Just want to give you all a quick update...Ric's radiation therapy has been bumped up to the 24th, tomorrow.  This has been bumped up due to the increased pain in the neck area.  Home care took care of that for us.  Ric will be seeing a speech therapist tomorrow, he is choking on  some foods.  We discovered over the weekend that Ric cannot push his tongue into his left cheek.  We hope speech can help with this.

Just want to say thank you to all of you who continue to help us in the ways you do...we are so grateful to each and everyone of you.  

Took Ric to the Tom Baker Center for "reassessment" today.  It was a very informative conversation today.  We left today feeling hopeful...Ric will be starting his radiation therapy on the 28th of February, and he will have 15 treatments in total...last time he had a total of 30 treatments.  The treatments will help with some pain relief and hopefully help shrink the tumour.  Ric will not be able to start chemo until after radiation...doctors don't feel that Ric would have the energy to do both, as radiation can be very draining on someone.  Chemo will take a toll if Ric does not try and move his body...he is really being encouraged to exercise, which he has not done in a good few months.  In fact if Ric continues to do all the sleeping he is doing now, chemo will not be an option!  I am trying to encourage Ric, but it is difficult for him sometimes to get out of bed due to headaches and neck pain.  Ric will also be starting a pain clinic sometime next week, hopefully this will give him some relief as well.

 Ric did not have to have the MRI tonight, thankfully...this was something that was scheduled in advance.

Home care is very helpful...I am very thankful for such a fantastic service.  We have talked with many different individuals regarding Ric's care.  Occupational health came out the other day to see what types of things we may need, or could use to help make Ric's movement about the house easier.  Ric will be seen by the physiotherapist tomorrow...this should be very beneficial. 

Hope to have a good weekend...and a special Thanx to Amber who took in our kids to watch them while we had our doctors visit today.  We are learning to ask for help, but I am glad some of you know me well enough to just offer.

Go and have some nice family fun this family day weekend.

Sorry I have not written for some time...we have had a very busy week.  We were busy with phone calls and visits with friends, we had doctor visits, and home care coming in...just to name a few things we were up to last week.

Ric had a nice time with a couple friends for the big game last Sunday.  He was not able to get out of bed that day...so we invited his buddies to come watch from the bedroom...nobody wanted to snuggle with Ric in the bed though.  Ric did not make the chilli, his energy levels were very low, he did eat some chilli and corn muffins however. 

I just want to thank you all for your acts of kindness lately.  Meals were brought in, muffins and snack cakes, and even more edible arrangements...this has truly helped our family, for me it is difficult to find that inspiration to cook lately...therefore this has helped a ton.

Home care is wonderful...if Ric needs blood work done, lab services comes in and takes his blood.  We have a nurse available to come out whenever we may need...for now just once a week.  Occupational health has come out and checked out our house to see what type of improvements need to be made to make things more adaptable for Ric.  A physiotherapist will be coming out to see if there is anything he could help with...as stairs become more of a challenge these days.  A oncology doctor just phoned me today to check in...and has expressed concern, Ric does a lot of sleeping these days.  Doc wants to see Ric this Thursday.  Ric has another MRI slated for Thursday evening, so I am going to try to get the doctor visit changed to Friday...so they can look at that first, perhaps.

We really thought we had received all the bad news we could have...yesterday at the visit with the oncology team, we received some more bad news.  There is new tumour growth in the base of the brain stem.  This was a shock needless to say as we are already dealing with the tumour that could not be removed.  Suggestions from the doctors were to use radiation to treat the new tumour growth...perhaps this could be for some pain relief.  Ric can start on chemo when ever he is ready to do so.  Initially it was to wait 6 weeks after surgery...now we have new issues to deal with.  I am glad to say Ric still remains positive throughout this...he keeps reminding me we still have HOPE...I am so very proud of my husband, he has to keep reassuring me throughout this journey...I will continue to hope and ask you all to hope and pray with us through this trying time.  We need your prayers now more than ever...as this journey keeps on getting more difficult to travel.

We will have home care come into our home starting next week...as Ric is somewhat weaker...they will give us advise on what we need to do around our home to make it a safe environment for Ric...and of course to help Ric in any way he may need help.  Ric does use a cane for support and stability. 

Ric is having a few buddies over for Superbowl this Sunday...he told me he will make the chili for the game, or at least if I end up making it, I am not allowed to use any vegetable protein in it...it has to be all beef, beans and veggies.  I guess we will see what happens!  I'll put my bets on Green Bay.