HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Happy Holidays and all the best from our home to yours. Many thanks for your ongoing support - here's to a wonderful 2010! More later...

Love, Patty & Dallas

YEAH!!!

We're so relieved that Dallas was approved for herceptin treatment so the stress of waiting for cancer agency approval is gone! It was like a very heavy weight was lifted off our shoulders when we received the news. The deal is that as long as Dallas continues to feel well on herceptin he'll receive the drug. Finally!!!

The Big Guy continues to amaze me. This week was a tough one for him (a double whammy with his last chemo treatment as well as his regular bone strengthening infusion) so of course he felt compelled to powerwash the moss off the driveway. Our driveway is exposed aggregate so the moss loves to cling to it - one of the few west coast disadvantages. He's also been refinishing a vintage dresser that we purchased and managed to go fishing one day this week. Today he's finally crashing.

Thanks so much for your blog comments, emails and calls. Your support continues to inspire and strengthen us. More later...

Love,
Patty & the Big Guy

HI FROM THE WET AND WINDY COAST!!!

Hi everyone! We've recently enjoyed visits from Sharon and Ed Wiens as well as a weekend with Brian Schaal. It was great to catch up with them but unfortunate that the weather didn't cooperate. Dallas has been itching to get out on the Cinnamon Girl before the halibut season closes but it's just been too miserable. Oh well - no shovelling required yet - just good rain gear!

Yesterday Dallas had a MUGA scan which is a test that measures the strength of his heart (one of the prerequisites for his next phase of treatment with herceptin). Once again he's glowing from the nuclear tracer that they inject him with so we'll be sure to stay away from airport security for awhile. We have our fingers crossed that he's passed the scan with flying colours and will be approved for hercepting treatment by the cancer agency board - always a nerve wracking time for us. Dallas's next round of chemo is on Wednesday so we'll try to keep busy with projects around the house until then.

Thanks as always for your support! More later...

Love, Patty & the Big Guy

DOWN TIME

Thanks again for helping us through a tough week! As usual we got by with a LOT of help from our friends and family - special thanks to Bev for being chauffeur, personal shopper and chicken soup chef!

Tuesday was my surgery day and I woke up through my drugged haze to see Dallas's face smiling at me! He was joined by Peggy and then Steve. Marcus and Heather filled in the dinner hour so the first day went by incredibly fast. The next day I was home by noon (yeah! early dismissal for good behaviour!) warming up the sofa.

Dallas has had a challenging week. Not only did he stubbornly drive himself back and forth to chemotherapy but he also received both flu shots. It was especially hard for me because I've been there for every treatment, poke and prod he's had so far. Sitting on the sidelines this time was so difficult!! Thankfully, by late afternoon he was back in his lazy boy chair resting and letting the chemo drugs do their thing.

It's been a great week for both of us to recover - most of the time the rain has been in a constant downpour. Today the sun is finally shining so we'll probably get over our cocooning phase and drive into town for rations. Thanks again for your support, calls, emails, flowers and other goodies and of course those wonderful blog comments which cheer us on! You're awesome! More later...

Love, Patty

Here We Go Again!

Hi Everyone,
We thought we'd show you a recent pic with Dallas's new 'do! He's getting ready to start round 5 of chemo this week so even though his hair has started to grow back, more will probably come out before the end of round 6 at the end of the month. After that he won't be cutting or shaving it for a LONG time. More later...
Love, Patty

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hi there...hope you're all doing fine and avoiding the cold and flu season. Dallas has a cold this week but despite having lower blood counts, etc. he's out there stacking a cord of wood today! We'll be busy over the next few days because Dallas's parents arrive in town. We're very happy that they've chosen to spend the winter on the island and have rented a townhouse about 20 minutes from us.

Next week will be a busy one here - Dallas starts his fifth chemo cycle and I am having some surgery (why does everything happen at once?). As usual, we'll get by with a little help from our wonderful friends and family who will be chauffeuring us around.

We're looking forward to upcoming visits from our valley friends Ed & Sharon Wiens followed up by another good friend - Brian Schaal. It should be lots of laughs and if the weather permits, maybe some fishing on the Cinnamon Girl. Thanks as always for your emails, calls and blogs - we love you guys! More later...

Patty & Dallas

ROUND FOUR FINISHED!!!

Hi everyone...I'm happy to report that Dallas successfully completed round four of his chemo cycle and is feeling pretty well. We were very happy to hear that he had been approved for three more cycles without any hassles. At the completion of cycle 6 they'll be removing one of the drugs - the paclitaxel - and reviewing his treatment plan again. The paclitaxel accompanies herceptin for the first six treatments and then the herceptin is given for the rest of the treatments (we're not sure how long that will be yet). We were very thankful that Dallas's reviews will be based on how well he is feeling rather than more scans and tests.

We enjoyed a quiet weekend with a visit from old friends Diane and Jim. It was great to catch up with them as well as Marcus and Heather who joined us for dinner on Saturday night. Last night we had dinner out with Peg and Steve - spending time with them is always a great way to cap off the week.

Thanks as always for your emails, calls, visits, cards and blog comments (okay - who is anonymous - really??!!). After a very rainy Saturday we're going to get out and enjoy the sunshine today - +12 degrees just to make those of you in deep freeze country feel better. Remember our B & B is always open! More later...

