Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Remission!!!

Robert is in remission!!! We have known for about a month now... sorry we didn't post the good news earlier! As of now, he is done with Chemotherapy, and is working on finishing 4 weeks of Radiation. The doctor basically said that since he had such a large cancerous mass in his chest the radiation will help to make sure they got it all, and will increase his chances of staying in remission. He has completed about 2 or 3 weeks so far, and I know he is looking forward to the day when he is done!

Unfortunately, cancer is never considered 'cured' , it can return at any time. The chances of a relapse happening are highest the first 5 years after being put into remission. So for the next 2 years he will have checkup scans done every 3 months, and every 6 months for 3 years after that. At the 5 year mark he will only have to have a scan once a year, and after 5 years of being in remission the odds of a relapse are very slim.

We know that a relapse is possible, and will probably always be a little worried, but we know that we need to remain faithful, and trust in the lord. We will not let this threat conquer our lives or hinder our goals. If anything it has opened our eyes to how precious life is, and that everyday is truly a gift. We love you all! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Almost Done!!

Well, we are finishing off Robert's last month of chemo treatments...and needless to say we are THRILLED!!! His most recent treatment was on the 27th of July... he has been home for a couple days recuperating. Most days have become pretty routine for us. Come chemo day we can pretty much predict whats going to happen, how many days off work he will have to take, and when he will be feeling his best. There have been a few bumps along the way but most importantly he is almost done, and we can get back to everyday life!

It fills my eyes with tears just thinking about how lucky we are! I cannot begin to explain my joy! I am so grateful for this second chance we have together. I know there are many people in this world who are not so lucky. God blessed my life when he put Robert and I together, and I'm going to do my very best to make each day count! We're so happy that we've had our amazing friends and family there to help us through this... I don't know where we would be without all of you! We love you! Thank you so much!

Crystal

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Round 7

I think it's about time for an update!

Since my last post Robert had his 7th treatment and is due for another on Tuesday. Lately things have been... ok... each treatment has been harder and harder for him to bounce back from. This past Sunday he had a high fever, chills, and was sick to his stomach. We called the doctor and he told us to go to the ER. Luckily because his blood counts were high enough he only had to stay for about 4 hours. They put him on some antibiotics and told him to take it easy for a couple days.

He is feeling much better now, just in time for them to knock him on his butt again. The poor guy! I can't imagine the pain he must be in... His strength amazes me more and more each day. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks again and again for all the love and support!

<3 Crystal

Monday, May 17, 2010

Round 6

Robert is finishing his 3rd cycle (6th treatment) of chemo today. We spoke with his doctor and found out that he will still need to have 3 more cycles.The cancer does not show up on the scans but they know it is still there and want to do a through job of getting rid of it. We were a little bummed because we were told last time that he would only need 4 cycles instead of 6-8, but we were misinformed. As a standard they do at least 6 cycles. So as of today he is half way done, and according to my math should be done by August 9th. The doctor did say that he was very happy with his progress and things couldn't be going better. I guess we are just going to have to be patient and keep doing what were doing.

<3 Crystal

Monday, May 10, 2010

Just a note...

Just a note to let everyone know that all is well... Robert's blood work today was great! Now he'll just be chugging along until next weeks treatment. Remember to keep all those sick and afflicted in your prayers, we know he is listening!

<3 Crystal

Monday, May 3, 2010

Great News!!!

We found out today that Robert's cancer is gone!! I guess the scans they did last Thursday were completely clear. He still has some swelling of the lymph nodes and his chest cavity is a little larger than normal so the Dr. wants to do 2 more cycles. Robert did his fifth treatment today, so hopefully he will only need to have 3 more. We were shocked... to say the least! The nurse that we spoke with said that they did not expect this to go away so quickly... What a blessing! We are so thrilled!!! Nothing but smiles all around! We thought we would share the good news! Hope everyone has a fantastic week... I know we will! :D

♥ Crystal

Monday, April 26, 2010

Blood work

Robert had his blood work done today. Everything looks great! He is feeling pretty well considering all that he has gone through. Thanks again from the bottom of our hearts for everyone who has helped us out in this difficult time... We love you all so much!

One more thing...Our brother in law (Jason) is having surgery on his back tomorrow please keep him, and his family in your prayers!

