Great Reunion

Good Morning,

It was a great reunion. About 70 of us showed up at Bass Lake Indiana where Mary Anne's sister Tricia and her husband Bob have a wonderful lake house. They have lots of toys to keep the children (of all ages) entertained. Pontoon boat, Wave runner, Hobiecat, Sunfish sailboat , windsurfer and a speed boat. They put in a tremendous amount of time, work and money to make this a wonderful time. We are blessed that this is a family that gets along great and loves each other. Not too many like that I think! Most arrived on Friday afternoon and departed on Sunday after lunch. Most of the time was spent eating as I recall with occasional bathroom breaks. Family came from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado and Mass.

Yesterday afternoon we drove to Ohio to spend a few days with Michael and Heidi and the kids. We will head back to Illinois on Wednesday, and Thursday I will begin my every-other-week IPT treatments. I continue to feel great and really enjoyed a reunion I didn't think I would be here for a year ago. I thank all my family and friends for the prayers that have sustained me through the last year and in the days ahead. We feel blessed with each day.
Joe

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Hey All,

Yup! It was one year ago today that I heard those "bad" words....."It's Cancer". Sometime before that diagnosis, Mary Anne and I were talking and she asked me if I only had a few months to live would I change how I was living. I answered "No". I was so wrong. I have grown closer to God, closer to Mary Anne, closer to the children, changed my eating habits, lost sixty pounds and done some things that I have wanted to do for years.

Here is a brief summary of what has happened the last year:

• July 26th: Diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma
• August: Biopsies of liver and lung - Started eating Vegan, no more Coke or sugar! Went to Joliet Oncology and was referred to Chicago Northwestern. Diagnosis of Stage four Intrahepatic Bile duct Cancer
• September: Went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for second opinion. Same diagnosis and treatment options (chemo...ad infinitum) Decided not to do Chemo......easy decision, I felt good, why mess that up!
• October: Traveled to Utah and North Carolina
• January: Went to Bonaire
• March: Started feeling some nausea and pain. Came home early to go to Mesa, AZ for alternative treatment. Pet CT shows moderate growth of tumors.
• April: Feeling better. No nausea and the pain is gone.
• May: Continue treatments. Came home for two weeks to rest up. Pet CT shows an active tumor in liver.
• June: Radio Frequency Ablation to destroy tumor in liver. Three weeks later a Pet CT shows tumor is gone and the five tumors in my lungs have shrunk 30% each. We drive back to Plainfield from AZ.

GREAT TO BE HOME AND FEELING G R E A T !

FROM WHERE I SIT, IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE AN ANSWER TO ALL THE PRAYERS FROM ALL OF YOU!!!

THANKS SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!

In August I will take Insulin Potentiation Therapy every other week here near home and hopefully that will allow me to maintain the status quo!

Joe

July 23, 2007

Hey All,

Here is a Bass that I caught a couple of days ago in the little lake right behind the house. It's so great to be able to walk out the door and go fishing!!!

I went to see our regular doctor today....just for a checkup and to bring him up to speed. I had some blood work done about a week ago and had the results sent to him also. Everything was normal including all my liver enzymes. The only thing that was elevated at all was the CA 19-9 which was 54......which it has been for some time. I am still feeling excellent....praise God!

As Mary Anne said, this Friday we are headed to the family reunion....70 some....too many people. On Saturday I will play golf with two of my brothers-in-law. On Sunday, after lunch we will drive to our son Michael's in Hudson, Ohio. Heidi and the kids will leave earlier. Michael is doing a bike race around Bass Lake and so we will wait for him and then head out. On either Monday or Tuesday we will play golf with Michael, Connor (9 yrs), Mary Anne and I. Connor has gotten really interested in golf this summer and we have never played with him so that should be fun.

Thanks to all of you for your support and prayers.

