktail was a go after we met with Ann, my case study gal and Dr. Eisenberg, an oncologist whom Joann and I like very much. I asked to have my final CT scan like tomorrow ( anxious? me? NAW ) and was told I'll have to wait a bit longer to get an accurate reading. They explained that radiation and chemo are akin to cooking rice - it's still perking after you take it off the heat - takes time for everything to "cool down". OK, so I wasn't happy about the timing but today was not the day to tell these people their business. Hell, I can't SPELL, let alone pronounce, half the things they DO...patience isn't one of my stronger virtues...
Feb 22nd is the earliest date they would agree to - results due March 1st. I'll be going through a CT, another lung capacity test and an EKG... then I'm going to take Joann out for a very nice dinner and have my first beer in four months. Hot wife and a cold beer. Life is good.
Last cocktail was uneventful if you don't count the four attempts to thread a 22 gauge needle in the vein. Sue was having a time of it and finally Robin came over and got lucky on her first poke. If the saying "No pain no gain" is true, we gained a b u n c h today. The next two weeks will be trying as the big dose does it's work, but we survived it once already and besides, there isn't much else that can fall off...is there ?
Mixed emotions after more hugs and walking out of the clinic today for (hopefully) the last time.
So glad it's over, so fortunate the side effects were minimal, so embarassed I was such a wus about them and so blessed that I had Joann and the doctors, treatment nurses, family and friends for support over these past 91 days. "Thanks" doesn't nearly cover what I want to say, but there's alot going on in my head right now, so it'll have to do for now. So Hey, THANKS and as always...
LIVESTRONG