Update on Jim - 2/7/10

I'm glad to report that Jim is continuing to do well. It was a good weekend. He actually took Tito out for a short walk yesterday. Tito is our 7 year old teacup chihuahua. He is Jim's shadow and little buddy. Tito didn't get many walks last summer because of Jim's hip/leg pain. And as a result Tito has put on a little weight. When I say little, it really is little. This little guy should weigh in around 6 pounds, but is pushing 7 pounds. We've cut back on his food, but he really needs more exercise. So we are looking forward to lots of walks this summer since Jim is going to feel so much better.

We call Tito - "burrito boy" since he became a little chubby!

Jim is sleeping pretty well, eating well, feeling well. What a blessing that is! Thanks for your continued prayers...it is making all the difference!

And the winner is....Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bars

Do you like raisins? I don't, but hubby Jim does...alot! Since I've never hesitated to bake or cook things that I don't like, I made it my mission yesterday to see if I could find a raisin bar that Jim would really like. I found two very different recipes. One is cake like and the other is fruit filled. I made both, plated them and asked him to make his choice. The fruit filled won although Jim said he liked both of them just fine. I'll share the recipes for both in case you want to make your own comparison!

The Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bar is on the left and the Old Fashioned Raisin Bar is on the right.

I told Jim to raise up the plate of the winner! Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bar it is!

Fruit-Filled Oatmeal Bar (from Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook – Pink Edition)

Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes
Oven: 350 deg
Makes: 25 bars

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup butter
1 21-oz can pie filling or 1 ½ cups fruit preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X9X2-inch or 11X7X1 ½-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl combine the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Measure ½ cup of the crumb mixture; set aside.

Press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of prepared baking pan. If using pie filling, coarsely snip or chop any large pieces of fruit. Spread desired filling over the crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Raisin-Filled Oatmeal Bars: Prepare as above, except substitute raisin filling for canned pie filling. To prepare raisin filing, in a medium saucepan combine ¾ cup water, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Add 1 ¼ cups raisins. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Nutrition Info: Per bar fruit or raisin variations: 113 cal, 4 g total fat (2 g sat fat), 10 mg chol., 47 mg sodium, 18 g carbs., 1 g fiber, 1 g protein.

I have a feeling that the Fruit-Filled Oatmeal Bars will become a regular in our house! The recipe itself was very easy and I could easily open some canned pie filling and make something that Jim and I will both eat!

Old Fashioned Raisin Bar (from Variety – The Children’s Charity of Iowa cookbook)

1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup water
1 stick margarine

Combine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool.

1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¾ cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup chopped nuts

Combine above and add raisin mixture to it. Mix altogether and spread in a 9X13 pan. Bake at 375 for approximately 20 minutes. When cook, you can dust with powdered sugar or frost with cream frosting.

Update on Jim - 2/5/10

This is a bit odd...but there isn't much to report on Jim. Which is a very good thing when you consider that he is smack dab in the middle of his chemo treatments! Jim commented yesterday that he feels pretty much pain free now. Only occasionally do you catch a slight limp in his walk, but that may be because he is tired and still trying to rebuild those leg muscles that were pampered for so long. What an absolute miracle! We thank God that so many people have lifted Jim up in prayer! Please don't stop now since we still have a ways to go! But be assured your prayers are being answered!

My dad got home Sunday night as you know. The next two days he spent almost entirely in bed, sleeping. He was just soooo tired! We visited with him Wednesday night and his spirits are good. He saw the doctor yesterday afternoon and got the word as far as his blood platelets. They are now in the normal range. Which is good, but they still aren't doing the job they are supposed to. Why? Because Dad's kidneys are not functioning correctly. They are at 25-30% of normal function. He is in Stage IV renal failure. He has three doctors conversing about what to do next, but it appears that nothing will happen for several weeks. They want him to rest and build his strength. So we wait...and we continue to pray....