Love,
Patty

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Hi everyone,

Thanks as always for being on our team. The last couple of weeks have been busy ones. We had a nice visit from Lawrence Miller - a buddy from the valley. Lawrence is now known as the "lucky" fisherman - he landed a 90 lb. halibut while fishing with a cousin on the island. Lawrence's catch has made Dallas even more determined to go halibut hunting! We missed seeing Lawrence's better half, Judy, so hopefully we'll catch her next time. We also had a nice visit with Jim Guild on Sunday (Jim's another valley transplant like us). Jim has a busy dental practice in Ladysmith so we really appreciate the time he spends with us.

We enjoyed Marcus and Heather's Engagement Party a couple of weeks ago. Sharon (Heather's Mom) hosted the party - the food was yummy and it was great to get our families and the wedding party together to celebrate.

Today is an exciting day for us because Jordan arrives home for Thanksgiving. His birthday was on Tuesday, so we'll celebrate that tonight and then tomorrow we'll pack for a Thanksgiving weekend in Seattle. The boys bought Dallas Seattle Seahawk tickets for his birthday so while they're enjoying the game Heather and I will shop 'til we drop - YEAH!

Dallas is feeling quite well. The effects of the chemo are cumulative so this go round he finally admits that he has less energy than the last round. Despite this, my guy continues to amaze me - he rarely keeps still and seems to always be working on a project. We have an appointment with our favourite cancer doc tomorrow (Peter Battershill is definitely on our team). We still haven't officially heard about whether or not Dallas's next round of Herceptin has been approved. I can't see the Cancer Agency denying us because Dallas has experienced such good results with the drug but the wheels of bureaucracy turn strangely sometimes. Our next chemo session is scheduled for this Wednesday so we're just going to show up and hope for the best! Positive thoughts and prayers are always appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving! More later....

Love, Patty

CHEMO SESSION 3 COMPLETE - YEAH!!

Thanks again for all of your calls, emails, cards and visits - you guys are simply the best! The Big Guy completed another round of chemo with flying colours today so we have a 3 week break from the cancer clinic until the next round. That's the other good news - the next round is scheduled so we're assuming that the cancer agency approved the rest of Dallas's treatments (of course I'm being very hopeful with my assumption - we know how tough cancer agency can be with their approvals and we have no "official" word yet). It would be big relief to not have to fight for the drugs that we need - and the difference they're making is truly amazing. The swelling and hardness in Dallas's face and neck has almost disappeared and his neck mobility has really improved (maybe I won't have to do all the driving anymore - yeah!!). So after his 6 hour day in the chemo chair he came home and started painting the trim on the house some more - some things never change!

On our family front, Jordan seems to be settling in back in Calgary and Marcus and Heather are in full swing with their wedding plans. I even got to go to a bridal show on the weekend - finally some girl stuff in my life after all these years! Dallas and I enjoyed time out on the Cinnamon Girl this week - no fish but it was a great day. He plans to spend more time out there next week. He usually has a few tougher days after chemo but then the good days start to out number the bad ones pretty quickly so it's time to fish! Life is good. More later...

Love,
Patty

DAY 8 POST CHEMO

Hi everyone...just a quick report today. Days 8 - 10 post chemo are the normal down days for most cancer patients - we were warned. Blood counts are at their lowest and the normal person feels very weak and spends most of the time resting. Of course you know that my husband is anything but normal! This morning he power walked 3 km. (first time in months - yeah!) and spent the rest of the day painting the house. He never ceases to amaze and inspire me. If you look up the word stubborn in the dictionary you will see his picture in the description.

Our lives continue to be busy and this week was no exception. It started off with a quick visit last weekend from friends Bruce and Assunta. Assunta was a bit jet lagged having just finished a seven week vacation in Italy (I'm so jealous!). They came over for lunch as foot passengers on the ferry and left the same day - a whirlwind tour. Dallas's parents arrived early in the week because our niece Tasha is getting married tomorrow. They'll be here for a few more days and then our B & B is vacant for awhile. Thanks again for all of your support! More later...

Love, Patty

ROUND TWO BEGINS

Cousins Jordan, Emmy and Connor

So we really enjoyed being surrounded by friends and family this week as Dallas began round two of chemo. My brother Ron, his wife Tina, niece Emmy and nephew Connor were there once again to support us and cheer us on. I can't tell you how wonderful it is for me to come home to a gourmet dinner and baked treats and desserts everyday. Tina you are amazing! The long days at the Cancer Clinic really start to wear me down (the Big Guy gets some nice drugs so he sleeps thru most of our time there!) so coming home to a clean house and such wonderful meals is a very special gift.

We also enjoyed a great visit with our friends Anne and Brian O'Leary from Calgary. Everyone did a stellar job of keeping our minds off the upcoming appointment at the clinic. I'm happy to report that Dallas is doing very well - he's out house painting as a write this! The nurses couldn't believe it when they saw the improvement in only three weeks time - things can only get better. He may crash later in the week as his blood counts decrease so he's trying to get his "honey do" list finished before that. After 32 years (today is our anniversary!) there's nothing that I can do to stop him or slow him down for a rest until he's ready... the man is a very stubborn machine!

Jordan is packing up and leaving for Calgary tomorrow morning so I'll be wearing a black arm band for awhile. I'm thankful every day that we have Marcus and Heather so close by - we're very, very lucky! More later...

