Thank you

Thank you all for coming to celebrate Ron this weekend.  He truly was an inspiration to us all.  The world is not as complete without him here and life will always be lacking a little extra fun from now on.  As you all know, he added so much to any event, any life and any day. Thank you all who were able to attend and thank you all for your continued prayers and thoughts.  He was such a special man, friend, son, brother, but most of all, a special husband and dad.  Forever, he will be missed.

Memorial Service

Our family will be holding a memorial service for Ron Carey on Saturday, March 16th at 3 PM.  It will be held at Trinity Covenant Church (5020 Liberty Rd S, Salem, OR 97306).  Immediately following the service we will have some refreshments and cookies.  

In lieu of flowers, please provide donations to Willamette Valley Hospice or the Phil Knight Cancer Institute.  

Important Note:
Running was always one of our dad's favorite activities.  Therefore, we thought there couldn't be a better way to honor him than to wear our running shoes to the service.  Please join us in honoring our dad by lacing up your own running shoes.

After the events at the church, we will be having an informal Open House at our parent's house to enjoy some more reminiscing of what an amazing man our dad was and to celebrate the life he lived.  Beverages and food will be provided, but feel free to bring something stronger if you would like.  If you need their address, please email us at tlbrogan@gmail.com or torycarey11@yahoo.com.

New update, but still....Please Email Only

Please continue to respect our wishes of maintaining communication via email.

We wanted to let everyone know that this morning our father passed away.  The last day had been very peaceful and he went with the love of his life by his side.  Thank you for the prayers and thoughts you have given our family over the last 5.5 years.  Please continue to have us in your thoughts as we remember the amazing husband, father, son, brother and friend that he was.  He will continue to live on in our stories and memories. :)

Memorial Service is pending.  We will post it up here the second we know and it will also appear in the obituaries. 

Email only please

Hi everyone.  Right now they are working really hard to get my dad's pain under control.  At this time we would all appreciate holding off on phone calls and visits.  Family is even limiting their time right now while they try to figure out how to help dad's pain.  Please respect this and refrain from contacting them.  Email is amazing because it lets them know you care, but doesn't cause any stress.  Jeff, we so appreciated your comment and shared it with dad.  Thank you.

February 26th

Hello Everyone.  I first want to start by thanking you all for the support and love you have sent my parents and family.  We could not have made it through all of the tough times without everyone.  With that being said, I was hoping that if you had the need or urge to contact my parents, that you do it via email.  Email allows them to answer people at a convenient time and does not interrupt moments where they are occupied.  Right now I think it would be best if they could spend their time enjoying one another and talking with everyone when the time is right through email. We really appreciate those of you who have contacted them to check in, but we do hope that you understand that right now email is much more convenient for them.  At the moment my dad is not up to having visitors, but I do know that they enjoy the emails they have been getting.  If you do have questions, feel free to contact any of us kids.  Thank you so much for your understanding and constant love that you give the two of them.  If you didn't notice after reading this....email is preferred :)

 Love, the Carey Kids

I saw my doctor last week.  My brother, Brad, son, Michael, and Kath were all there to lend support. I shared with him the changes that have been occurring.  In the last few weeks, I have experienced an increase in pain and less ability to move my left leg.  I am still able to use my walker and get around my house.  I am unable to get out much due to my inability to use my walker with ease outside the home.  This has put a cramp in my social life.  I no longer get to spend two or three days a week down a Great Harvest visiting.  I am still going to try, though.

My doctor suggested (again) that I use a pump to help control the pain.  I finally agreed because I know that Kath may be able to get some sleep at night.  The process has been less than easy.  The past three days we have worked at figuring out how to use a pain med pump to control the pain spikes.  Monday, I had my PICC line put in.  Our nurse coordinator and doctor arranged to have it done here in Salem so I did not have to make the trip up to Portland again.  I am very thankful that we have such wonderful and caring medical providers.  I now have the ability to be in total control of my pain management.  I am able to push a button to get close to immediate relief.  There have been a couple of glitches in this whole process....the first night Kath was able to get some sleep, but the morning was HORRIFIC (not enough medicine was being released) and adjustments had to be made.  The next night the pump would not work without ear-piercing noise indicating that something was wrong..  I missed a visit with Harold (a close friend) because we had the nurse here trying to get my PICC line cleared.  