Thank You!!
♥ Crystal

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Relay For Life

We got our team started for the Relay For Life event in Idaho Falls this July. Here is the web address for anyone who would like to join our team or donate...

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY10GW?team_id=725361&pg=team&fr_id=21862

If you do choose to join our team there is a 10 dollar fee for each member you register, this pays for your Relay shirt.

Thanks A Bunch!!
♥ Crystal

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Round 4

Hello Everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while... things have been kinda crazy as of late.

Three days ago Robert had is fourth round of Chemo. The treatment went fine, but he has had a rough week. He started to feel side effects the same day of his treatment, and they haven't really gone away since. His bones have been hurting a lot and his stomach has been pretty upset. He has been taking his medications.. and resting quite a bit. We are anxious for the 29th and hope that his scans will come out well. As soon as we have some more information about his progress we will let everyone know.

I also wanted to mention that Robert's mom and I are planning on starting a team for the Relay for life event in July. Anyone who would like to join us in our cause, is more than welcome. As soon as we get our team started and all the information together, I will post links to the website. So many peoples lives have been affected by cancer. Hopefully we can do some fundraisers and join together to show support for all those who have been affected by this disease.

We love you all so much! I cannot thank you enough for all you have done for us!
♥ Crystal

Monday, April 5, 2010

Round 3

Robert had is 3rd round of chemo today. Everything went fine. We were able to talk to the doctor and he said Robert's X-rays show that the cancer is shrinking a little and his lungs are still doing well. They scheduled him for another PET scan (4/29 ), lung test, and X-ray to check his progress and make sure the treatments are working like they are supposed to. Other than all that everything is pretty normal, Robert says he is feeling ok, and is planning on going to work again tomorrow. Thanks for your all your prayers!

♥ Crystal

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Late post...

Sorry I forgot to post the results from Monday...

The blood work was good... RBC's and platelets were normal.. Granulocytes were 3.2. Robert is feeling fine, I'm fine... all is well. :D His next treatment will be Monday April the 5th.

Love
Crystal

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Birthday Fun!

Ok... since its been almost a week I thought I should post a little something...

First of all, Robert is doing really good. He hasn't been in much pain, and he has been fairly upbeat all week. We celebrated his birthday this weekend, and I managed to successfully procrastinate my entire spring break... Oh well, we had fun! Friday we went out with the Family, and Saturday we spent with friends. Robert was completely spoiled! It was great! We had such a good time! It is really nice to be able to enjoy our lives with so many incredible people! Thanks again to everyone... for everything!

Robert's lab work is tomorrow, hopefully everything will be up to par.

Lots of Love!
Crystal

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Round 2

Good news, the shots worked! Yesterday Roberts granulocyte count was 14.5... way above normal. So they went ahead with the Chemo treatment. After the treatment he went in for a lung test and an X-ray. Everything is looking good and the treatment went well. He is feeling good today, and was able to go to work. His mouth sores have gone down considerably. He just has normal aches and pains and some bone pain (due to the shots). He got a Neulasta shot today to help start building those counts back up before they get too low again. They said its more potent than the Neupogen shots and it will last a lot longer. From now on he will be getting them after each treatment.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) he has an appointment to follow up on his biopsy surgery, and Thursday he gets his stitches out from the port surgery. We are expecting that this week is going to be tough on him since that's how it was for his last treatment. His 26th birthday is this Friday and we are planning to celebrate it with friends and family, hopefully he wont be feeling too bad.

We shaved his head and facial hair on Saturday. He didn't seem to mind much. Its weird because the 6 years or so we have been together I've never seen his face so naked... he definitely looks different...but he's still a cutie though!

Thanks again to everyone for all you have done for us! It feels great to be so loved! I am a very independent person and it has been really difficult for me to accept so much help... I'm trying to be better and I'm learning to let people in. Thanks to all the families in our ward who have been bringing dinners, and for the concerned phone calls. Your service and kindness is very appreciated!

