Saturday, June 30, 2007

Saturday At Home

Today has been a very good day for Ken. He seems stronger than ever before. He can walk a few feet but still needs to get his muscles built back up in his legs. He wheeled around for a couple of hours this morning in his wheel chair giving instructions to Jeff & Jacob about boxes he wanted moved in our back room which we have been using for storage. I am so thankful that he is doing better and his strength is returning.

Ken plans to go to church tomorrow. We hope to see some of you. He will probably come to the second morning service.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Second Treatment Completed

Today we drove to Edmond for Ken to receive his second Poly-MVA Treatment. He did very well and was finished in 45 minutes. The drive takes about 2-1/2 hours one way, so we spent the day in the car. We made a couple of extra stops in OKC and stopped by the post office and grocery store in Eufaula before driving home. We had a very good day. Ken slept part of the way home, but he has been awake all day otherwise. He feels very good and looks better than he has in quite a while. We praise God for all He has done and for Jeff and Rowena for their help.



Jeff's brother, Derek, will be in tomorrow from San Antonio and their other brother, Justin, will be here Monday from New Hampshire. It will be great to have three of our grandsons here over the 4th of July holiday.

Justin, Derek, & Jeffrey

The last time the three boys were here at our house together was December 29, 2005. This picture was taken as they were driving out of the driveway to go home.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

This Has Been A Good Day!

Wow! How good it is to be home!!! Today has been good. Ken slept last night for about 12 hours. I was really getting concerned about him. He is not one to sleep for more than four hours straight. But, I know he was absolutely exhausted after all he had been through. His body was trying to catch up. This afternoon he has been doing quite well. All of his muscles are working again. He was a little sore in his right shoulder this morning, but hasn't complained this afternoon.

My sister, Rowena, has been with us for a few days and has been a tremendous help as well as encouragement. Jeffrey and Grandpa Ken worked for a while reorganizing our back room (we are trying to make a bedroom for Jeff). Ken got a little tired so he layed down for a nap. He looked so comfortable that I layed down with him. We slept for 3 hours. It was great!!!

Tomorrow we leave for his cancer treatment with the Poly-MVA. We are just going to drive over to Edmond and back home. We're not spending the night anywhere. Rowena is going to stay here and hold down the fort and Jeff and I are going to take Ken.

We are so glad to be able to be home that we're sure looking forward to this weekend. We are praying for things to become routine again. It seems as if each weekend has brought a new surprise as we have ended up in the emergency room the last two weekends.

Thanks for your prayers . . . . more later!

Note:
After writing this post, I just read an email from my sister, Retha. Her daughter, Rhonda, needs our prayers. Here is what Retha wrote:

My oldest daughter, Rhonda, was having trouble with reflux for quite sometime; she had an MRI done on her stomach and esophagus. They found a mass in her esophagus and did a biopsy a week ago. It is a very rare form of cancer. Yesterday she told me she would have a Pet Scan next week and her doctor would get together with a surgeon, Chemo-therapist, and Radiologist to decide the best procedure for her after her insurance company okays everything. They told her to file for temporary disability at work; she works for FAA.
The mass is from 2 to 4 inches long and may have grown outside the esophagus; if it was under 2 inches it would't be too much of a problem to extract it. They can use an upper intestine to replace her esophagus.


Rhonda is still a young woman and has a very young little boy. He needs his mother. Please pray for a miracle for Rhonda.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

WE'RE HOME, AGAIN!!

Praise the Lord!! Ken can move his arms and legs again!! We have been through a wild 3 days. After 2 days of severe pain and inability to move, Ken has almost fully recovered after taking two 20 mg. tablets of Presnisone. The doctor said that this disease is totally unrelated to the cancer and that Ken would have to take the Prednisone every day for the rest of his life or the disease would come back.

I talked to the nurse at the clinic where Ken is to take the Poly-MVA about him taking the Prednisone (cortisone) and she talked to the doctor and they told me that cortisone may interfere a little with the treatment by making it less effective, but that they would administered a higher dose of the Poly to make up the difference. We are going back to OKC on Friday to get his second treatment of Poly-MVA. He has missed two treatments because he was in the hospital down here in Muskogee.

I just thank God that Dr. Kyger was able to diagnose the Poly-myalgia rheumatica condition that attacked Ken's body. He had a similar incident that happened to him about three years ago where he was unable to move his head and shoulders. He was hospitalized for 7 days in the Muskogee hospital and they ran every test on him known to man almost. They treated him for tick fever, but testing later showed that he did not have this condition. They thought he might have lockjaw, they did a spinal tap because they thought he might have meningitis, and did a week of blood analysis, etc. only to send him home and tell him they did not know what was wrong with him. It took weeks of physical therapy to help him get moving again, and it was very painful. I believe he had this same condition at that time, but no one was able to diagnose it. He went through weeks of pain and rehabilitation when if the correct diagnosis was made all he would have had to do was take some cortisone and he would have recovered. Ken and I want to thank all of you who prayed for the doctor to diagnose him correctly so he could be treated. It was truly a miracle this morning when I saw him raise his arm and scratch his head for himself. Jeffrey, Rowena and I spent two day feeding him, scratching his head and nose for him and rubbing his eyes. Just imagine if you could not move your arms and you had a itch!! The morphine they were giving him made his nose itch terribly and he couldn't rub it. How helpless he felt!

