An answer to prayers!

Just 4 days ago, Jason and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary while we were in Rochester. That was also the day that we were to meet with the doctor to find out the test results from the biopsies that were taken from Jason's intestines and stomach. We were also supposed to find out where the tumors were, how many there were, and if they were cancerous. Because the scan showed tumors in his small intestines, we were expecting to hear that the carcinoid tumors were found. Instead, we received the news from the doctor that all tests came back normal. Even the tests that were showing positive for cancer before, were all now normal. They found no tumors and the doctor told us that he didn't have any explanation as to why these tests were positive before but now were normal. Even his symptoms have lessened, but most are completely gone. The only thing that remains now is his arm pain (brachial plexopathy), but improvements have occured with that as well. That was the best anniversary that we have ever had. I received the greatest gift....my husband back. We went from having funeral plans ready....just in case the worst was to happen, to having hearts full of gratitude. Gratitude for all of the many people who have fasted and prayed on our behalf. Gratitude for our Heavenly Father for prayers that were heard and answered. Gratitude for our Savior who is the One that understands the pain of going through trials, who suffered for those pains, and who lifted us up when we trusted in Him. It has been a very long few months, but going through these trials have strengthened our family. How blessed we feel....how loved we feel....how soft and teachable our hearts are. "For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith" 2 Nephi 27:23

One answer

Because Jason has had several things going on with his health, he has been working with several doctors here at the Mayo Clinic. They are still trying to figure out what's going on with his overall health and they are continuing to administer tests in hopes of gaining answers. But, today we did get some answers concerning Jason's severe arm/shoulder pain. We found out that it is completely unrelated to Jason's other health issues. After meeting with the Neurologist today, it was determined that Jason has Brachial Plexopathy. The weakness can last between 6-18 months, but it usually can heel completely. He prescribed two medications to help him with the nerve pain, but neither are actual pain pills. They use other medications to help with nerve pain.

We are so grateful to get some answers and we know that the many prayers said on Jason's behalf have been heard and answered. Thank you!

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Brief Update

We are in the middle of appointments, so I thought I would write a quick update. Yesterday after meeting with the GI doc, we discovered that there are still more questions than answers. From the PETscan they performed, they found something in his small intestines, but further investigation is needed to determine what it is. There have been a few more tests ordered over the next few days. We completed one this morning. They did a special catscan where they made him drink 3 containers of a very nasty tasting beverage, and then took the images. It made the poor guy ill and I don't blame him....it smelled really bad. He is doing OK now and we are now hoping to get in to see the Neurologist. There is quite a wait so we may or may not be seen today.

Even though we are getting closer to answers, we still don't have any concrete answers to give. They are testing for several different things at once and we should know more soon hopefully.

 

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What a blessing!

We just went to the desk of the GI doctor to see if Jason could get in to see the doctor earlier since his original appointment isn't scheduled until September 28th. The lady was so kind and found us an appointment today at 12:55 (of course we put our sad faces on and told her we were from Alaska and that we have 4 children waiting for us to come home....:>). I'm so grateful that this appointment has been moved up....it really is a blessing. I will post info later today about how that appointment goes. In the meantime, please pray that he will be able to get in to see the Neurologist sooner. We will try to get in to see him either this afternoon or tomorrow, but it could be a wait.

We miss our children, but they are in good hands with my Mom. Thank you Mom!

A picture of our boys while they were facetiming with us

Jacey getting ready to go to her 1st church dance (it was a 50's dance). Deanne got this cute outfit for her.

Thank you Steve and Deanne for making Jacey's 14th birthday so much fun!

 

 

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Thank You

Thank you for your love and support while we are here in Rochester, MN

 

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Then and Now

Then and Now....this is for you Jacey girl! Your Dad loves you and will be OK

Then

Now

 