Love, Patty

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALLAS!

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the cards, comments and phone calls. It was a fantastic week, beginning with a visit from valley friends Darrell and Cindy. The weather cooperated with us and we spent a great day on the water which was made even better by our own killer whale show! There was a huge pod really close to the boat and they entertained us for quite some time.

This was the week that Dallas started to notice that his hair was coming out (as Darrell says, that means the chemo is working!) so Jordan (our expert stylist) was on hand to clip off his Dad's locks. The Big Guy took it all in stride and is now sporting a new, closely cropped do. Jordan and Dallas have a fishing derby tomorrow so Dallas is hoping to even out the tan line on his head.

Last night we celebrated Dallas's birthday with a family dinner party. I love it because once again he's caught up to my age! The best news of all is that Dallas is feeling very well. We got a very positive email yesterday from his symptom management doctor. When he heard how much the swelling had gone down in Dallas's throat and face he confirmed that the reason for this is because the herceptin is working! We knew it all along but it was great to hear it from an expert.

Dallas is ready to start round two of chemotherapy on Tuesday. We know that he'll feel weaker as the drugs do their work, but we're sure that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing (kicking the cancer in the butt!) so we're ready for it. As the Big Guy keeps saying, "no pain, no gain." More later...

Love, Patty

DAY 7 POST CHEMO

Hi everyone,

As always, my husband continues to amaze me! By Day 7 the typical cancer patient is supposed to be at their physical lowest. We all know Dallas is anything but typical - my guy decides to go fishing - I kid you not! Jordan had a couple of buddies visiting from Drumheller so of course Dallas insisted on "dragging his ass" (his words not mine of course!) out of the lazy boy chair to take the kids out on the water. They had a great time and managed to catch a 14 lb. ling cod as well as a smaller pink salmon - despite the fact that the Captain was catching a few zzzzz's here and there! Dallas wants the boys to come halibut fishing with him next time since they're obviously his good luck charms.

We enjoyed visiting with Calgary friends Ev and Bill this week and are looking forward to more company soon. This weekend we plan to go to Tofino with Steve and Peggy for some R & R - a change of scenery is definitely in order. Jordan and his buddies will be up there camping and surfing so we hope to be able to connect with them . Thanks again for all your support - you guys are getting us through this! More later...

Love, Patty

Day Four Post Chemo

Hi everyone...just a quick update. Four days post chemo and things are going as well as can be expected. I thought I would post this picture of Dallas so that you can see how much the swelling has decreased in his face - it's amazing to me! He's experiencing many of the symptoms that the doctors told us to expect - weakness, nerve and joint pain - but is coping very well. Thanks for your support! More later...

Love, Patty

DALLAS PASSES ROUND 1 WITH FLYING COLOURS!

Hi Everyone,

Today went so much better than yesterday! This time they gave Dallas the allergy medication before they introduced the second drug into his system. Although the day was very long - 7 hours in the chemo chair for the Big Guy - Dallas was more comfortable. Jordan covered off part of the day so that I could take a break (who knew being a chemo partner could be so exhausting?) which was a gift for Dallas and me. Dallas is taking it easy tonight and has even managed to eat some real food - YEAH!

We had my brother's family visiting this week - as always it was wonderful to spend time with them. Our little munchkins, Connor and Emmy, are growing up far too quickly for our liking. Uncle Dallas took them out on the Cinnamon Girl for some fishing and Jordan was in charge of general entertainment - he had a blast! Marcus and Heather were able to join us for an evening too. Life doesn't get much better!

We have a three week break before Dallas's next cycle of treatment. The nurses were telling him that he'll be sporting a new look soon - I've always wanted to see how perfectly shaped his head is and now I'll have that opportunity. A small price to pay for having those blue eyes smiling back at me! More later...

Love, Patty

DAY ONE FINISHED

Well it wasn't the best day but we survived it. Half way through the herceptin the swelling in my neck and face went out of control. They stopped the process until the doctors could get my breathing and swallowing closer to normal. An hour later we were back in business but at a slower speed. We're not sure if it was a reaction to the drug or just the process of adding something else to my system. Round two starts tomorrow. Dallas

So I was the one that needed heart paddles today! Luckily, the doctors were able to get everything under control quickly and Dallas is feeling much better. I know this for sure because the first thing he did when we got in the door was head for the ice cream (I had a glass of wine!). I'm sure things will go more smoothly tomorrow. More later...
Love, Patty

Its Go Time

Back in the chemo room starting today. I get the herceptin today followed by the other chemo drugs tomorrow. If I don't have any reaction to these drugs I will get them the same time in 3 week cycles. I have my game face on for this round of treatment and all your thoughts and well wishes will be with me. Keep praying, posting, calling, emailing, facebooking as we're going into overtime. We are enjoying company this week and Patty will add new pic's soon of our family. Again I will post an update later. Love, Dallas

The next round begins

Hi everyone. Well this week is over with progress made on the paperwork side (a very big thing for the Cancer Agency) as well as a trip to Vancouver to finish off the clinical trial testing. We had a good visit with Dr. Chia. Although he is no longer my oncologist he's still acting as my adviser to Dr. Browman, giving him the advice he needs about the new chemo I start next week. That's right - finally start herceptin as well as a strong chemo called paclitaxel. The swelling in the face area has increased (still trying to get used to the Mick Jagger lips!) but I've started a treatment for that as well. I am glad we have lots of company here in August but I'll still need some rest time in between ( so will Patty!). Although I want to start the treatment next week it's also supposed to be a great week for fishing. I might have to fish right up to the time of the treatment!

