Looong Days and Nights for Kary

Kary had asked me to update a few days ago, I will do my best here. He has still been waiting to see if he would qualify for the new chemo. I am not sure he would be able to even start it until he can get a bit of weight and strength back. He has really been struggling to eat to over the weekend and has lost more weight. He did stop his current chemo as the side effects were just too much to bear and try to eat. He is now having to take more pain meds than he had wanted, but has realized the importance of keeping his pain more leveled and staying away from highs and lows. Yesterday he was still blowing me away asking me about water issues in Ethiopia and what we should be doing to take proper precautions. He just brightens up talking about things other than cancer. Today has been a hard day for him. He could not carry on a conversation, but he is resting comfortably tonight. He always manages to tell my kids how happy he is to see them though:) Please pray with us for him that he will be able to avoid the pain and be able to eat again. The medical people that come and see him are always touched by his attitude and outlook on life.

In The Tunnel

Kary asked me to write a short update tonight. He really feels like he is in a tunnel and struggling to find the end to either side. The pain is never never ending and it is intense and shrill. Yesterday he weighed in at 118 pounds and he is 6'3-- He does not have any thing left to him and Kary uses the words, "horrifying" when he sees his body now. Kary did find out that his tumor markers have gone down in one week from 97,000 to just over 41,000. This has been cut in half, but when you consider that when he was getting close to 100 the doctors were beginning to worry his cancer is still far to active. From what I understand he has been downgraded from a Hurricane 5 to maybe a 4 1/2, but still a major life -changing storm. So although this makes me want to sing hoping that his chemo has been working, Kary just does not have much on his body to fight with 4 more rounds of chemo. It is tough being on chemo, even when you have a little extra weight on you. I wish I could take his pain. It is hard to watch someone you love, who has fought so so hard with such grace, suffer like this. Kary has to be one of the strongest people I have ever known. Please pray( beg) God to comfort Kary and be that miracle that some do not think is possible. Nights are hard and long-- if you are awaken at all please think of Kary and pray for him to have peace during these hours. The hugs are not long enough and there are not enough words to express how valiant he has been. I love you my dear brother!

Happy Fathers Day!

Kary had several visitors today. Kary's brother Jan and brother in law Aser came by and they all had a great time. Kary wants to thank them both for the very special prayers they prayed for him. Brittany and I had a wonderful Fathers day celebration with Kary. We watched our wedding video and reminisced about our beautiful and special day. We all so enjoyed our time together as always! Kary, Brittany and I want to wish all you fathers out there a very special day!!!

Tomorrow will be the half way point on the chemo regimine he is on. Xelota oral chemo. Kary has started feeling the side effects, which include burning hands, feet and eyes as well as overall weakness. Pray he can manage the next seven days and that it will be highly effective! Thank you.

Minute by Minute

Today is not a day I can post an easy update for Kary. It has been a tough 24 hours! Kary's home nurse came today for the first time, which was nice and will come again on Monday. Kary is very malnourished now and is beginning to feel the weakness from this as it is getting hard to walk and get up with ease. He is thinking about seeking the option for extra calories given through his port, but some have said this would be even harder on his liver. He is eating two meals a day and forcing himself to keep trying to eat, but the calories do not seem to be helping him as much as he was hoping. ( However, Lydia and I thought his face did not look any thinner and if anything is looking some better) Kary is not able to lay down anymore, but is half -sitting up and trying to keep his ascites as calm as possible. I asked him if he wanted a small television to help through those long night hours and he said no that each minute needs to be free so he can really focus on the Lord and be able to talk with him. I treasure each moment with my brother and find it very hard to leave each time. I linger with my hugs and exit-- Being with him brings much peace and I know God has Kary covered, even though it is hard to see him having so suffer so greatly.

Visitors from a California Almond Farm

Today our mom's twin brother and his wife visited Kary. Philip and Barbara came from Chico,CA and spent most of the day with Kary and my mom. What a special time and an encouragement to Kary. Kary is on his 3rd day of chemotherapy and this one he takes in pill form. It makes him pretty tired and it has upset his GI track some. He has to make it 14 days on this with success and then he will have a 7 day break. Then if it is making some headway, he will be put on promising experimental chemo that they are starting to have some success with for pancreatic cancer. Kary is looking forward, hoping this will work and yet has such a deep peace of being able to take each moment as it comes. My admiration for my brother is higher than ever. He is saying things that most would save until they knew what was going to happen. He wants "no stone left unturned" in many ways. Although it is hard to hear what he wants to say at times it is so comforting knowing his heart. I have so often wished I could have a do-over with my brother and I would not have put tape down the middle of the seat in the car so he could not touch my side, I would have shared my bike more, and I would have embraced him graduating from college with me in 3 years with two degrees ( unlike my one degree in 4 years) and just have enjoyed the time more. I appreciate Kary and his hugs of words. If you have not been able to spend time with him, I hope you get the chance. It is a time you will not forget.

