Married to my OWN SCRUFFY NERF-HERDER

Harrison Ford (Hans Solo)...has no single hold on being a "Scruffy Nerf-Herder"....I am MARRIED to ONE!

The Living Saga of Garvin Smith - Are you Dying to Read It? Part 14

Debbie said I needed to update my status.
Last Thursday I had round seven of Rituxan and my blood statistics (compared to last week) are as follows:
5/13/10 5/20/10 NORMAL
White Cell Count: 2.0 2.7 3.5 - 10
Red Cell Count: 3.0 3.11 3.8 - 5.8
Hemoglobin: 9.4 9.7 11.0 - 16.5
Hematocrit: 28.2 28.6 35 - 50 (the proportion of blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells)
Platelets: 326 272 150 - 390
Lymphocytes: 0.2 0.2 1.2 - 3.2

Lymphocytes are of three main types: NK cells (not addressed here)T cells (Thymus cells) and B cells (bone cells) and are the major cellular components of the adaptive immune response. T cells are involved in cell-mediated immunity whereas B cells are primarily responsible for humoral immunity (relating to antibodies). The function of T cells and B cells is to recognize specific “non-self” antigens, during a process known as antigen presentation. Once they have identified an invader, the cells generate specific responses that are tailored to maximally eliminate specific pathogens or pathogen infected cells. B cells respond to pathogens by producing large quantities of antibodies which then neutralize foreign objects like bacteria and viruses. In response to pathogens some T cells, called T helper cells, produce cytokines that direct the immune response while other T cells, called cytotoxic T cells, produce toxic granules that induce the death of pathogen infected cells. Following activation, B cells and T cells leave a lasting legacy of the antigens they have encountered, in the form of memory cells. Throughout the lifetime of an animal these memory cells will “remember” each specific pathogen encountered, and are able to mount a strong response if the pathogen is detected again.

Next Tuesday I have my last Rituxan treatment and meet with my oncologist again. Another PET scan will most likely be performed next week and the results will determine my future.

OPTION 1: No evidence of Lymphoma exists and I am through with treatments for this year. I will have to have subsequent Rituxan treatments for the next two years to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
OPTION 2: Evidence of Lymphoma exists and I will continue with the Cytoxin and Fludarabine treatments or move to the more aggressive "CHOP" (Cytoxin, hydroxydaunorubicin (doxorubicin), Oncovin (vincristine), and prednisone) treatment.
OPTION 3: The lymphoma has metastasized to other organs and I am given three months.

Have a nice day!

I will update you after the PET scan results are revealed.

More to come. . .

PS . . .
Some more interesting "Chemo" info:
Cytoxan, also known as cytophosphane, is a nitrogen mustard alkylating agent.
The nitrogen mustards are cytotoxic chemotherapy agents similar to mustard gas. Although their common use is medicinal, in principle these compounds can also be deployed as chemical warfare agents. Nitrogen mustards are nonspecific DNA alkylating agents. Nitrogen mustard gas was stockpiled by several nations during the Second World War, but it was never used in combat. As with all types of mustard gas, nitrogen mustards are powerful and persistent blister agents. The drug mustin was developed after a war accident in 1943 in Bari, Italy where civilians and soldiers were exposed to mustard gas. It was observed that survivors had a decreased number of lymphocytes suggesting a possible therapy to cure lymphomas.

To Have Clothes on...or NOT....

I got quite a chuckle reading Sarah's blog, today... http://serenedesigns.blogspot.com/2010/05/just-so-were-clear.html .  It triggered a few memories...Seems, most of you when you were little...often...simply ran around...half dressed...Nothing like the PURE innocence of little ones...The closest to being that comfortable at our age, now, is staying in PAJAMAS all day!!!

Joshua - 25 July 1980

Caleb and Josh - 1981

Jennifer - 1983

Sarah - 1984

Rebekah - 1986

Abraham - 1989 

(has a lizard on his hand)

Angel - 1989

Angel - 1989

(couldn't decide which picture to put up - so I put up both) 

(smile)

Hyrum - January 1996

(Graduated from Nursery)

A Father Indeed

I posted this LDS story...entitled..."A Father Indeed"...Because, I haven't figured out how to put a You Tube WITHIN a POST...just look above this post to see it...It is from lds.org site...Garvin saw it, today...and was impressed with it...and asked me to watch it...


Wouldn't it be grand...if ALL OF FATHER'S children...would ACT UPON life's TRUEST PRINCIPLE...the ability to LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY...

Joshua and Holly....and their "5" Little Dudes...