Take care, Dallas

BEST NEWS STORY AT THE STOBER HOUSEHOLD IN MONTHS!!!

Dallas and Oliver Catching Fish on the Cinnamon Girl

Hi everyone - thanks again for your visits, emails and calls! We have great news - our son Marcus just got engaged to his wonderful girlfriend Heather. We love her like a daughter already so we are thrilled! As for me - it's great to finally have another girl in the family.

We have had wonderful visits lately - we spent last weekend camping with Steve, Peggy and friends from California - the Clark family - Fred, Sandy, Conner and Caitlin. Monday we were joined by Colin and Lisa O'Leary and their munchkins Oliver and Theo. Dallas, Colin and Jordan took little Oliver out on the Cinnamon Girl and a great time was had by all. We also enjoyed a visit from valley friends Wayne and Gail Rossington.

As I write this we received more GREAT news! Our application to the BC Cancer Agency was appealed and Dallas was approved for herceptin for three months. So the fight continues and now the right weapons are in place. More later...

Love, Patty & the Big Guy

Another bad week

Hi Everyone - Again thanks for all the calls, emails and I even signed up to facebook so I'm hearing from some of you there! This week was another drag us down week as the swelling started to get really bad in the face area. My regular Doctor called my surgeon, who wanted to admit me to have a gt tube inserted in case it got worse. So far I've have missed out on that fun as the swelling now has moved into my face area and I can still swallow on my own. I have another CT scan today to look at my chest area to see if there is a blockage there that is causing the swelling. They are also going to scan my legs to see if I need any spot radiation there yet. (Spot radiation is very helpful for bone cancer).

We met with a new Dr. on Wed. and he will be our main guy from now on handling all meds, ordering different tests, and coordinating appointments with specialists. The news from the oncologist on Thursday was not good, he said we were denied the herceptin but we are still trying to get it from another angle. Patty and I both want another oncologist because this one was negetive back in September when we first met him. The rest of our doctors keep telling me to stay positive and never give up - this guy is so negative and drags us down. I think a meeting with the top management team at the cancer clinic could be next. More later as I got up at 5am to do this and now I am ready to fall back to bed. Take care Dallas

MORE NEWS FROM THE WAR ZONE

Thanks so much for the emails, phone calls and blog comments. I'm sorry to be using this format to update those of you that have left messages - please understand that right now it's easier for me to type than talk. By Tuesday, Dallas’s face and neck had swollen up a lot more so we went to the ER at Royal Jubilee Hospital and spent 7 hours there (what a gong show). The ER doc had never seen anyone with Dallas's symptoms, so she phoned his surgeon who ordered another CT scan – even though he’d just had one the previous week (there's a reason I call him Glow Boy!) and also a chest x-ray. When the surgeon had time to see Dallas he was stumped too - he actually went out of the room to refer to the CT scan three different times while he was assessing Dallas! The only thing he thought it might be is an infection so Dallas is on some strong antibiotics. We saw the surgeon again this morning and he thinks that the antibiotics are working. I would say that the swelling on Dallas’s face has decreased a bit and he’s having an easier time talking so I think they’re helping too.

Yesterday we saw the oncologist to come up with a new treatment plan which is:

1. We’ve applied again to get herceptin – the chemo drug we wanted in the first place. It’s a long shot that the BC Cancer Agency will approve it but we’re hopeful. If they don’t approve it there are a couple of other avenues to follow, one being that we pay for it ourselves. No matter what happens we’re going to get that stuff soon.

2. They are going to address Dallas’s bone cancer which has spread from his neck to his back, hips, and femur. They’ll give him a bone building drug by I.V. which should keep the bones stronger and alleviate some of the bone pain he’s been experiencing. The drug will also help to prevent fractures which are a high risk with bone cancer.

3. They’re registering Dallas for Palliative Care. This one felt like a knife through my heart but there are reasons for it. If you’re in this program your bone building drugs are paid for. There is also the benefit of being sent to the front of the line if you need to go to the ER for anything. Their goal is to keep Dallas comfortable and ensure that he’s seen by the right physician quickly.

There was a discussion about what kind of medical care Dallas wants to receive. There is no cure for adenocarcinoma so the oncologist wanted to know what Dallas’s treatment goals were. Dallas doesn’t want every type of chemo thrown at him just because there may be a chance it will help – especially since this means he’d feel sick and weak most of the time. He wants to try the herceptin and then be kept as comfortable as he can be for the rest of his life. He still wants to spend lots of time doing things with Marcus and Jordan, he wants to go fishing and have fun with friends and family. He wants to be able to do the things he loves rather than be hooked up to an IV all the time feeling awful. So that’s the plan. Next week we have an appointment with another oncologist whose specialty is pain management and we also have a follow up appointment with our oncologist to see how our application for herceptin is going. The Big Guy is handling all of this very well (much better than me!) and still strongly believes that there’s a cure out there on some horizon so he’s going to keep fighting like hell for as long as he can. More later...