Staying the Course

A quick update here-- Kary continues to rally:) Today we went to his oncologist in Beaverton. Amazing doctor who told Kary he is always liking a new challenge and ready to help him fight. Kary's blood levels are looking good and improving. Talk about confusing his docs! Then a doctor from Oklahoma called him tonight and encouraged him that he had peace Kary will continue to improve. Kary will possibly start a new type of chemo here in Oregon too-- I am sure Kary will have more to share on that soon. They are also switching his pain meds to see if he has better results and less side effects. Please pray for our mom too. She is exhausted, but doing a terrific job of doing all the things she needs to be doing for Kary. Please ask God to give her continued strength. Thank you for encouraging Kary and I know he enjoys hearing from you.

Family Reunion of Sorts

This is still his sister here... I am sure Kary will be writing his thoughts soon. Today was when we were supposed to have been away all weekend at a retreat house for a family reunion, but it was changed this week so we could be with Kary. Almost everyone was able to make it today with the exception of Jocelyn, Angela and Flo ( in Denmark) and then Dana ( in NY-- making movies:) ) It was great getting all of us together again. We took turns going in and visiting with Kary as he does better when he can have fewer people and not so much noise going on. He was able to take time and really talk with everyone. I heard many different people say that they felt so much better after seeing him and talking with him. The peace and faith he has are contagious! Kary is very happy to report that his ascites was sooooo much better today-- what a relief and this brings much more comfort for him. I saw him drinking and eating at different times today and so that is great too. My brother Nathan wrote a song for Kary after hearing him talking about his "party" with God that has continued on. It was about the mystery of how during such hard times you can still laugh. It is almost a holy laughter-- Kary is experiencing so much more than most will ever get to.

Better as the day went on--

I was able to see Kary tonight. I knew that he had had a hard start to his day with a lot of dizziness, but that seemed to get better as his day went on. Our older brother came over and was able to get him outside for a bit and Kary enjoyed that a lot. He seemed wonderful tonight and so much better than when he was in the hospital. I think he enjoyed having real clothes on for a change too. I know I say this a lot, but Kary inspires me with how upbeat he is and happy. He is still asking about each of my kids and wants details and its as if he forgets we are there to see him. Kary mentioned on the phone today that he has chosen to not look at his body or what to many would be overwhelming, but he is choosing to listen to God's promises. He has such peace and optimism. Way to go Kary and I really hope he is able to begin sharing his thoughts and wisdom here soon. Thank you for lifting Kary up in your prayers-- we do not take this lightly and appreciate your dedication in this area.

Released

Kary was released from the hospital this evening and is resting back at our mom's house. We were hoping to have a family reunion at Silver Falls this weekend, but decided to cancel it. We are hoping Kary will be able to have us all over to visit him at mom's house on Saturday. It is hard when there are too many people, but we all really want to get together and Kary really wants to see everyone. Kary has a new bed that will hopefully allow him to get comfortable and sleep for longer periods of time now. Thank you for your continued prayers and I know Kary rests knowing he is being covered this way.

Updates from Room 736

Kary was moved out of ICU--wootwoot!!!! He even has a view now. For the most part he has stopped bleeding and may get to go home tomorrow. He is a super human and is trying to keep the pain killers to a child size dose. He likes to be clear-headed and not weigh down his system. He was able to eat a few things today and his blood work is looking good. Hopefully Kary will be able to post here on his own very soon. I thought I was taking the above picture, but was taking a video, but you can see Kary here a bit.

Long Day in ICU

This is still his sister posting here-- Kary endured an endoscope early this morning, followed quickly by a CT scan as the doctors really wanted to find out why he was bleeding. It was all pretty inconclusive, but did rule out some places. His pancreas is pushing up against his stomach and small intenstine so much that there was not as much room as they had hoped to be able to see too far down. Kary did receive 4 pints of blood yesterday and so once his meds from the scope wore off he was feeling some better. He has brought some serious optimism to his doctors and I don't think they can believe how positive their patient is in light of all his body doing. His ascites is making life pretty miserable, but he just takes it in stride and does what has to be done. Today his pastor came by and I heard Kary telling him, " How lucky am I to be able to go through this so that I can know God this intimately..." Kary was once again encouraging those in the room. He also said that the times when the pain is the most intense, God is the most present. He enjoyed having guests today and having time to spend with those close to him. Tomorrow it will be easier if visitors want to come by for a visit in the regular part of the hospital.

Kary was admitted into the ICU today with internal bleeding. He has been meaning to write more updates, but just has been too sick. He had left for Tulsa last week for chemo and to try to have his surgery repairs made, but had a change of plans midway through and went to Colorado for a treatment to help him with his weight. Kary is always on a search for the next thing that may help him. However, on Saturday Kary and my mom made the difficult decision to return to Portland for a bit and stop treatments and get some much needed rest and see if they could get the bleeding stopped that Kary was experiencing internally. Then this afternoon he passed out and my mom had to call 911 and he was taken to the hospital. He was getting a tranfusion when I was there tonight and I actually thought he seemed to be doing better and was getting some color back in his cheeks. Tomorrow they will go down with a scope and try to see where the bleeding is coming from and try to get it stopped. The hope right now is that it is an ulcer. Here is a picture from tonight at the hospital with Regina and Brittany. We got to pray around Kary and he actually was the one encouraging us and we had gone to do that for him. He is so strong and so positive. God is so clearly present with him during this very difficult time. Stay strong my dear bro--