♥ Crystal

Friday, March 19, 2010

Delayed

Roberts Chemo was a no go yesterday. They checked his blood counts and the granulocytes (part of his white blood cells) were really low. Last week when they were checked they were at 1.5 and yesterday they were at 0.3. The doctor said that if they were to do the Chemo treatment as scheduled it would wipe his immunity out an he would probably end up in the hospital. So they postponed it until his granulocyte counts come back up. He got a shot yesterday called Neupogen which will stimulate the bone marrow to produce more white blood cells. He got the same shot again today and he will get another tomorrow and Sunday. Then on Monday morning they will be checking his blood counts again to see if they have gone up. If they have gone up they will go ahead with the Chemo treatment. If they are not up he will have to keep going in to get checked until they are. Because the counts were so low after just the first treatment from now on they are going to give him a "booster" shot called Neulasta which will have the same effect as the (Neupogen) shot just over a longer period of time. Hopefully if they do that this wont keep happening. The side effects of Nupogen/Neulasta are that they could cause bone pain...which makes sense since it is stimulating the bone marrow.

Yesterday out of the blue Robert noticed all of these sores starting to appear in his mouth. So bad that his lips were swollen. The nurse said that this is common with people undergoing Chemotherapy. He was given 2 prescriptions for the sores a pill form which he supposed to take until the end of all his treatments and a "magic" mouth wash which kinda numbs the mouth so he can eat. Oh! and we noticed yesterday that his hair is falling out...chunks come out when you pull on it :( bummer!....Oh well it will grow back :)

Since his immunity is so poor right now Robert was instructed to stay home and stay away from lots of people. They gave him an antibiotic just to be safe, but he is not supposed to go out much until those counts come back up. He says he is feeling better today but he seems a little bummed about being home bound. I'm not too worried about him though, I know secretly he likes staying home and playing video games. Plus it gives me a lot of time to study. I guess we will just have to suck it up and be hermits for a few days.

Sorry it has taken some time to update everyone, sometimes I lack motivation to write.. so bare with me.. I will post as often as I can.


♥Crystal

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Life is good☺

On Friday Robert had his port placed. Everything went great. He is doing really well! He just has a little pain at the port site. His next treatment is on the 18th so until then this week should be pretty normal for us. Today we were able get caught on some things and have fun with friends.
Tomorrow = church, rest, relaxation and more fun! Weekends are the best!!
Hope everyone has a nice week!

♥Crystal

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Blood Work

Robert went in to get his blood work done today. Everything was good. His RBC's and Platelets were normal, but his WBC's were low. Normally you would want your WBC count to be between 4.1-10.9 K/uL today his was at 2.9. They seemed most concerned with his Granulocyte (type of WBC) count it was at 1.5 and normal is 2.0-7.8 anything below 1.5 puts him at risk for infection. The nurse said they don't get too concerned unless it drops below 1. At that point they would probably give him some drugs to boost the WBC production. By the time he goes in for his next treatment they should be higher... he still has some immunity, so at this point we really have nothing to worry about.

Robert was feeling a lot better today. He has had a little bit of an upset stomach but that is pretty much it. Tomorrow he goes in to get a port put in his chest. It is an outpatient procedure. He will be awake the whole time. They will give him some meds to keep him relaxed, numb the area, and put it in. It should only last about 45 min but he was told to take the day off so he could recover. Everything should be smooth sailing. This link has some more info about port placement if anyone is curious (you may have to copy and paste it).

http://www.uwhealth.org/healthfacts/B_EXTRANET_HEALTH_INFORMATION-FlexMember-Show_Public_HFFY_1116944249855.html

I will let you all know how it goes tomorrow.

♥Crystal

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Deflated

Today was tough. Robert was really drained physically and emotionally. He was very depressed. I think for the first time reality really sank in and it hit him like a ton of bricks. He decided to stay home, get some rest and pull himself together. He had some good conversations with a couple family members and I think that helped bring him out of his funk. He understands now that this is going to be a struggle everyday, and that a positive attitude is what is going to make all the difference.

I love him so much and it's hard to see him so conflicted. I can' t begin to imagine what he must be going through. He is such an amazing person, I wish everyone could see him through my eyes. He is capable of anything and I know he will persevere!


♥ Crystal

Comments

I have had a few people tell me that they have not been able to post comments on the blog. I found the problem and fixed it. You should be able to post your comments now.

Thanks
Crystal

Monday, March 8, 2010

Not Great

Robert hasn't been feeling so good. It started yesterday. He has aches and pains all over. But his mouth has been bothering him the most. His jaw, teeth, and tongue hurt so its been hard for him to chew. He has been a good sport though! He went to work today and has been resting since he got home. He is planning on working tomorrow if he is feeling up to it in the morning. It has been hard seeing him in pain and not being able to make it go away. We are hoping things will get better as his body recovers from the Chemo. There is not much we can do but wait and see what will happen. Please keep him in your prayers!

