January update

Not too much to say but Craig did have blood work this month and it looked pretty good. It actually looked better than last month. In November we decided to lower the dose of Sutent to 25 mg vs. the 37.5 mg full dose because he had a lot of edema (excess fluid) along with his blood not looking as good in the Nov. and Dec. blood work. Now it's improving slightly. His liver function is still normal and we're very thankful for that. His main complaint now is heartburn. Some days it's really bad. He's taking everything he can for it but it's going to be trial and error to figure out what foods are bothering him the most. He did have an endoscopy in Dec. and that showed reflux and an allergic condition in his esophagus that probably contributes to the heartburn. He has 4 different acid reducers he takes depending on what one works the best. One works better one day and another one another day. He's figuring it out little by little. Still, the mild diet of cheese, bread, potatoes, ice cream are feeling the best! The funny thing is we went to Orlando for a meeting last week and Craig loves Dunkin' Donuts which are prevalent on the east coast. He ate 6 Boston creams and drank diet cherry Pepsi every day and felt better there than he has at home for months. So forget the healthy diet...it's all about junk food!

We'll Miss You Steve

Sept. 21, 2009

This morning, a wonderful man, friend, father, husband, son, brother, uncle, grandpa and cousin, Steve McDermott, passed away. Steve is our cousin through marriage to my cousin Becky Davis McDermott and is also Craig's little sister Lisa's brother-in-law. Steve was diagnosed 5 years ago with chondrosarcoma which is basically a tumor on his spine. He has been through 14+ surgeries to remove the tumor, radiation and a myriad of other procedures. We love his family so much and will miss Steve and his great sense of humor and zest for life. We love Becky, Melissa, James, Rosie, Thomas and Bree and especially little Deacon and Londyn who have blessed everyone's lives this past year. Steve is a one of a kind guy who has left an imprint on all of our hearts.

Merry Christmas!

This will serve as our Christmas card this year.

All of us on Christmas morning.

Wishing you and yours a very merry one.

Love the Doutré family.

November update

Well...it's been awhile and "no news is good news" until last week...
We are putting in a new driveway and Craig being the handy do-it-yourselfer that he is, figured out how to run the tubing underneath the cement to heat the hill of our driveway. After the concrete company came in and demolished the old driveway and prepared everything for the new driveway, Craig and Chase put down the reflective insulation and wire framework to attach the tubing to run the natural gas heater water through to create heat and melt the snow and ice. Last Tuesday, as they were bending rebar to hold down the tubing, Craig had his finger in the rebar cutting/bending machine when Chase pressed the handle down. The glove on his hand got caught in the machine and Craig pulled out his hand minus the tip of his third finger on his left hand which stayed in the glove! The glove wasn't even cut, his finger tip and entire nail were literally pulled off!

Sorry, it is rather gruesome. Chase rushed Craig to the ER and a plastic surgeon stitched his finger back together by shortening his finger slightly so he could close the remaining skin around the tip. He's done great the last 6 days and his pain level has been low from what we thought it might be. He was back on the driveway the next day finishing the job (with the help of his brothers and friend Jason, and Chase) with his left hand tied to his chest to keep it above his heart. Friday the concrete was laid and Saturday morning they covered it with blankets and by Sat. night it snowed! Lucky us!
The other obstacle to no postings on the blog the last 6 weeks has been having my right arm in a sling from shoulder surgery. This is the first week I've been able to use 2 hands on the keyboard! Not the most fun I've had...but I am healing and with physical therapy for a few more months I hope to get back to 100%. I also had a little squamous cell carcinoma removed from my face after years of not faithfully using sunscreen. I am duly admonished and have looked like an accident victim for weeks to rub it in! Maddie and I did get in a fun trip to San Francisco before all this and thanks to Nick and Kim for the great accomodations! Maddie got this great raccoon hat there...

Craig is still on the oral chemo, Sutent, and tolerating it rather well. Another Thanksgiving coming up and we're totally thankful to Pfizer for Sutent. If he was still having the chemo embolization to fight this cancer, Craig would not be here or barely holding on. This drug has made living with cancer a bearable endeavor.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! We all have a lot to be thankful for, I promise!

Chase is 20!!

It doesn't seem that long ago that I posted that Chase was 19. Now he's 20 and we couldn't be prouder. We celebrated once again at Cheesecake Factory with the family, Mason, Natalie and Hannah. Stuart's on his mission in St. Louis and we missed having him as part of the family but Natalie and Hannah were a nice addition. Happy 20th to my little boy!

Gratitude

Our feelings right now are of gratitude for what we have and how many blessings have been bestowed upon us right now and during our whole lives. I heard a talk today that reminded me to have "an attitude of gratitude". We can't just feel the gratitude but need to express the thankfulness we have in our hearts. So I want all of you to know how thankful I am for the continued love and support we are shown as we go through this journey. "To live with gratitude in our hearts is to touch heaven." We have experienced highs and lows over the last year and a half. But honestly, I really didn't think we'd be at such a good place right now. Last year at this time, it was bleak and Craig was at a low point I wondered if he'd ever recover from. He has recovered and he is strong and thriving! I do have faith that yours and our prayers have been answered and more time has been given to this man. We've gone along lately almost taking for granted how well Craig is doing but today I am reminded to show our gratitude to all those who have helped this day come. We are not worrying about the weight that is falling off and the energy level and appetite that is dwindling. We are so grateful for the 2 pull-ups Craig can now do and the 10 laps he swam in the pool in St. George last weekend. We are thankful for a Dr. that saw Craig on Thursday and could not believe his reduced liver size and good color in his handsome face. We are thankful for tumor markers that have dropped from 296,000 to 27,000. We are thankful for kids that are doing well in school and conducting themselves in a mature and positive manner. Kids who give their Dad a hug and ask him how he's doing on a daily basis. We are thankful for Scout, our dog, who gives Craig so much joy as he chases balls and enjoys his rub him down after a shower outside. We are thankful to be planning an upcoming vacation with the family. We are thankful for the peace that comes in knowing that if tomorrow never comes, we have everything we could ever need or want. We are thankful for our family and extended family which includes everyone who reads this blog, who waves when they drive by or helps anyone in need. Please take time to reflect on all you have. We are all so blessed.

Craig the Sutent King

Well, it's been 4 weeks this Wednesday that Craig's been on a full dose of Sutent. We went to Dr. Jones a week ago last Friday and his blood work was good, liver function good, nothing to be worried about so far. He had lost a little weight but he attributes that more to summer than anything. He told Dr. Jones that a few days before the appointment he thought he'd tell her he wants to drop down to 2/3 dose but now he was feeling pretty good and felt like he could tolerate the full dose. She said it's best to stay on it to do all we can do to fight the tumors. He'll have a scan in late Oct. to see what's going on inside but unless he feels differently, he'll be able to stay on the full dose for the near future. Dr. Jones thought he looked great and was tolerating the treatment very well. There are just two other patients she has on Sutent and it sounds like Craig is doing the best. We feel really lucky and hope it's actually doing something to the tumors. Craig actually feels at times that he forgets he has cancer. This treatment is bringing quality of life that he never had with the chemo embolization. Last year at this time he was looking much worse and we are so very thankful to have this time. Thanks for everyone thoughts and prayers.