Love, Patty

Our Fight Continues

Hi Everyone
Our news was not great yesterday, although not all hope is lost. We are now off the magic pills. While they did work on the two small tumors that I have, shrinking them somewhat the last check up, this time the tumours stayed the same. The bad news was that the bone scan showed that the pills were not able to stop or reduce the cancer in the bones. The bone scan showed that the cancer has spread slightly into my hips and femor bones. Our Dr. feels now is the time for one last chance using another combination of drugs including more chemo and Herceptin (the drug we wanted in the first place). To get herceptin approved for me will be the challenge. Even though this drug has been successfully used for my type of cancer in other parts of the world, I don't fit into the BC Cancer Agency's guidelines (in B.C. it is available to breast cancer patients). We are hoping that they will make an exceptional ruling or we will travel elsewhere to get this treatment. Patty and I are very positive that something will work as I still feel very good most days. Yesterday was extra tough on Patty as she also caught her finger in the car door and had to go to the hospital for stiches and x-rays. Patty will update you more later if she is able to type. Again thanks for all the calls, emails, visits and prayers. Please keep them coming. Dallas

Life on the Coast

So tonight we decided to enjoy another evening dinner on the Cinnamon Girl and of course my boys always try to feed the eagles. Here is a great picture of an eagle opening its talons to catch the fish that Dallas had offered it. A great time was had by all and dinner (even just smokies on a bun!) always taste gourmet when bbq'd on the boat.

Thanks for all of your calls and emails and visits. We're getting closer to our nerve wracking time. Dallas has two scans next Thursday (one bone scan and one CT scan) and then we'll be back to visit the Oncologist for reports a few days later. We can't help but think that the magic will continue! More later....
Love, Patty & Dallas

HI FROM THE COAST!!!

Hi everyone...thanks as always for staying in touch. Time continues to fly by in the Stober household! This past weekend we had a great time with Dallas's high school buddy, Robin Richards, who was visiting from Lloydminster. Dallas, Robin and our buddy Steve enjoyed reminiscing about old times and managed to get out on the water a few times.

Tomorrow it will be one year since the dreaded "C" word entered our lives (why do I even keep track of that stuff?). I am happy to report that Dallas continues to get up every day and fight the good fight. He's had more than a few rough patches to contend with this year but I know he's winning. Thanks for all the support - we love you guys. More later...

Patty xxoo

PS - Next big checkup is in July - bring on more magic!

Some Good News

Well after a very stressful week our Doctor in Vancouver gave us some very good news. The CT scan showed that the two tumors I have are shrinking after 2 months on the magic pills. There is still some caution needed though, as I also have cancer in some parts of my neck and back bones. The Doc said it's very hard to tell what's happening there because the CT scan doesn't really show a true picture of that area. All Dr's are very consevative but he was very positive and we will be continuing on with the magic pills for the next 8 weeks then more tests. Thanks for your prayers, call and emails. A very happy Stober family tonight. Dallas

Back to Vancouver

Hi everyone Today is the day we are back to Vancouver for a CT scan then see the Dr on Tuesday next week to go over the results. This is the most nerve wracking part of the whole process. He will decide if the magic pills have worked and continue on with them or what the next treatment will be. Fishing has been terrible lately but its still better than having to wait to see the Dr. I better wake Patty up and tell her we have a ferry to catch . Thanks for all the emails and calls. Dallas

FISHING TIME CONTINUES!

Hi everyone...thanks so much for all of your calls, blog comments and emails - they are very appreciated as always. It's so nice to be back home again! We've had a pretty exciting time - especially since Tanner Jeffery Ireland arrived on the scene late Thursday night! He's a wonderful baby and has the fullest head of hair on his head that we've seen in a long time. Congratulations to our niece Nikki and her husband Jeff - great work guys!! And of course congratulations to proud Grandparents Steve and Peggy. Dallas was very honoured to find out that Tanner will call him Grandpa "D" - I think my handle will be Nona (I'm stealing your title Anne!). Life is good!

We've been doing a lot of gardening catch up and are changing a few things around in the yard. We were also out on the boat yesterday with some friends and threw the prawn traps out in the water. A bit of success there (enough for an appetizer for dinner!) but more practice is in order! Next week we're looking forward to a visit from our good friends, Anne and John McGilvary. And the highlight of our month will be when Jordan arrives home for the summer - he'll be making his way home via a stopover in the valley to visit grandparents and friends. Then we'll have our boy back home for the summer - YEAH! There is nothing better than having your whole family in the same city for awhile - a parent's dream and cause for celebration!

We are on pins and needles now because we have Dallas's dates for further testing in Vancouver. On May 7th Dallas has a CT scan so that the oncologist can compare it to his previous results. Of course we're hoping that the magic pills have done their job but the next few weeks of waiting will be nerve wracking. We will review the test results with oncologist on the morning of May 12th so that is D day for us. More later...

Love,

Patty and the Big Guy xxoo

YEAH!!!! HOMEWARD BOUND!

Dallas is doing so well that the doctor cut him loose for a month! We'll take those magic pills back to the island and just have a check up in Vancouver once a month. I'm sure Dallas will continue to report on his fishing exploits and I'll cover any other items of interest. Thanks for always listening and being our cheering section! Life is good...

Love,
Patty

Last Day in Vancouver?