I just want to thank God for healing my husband! God is an awesome God as I saw a manifested miracle this morning in that hospital room. This is encouraging all of us and building our faith to believe for his complete healing and restoration of his body.

Thanks again for your prayers. God bless you.

Love,
Ken & Mary

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Thank You for Your Prayers for Ken

Praise God Ken has a treatable condition. The doctor thinks this most recent attack on his body is polymyalgia rheumatica meaning "many painful muscles and joints". He said that he is not sure, but if Ken responds to the treatments he would know by tomorrow morning. Here are some links to this explanation of this condition that I found quite interesting: http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068806/ and http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com/polymyalgia-rheumatica.html

Ken's present condition is exactly as described as symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica on these websites. Ken started treatment for this disease today with prednisone by tablet and magnesium sulphate through IV.

I called the nurse where he is getting his natural treatments with Poly-MVA and she said I shouldn't give Ken the Poly MVA while he is on the prednisone, but I could give him the CO-Enzyme Q10 and the Vitamin D3. These websites show that he will have to be treated for this condition from 1 to 2 years or the symptoms will come back. I don't know how this is going to effect his natural cancer treatments. I will need to talk to the doctor concerning this long term treatment if Ken actually does have polymyalgia rheumatica.

My sister, Rowena, drove down to Muskogee from Del City today in the rain to help us sit with Ken. She is with him now and Jeff and I went to lunch at Golden Corral and then to the library. I am so thankful for my family and friends.

Ken is doing much better today. He found out that the morphine shots were not helping him that much with the deep muscle pain, but that the Lortab and Tylenol were. These are both anti-inflammatory medications, so I guess that is why they worked better. Yesterday he was so drugged up on the morphine, but today his mind is clear and he has been cutting up and kidding with anyone who comes into the room. He still cannot move his arms and left leg, but he is doing a much better pain-wise.

Well, I'd better get back to the hospital. If you would like to call one of us at the hospital, the phone number is 918-684-2227. Ken cannot reach and pick up the phone, but one of us will be there with him all of the time.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Love,
Ken & Mary

Ken In Hospital Update

Hi all,

Mary asked me to post this update as she is at Muskogee Regional Hospital with Ken.

The doctor said he "thinks" Ken has a treatable condition;polymyalgiarheumatica. It has to do with his low immune system. It is NOT a virus. He has been placed on medication to treat this condition and should feel 100% better by tomorrow, according to the doctor.
Thank you for your prayers. :)
Teri

Monday, June 25, 2007

Ken Really Needs Our Prayers

I came home to get some rest and pick up a few things we need. Jeffrey is with Ken. He had a great morning yesterday and went to church with Jeff and I. He had a little bit of a stiff neck when he woke up in the morning and his jaw was hurting a little, but he walked several steps to get in Jeff's truck and went on to church and had a great time. We came home and took a short nap and when he sat up his left leg wouldn't hardly move and was very sore in the muscles. He was determined to go back to church where we were having a fellowship meeting call and inside picnic. We got there at 6:00 p.m. and he was having trouble with his arms and shoulders being sore. He was sitting at the table in his wheel chair. I fixed him a plate of food and he had a hard time eating anything as both his jaws were locking up. He said he wanted me to call the nurse and she said to get him to the ER. Mark, Jeff, and another guy had to lift him and put him in the car seat. We got to the ER in Muskogee about 7:30 and the paramedic had to lift him and drag him out of the car into the wheel chair. After running a cat scan of his head and doing bloodwork they said all they could see wrong was that he was a little bit dehydrated. They put him on an IV and admitted him to the hospital. He was in excruciating pain in all of his muscles except his right leg. He still is and cannot lift his leg and arms or open his mouth without pain. They have run tests all day long and we have not heard the results. They are giving him morphine shots every hour and lortab in between if he needs them. We have to feed him as he cannot feed himself and only liquids at that. He is terribly thirsty and his throat is sore. Please pray for him and no one seems to know what the problem is. His hemoglobin count was 12.9 which is better than it has been for weeks and all the other blood profiles were good. His only problem was the dehydration which wasn't severe.

I'm on my way back up to the hospital as I cannot sleep. I am so concerned about him, but I know God is able to raise him up. I called the Poly-MVA nurse and she said this could not be from the Poly as it is only vitamins and minerals. If anything it should be giving him more energy which it has been for several days. I think he has a virus but I'm only guessing. We should know something tomorrow morning.

Thanks for your prayers. We are not defeated!! God's Word says that He heals all diseases and that is what I am standing on.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Finally, A Day At Home!

Saturday at home has been nice but busy. There is a lot to do when you care for someone who is wheelchair bound. Ken has had a good day, however, and is resting after a nice bath in the shower. The ulcers on his radiation burn area have cleared up so there is no open wounds now. Now it is itching him like crazy. I guess this is part of the healing process. The silvadene cream contains both silver and sulfur which have great healing properties. It is actually called Silver Sulfadiazine Cream.

