Yesterday was Chris' doctors appointment. Doctor Whizenant asked questions and then did a physical examination on Chris which led to him finding a lump on Chris' left shoulder. Immediately the dr told us that that was not a good sign especially for how hard the lump was. He reminded us that research has shown that getting a blood clot (which Chris had in December) so late into chemo is a sign that another cancer is forming so.... on May 4th Chris will have a PET scan (full body scan), ultrasound, and they will biopsy the lump. He says it doesn't look good. Since he said that I haven't stopped crying (except when I'm in front of the kids) and have hardly slept. We aren't going to tell our children until we meet with dr again on May 10th. There is no reason to worry them especially since who knows maybe it will be really easy to fix:) He talked about radiation and other options but since we don't even know where the cancer is located (could be lymphoma) it's all just speculation. The tests and dr's visit are "far" away because Chris and I leave Sat. for a cruise to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We will be gone 8 days. It is a blessing in disguise because then my children don't have to see me weep at everything. The week we have the tests done our dr is out of town celebrating his 15th wedding anniversary so that is why everything is sooo far away. Last night I video taped Chris and Rye working on Rye's Spanish project and I let the boys stay up till almost midnight watching the Jazz game, I taped them screaming at the tv and jumping up and down. I would not usually allow that on a school night but that is a memory that will be precious to us all. I know some of you have thought that I was crazy for not wanting to go on this cruise but I would like to explain myself, first of all when life changes like it has for us you see things differently. I feel guilty taking 8 days away from my children that they could be spending with Chris and I am a "worry wart" I feel that I have to take care of myself, not put myself in any danger because my children need one healthy parent. In case you are wondering how Chris is doing I don't really know, even the dr asked and he told him "it is, what it is" and then at the car he told me that "it might be time to checkout" We all know him positive and upbeat no matter what. He will do all he can to prepare us and make sure that we are going to be OK. Just another bump in the road.
I know that Heavenly Father doesn't give us anything we can't handle. "I never said it would be easy" but I have been given the greatest gift. To have the gospel- to KNOW who I am, to KNOW God's plan, to KNOW that I am never alone. I KNOW I signed up for this and therefore will put my best foot forward (after I'm done crying).
Keep those prayers coming!:) Love ya, Ricki

Chris' back is doing well. No basketball, lifting etc. for 3 months (ever if I'm in charge!!). We were suppose to have an appointment with Dr. Whizenant on the 9th but he went out of town so we have been rescheduled for the 19th, at which time we will ask him for a stronger pancreatic enzyme. The insurance company said "no" to seeing the oncology dietitian so I am filling out a petition that will go before a panel to see if they will approve Chris. If not I will probably ask the oncology dietitian if she will meet with us on our own and we will pay for it. Chris would really like to not be sick any more. He is wwaayy tired of it.
Both car accidents are now done and over with. Rye is doing better, he still has headaches once in awhile. We are grateful to his wonderful teachers at school who are looking out for him. Just takes time.:( Meg is doing great and enjoying track, she was so blessed to not get hurt either time. We still haven't found a car for Meg but grandpa is letting her borrow another one of his cars (Ahhh!)
All is well here, life is just moving along. Hard to believe the school year is almost over! And today Chris and I celebrate 20 years of marriage!!! Chris and I were married on Friday the 13th! In the Manti Temple. Chris was early and I was late-hee, hee. (poor guy little did he know what he was getting himself into:)
Take care, we love ya. Ricki