Hi everyone I hope you had a nice easter. We are back in Vancouver (monday night) and have a few more tests in the clinic tomorrow starting at 7.30am (poor Patty)then a Dr visit at 9 AM. If he hasn't changed his mind we will be able to go back to Victoria and keep taking the magic pills for another month then have more tests taken to see if the new drug is working. The fishing wasn't good on Saturday but we did see the pod of Killer whales only 100 ft from my boat. I entered another halibut derby next weekend so stay tuned. Thanks again for all the support. Dallas

1st salmon since November

A little 15 lber caught while waiting for the prawn traps to soak. 57 prawns in the trap after only 4 hours in the water. I hope the Dr isn't reading the blog . Tomorrow is another day out there only Steve can pull the prawn traps up from 250 ft. take care Dallas

HAPPY EASTER!

Hi everyone - We just wanted to wish all of you a Happy Easter. We're back on the island again for a few days of enjoyment. Despite dire warnings from his Oncologist about staying within a half hour of the hospital, Dallas had me packing for home as soon as we left the Cancer Clinic! He figures that the best medicine is being on the boat and if he had an emergency we could give Harbour Air some business. I have to admit that I've caved - being back home really does us both a world of good and pastes a permanent smile on Dallas's face. So that's really all that matters, right?

We made the best of our week in Vancouver and had a great visit with Heather's Dad, John, and his partner Vicki. They treated us to a Brazilian Barbeque - a carnivore's dream! Before we left we also enjoyed another visit with my brother's family. We had lots of fun cheering on our niece Emily at both her running club and baseball games. She once again scored a first place ribbon for running (obviously doesn't get her athletic ability from her Aunt Patty!). We hope to be able to watch our nephew Connor play hockey sometime soon.

So the Big Guy just phoned me to tell me he landed a 15 pound salmon which means we'll have a great dinner tonight! He also laid out the prawn traps so hopefully they'll be full when he and Steve pull them up tomorrow. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for staying in touch! More later...

Love,
Patty the Big Guy

Dallas on halibut...

You can never have enough halibut. After catching one you become very popular. WE gave away 2/3rds now need a few more for the big fish and chip night we will have once we get back home for good. I am still feeling good and asked the Dr. yesterday if I am feeling good because of the new drug but he thinks its to early for me to notice any results after only two weeks on the magic pills. Again thanks to everyone for your calls, emails and blog's.
Take care,
Dallas

PS I will teach Steve how to catch fish again this weekend

WEEK THREE!!

Hi there...so here we go again - week 3 looms ahead. So far, Dallas is feeling GREAT! We are really pleased that he's had no major side effects from the meds.

Our week began with a special visit with my brother Ron's family. Tina and Ron are the parents of our super star niece and nephew, Emily and Connor. It's always wonderful to catch up with our little munchkins! Connor and Emmy are the kids that you see featured in wrestling poses with our boys on the blog. We hope to be able to get in another visit with them soon.

We spent a great weekend with our good friends Steve and Peggy. They came over from Victoria to help us pass the time here. We explored Granville Island, dragged the guys out for some shopping and did more sight seeing. Vancouver traffic was a real gong show this weekend because of the Juno awards. There were free concerts going on at several different venues in town so no matter which way you turned there seemed to be a traffic jam! We still managed to get in a good visit with Steve and Peg - even though a lot of our time seemed to be spent in the car!

On Sunday evening our old friends (not in age!) Jim and Di were over for dinner. We have been lucky enough to be guests at Jim and Di's B & B for many of our visits to Vancouver.

Dallas starts another testing cycle tomorrow morning. Tomorrow is a shorter day so we'll only be at the Cancer Clinic for about 4 hours. During that time, Dallas will have several lab tests including 3 separate ECG's. Wednesday is another very long day - 12 hours at the clinic with a lot of that time spent in the chemo room. Fortunately, as the day progresses we'll be able to escape a couple of times for lunch and dinner. After Wednesday our schedule will be clear sailing - Dallas will once again go AWOL and we'll escape to Victoria for a couple of days. Dallas hopes to get in a day of halibut fishing again and I have a baby shower to attend (that is unless baby boy Ireland decides to make an early appearance - he's showing signs that he's ready to come out and meet the very large cheering section waiting for him! Go baby go!!).

Our good friend Ed Wiens is planning a quick visit this week too so I'm sure the time will just fly by. Thanks, as always for staying in touch! More later....

Love,

Patty and Dallas

ON TO WEEK TWO!

Hi everyone...as I write this we're relaxing in our new little suite in Kitsilano - still trying to get used to BIG city life. As most of you know, the Big Guy decided to go AWOL this weekend. We went home to Victoria for the weekend - a big no-no as far as the docs here are concerned but island time can be the best medicine of all! Dallas and Steve had a great time in the halibut derby. It was a good day for the guys - 3 halibut caught (17, 20 & 27 lbs.) so we will feast on it for awhile. Despite this, they didn't get into the money - there was a record breaking 180 pound halibut caught during the derby. It was one of the largest halibut ever caught in the Sidney area so the guys enjoyed just seeing it at the weigh in!

Dallas had a good check up today with the oncologist. He has some minor side effects from the drug (a bit of an acne like rash on his face which is common) but that's all so far. The doctor gave us some pretty awesome news today - they are starting to see some positive results with the drug. A woman that has breast cancer is showing signs of it diminishing so our doctor is hopeful that the drug will work for other patients as well. Since we're the new kids on the block, we still have a few weeks until they'll know how Dallas is responding to the drug, but we're very hopeful. It was a great cancer day! More later...
Love, Patty & Dallas
PS - Pearl - you did just great on your first blog - thanks for keeping in touch!

