Dear Family and Friends,

We want to thank Patty and Dale's large community of family and friends for their generous support these past eighteen months in helping them deal with their respective life threatening issues.  Many of you have offered to cook meals, run errands, visit, and help out in other ways big and small.  Those efforts are most appreciated and have made all the difference in the quality of their lives.   While the recent news on the status of their health is fantastic, they still need a little help from their friends.   As they transition to the next phase of support, we are asking that those who can, help defray the costs of providing in-home care to Dale as he continues with his rehabilitation and therapy and as Patty regains her strength. We are starting with seed funding of $1,000 and hope to hit our target of $15,000 by January 1st, 2016.  We are proposing the following levels of funding opportunities:  4 gifts of $1,000, 8 of  $500, 16 of $150, and 32 of $100, although any amount would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much in advance friends.

The GOFUNDME Link is www.gofundme.com/hkdt3mt8/.  This is where you can make your donation. 

Love, Jeanne and David Pace, and Roy Reynolds and Denny Martin

Walhood Holiday Blessings

We have good news to report on all fronts!

Dale is benefitting from finally getting traction with physical and occupational therapy at Kaiser, and making excellent progress in getting himself up from chairs/bed, walking around safely/better, and pulling up his britches.  A new safer walker came for Dale this week, and both therapists we're working with were impressed with his progress since we got our first homework assignments in early November.  We move into speech therapy soon for help with swallowing issues, and are focusing on getting him more mobile and independent for an unknown long haul, as he has surpassed all expectations to date.  We are now 20 months since surgery, and though he's nappy/sleepy a lot, mostly he's steady as a rock and even getting stronger.  Yay!!!

Patty had her halfway-through chemo PET scan and we just got the results this week before chemo #4 on Thursday 12/3.  The scan showed considerable shrinkage of the growth, especially in the lung/chest area, with the largest mass reducing in size from 17.6 to 5.3 cm!!!  The initial chest pain and need for round-the-clock tylenol has gone away completely!  We got the go-ahead to continue to a final two chemo sessions after this week's fourth, one on Christmas eve, and one mid-January, and that is a good thing because it means she's strong and responding well.  It has been a week of big exhales and hugs and happiness and relief around here, and we're all super stoked for the holidays.  Double Yay!!!! 

As always, a hearty & sincere thank you for all the loving thoughts, prayers, food/meals, candles, etc. etc. etc.  Stephanie Oliver just flew all the way up from Phoenix to go to chemo and help out with stuff and Dale-sitting for a week which is triple awesome.  We feel very blessed by all the love and support coming our way, and send you all our best for the Holidays.  

Peace and Happy New Year!

Patty, Dale, Megan/Jeremy, Jim/Gretchen & Mark

Patty Chemo #2 Update

Hello Again Friends,

After some difficulties with the first (10/1) round of chemo, including severe joint pain and hives, we ended up switching to a modified chemo regimen for round #2 last week (10/22).  Taxol was replaced with Docetaxel, but otherwise we are on the same program of potentially six sessions each three weeks apart.  

So far with round #2 things are much better.  An extra strong burst of steroids this time turned her into energizer bunny for the first 48 hours, with mostly only fatigue starting yesterday and again today.  She is in good spirits for the most part, despite a dramatic hair cut last week, now only left with thin wispies up top.  Two friends (first Stephanie, later Bonnie) made similar adorable Sigmund the Sea Monster hats that keep her warm on outings.  Except for after the very first round of chemo, we are back on the regular Saturday coffee/social rounds circuit.

Things are running pretty smoothly with a mix of family, friends and some paid care givers keeping things moving around the clock.  Dad has been working harder on his PT exercises and transfers and stuff, and talks about getting some contract work on the side to help chip in with expenses (lol).  He is getting around better these days with sustained efforts, and we are drilling him on left side skills/focus/attention.  

Recent visits with friends from Boston and San Diego were awesome, and we're continuing to be spoiled by all the delicious food and meals coming in, the stud muffins especially, and of course Jon.

If you want to be added to the meal rotation please call Diane (503-659-1689).  If you can do a Dale care shift (includes moving around & bathroom help) either on Thursday evenings 4-10, or Sunday afternoons 12-4 please e-mail Patty at flashlightpatty@gmail.com

As always, thank you all so much for the continued support, love and prayers.  Our love to you.

