YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!

I was in the kitchen minding my own business, as I was walking out, and out of the corner of my eye, I see something NEON GREEN, I look.... and then did a double take! Now I hate our table and chairs but what can you do when you are a poor starving married couple? But as I draw closer to this thing I became....astounded, appalled, blown away, so what did I do? I yelled, "JOEL!" I couldn't believe my eyes, what did I see? What did I SEE?
GUM!!!!.....GUM!!!!...........I turned to joel and gave him my best evil eye and asked, "how old are we?" and then we proceeded to laugh....what can I say! Joel is sooooo cute I couldn't stay mad at him for very long....this TOTALLY had to go on the blog.

(p.s. this is alisha's shirt that she left....what can I say he is all mine....)

The Living Saga of Garvin Smith - Are you Dying to Read It? Part 12

 My "port" to LIFE - CHEMO!

My chemo regimin consists of a once a week dose of Rituxan, and a once a month, three day dose of Cytoxin and Fludarabine. Today I started my second round of the three day chemo regimin getting the following drugs:
Ativan
Aioxi
Decadron
Zantac
Benadril
Rituxan
Cytoxin
Fludarabine
You may recognize some of the names like Zantac and Benadril. These are over the counter drugs that have a mitigating effect on the undesirable side effects of the chemo drugs.

I was facinated with the information on my "routing slip" that is generated in the oncoligist's office. It contains a list of the chemo drugs and it is checked for what a particular patient is getting. I want to publish the list. Since I am typing this blog entry, I WILL publish the list for my enjoyment, your possible enjoyment, and your disgust if you are a pure naturalist!
ABVD ( Adriamycin (doxorubicin), bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine.) 4 hr. (it takes four hours to administer)
AC (Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide) or EC (Epirubicin or cyclophosphamide) 3 hr.
Aredia (Pamidronic acid) 1.5 hr.
Carbo-Taxol (Carboplatin and Paclitaxel) qwk 3.5 hr.
Carbo-Txtere (Carboplatin and Docetaxel) qwk 3.5 hr.
CHOP (cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin (doxorubicin), Oncovin (vincristine), and prednisone/prednisolone)3 hr.
R-CHOP (Rituxan, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin (doxorubicin), Oncovin (vincristine), and prednisone/prednisolone) 6 hour.
FOLFOX (FOL– Folinic acid (leucovorin)F – Fluorouracil (5-FU) OX – Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) 4 hr.
FOLFIRI (FOL – folinic acid (leucovorin), a vitamin B derivative used as a "rescue" drug for high doses of the drug methotrexate and that modulates/potentiates/reduces the side effects of fluorouracil; F – fluorouracil (5-FU), a pyrimidine analog and antimetabolite which incorporates into the DNA molecule and stops synthesis; and
IRI – irinotecan (Camptosar), a topoisomerase inhibitor, which prevents DNA from uncoiling and duplicating. Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody to epidermal growth factor receptor, is sometimes added to FOLFIRI.) 4 hr.
5FU/LV (Fluorouracil, Leucovorin) 3 hr.
TAC (docetaxel, which is commonly known as Taxotere®
doxorubicin, which was originally called Adriamycin®
cyclophosphamide.) or TEC 4 hr.
Abraxane (paclitaxel, approved January 2005 for cases where cancer did not respond to other chemotherapy or has relapsed) 1.5 hr.
Adriamycin (Doxorubicin or hydroxydaunorubicin)2 hr.
Alimta (Pemetrexed) 1 hr.
Avastin (Bevacizumab) .5 hr.
Bleomycin 1.5 hr.
Campath (Alemtuzumab) 2 hr.
Carbo (Coronaridine) 1.5 hr.
Cisplatin (cisplatinum, or cis-diamminedichloroplatinum) 3 hr.
Cytoxin (Cyclophosphamide or cytophosphane) 3 hr.
Dacogen (Decitabine or 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine) 2 hr.
Doxil (Doxorubicin also known as hydroxydaunorubicin) 2 hr.
DTIC (Dacarbazine) 2 - 4 hr.
Epirubicin 2 hr.
Erbitux (Cetuximab) 2 hr.
Ethyol (Amifostine) IV/SQ 1.5 hr.
Faslodex (Fulvestrant, also known as ICI 182,780) .5 hr.
Fludarabine1.5
5 FU (Fluorouracil) 1 hr.
Gemzar (Gemcitabine) (90m) 3 hr.
Herceptin (Trastuzumab) 1 hr.
Interferon IV 2 hr.
Irinotecan 3 hr.
Methotrexate (1.5 hr.
Mitomycin 2 hr.
Navelbine (Vinorelbine) 2 hr.
Oncovin (Vincristine) 1.5 hr.
Oxaliplatin 3.5 hr.
Pentostatin (deoxycoformycin) 2 hr.
Rituxan (Rituximab) 4 hr.
Rocephin(Ceftriaxone) .5 hr.
Sandostatin(Octreotide) .5 hr.
Taxol(Paclitaxel) 2.5 hr.
Taxotere(Docetaxel) 3 hr.
Topotecan(Topotecan hydrochloride) 1.5 hr.
Torisel(Temsirolimus) 2 hr.
Treanda(Bendamustine) 1.5 hr.
Velban(Vinblastine) 1.5 hr.
Velcade(Bortezomib) 1 hr.
Vectibex 1.5 hr.
Vidaza(Azacitidine or 5-azacytidine) .5 hr.
Zoladex(Goserelin) .5 hr.
Zometa(Zoledronic acid or zoledronate) .5hr.
WHEW!
PICK YOUR POISON!!!!
I feel like looking each one of these up and finding out what they are used for!
Okay, I learned three important things:
1) Many of these drugs ave been developed in the last ten to fifteen years. These are relatively new chemo drugs.
2) Some of them have a natural base, like Vinblastine that comes from the Madagascar periwinkle plant; Taxotere, an extract from the rare Pacific yew tree Taxus brevifolia: Paclitaxel also from the Pacific yew; Vinorelbine, obtained by semi-synthesis from alkaloids extracted from the rosy periwinkle, and another one that I saw that comes from the bark of some tree.
3) many of these chmo drugs belong to the family of drugs called alkylating agents, that tend to make the body more alkaline than acidic, something Alternative Medical Practitioners have been preaching for years.
Interesting?

