And they're back

Friday, February 19:  Departure
As the truckers headed west, they encountered high winds in Minnesota.  They saw seven trucks tipped over on I35 from Austin, MN, to Des Moines, IA. After a stop for a fish dinner in Nebraska, John drove as far as North Platt, Nebraska, and they spent the night in the truck parked in a rest area.

Saturday, February 20
Kevin slept REALLY good in the truck, the best he has in months.  He told me we needed to buy a truck so he could sleep that well every night.  That's a pretty expensive bed!  John headed along I80 to I76, then to I70 into Colorado with John's brother's lodge as the destination.  Kevin was impressed by the mountains as they got into Colorado.  Because the road into the lodge is too narrow and winding for a semi, John's brother had to drive into Idaho Springs to pick them up.  Kevin was amazed by the awesome view. Inside, the cabin did not disappoint...beautiful! Jim spoiled them with a delicious multi-course dinner that evening.


Sunday, February 21
The truckers were back on their way early Sunday morning as John's brother had to have them down to the truck and then get back to the lodge to prepare breakfast for his guests.  Due to a rock slide the previous Monday, they had to take a detour.  This proved to be entertaining:  lots of narrow roads, steep snow-covered mountains, and wild life.  They were excited to see elk, long horned sheep, antelope and mule deer. Along the way they listened to the Daytona 500. The truck pulled into Vegas about 9:00 that night.  The accommodations took a bit of a downturn as they stayed at the Gold Strike in Las Vegas.  Rooms were just $25 a night so that should give you some idea. Kevin said it was old but nice and clean.  No big winnings at the quarter slot machines so they had to keep trucking the next day.

Monday, February 22
California here we come.  The highlight of Monday was the truck washing and polishing at Little Sisters Truck Wash in Barstow, CA.  Kevin was impressed by how nice of a job they did and how quickly it was completed.  It was there that they saw a casket on the step deck of the trailer which the driver used as his toolbox.  We're guessing not too many people got nosey and peeked inside. They also got a kick out of seeing a 1985 359 Peterbilt in awesome shape.

They spent the night in the truck at the truck stop in Ontario, CA.  Watching all of these truckers back into parking spots was quite entertaining...who needs TV.  Kev estimated there were 500 trucks in this lot which charged $20 a spot.  Kevin's professional driver backed into his spot with the assistance of his novice spotter with no issues. The two took a self-led walking tour of the lot to check out trucks.

Tuesday, February 23

This morning they got up before the sun (3:30am) to beat the traffic and get into Vernon, CA, just outside of Los Angeles, to unload their load of cranberries. It was big but Kevin didn't get to see a lot.  They just backed in and sat in the truck while the employees unloaded. From there they went down the road to Saputo Cheese to load mozzarella string cheese for Appleton.  Did anyone else note the irony of delivering fruit to California and returning with cheese for Wisconsin? The actual loading at Saputo was quick but they had to wait two hours for the paperwork before they could leave.

One thing John didn't want Kevin to miss was a burrito from the food truck. There turned out to be two burrito trucks in the Saputo cheese lot so they sampled one from each.

Then the blue 579 headed for home. Unfortunately, they hit Vegas at rush hour but made it to Utah to stay in a rest area that night.

Wednesday, February 24
They hit the road again bright and early but stopped at Little America Travel Center, in Wyoming, that afternoon for a shower and lunch. From there they headed along I80 to Nebraska. Once again, they camped out in a rest area for the night.

Thursday, February 25
When they got up the next morning and took off, they had engine problems. Although Kevin had taken his laptop and datalink connector along, it was not working for them.  So they stopped at a Volvo dealer to borrow a datalink connector.  They checked and cleared the fault codes and took off again. Two miles later the check and stop engine light came on again. They stopped at the Peterbilt dealership in Grand Island, Nebraska, but they couldn't get the truck in until Saturday.  That was no good since the load was supposed to be delivered Friday morning.  John borrowed their datalink connector so they could clear fault codes again. On the road again.  Bad news the light was on once more two miles later. John contacted the Kenworth dealership in York, Nebraska. The dealership could get them in that afternoon so they limped on over.