Love
Crystal

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Update

Robert has been doing surprisingly well the past few days. He has not been nauseous or sick and yesterday he started to get some color back in his face. We are hoping that it will stay this way... but its hard telling what will happen. He has his labs on Thursday to check his blood counts and on Friday he is going to get a port put in his chest so that they can give him the Chemo without ruining all the veins in his arms. Hopefully the next few days won't be too eventful...


♥Crystal

Thursday, March 4, 2010

First Treatment

Robert had his first round of Chemo today. Everything went well. He looks really pale and he is kinda tired but other than that he says he is doing ok. They gave us about 5 different prescriptions to help him with whatever side affects may come along. We are not quite sure how he is going to react to the treatments so he is going to stay home from work tomorrow and just take it easy. He looks like he could use a good nights rest! We will see how things go tomorrow.. and I will keep everyone posted!

Love
Crystal

Finally Getting Started!

Robert's appointment today went well. We got a lot of information to help us prepare for Robert to start his Chemotherapy treatments. The results from all his tests were good. He is supposed to be getting about 6 cycles. One cycle will consist of 2 treatments a month (2 weeks apart) and will last about 3-4 hours each. They keep telling us that everything should go well since he is so young and should bounce back well from the treatments. We are hoping for the best. :) Tomorrow is his first treatment. I will let you all know how it goes!

Love
Crystal

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

News

We finally found out today that Robert does indeed have stage III Hodgkin's Lymphoma (that is the better of the two). Now that they know for sure what it is we can get his Chemotherapy started. Tomorrow we go in to talk to the nurse so she can inform us of all the things that are yet to come and Thursday afternoon he will start his first cycle. We were relieved when we got the news, now we can get things started and get Robert better!! Yay!

Love
Crystal

Monday, March 1, 2010

Waiting

Roberts appointment for tomorrow morning was canceled. The pathologists here think that he has Non-Hodgkins but the people they sent the biopsy to for a second opinion think he has Hodgkin's. They are different forms of cancer and need to be treated differently. So to be sure they have to send it out for a third opinion. We don't know how soon that opinion will come back but the nurse practitioner at the doctors office said it could be as soon as tomorrow. Now we are just waiting... We will update everyone as soon as we know whats going on.

Love
Crystal

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Thanks

Its been a couple days since we posted so I thought I would write a little something...

This weekend has been really fun! We spent most of it with friends and family. We played games and kinda just hung out. It was great!

We were released from our calling today as the nursery leaders and we were a little more emotional about it than I thought we would be. Most people would probably be rejoicing... we were sad... I guess we are just weird :)

I want to thank everyone again for all the support! We have been amazed by the many acts of kindness, generosity and service that have been so selflessly given. Whether its a phone call or comment, coming to appointments, bringing dinner, or in some cases shaving your head for support (Jason). We are so blessed to have so many incredible people in our lives. I can assure you this trial has given us a different outlook on life, and I know we will be better people because of it.

Robert has his appointment on Tuesday. We are both anxious and excited to get things started so we can get Robert on the road to remission. Once we find out what the game plan is we will let you all know. Please keep the prayers coming, they are still needed!

Lots of love!
Crystal

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Postponed

Today we had a follow up appointment for Roberts surgery he had last week. The doc removed his bandage and says everything is looking good. He has some numbness and swelling but we were told that is normal.

It turns out he won't be starting Chemotherapy tomorrow. I guess the doctor had to send the biopsy to University of Michigan for another opinion. They can't start the treatments until they know exactly what it is and they have not heard back yet. After they find out what it is they need to get authorization from our insurance company. Its going to be a few days for them to get all that done. So they pushed back tomorrows appointment to Tuesday morning. Its alright though we're going to try and be patient and enjoy the rest of the week. :)

Thanks for the prayers!

Lots of Love
Crystal

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Just Another Day...

Today was great. We both went to work. Robert's lung test was quick and painless. He is feeling good, a little anxious for Thursday but I'm sure that's pretty standard. Not much else happened, it felt like any other day. I never realized how nice it was to have a "normal" day. We definitely used to take them for granted! Now everyday seems like a blessing. He actually seems happy that he gets to go to work...I never thought that would happen! :) Anyway, we send our love!