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Staying Strong

"...for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day" Alma 36:3 How grateful I am for the promises that we are given if we trust in God. We are still so thankful to be here at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Things are moving along very quickly. Yesterday morning at 11:30, they injected Jason with a radioactive material (also know as a tracer). Then four hours later we went back for them to see if it was working. They had to strap him down to a board and place him into a very tight fitting machine for a 30 minute scan. He is a stronger person than I....I would have been freaking out and claustrophobic...LOL! He then had to drink a medicine last night that made him sick. We went back this morning for them to then do 2 hour's worth of various scans, all while being strapped to the board and in tight closed quarters. He did very well. I think the stress of the scan, along with already not feeling well, made him have a flushing episode (one of the side effects of Carcinoid Syndrome). He went through it pretty quickly, although feeling very sick, and was able to get past it quickly. He is now sleeping soundly, which is a blessing. Now that all of our scheduled tests have been completed that the Internal Doctor ordered, we have to now meet with two other doctors. The beautiful thing about the Mayo Clinic is that even if your appointment is scheduled out a bit, you can still go in and check in at the desk in hopes that they can squeeze you in. His official appointment with the GI specialist isn't scheduled until September 28th, but we will go in everyday and sit and wait until they can get us in sooner. The GI doctor will then describe which tests he would like us to complete. We then will meet with a Neurologist, and do any tests that he wants us to do. After meeting with all of the doctors, we will then follow up with the internal doctor that we met with at the beginning. I'm sure that is when they will tell us about the findings and describe a treatment plan. I truly believe that all things happen for a reason and that we gain courage and strength through trials and tribulations. Thank you for those of you who are saying prayers on our behalf, who have brought in meals, who have been so kind to our children, and who have asked about us. The Lord has blessed our family through so many people. Thank you!

Pins and Needles! Ouch!!!

We were able to get many tests done today. They took 6 tubes of blood, did chest x-rays, and an EMG. The EMG took 3 and 1/2 hours and was extremely painful. They had to poke very long electricity endured needles into his muscles from his hand all the way to his shoulder, neck, and spine. Although it was painful, Jason is a trooper and is doing well. We miss our kids so much,but we are so glad to be here to get help. Tomorrow at 11:30, they will inject radioactive material (also called tracers) into Jason. Four hours later they will do an octreotide scan. Then he has to go back the next day for another scan. After that we have an apt. with a GI specialist, a neurologist, and then the internal doc that we saw first. Once we know what is wrong with him, they will come up with a treatment plan. Things are moving very fast which is a blessing!

Updates and News from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN

After going through several rough weeks....we are finally at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Jason's oncologist and pain management doctor referred us here due to Jason's symptoms. In July after Jason had his gallbladder out, he started having strange symptoms. After many visits to the ER and a week long hosptial stay, it was determined that Jason has many symptoms of Carcinoid Syndrome. Many of the test results also showed signs of this illness...however, the carcinoid tumors can be hard to find and can be missed on X-rays and catscans. It is a blessing that we are here and many angels have stepped in to help us get here and help with the children while we are gone. We are so blessed. Here are the things that happened today and Jason's test schedule for the following week: Today: We met with an internal specialist. He went through all paperwork and medical records, went over all of the symptoms, and did a physical examination. After a few hours, the doctor was able to determine which tests need to be performed in order to get a clearer picture of what is going on with Jason. A few tests were performed today, one being an EKG Monday, September 17: 8:30 AM Go back to internal medicine office for more information 10:10 AM Venipuncture Specimen Collection and Blood Tests 12:45 PM Chest X-Ray Tuesday, September 18: 8:15 AM Clinical Neurophysiology...EMG (poke needles up and down his arm to see where nerve pain is coming from 11:30 AM Octreoscan Injection (will inject nuclear medicine for scan) 3:30 PM Nuclear Medicine Scan Wednesday, September 19: 9:30 AM Octreoscan-SPECT Will have another appointment with a GI doctor as soon as they can fit him in. This is what we have so far...I know that there are a lot of questions, but I'm hoping this helps. I will give daily updates as I receive them. Thank you to all of the many people who have said prayers on our behalf.

