Walking with Big EZ

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Thankful Thursdays: Surviving My First Year with Multiple Myeloma

One year ago, Tuesday, January 5th, 2010, my orthopedic physician said those dreaded words "Your MRI shows a soft tissue mass on your sacrum. We need to schedule a biopsy to see exactly what it is." Words like lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma were thrown around and we were in a state of shock. So began my journey with cancer. The past year has been a blur of doctors appointments, radiation and chemo treatments, a lengthy hospital stay, a stem cell transplant and physical therapy. Along with that came an education in cancer terminology, pain, and in life: Multiple Myeloma, blood cancers, plasmacytomas, bone marrow biopsies, Hickman catheters, ports, intrathecal pumps, M-spike protein, infusion therapy, Velcade, Thalidomide, Dexamethasone, Oxycontonin, Lyrica, Valtrex, humility, sacrifice, caregiver dedication, and unconditional, complete love from my family and friends.

It has been a tough year, but a good year, and as I look back I am very thankful for:

my loving wife/caregiver who puts my needs above hers each and every day
a loving family who sacrificed time, energy, and resources to assist us
my wonderful parents and a beautiful mother in law who treats me as her own
the many many special folks that prayed constantly for us this year. Many of those I did not know, but learned of my situation through bible studies and church prayer groups
friends who stood by our side and orchestrated a fantastic fundraiser: Standing in the Gap, raising funds to cover medical expenses for several years
a loving and supportive Stony Hill Baptist Church family
Dr. Kritz, Jessica, and the caring staff at Cancer Centers of North Carolina
Dr. Gasparetto, Amanda, and the wonderful staff at the Duke Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic
the advancement of new treatments for MM, through organizations such as MMRF (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation) and IMF (International Myeloma Foundation). Some of my chemotherapy drugs were only FDA approved in 2008
blogs like Multiple Myeloma for Dummies that allow us to connect and share with others battling MM
Dr. Suh, my orthopedist, who detected the tumor early enough so bone damage from MM was limited to my sacrum and a handful of lesions that otherwise did not cause fracture or completely limit mobility
my ability to stand and walk (a little more damage to the sacrum and I would probably be immobile)
a fast, positive decision on disability and an early retirement package that allowed us to stay in our home
minimal adverse reactions to the chemo, radiation and SCT
a new second birthday, August 25, 2010 (day of transplant)
hair that has come back softer, thicker and with less gray (However, I would not recommend MM as a hair treatment procedure, there are other means!)
forced early retirement that has given me precious time with my wife, family and friends

But most of all I am thankful for the saving Grace of my Lord Jesus Christ, who made miracle after miracle happen this past year. He was faithful in so many ways, walking with us, answering so many prayers, and providing His perfect timing with doctors, clinics, treatments, and financial assistance. I was constantly encouraged and at peace in a way that can only be made possible by Him. Casting Crowns says it best in "Praise You in This Storm"...take a minute and be blessed by this video.

Faith, Family and Friends. Without them I would not be able to handle the MM. I am extremely thankful.


I have much to be thankful for!!!

My family

Wonderful friends

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Nick Is Safely in Peru!

Well, our "baby boy" has landed safely in Peru and is settling in with his host family. He got distracted by in-flight movies and basically stayed awake for 26 hours, so we are betting he crashed pretty hard on Sunday. He has already met alot of nice pre-med volunteers that arrived when he did and told us they will only be staying 2-4 weeks. So...looks like he will be the long timer in the bunch! Here are a few pics of him packing and saying goodbye at RDU. We sure do miss him already, but are so thankful he has this amazing opportunity to volunteer his time, hopefully helping others out, and learning about life in another country and culture.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

EZ's Birthday Bash

Being a New Year's Eve baby, I suppose everyone celebrates Ernie's birthday in one way or another! Our day began with birthday calls and songs from the kids and Mom Stout...a tradition in our family and a wonderful way to start the day.

Then we had a much appreciated visit from some friends we've known for 30+ years, Trent and Nancy Landenberger. We attended the same church in Florida, Trent was our dentist, and our families spent lots of time together before and after having children. They too are North Carolinians now and live in Apex. Trent has been to Peru a couple of times on dental mission trips, has hiked Macchu Picchu, and could share some valuable insight about Peru and dentistry with Nick. They hope to meet up in February when Trent will be in Lima as part of a cruise around South America. Nancy, also a cancer survivor (8 years!), made some delicious soup and we all shared a warm meal and enjoyed catching up. We have so many fond memories of times spent together in Florida, anchored in Biscayne Bay, traveling to Key West, diving for lobster, watching the boat parade, or just having dinner or lunch together. Mom Stout, Ernie's sister Sherry, and brother-in-law Bobby also enjoyed catching up on our days in Boca Raton, Florida.

Nancy, Sherry and Mom Stout

Bobby and Trent

Sitting down for a warm bowl of homemade soup and fresh bread.

Wonderful friends!

Next we got ready for a pizza party with Ern's folks and brother Marvin's family. It takes ALOT of pizza to feed 18 hungry people! Many thanks to Bobby and Sherry for treating us.

Pizza Hut to the rescue!

Yum!

Big prayer circle!

The Sams aren't quite in to pizza yet, so they got some strange colored baby food!

I made Pioneer Woman's Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. for dessert and it did not disappoint...rich and chocolatey for sure! The Nats got to help Grandpa blow out his candles (only had 6, so guess we are representing his 6th decade of life).

Of course football was a main attraction on TV, and we were pleased that UNC, FSU and UCF all fared well in their bowl games!

Samantha got some extra cuddles from Grandpa, and Natalie enjoyed a blue lollipop with Mommy as we relaxed together before opening presents.

A special present was then given to Grandpa by the Dews. It is a blanket he can throw over himself when napping, and it has pictures of the whole family on it. What a constant reminder of how he is covered in love!

It was time to say goodnight and goodbye to Ernie's folks, Sherry and Bobby, as they were heading to Black Mountain the next morning. Thanks to everyone for helping us celebrate a very special birthday for Ernie. Happy New Year!

PopPop, EZ and Grammy

Original Baker 5: Marvin, Ern, Sherry, Mom and Dad

Monday, January 3, 2011

Christmas Day Memories

Linda and I hope that you had a joyful Christmas! Our day was actually very relaxing and unhurried, spent surrounded by family, enjoying the fellowship of four generations. Our whole immediate family was here as Leah and Kyle drove up from Georgia, Nick hadn't left for Peru yet, Grandma Stout now lives with us, and Grammy and Pop-Pop (my folks) were driven over from Black Mountain in the snow, just in time for Christmas dinner! My sciatic leg pain was limiting my movement, so Tara, Jamie, the two sets of twins (Team 1 almost 4 years and Team 2 already 10 months) and the rest of the family all rendezvoused at our home to celebrate. Nathan and Natalie helped distribute the gifts (along with Uncle Nick), and just loved being Santa's little helpers. As night began to fall, the snow started coming down and we had the white Christmas we always dream about! Here are some pictures from the day we spent together, counting our blessings and celebrating Jesus's Birthday!