Walhoods (Patty, Dale, Megan/Jeremy, Jim/Gretchen, Mark)

--

Patty

Patty's First Treatment

Patty had her first chemotherapy treatment last Thursday, and generally it went much better than expected, without any of the potential side effects that can happen during the session.  The worst thing about it was the ill-fitting chair that had to be endured for five hours, and the complicated pill therapy/timing instructions that began the same day.  We're hoping to have a pillow solution to the chair issue, which actually left a bruise or two behind (chair too big, hard pokey things in the wrong places).

The first couple days after treatment weren't bad at all, with just a little fatigue, but the last couple days has seen the expected joint pain show up.  Medications are helping control the pain somewhat, but it's still unpleasant.  All together, not as bad as expected yet but still a real drag.

There has been a lot of organizing of assistance the last couple weeks, and we're working on lining up additional at-home care for Dale while Patty gets needed rest.  Folks are helping out with meals and other chores, shopping, etc., and somehow everything is still holding together for the moment.

Below is the link to the blog where we have a "Walhood Meals Calendar" page that you can click on the upper right hand side.  On the calendar itself you'll find Dianne Saulsbury's email and a menu/recipe suggestion guide thing.  If you're able and interested, you can check in with Dianne to sign up for a meal drop-off.  We thank you in advance for everything from kind thoughts to meals, etc. etc.

www.dale411.blogspot.com

We'll keep this one short for now, mostly wanted you to know things are moving along OK for now and holding steady.  All our love to you and yours.

The Walhoods

Patty Update

Sorry for the delay, we'd hoped to get this out yesterday.

We met with the oncology team yesterday (same two doctors Dale had last year).  The mass in Patty's right lung is a recurrence of the endometrial cancer she beat in 2005.  It is unknown how long the tumor has been there, but the doc thought it was likely a slow-growing tumor that has probably been there awhile.  Although surgery is not possible, and there is no cure given the size/location, there are options for therapy and our worse fears were not confirmed.  The doctor was talking about initial treatment going until and perhaps beyond the holidays.  While still awful and terrible and messed up beyond belief, we are grateful for the blessing of time.

On October 1st Patty will have the first of 4-6 chemotherapy treatments (combination of carboplatin/taxol) which are done once every three weeks.  It's a 5-hour in-clinic ordeal taking the chemo, but a friend and snacks can come along for the ride.  We do the first three treatments and then another CT scan to decide if the next three sessions will happen.  Apparently it's usually most unpleasant for 2-3 days after each treatment, with fatigue, nausea etc. lingering sometimes for up to a week.  Just about the time you start to feel totally normal again, you go back for another round.  

The goal of the chemo is to extend and improve the quality of life.  Chemo is the first choice, but after the initial round of treatment, depending on Patty's response, there are other options including anti-estrogen therapies (tumor has an estrogen receptor), as well as radiation.  If the initial response to chemotherapy goes well, it can be repeated.  The taxol is pretty intense and requires close monitoring for blood chemistry impacts, anemia, etc.  

It's hard to say much else right now, except we're all just going along one day at a time.  There was a nice week at the beach with friends and visitors, and the elevator condo was done on time.  Last night was the last night Patty will have broken sleep from attending to dad's sanitation all night long, as each kid is taking a weekend sleepover/care night with Dale, and today we arranged night aides for the other four nights.

By next week sometime we plan to have a few people calling around to solicit help with meals and other stuff, and will post an online calendar of who's doing what when, once that's organized.  We are very grateful for all the offers of help, and apologies if we have not gotten back to everybody personally, but it has been overwhelming and hard to know where to start with things.  Jon Grenfel, Dick and Diane Saulsbury, George and Annis Bleeke, Sarah Rowley, Stephanie Oliver, and Mabsie Walters have been helping out a lot the last couple weeks (thank you!).  The community at Grace Episcopal has also been a treasure once again, and we will take them up on their offers of delivered meals very soon.  