Our Alaskan Weekend Adventure

Our family had the adventure of a lifetime this past weekend. We went with our good friend Steve out to his family's winter cabin. This cabin is only accessible in the winter time when the rivers are frozen. In Alaska, you are not allowed to drive vehicles across salmon streams. So, when freeze up hits, you can take snow mobiles and access lots of areas. Steve has a cabin on a lake several miles back in the back country. We loaded up all of our gear on the snow machines, and headed off. Our yellow lab, Badger, ran along with us the WHOLE way to the cabin(several miles in deep snow). He was amazing. we got there, and unloaded our gear and settled in for the night. We went down to the lake and drilled a few hole's with the power auger, and set out a few lines to try and catch a pike or two. The boys were so happy to be out "in the wild". The cabin is a pretty rustic place, and the kids LOVED it. That night as we drifted off to sleep, it was raining. The sound of rain on a tin roof is one of life's small blessings.
The next morning, we got up and went to check the lines....nothing. Jacey and Misty made us bacon and pancakes for breakfast. The stove is an old propane unit, and Jacey felt like she had gone back in time. She was LOVING it. After breakfast, the boys ran down to the lake to check the lines again. A few minutes later, we heard them whooping and hollering..."we got one"! We all ran down, and there was Hunter with his first Alaskan pike. Well, Gunner is the one who has the dream to catch a pike through the ice. It's been his goal for two years. He immediately started getting serious, and a little bit later, he had his first pike! These are vicious looking fish, with large sharp teeth.....the boys loved that. We were getting our gear together to go out on a snow machine ride, and we couldnt get Gunner to quit fishing. It was then that we saw his rod, doubled over and bouncing! He ran over and grabbed his line, and started pulling it in by hand. He let out a scream! It was then that we saw this MONSTER pike coming up out of the hole! He wrestled it out onto the ice! Everyone was yelling and laughing. Gunner was the hero of the day! That fish was a giant, for this lake! When we cleaned it later, we found lots of bait and stuff from other fishermen in it's gullet! Gunner had caught the lake monarch!
After the fishing, we loaded up and went out for a snow machine (snow mobile in the lower 48) ride. We rode all the way out to the Susitna River. It was a blue bird sky! It was so Awesome to get to see Alaska like this! March is a beautiful month up here! We rode 40 miles! The kids were able to see lots of country, and sights that not many people EVER get to see. It was amazing. We were on the way back to the cabin, and Hunter and I were coming down a hill, where the trail was uneven. Yeah...we crashed! The machine started to tip, and I had Hunter in front of me, I grabbed him and we bailed off! We landed in some DEEP snow. The machine kept going and when it did it's flip, thats about the time that everyone else looked back! So, needless to say, there were some goosebumps and Profanity (From Misty), but we were ok. Hunter thought it was awesome, of coarse, but it was scary. WE got back to the cabin, and had lunch and caught a few more pike. The kids got to shoot the guns for the rest of the afternoon. It was a blast. The kids are really learning gun safety and how to be responsible. I was impressed with their shooting skills. They are getting older now, and they are starting to get competetive. They were shooting empty .410 and .12 guage shells with their .22's. It was fun. Steve put together an exploding target that we put out on the lake and he shot with his .270! Great fun!
WE ate a big lasagna dinner, and sat around and listened to Steve tell his stories about all of his Alaskan adventures. The kids loved it. We went to bed late. It was colder this night than it was the night before. It even snowed a little bit. We got up the next morning and it was snowing. It was so beautiful. We cooked breakfast and watched it snow out the big front windows. We even cooked up some pike! We dusted it in Krusteze pancake mix, and fried it in the bacon drippings. It was SO good. WOW! We just sat around drinking hot chocolate all morning and relaxing. We then loaded up our gear. As we were getting ready to load the sleds, (the sleds are big, well, sleds we put our gear in, and they tow behind the snowmachine), Jacey asked if Steve would pull her in it. He said "no, but I will pull all four of you kids in it"! They loaded in, and Steve took off across the lake, and the snow was hitting them and caking them! They LOVED it. This was the high light of the trip for Jacey! We laughed hard.
We got loaded up and then we secured up the cabin so that the bears won't be able to break in in the spring! The bears are going to be coming out of hiberation in a few weeks here. We left the cabin and headed back to civillization. It was so nice to be out for a few days. Badger ran the whole way back to the cars. It was a trip of a lifetime. One of the many adventures that we have been blessed to have since we have been up here in the Frozen Chosen North! Alaska is an amazing place, and we are drinking it up! Our kids are making some awesome memories.