I am going to try to get out to Great Harvest again with my good friend, Barry, this Friday and hopefully I will be successful.  It is a little more difficult carrying around a pack that contains my pump and medication which is connected to my PICC line.  Hopefully by being in less pain I will be able to get out more and feel like visiting.  I appreciate all the visits from my family and close friends.  I also appreciate the visits from people that are silly and are just having fun.  That is important to my positive attitude.  I certainly am not into sitting down and getting into deep  discussions.  For example, I loved the email from "brother OJ" detailing all the silly things we have done over the years.  It is good for me just to laugh!  I also want to thank Blackie for my Friday morning special greeting that gives me a good chuckle.  I do plan on keeping this blog up to date at least once a month.  Love you all!

     At this time, we are willing to try any means that might attack my tumor.  With this in mind, we were referred to  a doctor that  works with experimental medicines/trials.  Last Monday I met with a doctor that specializes in experimental medicines.  This doctor concentrates on drugs that are just being introduced for human trials.  The doctor decided to test tissue from my biopsy to determine what gene was present in my tumor.  There is a study being done right now that is aimed at a particular gene and if my tumor has that gene, I can be put in the test group immediately.  At this time, though, it does not look like  there are any specific drugs that are being tested that would attack the gene present in my tumor.  I am on a waiting list for any testing available.  It may take between two to four months before I am able to be in a testing group because they begin new groups every six weeks and the number of subjects is limited.
     Wednesday we met with my pain management doctor.  We discussed changes that have occurred in the last month.  The only change that has occurred is a weakening in my left leg.  I still have good upper body strength which impressed him, but it has become more difficult to move around wtht the weakening in my legs.  He is impressed with all the ways we have been able to adapt and go on with everyday living.  With this in mind, he made no changes in my medications.
     This week, we had Kath's brother, Robin, and wife, Penny, come over for lunch at our house.  I appreciate the fact that people realize that I can't move around outside the house too well anymore, so they are willing to come to our house.  As always, my great friend, Barry, continues to stop by and pick me up at least once (and sometimes more) a week to spend time at Great Harvest Bread Company.  I look forward to these times because it really helps break up the week.  A special treat happened today with fraternity brothers, Doug, Jay, and John stopping by for a couple of hours to visit.  It's wonderful because my "brothers" as well as other visitors realize that visits have to be held down to a couple of hours because of issues that I have to deal with.  But it is wonderful to be able to laugh, tell stories, and generally shoot the breeze without getting too serious.  Laughter is the best medicine.

    Sorry it's taken so long to add to my blog.  I saw my pain control doctor last week and he was amazed that I still have not asked for the pain pump.  The pain pump would deliver the pain medication directly to my spine which would give immediate relief to the pain that I am experiencing.  I am still able to simply rely upon my Fentanyl lollipop that I take about four times a day.   I suck on this lollipop anywhere from ten to forty minutes.  The result of this procedure is that it gives relief from the pain for a short period of time allowing me to complete certain tasks.
     I have been able to get out many days each week with the help of friends and family.  Once again, Great Harvest is a favorite spot.  I feel like I am part of the staff down there because I am there so often.  Currently, I am experiencing a change in my left leg.  It has become weaker and harder to control  which makes it more difficult to use my walker.  I am hoping that my left leg doesn't get any weaker than it already is.  I am trying to avoid using the wheelchair as long as I possibly can.
     We had a great time today with our family as all of our children came to the house and spent much of the day with me.  They went out and bought a Christmas tree while my wife prepared a wonderful brunch.  We watched my daughter-in-law, Amber, and son, Michael, ceremoniously put lights on the tree.  This is the first year we have had lights on the tree since our kids were little.  After that, we all watched my granddaughter,  Rilie (age 22 months), put decorations on the lower one foot of the tree while my other granddaughter, Joss (age 9 months), looked on fascinated.  The rest of the ornaments were put on the higher branches by our kids.  Our kids gave me a wonderful gift today as they started a new tradition for our annual "Tree Day".