Update on Jim - 2/2/10 (& my dad)

Yesterday Jim had chemo #3 and it went very well. He actually felt and looked great after it was all over. The chemo nurses remarked how very well he is doing, not run down which is pretty normal at this point. (...it is all the prayers...) Jim is at work this morning and feeling good, although he admits to feeling a little tired. We are waiting for a phone call from the oncology office with date and time of the PET scan. It will be a few days before chemo #4, so that the doctor will have to time to get the results before the appointment (2/22/10). Because of the dramatic decrease in Jim's hip pain we are looking for it to show a shrinking tumor!

Don't stop praying for Jim as he is now heading into the period of time in which he is most likely to experience the side effects of the chemo. Fatigue is the most common complaint. And as his immune system continues to be broke down he will be more and more susceptible to illness.

Regarding my dad - he was discharged from the hospital on Sunday evening. We now understand that bypass surgery is not completely ruled out but it is definitely not going to be in the near future. They need his blood to clot where it needs to clot and be thin where it needs to be thin. Finding this perfect balance is the trick. He is taking a ton of meds and is VERY tired. He spent most of the day in bed yesterday and was still there at 9 this morning when I last checked. His blood sugar and blood pressure have both been in normal ranges which is a good thing. Please continue to pray for his recovery.

Thanks to all of you who are praying. Jim feels it. My dad feels it. It is such a blessing!

Update on Dad - 1/30/10

So...the surgeon says my dad is not a good candidate for surgery at this time. Several weeks from now, a month from now, maybe. His blood is not clotting correctly and they need to work on getting that fixed. For now, they have taken him off all the monitors, he is moving freely and very comfortable. We are thinking (this is not from the doctors) that maybe he'll get to go home next week. For now, he has a constant stream of visitors, children, grandchildren, siblings and some friends. He knows he is loved and has lots of people that want him to keep fighting.

What happens now is in God's hands alone.

Thanks for your prayers....

Update on my dad - 1/29/10

My dad's surgery was cancelled at 7:15 a.m. The surgeon said he was reviewing my dad's tests and history last night and determined that his blood clotting ability was not where it needed to be to undergo a bypass procedure. I'm not sure whether to cheer or be sad. The prospect of surgery of this magnitude with him in the fragile condition that he is in, had me quite anxious about how it would come out. Also the long road to recovery afterwards was a bit daunting. But, without the surgery...how long can he live? But I must remind myself, that everything is in HIS hands and we must find comfort in that knowledge. And we must trust in the training and expertise of the physicians. So what is the next step? I have no clue. How long will they keep in the hospital? Unknown. Will they decide to do the surgery a week from now? Could be, not sure.

The praying continues. For improved health. For a stronger heart. To go home and have a good quality of life.

In the midst of all this I am SOOOO thankful that Jim is doing well!

Keep praying!!! And we will continue to pray for you too.

Update on Jim 1/28/10 (& my dad)

I'm so sorry for not posting sooner. I'm getting feedback that my lack of updating caused concern as to whether there was a problem. Well, the problem is definitely not with Jim. He is doing wonderfully! If he wasn't sporting a bald head with some patchy dark hair in the back, you would think there is no way that this guy could have anything wrong with him. He is moving around so well now! He has almost no limp anymore. He has started doing his stretching exercises this week and remarked just this morning that none of them cause any pain! He can tell that he hasn't used his leg muscles correctly in quite awhile. Any discomfort he is feeling is good discomfort, due to working those muscles. Monday 2/1 will be chemo #3. We know that the remaining chemos will each beat him down to some degree, but we are optimistic that the Lord will hear all our prayers and let those side effects continue to be minimal. Thank you for your continued prayers in that regard!

So Jim is doing well, but my dad (Larry) is not. On Monday they did an angiogram and found multiple areas of blockage in his heart. They have determined that they need to do a triple bypass (possibly quadruple) tomorrow (1/29). My dad is very fragile. He has suffered at the hands of his diabetes which he has had for 40 years. His organs have taken a beating over the years with the intense high and lows that he has endured. (He is a "brittle" diabetic.) The doctors have said his kidneys are in the best shape they've been in for awhile...which is amazing considering he was heading towards renal failure a couple months ago. So it looks like all systems are "go" for the surgery. Many of you do not know my dad, but he is a gentle, loving man. So if you would be so kind as to raise a prayer on his behalf I would be most appreciative.