Mechanics confirmed that the truck had a bad unit pump and plugged DPF.  Although they got the pump fixed that night, they couldn't clean the DPF until the next day.  A hotel in York became their home for the night.

Friday, February 26
Because John wasn't going to make his load delivery on time, he called Tim Jacobs, who was picking up a broke down truck in Utah.  They thought maybe they could switch loads.  However, that bright idea didn't pan out.  Instead, John suggested Kevin return home with Tim so Kevin didn't miss the weekend time with the kids.

At 6:30 am Tim was outside the hotel room waiting to pick up his passenger.  They headed straight home and arrived around 5:00 pm. Pretty uneventful.  John managed to get back on the road around 4:30 pm and drove through the night.  He wished he would have had his co-pilot with him to keep him awake.

Overall, Kevin had a great time and felt well throughout the trip.  To him, the highlight was viewing the variety of scenery along the way.  To quote Kevin, "There are lots of neat things to see in this country."

		We are lucky to have such a tremendous friend in John Schaitel. Thank you for taking the time to do this for Kevin. He sincerely appreciates it and truly enjoyed his journey.
		For the Lord is the great God,  the great King above all gods.  In his hand are the depths of the earth,  and the mountain peaks belong to him. Psalm 95: 3-4

And they're off

Roll on eighteen wheeler...the road trip has begun.

John Schaitel, with Kevin as his sidekick, pulled out about 10:30 this morning. Even though Kevin took his own car out to John's, I was the geek who followed behind in my car so I could take pictures before they left.  John was most likely rolling his eyes since he does this every day, but he did quickly comb his hair before the photo shoot so he could look pretty.

I even crawled up inside to check out their home for the next week. Not sure if they are going to rock-paper-scissors for who gets the top bunk.  Of course, I really wanted to sneak back there and organize Kevin's stuff that had been pushed onto the bunk, but I didn't want to overstay my welcome.

Not gonna lie...I was pretty cranky this morning.  It seems to be my coping mechanism whenever Kevin leaves for a trip without me.  But of course those emotions get all turned around and then I'm shedding a few tears as they drive off down the road. We haven't spent much time apart since December 6. I'm pretty sure Kevin will enjoy the change in company.

About 2:30 Kevin sent me a text, "Wind must have been bad earlier. We've seen 7 semi rollovers so far." Great!  That's what every wife wants to hear!   At 5:30 pm the duo has made it to Nebraska and  are dealing with traffic. On the plus side, it is 67 degrees!

They are hauling a load of Kevin's favorite--cranberries--out to Vernon, California, for a Tuesday delivery.  Just kidding on the cranberries--I'm the only one who eats cranberries in our family so John won't have to worry about Kevin sneaking a few from the load. According to Wikipedia, Vernon is five miles south of downtown Los Angeles and had a population of 112 at the 2010 census.  The plan is to head to Silver Lake Lodge in Idaho Springs, Colorado, to visit John's brother who owns the lodge. It looks gorgeous and I'm a bit jealous. Then John claims they're going to get rich with a quick stop in Vegas. I won't hold my breath.

As for me, I'm scheduled for Apple computer training all week.  I am thankful John was able to schedule this trip with Kevin so I didn't have to cancel my training.

We are so thankful that

• Kevin is being given this opportunity to take this trip and cross it off his bucket list.  
• Kevin is feeling well enough to make the trip.
• John has been so gracious to allow Kevin to be his co-pilot this week.  I think they are going to have a pretty good time and share a lot of laughs.  

If you are that person who reaches out to others and offers them opportunities to experience new things. Thank you. You are helping make memories.

And then there were none

Life is good! Kevin has successfully completed his radiation treatments and takes his last chemo pill tonight.  We cannot believe how well Kevin has done through all of this.  Thanks for all of your prayers.  We believe God has been giving His support to Kevin through all of this thanks to your requests.

We've been doing a bit of celebrating to mark the occasion.