Love
Crystal

Monday, February 22, 2010

Results

We went in today for all the test results. Some good news, the doctor says that the cancer only stage III. We were all so relieved that it was not stage IV. The bone marrow biopsy came back negative. We were able to see the PET scan. The scan showed a really large black mass along mediastinum (middle of chest) , some masses in the right supraclavicular portion of his neck (where he found the lump), and a spot in his spleen. They doctor thinks this has probably been developing for about 9 months to a year. They are still waiting on the pathology results for the lymph node biopsy. They first thought it was Hodgkin's but it is not staining like Hodgkin's normally would, so they think that it may be Non-Hodgkins T cell rich B cell lymphoma. If they can't definitively tell us what it is by tomorrow they may have to send it out for further observation.

Tomorrow Robert has an appointment to check the strength of his lungs. This will help them make sure they are not being damaged because of treatment.He also has an appointment Thursday to start Chemotherapy. But they wont know which concoction of medicine to give him until they know for sure what type of lymphoma it is. For either types they usually do 6-8 cycles of Chemo. If it is Hodgkin's he will be given treatment once every two weeks . They do it intravenously and it will last a few hours. If it is Non Hodgkin's, T cell rich B cell lymphoma he would be given treatment once every 3 weeks and it would last about 6 hours. With this type they may also do radiation if they feel it will help. If it is Hodgkin's they gave him a 77% chance of this going into remission for at least 5 years. After that if it is still gone the chances are good that it wont come back. If it is the other (T cell..) the doctor will have to re evaluate that number. The good thing is that for either types the odds are still greater than 50%

Hopefully they will know what it is by Thursday so that we can get him started on Chemotherapy right away. Fortunately because of new technology and the drugs they have available he may only have a few days of down time every time he goes in for a treatment. Which means he wont have to be a hermit and stop living his life. He will get to go to work when he is feeling up to it and do the things he likes to do.

It has been a LONG week! After last Monday it literally felt like the world was going to stop spinning, everything was in pieces, I felt so broken. It has been hard, but we are learning to cope. We are feeling really good about things. We can't change what has already been done. We just have to keep going, put one foot in front of the other and move forward... When we find out more I will let you all know!

Love
Crystal

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Sunday

We had a nice time at church today. We have been the nursery leaders in our ward for the past 7 months or so and we have really enjoyed it. Unfortunately because Robert will be undergoing Chemotherapy we wont be able to continue teaching in the nursery. Robert's immune system is already weak due to the lymphoma and while undergoing the Chemotherapy he is supposed to be staying away from obviously sick people. As most know with lots of little children it can be conduit for germs. When the doctor found out we were in the nursery he told us to get out of there right away... Anyway we were not sure if we would be released this week or not but today was probably our last week. We have grown to love each of those little guys so much and we will miss spending time with them every week. But like the bishop said they will be there when he gets better.

Sacrament meeting was uplifting, we had a member of the stake presidency speak today and it seemed as if he was speaking directly to us. The spirit was strong and it felt really good. I know this trial is a test just like so many others that are placed in our lives each day. It has been difficult placing our fate in the lords hands and saying we will do the best we can but we leave the rest up to you. After finding out about all this at the beginning of the week our bishop and Robert's elders quorum president stopped by our house to give him a blessing. The bishop gave us some council that we should remember the atonement. This seemed a little odd, you would not expect that you should be thinking of the atonement. But I think for the first time it really sank in that when Christ suffered in Gethsemane he felt all that we would feel in this life. It was comforting to know that although at times you feel alone and that no one could understand, he knows exactly how you feel and knows exactly what you need. I am so happy that we have the gospel in our lives. I can't imagine going through life without knowing that there is an eternal plan for each of us.

We have Robert's appointment tomorrow to find out all the test results from last week. I will let you all know what we find out.

Thank you to everyone who fasted today on Robert's behalf. We love you all!

Love
Crystal


Saturday, February 20, 2010

Fast

Robert is doing really well today! His spirits seem to be up. He got a lot of rest yesterday and says he is feeling good!

I wanted to let everyone know that a bunch of us are fasting tomorrow in case anyone would like to join us. I am so amazed at the blessings that are being poured out to us each day! Thank you to everyone who has helped us! Your generosity and kindness is very appreciated! You are all so amazing!