Joe

Sunday July 22, 2007

Hi Friends,
Well another week has passed and things are still terrific. This disease has done so much to help us appreciate each other and all the good times we have had and are having. Joe spends a lot of time just sitting on the deck looking at the little lake and the beautiful flowers that are in full bloom right now. A great way to thank God for all his blessings. We have been dog sitting our daughter Cassie's King Charles spaniel and it has been a delight. Not exactly like having Jake back but it sure fills the void Jake left. Yesterday we also got a little shitsu for 6 days while her master, Debbie Ferguson in out in AZ looking for a new job. Molly the spaniel goes home today.
Friday night we went to the hot rods with our son Kev and his family Tracy and the two boys Jason and Ryan. This is something Joe and I did when we were in college and again when we used to camp with the kids. We would spend Friday night at the race track and pick cars and get points for 1,2, and 3rd. Friday night was a perfect night and we had a great time. Maybe seems like a silly thing for people our age to do but it brings back great memories. Yesterday we played golf together and it was another perfect day in the 70's. We just cherish these good days and are so thankful to God for giving them to us.
Next Friday we head to the BIG family reunion on the Murphy side with 72 of the 76 of us together at my sister Trish's lake house on Bass Lake in Indiana. We are staying at a hotel but the days will be spent at the lake. This Thursday marks one year that Joe was diagnosed with intrahepatic bile duct cancer. Neither of us thought we had this much time and we are trying not to waste it.
Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers and contacts. Linda, it was great to see your comment on the blog. We miss you guys too. Charles, good to see your post. We know you are a good prayer warrior and it was because of you that Joe started going to Bible study so many years ago. Take care and God Bless. Mary Anne

July 15, 2007

Hey All,

Yes! There really is a "Joe". I am so grateful to Mary Anne for writing on the blog with such faithfulness. She takes such great care of me. We have been home a couple of weeks now and it is all I expected that it would be. Great friends, lots of relaxing and a church we love to attend.

I am really feeling well these days. For the last few weeks I have not had a queasy stomach at all. This is the first time since Sept of 05 that I have felt normal again....Praise God! As Mary Anne has told you the latest Pet CT was excellent.....what a gift! The procedure along with the chemo and low red & white blood count really took its toll on me. I had NO energy whatsoever. Mary Anne said that if my friends had seen me then they would have been really frightened. I know I was. I believe that I am all the way back to normal now(or at least as normal as I get). I played golf last week, shot a 90 and was not tired when we were through. I was very interested to see how I was going feel after playing 18 holes but I felt just fine.

I led worship at church service this morning and it felt soooo good. I love being able to worship with our friends and neighbors. As always I am so overcome and struck by the number of people who are praying for me....it is so humbling. My thanks to you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Love ya,

Joe

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Home at last! We arrived home yesterday about 4 in the afternoon and we were so happy to see our house. Ed and Jayne were sitting on our driveway reading their mail just waiting to help us unload the car, and was it ever full. The whole trunk was loaded as well as a bike rack with our two bikes and the whole back seat. They made short work of it and we were so grateful for the help. At least this time Joe could help unload stuff. When Karen and I packed up, all Joe could do was sit there.
Earl and Pat stopped over last night as well as our neighbors and we felt so welcomed. We live on the golf course and today all sorts of people saw Joe outside on the deck and they stopped to say hello. There is nothing better than hugs to lift your spirits.
We are slowly getting everything put away and Cas and Kirk and the kids are coming over tomorrow to share the 4th so it will really feel like we are back when they get here. As soon as I show Joe how to do the blog again he will write for himself and you will be able to tell he is back to his usual cheery self. We can't believe the improvement in just two weeks of no chemo. We think Joe will do no chemo or treatment for a month. We look forward to a summer of relaxing, sharing with friends and family and being back at our home church. As I promised, if I got my voice back after my thyroid surgery, I would try out for the worship team so that will happen in the next few weeks. Although I don't like being in front of people, I love praising the Lord, so that will outweigh being in front of people. Can't wait to see all our church friends next Sunday and my golfing ladies this Thursday. The joy of the Lord surely is our strength. Take care. God Bless. Mary Anne