On Friday, August 20th, the hardest year of my life came to a close. It’s difficult to believe that April has been gone for an entire year – a very, very long year. It truly was a blessing that April and I had no idea how close she was to death in her last summer. [...]
I was just looking through correspondence that April and I had in the last year before she passed. Nothing significant; we wrote about groceries, trips to the doctor, trips to see friends, parties that April wanted to have over the summer. It’s so easy to feel like April is just right around the corner, in [...]
A few weeks ago, we had the luxury of spending a long weekend in the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. It was awesome! We know many of you were thinking of us as we went on our merry way, and want you to know how much your gifts mean to us. Just in case [...]
Hello, friends and family – April and I are enjoying a beautiful spring in East Tennessee. This evening, our friend Mark Wells brought over his HUGE all terrain vehicle and a big chain, and we pulled over a bunch of small stumps in mine and April’s back yard. If you think that sounds slightly crazy, [...]
To start off, is it just me, or is “April’s April Update” kind of catchy? And speaking of catching, spring green in East Tennessee just can’t be beat. Even in rain and crazy temperature swings, it’s a wonderful time and place to be alive. I hope you’re all enjoying your own little piece of spring, [...]
Hi All – sorry it’s taken so long to share a new update. We’ve been a bit up in the air regarding April’s treatment and where it’s taking us. Here’s what we’ve learned: 1. Ixempra isn’t working, which means April needs to switch drugs. We know that because – 2. April’s tumor markers and tumor [...]
Cancer and calamities: move over, Rover, because the big (happy) dog’s moving in. Psychology and “self-help” can both be a bit hit or miss. But when psychology/philosophy/self-help does hit, it packs quite a wallop. Case in point – I recently came upon this quote from Sir Thomas Brown, 17th century author and creative thinker: “I [...]
April and I had the good fortune to be invited to watch U.S. Space Shuttle Endeavor launch at night (our guide told us it might be the last-ever night launch of a Space Shuttle) on Friday, Nov 14. April wasn’t feeling well; severe acid reflux and greater susceptibility to germs – both side effects of [...]
The Banality of Doctor’s Visits Today’s visit with Dr. Gharavi was fairly uneventful. That’s good, but it seems strange sometimes, too - kind of surreal. He and April talked about how she’s doing with Doxil. She’s doing OK, but is having some struggles. Dr. Gharavi wrote a couple things down and nodded his head. He [...]
Though I struggle with defining my personal faith and beliefs, I do believe whole-heartedly in the wisdom and strength of the Bible. And, as April and I work through her breast cancer recovery, I find the words of this text that was sent to me by my friend Denise (who is the tireless volunteer webmaster [...]