Ice Sculptures

Yesterday the kids and I went on an outing downtown. The temp outside was 5 degrees. We went to look at the ice sculptures in the park. There were Japanese artists creating peices of art out of huge blocks of ice. They were all disney themed. There were cars, trains, and scenes. We took a few pics and then walked quickly to the mall before we froze our ears off. LOL :> It was something we have never seen being that we are from the desert.

My journey to Adak, Alaska

Every year Alaska Airlines picks 1 remote destination to bring Christmas to. They give gifts to all of the children that live in the town, bring Santa and Mrs. Clause, and provide a party there and back for all of the employees/family/friends that travel on the flight. My friend Sara took me with her family on the Santa flight to Adak Island. It is the most Eastern part of the United States and is part of the Aleution Chain. There are close to 100 people that live there, 37 of them are children. The looks on their faces were priceless as they were able to see so many people...all there for them!

We had a blast on the flight! It was so beautiful to see. I'm so glad that I was able to be a part of something so wonderful. I will never forget it!

Christmas 2011

December has been a very fun month! The primary was in charge of the ward Christmas party this year, so me and my counselor planned and decorated for the party. We had Jason make clay oil lamps for the tables, and paint a mural of the 3 wise men on their journey to find the baby Jesus. We had so much fun decorating! We even had traditional food during the time Jesus was on the earth.

Christmas was great fun too!

School Christmas Program

The kids performed in their School Christmas Program. Hunter was part of the choir, Parker and Gunner played the recorder, and Jacey played her cello. They did a fabulous job and we had a wonderful dinner.

Scouts

Because we have 3 boys, scouting is a huge part of our lives. Hunter just turned 8, so he is in cub scouts too! Jason is the scoutmaster, so he is able to be Parker's scout leader. Jason took the scouts on a camp out. They camped on a frozen lake and did some ice fishing. They built a fire and cooked out on the ice too!

Hunter's Baptism & Birthday

We went on an adventure for Hunter's Birthday! We traveled down the Turnagain Arm and traveled to a town on the ocean called Seward. It was very beautiful that day (and cold). Jason baptized Hunter in Resurrection Bay. It was a very special moment. We had the cars heated up right by the ocean so that Jason and Hunter could jump into the warm car and change. They both said that the water was much warmer than the temperature outside. Daniel and Kadie Dahl came as well as Jason's boss, Jared and his family. We ate at a Mexican restaurant afterwards and then traveled home for Hunter's birthday party. It was a day that we will never forget! I inclued a video of us on our trip to Seward.

Thanksgiving 2011

We had Thanksgiving with the Sister Missionaries from our ward this year. It was a lot of fun! Since Gunner is allergic to turkey, he got his very own Cornish Game Hen. He was pretty excited about that. We have much to be grateful for!

Tae Kwon Do

The kids started Tae Kwon Do this year and LOVE it! They have learned so much and they all earned their yellow belts. They go up to four times per week and one of those days is for sparring.

Jason and Parker on their bear hunt

Jason and Parker had a good time on their overnight bear hunt in the Alaskan Wilderness in September 2011. They hiked their hearts out! They were on the tail of a large male black bear, but it got dark before they could catch up to him. Maybe next time boys! :>

Jason's Arctic Carribou Hunt

I headed up on my first Alaskan Big Game Hunt this last week. I left Anchorage on Wednesday afternoon and we drove all the way up past the Arctic Circle. We were Caribou hunting. The Northern Lights were out every night. We layed there and watched them glow that haunting green color and dance across the acrtic night sky. It was amazing. The Caribou hunting was slow. In fact, we missed the migration. We only saw two caribou the whole time, but we were able make a move on both and were able to take them. We backpacked out onto the tundra about 5 miles in. We sat and watched Grizzly Bears on the same ridge we were camped on. They were awesome! But, I will admit, it made it a little nerve racking to sleep in the tent. I kept my .45 colt under my pillow all night! We quarterd the 'bou and packed them out. We cut some loin and fried it for dinner one night, it was amazing. We saw dall sheep, moose, grizzly bears and caribou. Oh, we also ran into some ptarmign. They were very cool birds. I actually was able to sneak up on one and stalk it through the spongy tundra and I caught it by hand! It was a very cool trip. Alaska is an AMAZINGLY beautiful place. The Brooks Range is so awesome that it is humbling. I hope that you all enjoy the pictures.