To start with, we marked the white flag lap with dinner out last night with DW and Joanie.  For those non-race fans, the white flag marks one lap to go...not a surrender.  Kevin has been quite the fighter in this battle and he's not giving up now.  DW drove so it was nice to be able to just sit back and let someone else be in charge. I wanted this post to be all happy, but I have tears in my eyes as I write when I think about what terrific friends we have.

Today was lab day.  We tried to press the doctor a little for more information on the next steps with chemo after this break, but didn't learn a whole lot.  Kevin goes back on March 18 for his MRI and additional lab work.  At that time they will make decisions on dosage and timing.  For now we believe it will be a 28 day cycle--5 days of chemo pills and 23 days of recovery.

Dr. Kwong did not have any qualms either about Kevin riding around in a semi for a week.  He did encourage Kevin to keep his legs moving to prevent blood clots.  Beyond that, just the usual, stay hydrated.

Alicia, the nurse who gives Kevin his radiation treatments, came out with a bounce in her step tonight. "Last one!" Generally, Kevin takes his phone off his hip and hands it to me before he goes into treatment.  Tonight, he took his phone off but didn't hand it over.  "Just a minute," he says. "I want to show her a picture."

I knew what was coming and could have crawled under the puzzle table. "Don't do that here," I pleaded.  "Take your phone with you."  They walked off, but I heard Alicia say, "He's handsome." Yes, Kevin was making one last ditch, desperate effort to set Alicia up with Keaton.  Really, what is she going to say? When someone shows you a picture of the homeliest little child, you have to say, "How cute!" I don't mean to imply that Keaton is homely, but what could the poor girl possibly say? I really don't want to know what thoughts were running through Alicia's head.

Kev said, "It couldn't have been that bad. They took their picture with me." Yep, Kevin took a selfie with Justine and Alicia. He also earned a certificate signed by his doctor and all of the nurses. AND, to top it all off, he even got to take his lovely mask home.  What does one do with a mesh mask?  I cannot imagine they would ever re-use it if he had radiation again. Kev suggested a strainer...I don't think so.

We topped the evening off with a fabulous dinner at the Freight House with Kevin's parents.  Steaks all around. Dave and Polly knew the cook working tonight so we were given the extra special treatment beyond what we ordered--extra large servings of prime rib, a serving of shrimp, a bowl of mushrooms, and, just when we thought we might burst, a chocolate dessert to share. To quote Kailey, "We had to open up the dessert compartment because the dessert compartment never gets full."

When I think back, I realize how much time I spent mentally working through the "what ifs" to be prepared for how Kevin might feel during these treatments. Should I try to get him to go home at lunch and take a nap? Should we get some sort of bed in one of the extra offices so he can lay down when he needs to? All for naught.  Hallelujah!

Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 

Psalm 95: 2-3

Short timer

Dr. Conway called Kevin a short timer today.  Now I'm not quite sure that's a good way to describe someone with cancer, but we know what he meant...only TWO radiation treatments left!!  Have to
admit, we're feeling a little spring in our step.

Kevin is describing this as bittersweet.  He's going to miss the nurses.  I'm going to miss my puzzle time. Neither of us is going to miss the daily trip to LaCrosse. It feels like the time went so fast which is scary.  When your time is limited, you don't want it to fly by.

"Amazing" is how Dr. Conway described Kevin's progress tonight.  Once again, he's decided to lower Kevin's steroids.  Starting tomorrow he's dropping to only 1 mg a day.  If the headaches, nausea and lethargy stay away, he can remain at that low dosage.

For those who don't know yet, Kevin has plans to head out on Friday in a semi to California with his friend John Schaitel. It's something he has wanted to do for several years and we are thankful that John is willing to make this happen.  We don't have a ton of details yet since John is still waiting on a load to make the final plans.

Dr. Conway gave Kevin the green light with just the typical advice: get your rest, stay hydrated, and eat healthy foods. Make sure your buddy knows your whole health history. You won't have any problems but take my number just in case. Call your wife and have fun.