In other news, Megan and Jeremy got nailed by a teenager on Highway 101 in Newport last weekend and rolled/totaled the Ford Escape, but miraculously and thankfully they are both just fine.  That was basically the best thing to happen around here in weeks.  Nobody liked that car anyway and now Patty gets to buy a new one.  We are also blessed to be a family with a good sense of humor.  Yay for the little things!  ;)

Mostly we are happy to know there is a path forward for treatment, and look forward to Autumn and another holiday season with family and friends.  We will let you know how things are going with the treatment when we have news.  

Patty enjoys getting text messages and we are anticipating more normalcy and less drama in the coming weeks.  Trips and a family retreat are being considered, and Patty's getting a cute new daybed.  As always, thanks for the prayers and good thoughts, and we send all our love to you and yours.

Best,

m

-- 

Patty

Walhoods 9.1.15 (Patty & Dale)

Not feeling particularly writerly at the moment, but there is news, and Patty asked me to send out a note.

Dad is doing quite well, and been stable now for many months.  He needs daily care and help with getting around, but is otherwise perky, eating well, enjoying good company and food, and coming off the end of a summer with lots of quality time at the beach.  

Unfortunately, we got some really bad news about mom today, which is the subject of this message.  Maybe sit down if you're not doing so already.

Patty had been complaining this year about chest pain, which we all thought was related to doing so much physical lifting and other strenuous activity while caring for Dale.  There was actually an earlier diagnosis for the chest pain, which turned out to be wrong.  More recently when the pain persisted, we did another round of tests including an x-ray.  Patty got a call from her primary care doctor at the beach last week with some scary news about the x-ray, and today we met with a new doctor (pulmonologist) to get the news.

The x-ray and two other tests done in the past week show a large cancerous mass in her right chest, which appears to have started in the lungs but has now 'eroded' and metastasized into the rib cage, chest wall muscles and lymph nodes.  We won't get the diagnosis/prognosis officially until our appointment with the oncology team on September 17th (biopsy was done today).  The pulmonologist was careful to avoid a diagnosis, but guesses it is round #2 of the endometrial cancer Patty had successfully treated ten years ago.  It is unlikely that surgery will be an option (no good 'margins'), but we are expecting treatment options involving radiation and perhaps chemotherapy in an attempt to arrest/stop the growth.  

Patty is very concerned about quality of life, and not up for a debilitating knock-you-down treatment (especially if it's heavy-duty chemo).

Sorry to just drop the bomb like that, but we are all in a state of shock and there's no easy way.  It's way too much to bite off all at once.  Patty has been the primary caregiver for Dale, as well as managing the Georgie stuff (97 years old!) for 1.5 years now.  Those of you who know this family well know it's a matriarchy, and I don't think any of us know what we're supposed to do without Patty running the show.  It's unimaginable, really.

The family is going to the beach from September 7th - 16th while the elevator at the condo is out of commission, with other caregivers/friends already signed up to join us.  There won't be much else to share between now and our oncology appointment on the 17th, after which we'll send out another update, perhaps with options for support and meals, etc.  We are covered for the moment with caregiving, food, etc.

All our love to you and yours, any prayers and good thoughts headed are way appreciated.

Mark (+ Patty, Jim, Megan, Dale)

Annual Report

It has now been over a year since Dale's diagnosis and surgery.  A year since we were told Dale would be lucky to live six months.  This has been a year of huge change in our lives and a year we have learned (and are still learning) to live with our "new normal".  Things with Dale's cancer have been quite stable for several months.  We recently went back to the oncology department and will be having another MRI (first since July) in the next few weeks.

Here is a link to a recent 60 Minutes segment about GBM (Dale's cancer):

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/polio-cancer-treatment-duke-university-60-minutes-scott-pelley/

Interesting.  We did contact Duke and they called us.  Surprising.  They gave us a number to call if we determine that the cancer is growing again.  

As we both adjust to this new normal I am finding that keeping the on-going calendar on the blog is no longer working for me.  So for now I will take it down.  We are still delighted with visits and sometimes outings. Just give a call: 503 284 3184 will get us if we are at home.  Or email me.

I will not be sending out future updates as long as there are no changes. If there is any news I will share it immediately.  So don't worry if you hear nothing.

Thanks again and again to everyone for your willing hands, support, and positive thoughts and prayers.  You have all made this past difficult year possible to get through. 

Our love and continued thanks to you all!