The home health nurse came out this morning and completed the admittance papers. They will be back on Tuesday for a regular visit. Also, the physical therapist will be contacting us soon. Ken will be going back to Oklahoma City Monday for his second Poly-MVA IV. He is taking the Poly orally today.

Jeff has been a big help today getting the house ready for Ken & the nurse. We are having to move everything around to make room for the wheel chair. I had to make a place for all of the medications, bandages, etc. My house looks like a pharmacy!! The VA is keeping us well supplied in medicine. The nurse had to go through all of the bottles and her list was a full page long including all of the vitamins he is taking.

Ken just awakened from his nap is talking to Karen on the phone. He is doing so much better. I praise God for all he is doing.

Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement. God bless you all.

Friday, June 22, 2007

First Poly-MVA Treatment

Today Ken began his first intravenous treatment with Poly-MVA. We are trusting God for a miracle in his body. Medical doctors have told us that there is nothing more they can do for him. Surgery, more chemo and radiation are not recommended.

On Wednesday we had a consultation with the doctor whose clinic administers the Poly-MVA. Jeff was with us and he understood how the antioxidants and minerals work to cause the cancer cells to destroy themselves much better than we did. Palladium Lipoic Acid is one of the active ingredients in the Poly-MVA. After talking to Dr. Rothwell, we couldn't wait for Ken to begin his treatments. He began taking oral Poly-MVA along with several other recommended vitamins and minerals on Wednesday afternoon. He will take the Poly intravenously on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a total of 8 weeks. Ken made the trip to Edmond very well. It is about a 2-1/2 to 3 hour drive to Edmond from home (one-way). We stayed in OKC two nights and returned home this afternoon. Ken is a little tired, but is doing very well. The ulcers have healed in the area of the radiation burns on his buttocks. I have been continuing the wound care of putting silvadene cream on them.

This excerpt was taken from the Poly-MVA website www.poly-mva-com :
"Palladium Lipoic Acid exists as a liquid crystal, which makes it a powerful anti-oxidant agent, which helps the body generate energy. Hence Poly-MVA that is a variant of Palladium Lipoic Acid (LAPd) acts as an anti-oxidant supplement and helps us lead a life free from many diseases. In the Palladium Lipoic Acid formulation Palladium serves as a shipping mechanism to facilitate the uptake of Lipoic acid. Palladium Lipoic Acid (LAPd) complex serves as a powerful treatment to any kind of cancer. Lot of research has been done on the subject and results prove that LAPd complex when taken as a nutritional supplement like Poly-MVA acts as a cancer deterrent. The results achieved from the tests conducted on cancer patients are heartening. Out of the people who opted for a dual treatment of chemotherapy and palladium Lipoic Acid (LAPd) the response rate was as high as 77%. Researchers have concluded that Palladium Lipoic Acid (LAPd) is a safe, non-toxic nutritional supplement, which effectively helps increase the life span of a cancer patient without compromising on the quality of life he leads."

There is a lot more to read on the poly-mva website if you are interested in reading more about it.


In case you did not see my last email update, I am posting it here:

Ken came home yesterday. It has been a very busy and long week. The doctors say there is nothing more they can do for Ken as far as the cancer goes. They do not recommend anymore chemo or radiation. The tumor that was 13X9 cm is now 7x7x7 cm. That is good news. They say the tumors in his lungs are multiplying and growing. They had him on liquid antibiotics for the 4 days he was in the hospital to get rid of the staff infection and urinary tract infection. They ran a new CT-Scan and an echocardiogram. The ejection fraction on his heart has improved a little. Last time it was 20% and now it is 20-25%.

I have checked Ken out of the nursing home and brought him home permanently. Home health will be coming in along with physical therapy starting Friday. Ken needs to be able to walk again as he is pretty much wheel-chair bound from being in bed so long. The sores in the area of the radiation burn are beginning to heal. We are applying silvadene creme twice daily when dressing the wounds. This is helping him a great deal.

Ken is in good spirits and is so glad to be home. Today we have a consultation with a doctor in Edmond to talk about starting him on nutritional therapy with the Poly-MVA which is anti-oxidants taken intravenously. This will build up his immune system and will fight and kill the cancer cells. Please pray that we make the correct decisions concerning this treatment. I know for sure that traditional medicine is not going to cure him, but I know God is able and we are still believing for a miracle. The Word of God says that He "heals all diseases"!!

Jeffrey is with us and will help me with Ken. Jeff is 17 years old now and we're so glad he will be spending some time with us. Tonight we will be staying at Karen's house in OKC (Jeff's Mom) because I have an eye doctor's appointment tomorrow morning at Dean McGee Eye Institute. Just a checkup. Karen is back in Laguna Beach for a three-month contract with the traveling nurse agency where she is now employed.

Our children and grandchild have been such a blessing to us and we appreciate them so much. All of you who have been praying for Ken and I.....we could never express our gratitude enough. I know we couldn't have traveled this journey in our lives without God, family, wonderful friends and pastors, and many prayers. Thank you so much.

Love,
Ken & Mary