6-29-08 We are doing pretty good these days
Saturday, June 28th, 2008 6-29-08– It seems like I am having to make fewer and fewer entries on this log but that means that things are going pretty well right now. Although it has been less than 60 days since Shana’s last surgery, she has bounced back with a vengeance and she seems to be doing much much better than before. After the last surgery, we had little hope that she would be with us for long. We began chemotherapy and just generally her health has been much much better. Her distended stomach has shrunk to just a little bigger than normal. She has good energy and feels pretty good right now and she has developed a bad case of cabin fever and likes to get out as much as possible. She even feels good enough to go on a short vacation so we are taking the family except for Wes and Antoinette on a short cruise to Mexico on the week of July 11, 2008. Shana really wanted to go on a family trip so we put it together last week and everybody is excited. For about the last two weeks Shana had been suffering from serious pain in her bladder area which had me very concerned. She had a lot of pain when she laid down and when she went to the bathroom. The doctors believed that she had an infection from the treatments but we tried every antibiotic from Cipro on down and it did not work. Finally we got a test back that found it was some strange infection that is rare and the proper medicine has been prescribed and it seem to be curing the pain and problem quickly. Shana and I got out today and went shopping for essentials and she wore me out just shopping. Of course she had an electric cart she was riding in and she loved to run over me in it. She has a terrific appetite and eats a full meal without problems. She seems to be gaining a little bit of weight and her depression seems to have lifted. Right now things are good.
Chrissy has moved to Houston and moved into her new house with her husband. They closed on the house the day that they got to Houston. They bought a 3-2-2 in Deer Park within a few minutes of Chrissy’s new teaching job and in the city that Doug works as a policeman. They seem very happy and they spent last week getting their house put together. We will probably spend the night there on the way to Galveston for the cruse.
Wes and Antoinette are getting really close to having baby Isabella. She is scheduled to domino on 7-15-08 but could sooner. That is why Wes and Antoinette can’t go on the Cruise with us. Wes is doing phenominal in Law School and is currently ranked number 12 of 297 students. The school has given him a partial scholaship because of his strong academics. He is working hard at work in a difficult economy and he is a good manager. Antoinette is home for the summer but intends to return to work shortly after having the baby. We are hoping that we can be available to do some baby sitting for “Bella” when she gets here. I personally think Wes is going to be a great dad and that Bella will have him wrapped around her little finger in just a short time.
April and TJ are going on the cruise with us and it is TJ’s first time to be on a cruise ship. Yesterday was TJ’s birthday and they had a surprise party for him at South Padre where they have a beautiful 3 story condo with his parents. We haven’t been able to get hold of them because their phone doesn’t have good coverage on the island but I bet they had a great time.
Brad has moved to his apartment in Downtown Fort Worth. He is a regular in all of the resaurants and bars in downtown. He seems to be having a lot of fun…maybe too much fun. But he loves it and he has made a lot of new friends his own age which is good.
We have decided to sell Shana’s Pontiac Solstice so if you know of someone interested have them call. We are trying to take a couple of vacations while Shana feels good and before I start a long string of trials in the fall. The cruise is one trip and we may take a trip to the west for a long weekend as well. We may just go alone.
Please raise a prayer for Shana, Beverly Edmonson (breast cancer), James Hammon (Paralysis), Bee Rippy (Ovarian Cancer), Glenn Dietrich (cancer), Diane Donahue (Knee Surgery), Larry William (mesothelioma), Linda Wright’s sister (Breast Cancer) all of whom have been diagnosed since Shana began her journey. Pray that they are comforted and healed in this difficult time. Also, a friend of April’s, Cecelia Bradley, is running 60 miles and trying to raise $2,200 for cancer research in the Susan G. Koman “Race for the cure”. She is running for Shana Bearden. Please help her exceed her goal by donating to her at her web site listed on yesterdays blog. We have got to get a handle on this pestilance and it will take money to do it. Once Cecelia reaches her goal, I intend to match every dollar raised thereafter so please help make me a poor man. I feel I have a personal vendetta against cancer and this is the best way to fight back on a broad front. See if you can give a little to battle cancer.
Jim