Week One Almost Finished!!!

Hi everyone...thanks again for the support! Dallas is almost through the first week of his treatment and so far so good! He's being monitored very closely and his blood is tested frequently because this is a new trial drug. He also has a few ECG's a week just to check up the ticker which is in tip top shape. These types of cancer blockers are the newest of the new on the war on cancer and the staff here seem pretty stoked about them.

We arrived at our new little suite yesterday afternoon and it's just as cute as in the pictures. We have a lot of pitter patter of many little feet upstairs during the afternoons but that's okay too - they usually zonk out pretty early (I think the owner forgot to tell us that she runs a daycare!). Our phone number here is 604-738-2258 - just in case you're in the area and want to pop by.

Dallas is feeling so well that we plan to go AWOL this weekend and sneak in a quick trip home to Victoria (something about a halibut derby calling his name!). He's supposed to stay in Vancouver but he's feeling so well - being on the ocean is probably the best medicine of all, right? More later...
Love, Patty and The Big Guy

HERE WE ARE!!!

Hi everyone - thanks as always for the update reports, comments and support. We arrived in Vancouver on Sunday and today is Dallas's first full day at the cancer clinic. By full day I mean 8:45 am to 10:00 pm! They have a schedule so his blood is drawn at certain intervals throughout the day. It makes for a tedious time but at least we can get out for some walks during the longer breaks.

Tomorrow we'll move into our suite - up until now we've been staying with good friends Di and Jim over on the North Shore. It will be nice to have our own place within walking distance so I don't have to contend with Vancouver traffic - YIKES!!!

I'll try and keep you posted more often now that treatment has begun again - so far so good! More later...

Love, Patty and the Big Guy

We have a date!

Hi everyone...we finally have a date for the clinical trial in Vancouver - YIPPEE!!! Dallas starts on March 17th (St. Patrick's Day should be lucky don't you think?) and we probably have to be there a few days before that so that he can undergo some more tests. We've rented a cute place that's about a 20 minute walk from the hospital. If you want to check it out go to:

http://www.avancouversuite.com/suites.html#arbutus

-we have the Arbutus Suite. We already have some reservations for the second bedroom which is great - we love the company! You are all getting us through this. Lawrence, you were asking where the cancer clinic is in Vancouver - it's pretty close to City Hall which is on Cambie, almost at Broadway. The clinic is on 10th Avenue and Ash Street, which is about a 5 minute drive from City Hall. Thankfully, it's not right downtown!

Dallas is feeling pretty well- his biggest complaint is nerve pain from the surgery. Hopefully, those nerves will reconnect soon so that phase will be behind him. He's getting out on the boat a lot - halibut season opened March 1st so the hunt is on! More later...
Love,
Patty & Dallas

VANCOUVER BOUND...

Hi everyone...thanks as always for your continued support. This week has been wonderful! Not only have we had Marcus and Heather here quite a bit, but Jordan flew in for his reading break. Life is good...

Our latest news is that Dallas will be entering the clinical trial of a new drug. We're feeling really positive about this. We met the Oncologist, Dr. Stephen Chia, last week and we liked him a lot. He specializes in HER-2 Cancers - this is the cell that has been a major player in Dallas's cancer. We are cautiously optimistic about the new drug (right now it is only known as ARRAY-380). So far, the side effects seem to be less than the alternative drug, herceptin, which can be hard on the heart. ARRAY -380 is a blocker to the receptor in the HER -2 cell so the hope is that the cancer won't progress any further. This clinical trial is also being run at a Cancer Clinic in Houston, Texas and one in Ontario so Dallas says if it works maybe we should all buy shares in the company!

As far as we know now, we'll move to Vancouver for a month in mid-March. The schedule that we'll have there is quite rigorous - sometimes we'll be at the Cancer Clinic for 12 hours a day or more. I've been researching places to rent, on a monthly basis, that are closeby. Dallas and I would like to be able to walk back and forth to the clinic everyday if we can. And of course we hope to have extra room for visitors so keep us in mind if you're travelling to the coast!

More later...

Love, Patty & Dallas

Back from our break!

Hi everyone...we had a great few days in Palm Springs. We had a wonderful visit with our hosts, Anne and Brian O'Leary. They are such an inspiration to us - Brian finished his leukemia treatments several months ago and hasn't looked back.

We were also lucky enough to be able to squeeze in an evening with some of our gang from the valley. Ed and Sharon Wiens were kind enough to host an evening so that we could catch up with Bob & Diane Powers, Vern and Cheryl Thomas, Al and Leann Wittke and Jan and Dexter Lindsay. It was such a great vacation - thanks so much you guys! Our days flew by too fast! Hopefully, we'll be able to join you down there next year.

Our big vacation news is that Dallas managed a couple of rounds of golf with Brian on the last two days of our stay there. It was a total surprise to both of us . One evening Dallas was becoming bored watching the golfers go by. The next thing I know my guy is picking up a club and taking a few practice swings. I was sitting on the sidelines watching him with happy tears streaming down my face. We didn't really think that Dallas would be able to golf again so this was such a gift. Dallas has been in a lot of pain since then but at least there's hope that his golf career isn't over.