We are now officially looking for a car for Meg. Received check, rental car returned, car towed away- no more insurance company calls thank goodness. They were terrible to work with (2nd one-hee, hee).
We asked Dr. Rich to send a letter to the Jury Clerk to ask that Chris do Jury duty another time because of his back. They were OK with it. They said they will just put his name back in the drawing for another time. We didn't want to miss are follow up appointment with Dr. Rich this Thursday and it is still hard for Chris to sit for to long, and his intestines are giving him trouble. Which brings us to. . . Chris got a speeding ticket. He was trying to get home fast because he was going to be ill. He told the policeman his story. The police officer was kind enough to hurry. He didn't look up registration just asked for Chris' license. Then came back with the ticket. Chris tried not to speed away. I told Chris we should go and explain to the judge to see if he will lower the money amount but Chris said he just wants to pay it - will see who wins:)
Friday I went up to Huntsman Cancer Research Library and looked up "whipple" to see if I could figure out how to help Chris. While I was there a lady asked me if I needed anything. I told her what I was needing. She told me that they have a oncology dietitian who has worked with alot of "whipple" patients. I spoke with her only briefly because of legal issues. She said some things that I hadn't thought about and are other doctors haven't suggested so I am going to see if my insurance will pay for me to see her. I was excited to talk with her, she gave me hope. The Huntsman Cancer Center is amazing. Mr. Huntsman spared no expense. I walked around the Hospital and the Research Center, we are so blessed to have such a wonderful facility so close to us.
Rye is still suffering from his concussion. Poor boy is verryyy emotional and is still suffering from head and neck pain.
I have to smile. This is all I have to write. We are boring! Yeah!!! Quick knock on some wood!!:):):)
Love ya, Ricki

Last night I took Rye to the ER because he kept complaining of neck pain and having headaches. They did a CT scan (we were in the same CT room as 2 years ago when Rye threw up all over me and kept screaming that he "wanted his Mommy!" ahhh good times-incase you forgot May 2008 head trauma 5 days in ICU- 3 of it he didn't know who we were, he was, or where he was) and neck x-rays. Nothing was broken - thank goodness but they found that he did have a concussion. They call it post concussive syndrome. The headaches, crying, anger, memory loss, exhaustion etc. all caused by the concussion. This makes number 4!!! Don't know how many more his poor brain can handle- where's that helmet??!! He told the ER doctor that "he was probably going to die young because his dad was." Big gulp and then tears. Kids say the darnest things. I told him he wasn't going to die that he was suppose to become a researcher and find the cure for cancer.
Chris is doing OK. Still in pain, food not digesting like it should. Has a bulge in his back that he showed me but won't go to doctor, says "it will be fine." AHHHHH!
Chris has also been selected for Jury Duty next week. Should be interesting.
I took Katie to the doctor Frid. because she had blisters all over the palm of her hand. Again doctor said it was eczema it just reacts differently in the palm of the hand. He gave us a stronger medicine. Last night when I came home from the ER around 11:30pm Katie was still awake. Poor thing is having separation anxiety lately. She cried for me and insisted that she sleep with me. She told me she was glad that "I wasn't dead" (again- kids say the darndest things)
Insurance company totalled car. It was towed away Friday:( We are just waiting for check to come. We still have the rental, not sure when they will stop paying for it. Meg looking for new car.
We have a craaazzzyy week. Scouts (Tay, Rye and Jacob each a different night of course), I feed the teachers at the Elem (SEP's-chicken cordon bleu), Rye and Chris go to the Wed Jazz game (Jr Jazz tickets), Relief Society, we feed the missionaries (not sure what yet:), make snow cones for Tays class (I'm ok with that, that means I can make a Dr. Pepper snow cone - Yummy! And I am called the "Snow cone Queen" - to many years doing it for field day:), work in Tay and Jacob's classrooms, etc. etc. and maybe, just maybe I can clean the house and do laundry hee, hheee.
Life is crazy but great, new adventures everyday! I'd be sooooo bored:) "Be thankful for what you've got it could be worse" (Pres. Eyering)
Love ya, Ricki

So today we continue to fight with the insurance company who has decided to "total" the car but is giving us less money because "their" appraiser didn't look at the car well enough. They are saying that the car doesn't have automatic windows and locks and that there weren't any floor mats!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The car has ALL of these things! The appraiser was here for about 5 minutes. She didn't even bother to open the car! On the other hand she didn't write down that the car looked like it had been in an accident-the bumper and hood colors don't match and that the bumper is being held together with screws.
The police officer was in training all day yesterday so we still haven't resolved the occupant thing. I'll try again today.
Chris is still in a lot of pain and food isn't staying in for very long. Less than 24 hours.
Ahhhhh....
Love ya, Ricki