November 7th

Today we met with my oncologist at the Center for Health and Healing at OHSU.  Very good news in that the bone scan they did of me showed that the cancer had not spread to any other part of my body.  My lungs and all vital organs were cancer free.  The shadowing that they had found on my hip bone was simply an extension of my tumor that is already there  It is so insignificant that they felt there was no need for radiation at this time.  I will monitor any of my symptoms and as long as there is no change in any of them then we will not worry.  If I get any new symptoms I am to tell them and then they will decide what to do.  If my condition goes unchanged, my next scan will not be until some time between 6 to 8 months.  So today's appointment was great.  Brother B, Michael, Tiff, Amber and of course my beloved Kath were all very excited, as well as myself.  .

The swelling of my legs has gone down, so they have taken me off of Lasis.  I was excited about this because it means I get to take one less pill.  One of the problems I have been having is my lack of sleep.  I have tried two sleeping pills the last couple of nights and it has had no effects.  So tonight I am going to take three pills and if that does not work I will take four pills the following night.  If that doesn't work, they are going to have to figure out something different so I can get some semblance of sleep.  The only question they could not answer was about the shooting pain that goes through my right foot, which is like getting an electrical shock.  They said that it was a result of the tumor but they had no answer to it.

So all in all, the day was a very good day.  I will continue to get around using my walker and monitor my condition on a daily basis. I know all of your thoughts and prayers have helped and I ask you to continue them.  I love you all.

     Last weekend presented a lot of challenges.  Just when things were most difficult, Kath opened the front door to go outside and found a bag of goodies from Great Harvest which is one of our favorite places.  As we read the note, we discovered that the family that started Great Harvest had left it along with their good wishes and prayers.   It added a bright spot to our difficult weekend.
     Wednesday I had my CT scan done.  During the scan, the electricity went off in the hospital.  I was so unaware that I thought that it was part of the procedure.  After the scan, we went down to the Center for Health and Healing (where Tiffany, Michael, and Amber met us) for my appointment with the doctor helping me deal with the pain.  We then met with my chemo doctor who told us the results of the CT scan.  The positive is that the tumor has not grown at all and it is the same as it was a month ago.  Also, the cancer is not in any of my organs.   However, they found some shadowing on my hip bone which is a cause for concern.  Because of this, I had a bone scan done Thursday morning at OHSU.  Kath and brother Brad were allowed to watch this procedure because it did not involve x-rays or any radiation.  They did a full body scan which lasted eighteen minutes, then did a three minute scan of one side of my skull, and then another three minutes on the other side.  Really enjoyed all the doctors, technicians, etc in the nuclear medicine department.  Now I wait until late next Wednesday to see if anything shows up.  All my doctors will conference about the results before I see them.   Basically, if they find anything, they will use radiation or chemo to treat it.

     There always seems to be something going on around here.   This last couple of weeks have been up and down....I'll have a good day and then a sub-par day.  I now have an in home nurse assigned to me.  Talk about a small world.....we found out that she went to school with our twins.  Thank goodness she came to make her first visit with me Wednesday morning.  My legs were so swollen it was hard to even move.  She took one look at them and tested them for edema and made a call to one of her friends (another nurse) and discussed my situation.  They both agreed that I should probably go to the emergency room to be evaluated. She then called my primary care doctor who agreed and called the emergency room so that they expected me.    After spending the afternoon there, they discovered I had a blood clot in my right leg.  So besides added medication, I now get two shots a day in my lower abdomen.  My wife has now become a nurse because she has to give me the shots.  I also have a compression sock that I have to wear on my left leg.  It is a real chore to get that all the way up my leg.  On top of all that I still seem to be having trouble helping my bladder get on a schedule.  That has presented a whole new set of problems.  Because of all these issues, visiting with friends and returning phone calls or emails are sometimes difficult.  I really appreciate all your understanding.  GO BEAVS!!!