Love
Crystal

Friday, February 19, 2010

Lazy Day

We were hoping to have more information today from the Doctors but unfortunately there is no news. I called earlier today they said they did not have the results ready yet. After our appointment Monday we should have much more to tell.

Robert is doing good today. He has been recovering from the long day yesterday. Luckily he has not been in much pain. He only had to take one or two pain meds yesterday and today he said that he didn't need any at all. We have been home all day watching the Olympics and just taking it easy. He says that it feels weird being so lazy. I like it myself... but I guess I'm just naturally lazy :) Anyway I am going to try and post a little something everyday or every other day to for those of you who are interested in his progress. Thanks again for all the prayers!

Love
Crystal

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Only The Beginning...

We wanted to start a blog so that we could keep family and friends updated of Robert's progress.
For those of you who are not aware yet, Robert was diagnosed with lymphoma just 4 days ago.. this is how it all started...

Last Thursday(02/11/10) seemed to be just like any other day. Robert and I got up and went about our lives. That night as we were getting ready for bed Robert asked me to feel his neck, so I did. I felt a lump right above his clavicle at bottom of his neck. He said that he had noticed it a few days earlier and just didn't want to say anything. I was immediately worried and decided to look online to see what it might be. I ran across some information about lymphoma. I read about how some symptoms may be due to lymphoma (night sweats, fatigue,lumps on the neck) Robert had all of these and I soon realized that this could be serious. We went into the Dr. the next day and they did blood work and an ultrasound. They could not tell us exactly what it was on the ultrasound but they knew there were two masses in his neck. They decided to order an MRI for the following Monday(02/15/10).

We waited all weekend and tried to stay positive, but after the MRI on Monday we were informed that this was indeed lymphoma. Our next step was to find out how far it had spread in his body. The Dr. sent us back to get a CT scan. They found that it had spread throughout the neck, chest and abdomen and thought there might be a spot in his spleen. We were referred to a Oncologist (Dr. Shull) and were able to see him the next day (Tuesday).

After a consult with Dr. Shull he informed us of what was to come. We were to get a PET Scan, Bone marrow biopsy,Echo cardiogram, and consult with and ear,nose and throat Dr. so that they could get a biopsy of the lymph nodes that were in his neck. These tests would be used to find out exactly what type of lymphoma as well as allow them to stage how far the cancer had spread. With this information they could determine the best course of treatment. Dr. Shull said that he was pretty sure that Robert has had this for several months and that he believes that the cancer is at least at a stage III. From the way it is presenting itself it may be Hodgkins lymphoma. He said that there is no way to be sure though until he had these tests completed.

Wednesday morning we went to see Dr. Baker (ear,nose,throat Dr.) he informed us that Robert would need surgery for his lymph node biopsy, and that we were to get it done on Thursday. After Dr. Baker's we had an appointment for an Echo Cardiogram to test Roberts heart to make sure it is in good shape to undergo chemotherapy.

On Thursday morning (today) Robert had a fun filled day ahead of him. He was to have his bone marrow biopsy (from his hip) at 8am, at 9:30 he had his PET scan, and right after that at 11:30am we needed to be at Mt. View hospital for his lymph node surgery. He sure was a trooper though! I am so proud of him! He had a positive attitude and got through everything just fine! We are home now and he is resting. It has been a long week and we are looking forward to a few days of rest.

We may have more information tomorrow (Friday 02/19/10) after some of the test results come back. We are not sure yet if those will be available but if not tomorrow we have an appointment on Monday afternoon (02/22/10) with Dr. Shull to give us the results. He should have a game plan ready for us. Robert could start treatment as early as the next day... So that is good news.

This has definitely come as a shock to everyone. Robert is young and otherwise healthy, we had no idea that he was sick. It has been a very emotional week. We have been told that lymphoma has one of the highest success rates for going into remission and not coming back . The odds are in his favor even at a stage IV. So we are obviously happy about that and confident that Robert will get through this!

We cannot express how grateful we are for everyone who has been there to support us in this very hard time. We have had so many prayers said in our behalf and we need them to keep coming! We all need to stay positive and have faith, after all this is a test right? We can and will get through this! In just this short week I cannot begin to explain the many blessings that we have received. I know that even with all the bad news Heavenly Father is looking out for us. We are so lucky to have so many amazing people in our lives.
Thank You all for everything! We love you and will keep you posted!

Love
Robert & Crystal