The In-Laws from Denver

Our daughter Laura is very lucky to have In-laws like Jim and Loree.
Jim and Laura's marriage does not contain any nightmares.
Following dinner with them on Thursday night (our first meeting), Kathy and I had the Vanderhye brood at our home for a late Christmas celebration on Friday. I think our grand kids have had 3-Christmases this year!

The day began with Kathy and I starting the turkey at 7am. We continued preparing all day until we set down with a glass of wine around 1:30. We warned anyone that if they showed up before 2pm that they would be put to work.

Soon after the party began Ron and Kathy from Summerlin paid us a surprise visit...as well as our very dear friend Robbie.

If you know my wife then you know there was enough food to feed the west side homeless!
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and Kathy entertained us with her piano playing and a fun game of trying to guess song titles and movie themes. The grand kids were experts when the Disney ones were played.

It was a wonderful Christmas and hopefully not my last.

Monday which is New Years Eve... I'll be admitted to the hospital for labs and transfusion.
Kathy and I will request a view of the Las Vegas strip so we can watch the fireworks from my bed side. We will open the beautiful bottle of Perrier Joulet Champagne that Jim and Loree gave us and drink from the handpainted glasses.

Happy New Years everyone! JW

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Thanks Roger and Tammy for your comments. Laura will teach me how to post them on the blog when she and her family visit over Christmas.

Well, Kathy has almost finished decorating the inside of our home for Christmas. She plans to finish on Monday while I am busy with labs/doctor. I am seeing him early and getting blood transfusions early on Monday morning so that I can spend Christmas Eve with Kathy.

We will be at the Roth's Christmas morning for brunch and then Jim & Laura and the kids will arrive Christmas night. Jims's parents arrive the 26th...and we will have a nice dinner together Friday night.

Just being home for Christmas is something we couldn't even imagine several months ago.
And it feels wonderful to be surrounded by family and friends at a time of year when we need them most.

Kathy and I hope all our extended family from California, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, Indiana, Kentucky, Atlanta, Florida and Texas all Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday and a New Year filled with hope and promises. We rejoice in your happiness!
J&KW

Some Memories & Inspiration

Grady has been my friend since High School and is a consummate and inspiring writer. Through the years he has graciously shared many of his compositions which have lifted my spirits and helped me to overcome adversities in my life.
Most recently he shared this:

Ride the Miracle within you - Determine your own strength -
You always loved doing things the hard way -
I really want to see you rise up now!

Grady is a wonderful friend to have.

I also heard from my cousin Chuck in California... he is traveling to visit his sisters in Kentucky. As a child I always remember special summer nights with Linda, Charlotte and Chuck catching lightening bugs and laying on the roof of the front porch of Grandma's house who always lived next door until we moved to CO in 1958.

What's left when you don't have memories... life is all about memories isn't it?

I returned home last night after midnight. I received transfusions of platelets and red cells so I could have a productive morning and attend our company Christmas party this evening.
Kathy has not seen many of the LVGI people since last summer.
I love to see her so excited and alive after what we have been through together.

I will complete another lab on Monday and then expect not to see the inside of a hospital until all our visiting family has left Las Vegas on the 30th.
Merry Christmas everyone! Love-JW

And now for the...

I completed Christmas cards for both our friends and clients on Wednesday. This was time well spent between transfusions and was completed in just one afternoon. I have too many people to thank and some w/o addresses. Christmas eMail will be next.

Thursday evening and overnight to 5am Friday, I completed 3-units of blood and some platelets. I slept most of the night and was able to put in a couple hours at the office before Kathy and I had our meeting with Social Security Adm Friday afternoon. The SSA folks could not have been nicer nor more informative. We need to make plans for when I turn 63 in March and for all the other unknowns.

Saturday was full of sunshine and allowed me to complete the Christmas lights outside that Kathy had started the week before. We love to have our corner of the street dressed for Christmas -- not only for us but for our neighbors. Kathy is now transforming the inside of the house into a Christmas wonderland... she has an amazing touch for decorating this most favorite time of year -- I can't tell you how happy we are to be home for Christmas! More on who's coming for Christmas later. JW

Past Chemo

Last Friday, following Shawn's visit, I completed the treatment of red cells and platelets. I finished my 2nd round of chemo on Sunday and received more platelets on Monday. I'm not sure what I'm doing with all these extra components but I sure feel better when it's all inside me.
The Chemo is planned to knock down my blood numbers but it also drops my white cell count which exposes me to infection. Tonight for our Anniversary Kathy and I had reservations to a nice Italian restaurant (graciously setup by our friend Mark) ...but the doctor has advised me to move it to next week for fear of any infection in public.

2nd Round of Chemo

That will be the last 18-hour day for traveling to MD Anderson. I'm looking into ways to arrive there the previous day, stay overnight, start the treatments the next morning, and then leaving in the afternoon. But, that won't take place again until January 15th.

I started my chemo pills yesterday; 5-pills each day for 5-days. I am going to maintain a diary of the side effects. It wasn't too bad the first time around and I'm expecting about the same this time around... it just feels like you have the flu at times.

Blood tests today are placing me in the hospital Friday morning for 3-units of red cells and 2-units of platelets. Which will pretty much take 10-12 hours of my day to fill up my tanks. Thanks for the phone calls and eMails from everyone over the last couple days. I will have plenty of time to catch up tomorow...I'll be in bed with my laptop. Feel free to call... no WIFI in my room. JW

Houston Bound!

Kathy and I really enjoyed Shawn's visit - she just fits in like family. Yesterday, I received 2-units of platelets. This morning, I'm sitting in the airport and headed to MD Anderson in Houston. Today will be a full schedule and should result in my starting the second round of chemo. I'm so sorry, Rachel, that we did not connect during your visit to Las Vegas. We hope you and Will had a good time here and took home some money. JW

Some Quick News

Well, the doctor said to go home during my visit on Thursday. So, we will do labs and any transfusion on Monday if necessary before I leave for Houston on Tuesday. Shawn arrived with the rain and we spent the day together talking as usual. Dinner last evening with the Roth's at the their club was a perfect ending to the first day. Today, we pretty much just stayed in our jammies! JW