     Wednesday we spent the day up at OHSU at the Center for Health and Healing.  My first appointment of the day was with the urologist.  They removed the catheter.  I felt like celebrating!  I have been able to urinate with no problem so that is no longer something I have to worry about.  It is amazing how much better I feel!
     The next appointment was meeting with my oncologist.  He was pretty blunt.  He told us that the tumor has been growing.  The hope is that in the next two weeks, the radiation will act on the tumor and stop its growth.  Our doctor was not very surprised about the events of last weekend.  As he told us, the symptoms that I had are probably related to the tumor.  He has referred me to a spine rehabilitation doctor to help us with symptoms.  I will be seeing that doctor is about two weeks.  I am scheduled for a CT scan of my chest, abdomen, and pelvis at the end of this month.  That will reassure us that the tumor has stayed in one place.
     It's amazing how I feel up and down day to day and minute to minute.  The key is to stay more up than down.  I am lucky to have such a good support system that helps me through those tough times.  Your comments are SO appreciated.  Thank you one and all!

     Just when I thought I had reached my limit on pain, a new challenge arrived to overcome.  As people have tried to contact me lately know, I have been unable to return emails or even pick up the phone.  The reduction in pain meds has caused me to go through withdrawls.  I have experienced chills, nausea, shakes, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, etc.  Not a fun ride!  That was Wednesday night and all day Thursday.  Add to that another new hurdle...what happened was at 4:00 Friday morning, I was not able to urinate.  So starting at noon, Kath and I spend our time in the Emergency Room in Salem until 9:30 that night.  Those of you that thought you heard a loud siren were close enough to hear the screams as they inserted a catheter.  I cannot remember ever feeling pain like this!  My hope is that this will be removed on Monday.  Coping with withdrawls, the cough, and the catheter can try anyone's patience.  Wouldn't you know this would happen on a Friday!  Now we have to wait until Monday when we have to contact my primary care doctor and oncologist as soon as their offices open.  I'm looking forward to getting things straightened out.

Kath, Brad, and I spent our entire day at the Center for Health and Healing.  We started off by seeing my physical therapist.  Kath was shown how to massage my legs in an effort to reduce the edema.  Hopefully by reducing the swelling in my legs, the pain will not be nearly as bad!  After this appointment we went to the pain management doctor.  Good news here because he took the last of the steroids off my pill list and he decreased  another one of my pain meds!  He addressed the issue of my appetite.  A few days ago I lost my appetite and I have  not regained it.  I have water retention in my diaphragm.  Hopefully time will take care of this as I get my appetite back.  After this we hung out in the waiting room.  Around 1:00 Dr. Hung's nurse took us into the back where she took my weight.  This is where I knew how bad my water retention was.  I have put on over twenty pounds in under two weeks!!  Dr. Hung has decided to let my cough run its course. The x-ray showed nothing to be concerned about.  He also said that he will have me come back in six weeks to see how I feel.  This checkup will be based on how I do over the next six weeks.  If my condition is the same, great!  If it has gotten worse, then an MRI will be done.  So I hope that I stay the same over the next six weeks.  The key is to stay the same.  Even though my condition is not great, if it does not get worse, I will be happy.  That means that the tumor is not advancing!  Here is to the condition staying the same!!!  I will let you know how the next month is going!

I made it!!  Yesterday was my 25th and final radiation treatment!  Now it is the waiting game!  The hope is that I stay the same or improve over the next six weeks.  Then I will have an MRI to see what the radiation has done.  Again, I appreciate my friends more than I can say!  Thursday, Kath had reached her limit!  I was concerned that she could not drive safely to the hospital.  While I was worrying about what to do, I received an e-mail from Lynne Lindsay offering to drive any day!!  It was a gift!  So she drove me Friday and Barry stepped in and drove me Tuesday!  My friends have been such a blessing to us!!  Then I can not say enough about the people who work at OHSU!  I will not miss traveling each day to OHSU, but I will miss the people that work there.  They make a very stressful situation much easier to tolerate.  I will let you know how I am feeling over the next few weeks.  We meet with Dr. Hung in two weeks.  The only problem that I am having currently is a cough that is irritating.  When I cough, it causes pain to shoot through my left leg that hits a 10 on the pain scale!  Hopefully this will be taken care of by the meds I am on.  Kath gives me my medicine every eight hours.  I do not know how she does it!  I take around 20 to 25 pills a day!  She just smiles and  asks me if I would like to take the pills with water or chocolate milk!  I can not even begin to imagine trying to get through this without her!!