This week will be a busy one - we're going over to the Vancouver Cancer Clinic for an appointment with the cancer researcher. We're hopeful that he'll have some answers, or at least some suggestions for us about Dallas's treatment.

Everyone, please know that your emails, calls and support continue to help us through our days - thanks so much for keeping us close in thought. Fred, Sandy, Conner and Caitlin - thank you so much for your cards, notes and constant prayers - all the way from California. Conner, this year Dallas promises that you're going to catch that salmon!
More later...
Love, Patty & Dallas

PLANNING BEGINS

Hi everyone....Yesterday was a pretty good day. We met with the oncologist again and are getting closer to formulating a plan of attack. The Cancer Agency will not provide Dallas with herceptin (this is one of the drugs that has shown promise in other HER-2 positive cancers like Dallas’s) because there are only 2 individual case studies - not enough for them to step up to the plate. The better news is that there are a few other options. There is a clinical trial that is going to be starting up in Vancouver for a drug that is similar to herceptin. We will be meeting with the doctor that is heading this trial in the next couple of weeks. Another option that our oncologist is going to pursue is with the drug company that manufactures herceptin to see if they will provide Dallas with the drug. In essence, they would be building a case study around Dallas in exchange for giving us the drug. Dallas would have to receive the drug at a private infusion clinic – apparently there is a doctor up in Duncan that runs one of these. The third option is for us to pay for the drug and have it administered privately. As our oncologist says, it’s complicated but one way or the other Dallas will start treatment soon.

The advantage to the clinical trial in Vancouver is that Dallas will be followed closely. We also like the idea of getting another opinion by someone that’s a researcher in the field of head and neck cancer. Dallas’s cancer is so rare that I think it’s hard to pinpoint what will work the best – maybe the research oncologist will say that there is another avenue to pursue. The good news is that the series of bone studies Dallas has had in the last week show that the cancer hasn’t been there for a long time. What that gives us is time to make a decision and also time to go to Palm Springs – we really need a vacation! The oncologist assured us that starting treatment in a month vs. next week is not going to be harmful. And at this point some fun might be the best medicine of all. We fly out on Monday for 6 days of sun worship - YEAH!!! More later...

Love,

Patty and Dallas

HERE WE GO AGAIN...

Thank you so much for all your calls and emails of support! I hope that you'll forgive me as I update everyone on the blog, instead of individually - it has been an exhausting, roller coaster week...

The good news is that we're formulating a plan. Thanks to a friend in Calgary we have a Plan B. Our friend is an Otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist). He had suggested early on that we have Dallas's tumour analyzed for HER-2. I won't get into a lot of detail here because I don't understand the science, but we made the request, and Dallas tested strongly positive for the presence of HER-2. Our friend had found some studies where there has been success with a combination of two drugs in the treatment of Dallas's type of cancer. The combination drug therapy is quite common in the treatment of some other cancers, including breast cancer. Unfortunately, even though these drugs are readily available, the B.C. Cancer Agency does not recognize them as acceptable treatment for Dallas's cancer. For this reason, Dallas had the standard, approved treatment to begin with - even though it was for a different type of salivary gland cancer.

On Thursday we met with Dallas's Oncologist. He finally agreed that the combination drug therapy is our best chance and is he is willing to go to bat for us. He will make a presentation to the cancer board to see if they will make an exception and allow Dallas to be treated with these drugs. If they don't approve the treatment plan we will have to pursue more expensive options. They may make us pay for the drugs but allow us to have them administered in Victoria or we may have to go further afield.

Despite this setback, I am happy to report that Dallas is feeling really well. He is strong and ready for the fight. We'll keep you posted - positive thoughts and prayers are always appreciated! More later...

Love, Patty

Our Update

Hi everyone…thanks for all the calls, emails and visits. Some of you may know that Dallas’s thyroid surgery was cancelled yesterday. His recent PET scan revealed some bigger issues – the cancer has spread into the bones of his neck, lymph nodes under his arm and his chin. For this reason the surgeon decided it was best to leave his thyroid as is, and as it turns out the thyroid didn’t show up as being cancerous on the scan.

At first we went into roller coaster mode because the surgeon had indicated that there was nothing else to be done. Fortunately, our wonderful GP, Kate Evans, called us on another matter so we brought her up to speed. She immediately moved into action and gave us the greatest gift of all – HOPE. We will be at the Victoria Cancer Clinic tomorrow and from there we will see Kate. If we aren’t happy with the solutions that the Cancer Clinic presents us with then we’re off to UBC. From UBC we may visit the Mayo Clinic but we’re hoping to stay closer to home.

I’m not a very good communications manager these days, so if I haven’t responded to your calls and emails please forgive me. That’s about it for now – except THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Your encouragement and support continue to light the way for us.

Love,
Patty

Surgery Cancelled

Hi there...surgery was cancelled. More details to follow soon...

Love, Patty & Dallas

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS AGAIN...

So we're now counting down the days until Dallas's surgery again - a week from tomorrow. He's feeling pretty strong going into this one. There are a few reminders of the last surgery - nagging pains in his shoulder and neck, some pain and numbness on the left side of his face and ear. But for the most part I still see improvement with every day, even if Dallas doesn't.

As always, thanks for all your wonderful calls, emails and messages! It is always reassuring to know that we aren't walking this road alone. More later...

Love, Patty