More to come after three days of this . . .

A "Love" Box...

We are SLOWLY moving into our new home...Opening each box...has been like opening presents at Christmas time...Never quite know...what I am going to find when I open them....(smile)

However, today...Garvin brought home this box...I had to take a picture of it...It brought back so MANY WONDERFUL SENTIMENTAL MEMORIES...but, the message...written on the top of this box....well...all I can say is...THANK YOU, Linda.......and ALL who made our "move" possible...

If my aching bones...is any indication...of all the HARD WORK...and MANY HANDS that MOVED US....on the Florida end....I can't believe...how TIRED ALL OF YOU MUST HAVE BEEN!!! My body is absolutely "worn OUT!!!" (smile) We are no where near FINISHED, either!!!  We had "3" storage units full...Garvin and Hyrum have nearly cleared out ONE....UNIT...

A brief view of the Joslyn home

The Living Saga of Garvin Smith - Are you Dying to Read It? Part 11

Okay. There have been entirely too many comments on how good I look. Aint Photoshop great! Seriously, this picture was taken at about 8:30 am, shortly after a nap, after a restful night’s sleep; after a nice dinner at Los Caporalles, the local Mexican restaurant in town! It was the first time I had eaten a full meal in three months. It was great!
Generally I don’t look so good. Debbie even commented after reading all the comments that “you generally don’t look that good.”
REPORT: JUST IN:
After Tuesday’s blood tests, the white count (WBC) was up from 0.9 to 2.2 (the reference is 3.0 – 10.0 for normal WBCs). There are two options: pump more Nuprin in me to further boost WBC production, or let my body try to produce on its own. My doctor’s philosophy is to let (make) the body do as much as possible on its own, so we are in a wait and see mode right now.
REPORT: EVEN NEWER JUST IN:
Today I had my meeting with the good/evil Ms. Rituxan. But this time we were prepared with even more drugs (four anti-reaction drugs instead of the normal two). I know you like to hear that Debbie!) But this time I had no problem sucking the IV without adverse reactions. AND I got my favorite Decatron steroid. I look forward to tomorrow morning when I will, as Dave Joslyn (my son-in-Law married to my darling daughter “Do No Wrong”) said: “emerge from chemo as an indestructible superhero capable of crushing any villain with your superhuman radioactive powers.” Actually, I just want to work and do things without collapsing from fatigue and exhaustion.
The Oncology nurse expressed concern that my red blood count and hemoglobin counts were so low. A blood transfusion was considered. I said “No!” A consultation was made with the oncology physician’s assistant (PA). Questions: “How are you feeling?” “Fine.” “Do you get dizzy when you stand up?” “Some people think I’m dizzy all the time! But, no.” “Are you fatigued?” “Not any more than normal considering the circumstances. I have always been a little anemic, even before I got cancer.” “Okay. No blood transfusion.” Whew! I dodged THAT bullet!
GENERAL HEALTH REPORT: My mouth is kind of healing. I developed blisters on my tongue and fever blisters on my lips and in my nose. It is extremely painful to eat some things. Brushing ones teeth is very difficult. It feels like your mouth is being run over by an Abrams M1A1 battle tank. I’m not really sure how THAT feels, but I did have an armored personnel carrier (APC) run over my mouth in the ‘Nam, but I was in a rice paddy at the time, so it was a little softer. But you get the idea. I could just not brush my teeth, but then you in other states might be able to tell. “Phew! What IS that smell!” But we do see some improvement in my mouth.
I continue to feel God’s tremendous love daily. Something happens every day that lets me know that He is aware of me, has heard my prayers and yours, and cares for me (and then by logical extension, He also cares for you). And even though I fail to live up to the great example of Jesus Christ in charity and love, I still feel His unrelenting, ever consistent, always offered charity and love for me and in my behalf. “I Feel My Savior’s Love” was never one of my favorite hymns, but it has grown on me and taken on new meaning. For those not familiar with the words:

I feel my Savior’s love
In all the world around me.
His Spirit warms my soul
Through everything I see.

I feel my Savior’s love;
Its gentleness enfolds me,
And when I kneel to pray,
My heart is filled with peace.

I feel my Savior’s love
And know that he will bless me.
I offer him my heart;
My shepherd he will be.

I’ll share my Savior’s love
By serving others freely.
In serving I am blessed.
In giving I receive.

Chorus
He knows I will follow him,
Give all my life to him.
I feel my Savior’s love,
The love he freely gives me

Have a nice weekend.

Our FIRST OVER NIGHTER...in our New Montana Home...

Eric Coles and Garvin

Garvin - 57 pounds lighter

It was so fun...to have our FIRST friend/family come...and spend the night with us...Eric Coles drove in from Idaho...and was the first to sleep all night in our "YELLOW" guest bedroom! (smile) We had just got the bed put together...! That was about all we had in the room...but, at least he didn't have to sleep on the floor! (smile)

P.S. NOTICE BEKAH...Dad still has some "hair"! (smile)

The Living Saga of Garvin Smith - Are you Dying to Read It? Part 10

OUCH! Oweee, owweee, owweeeee!
Rituxan is a harsh mistress and a mean mistreater. Sucking on the chemo juice can be very painful. Since Rituxam targets the terrorist B-cell Lymphocytes, like an AC130 Gunship with quad miniguns firing 6,000 rounds a piece, a lot of death and destruction occurs at one time. One's lymph nodes start to hurt, then the aching pain increases as terrorist B-cell Lymphocytes die by the thousands. One finally cries out in pain, "Help me!" The oncology nurses check with the doctor. Decadron and Benadryl are ordered and the Retuxin stopped. Decadron (literally translated from a galaxy far, far, away, means, "ten drones", are sent in to clean up some of the mess and mask the pain. (Yes, Debbie, I believe some of this is for symptomatic relief from the death and destruction that is occurring.) Ahh! Relief! The pain slowly subsides and the Retuxin is restarted. I liken Retuxin to the nanites used in the most excellent movie "I Robot", to kill the out of control VIKI (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) computer. Nanites (miniature robot computers) were injected into the controlling master main frame computer to erase (destroy) VIKI's memory, much like Rituxan is used to target and kill the B-cell Lymphocytes that don't have the memory code to die. This is only one reason "I Robot" is so choice: it so well mirrors real life!
I have six more visits with Ms. Rituxan over the next six weeks.
NOW THE BAD NEWS
My White Blood Cell count (WBC)dropped dramatically following the first three-day round of Rituximab, Fludarabine, Cytoxan. I have five more of these regimens scheduled for three days every four weeks, for the next five months. HOWEVER, I will see if that is negotiable downward, depending on my progress. But I digress.
Normal WBC reference range is 3.5 - 10 (that's 3,500,000 - 10,000,000). Mine is 0.9, or 900,000. All other blood numbers are also down. You want the numbers? See below, or skip past them.
WBC 0.9 (3.5 - 10)
RBC 2.94 (3.8 - 5.8) (Red Blood Cells)
HGB 8.8 (11 - 16.5) (Hemoglobin)
HCT 26.8 (35 - 50) (Hemocrit)
PLT 138 (150 - 390) (Platelets)
There is more, but you get the picture. SO,
I have to get shots of Neupogen and take Cipro for the next five days.
NEUPOGEN® is a man-made form of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), which is made using the bacteria E coli. G-CSF is a substance naturally produced by the body. It stimulates the growth of neutrophils (nu-tro-fils), a type of white blood cell important in the body’s fight against infection.
CIPRO®(ciprofloxacin-hydrocholride) is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic and fights bacteria in the body. It's also a steroid (I feel stronger already!)
I will update after Monday's blood test.