Instead of "see you next week", it was "see you next MONTH."

I'm feeling a little like the Mom sending her kid off to summer camp.  Will we remember to pack the right things? Will he really follow the doctor's orders? Will he have fun?  I'm pretty sure the last one is a "Yes", not sure about the other two.  Whatever the case, he'll be creating memories.

Tonight we are thankful for

• our doctor's praise on Kevin's progress
• the radiation treatments nearing an end
• family and friends who continue to send positive thoughts and prayers 
• friends, like John, who help make memories

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 17:20

With Us

Warning:  This blog post is going to be different.  Hopefully it won't offend, but is meant to be direct to make a point. Also, this is not just spoiled, bossy Kathy's opinion.  Kevin and I are in agreement, I am just putting it in writing.


When someone we care about is sick, the helpers want to help and the fixers want to fix.  They want to do something. How incredibly wonderful.  Imagine if our whole world was full of these people. Unfortunately, "fixing" Kevin is out of our hands.  Believe me, we've been married for 27 years and I've tried  :)  (Just kidding)

There is a rumor going around that people who know and care about Kevin are organizing a benefit. Not to sound ungrateful, but PLEASE don't. We don't need it and we don't want it.  Let me try and explain.  I hope those of you involved in the planning read this, and re-read this, putting yourselves in our shoes. We don't honestly know who is specifically involved so I cannot address them directly.

To begin with, we don't need or want your money.  We are blessed to have good insurance covering the majority of our bills.  We are thankful to both be working and bringing in regular paychecks.

Also, imagine how uncomfortable it would be to receive money from people who have less than you do. You know that will happen because people are so incredibly generous, even when they have so little themselves.  Please don't put us in that position.

The little town of Bangor we call home is amazingly giving.  People look out for each other.  That is evident in two upcoming benefits:  Scott Nachtigal (March 19, Log Cabin) and James Reed (April 30, Log Cabin). Adding another benefit would only tap into limited resources.  These two families could really use some help and we would hate to detract from their events in any way. So let's focus on the people who really need our financial help.

Instead of your money, give us your time.  Instead of doing things for us, do things with us.

I've heard names brought up in this proposed event of people I've never even met.  Don't wait until the reception line of Kevin's visitation to introduce yourself and tell me how great of a guy Kevin was.  Do it now.  Let me meet you and hear you share memories and laughs with Kevin.  Let our kids know what their Dad means to others before he is gone.  Money can't do that for us.


So, if you are a helper or fixer who needs to do something or needs to show you care, think about filling Kevin's dance card.  Poor analogy...Kevin doesn't dance.  Fill up his calendar with opportunities to see you.  We know, better than most, how precious time can be.  So if you are willing to give up your time for Kevin, who could ask for more? And if you feel the need to buy us a drink while we are together, we won't argue.

Although we appreciate the thought, we are asking, pleading, please don't host this benefit.

Looking Good

Our conversation tonight as we are getting supper on the table:

Me:  So you're telling me you think you are good looking.

Kevin:  Well, yeah.  Three different people told me I was looking good today.

Yes. Yes he is. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Going to the Minneapolis motorcycle show this past weekend had been on Kevin's list of things to do for weeks. In my thinking ahead and trying to prepare, I wondered if he would feel well enough, would need a hotel room to rest in the afternoon or even need a wheelchair. The show involves a ton of standing and walking. How cool that Kevin made it all day just fine...not even a nap on the way there or back. Kevin continues to amaze me with his strength and he is indeed looking good.

We are so thankful that my brother took the time to drive us there and back so we (mostly I) could avoid that major stressor.  Plus we were able to spend quality time with him during the drive. We are also thankful that we were able to spend time with both kids and meet more of Keaton's friends.

Side note...in my last post, I focused on reaching out. Keaton's friends are another example of that. Shortly after we learned the devastating news, a card arrived in the mail signed by some of Keaton's friends from work. How cool is it that these young guys from the online generation took the time to buy a card, each write a message, get our address, find a stamp and mail us this card?? When our kids cannot be at home with us, it is so nice to know others are reaching out to them as well.

