Chris had chemo yesterday. Weight again stayed the same. White blood cell count 2.7 - that's still ok but blood cell count going up also means that your body is trying to fight something. ahhh. The nurse finally got the IV in on the third try but after just one bag (he gets five today) his vein decided to close. Chris was in a TON of pain. He has a very high pain tolerance so it must have been just awful. It was hard watching him. They took the needle out and found another vein. A smaller vein that we monitored closely and Chris kept a warm rice pack on his arm the whole time to keep it open. He slept the whole time. My dad came at 12:30 and stayed with Chris, took him to eat and then home so that I could help at the middle school. When I got home he was resting. He told me that "he wished he hadn't done chemo today." He was very sick all night (I can hear him throwing up right now), he is using a wet washcloth on his forehead and drinking a lot (one of the medicines gives you dry mouth).
So glad we had SEP's for Katie and Jacob yesterday so that he could attend. I'm sure other parents think I'm crazy taking pictures of the kids with their teacher and Chris but I want the kids to remember how important they were to him - that he came to everything even if he wasn't feeling well. Chris bought them books at the book fair for doing well in school:)
Jacob came and helped me with the teacher dinner. I had him place the bread sticks in the oven to keep them warm and he burned his arm on the top of the oven!! My poor boy. It still looks bad. He was a big help.
Yesterday, Tay and I did the fun run at the middle school it was fun but crazy - 1400 kids walking/running a mile and a half through the neighborhood. The kids did a great job. We had three policeman at different locations, lots of teachers and parents and a school bus all helping contain the kids:):)
Later I had Rye drive me to do my errands. He did a good job I just wish i would stop holding onto the door handle so hard - it's not going to save me:) Tay went to Civil Air Patrol for the first time alone. Tomorrow we will go and get his uniform - Blues - just like they wear in the Air Force.
Glad it's Friday. The next couple of weeks will be much slower. I would love to sit down:) Saturday, we have a primary activity, and get Tay's uniform. Sunday, are friends are blessing their baby (hopefully Chris will be well enough to attend). Monday, orchestra, FHE, and I work in Katie's classroom. Tuesday, Jacob scouts and Rye goes driving with his driving instructor (Ahhhh). Wednesday, orchestra, scouts for Tay and Rye and early out day for Jacob and Katie and. . .. we go off track Yeah!!! I say it half happy - I still have a high schooler and middle schooler that I have to get up for school. But, I will make every attempt to get back in bed after I get them out the door:) No school Thursday or Friday for anyone:) Next Frid, Sat and Sunday are parents weekend at BYU. I bought us tickets to the BYU vs Idaho football game. Tay keeps saying he's "wearing his U of U shirt" to the game. ha, ha that's what he thinks:)
"The Lord does not always heal the sick, nor save those in hazardous zones. He does not always relieve suffering and distress, for even these seemingly undesirable conditions may be part of a purposeful plan." President Spencer W. Kimball
Love ya, Ricki

Chris had chemo Thursday. Weight stayed the same. White blood cell count 2.4. They only had to stick him three times to get the IV in. He has sooo many bad veins:( They talked about him getting a port again but Chris doesn't want to. We spoke with the doctor this week and he would like to continue to do the Erbatux (which is the drug that doesn't make Chris as sick but gives him a rash) every Thursday til "he dies." Chris said that he would "think about it." Chris has two more weeks. Next week is the long day, realllllyyyy bad drug (Eraniteacan) which we are sooooo done with. Makes him soooo sick and exhausted. Sooo glad this is almost over. But then what?

Meg came home Tuesday to say "hi." She kept crying. I asked her "what was wrong?" and she told me that she didn't realize how bad Chris was. I guess when you are away for awhile and then come back you see things differently. For almost three years Meg has denied that he was going to die. She would say to me "stop saying that, he's not going to die!" She felt differently when she left.:( I had to kick her out at 11 pm. She did the same thing on Thursday. Ditched her class and came home to be with us. She met us at Rye's cross country meet. Chris had just had chemo an hour before. He ran all over that field yelling at the team:) I had either Meg or Rye stay up with him in case he needed anything. Rye, came in 9th in region - go Rye!!:) Meg asked if she could quit school and come home. I told her "no way." It's very difficult - we've been dealing with this for almost three years. she gave up Disneyworld and being a princess because she was worried Chris would die while she was gone. Guilt of not being there when he dies or living. It's hard. I feel guilty running around doing all that I do while Chris stays at home - sick. And the crazy thought of "will he be alive when I get home?" Wayyyy to many emotions. After the meet Chris was exhausted. We came home and he slept. Pizza was brought into us (thank you), my mom watched the kids and my brother took Tay to Civil Air Patrol.

No school Friday because of SEP's for Tay and Rye. They are both doing well in school. We just stuck around here because the other two are in school and Chris was sick. Saturday, Chris and I went to the Temple to watch are good friends have their adopted daughter sealed to them. Veryyy cool. They had a luncheon after for everyone but Chris was to tired and sick to go. He made it for the most important part:) Then we had a family bday party. Meg called later crying. she got a speeding ticket coming down Provo canyon. I still don't know exactly what she said she was crying to hard. I wanted to go and see her but Chris said that we needed to let her work it out herself:( (This is when a mother is on bended knee begging Heavenly Father to send someone to help her daughter.) So, Sunday we took a drive to "see the leaves" in Park City (where Meg works - hee, hee) and we checked on her.

Ok, so now it's Wednesday and I am now going to finish this post hee, hee. It has been a crazzy couple of days. Monday, I went on a field trip with Taylor and 500 other 7th graders to This is the Place Monument. While poor Chris stayed home with Jacob who had stomach flu - later I would find out that Chris didn't even realized that Jacob was home because Jacob is pretty independent and he just took care of himself!! Stayed in his room - didn't want to get Chris sick. For FHE we went and picked pumpkins. Chris felt realllly sick but he still came. Tuesday, I took care of Chris' speeding ticket that he got in Missouri this summer - we forgot about it until the State of UT said that if we didn't pay it by Oct. 24th they would suspend Chris' license. Ahhh!! Went shopping and started cooking for the teacher SEP dinner later today. My co partner called yesterday and told me that she couldn't do anything because she is way sick. so, I called Olive Garden to help with one of the soups and the bread sticks. Today, PTSA meeting, cooking, running around (went to the closet and found only three bowls - good thing I looked!!!!), feeding the teachers, Jacob and Katie's SEP's, YM's, cross country,orchestra, driving practice, . . . . . Tomorrow, Chris has the long chemo (Erbatux and Eranateacan). I will stay with him until 12:30 and then I have to leave. The middle school is having a fun run (1 1/2 miles) that I was asked to help with so my dad is going to come and hang out with Chris and drive him home afterwards.

Chris has had a hard time walking. He has a lot of cramping in his muscles. Tuesday, he had a hard time getting in the car. Tay and Katie are almost over their coughs. Just in time to give it to me:) Gotta go. Life is crazy but good. I'd fall apart if I wasn't busy. Don't like to have time to think:)

Love, Ricki