More to come . . .

The Living Saga of Garvin Smith - Are you Dying to Read It? Part 9

Oh no! I got on the scale this morning and what did I see? I had gained a pound! And I was doing so well on my diet! My appetite is coming back, and I am moving things more freely now so I will have to be extra careful not to gain any more. This is the most successful diet I have ever been on. There are two other diets that I know work well also: the "Controlled Anexoric Diet," and the "German Concentration Camp Diet." Have you ever seen a fat anexoric person? Have you ever seen a fat concentration camp survivor? Now I can add the "Lymphoma Chemo Diet," to my "diet" of diets! Yes, they are rather drastic diets, but they get results!

More to come. . .

The Living Saga of Garvin Smith - Are you Dying to Read It? Part 8

Rebekah is really interested in me losing my hair from the chemo. At first she was going to support me by shaving her head, but then her friends convinced here that that was too drastic an action to take. She then decided that if (when) my hair falls out, she would dye her hair "flaming red." She is so excited! You know Bekah - looking for ANY excuse to change her hair!
While the actual Rituxan chemo was painful (see previous posts) they have other fine chemicals to ease the pain. However, it's after the chemo regimen that is also interesting. I continued to get weaker on Thursday and Friday. I continued to work and move furniture to our house as best as I could with the great help of Hyrum. We always wondered why our first seven children were born within eight years and then Hyrum came along almost five years later. But now we can see the wisdom of God and His tender mercies and charity toward his children. There is NO WAY we could have moved into this house, while undergoing chemo, without the great help of Hyrum. God, who knows all things from the beginning, prepared a way for us to accomplish this move by having Hyrum born so much later that the other children.
As I said, I continued to get weaker on Thursday and Friday. Some other side effects of the chemo are congestion and diarrhea or constipation, depending on what drugs one actually gets. My body just doesn't want to expel its waste so it builds for days. This becomes so painful that I have developed a new appreciation for women who bear children. I can't even imagine their birthing pains.
So consequently, I don't necessarily want to eat. Nothing in, nothing out! This is probably not good (no food, no energy) and I grow weaker. I am starting to look like an elephant: big, but with gray sagging skin, no muscle tone, etc. This is a result of losing fifty pounds in about eleven weeks. Our initial, preliminary diagnosis of lymphoma was on January 15, 2010. I have started to do some small amount of exercise (believe me it's a minuscule amount) to help me get in some shape of health. Days when I eat, I look and feel pretty good but suffer major constipation pain. Days when I don't don't eat I don't look or feel so good, but I have no constipation pain. Just one more set of "horns of dilemma" to navigate in this life.
the good news is that the swollen lymph nodes that I could feel in my neck and groin have all but disappeared as hordes of B-cell lymphocytes are being killed and expelled. I will be very interested in seeing what my lymphocyte count will be Thursday, April 8, when I have my next Rituxan treatment.
I was a little concerned that this post may contain "too much information" but, hey, you don't have to read it!
Thank you for all your prayers, concern, love, charity, help, and support, that you have provided me and my family through this period.
It's going to be a wonderful Easter Sunday, where we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Words fail to express the level of gratitude I have for my knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the great Plan of Salvation, the great Plan of Mercy, the great Plan of Love that is so freely given by our Father in Heaven.

More to come . . .