Kevin's numbers were also looking good today!  Normally he doesn't have these tests until Wednesday but Dr. Kwong had a change of schedule this week so it became a four appointment day.

	This Week	Feb 3	Jan 27	Jan 20	Jan 14	Normal
White blood cells	5.31	4.99	4.84	5.97	7.2	above 1.5
Hemoglobin	15.2	15.4	15.3	15.9	16	13.6 to 16.7
Platelets	179,000	162,000	121,000	134,000	143,000	above 100,000

With 7 radiation treatments left, we were feeling a little brave and asking questions about the future. What's next?  Once treatments are done, there will be a recovery period of a few weeks. Then Kevin will be on a 28 day chemo cycle:  5 days of taking pills and 23 days off. We will see Dr. Kwong once a month to discuss lab tests.  We will see Dr. Conway every two months for an MRI and to discuss the results.  Thanks to our questioning, Dr. Conway decided to put in the order for an MRI so we could schedule it on March 18 (test and results on the same day). We are praying that MRI will be looking good too.

We know that down the road, things are bound to get worse.  But for now, we are so incredibly grateful that Kevin is handling these treatments so well.  In some ways I feel guilty for writing about how well Kevin is doing since others fighting this cancer monster are so devastatingly sick. Please know that we are thankful, not boastful.

Here's to the day and week ahead of you. May it be looking good too.

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.  Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.

James 5:13

Reaching Out

We've all seen the melodrama on TV where someone hears tragic news and then wails, "Why me?" (Speaking of melodrama, here's a little secret about Kevin you probably don't know.  He watches The Bold and the Beautiful every day at lunch. Really, I'm not lying.  And he's not the only one sitting at that lunch table every day...) Clearly, Kevin has not taken any lessons from the soap opera. Not once in the nearly two months since this journey began have I heard Kevin ask, "Why me?"  I wondered if he had just thought the words...so I had to ask. "No."  In Kevin's words, "It is what it is. There's nothing I can change."

In my own self-reflection, I don't believe I've thought, "Why us?"  However, in all honesty, I have thought, "Why not me?" more times than I can count.  I've always said to Kevin, "I get to go first." Even though Kevin never really responded to my statement (just kind of ignored it), in my mind, we had a deal.

As I think about that two month mark approaching, it scares me.  Time is moving by too quickly.  Yet each day we are boosted by people reaching out.

On our way home from treatment #21 today, the phone rings.  A guy Kevin has known for years was just calling to see how he was doing.  They probably only see each other once a year or talk on the phone a few more times than that.  But now, this friend is reaching out to say hi every few weeks.

In the mail today, we opened our third card from a family we don't know real well and who has endured their own unthinkable tragedy.  Yet, they continue to reach out to let us know they are thinking about us and offering their prayers.

We could go on and on with examples of how people continually reach out to us in so many ways...hugs, kind words, texts, Facebook, phone calls, cards, gifts, visits. Each day we are ever so grateful yet we both have this feeling of being unworthy. There are so many people who are fighting much bigger, more painful battles. I hope that each one of those people has someone reaching out to them like we do.

To those of you who continue to reach out, thank you.  It is something I've always struggled to do.  In my head I think, "I should call them" and then I chicken out.  My thoughts seldom become actions. I admire those of you who put your thoughts into actions and make a difference.

So today/this week, we are thankful

• for Kevin's continued good numbers 

	This Week	Jan 27	Jan 20	Jan 14	Normal
White blood cells	4.99	4.84	5.97	7.2	above 1.5
Hemoglobin	15.4	15.3	15.9	16	13.6 to 16.7
Platelets	162,000*	121,000	134,000	143,000	above 100,000

*I asked, but didn't get a decent explanation as to why this went up so much. I'm not complaining!

• for the hospital allowing us to come in early on Tuesday for treatments so we could avoid the snowy roads


• for those who helped with the snow blowing and shoveling so Kevin could rest


• for those of you who take the time and effort to reach out

Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others

Philippians 2:4

And do not forget to do good and to share with others,
for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Hebrews 13:16

It's a Beautiful Day

Bright sunshine and warm temperatures...a beautiful day.  It seemed to mimic how things are going for us right now.