I LOVE how Family TRADITIONS...continue onward...SIX WEEKS after we had our FIRST child (Josh)...Garvin and I took our first "Old Fashion" photo at the Yakima County Fair in Washington State...Throughout the years...we tried as often as we could to keep up the tradition...(by-the-way, that is a FAKE mustache) (but, he sure was HANDSOME!!!) (LOVE a man in UNIFORM) (smile)

Josh and Holly just sent this picture of their newest

"Old Fashion" family photo.

I LOVED how Josh commented on this photo:

"if you only knew how long it took to get this one"

For all of us who have raised a YOUNG FAMILY or in the midst of it...we have a very good idea what it took to get this picture - but, OH...are they WORTH the EFFORT! (smile)

YESTER YEAR....1986

A few months ago, Marj, Garvin's step-mother...sent me letters and pictures we had sent them...years ago...I was THRILLED to get them...!!!!  Wasn't easy to keep a JOURNAL in those concentrated years, so rereading events I wrote to Garvin's parents...was so WONDERFUL...I scanned all the letters into my computer, today, and one day...will make sure all you children will receive copies of them...There were drawings and other little things that were with the letters...All those were scanned as well...

It will take me time...but, I am slowly SCANNING all the pictures she sent to me as well...Today, I am posting the pictures that were taken in DECEMBER 1986 while we were living in our Lynndyl, Utah home.  All YOU CHILDREN...were SO CUTE!!!! MEMORIES...such WONDERFUL MEMORIES...

 

 Abraham - 1 week old

 Caleb - 6th Birthday

Caleb - Christmas Morning

Garvin and Jenny

Children's Refrigerator and Stove

Playing house

Joshua and Caleb

"Then, FUTURE MISSIONARIES"

Josh, Caleb, Jenny, Sarah (In front)

Christmas SURPRISE

Built this CLIMBING dome in the basement of our home

Rebekah

Don't you just love her "curly" hair!

Rebekah - Christmas Morning

Rebekah undid our bed...

and climbed in

Sarah testing out the new

"Climbing Dome"

Randomness

Mother's Day - Birthday - Wedding

Life is full of celebrations...Thank goodness for such events...It is what our "memory banks" were made for...to REMEMBER...God, Family, and Country...

This past weekend, we got to celebrate "3" such events...Wish I could post all "100" pictures...but, the hardest part right now...is deciding WHICH PICTURES to show you...(smile)

WEDDING

We wanted to surprise our dear FLORIDA friends - Tom and Lynn Whitcomb, by attending their son,

Todd's, wedding reception in Layton, Utah.  We did NOT tell them we were coming.

We drove 6 1/2 hours to IDAHO FALLS on Friday - to spend the weekend with several of our children.

Our daughter, Sarah, hosted the Mother's Day weekend event.

Next day, drove another "3" hours to Layton UTAH - OH SO WORTH IT!!! 

(I did not get pictures of Debi Woods, Bill and Max Andrus or Bill's new bride)

Garvin and I with Tom and Lynn Whitcomb

Garvin and I with John and Jody Sears

Lynn Whitcomb and her mom, Joyce Christiansen

Me, Jody Sears and Tricia Gomez

Abraham and Rich Carlson

Adam Ebanks and Abraham

Rich, Christy and Annika Carlson with Jared and Angel

Christy is holding "Lillie" 

(our newest granddaughter)

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Jacob HEINER's 3rd Birthday - Sunday - 9th of May

Big Sister - Savannah watching Jacob blow out his "3" candles

Anticipation of opening up his birthday present from his parents

MOTHER'S DAY CELEBRATION

"5" of our "8" children were gathered together for this WONDERFUL DAY!

Angel with her newest child - "Lillie Anna" and her first born - Nathan

Sarah surrounded by her little ones - and hubby - Luke

"5" of our "8" children

Hyrum, Angel, Mama, Rebekah, Abraham, Sarah

All my children "spoiled" me with gifts, a poem, phone calls, hugs, and their LOVE!

PRECIOUS and FUN MOMENTS

Abraham and Sarah

Alayna HEINER

Garvin with "3" of his "4" baby girls

Left to Righ: Angel, Rebekah, and Sarah

You think it is hard getting "little children" to settle down for a picture????

Abe took the cake and began to "smash" it into Sarah's mouth....

and then...Hyrum...what can I say...he is "17"...(smile)

Jared trying to snatch the "goodies" from Sarah 

(got to love Joel sleeping through it all)

Jared getting Nathan ready for Church

Luke getting Alayna ready for church

Savannah HEINER

Joel and Rebekah GREENWAY

"Granny" with her buddy - Joseph HEINER

Abraham and Rebekah "wrestling"

 "Papa" and baby Lillie DAY

"The End"