Hope

Earl finished chemo yesterday and hopefully that will be all for at least a few weeks. His hemoglobin is very low so he will go back to Hollings this afternoon to receive two units for blood. That is one of the reasons he is so tired. He seemed to be in better spirits this morning, I think it's because he knows he doesn't have chemo next week. We don't know how many more sessions he will have. We are just hoping that this chemo is working and we can beat this nasty monster. We are hopeful, and that's really all you can do. Hope and Pray!

Journey of Love

Fall is so close and hopefully some good news along with it. Earl had a pretty rough week and a long weekend. He is very tired and weak. Chemotherapy really takes its toll on the body and mind. All he could really manage to do is watch TV in between naps. He barely ate at all on Saturday but was eating better Sunday. I'm sure he is a little dehydrated so hopefully today along with the chemo he will get lots of fluids. He is sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am sure he is a little depressed too. I do all I can to keep his spirits up, including watching hours and hours of his favorite TV shows, something on the BBC about cars. He is looking forward to his Uncle visiting him at the end of October and is hoping for a little break in treatment so he will feel good when he is here. I cannot see too far in the future and just try to enjoy each day. I know we will have out CT scan next Monday and I am scared to hear the results. Either way, it is what it is and we cannot change that. All we can do is accept our news and appreciate all life gives us. Love to all of you who pray for us. Donna & Earl

September

The month is speeding by along with our treatments. Earl had chemo today along with a unit of blood because his hemoglobin was low, thus causing the fatigue. Hopefully this will help him have a little more energy. Still no hair loss, and we're not complaining one bit. That's a little gift from God and we appreciate that very much. Amazing the little things you can learn to embrace. One more treatment and then He will have another scan to see our progress, and we hope it is just that. PROGRESS! I relish the thought of life after cancer, or just life without chemo. Earl did manage to take a little time out for himself on Saturday and spend a little time with his brothers in Columbia. They are making progress on his car, and hopefully will start to paint it soon. He is looking forward to cruising around in his car with the top off and so am I. We continue to receive many prayers from friends, family, and complete strangers. It means so much to me and I will find a way to be a blessing to someone else. That's really what life is about anyway. Too bad it takes something like this to make us realize it. Lots of Love to everyone. Donna

standup2cancer

I was watching Larry King Live last night and they were talking about standup2cancer.org. It's a new donation program that is raising awareness and research for cancer. They are having a program on TV sometime this month. I was amazed at the statistics they talked about. 1 in every 2 men will have some sort of cancer in there lifetime. 1 in 3 women. Since cure is still so hard, the biggest thing you can do is prevention. That means, no smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, a healthy diet, low in read meat and processed foods and lots of fresh organic veggies and fruits. Excercise and low stress. Regular check-ups. Make sure all your daughters and sons are vaccinated with Gardisil. Earl's cancer was caused by a combination of the HPV virus and smoking. I know I'm preaching, but trust me, you do not want to go through this hell if you can prevent it. Do what you can to standup2cancer. Michael Douglas has the same type of cancer as Earl and he is HPV positive and was a heavy smoker and drinker. His journey is just beginning and it will be a long road. Do what you can for yourself and your family to stay healthy. Love you all. Donna

Sweethearts!

Me & my sweetheart attended my 25 year high school reunion last weekend. I was so happy that he was able to come with me. It was so funny because all my friends have been following his progress on facebook, so when we got there, everyone said "Earl, we're so glad you doing good" He was like "how do you know me?" So, funny, but everyone made him feel so good and we had a nice evening. He had his third chemo Wednesday, so we are halfway done with this session. He is doing quite well, just tired. He gets lots of rest and I feed him well. We are just hoping that after he finishes this session he will be able to take a nice long break from treatment and enjoy the fall and the holidays. He looks really thin but he has actually gained a few pounds since his stay in the hospital. I love this man more than words can say. I wish I could kiss all the cancer away. We are looking forward to a nice long Labor Day weekend! I may try to drag him out to a movie or a walk on the beach. Remember y'all...Live, Laugh, Love!!! Donna