I cannot say it (and write it) enough, we are so lucky!  Kevin has completed 18 of 30 treatments (that's 3/5 of the way there for you math geeks who like to simplify) and he's still feeling quite well. So good that we've packed the last few days with fun.  Everything from Happy Hour at the Starlite on Thursday with my co-workers, an exciting basketball game Friday night, lunch with cousins on Saturday and partying at the Booster Club fundraiser on Saturday night.  Kevin didn't even have time for a nap on Saturday (but I snuck in 10 minutes).


We both agree that the highlight of our weekend was seeing Kevin's cousins from Iowa.  We are so happy they made the trip.  Our bellies just ached from laughter.  One of the cousins spoke to me about how nervous she was about seeing Kevin.  She didn't know what it would be like to talk to him, what she'd say. It can be uncomfortable to talk to "sick" people.  We hadn't seen her in many, many years. Would it be awkward to show up now that Kevin had cancer when we never saw each other when he was well?  Wow, it was like she was pulling out all of those thoughts from my head.  That's EXACTLY how I feel with others who are sick or have lost a loved one.  It's amazing how some people just move forward in these situations, when all I want to do is back away. We are so happy she was brave, followed her sister's lead, and made the trip.  If you have to back away, I get it. That would be me.

Lucky for us, Kevin doesn't look sick or feel sick.  Except for that lovely scar on his head, you wouldn't even know.  By the way, a friend of ours gave Kevin a great line. Customers will come up to Kevin at work, see his scar, and say, "What happened to you?!?"  Kevin replies, "A double sided axe."  Like I always say, you can't believe half of what comes out of Kevin's mouth. He'll try to pull one over on you.

A slight disappointment for me today at treatments.  One of those tough puzzles we had been working on for a while was near completion on Friday. When I came in today, someone must have finished it and it was gone already.  I never got to see the final puzzle.  And the current puzzle was being consumed by another visitor...chair pushed up tight, both elbows on the table, leaned way over. No room for another to squeeze in a piece or two.  I consoled myself with a package of saltines and a cup of hot chocolate. Clearly, you can tell I have it pretty rough.

We were excited to see that Alicia was back on Kevin's radiation rotation.  She had been in another room last week.  We were thinking she had asked to be transferred after Kevin tried to see if she was single and possibly interested in dating our son.  He wanted to know "if she was looking for a nice father-in-law." Luckily she just laughed and told her co-worker, "He's trying to set me up."  These great people just brighten our day.

Today was our weekly checkup with Dr. Conway, the radiation doctor.  Every time Kevin meets with a doctor, they ask, "How are you doing?" Kevin responds, "Good. It feels like I'm getting better every day."  Usually, I can't help but roll my eyes.  Seriously? Have you forgotten that you are tired and weak and and and??? Today was another story. When Kevin responded, "It feels like I'm getting better every day," I believed him.  He feels like his left arm is getting stronger.  Tonight he didn't struggle nearly as much with the oil plug when changing the oil on the car as he did a month ago on Kailey's car. I think his hand is reacting better too.  He doesn't seem to "hang on" to things as much after he thinks he put them down.

Based on Kevin's positive self-report, Dr. Conway agreed to reduce the steroid dosage yet again (1 mg in the morning and another in the afternoon).  This was done with the caveat that Kevin should go back to his current dosage if he feels any numbness or weakness on his left side, headaches, nausea, or increased lethargy.

Kevin really needs some lessons on these selfies.  Anyone want to volunteer?  I suggested he smile and this is what we get.  It reminds me of that Big Bang Theory episode where they ask Sheldon to smile (see below). Kev says he can't smile and operate the camera at the same time. I guess he'll just need to keep practicing.


We continue to appreciate your thoughts, well-wishes, cards, and prayers.  Most of all, we continue to thank God for each day.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving 

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalm 100:4