WOW!! It has been ONE year today that Chris went in for the Whipple. Time flies when you're having fun:)
Yesterday was hard on him but he got up and went to work again today. He's a trooper! (and he knows he has to pay for my "new toy" in the garage:)
Today's saga is that I am having to call the police officer that wrote up the report at the accident because on the police report it only lists 1 occupant. So now I need to have that changed. You maybe wondering "Why does Ricki have the police report?" Well yesterday went reeaalllyy bad with the insurance company (this case seems pretty cut and dry to me - you don't stop at a red light and you hit someone it's YOUR fault!!!) so my dad got on the phone and let them have it. He went to the police station to pay $5.00 to have the report sent to the insurance agent and to receive a copy for us (usually it takes a week and a half for the agent to receive a copy). And what a blessing it was that we saw that it lists only 1 occupant. I don't know how ugly it would have gotten if the agent had received the report first, I'm sure he would have accused us of being dishonest and who knows who would have paid for Rye's ER visit. Poor Meg once again had to give her statement to the insurance agent-she was sssooo nervous, but at least she knew what he would be asking:) We finally got a rental car about 5:30pm. I can't tell you how nice the other insurance agency was (from Megs first accident) letting us rent a very nice van. The car we have now is bare minimum!! It has been years and years since we had "crank and blow" windows (roll yourself!:), doors that you have to unlock one by one yourself (no lock and unlock clicker). Not complaining, just realizing how much nicer the other company was. We still don't know what the outcome of the car will be but at least we have a rental for Chris to drive to work. Hope he remembers what the car looks like after work-hee, hee. (He won't be able to find it by clicking a button and the lights flashing:)
I'm sure that everything will work out fine. Just another bump in the road, another learning experience. Ahhhhh :)
Love, Ricki

Chris came home Thurs. morning. He's doing OK but still in a lot of pain. He says that his left leg tingles and of course where the incision is hurts also. He can't sit, stand, or lay down for any length of time. I told him to take one more day off but he said that "he had to get to work." Hope he does OK.

Thurs. and Frid. I dealt with insurance companies, car dealership and our mortgage company. Frid the insurance agent that has our case was out of the office so I spoke with the manager. She gave me a lot of grief. Still no rental car. "Still investigating." The appraiser did come out and take pictures of the car. Today I will probably just go ahead and get a rental car. Since Chris wasn't working we weren't to inconvenienced but now we are. Tried the insurance agent today but he isn't in until 10am and the manager is out all week. I've decided that perhaps this is how I am to learn patience:) Not sure what Meg is suppose to learn from all of this:) Rye is having headaches and his neck hurts. Chris and I decided that if he was still in pain today that I would take him to the doctor. Meg is doing well, she just has hurt knees from jumping hurdles (or missing them:)
I did forget to tell you how her accident happened. She was stopped at a red light on 6200 S. when a car hit her from behind. Rye and Meg said they saw him coming and braced for impact. The air bags did not go off. The ER nurse said that they were very lucky. No one under 100 lbs (Rye) should be sitting in the front seat. She sees children that are hurt badly because of air bags. So now no one is allowed to sit in the front seat (after that Rye didn't want to anyway). The driver that hit Meg accused her of being on her cell phone (which she says she wasn't-she was stopped anyway!!!!). Rye said that when he turned to see the car coming at them he saw the other driver on his cell phone and smoking!! And that when he got out of the car a lot of smoke came out. I am getting really tired of dishonest adults. What kind of example are they showing my children?! Trying to pin "the accident" on a teenage driver!!! And may I say they look even "dumber" for trying to blame someone else!
We are now in the process of looking for a new car for Meg. This car has "Hit Me" written all over it!!:)
Drive safe, and always be honest (I'll do the same:)
Love ya, Ricki